Preparing for Battle

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“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 about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. For when I am weak, I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:9, 10b “It’s a battle, isn’t it? You’re … Continue reading Preparing for Battle

Confusion and Tears

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"Record my misery; list my tears on your scroll—are they not in your record? Then my enemies will turn back when I call for help. By this I will know that God is for me." Psalm 56:8-9 (New International Version) "I can't do this anymore! I'm not sleeping and everything's worse when I'm sleep deprived. … Continue reading Confusion and Tears

You Are Enough

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"For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." Ephesians 2:10 (New Living Translation) Staring at the phone while nervously twirling her hair, she knew she had to make the call. She had made this call how many … Continue reading You Are Enough

Hope Through Chronic Illness?

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Opening one eye with effort, the fatigue weighs heavy and I shut that eye and hit "snooze." It seems like only seconds when the alarm goes off again, and I feel the joint aches as I attempt to roll out of bed. Sigh. I sit on the side of the bed getting my bearings, thinking … Continue reading Hope Through Chronic Illness?

Living an “Upside Down” Life

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It was one of those rare summer days. The sky was clear blue with a few clouds. There was low humidity, with a nice breeze. A perfect day to be outside! But I missed most of it. I didn't wake up till almost 2 p.m. due to a night of tossing and turning, then reading, … Continue reading Living an “Upside Down” Life

Welcome back…to the readers, not the disease

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If you are a subscriber of my blog, thank you and welcome back! If you are new, thanks for stopping by! I hope all of you return. The purpose of my blog is primarily to give people hope as they live daily with a chronic illness or with chronic pain. I live with three chronic … Continue reading Welcome back…to the readers, not the disease

Coverage You Can Trust

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“He will not let your foot slip—he who watches over you will not slumber; the Lord will keep you from all harm—he will watch over your life.” Psalm 121: 3, 7 “Softness you can feel, comfort you can count on, quality you can trust…YOU deserve the best.” I chuckled to myself as I saw this. … Continue reading Coverage You Can Trust

Invisible Illness Requires an Invisible Fight

~ Jackie Confalone ~ 1 Comment

Well, I've been M.I.A. for quite awhile, and I apologize for that. Chronic illness can do that....rob us of things we enjoy. As I was reviewing some of my articles today, I came across an article I wrote for Invisible Illness Week in 2015, sharing my experience with three invisible illnesses. Since I haven't posted … Continue reading Invisible Illness Requires an Invisible Fight

on Easter

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Anne Ryan Dempsey guest blogs and beautifully shares in words and photos the rebirth and life that comes with Easter. Please check out her website at http://anneryandempsey.com/ to see more of her writings and photos. Enjoy!

Rebuilding Resilience

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Here is a great blog post on Rebuilding Resilience in adversity, including the symptoms and emotions that accompany chronic illness. It’s from a WordPress blog called “snowdroplets.”

I like this article because it lists specific things we can do to rebuild resilience in our lives and live at peace with our illnesses. In addition to the ideas listed by “snowdroplets,” I would add that my faith in Jesus Christ gives me courage and strength to move forward that I don’t have in my own human strength, and I am grateful for the grace and mercy God gives me every day.

snowdroplets

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Emotional resilience is the ability to adapt to stressful situations and to overcome adversity. I’m recently experiencing a recurrence of depression that had been well managed for many years. I’m grieving, living with health problems, and dealing with major stressors at home and work. I think it’s the combination of those factors all happening together that’s capsized me. I know that I’ll be okay eventually, but I’m finding the depression very hard to deal with. I feel my resilience has become exhausted.

I believe resilience can be restored and grown. Here are some commitments I’m making to myself based on common factors that build emotional resilience:

Resilience: I will make a conscious effort to cultivate resilience in myself and to acknowledge the resilience that I have.

Acceptance: I will accept these struggles, hard times, and losses. I will accept myself and those around me as we are. I will accept…

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