Cranberry Tea Time

Merry Christmas!

2025-12-23T14:14:00.011-05:00

Merry Christmas from the Lundy family! May the joy of the Lord fill your heart and home this season.

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

Luke 2:8-14

Stille Nacht

Christ der Retter is da! Christ the Savior is born!

Twenty-three years ago, Will and I sang Stille Nacht as a duet in our little log cabin church in Alaska. I didn't know it at the time, but that would be the last time I stood before a congregation or audience to sing.

A few weeks ago, we went with our children to a little stone chapel in Montgomery Bell State Park so that we could sing and record a few songs as a family. I want to share this one with you today. It was a special moment to sing Stille Nacht with Will again, this time with three of our children as well!

Pretty Lights Pointing to Joy

2025-12-15T08:00:00.004-05:00

Every year my church creates an Advent devotion book for the congregation to use as we go through the Advent season. Each devotion is written by a different church member. I wrote the devotion for December 15 in our book, and I want to share it here with you today.

The people who walked in darkness
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
on them has light shone.
You have multiplied the nation;
you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you
as with joy at the harvest,
as they are glad when they divide the spoil.

Isaiah 9:2-3

When my daughter, Adelaide, was two years old, she was delighted by Christmas lights on houses. Anytime she saw white or colorful lights decorating a house, she would exclaim, “Oh! Pretty lights!” It sounded like, “Oh! Plee-lee lights!” When Adelaide saw more pretty lights, she would tell us again that there were more “plee-lee lights.” It brought her so much joy to see the twinkly lights shining in the darkness. Her delight made such an impact on our family that to this day we continue to quote two-year-old Adelaide when we see Christmas lights.

I smile when I remember young Adelaide’s joy in seeing pretty lights. Her joy was over something small and temporary, but there is a much greater joy to remember as we go through this Advent season and anticipate the arrival of Christmas Day. We are no longer a people walking in darkness. We are no longer trapped in sin. A light has shown, and a Savior has come! God has rescued us from our sin, and He has increased our joy!

Holiday decorations are a small reflection of the real joy of Christmas. When you see Christmas lights decorating houses this season, let them be a reminder of the light that has shone in the darkness. Let them be a reminder of the great gift of salvation and the fullness of joy that is ours in Christ. The joy of pretty lights is fun, but it is fleeting. The joy that we have in knowing Jesus, the true light of the world, is a joy that will last forever.

Photo by mana5280 on Unsplash

Diamonds 2025 Fall Conference

2025-10-27T08:00:00.006-04:00

Diamonds is having a fall conference this year! It will be a two-day conference with the theme of "Truth for Endurance." If you are weary and struggling to endure with chronic illness, this will be a weekend of encouragement and truth to help you persevere.

The Diamonds 2025 Fall Conference, Truth for Endurance (Romans 5:1–5), is for the chronic illness warrior battling shame, the one weary from long-term health challenges, the suffering Christian wrestling with doubt, and the spoonie who feels like they have nothing left to give. Living with chronic illness is hard, but you are not alone. Together, we will explore how God’s truth gives us strength to endure, shapes our character, and anchors us in hope. - Diamonds Conference

WHEN: November 7-8, 2025

WHERE: The conference is online, so you can join in from home! You will need to register to receive links to the conference videos.

COST: The cost is FREE for the weekend while it is live!

I will be speaking at the conference in a panel session titled, Truth for Caregiving. I will be speaking alongside Nate Brooks and Leah Kaiser. If you are a caregiver for someone with a chronic illness, or you have a chronic illness yourself and are a caregiver/parent, I hope this session will be an encouragement to you.

If you would like to attend the Diamonds Conference, we would love to have you! You can register here. On the days of the conference, emails will be sent to you that contain links to the conference videos.

I hope to see you there!

Shelter from a Stranger

2025-07-21T08:00:00.003-04:00

I attend an online chronic illness support group each week, and last week we told stories of God's faithfulness in our lives. Throughout the week we had been mulling over the question, "What stories of God's past faithfulness offer you stability when your circumstances feel at odds with God's goodness?" And then when we met together, a few of us shared stories of times when we could clearly see God's faithfulness.

The story I shared was of a time when Will and I were the recipients of God's protection and generous hospitality from a stranger. This is a story I shared online many years ago as a guest post, but I have never shared the whole story here. So today I would like to republish an edited version of my original guest post from November 2011.

Will and I lived in Alaska in our early years of marriage. While we were there, God placed many people in our lives who showed us hospitality in generous ways. One family in particular I will never forget.

Will and I lived in Glennallen, which is about 200 miles northeast of Anchorage by way of the Glenn Highway. We often drove to Anchorage for shopping trips or to go to the airport. On this particular day in October of 2004, we were driving back home to Glennallen at night. We left Anchorage around 8:00 in the evening and began the long drive home. We soon ran into snow, but by the time we realized how bad the snowstorm was, we had no option but to keep going, and so we did.

It was not an easy drive. We were crossing a mountain range, and the roads were winding and narrow. Sometimes there were very steep drop-offs, and there were no guardrails. I prayed constantly as we were driving, “Lord, please don’t let us go off the road.”

We continued on for many hours until eventually we could go no further. The snow was too deep, and our car could not make it up the hill. We knew that it wouldn’t be wise to spend the night in the car on the side of the highway, especially considering my fragile health, but there was no way to get home until the roads were plowed.

God was watching over us, and He caused us to become stuck in the snow very close to Victory Bible Camp, a Christian camp in the Chugach Mountains. We decided that we would turn around, drive back down the hill, and drive down the camp road as far as we could.

There were many missionaries who lived year-round at Victory Bible Camp, but we did not personally know any of them. We were going to have to ask a stranger for help. We drove until we got stuck, and then we knocked on the door of the nearest house. By this time it was 2:00am. A startled and sleepy man answered the door, and we said, “Hi. We are Will and Rachel Lundy from Alaska Bible College. We are stranded in the snowstorm, and our car is stuck in your driveway. May we stay here for the night?”

This man graciously opened his door and invited us into his family’s home. He told us that earlier that day his wife had put clean sheets on the guest room bed and clean towels in the guest bathroom. We were welcomed to make ourselves at home.

Weary from the intense driving, we crawled into bed, grateful for a safe, warm place to lay our heads for the night. We were so exhausted that we didn’t wake up until 9:00 in the morning. We showered and dressed and then nervously went downstairs to meet the family who was hosting us.

The man we had met the night before was out plowing the camp roads, so we never got to see him again. However, we did meet his lovely wife and children. His wife gave us breakfast and talked with us as if it was the most normal thing for us to be in her kitchen! She said that we could come back anytime we needed a place to stay. What an extravagant example of hospitality!

Hebrews 13:2 says, “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers…” (NIV). How thankful I am that this family chose to welcome us into their home in our time of need. We were hungry, and they gave us something to eat. We were thirsty, and they gave us something to drink. We were strangers, and they invited us in (Matthew 25:35). They spared us from a long, cold night in our car. One day the King will say to them, "'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me'" (Matthew 25:40, NIV).

I cannot remember the name of the family who opened their home to us, but I will never forget their godly example in showing hospitality to strangers in need. I am thankful for their willingness to give us a safe, warm place to spend the night.

And I am thankful to the Lord who so faithfully cared for a chronically ill wife and her husband who were stranded in a snowstorm. He kept our car from going off the road and sliding down the side of the mountain. And He caused our car get stuck near where we would find a safe place to stay. God was faithful to protect us and provide for us in our time of need.

"And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen" (Philippians 4:19-20, NIV).

How has God shown His faithfulness in your life? Please share your story in the comments to encourage your fellow believers!

Photo: Glenn Highway in the Winter, by Kelsey Gray. Used with permission.

Book Review: I'm Praying for You

2025-06-16T12:22:00.002-04:00

When we go through suffering, or when we know someone who is suffering, it can be hard to know how to pray. We often pray for relief, but we may struggle to know what to pray for beyond that. If you could use some ideas of ways to pray for someone who is suffering, I recommend I'm Praying for You by Nancy Guthrie. This book is filled with biblical wisdom and helpful direction on ways to pray.

There are 40 devotions that are encouraging and filled with truth. The devotions are short, so if you struggle with brain fog, this might be a book you could read.

After each devotion, there is a prayer to pray for your friend who is suffering. Then there is a QR code that you can scan, and it will copy a short message that you can text to your friend. This message tells your friend what you are praying for them that day based on the devotion you just read.

There is space for journaling after each devotion in the book. If this is a book you will be keeping for yourself, this is a great way to take notes on what you are learning or write a prayer of your own.

If you wish to give it away, this book could be made into a very special gift for a friend who is suffering. You could read through the devotions and pray for your friend each time you do, texting them the copied message to let them know what you are praying. After each devotion, you could either write an encouraging note to your friend in the journaling space, or write a prayer for your friend in your own words.

When you finish reading and journaling through the book, you could give the book to your friend. They would have the encouraging devotions to read, and they would have your notes and prayers at the end of each chapter. The words from Scripture and the prayers from a friend would be very meaningful to a friend who is suffering.

Whether you keep this book as a resource, or gift it to a friend, I'm Praying for You is sure to be a blessing!

Horses, Zebras, and Unicorns

2025-05-19T08:00:00.002-04:00

I have a little story to tell you today. It is from nearly 30 years ago when I was new to life with dysautonomia. It’s a story I have told very few people, and I recently decided that it needs to have a place on my blog.

I was diagnosed with dysautonomia as a teenager in 1996. My cardiologist told me that doctors are taught in medical school to expect horses, not zebras. You may be familiar with that analogy. It says, "If you hear hoofbeats, expect horses, not zebras." Doctors look for the most obvious answers and diagnoses first because those are most likely to be accurate. But some patients are actually "zebras." They are outside of what is initially expected, and their conditions are more difficult to diagnose.

However, my doctor told me that I didn't fit into either category. I wasn't a horse or a zebra. I certainly didn’t fit into what was expected for horses, but my body also wasn’t responding well to the treatment for zebras. She said that I was some sort of shade of gray in between, and, unfortunately, there wasn’t a clear course of action for treatment.

My mom relayed this to a friend, and the friend immediately replied, "Oh! She's a unicorn!"

And I kind of loved that. It sounded unique and pretty. Not messy and blah like a shade of gray. Not a fearful unknown, but something with purpose and beauty.

I still like it today. It reminds me that there is beauty in this chronic illness life. God created my body just the way it is, genetic conditions and all. He knit me together in my mother’s womb, and I am fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:13-14). My body is known to God, and He holds it together (Colossians 1:17). I praise Him for this beautiful life and this “unicorn” body that He has given me. And I thank Him that one day I will receive a resurrection body!

If you live with a chronic illness, and you are tired of being a horse, a zebra, or a fuzzy shade of gray, then maybe it would help to think of yourself as a unicorn! Let it remind you to take delight in the God who created you.

Photo by Kaylee Stepkoski on Unsplash

In the Seams Interview

2025-05-09T16:20:00.005-04:00

This week I was interviewed by David Heflin on a podcast called In the Seams. I invite you to listen as I share a little of my story with dysautonomia. I share about how it has impacted me, how my husband has been a help to me, resources that have been beneficial for me, and more. I even share about the origin of Cranberry Tea Time in case you haven't heard that story before! I hope this conversation will be an encouragement to you, especially if you are on your own journey with chronic illness or know someone who is.

You can listen in on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, and more linked here.

In the Seams is the podcast for Broken and Mended, a ministry that serves those with chronic pain and illness. They provide both in-person and online support groups. If you are looking for support for your chronic pain or chronic illness journey, their website is a place for you to start to find that help and support. In addition to support groups, the Broken and Mended website also has a resource page and a blog that you will find helpful and encouraging.

I first met David Heflin, the Executive Director of Broken and Mended, through the Diamonds Conference that we have both been a part of. David was a pastor for many years, even while living with his own chronic pain and illness. I think you will enjoy reading (or listening) to his story and the origin of Broken and Mended here. I greatly appreciate his service to the chronic illness community through speaking events, Broken and Mended, and the In the Seams podcast.

5:00 AM Fears

2025-03-31T08:00:00.008-04:00

It was 5 a.m. My husband, Will, and I woke to a clattering sound in the apartment. Soon we heard sobbing, and we watched as our youngest came running into our bedroom.

"Gresham!" I called to him, and he ran to my side of the bed. I scooped him up in my arms and brought him into bed with my husband and me. As I tucked him tight against my side, I asked, "Did you have a bad dream?"

But Gresham was too sleepy to answer. Instead, he snuggled close as his tears subsided, and he relaxed into me. He had brought his fears to the right place, and all was well again. He stayed in our bed for the rest of the night, thankful for the comfort of Mom on one side and Dad on the other.

When nightmares come in the night, my son knows just what to do. He runs to his parents where he knows that he will find safety and comfort. He doesn't remain in his bed, trying to face his fears alone. He doesn’t tough it out and try to fix it on his own. No, he comes to us with his fears right away. He lets us comfort him and give him courage. Once Gresham was in my arms, his fears were gone. He knew he was safe.

As I lay in bed awake that night, I marveled at the example of trust my son had shown to me. I considered my own behavior. When something frightens me, am I as quick to run to the Lord with my fears and anxieties? Or do I first take time to worry and try to solve the problem by myself, running to God only if I don’t think I can fix it on my own? Oh, how I want to be like little Gresham and immediately run to my Heavenly Father and tell Him what concerns me!

Tim Keller has said, “The only person who dares wake up a king at 3:00 a.m. for a glass of water is a child. We have that kind of access.” Gresham has that kind of access to his parents in the middle of the night. And we have that kind of access to our Heavenly Father, the King of the universe. What an immense privilege! It is one that we best not neglect.

When Gresham needed help in the night, he had to wake me up before I could offer comfort. But thankfully, we have a God who never slumbers or sleeps. We do not have to wake Him up before we can pour out our hearts to Him. He is always there, always ready to listen to our cries for help.

Our Heavenly Father loves us and wants us to call to Him. If I, an imperfect human, love my son and want him to come to me in the middle of the night when he is afraid, how much more does God love us, His children, and want us to come running to Him when we are afraid and needy? The writer of Hebrews said, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16, ESV). There is always help to be found at the throne of grace.

Moreover, we are told not to be “anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7, ESV). Indeed, we are exhorted to cast all of our anxieties on Him because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). What a blessing to have a God who is ready to hear our fears and give us peace!

Today, if fears and worries assail you, don’t waste time trying to power through hardship on your own. First, go running to your Heavenly Father. Pour out your heart to Him. The God of all comfort is waiting for you. Let Him carry you through whatever worries you have today. He has grace and mercy to help you in your time of need.

Photo by samira sadeqi on Unsplash

Diamonds 2025: Courage

2025-01-20T08:00:00.004-05:00

Diamonds 2025 is coming this weekend!

This is for the one facing a medical decision they have no idea how to make.

This is for the chronic illness warrior overwhelmed by financial strain.

This is for the one wondering why God feels so far away in their suffering.

This is for the person who doesn’t know how to ask for help.

This is for the one facing the unknown.

Do you need courage?

You are not alone.

That’s why I’m so excited to be speaking at Diamonds 2025: Courage.

I’m joining 20 speakers and authors, who are themselves facing chronic illness, for a three-day conference designed especially for Christians facing long-term health challenges.

Click here to register for free!

I am going to be speaking about Courage for Today. During my session, I will be sharing about six things specifically that can give you courage to face another day of chronic illness. I would love to have you join me! My session will be on Saturday, January 25 at 2:40 Pacific Time.

More details about the conference:

When?

January 24-26, 2025

Where?

Online, so you can attend from anywhere!

Cost?

Free while it is live, recordings available for purchase afterward.

Who?

Everyone facing long-term health challenges, or who loves someone facing them.

There is a study guide available for the conference. You can find it here on Amazon. Both paperback and kindle are available.

Click here to register for Diamonds 2025: Courage. I hope to see you there!

Homebound Saints Need the Body of Christ

2024-10-15T11:48:00.001-04:00

Dr. Albert Mohler, President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, recently received a thought-provoking question on his podcast, The Briefing. A listener wrote in and said, "I’m a Christian who has been bed-bound for the last four years because of ALS. What do I do now that I can’t attend church physically? I feel myself drifting apart from the Word and my hunger for it. I know that I’m doing wrong, but I can’t bring myself to read it consistently. Besides praying and asking for the Lord to return my love for His Word again, what can I do?”

I greatly appreciated Dr. Mohler’s answer. He gave kind and gentle encouragement to the man who was homebound with ALS. There was no criticism in his response. He didn’t tell the man to simply read Scripture more and pray more. Instead, he rightly explained that the local church has the responsibility to serve and help this man in his spiritual walk with the Lord. Dr. Mohler gave a charge to churches to stand up and graciously, lovingly, and boldly come alongside homebound saints.

As a person who is primarily homebound, it was equal parts shocking and wonderful to hear someone make such a bold statement! Until I listened to this podcast episode, I do not believe I had ever heard a healthy person publicly state that the church has a responsibility to minister to its homebound members. It was a relief and an encouragement to hear Dr. Mohler’s charge to the church to come alongside those who are homebound. I hope and pray that God will use Dr. Mohler’s words in his podcast to spur churches on to change in this area.

Sadly, the homebound are often a neglected part of the body of Christ. Over the past twenty years, I have privately heard stories of deep pain and neglect from fellow chronically ill and homebound believers across the world. I also have my own stories of hurt that only those closest to me know. Based on my experience, and the stories I have heard, this seems to be a widespread problem in churches. It grieves me to say that spiritual and physical needs of homebound members are often neglected.

I do not believe the neglect is intentional. I think often it is a case of “out of sight, out of mind.” A local church congregation does not see its homebound members regularly, if at all, so they do not think about them. The church is happy to speak with homebound members if they are able to make it to a service on a rare occasion, but they do not think to befriend someone who cannot typically leave home. Perhaps churches think a homebound person needs rest, so they do not want to call or ask about visiting and “bother” them. Instead, their names are added to a prayer sheet, and the care stops at prayer.

I do not write this post for myself. I write this on behalf of those who cannot speak up themselves. I write this for those who are spiritually languishing in their homes, praying, hoping, and waiting for their church to understand the need. I write this for those who have reached out to their church, asking for encouragement and help, and have received little to no response. I write this for those who need someone to reach out to them with friendship and spiritual encouragement because they are too lonely and discouraged to try again.

Believers are not meant to live the Christian life alone, but homebound saints often do. The homebound and chronically ill are there in your church and in your neighborhood. They may be in their home, in an assisted living center, or in a nursing home. They may live alone, with a spouse, with a roommate, or with their family. Wherever they are, they need you! They need practical service, and they need spiritual encouragement. Please do not assume that someone else is already visiting them and encouraging them in the Lord. That may not be the case, and the homebound saints need the body of Christ.

Being homebound is lonely and hard. If you know someone who is homebound, will you please step into their lives? Will you befriend them in their homes? Will you minister to their physical and spiritual needs? Will you encourage them when their spirits grow weak?

I know that there are many churches who do minister to their homebound brothers and sisters in Christ. And I praise the Lord for churches such as these! There are also individual Christians who reach out with care and friendship to the homebound, and these friends are a treasure to those who are blessed to have them. Every homebound believer needs a church and Christian friends such as these.

Dear church, please do not neglect the homebound saints in your congregation. They may not be able to physically attend services, but they are part of your local body, and they need you. Not only that—you need them! You will suffer if just one part of the body is neglected. The church needs its chronically ill, disabled, and homebound members. They are indispensable. Embrace them, love them, and serve them. And in the process, you may find that you are blessed in return.

“But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you,’ nor again the head to the feet, ‘I have no need of you.’ On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable.” 1 Corinthians 12:18-22

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash.

Unstuck: Moving from Resentment to Resilience While Living with Dystonia

2024-09-10T17:04:00.003-04:00

I first met Abigail Brown back in 2014 when we both participated in the 35th Anniversary Blog Contest for Joni and Friends. Abigail's blog post entry was my favorite! As we became online friends, I was impressed with this woman's determination to know God and to glorify Him in her life. I was challenged by the way she reached out to others with a humble heart of service. I was captivated by her artwork.

It has been a delight to get to know Abigail over the years and see the way her art and ministry have grown. And I am thrilled to share that Abigail's first book has been published!

Unstuck: Moving from Resentment to Resilience While Living with Dystonia is now available on Amazon and other favorite book retailers. I had the joy of reading a pre-release copy of Unstuck, and I enjoyed it very much!

Abigail writes about her life and struggles with Dystonia. She shares how she overcame resentment and self-pity. This book will be helpful not just for those with dystonia, chronic illness, or disabilities, but for anyone struggling with self-pity because of challenges they wish they didn't have to face.

At the end of each chapter, there is a helpful section for reflection. Abigail asks questions for the reader to consider, and she spurs the reader on the action and change.

Unstuck is filled with Scripture, personal stories, thought-provoking questions, and helpful strategies, This book will help you to move from resentment to resilience in your life through whatever struggles you are facing. It is a book I benefitted from, and I plan to read it again!

If you want to hear more from Abigail, check out her website, her online art shop, and this recent interview! And of course, hop on over to Amazon if you'd like to buy a copy of her book!

Stacey Patrick: Gracefully Overcoming

2024-09-06T21:58:00.004-04:00

Stacey Patrick

Stacey Patrick was a graceful overcomer. She suffered greatly with chronic conditions, but she always kept her eyes focused on the Lord. She loved Him. She loved His Word. She loved spending time studying the Bible and telling others about what she was learning. She grew in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Early Sunday morning, Jesus called her Home.

At the end of her life, Stacey battled with pneumonia and sepsis, among other things. With the complicating factors of POTS, her body wasn't able to fight anymore. The Lord gave her rest from her earthly struggles. Stacey is now in the presence of the Savior whom she loved so much. She is free of pain and suffering, and I rejoice for her. But my heart hurts for her family and friends who are grieving and missing her so much.

Stacey was a godly example to me of perseverance and faithfulness. We met through blogging years ago. We both lived with POTS and other chronic illnesses. We were both writers. We both loved Jesus. We both struggled through summer heat, and we would encourage each other in those hot summer months as we were "surviving summer." I struggled to keep up with communications in recent years, but Stacey was always there with encouragement in my inbox or on Facebook.

Stacey served the Lord right where He had placed her. She wrote books, she maintained a blog, and she hosted an online Bible study group. Her ministry extended far beyond the four walls of her home.

Stacey ran her race well. She will be missed greatly here on earth. I am thankful to know that she is with the Savior she loved so much. And I am thankful that we will one day see her again in Heaven.

Please pray for Stacey's mom and her family as they are missing Stacey so very much.

Hope for the Hard Days

2024-03-11T10:36:00.009-04:00

Do you ever have days when you are tired and weary and need to be reminded of the hope that you have? I know I do. There are days when I am not only physically tired and weary, but spiritually tired and weary as well. Several years ago, I started a project of writing devotions on some of my hardest days, and I published it here on my blog as a free PDF download. If you have been here for a while, you might remember that little ebook, Hope for the Hard Days.

I'm excited to let you know that Hope for the Hard Days is now available on Kindle and paperback! I plan to always keep the PDF version available for free here on my blog, but if a Kindle or paperback is easier for you to read, then I hope you can grab a copy of your own.

God has given me much encouragement and comfort through His Word, and I want to pass on that encouragement and comfort to you. Some of the devotions in Hope for the Hard Days were written on days when I struggled to cling to hope. I wrote the words that I needed to hear on those hard days. Perhaps they are the words you need to hear too.

I pray that you will not despair when the hard days come, but that you will cling to the hope found in Christ.

You can find Hope for the Hard Days in these places:

- Kindle on Amazon

- Paperback on Amazon

- Download a free PDF copy

I would like to give away a copy of Hope for the Hard Days to two of my readers! Please click over to the Rafflecopter form to enter. Winners who live in the United States may have their choice of a Kindle copy or a paperback. Winners who live outside the United States will receive a Kindle copy. The giveaway will end on March 18. Winners will be notified by email.

What others have said about Hope for the Hard Days:

Rachel Lundy’s example of faithfulness in difficult circumstances was a blessing to me before I became ill, but since becoming partially homebound myself during treatment for cancer, her grace and beauty have inspired me to embrace my own situation as a part of God’s divine design. She has taught me to look for God’s hand in all of life, and through this series of devotions, she will encourage, inspire, and lead others to look to the Lord and His strength.

Beth Holmes, Ministry Wife; Mom; Blogger, Beth Holmes

True hope is only found in one place: our Lord Jesus Christ and His Word. And in this theologically rich, beautifully written devotional, that’s where Rachel Lundy points us. With clear, accessible writing broken up into bite-sized chapters, Rachel reminds us of the true hope that we have been called to. Short prayers and Scripture suggestions for further individual study serve as practical advice to help drive home the message of the gospel hope we have in suffering, and where it is found. It’s easy to get beaten down under the relentless trials of chronic illness. Let this refreshing devotional recenter your mind on truth and restore your hope.

Hailey Hudson, Chronically Ill Author and Speaker, The Hardworking Creative

I first read Hope for the Hard Days many years ago. The more I read, the more I relaxed into Rachel Lundy’s words. Rachel was someone I could trust. Her writing was both compassionate and honest. She offered both empathy and wisdom. I recently read through this devotional again, and I recommend it to anyone who is feeling discouraged, hopeless, or alone. You will find that this devotional lives up to its name. There really is hope for hard days, and Rachel helps us find it by pointing us to God and His Word over and over again.

Esther Smith, Author, A Still and Quiet Mind; Owner, Christian Trauma Counseling

Rachel's heart for those walking through difficult times is evident in the pages of her new devotional, Hope for the Hard Days. As a woman who is no stranger to pain and weariness, Rachel desires to share the hope she has found in a relationship with God that helps sustain her. Recognizing that life can't and won't be ‘perfect,’ Rachel pairs her own experiences and hardships with the scriptures that have encouraged her, to offer a way of living that we all can benefit from. No matter where your journey finds you today, Hope for the Hard Days is the perfect devotional to begin your day with.

Kristin Smith, Wife; Mother; Writer, The Riches of His Love and Remembering Isaac

Rachel Lundy writes with the compassion of experience, the grace of well-chosen words, and the power of biblical truth. In 30 concise, one-page devotionals, each with an accompanying verse and prayer, Hope for the Hard Days offers profound but simple truths of Scripture that both lift up the weary spirit and ground the faltering mind. As a fellow believer with chronic illness, I was blessed, challenged, and encouraged by these devotions. I would hand this book to any friend with chronic illness in a heartbeat, and recommend it to any friend going through a difficult season.

Melissa J. Troutman, Writer and Editor, The Valley ministry

Rachel offers spiritual nourishment to weary chronic illness warriors with the compassion and wisdom of someone who understands. Hope for the Hard Days is a needed resource and one that I will be sending to friends. Rachel's devotional returns us to the foundational truths we will never outgrow--truths I cling to in my own chronic illness journey.

S.G. Willoughby, Author, He’s Making Diamonds; Founder, Diamonds Conference

Diamonds 2024: Journeying

2024-03-04T08:00:00.003-05:00

The Diamonds Conference is coming again soon! This is a conference for Christians living with chronic illness and health challenges. You are invited to join us! The conference is free while it is live for the weekend of March 15-17. This year the theme is Journeying.

We want to meet you wherever you are on your chronic illness journey. Whether you are undiagnosed, newly diagnosed, grieving, flaring, recovering, caregiving, struggling, or rejoicing, this conference is for you.

I will be speaking about "Provisions for the Journey: Enjoying the Gifts of God's Word and Prayer on the Chronic Illness Journey."

Will is going to be speaking at the conference this year too! He will be speaking about "Tents, Temples, and the City of God: A Biblical Theology of the God Who Journeys with Us."

If you would like to join us, you may register here. If you can't make it to the live conference, there are All-Access Passes available for purchase. These passes give full access to the conference videos at anytime.

If you are going to be attending the conference, I recommend grabbing a copy of the study guide. The Kindle copies are super cheap! But if you prefer a physical copy, those are reasonably priced as well.

If you need encouragement, or if you need to find friends for your chronic illness journey, I hope you join us for the conference! It would be great to see you there!

We Moved to Tennessee!

2023-12-19T08:00:00.002-05:00

This has been quite a year for our family! In the spring Will accepted a position as an Assistant Attorney General in the state of Tennessee. We moved to the Nashville area in July, and this fall we have been settling into our new life here.

Will really likes his new job in the Tennessee Attorney General's office. Adelaide and Stafford are enjoying their new school, and both are thriving. Adelaide is in 8th grade now, and Stafford is in Kindergarten, Gresham is my little buddy at home every day, and we spend our days playing and eating and napping.

The biggest change for us is that William stayed behind in Minnesota. We didn't want to make him move to a new state and a new school right before his senior year, so we gave him the choice to either move with us or stay in Minnesota. He chose to stay and finish up his senior year of high school with the friends he has had since Kindergarten. We didn't expect to launch our oldest so soon, but it has proven to be the best thing for him in this situation. William is thriving and doing well.

Life is very different for us this year. Will's work routine is different. The school routine is different for our children. William doesn't live with us anymore. Gresham and I have very different days at home here than we did at home in Minnesota. We are looking for local friends, and we are getting to know a new church. Our rhythms and routines have been upended, and it has been an adjustment. So much has changed.

But in the midst of the many changes, God has not changed. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

The Advent season began on December 3, and along with that came our family Advent routine and celebration. On Sunday evenings we sit down in the living room with the Christmas tree and Christmas candles lit. We then light the appropriate number of candles on the Advent wreath. We read Scripture and pray. We eat German Christmas cookies. This is one of the few rhythms in our life that has not changed this year. Celebrating Advent is one of my favorite things each December, and this year it has been an especially welcome celebration. Not only is it a familiar routine, but it is a reminder to me of the faithfulness of God.

Long ago God promised to send a Savior, and He kept His promise. Jesus came into our world that is filled with sin and suffering. He suffered and died for us, taking the punishment that we deserve. He conquered death and rose again, and He promised that He would one day return. God keeps every promise He makes, and He will keep His promise to return. When everything around us changes, God remains faithful and unchanging.

In the midst of our very different rhythms and routines in Tennessee, the God we love and serve remains the same. He is still faithful and true, just as He always has been, and just as He always will be. I am thankful to serve an unchanging God, and I am excited to see what He has in store for our family in Tennessee!

A Conversation with Sara Willoughby

2023-07-03T15:28:00.004-04:00

Today I have my friend, Sara Willoughby, joining me on the blog. Sara is a blogger, author, and conference host. We first met through the online Diamonds Conference that she hosts annually. She is a gem, and it has been such a delight to get to know her over the past few years.

I am excited to share Sara with all of you today. After you read here, you are invited to click over to Sara's blog where you will find me chatting with her!

Hello Sara! Welcome to Cranberry Tea Time! I’m so glad to have you here with us today. Please tell us a little about yourself and your chronic illness journey. And please tell us about your book too!

Hi Rachel! I’m so glad to be here. I’ve been stalking Cranberry Tea Time for years now, and it is such a valuable resource for chronic illness warriors.

For those reading — I love dark chocolate, superhero movies, and adventures! I also am recovering from Lyme disease, MCS, and Toxic Mold Poisoning. I first got sick as a teenager, and it has been a long journey for my family and I. We lost friends, material possesions, and I lost my childhood. At fifteen, I was given a month to live, and it completely changed my way of life.

As I was struggling to reconcile my faith with my suffering, I started to look for resources online. I hadn’t found Cranberry Tea Time (or all the other similar resources) yet, and so I started writing my own blog about my experiences. Eventually, people started reading it and told me, “This is crazy, but I have the same battle!”

And from there, my first book was born. It’s called He’s Making Diamonds, and it’s about faith in God in chronic illness. I wrote it out of my questions — and how God met me in the middle of them.

Sara in Bosnia & Herzegovina

Where are you living now and what are you doing these days?

I’m continuing to write — I think I’d go crazy if I didn’t! I have several books in the works for future publication, and of course, as you mentioned the Diamonds Conference takes a lot of my time and focus.

However, one of my long-time dreams has been to serve as a cross-cultural worker. That was a dream that had to die when chronic illness became part of my life. But recenly, God has made it possible for that dream to be resurrected and redeemed, and I just moved to Bosnia & Herzegovina.

What are you learning right now in your walk with the Lord?

Lately, the question that’s been reverberating in my mind is, “What if God loved us as much as He says He does?” Because, friend, if we truly believed that and lived like it, that would change everything.

Reading the Bible, I’ve been noticing anew how His love is mentioned so constantly and described and demonstrated so gigantically beyond my comprehension. And all my life, I’ve just skimmed over it. “Yeah, he loves the little children, now how can I please Him?”

What if every time God’s love is mentioned in the Bible and described as “steadfast” “enduring forever” “abounding” and “perfect” was taken seriously. What if it is really that uncomprehendably wonderful?

If God loves you and me as much as He says He does, it changes everything. It means that we can stop trying to hard. It means that shame, fear, and condemnation have absolutely no power in our lives.

It turns every good deed into an act of worship rather than trying to meet some standard.

I know you’ve heard this a million times before. I grew up in the church, I’d heard it a million times too. But lately, God has been making this real to me in a way that I never understood before. He crazy loves you. He crazy loves me.

It’s turning my life and my heart upside down.

Sara when she was sick as a teenager

What are some Bible verses, books, songs, or other resources that have been especially encouraging and helpful to you in your life with chronic illness?

After I got sick, my favorite Bible verse became 2 Corinthians 12:9, “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weakness, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” Sickness and suffering made me weak, but through that, I’ve gotten to see God glorified and experience His power more and more.

Some other resources . . . goodness, there are so many! I’ll share a few.

Books: Suffering Is Never For Nothing by Elisabeth Elliot and When Chronic Pain And Illness Take Everything Away: How To Mourn Our Losses by Esther Smith.

Songs: Diamonds by Hawk Nelson, Oh My Soul by Casting Crowns, and One Day by Christa Wells

Websites: Chronic Joy and Cassidy’s Heart

What are some of the good things have you seen come from the trials and suffering in your
life?

God has worked in so many ways in my life through my suffering. I’ve personally grown in compassion, world view, faith, hope, and boundaries. I’ve also gotten to see God use my story to encourage others and point them to Him. I’ve gotten to meet and love people I never would have otherwise. And God has opened the doors for my suffering to be a springboard to ministry.

But perhaps the most beautiful good thing I’ve seen is how suffering grew my intimacy with God. It allowed me to experience a closeness with Him that I never would have had otherwise. A closeness that came from honestly telling him everything — the good, the bad, the ugly, the angry, and the fearful. In that honesty came intimacy, and it is more beautiful than I can express.

That is beautiful. Thank you for being here today, Sara. It is wonderful to hear about what God has been teaching you over the years as you live and serve Him with chronic illness.

S. G. Willoughby is the author of He’s Making Diamonds: A Teen’s Thoughts on Faith Through Chronic Illness and the host of the Diamonds conference. She loves to write and have adventures. Sara is a TCK, a Lymie, and a dark chocolate lover. You can find her at sgwilloughby.com.

A Day in the Life

2023-03-14T17:31:00.004-04:00

It has been too long since I last wrote a Day in the Life post! They have become a reader favorite, and I haven't written one since 2018. My days look a lot different now than they did five years ago, so I decided I needed to write an updated Day in the Life. I took detailed notes and a few pictures throughout a day in February to show you what an average school day looks like for me right now. I do my best to take care of the little boys while the kids are at school and Will is at work.

My weekends look much different than what you see here. On the weekends I sleep in late and stay in bed for the majority of the day. It is my time to get caught up on rest so that I can take care of the little boys again come Monday.

A Day in the Life
Wednesday, February 1, 2023

6:00 am - I wake up too early because my legs are cold. I pull out my heating pad and put it on my legs to warm up. I am unable to fall back to sleep quickly, so I spend time praying.

6:30 - Will gets up for the day. The big kids get up, too, and get ready for school. I still haven't fallen back to sleep, so I pull out my phone, and I listen to two chapters in the book of Joshua. Then I switch to the book of 1 John. I fall asleep somewhere in the epistles. I wake up and find that I am in Revelation chapter 10. I turn it off and quickly fall back to sleep.

8:00 - I hear some quiet noises over the baby monitor, and they wake me up. I can tell that Stafford is getting up and going out to the kitchen. Will takes care of him in the morning so that I can sleep in a little longer.

8:15 - I hear some noise from Gresham over the baby monitor. He doesn't usually wake up this early. I am so tired, and my body is not ready to get up yet. I pray for help. I tell God that I am tired and that I feel like I can't do this. I ask for strength. Gresham is silent again, and I think he went back to sleep. I go back to sleep too.

9:00 - Gresham is definitely awake now, so it is time for me to wake up and start moving. It is easier to wake up this time. I am thankful for the extra bit of sleep. God answered my prayer for help and strength! I take my midodrine. It is a medication that helps to prevent blood pooling, and I need to take it and wait for it to take effect before I get out of bed. While waiting for my midodrine to start working I eat my first part of breakfast, a small bunch of grapes waiting in a container by my bed. While I eat breakfast I practice a German lesson on Duolingo.

9:25 - I finally feel well enough to get up. I make the bed, and I get my clothes for the day. I check the temperature on my phone. Today it is chilly. It is 11 degrees below zero outside, so I grab sweatpants and a thermal shirt.

9:30 - I cross the hall to Gresham's room, and I see his happy, smiling face greeting me. He has been playing contentedly in his bed while waiting for me to come get him. I get Gresham up, change his diaper, and we both get dressed for the day.

9:45 - Gresham asks for music, so I find JJ Heller. I like her soft and soothing music, but Gresham asks for Bruno instead, so we listen to We Don't Talk about Bruno. It is his current favorite song.

9:50 - The windows in the living room and office have moisture on them because it is so cold outside today, so I take a few minutes to wipe the windows off.

10:00 - It is time to make breakfast for Gresham and myself. I need to keep the meal preparation very quick and easy, so I make instant oatmeal for both of us. I pour some milk for Gresham, and I prepare a cup of tea for myself.

10:10 - Breakfast is ready. I put Gresham in his booster seat on the living room floor. I sit on floor in front of him. Sitting on the floor is easier for me than sitting at the kitchen table, so Gresham and I almost always have breakfast on a blanket on the floor. I pray before we eat. I thank God for the food, and I ask Him for strength to take care of the little boys. Then Gresham and I eat together.

10:15 - Will texts me to ask if Stafford can come up. Will is working in his office in the basement, and Stafford has been downstairs with him. But Stafford wants to be upstairs with his brother now.

10:20 - Stafford comes upstairs and asks to listen to Yurgen's Tune. It is a song he has been working on learning.

10:25 - Stafford is hungry, so I make some oatmeal for him too.

10:40 - We have all finished eating. I get breakfast dishes picked up while the boys play.

10:45 - Stafford goes to play music in his bedroom. Gresham and I read books. Gresham is currently enrolled in a program called 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten, so we have been counting the books we read to him. He is close to 700 books now.

10:50 - Stafford comes out with his ukulele. He reads some books with us.

11:05 - Gresham plays with the ukulele and Stafford reads and sings. I get a snack for Stafford because he needs some more food before going to preschool.

11:10 - I get a text from a friend. I pray for her while getting clothes out for Stafford. Then I help Stafford get dressed for school.

11:25 - Gresham and Stafford start tumbling on the floor and playing with the sofa cushions. I let them jump and play while I pick up the books and put them back in the book basket.

11:40 - Will comes upstairs from work. We get Stafford bundled up, and Will takes him to preschool. Gresham climbs on sofa cushions, blankets, and pillows on the floor. I lie down to rest on the portion of the sofa that still has cushions.

11:50 - Gresham comes over to snuggle and talk.

12:00 - Will comes home. He puts away dishes and makes lunch. Kitchen noise is painful for my ears, so I hide out from the noise in the bedroom. While I am in the bedroom I put away laundry and pray for friends who are going through hard things today.

12:20 - Will comes back to let me know it is safe to go back out to the living room.

12:25 - I get the living room picked up and get the blanket spread out for lunch. We we sit down to eat.

12:45 - We finish eating, and I get Gresham wiped up. Will cleans up the dishes and the kitchen. I lie down on the sofa to rest, and Gresham plays in the Spiderman helmet. The toddler vibes are strong with this one!

12:55 - I trim Gresham's nails while Will gathers his things and gets ready to go to the office for the afternoon. We say goodbye to Will before he heads out the door.

1:05 - Gresham and I get ready for naptime. We brush our teeth. Then we go to his bedroom and read two books. I pray, I sing Jesus Loves Me, and I turn on the lullaby CD. Then I say nighty-night. Gresham is great about going down for a nap. He will talk to himself, or rest quietly in his bed, until he falls asleep.

1:25 - I crawl into my own bed. I take my lunch time vitamins and some ibuprofen for a headache. I'm not up for much reading. I read a few pages in a little book by Randy Alcorn called Seeing the Unseen, and then I go to sleep.

2:15 - I wake up. I didn't have a very long nap, but I am grateful for the sleep. I continue resting in bed while Gresham sleeps.

3:15 - I get up out of bed. Will brings Stafford home from preschool, and then he goes back to work. Stafford shows me what is in his backpack. He came home with Mr. Bear! We get to have Mr. Bear hang out with us for the rest of the week, and we will write about his adventures in his journal.

3:25 - We snuggle on the sofa for rest time. Stafford watches Wild Kratts, and I read my Bible.

3:30 - William and Adelaide come home from school. We talk for a couple of minutes, and then they go do their homework, and I go back to reading my Bible.

3:45 - I hear Gresham start to stir. I let him wake up and jabber in his bed for a few minutes.

3:55 - Stafford has finished resting. He gets up to play.

4:05 - I get Gresham up from his nap, and I get a snack for the boys.

4:15 - I realize that I never took midodrine after my nap. I take it right away when I remember.

4:25 - The boys have finished their snack. I wipe hands and faces and pick up the dishes.

4:30 - I check the mail. Gresham got a new book from the Imagination Library. He is excited about a new book! We sit down to read together.

4:50 - We finish reading. The boys play, and I rest on the sofa. My legs are tired from the day.

5:00 - Gresham wants to read again. We have read more than 30 books today!

5:05 - Stafford and Mr. Bear draw while Gresham and I read.

5:20 - Gresham is ready to run around and play again. I help Stafford with his drawing.

5:35 - Will comes home. We talk for a few minutes about our days and what we need to do this evening.

5:50 - Will takes care of the little boys and makes supper. I get a shower and go to bed. William and Adelaide leave for play practice at school.

6:20 - I lie down in bed. My legs are tired and uncomfortable from the day's work. I am grateful for rest. And I am thankful for the strength to take care of my Littles for another day. I lie in bed trying to decide what to do. I'm too tired to move or read, so I decide to watch a TV show.

6:40 - I realize that I am too tired for a TV show, so I listen to a podcast instead.

7:05 - Will brings supper to me. He cooked chicken, potatoes, and broccoli for supper tonight. I eat while lying down in bed.

7:25 - I finish eating. And I rest. I don't read or watch TV. I just lie still.

7:50 - I fall asleep.

8:00 - A reminder rings on my phone. I turn my sound off and immediately fall back asleep.

8:10 - I wake up. I text Will and a friend.

8:20 - I practice German on Duolingo.

8:45 - My eyes are tired, so I put down my phone.

8:50 - Will comes in to chat for a few minutes. Adelaide is home from play practice, and she is watching the boys. Will doesn't stay and talk for long because I am so tired.

9:15 - It is a later night than usual. Will has been working in the kitchen prepping meals for the next two days, but now he is ready to get the boys put to bed. Will gets Stafford ready, and Adelaide helps me get Gresham ready for bed. William works on cleaning dishes in the kitchen.

9:30 - Will and I take the little boys into their bedroom. Each boy picks out a book to read, and I read them both. I have lost count of books today, but I think this makes nearly 50 books that I have read to Stafford and/or Gresham! After reading, we tuck the boys into their beds. Will prays. Then he plays his guitar, and we sing Jesus Loves Me and give hugs and kisses good night.

9:50 - I come back to bed. Will and I talk for a few minutes, and then Will goes to tackle more things on his to do list for the night.

9:55 - Adelaide comes in to say good night.

10:00 - I turn on my laptop and work on some email.

10:03 - Stafford comes to tell me he can't find his soft, fuzzy blanket. I get up to help him find it. It is lying on the pillow in his bed. I tuck him back in and tell the boys good night again.

10:05 - I crawl back into bed to work on email again.

11:15 - I finish working on email. Will is ready for bed. We go through our night time routine together. Will helps me get my breakfast for the next morning, and he fills my water bottle. I get my night time ice pack. I will use the ice on my head for my headache, and then I will keep it in bed throughout the night in case my feet start burning and I need to put an ice pack on them.

We brush our teeth together. We watch a TV show in bed, and then we pray together before saying goodnight and going to sleep. We are grateful for time together at the end of a busy day. It is a late night, but we accomplished the tasks before us. We are thankful to the Lord for this hard and happy life, and we are thankful for the strength to make it through another day.

When Prayers for Healing Hurt

2023-01-23T16:18:00.003-05:00

Five years ago I was talking with Will about how painful it is when people say they are praying for my healing. It's something that isn't often spoken of by those with chronic illnesses, but when people pray for our healing, sometimes it just hurts. After I cried and poured out my heart to Will, he told me, "You need to blog about this. Don't post it right now. But someday, you need to post it."

Someday has come. Here is my post from five years ago.

Photo by Ruben Hutabarat on Unsplash

October 16, 2017

I have lived with a chronic illness for 22 years. For the past 13 years this illness has been disabling to the point that I am primarily confined to my home due to extreme fatigue. And even when I am in my home, I have to be in bed resting for 18 hours a day or more.

I have prayed for healing, but so far God’s answer to that request has been, “no.” Over the years of illness I have learned to pray for new things – strength to persevere, a heart of compassion for others, a spirit that is submissive to the Father’s plan, joy in painful circumstances, patience in suffering, a thirst for God’s Word, opportunities to share the gospel with others, that the Lord would use me because of my circumstances.

I fully believe that God could heal me. He is more than able to restore strength and energy to my body. But I have learned to be content with illness, and I rarely pray for healing anymore.

My hope isn’t in healing. My hope is in Jesus.

My hope isn’t in better days. My hope is in Jesus.

My hope isn’t in having energy. My hope is in Jesus.

If God chooses to heal me someday, I will gratefully and gladly accept that. But it is a choice that I leave up to Him. I don’t spend much energy praying for healing anymore. Once or twice a year, in a moment of desperation, I cry out to the Lord, and I ask for healing. Through tears of sorrow and weariness, I ask for the illness to be taken away and for strength to be restored. I admit my weakness and weariness of the suffering, and I submit to God’s will, whatever that may be.

When Paul was given a thorn in his flesh, he pleaded with God three times for it to be taken away. And God said, “no.” God told him, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” There isn’t any indication that Paul continued to pray for relief. Instead, he accepted the Father’s will.

When someone tells me that they are praying for my healing, and they don’t say they are praying for anything else… it hurts. When healing is the primary focus of someone’s prayers for me, it feels like a rejection of me as a person. Like something is so wrong that it must be fixed before I can have a happy and productive life.

I wish that instead of staying on the outside and praying for my healing that people would step into my life, as it is, and be my friend in the here and now. I wish that people would join me in my limitations, accept me for who I am, and see the value in my life as it is right now.

For more than 20 years people have been praying for my healing, and for 20 years God has said no. I am content with that. I am willing to leave the choice up to Him. I am willing to wait until Heaven for my healing. If God wants to heal me before then, great! I’ll take it! But in the meantime, I want to embrace the life He has given me. I want to live the life I have!

Will you join me? Will you step into my broken life? Will you be my friend in sickness? Will you pray for my spiritual strength and endurance? Will you pray for my peace? Will you pray that God will comfort me in my loneliness? Will you step into my loneliness and be my friend? Will you pray that I will have opportunities to share the gospel? Will you pray that I will suffer well? Will you pray that I will gladly submit to God’s plan for my life? Will you pray for wisdom for me as a wife and mother and friend? Will you pray for me to be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer?

And after you have prayed for all of those things, if you are so inclined, you are welcome to pray for my healing too. But please don’t only pray for my healing. There is spiritual help that I need before I need any physical healing.

If you have a friend who is suffering from a chronic illness or disability, ask her what she would like you to pray for. You may be surprised to learn that physical healing isn’t her greatest desire or need.

Do you live with a chronic illness or disability? Do you have a spouse or child with a disability? How do you wish people would pray for you?

Diamonds Winter Conference 2023

2023-01-16T20:34:00.001-05:00

Do you ever feel invisible because of your chronic illness? Have you ever felt forgotten, alone, or left out? A life of chronic illness is often an isolating one. It is a daily unseen struggle.

But you are not alone. There are others who walk this road too, and we are coming together at the Diamonds 2023 Conference!

If you live with a chronic illness, this event is for you. We would love to have you join us! The conference January 27-19, and the theme this year is Seeing the Invisible.

I will be speaking at the Diamonds Winter 2023 Conference, and the title of my session is "Serving from the Shadows: Kingdom Faithfulness with Chronic Illness."

There will be speakers from around the world to share messages of hope and encouragement. The conference will feature messages from:

Tera Bradham DeNeui
Michele Cushatt
Charity Freeland Schroer
Erica Baldwin
Leah Kaiser
Michelle Kelso Kafer
Linda & Jen Barrick
Cassidy Poe
Rachel Lundy
S.G. Willoughby
Nicole O’Meara
Katherine French-Ewing
Heather M. Dixon
Becca Doss
Tasha Marie Brown

You will be encouraged by messages on the God who sees being the God who hears, how to gain strength through waiting, how God loves the invisible, how YOU are not alone in your chronic illness, and more!

We understand that many people with chronic illness face burdensome medical bills. Because our goal is to uplift instead of burdening you, Diamonds 2023 is 100% free while it’s live. We offer an all-access pass for purchase, in case you miss anything or you would like to watch the conference later.

Not only is the conference free—it's ALL online!! You can watch the conference from anywhere in the world—or from your bed at home.

You can learn more about the conference, and find a link to register, here. And if you want to get a discount on an All-Access Pass, they are currently on sale with the code EarlyBird.

The paperback study guide is now available on Amazon. It contains notes from all of the conferences speakers, plus suggested resources for further study. The free ebook of the study guide will be available soon.

If you need encouragement, or if you need to find friends for your chronic illness journey, I hope you join us for the conference! It would be great to see you there!

Will's Admission Ceremony

2022-11-28T08:00:00.003-05:00

In recent years God has taken us on a journey we never expected. If you have been reading here for a while, you know that we used to be in ministry full time. But then God took us out of ministry and placed Will on a much different career path.

In 2016 Will began working as a paralegal for our local County Attorney's office. He started law school in the fall of 2017. The years of law school were challenging in ways far beyond what we expected. It was a long, hard marathon for the whole family, and especially for Will. I am so proud of Will and impressed with all he was able to accomplish. Will graduated first in his class from Mitchell-Hamline in December of 2021. In July of 2022 he took the bar, and in October we received the news that he had passed. I cried tears of joy and relief that the law school journey was behind us at last!

Earlier this month Will was sworn in as an attorney in the state of Minnesota. What a joyous day this was! Somehow I failed to ever blog about law school and the challenges we faced, but I want to make sure to not miss this wonderful milestone event, so today I want to share a few pictures with you from that special day.

We went to the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul for Will's Admission Ceremony. Will has been here for work numerous times over the past seven years, and it was wonderful to get to bring the whole family here together for the ceremony.

The Capitol is a beautiful building!

The ceiling is spectacular!

My parents were able to be here for the ceremony. They were a tremendous help to us throughout Will's time in law school. Will's course was primarily online, but he did have week-long classes in St. Paul, Minnesota once a semester for the first three years. When Will had to be gone for a week, my parents would come up from Georgia and help me with cooking, laundry, shopping, and taking care of the kids. I don't know how we would have survived those weeks without my parents! They were a big part of the law school journey for us, and I'm glad they could be there for the celebration at the end of it all.

We had several friends who came as well. Pictured here are Gary and Jeanie Willford. Mr. Willford was one of our professors during our time in Bible college. He was also the one who performed our wedding ceremony nearly 20 years ago! It was so special to have them both there.

"Laws can discover sin, but not remove it." - Milton

As we walked down the hall to the courtroom, there were many plaques on the wall that had quotes about justice and the law. I especially liked the middle quote on this one. It reminded me of Romans 7:7, "What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, 'You shall not covet.'"

I held the Bible while Will was sworn in as an attorney. He chose to use the Bible that our church in Georgia gave him at his ordination. In his oath, he said:

I, William Lundy, do swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Minnesota and will conduct myself as an attorney and counselor at law in an upright and courteous manner to the best of my learning and ability with all good fidelity as well to the court as to a client and that I will use no falsehood or deceit nor delay any person's cause for lucre or malice, so help me God.

Paperwork was signed to make it all official!

Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Gordon Moore was the one to perform the Admission Ceremony.

Minnesota Supreme Court Justice G. Barry Anderson showed up as a surprise at Will's Admission Ceremony. After Will was sworn in, Justice Anderson shared a history of the courtroom and the artwork on the walls.

The road to this day was long and hard. It was over seven years ago when we first began to discuss the possibility that Will might need to go to law school. The end seemed so far away. Taking the LSAT and applying to law schools took over a year. Law school itself took four and a half years. And then preparing for the Bar took more months of studying. Will persevered faithfully through it all.

We couldn't have done it without the help of friends and our local church. Our church helped us during Will's years of law school and Bar prep. Will often didn't have time or energy to cook, so a team of ladies from our church brought meals twice a week while school was in session. Having meals ready to go was a great help to all of us.

Friends helped with childcare when Stafford was a baby and I was unable to care for him by myself in the mornings. My parents came to help frequently, and my sister came to help as well. She even took emergency leave from work when we suddenly needed full-time help for a while.

During the years of law school Will worked full time as a paralegal, then a law clerk, and then a student attorney. God added two more children to our family. I had my usual chronic illnesses that make life challenging. Will even had health challenges of his own that resulted in a week-long stay in the hospital and a delay in finishing law school. It is astounding to look back over all we have been through in the last seven years.

We made it through by the grace of God. And we are still here, still a happy family, and still serving the Lord where He has placed us. I am excited to see what lies ahead for our family and for Will as an attorney!

Celebrating and Anticipating a Forever Party

2022-10-21T20:48:00.004-04:00

This summer my family had a little party at home to celebrate the forever party yet to come!

Joni Eareckson Tada has a new book called The Awesome Super Fantastic Forever Party. It is a wonderful, delightful book that tells about Heaven and the amazing invitation that Jesus offers.

I won a party box from The Good Book Company that included a free copy of the book, plus all the supplies needed for a little party. They included hats and horns and balloons, much to my children's delight! This new book and fun prize package made it easy to have a simple party at the end of the day.

I read The Awesome Super Fantastic Forever Party to my littles. Gresham lost interest fairly quickly, but the book held the attention of both Stafford and Adelaide.

The party box included games to play, decorations to make, and even an invitation that we could decorate. If you want to have a party too, you can find the printable party supplies for free here! Just scroll down to the bottom for links to the printable pages.

My family has often talked about Heaven over the years. We look forward to the day when there will be no more sickness or suffering or pain. This book gave us another opportunity to talk about Heaven and the life yet to come. If you have young children, The Awesome Super Fantastic Forever Party is a good way to help explain to them what Heaven will one day be like. This book will also help to open up deeper conversations about Jesus and salvation.

The Good Book Company has a video of Joni reading this new book! If you have little ones, maybe they will enjoy sitting with you and listening to the story!

Diamonds Marriage Conference

2021-06-03T10:00:00.002-04:00

There is going to be a second Diamonds Conference this year! It is a one day event covering topics about marriage and chronic illness. There will also be sessions about singleness, dating, and parenting while chronically ill.

The Diamonds Marriage in Chronic Illness event is this Saturday, June 5. If you are chronically ill, you are invited to join us! You can learn more and register for free here for the Diamonds Summer Event.

The Diamonds Summer Event is free while it is live. If you wish to watch sessions after June 5, you may purchase an All Access pass.

Will and I will both be speaking at the marriage event. Will is speaking first, and his session is titled, "Marriage and Chronic Illness: How Suffering in Marriage Vindicates the Wisdom and Goodness of God." He has been telling me about his session, and it is fascinating! If you love theology and learning deep truths of Scripture, you'll enjoy this!

In the evening, Will and I will be speaking together for a session titled, "When the Marriage Bed Becomes a Sick Bed: Sex, Marriage, and Chronic Illness." We have found that there is insufficient teaching from the church about sex when you have a marriage affected by chronic illness. Much of the typical advice given to couples simply doesn't work when one or both spouses are chronically ill. So we hope this session will be helpful and encouraging for those who are trying to navigate challenges in the marriage bed affected by chronic illness. If you are chronically ill and either married or considering marriage, we would love to have you join us for this session!

Be sure to check out the study guide! You can purchase a Kindle copy for 99 cents on Amazon. Or if you prefer a physical copy, you can order a paperback study guide for $5.99.

If you are married with a chronic illness, you are not alone. There are other couples going through the same struggles as you. You can meet some of them at the conference. And if you are single or dating, you too will find others who are going through the same thing as you. You aren't alone. Come join the chronically ill Diamonds community and be encouraged in your walk with the Lord through chronic illness.

Welcome, Baby Gresham!

2021-06-02T15:22:00.003-04:00

Welcome Baby Gresham!

Our newest family member is here in our arms, and we are very happy! Gresham was 9 pounds, 5 ounces when he was born, and he was my next-to-smallest baby! I have been enjoying snuggling my little one.

We have had a busy couple of months in the Lundy home. We have been finishing up school, dealing with health challenges, and caring for a baby. Life is hard and wonderful all at once.

William and Adelaide have been a tremendous help to me in caring for Stafford and Gresham every day. I could not do this without them! All of our kids were home for school this year. William did a virtual academy, and Adelaide was home schooled. William and Adelaide took turns doing school work and caring for Stafford in the mornings. And then after Gresham was born, they also helped me care for him!

It has been quite a blessing to have their full-time help at home. If Gresham wakes up and wants to play, but I need to get more sleep, then I just call William. He comes to take the baby, and I go back to sleep. It has been an incredible gift! I am more rested during this postpartum time than I ever have been before. So while I am still tired, and I am kept busy with caring for four children, I am feeling better than I ever have at this point after pregnancy.

It has been hard for me to blog while caring for a baby, and I expect that my blog posts will probably continue to be sporadic over the next year or two as I care for a baby and then a toddler. But I still plan to keep this blog going, and I still plan to write and serve others online as the Lord provides the strength and opportunity.

Our kids are out of school for the summer, and we are looking forward to summer fun, time with cousins, time at camp, visits from family and friends, and hopefully some rest in there too!

I hope you all have a wonderful summer! What are your plans?

Diamonds Conference and Study Guide

2021-01-20T08:00:00.001-05:00

The Diamonds 2021 Conference starts this weekend! Have you signed up to attend? I would love to see you there! The conference starts on Friday at 11 am EST. You can view a full conference schedule on the conference webpage.

What is Diamonds 2021? Diamonds 2021 is a free online conference for chronically ill Christians.

When is Diamonds 2021? January 22-24, 2021

Who is speaking at Diamonds 2021? Over twenty people who are affected by chronic illness in various ways.

What does Diamonds 2021 cost? Nothing! The conference is free during the conference weekend. If you wish to view the conference after the 24th, you may purchase an all-access pass for lifetime access to the conference videos!

Where is Diamonds 2021? 100% online. You can register for free at this link.

I am happy to say that the study guide is now available on Amazon! The Kindle copy is FREE! Or if you prefer to have a physical copy, you may purchase a paperback study guide for $5.99.

Chronic illness is messy, and so often we let it become who we are. But illness cannot steal either your purpose or identity. Diamonds 2021 is an online conference for chronically ill Christians. The goal of the conference is to encourage all those facing invisible battles.
You aren’t alone — far from it.
This year, twenty authors, bloggers, and ministry leaders who battle chronic illnesses themselves are joining together to offer hope and insight as you navigate relationships in the midst of long-term illness. Hear from people like Susie Larson, Chris Simning, Kara Swanson, Mary Frey, and many others about topics like:
Navigating Grief and Chronic Illness
Marriage with a Chronic Illness
How to Create Your Unique Support Community
How to Serve God When You’re Chronically Ill
And much more!
This study guide will help you make the most out of the Diamonds 2021 conference and remember what you learned far past the end of the conference.

I hope you will be able to join us this weekend! If you live with a chronic illness, or are a caregiver for someone with a chronic illness, this could be a very encouraging and helpful conference for you. You are not alone in the struggles you face. And this weekend we are coming together to encourage and pray for one another. See you there!

A Little Blessing

2020-11-23T08:00:00.002-05:00

I am not usually a fan of surprises. But I have come to realize there is at least one kind of surprise that I am always excited about... a new baby!

In our family we love babies and toddlers. The unexpected blessing of Stafford has been wonderful. It has been hard, but also truly wonderful. We cannot imagine our family without this delightful child.

William and Adelaide have been asking for another baby for well over a year now. Even with all of the work they have to do to help me take care of Stafford every day, they wanted another baby to take care of too! I told them that they needed to ask God for a baby. Well... they did! This summer God answered their prayers. We have another little one on the way!

We are having a baby boy! We will be welcoming Gresham into our family sometime in March!

We are all very excited to have a baby again. It will be hard, but we are looking forward to having another little one in our home. William and Adelaide are ready to help me out every day with baby care. Stafford is excited to have a little brother. He talks about Gresham every day, and when he prays he thanks God for Gresham. We all thank the Lord for this precious gift!