37

So, this is my birthday week.

It hasn't exactly gone according to plan thus far due to some pneumonia and an RA flair in my dominant hand.

Boo. Hiss. Grr.

Still, a total of 6 shots plus a bunch of oral meds, a few unplanned days off, and a crazy splint for my bum thumb and I am thankfully now on the mend.

And I got some fabulous new hair yesterday:

And it's getting some color work tomorrow morning when I get off of work (for my birthday!) that I am so so stoked about.

More important - yes, even than hairapy :) - is looking forward to a great 38th year.

I really wanted to move my little blog away from writing about my illness - only because I get so tired of dealing with it sometimes and it does not define who I am - but, with the past few weeks bringing plenty of complications of it, there are a few things that are really on my heart: 

 First, it's that it has taught me to slow down and it has given me the time - even when it's time I didn't always want to take - to immerse myself in the Word and books and learning and growing.

And that is a gift.

I've just finished two wonderful books:

First, as I wrote about a few weeks ago, I read Simply Jesus:

And I recommend highly. 

The translation was a new one to me but it reads so well and has wonderful notes with all kinds of  interesting information I did not know.

It is so worthwhile.

Then I read another book called If You Find This Letter, which I also really enjoyed.

Now it's on to the new Jen Hatmaker book and I am very excited about this one!

So sometimes being forced to slow down isn't a bad thing.

Second, I am learning more everyday to just trust God. It sounds simplistic but it isn't.

While we never really control our all of our circumstances, dealing with a chronic illness and a body that does whatever it wants to really teaches a person to do all that they can to make it better but -  beyond that - to pray and lean on God and give it to Him.

He is Good and we can trust Him.

As such, my verse for this year:

And, finally, I've learned that all of this unpleasant stuff can be used for good to help other people when they walk through the same thing.

I saw this from Rick Warren some time ago and it resonated with me:

When I saw it, years ago, I was thinking in the context of God using our past mistakes and spiritual struggles to help others, if we are willing to share them.

And that is totally true.

However, from where I sit now, I also see that it means God using this illness and the struggles that often come with it - because it can be, and often is, a very deep hurt - to shine a light for other people who need to know that they are not alone in the battles they are fighting.

Autoimmune disease sucks.

Cancer sucks.

Diabetes sucks.

In this broken world, there are so many struggles and hurts and, often, when there is not a medical answer, we all just need to know that we are loved and heard and understood.

Maybe that is the gift of my illness.

I can't fix these awful things but I can love my people through them:

Bringing hope is the best gift sometimes.

And, now I'm off to start my birthday weekend.

37, here I come!

I love birthdays and I hope to see another 60 of them.

I still have lots of moments to share with my family and friends and stuff to do and people to love on and patients to take care and rescue dogs to raise. :)

And happy snow weekend to all of my fellow Southerners!

Let's all go eat our milk sandwiches and try not to freeze:

 Stay warm and be well, everybody.