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31 Days of Thanksgiving – Day 29 – Rachel Hauck

Bubbles of Joy

Thanksgiving Day 2010 I had a unique experience.

Living in central coastal Florida, the fall is a lovely season. The air thins, the temperatures drop a few degrees, and the wind rattles the still-drying leaves.

Since we were headed to friends for Thanksgiving that afternoon, I decided to take a leisurely bike ride that morning.

I’d just contracted and started writing The Wedding Dress. There was a bit of movie interests. The book seemed to “write itself,” as much as any book could “write itself.”

My writing career to that point had been so-so. And I’d just finished a season of co-writing with someone else.

This book, this season, felt different. As if my career might take a good turn.

As I rode my bike through the neighborhood, the sun high, the sky blue, the wind gentle against my face, I started laughing.

But not the ha-ha kind of laughter. No. This was the the bubbling-up-from-the-inside kind. The kind that changes your emotions.

As I pedaled through the fall day, waves of joy washed over me. I was truly thankful on this Thanksgiving holiday.

The joy was more than being in a good mood. They joy was from the Lord.

In my effort to understand, I thought maybe God was going to blow fire on my career and I’d blow up. In a good way.

Or some great thing was about to happen.

But I’ve come to know God’s timing is not our timing. But He is always about doing good.

I’d dealt with the wicked onslaught of anxiety years before and the joy was just more of anecdote to those now-rare moments.

But joy isn’t just an emotion when we’re happy or things are going well. Joy is a supernatural infusion when things are not going well.

I love this verse from Nehemiah 8:10: “Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

It’s a popular plaque and refrigerator verse. Except for the first part.

“Do not be grieved …”

We forget that part. Joy is ours even when we are grieved. The verse is saying, “Look up, the Lord has provided for you.”

The entire Gospel of Jesus the Christ is about our joy being made complete.

So my little bubbles of joy all those years ago was about something deeper than my career getting a fresh wind or the miracle of a movie deal (still waiting on that one, ha!). It was about walking in an attribute of heaven – joy!

So when the days aren’t going so well, there is joy.

When the money doesn’t go as far as we need, there is joy.

When someone doesn’t like us, there is joy.

The joy of the Lord is our strength!

[clickToTweet tweet=” In this season of holidays, remember our joy is from the Lord. His joy is our strength!” quote=” In this season of holidays, remember our joy is from the Lord. His joy is our strength!”]

In this season of holidays, remember our joy is from the Lord. His joy is our strength!

About the Author:

Rachel Hauck is an award winning, New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author.

Her latest release, The Writing Desk, earned Top Pick from Romantic Times.

Rachel sits on the Executive Board for American Christian Fiction Writers, and is the comical sidekick to Susan May Warren at the amazing My Book Therapy. She is a worship leader and speaker.

A graduate of Ohio State University with a degree in Journalism, Rachel is a devoted Ohio State football fan. She lives in sunny central Florida with her husband and ornery cat.

31 Days of Thanksgiving, Articles

31 Days of Thanksgiving Series

Hi friends. Over the past several years I have participated in the Write31Day series that occurs each year in October. The first year was “31 Days of Fall Favorites.”The next year was a series I did called “31 Days of Cleaning Up my Crap,” and last year was on the subject of Nehemiah but I was not able to complete it due to health issues. However, I have decided to start fresh this year.I’m happy to announce that this years theme is “31 Days of Thanksgiving.” This is going to be the best one yet. I’ve decided to partner with some of my favorite authors, entertainers, and bloggers in sharing about gratitude and joy from their perspective. I am so honored that each of these folks have agreed to guest post for me and I cannot wait for you to read what they have to say. There will be some people you’ve heard of before and some you will be getting to know for the first time but this lineup will both encourage and challenge you. Be sure to check back tomorrow for the first post from one of my favorite authors and encouragers — Holley Gerth.

Bookmark this page to read a new post each day. Also, to receive all of my posts in your inbox daily signup here.

Happy reading!

Daily Inspirations, Devotionals

Happy Summer – June 21, 2017

Hello summer! I love summer and I hope to be able to spend a lot of time at the pool. My theme verse for summer and this season of my life is Nehemiah 8:10 which states,

“Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

No matter how hard my circumstances may be the Lord commands me to rejoice. No matter how bad my health may be, I am looking forward to the summer days, plan to enjoy the little things by finding joy in each day that comes, and I hope you will do the same.

31 Days - Nehemiah, Articles, Blog Series, Christian Living, Devotionals

Monday Encouragement

Happy Monday, friends! Many of you are enjoying today as a long weekend celebrating Memorial Day. For me, I am experiencing today as all other days at home in bed. The beginning of summer has always been a favorite of mine, and I miss being outside experiencing the warm and beautiful weather. However, while I would love to be hanging out by the pool, lake, cookouts, or traveling with friends — currently these are not realistic activities for me during this season. Although the Lord who is extremely gracious, keeps showing me what I used to consider mundane is now beautiful. That is such a gift. One of the ways God uses to encourage me on daily basis is uplifting sermons and talks from those I respect spiritually.

Laying in bed day after day, I try to listen and watch different things that are encouraging and challenging for my mind. One of my favorite sermons of all time is from pastor and author Eric Ludy and is about Nehemiah. Eric first preached this sermon a couple years ago and based it on Nehemiah and his leadership qualities. I learn something new every time I listen. Since I am now doing a series on the blog about Nehemiah this message is the perfect addition to it and what I needed specifically for this week ahead.

. The sermon is called “The 9 Lies,” and below is the message description from the Ellerslie website.

The 9 Lies Sermon from Eric Ludy on Nehemiah.

“The Christian man or woman represents the greatest threat to Satan’s agenda and thusly they are the brunt of his most cruel energies and most cunning stratagems. But we are not left without a defense. The book of Nehemiah showcases how this battle works. Those opposed to Nehemiah were determined to stop the building of the walls of Jerusalem, and in their opposition, they attempted to cajole Nehemiah with nine distinct lies. These lies are the very same ones used against you and me today. First, we must recognize them as lies, and then we must learn how to respond to each of them with the Word of God as our primary weapon.”

This sermon is a much needed reminder of how Satan tries to fill our minds and circumstances with his lies, but Christ is so much bigger and His love always wins! The Devil cannot stand to see someone like Nehemiah who is continually being obedient to the Lord especially during adversity. Some of the lies regarding Nehemiah’s situation are some of the same ones the Devil has tried to hit me with during my sickness. However, praise the Lord for Nehemiah’s faith in the Lord and for the strength God gave him.

The same strength God gave Nehemiah can also be given to us. One of the ways to beat adversity is by daily putting on the armor of God. As stated in Ephesians 6: 1o-11,

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”

Life and days can get busy with work, kids, marriage, etc., but I encourage you to take some time to listen to this message from Pastor Ludy. No matter what circumstances you are experiencing, I think you will find this sermon uplifting and applicable in your days ahead.

Articles, Christian Living, Devotionals, Disability, Family, Friendship, Holidays

Health Update – Hope a Little More Part 3

As I lay here in my bed not able to sleep I’m thinking about how crazy things have been. The last week or so has been a whirlwind to say the least. If you have been following my journey you know that I’ve been sick for the past year but these last few weeks have taken things to a whole new level.

First, I was transferred to Hospice care, but that is a Godsend and I’m so thankful for their services. We then spent time introducing me to the program and adjusting my meds/care as needed. Unfortunately during this process I began having more pain, nausea, and my fluid retention had worsened. When the nurse examined me on Thursday we thought my system was reacting to the new medication plan so we decided to move me to Hospice House for a few days in hopes of making me more comfortable. Though in the end it was decided that going to the ER was the best choice. After some tests, Shelby transferred me to Dr. Dobson in Charlotte due to what they thought was a bowel obstruction. Although, on further observation from Dobson, it was a sluggish bowel/chronic ileus instead. My bowel, bladder, and digestive system have always been lazy due to my Cerebral Palsy and as I get older all these areas have worsened which is the cause of the majority of medical problems I am experiencing.

In the past few months I have dealt with a lot of fluid retention, but my physicians have been unsure of the cause. However, when Dr. Dobson examined my case he said my fluid was from my system being sluggish, which made things back up. For the first four days of being hospitalized I was on a no fluid/drink regiment. Thankfully, that helped things move along better and I’m now able to tolerate solids. Although I am still experiencing pain and nausea, that is something I will continue to have from time to time. I will forever have G.I. issues and these flare ups could happen more often, but all we can do is manage the symptoms in the best way possible.

I do not expect a cure all at this point but it is very discouraging to hear that nothing can be done except what we have already been doing. This comes from the doctor who is always so optimistic and a doer. When I was in the hospital for six weeks a couple of years ago he never gave a negative prognosis even when things were terminal, which means there really is “no easy fix,” for this as Dobson stated.

Thanks be to God though that resting my system for almost a week and getting iv meds and fluids have helped. Now,mmpi pray things can be maintained with the meds I have been given. I am supposed to follow up with my G.I. doctor soon to see if he has any further recommendations.

On a brighter note, God has been giving me little gems of encouragement each day. He continues to remind me that He knows and sees me. One of those occurrences happened last Thursday. In the ambulance being transported from a Shelby to Charlotte, I prayed for God to give me an understanding and compassionate nurse — specifically a nurse I knew from previous stays at CMC-Mercy named Maime. I knew that probably wouldn’t happen because I did not know if she still worked there plus this was a large hospital with many nurses/doctors. However, after arriving and taken to my room, guess who walked in to be my nurse?? Maime. Tears filled my eyes and I immediately sent thanks and praise to Jesus, and told Maime she was an answer to prayer — literally. That was the evidence my heart needed to confirm I was where I was supposed to be and that God saw and understood me in my circumstances.

During my hospital stay lots of visitors came which no matter how bad I felt brought encouragement. Just having some of my close friends and family laughing and talking around me ministered to my soul deeply. I love being around people and even though I wasn’t able to talk much on certain days or if I fell asleep while you were there (Sorry Becky…ha!)! Also, God displayed His love to me yet again through my parents. The entire time I was there, one if not both of them were with me, and one always stayed at night. Their love and sacrifice in caring for me on a daily basis is humbling and I cannot ever thank them enough. Love you mom and dad! Y’all are my favorites and I’m so glad God gave me you as parents.

Having health issues is hard, but God has surrounded me with the right medical staff at the hospital and now at home through my Hospice nurses Jodie and Jill. I have not known them for long but they have stepped in so gracefully to do what needed to be done. The month of April and the beginning of May have been extra hard because it seemed we had hit a dead end wall, but the Lord carried me through and provided the help I needed and did so in ways I did not expect.

I want to encourage you that no matter how hard life can be God will give strength you did not know you were capable of . One of my favorite verses has always been Nehemiah 8:10 which states, “Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” This is a verse that I’ve often used and heard over the years, but take forgranted its meaning. However, lately God has reminded me that no matter how bad my day is or how sick I feel, I have no reason to wallow in my grief and despair.

Instead of grieving, we need to surrender each moment to the Lord and He will always give us the strength to face whatever is in front of us, and His joy will shine through.

That same joy is also how God allows me to “hope a little more” with each day that comes my way.

Thanks again for all of your prayers and encouragement. I will be posting more as I feel like it in the next week. I hope you all enjoy the Memorial Day weekend and that God gives you the refreshment you need.

Articles, Christian Living, Devotionals, Disability, Family, Reading

Hospice…the Word I never thought I would be happy to hear…Hospice

Last week started out as any other week, but the last few days have been a whirlwind for me (So sorry for the long post that is ahead..ha!) As many of you know I have been receiving home health care and palliative to help for my chronic bladder infections. However, over time instead of getting better the infections have gotten progressively worse, and the weaker I have become. Being housebound and bedbound has been a challenge and over the last couple of months I have retained a lot of fluid –so much fluid that it makes it hard for me to move well.

When I visited my urology PA in Charlotte two weeks ago she did not do anything except keep me on the same plan the infectious disease doctor had me on. Because my bladder situation is so rare and complicated it seems we have reached the point of treating the infections until sadly they cannot be treated anymore. We have went to other physicians in the state for advice, but Dr. K in Charlotte is the most qualified for my case. Therefore, we have exhausted all other avenues for help unless Dr. K has a better solution in October, but that seems unlikely.

I have great respect for Dr. Love who is my former palliative doctor and now my General Practitioner, and her nurses Debbie and Amy. A long time ago Dr. Love and I had a discussion about Hospice and I told her to be honest and tell me if she ever thought I needed hospice care. She assured me she would, and last Wednesday following a visit from her nurses, they called and told me they thought hospice would be the best plan for me at the moment.

As mentioned earlier, over the last couple of months I have retained a large amount of fluid and have become significantly weaker. Because of this and other reasons, it would be best for me to have nurses visit me a couple times a week to moniter the fluid, the infections, and my pain. Hospice can do this in ways that palliative and home health cannot, and are able to consult with their physicians and mine to determine what needs to be done for me on a day to day basis. They are also able to take regular urine cultures, prescribe meds, and do blood work and such all at my house which is very helpful right now. It is our goal that Hospice will help me build up some strength and recuperate. I could be discharged in a couple months or stay on as long as I need them.

Whether it be a few months or years I am so thankful to have their assistance right now. It has been such a blessing. I never thought I would be glad to hear the word hospice in regards to me, but even in the short time of receiving their care, they have helped so much. They truly do desire to make the patient comfortable. I am already receiving medicine and supplies from them including a new wheelchair. My sweet nurses Jodie and Jill have been so good to work with and patiently answers all of our questions. So many (myself included), hear the word hospice and automatically think of death or end of life care. While that can be true they can also provide respite and recuperation for cases like mine. Realistically my situation could be terminal and could go in that direction at anytime. However, thankfully the current antibiotic treatment I’m on is working right now and my prayer is that different treatments will help me for a long time to come. Regardless of what I need in the future, I’m thankful to have the specific care from hospice that I have today.

My family and I have been praying for the help that I have needed, and the Lord has so graciously answered those prayers through Hospice. Even though this is the right next step for my health I will miss all my sweet nurses from Healthy at Home. Ya’ll have been in my life and home for two years and I will be forever grateful for your care. I love each of you and will greatly miss the joy and the laughter you brought my way on the bad days.

I do not know what my future holds or how much longer I will be on this earth. None of us can ever really know those details but chronic/terminal illness has a way of making you realize what is truly important in life. Lately, I have been reminded of that more than ever and it has brought me closer to Jesus.

My view these days are what I can see from the hospital bed located in my bedroom and for the longest time I thought that limited my view but with open hands and an open heart the Lord has changed my perspective and shown me how to find all the beauty and joy I need from right here. Even in these hard circumstances God has continued to show me His goodness and has challenged me to continue to have courage and wait and lean on Him. Psalm 27:13-14 says it perfectly:

“I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.Wait for the Lord;
Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord.”

Thanks again for all the prayers. They mean the world and encourage me so much. This has been a hard few days because my treatment regiment for pain is being changed. Lots of pain, nauesea, and swelling but until my body is adjusted I will be having more pain than usual. Pray that the doctors and nurses continue to have wisdom to know how to make me comfortabe and that I will gain strength each day. While we are thankful for Hospice, it is still sad to know that I need their help. No one wants to need Hospice, so please pray for continued peace for my heart and mind. Stay tuned to the blog for future updates. Also, I will continue to write about my study of the book of Nehemiah throughout the summer, so be on the lookout for that!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Wednesday!

Articles, Blog Series, Christian Living, Disability, The View Looks Fine From Here, Uncategorized

The View a Looks Fine From Here – The Struggle is Real

Hey friends. Normally I post about Nehemiah on Thursdays but I’m a bit behind this week so I only posted once. Hopefully, I can post on both days again starting Tuesday of next week. To read the one from this week posted on Tuesday visit here.

It’s one of those Thursdays —actually make that weeks! As the popular phrase goes, “the struggle is real.” That should be the theme of my life these days. The title of this series is titled, “The View Looks Fine From Here,” and the only view I have had this week has been from my bed. I read the verse from Psalm 128:24 which states,

“This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

However, we all have days where we do not “feel” like rejoicing, and that has been me this week. I have slept and felt woozy for the last few days because of a new medication.

Monday, I started taking s muscle relaxer for my spasticity from Cerebral Palsy. I’ve always had problems with that but it has been worse since I have been sick this past year. Spasticity makes my muscles extremely tight and painful, and lately I have not been able to relax or sleep well because of it. Thankfully, on Monday during my visit with Kim Gaither (Urology PA), she noticed how severe it was and is referring me to a new neurologist to help with that. However, in the meantime, she gave me a muscle relaxer that is supposed to work well with CP. And it is working but it is making me sleep a lot and I feel like a zombie…ha! Although today I realized that the medicine has helped, and for now the side effects are worth it. I had been praying for less pain and more sleep and God has answered those prayers so instead of complaining about the negative aspects, I was convicted that I need to be thankful. It has brought much pain relief for me and I’m truly grateful for that. Praise Jesus. Hopefully as I continue to take it the side effects will become less, but for now I’m glad for the ways it is helping.

Thanks again for all of your thoughts, prayers, and encouraging words. God uses them to fill my days with joy!

Articles, Devotionals, Music

The View Looks Fine from Here – Some Monday Encouragement!

Happy Monday. A while back ago my friend Casey texted me the video for MercyMe’s latest song “Even If,” and it has become my theme song during this season. Music encourages my heart so much and I feel like I could have written this song. It is like the lyrics have come out of my own journal. If you need a pick me up today take a listen to this. I promise you it will make your day better.

Also, be sure to check back tomorrow for the next post in the Nehemiah Series!

Articles, Christian Living, Devotionals, The View Looks Fine From Here

It’s Friday – Encouragement for Your Weekend!

Hello all! It’s the end of the week! Yay! Yesterday on the blog, I talked about Nehemiah and what he teaches us about prayer (read that post here).

Along with that I recently heard a helpful podcast from Leslie Ludy at Setapartgirl on improving your prayer life. It is super encouraging and challenging, and was exactly the message I needed to hear this week. Take a moment this weekend and listen to it. Her other podcasts are wonderful as well, and they always point me back to Christ.

The ministry of Setapartgirl has been a great encouragement to me during this hard season. I can be having a bad day and turn on one of these episodes and I they always remind me to fix my gaze on Christ and spend time in the Word.

Listen to “How to Make Prayer a Priority,” here. I hope you all have a great weekend! For other helpful resources visit the Setapartgirl website here.

Articles, Books, Christian Living, Devotionals, Reading, The View Looks Fine From Here

A Monday Devotional – More Than the Grains of Sand

“How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered!
I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand.” ~Psalm 139:17-18

Happy Monday, dear friends! Even though my infection is improving, I am still not getting a lot of sleep, but I am thankful for books to read during the long days and nights. Over the weekend, I read Robin Jones Gunn’s book called “Sandy Toes.” It’s a continuation of her Christy and Todd series. Anyways, throughout the book Robin quoted the passage found in Psalm 139:17-18 where it says God loves us more than all the grains of sand. I’ve read this passage more times than I can count over the years but the past few days it has been the reminder my longing soul has needed.

It’s impossible to number all the grains of sand, but God’s love is so much greater than that. It is hard for our human minds to comprehend but these verses share the enormity of His love. While reading the passage last night a lightbulb went off in my head and I thought,

“God loves me this much so why am I worried and anxious?” Why am I discontent? With this type of love from the Lord I should never worry about anything again no matter how hard things may be.”

God loves us deeply and in return wants us to trust Him. He delights in our surrender and wants us to go through life living restfully in Him.”

God has proven time and time again His great love for me and as mentioned in previous posts, I need to let go of my stubbornness and let Him love and lead me. Below is a statement that I need to tell myself daily, and I pray that it is one that you will say to yourself as well.

“Instead of fighting so hard on your own, let Jesus fight all your battles, and accept the peace He gives while He is doing so.”

Because of His perfect love, He will never lead us astray even though we may not always understand His plans. It is also because of His love, that when the view ahead seems bleak, we can still manage to have joy and not be afraid. If you need some encouragement today, read Psalm 139 and be reminded of how deep God knows and loves you. He knows you better than anyone ever will and that is such a precious gift. Let His deep love change and guide you.

Be sure to visit the blog tomorrow as I start a new Blog series focusing on the book of Nehemiah.