I always thought Joy was something to unlock; Something I had to get my hands on in some roundabout way. I always knew Joy was a gift of God and a fruit of the Spirit, but I couldn’t figure out how to cultivate it in my own life. I bought books on Joy; I bought sweatshirts with Joyous sayings and verses on them, like “choose Joy” and “rejoice in the Lord always,” but I still never experienced joy the way I do today.

So what changed?

My relationship with God did. God brought me closer to Himself and blessed me with the Gift of joy as a result. Because of this, I gained a deeper reliance on the lord and a stronger prayer life, with a natural desire to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 16-17) and to have a thankful heart. I also gained the ability to look at situations through the lens of Christ/scripture and keep my mind fixed on the things above (Colossians 3:2), as God strengthens me to.

It was and is all the work of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit in my life that stemmed from a deeper relationship. (John 6:44)

Because I have this Joy, no matter what life throws at me, that Joy remains unwavering; my physical health may waver, but my Joy, the Joy of the Lord, remains unchanging. My mental health may waver, but my joy remains unchanging. Finances may waver, and life’s waves and winds may come crashing and blow, but the Joy of the Lord remains unchanging.

I believe that while we are given the gift of Joy, we can steward it well by choosing it continually. (Philippians 4:4) When a situation arises that may want to steal my joy, instead of bowing to the chaos of the situation, I take a step back for a moment and say, “No, this will not steal my joy.”

If you’re longing for the Joy of the Lord, I encourage you to ask God for it. God is a good father, and He loves to give good gifts to His children. You can invite Christ into spaces where Joy feels lacking by simply asking, “Jesus, would You show up in this place in my life today? Would You grace me with Your hope, Joy, and peace today?” You can repeat this prayer throughout your day as you read Scripture, complete daily tasks, or face challenges.

Anyways, what caught my attention were the words “make writing a priority”, written about halfway down the list. Even back then, God was calling me to write, and I just hadn’t known truly how called I was yet. But this morning as I saw this reminder to make writing a priority, I felt compelled to start doing the same now. God has always placed writing on my heart, and it’s something I’ve come back to time and time again. Writing is truly where I belong.

It’s been a few months since I’ve written a newsletter, and it’s been a while since I’ve written anything consistently. I briefly lost the knack and joy of writing. And I’m not sure why, because as I’m sitting here writing this for you guys, I feel that spark and joy coming back. I genuinely enjoy writing. But also, I want to make sure that when I do write, it’s something of substance. I sometimes have a hard time just writing to write, but maybe I need to do that more often.

I can’t make any promises I’ll be super active on here with writing, but I can continue to promise you that I will post articles/posts when I feel called/led by the Holy Spirit. I feel so strongly about moving in step with the Holy Spirit, always.

Do you feel called to write? I encourage you to sit down and start. I know it can be intimidating. Even now I’m getting in my head thinking that no one wants to read what I have to write, but I promise if God has put something on your heart to share, it’s our responsibility to share it, and he will make sure it gets to the right person.

Here are some encouraging verses from the Bible that I hope bring you the encouragement to start whatever God has placed on your heart.

• Romans 8:28 – “In all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

• Ephesians 4:1 – “Live a life worthy of the calling you have received.”

• Isaiah 6:8 – “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’”

• 1 Thessalonians 5:24 – “The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.”

A prayer for the one who feels called by the Lord

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for the soul on the other side of this screen. Thank you for their precious life and for your glorious love for them. Thank you for making them fearfully and wonderfully made. Lord, I thank you for the wonderful call that you have placed on their life. They know what you have called them to. I pray that you lead them and guide them in it now as they follow you and your will. If they feel uncertain and don’t know what you’ve called them to do, please make that clear to them.

Amen.

Faith Favorites

Here are some of my favorites this month! These may change month to month, or they may stay the same, depending on how my preferences change each month, but I’ll change them for you from time to time.

Here’s what I’m currently listening to!

My Defender by Tate Butts

I Never Said That (Read Words) by JoshM

Here’s what I’m reading for fun

Victory in Christ by Charles Trumbull

The Abiding Life: A Book About John 15 by Josh Houston (FREE on kindle Unlimited!)

Here’s what I’m studying in the Bible!

Official Spiral Bible in a Year, 52 Week Bible Study Guide

Lastly, Here’s how you can support me & some helpful resources!

Buy me a coffee!

Consider a one-time donation of any amount via Buy me a coffee instead of (or in addition to) committing to a monthly subscription here on Substack. As always, any donation is greatly appreciated.

Tap/Click me to buy me a coffee!

Subscribe Monthly for $8

Your monthly (or yearly!) subscription helps support me directly and helps with things like bills and medical expenses.

This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Do you need a Bible?

I’d love to send you a Bible for FREE if you live in the US! Just click the link and fill out the form with some brief information, and I’ll send one your way!

I'd like a Bible!

But before you go… Have you heard the good news?

At the end of every newsletter from now on, I want to share just a paragraph or two on what the Gospel is in easy terms so that if you haven’t heard the Good News, you can, and if you haven’t been given the opportunity to give your life to Jesus, you’re able to.

Essentially, in the beginning, God created a perfect world and made humans to live in it according to His good design. But when Satan deceived the first humans, sin entered the world and has affected every person ever since. Because of this, we all fall short of God’s perfect will for our lives. That’s why God sent Jesus—fully God and fully man—who lived a perfect, sinless life. Out of His great love for us, God gave His Son to take the punishment we could never pay ourselves. Now, anyone who turns from sin and trusts in Jesus is forgiven, made right with God, and promised eternal life with Him. This isn’t something we can earn by being “good enough”—it’s a gift of grace that God freely offers to everyone.

If you’d like to receive the good news today and receive Jesus into your heart, repent of your sins (this means to turn away from your sins), believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died for your sins and rose again, and then invite Him into your life as your Lord and Savior, often through a personal prayer, to become a new creation in Christ. This act of faith and surrender is a personal decision and commitment between you and God.

An example of a prayer you could pray to invite Jesus into your life is as follows, but I invite you to make it personal:

“Dear Lord Jesus,

I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior.

Amen”

God sent me Christian friends, but I had to become chronically ill to meet them. I’ve met just about every one of my Christian friends through the chronic illness community on Instagram. And the best part is that we became friends so naturally. It seems like one day we were strangers and the next day we were besties. Now, I talk to my besties every day, and if we go a few days without talking, we keep up with each other on Instagram. When we do reconnect, it’s like we never missed a thing.

These are all friends I never would have met had I not made my chronic illness Instagram after becoming chronically ill in January of 2023. Now I get to call Sara, Jill, Olivia, Tori, and a handful of other beautiful souls my besties, and they’re all Christian and are an encouragement to me in so many wonderful ways.

As of right now, all of my besties live in different states all across the US. But I hope some day, when we’re all well enough, we can get together in person. What a glorious day that will be! But for now, text and FaceTime will have to do.

I am so incredibly thankful for God’s unique way of answering my prayer for Christian friendships. Not only did He send me friends who love the Lord, but He also sent me friends who get what it’s like to be chronically ill. I feel seen and supported in all the best ways, and I am just beaming with delight that God answered my prayer.

If you’re in a season where you’re longing for Christian friendships, pour your heart out to the Lord. Let him know what your desires are and then believe that He will deliver the answer to your prayers in the best way – His way. He will absolutely bring Christian friendships into your life, but it may not be in the way you expect. Have an open mind and an open heart.

I took a 30-day break from Substack and didn’t publish a March newsletter, so it’s so good to be back writing a newsletter for April.

Today I want to talk about change. Not only are the seasons changing, but I feel like there are so many of us going through change right now. For me, that change is new home health services. Some of you may know from a note that I shared on the Substack platform that I struggle with 15 physical chronic illnesses, not including mental illnesses. The main illnesses I struggle with are Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), Fibromyalgia, Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome (CVS), Chronic Migraine, and Functional Neurological Disorder (FND), which also includes Functional Seizures, Functional Weakness, and Functional Vomiting. All of these illnesses affect me greatly, but the one that affects me the most right now is the (ME/CFS).

Because of these illnesses, I’ve come to need daily help with things like bathing, hygiene, cleaning, laundry, and things of that nature, as I’m unable to do them safely on my own or without causing a prolonged crash. A few weeks ago, I met with an aide who has been over every day for a couple of hours to help me with these things. The meeting went well and the first few days with the aide went well, but after the initial meeting, I had a bit of a mental breakdown because I realized how real things are and how I’m having to give up control to let someone else care for me and my things. That’s incredibly hard for me because control is something I value and white-knuckle like no other. This is a major change, and I’m learning how to deal with it.

Honestly, I know white-knuckling things does me no good and that the only thing that will bring me true lasting peace is Jesus. He knew I would experience these emotions with these changes, and He is there waiting for me to lean into Him for comfort during this difficult time. He is more than happy to comfort me.

The same is true for you. If you’re going through a change in your own life and need comfort, hope, peace, or anything else, you can find it in Jesus, God, and the Holy Spirit, every single time, without fail.

Here are some of my favorite comforting verses in the Bible. I hope that no matter what change you find yourself in today, these verses can be a comfort and an encouragement to you.

• “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” - Hebrews 13:8

• “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?” - Matthew 6:25

• “For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.” - Isaiah 43:19

• “Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.” - Deuteronomy 31:8

• “For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! ” 1 Peter 1:6-7

A Prayer for the one going through change

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for the one on the other side of the screen. Thank you for their desire to seek you during this newfound time of change in their lives. Lord, this time seems so uncertain. We are unable to see beyond the present moment, and the future is forever in your glorious hands. Help us to trust you with that future, knowing we are in the best hands possible. Grant us peace, hope, joy, and anything else we could ever need to make it through this season of change with your grace. We love because you first loved us.

Amen.

Faith Favorites

Here are some of my favorites this month! These may change month to month, or they may stay the same, depending on how my preferences change each month, but I’ll change them for you from time to time.

Here’s what I’m currently listening to!

My Defender by Tate Butts

I Never Said That (Read Words) by JoshM

Here’s what I’m reading for fun

Victory in Christ by Charles Trumbull

Authentic Happiness by Sarah Rowan

What Happens When You Say Yes To God And Walk In Faith by Lysa Terkeurst

Here’s what I’m studying in the Bible!

The Bible Recap by Tara-Leigh Cobble

New Testament in a Year (FREE on Kindle Unlimited!)

Lastly, Here’s how you can support me & some helpful resources!

Buy me a coffee!

Consider a one-time donation of any amount via Buy me a coffee instead of (or in addition to) committing to a monthly subscription here on Substack. As always, any donation is greatly appreciated.

Tap/Click me to buy me a coffee!

Subscribe Monthly for $8

Your monthly (or yearly!) subscription helps support me directly and helps with things like bills and medical expenses.

This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Do you need a Bible?

I’d love to send you a Bible for FREE if you live in the US! Just click the link and fill out the form with some brief information and i’ll send one your way!

I'd like a Bible!

But before you go… Have you heard the good news?

At the end of every newsletter from now on I want to share just a paragraph or two on what the Gospel is in easy terms so that if you haven’t heard the Good News, you can and if you haven’t been given the opportunity to give your life to Jesus, you’re able to.

Essentially, in the beginning, God created a perfect world and made humans to live in it according to His good design. But when Satan deceived the first humans, sin entered the world and has affected every person ever since. Because of this, we all fall short of God’s perfect will for our lives. That’s why God sent Jesus—fully God and fully man—who lived a perfect, sinless life. Out of His great love for us, God gave His Son to take the punishment we could never pay ourselves. Now, anyone who turns from sin and trusts in Jesus is forgiven, made right with God, and promised eternal life with Him. This isn’t something we can earn by being “good enough”—it’s a gift of grace that God freely offers to everyone.

If you’d like to receive the good news today and receive Jesus into your heart, repent of your sins (this means to turn away from your sins), believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died for your sins and rose again, and then invite Him into your life as your Lord and Savior, often through a personal prayer, to become a new creation in Christ. This act of faith and surrender is a personal decision and commitment between you and God.

An example of a prayer you could pray to invite Jesus into your life is as follows, but I invite you to make it personal:

“Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior. Amen

Our faith and desire to seek Jesus have the power to inspire and spur others on to praise God.

A wonderful example of this in the Bible can be found in the story of the blind beggar receiving his sight in Luke 18:35-43. As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard the commotion of the crowd, he learned that “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” That’s when he called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” He was rebuked and told to be quiet by those who led the way, but he continued to shout, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Then Jesus stopped and ordered that the man be brought to Him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man responded, “Lord, I want to see”. Jesus said, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.” It was then that he immediately received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.

This story is so encouraging to me in so many ways. First, I’m reminded that Jesus has compassion on those who are hurting and need a savior. And the good news is, we are those people! God had so much compassion that He sent His one and only son to die on the cross for our sins! (John 3:16)

Second, I’m reminded that our cries for help are not ignored; they land on concerned ears that are ready and willing to help and heal at any moment. Sometimes it may seem like God is ignoring our cries for Help because it feels like our prayers aren’t being answered, but God’s timing is not our timing, and His ways are not our ways. His ways and His thoughts are higher (Isaiah 55:9)

Third, I’m reminded that it’s when we draw near to Jesus that we can hear his voice. It’s then that we are able to hear his questions like “What do you want me to do for you?” And he asks us this very question today; It’s not just exclusive to the blind man, some thousands of years ago.

Lastly, I’m reminded that it’s because we draw near and hear His voice that we receive our healing, whether that be physical healing, spiritual healing, mental or emotional healing, or healing in the future. I believe when we draw near to Christ, a shift begins to happen in our spirit, and we become different in the way we walk, talk, and have our being.

In conclusion, because of our faith to reach out to Jesus in our brokenness and a willingness to draw close, it’s in that closeness to Jesus that others will see the shift that happens from the inside out and will come to know, love, and praise God because of it.

Every one of us was blessed with a unique gift. The Bible highlights a few in Romans 12:6-8 (Motivational Gifts), 1 Corinthians 12:8-10, 28 (Manifestation Gifts), Ephesians 4:11 (Ministry/Office Gifts), and 1 Peter 4:11.

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