kids these days.

Kids these days. I mean, am I right or am I right? 

I'm considering teaching an unofficially, official class on how to not completely ruin your grandmother's opinion of her darling grandchild and oh yeah...how to not completely ruin your chances of getting a big boy/girl job one day. 

Chapter 1 of reading material for aforementioned class:

Social media as a Feelings Journal. 

Do not post your real feelings on Facebook. It is not a journal. Thats what they make JOURNALS for. GASP. WHAT?

Yes, actual paper and pen required. 

I know, I know. I'm old school. What can I say, I can always burn my feelings that I write down because they are definitely not in a 'cloud' or on a 'wall'. They are hidden in actual boxes (journals, y'all.). I can burn them quickly, if needed. Also, someone can find them when I am dead and gone and then I will be discovered for the real genius that I am.

I'm kidding.

Sort of. But only about the genius part. I am not kidding about Facebook and Twitter should not be used as your outlet for feelings. Your grandma probably doesn't want to know about your feelings on Doritos and Justin Bieber at 4am. Guess what, your future possible employers don't want to either. And they are judging you. And moving on to the next applicant. Just sayin'. 

Chapter 2: 

Pictures and "selfies":

Oh pictures. Why does nobody understand that snapchat is not so snappy and your photos and videos that you post online for all of your "friends" to see, your future possible employers to see and oh yeah, your grandma are sorta permanent and accessible to everyone. And by 'sorta' permanent and accessible, I mean completely permanent and accessible. Like really. I am not a conspiracy theorist, I am just dropping some knowledge. 

So selfies with half of your clothes off? Not for grandma. 

Pictures of you doing illegal things? Not good for job resumes. 

If you really must put some of your feelings on the interwebs, start a blog or something people only have themselves to blame for clicking on it to read your feelings or thoughts.

 But first, write it down in a journal, like paper and pencil. Then, take the time to type it up. Then edit it. THEN sleep on it. THEN think about if your grandma needs to read it. THEN think about if you ever want to apply for a job in the future. 

Like, ever. 

Then you can press publish. If you want. 

That is all. 

This has been a public service announcement provided by your old curmudgeon/nerdy friend, Dana. 

Because obviously, I only use selfies for important reasons. Like alerting my friends I forgot my makeup. Wisdom comes with age my friends. 

living abundantly,

dana 

interrogation tactics

I was one of those inquisitive kids. You know the ones. The ones that simply cannot and will not be satisfied with a simple answer to any question. Like, any question. 

Likely Scenario A:

Me: "But Mooommmmm, WHY do we have to eat vegetables?" 

Mom: "Because they are good for you." 

Me: "But WHY are they good for you?"

Mom: "Because they have healthy vitamins and they help your body work its best."

Me: "But.... WHY vegetables? Why not candy?"

Likely Scenario B: 

Me: "Dad, WHY do I have to do math if I don't like it?" 

Dad: "Because you might need it one day"

Me: "But why? I won't need math because I will have a job without math."

Dad: "Math is a part of every day life and you need to understand it."

Me: "But...Why? I don't see you or mom doing long division problems..."

It really is amazing that my parents still have their sanity. 

To be completely honest, I never grew out of this "inquisitive stage". It's more like a state of being for me. Satus quo. I like to know anything and everything about anyone and everything. I just can't help but ask questions; I want more details. I lovingly refer to these as my interrogation tactics. It's just my way of getting to know people. You know, a marketable social skill. 

Sorta like this....

"Where were you born?"

"Why is your hair straight?"

"Who is your mom's mom?"

"What is your view on recycling? Good thing? Bad thing? Waste of time? Neutral?" 

"What did you eat for a snack 2 weeks ago...?"

Yeah. I'm serious. 

I just. like. to. know. every. thing. 

So imagine my frustration when I get to a point in life where I start to "question it all". And I start to search out the answers to life. Because in my naivety I assume that I, Dana Whitfield, will find the answers. I know how to ask the questions! Interview and interrogate with persistence! 

Fear not humanity, Dana will find the answers. 

Um. No. 

Instead of answers, I found more questions. 

Despite my dear, dear love for questions, this did not please me. Questions as answers to questions....not cool. Not cool. 

Questions and questions upon questions...

 'Why is there so much pain? Why am I sick? Why are there children hurting? What is the point? What is the learning experience? How should I be doing this life thing better? What should my next exact step in life be?' 

And the question I find myself asking the most...

Why suffering? Why suffering? WHY SUFFERING? 

Seriously though, why? 

I have read plenty of books on the subject and I know the "answers" to this. There are no "answers"....no answer sheet that I can check for accuracy. (besides the Bible but even there...not always concrete)

 Holy frustrating, Batman! 

Enter faith. 

Faith. Hm. Interesting. 

Faith is believing and trusting in things unseen. Trusting God. Trusting that God does in fact have a master plan that somehow makes this fallen world and the terrible things that happen in it have a purpose. 

Faith and trust on this level are actions. Verbs. Consciously choosing faith in God and the people he created. It is something we choose to do each day. Or not to do each day. 

Here is something that you may or may not know about me, this part of the whole 'Christian equation' is not easy for me. I constantly struggle in making this daily choice of trust.

 I question everything, I ask why, and I am not satisfied. I am never content with knowing that some things just aren't to be known. Ever. It is a restlessness that is ever present. As you can imagine, I am not incredibly proud of this personal characteristic. But it just is. It isn't easy for me. Faith is never easy for me. 

I try to channel this inquisitive trait. Hoping and praying that God gave me this spirit of knowledge seeking and that He welcomes my "interrogations". I never stop searching and seeking and I believe it draws me closer to God and my faith. Most days. 

But on tough days like today, I struggle with not knowing why. Why suffering? Why?

I just don't know. No actual clue or reference that points to physical evidence.

What I do know-(ish) is this:

 Suffering never relents, takes no prisoners and is never biased in choosing its victims. Suffering is universal and occurs everywhere.

I know, know that God never relents and never fails. I trust that He is, therefore I trust that He will be. If He is foolproof, then so is His plan. 

Gotta hold on to that. 

living abundantly,

Dana 

smell ya later 2014

Today I was reading an old blog post from last January. Because naturally, on the first day of the year 2015, I was feeling all reminiscent.

 It was more or less hard to read because 2014 didn't deliver on some of the ways I hoped it would. I still struggle with some of the same things and my health status hasn't improved at all. 

But then again, in some ways, it was the best year yet! (I'm actually serious)

I'm pretty sure in 2014, I had more hospital stays than any other year. BUT I also had the longest stretch (from about March to July) of relatively good health....the best I have had in awhile. I lived life as a sorta "normal" human person and it was great. Not being defined by being sick or being known for being sick was really freeing and different for me. Each day not being in the hospital or being held back by my physical body was such a blessing that I can't really describe. 

But that wasn't the only good part of 2014 and it definitely wasn't this "perfect" time that held no struggles just because I felt less "sick". I am incredibly grateful for that time but I also don't want to paint an inaccurate picture or insinuate that if you are healthy, life is dandy. 

Anywho.

In 2014,  I met amazing new people that I am grateful for and can't imagine life without now. God was and always is, so faithful and good to me in this department. He places people in my life that are wonderful to me and change my perspective on all kinds of things. I also have really funny friends. So that is a plus. 

 I discovered new things about older friendships too. We went through tough life things and adjusted to new phases of life that change friendships and test their strength. Not easy, but I believe these tests are teaching me to be a better human and a better friend. I hope so, at least. 

This year I also had the gift of watching my nieces continue to grow into these precious little people with personalities and amazing little hearts. They are both so completely different but so incredible and hilarious. I hope they always know how special they are to me. 

I learned some intense lessons about the reality of life and some not-so-pretty things about myself and my human nature. There were transitions that I did not expect to have to ever make. I had to accept parts of my illness that do affect my every-day life yet also refuse to give in to letting it take over every part of me. I am learning about how to keep this balance every second, of every day. Work in progress. 

I am hoping 2015 brings better health and less stays in a hospital. However, most likely that will always be a part of my life in some way. Not being a Negative Nancy, just a Realistic Rachel. And I am okay with that. Most days. 

I know God has equipped me for this war, even if on most days I feel like I am losing every battle. 2015 will be a year with highs and lows, like every year. It won't be perfect but it will be a journey with a lot of beauty, blessings, tears, laughter, troubles, and triumph. Looking forward, not back and expecting a new, exciting and interesting year. Smell ya later, 2014.

Here we come 2015, ready or not! 

living abundantly, 

dana

the late and great update

Obviously, I have been a little absent on the blog lately. There are many “reasons” for that. Most of those “reasons” are excuses and I sorta, kinda, really feel like it’s lame of me to cop out. 

So yeah. Thinking about thinking and writing about my so-called-life has been a non-negotiable for me lately. AKA I am not negotiating with anyone, mainly myself, about writing and then “publishing” my feeeeeeelings on the interwebs. Because my feeeeeeeelings aren’t very uplifting for anyone, really. 

But lucky for all of you peeps (my mom and my friend Tara) I have decided to grace my own blog with my OWN presence. I know, I know. I’m practically Mother Theresa with my giving spirit and general generosity. 

Anywho. Update. So since August, I have been in the hospital about 7-8-ish times. Each for different reasons, each for something a little more serious or something new and fun to add to my diagnoses resume.

Por ejemplo (impressed with my espanol?) I think I told you’s guys about my pulmonary emboli. Right? Blood clots in zee lungs? Coumadin? Ringing a bell?

WELL. So here’s what happened after that; I then had a massive bleed, lost most of my blood, had some blood and platelet transfusions, spent some time in an ICU, subsequently felt bad ass (excuse my French), then come to find out my blood volume won’t recover, something is wrong with my bone marrow….and squeeze in a few hospitalizations for DKA (diabetic ketoacidosis) a few times and there you find me here….

Typing on my fancy shmancy new computer in my not so fancy shmancy hospital room. 

Yaaaas honey, you read that right, I am back in the hospital. And this time its for my “severe anemia” and being in DKA. Again. It is truly a blast.

Not really. Please do not try this at home. 

There you have it. An update. I do promise I will write something other than health updates when I get the chance and I get the heart to share. 

Disclaimer: Guys, I am truly exhausted and not really sure how much information is “too much” and not sure how much people really want to know. I find myself hanging in the balance of overshare and being overly guarded and protective over something I do need love and encouragement with. This is, after all, my blog so I can write about whatever I please. BUT I do also want to have an identity that is separate from my illness. I can feel us merging into one and I don’t know how I feel about that. 

So here it is. If you want to know more or more details, feel free to ask. 

I am also incredibly grateful by your continued interest in how I am doing. It really is overwhelming and encouraging in the best way. My family and I also appreciate and need your prayers. This is a very exhausting and draining marathon of sorts. We appreciate you cheering us on and going to the Father in prayer and asking for his aid for my family and I. It becomes so difficult to ask for prayer and help for yourself and therefore all of you offering it without asking for anything in return, means the world. 

As always, my family and I believe our God is bigger than this and will get us through all of this, step by step. We do appreciate you walking beside us in it. Truly the biggest blessing. Keep on faithful abundant life readers! We love you! 

A silly/fun memory from Thanksgiving....

living abundantly,

Dana 

a health and heart status update

I struggled with this post, y'all. I wrestled with whether this post should have been written. I wrestled with whether or not it would be positive for me and positive for others. Once the post was written, I then struggled with pressing 'publish' (to all you non-bloggers....that is just the fateful button that sends your heart's words into the interwebs for all to see. YIKES).

 I sat with it. I prayed (a little). And I sat some more. I almost deleted the post exactly four times. Yes, I counted.

And then, God spoke to my heart through so many of you. Through your concern, the outpouring of support, and your love. I then was overwhelmed with how to let each of you know the status of my physical health and the status of my heart and spirit. I am also overwhelmed with gratitude that so many of you care! Truly, it is healing. So Update! Here we go.

Grab a snack. Y'all know how word-y I am. I wouldn't want any of you to get hangry (hungry+angry) and leave me hate messages. 

On with the show. 

So here I am. Here we are again. Back in the throws of some tough life stuff. Back in the throws of some medical "stuff". This "stuff" being another major surgery...this one in the chest. 

Technically a 'vagotomy'. Sure, google it. The Cliff notes are: the surgeons go in through the chest (right side for me) and clipped my Vagus nerve in two places around my esophagus. Requiring the ever exciting chest tube. FUN TIMES.

 I have that surgery, thinking things are now going to be all hunky dory and I end up back in the hospital because I am having chest pain and trouble breathing. 

We end up finding (in perfect timing) that the surgery caused blood clots (yes, plural) in my lungs and arm. Yes, it's pretty much as scary as it sounds. 

Yet another time in which God saved my life and sometimes it leaves me questioning why do I deserve yet ANOTHER chance to get this life thing right? Not for me to know, I assume. Not yet anyway.

All of this amounting to about another 3 weeks in the hospital and an added two weeks at home trying to rebound. I don't give up. I will never give up. But GOSH. I'm kind of tired of this whole song and dance.

Not going to lie to you peeps...I was terrified. And now I am frustrated. Frustrated that I find myself here. But also frustrated with myself. Why can't I be more gracious, more grateful....when all I find myself is ticked off that here we are again.

I find myself wondering what could be the point THIS TIME? What could I possibly learn from yet another situation like this? 

'Um hello, Dana. Its not about you.'

'Oh but it sure feels like it is! I am the one suffering!'

'But it's not. Sorry.'

'Well there's something to think about.'

Yeeeeeeeeaaa-yuuuuup. Something to think on. It stinks when it's not about me. ;) 

 

 

I am praying God makes this path and this purpose CLEAR and right smack in front of me. Because I am not sure of my role. I am not sure of His plan. But one thing I am SURE of is my God and His promises. So I do trust Him. I do. I just get shaky in the knees sometimes and I need some steadying.

Thankful that every time I start to float away, every time I get caught up in what is "wrong",  I have a permanent anchor in God. He IS bigger than illness, no matter how big and all-consuming illness can be. He IS bigger than heartache. He DOES take the most heart-wrenching situations and bring beauty. He grounds me. He holds me close. He gives me security in the most insecure and scary situations. I no longer trust my physical body...guess what....it fails. I do however, trust the One who made me. He made me this way and I accept this challenge....with His help of course. 

I pray He can bring some beauty to your struggles too. It isn't always immediate and it isn't always easy to spot at first. But beauty is there. He is there. 

living abundantly,

dana

plans and things.

So here's the thing about plans...I love them. 

I love a good planner. I adore a good five year plan. I absolutely THRIVE on to-do lists. And you guessed it, I don't know what to do without a good budget and a graph as a visual. 

So you can imagine my trepidation of life outside the lines, a little in the grey. 

Well, that is actually giving myself a little too much credit. I get anxiety and sweaty pits when I can't CLEARLY see the next few months in the form of bullets and lists. 

Yikes. I sound like a party, huh? 

Yeah, I am a real bag of fun on a Friday. "Exxxxxcuuuuusseeeeee meeeeee, what are the PLANS for the ev-uh-ninnnng??" That's me. Planning Paula. Oh and not in a fun way, but 'where is the outline and do we have fun and food planned?' kinda way. Because obviously, if we are going to have fun, it needs to be on the agenda. Duh. 

Before you go ex-ing out of my blog screen.... HOOOLLLLLD UP. 

I do realize this is not reality, living in this fantasy to-do list. Making sure I check off goals and itemize all my lists with color coded tabs. (YES, I did that once. Okay twice. Okay more than twice.)

If life is to be lived, I need to be present in the moment. I need to be content. 

Yowza. Six months ago, even typing those sentences about being content would have sent me straight into a cardiac event that would only have been remedied by a check-list of remedies provided by the Mayo Clinic or some other reputable clinic. I. Kid. You. Not. I am a special kind of crazy. I like to think its endearing. Yeah? 

  So where is this going, you ask? Well. I have PLANS for this post. haha. Jokes. 

Okay. Serious time. (Sorta)

God has this way of getting my attention, reaching me in a way that is specific to me. It is not always painless and I don't always respond in the way I imagine I should. I can be stubborn. 

I have always had a certain plan for my life. I wouldn't say I was one of those girls that knew by the age of 10 that they wanted to be a wife and mom. Actually, I never even aspired to that in high school or college. Not that there is anything wrong with doing so, I was just focused on other goals. 

Goal 1: Prove myself to myself...and others.

Goal 2: Be successful  

Goal 3: Graduate from undergraduate college and Graduate school

Goal 4: Be wildly successful and the best at whatever I do. Seriously. I am crazy.

Goal 5: Be independent.  Financially so and in all other ways. I am fiercely stubborn about being able to handle things myself. So much that when I just cannot handle it on my own, I get frustrated, upset, and downright hard on myself. Like I have somehow failed in life by simply asking someone for help. THE WORLD IS OVER, someone helped me with my laundry or gave me a ride somewhere.

So as you are surmising, I hope, these are not attainable goals. Sure, sure they are 'reachable' goals. Nothing too crazy up in those goals. But in the context of enjoying life and enjoying my family and friends. That just won't cut it. Uh uh. I've tried tirelessly, like a hamster on a wheel, to make those goals "liveable" and "loveable". 

But try as I might, I couldn't change my ways. When I didn't get something right, in my eyes, in the right time, I would just be heartbroken. For example, my health. We all know the story (if you read my blog...like at all). It comes in to play here because my illnesses have just plain GOT IN THE WAY of my five year plan. The nerve. 

I was brokenhearted about this for months, no perhaps years. I wanted to finish graduate school with my friends that I started with, and go off and find a job that I loved (because I do happen to love Speech Language Pathology) and move on to phase 4 of "the plan". Buy something. Like a house or a car. 

Ohhhhhh no. Not how it happened. Not. At. All.

And at first I fought back HARD, like a toddler fighting sleep. And they do fight sleep like champs. Yes. This I know. ;) 

I'm still going to do this MY way, God. I won't let some silly illnesses bring me down. I am the CHAMPION of proving people wrong. Its like a challenge. 

But alas, this time God made it clear. (I will explain more later.) Dana, you need to chill out, sister. CHILL OUT. Have you not noticed all the beautiful things I have blessed you with? Family? Friends? Love? Laughter? 

And yet here I was asking for more, more, more. And more of what? Unimportant things. Success. Social Status. Others' opinions of me. Money. Materialistic things. Intellect. Things of this world. 

I'm not saying its bad to have a solid job. Its GREAT to have that. Provision for your family is paramount. I was just measuring my self-worth by my success in this world. By my job offers. A possible 401K. Benefits. Oh yeah, and what everyone thinks of what I have done with my time and gifts. 

God says I can't take any of that with me. He cares NADA about my benefit plan. About my yearly income. About whether or not I rent or own my house or whether I even live on my own! 

Ouch. 

All these years, all these efforts.....and the One I am to be living my life for, the One who created me, the One who has bailed me out of hard times, time and time and time again..... He. Doesn't. Care. About. Things. of. This. World. 

I am supposed to be living my life for an audience of One. When it turns out...I have been living for an audience of many. That hurts. Wake.Up.CALL.

So I began this journey of living in the grey. Living in the "not so sure my life plan" zone. It was TERRIFYING and emotionally exhausting. Constantly battling thoughts of failure and "not amounting to anything". I have been through times of sadness and times feeling completely free. 

My life is not what I thought it would be, but gosh, it is SO much better. I can't wait to share with everyone how God has redeemed this "situation" and most of all, how He has redeemed and saved a girl clutching to a planner like life-support. 

I still have a planner. Don't get me wrong. I am just plain flighty without it. But through the next few posts, hopefully you will see the change and the freedom that comes with letting God lay out our five year plan, one day at a time.

living abundantly,

dana

recycling - the blog version

Recycling is good for the environment. 

Yep. 

I saw a recycling can outside of someone's house today (true story). It made me think.... recycling stories, testimonies, REAL life stuff (not to be confused with fake life stuff)...is good for the soul. 

Now before you silently disagree with me or click away from the page because this crazy lady is talking about garbage cans...let me explain. 

I am NOT saying new, authentic stories and testimonies are not Ah-mazing. Because they are. These new movements are evidence that our God is an active and ever-present God. 

What I AM saying is this...

It is good for our soul, our faith, our hope, and our relationship with Christ -- to not only remember what He did on the cross for us and what He has done in just our lives but to also recycle, re-use, share, and carry in our hearts the stories of our God and all of his people. To take the "old" stories (even if they are only a day old), make them reproducible, redistribute and reuse. Never waste a good, true, and genuine God/life/love story. Never.

SO

Carry that story about the sweet young guy (hypothetical) you saw on Facebook who was dealt tough circumstances --Remember how God redeemed his situation, changed his heart, re-directed his life and then went on to make an eternal impact. 

The miracle stories are memorable and powerful. But don't count the every day stories as useless. -- the testaments - truths about tough life stuff, hardships, and pain - and how a person was able to transform their attitude, radically change their path, and gain the courage to dream big for God. All of these stories then inspire us to dream big and allow God to write us into the ultimate story that He is writing. (Spoiler Alert: God overcomes the world.) 

These stories -- whether heard from the Bible, a blog, a book, a neat video with cool camera angles or just by word of mouth - revive our spirits. Your story will encourage others and give you strength and faith when you feel lost. 

So let's recycle. Retell and remember your personal story and others' stories. Remember those times you didn't think you could last another day and then -- God threw you a sturdy lifeline. Retell the miracle story you heard or witnessed. Big, small, joy, pain, heartache, sickness, love, healing ---God is in your story. Share it. 

Carry these in your heart. Reignite faith in your community.

In the spirit of recycling, here is a part of my story (a chapter, if you will) that I wrote in 2011 for another blog (Bloom by Nicole!)  as a guest blogger. I have never shared it on my blog, so here it is. I want to hear your stories. I want to feel inspired by God, through you. 

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Tuesday October 11, 2011 - Lessons Learned Guest Series on Bloom the Blog

I love Tuesday.  I get the chance to share amazing stories and beautiful women with you.  This week I bring you sweet, Dana.  I found this girl only a few months ago and her blog is one I never skip over.  She’s got a hilarious sense of humor and a remarkable outlook on life.  This story will leave you in chills. -Nicole

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Hey guys! I’m Dana and I blog over at the abundant life blog.

I was so excited when Nicole asked me to guest post in her ‘Lessons Learned’ series! After she asked me, I was overwhelmed with possibility. I have learned SO many lessons over the years. God has brought me through so many tough trials and taught me so many lessons during those tough days.

So after some thinking and some praying (two very important things to do before writing a very personal blog post), I decided on a lesson that I learned not long ago. A lesson that was so powerful, and so ‘in yo face’, I decided how could I not share it?

So in order to share this lesson with you fine peoples, I must share some of my story, Its very integral to the lesson, you see.

I have grown up with chronic illness. Pancreatic disease. I was one of those ‘sicky kids’. You know the ones. The ones who missed weeks of school and their heroes came in the form of sweet nurses and all-powerful doctors? Yeah, that was me.

Its okay, you don’t have to feel sorry for me. That’s not the point of this here story.

My chronic illness caused me to get sicker and sicker. So in April of this year, I decided to have a transplant surgery. A very innovative and new surgery. Also, a very dangerous surgery.

We prayed and we prayed that this surgery would be the ticket to the healthy life I dreamed about.

So eventually the decision was made. I would have this scary surgery. It would be my answer. We trusted God had led us to this surgery.

Ladies (and possibly gentlemen), I wish I could put into words what came next. It truly was unfathomable. The scariest/darkest/worst time for my family and I. However, this time ended up being an amazing display of God in a room full of dumbfounded doctors/scientists -- declaring it a miracle. 

A few days after my transplant surgery, things started to go downhill. I had major complications. I had major internal bleeding originating from the liver and portal vein (found that out later) and had emergency surgery. The doctors didn’t know if I would make it through the night. I then slipped into a coma for days.

And that is when my family saw a miracle.

 As I lay in the hospital bed dying, people from all over the country and world (crazy right? I can’t even believe it) prayed that I would wake up. People I had never met. People that some how (hello, God) heard my story and prayed for me.

And these are just people that I have pictures of! There were so many more not pictured that reached out in many different ways.

They prayed big. They prayed boldly. They prayed prayers of expectation. They prayed with the knowledge that God would show up. That He would bring the big guns. That He would part the seas.

And He did.

God showed up. I woke up several long days later - after these amazing people got down on their knees, wherever they were and prayed a bold prayer. With the knowledge that our God saves. That He is an active God.

Doctors could not save me (and I know this sounds dramatic, but its just what happened). They could not get me to wake up and at the time they did not understand why I wasn't waking up or improving. When my turnaround started, they were simply in awe and honestly, a little confused. But even my surgeons could only explain it as a miracle.

So what I ask myself is this, why do I not pray big every day?

Since I know my God is an active God and I know from experience He answers prayers, why do I not pray boldly each day?

Hm. 

I can pray these big prayers every day. I don’t have to wait for another literal life-saving moment to pray to my God. He listens every day. I should pray with expectation and assurance. I should have faith that He can and will (in his way, in his timing) part the seas of my daily struggles. Because that is who my God is. He is a God of miracles and a God of compassion.

Let’s pray big today.

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So that's just a piece of the pie. If you know me or read my blog, you know there is no miracle cure for my illnesses. I will be pain free one day. But until that day, I hope to continue to learn and grow from my struggles. I have gone through hell and back, struggled with regret and sadness, and LEARNED so much since I wrote this post. But my WORD. Its all true, y'all. This story, whether it happened yesterday or 25 years ago, it is a story of our active God. 
My blog also chronicles some of my struggles since this guest post was written --- those stories I also carry in my heart pocket to pull out when I need courage. 

Recycling - Sharing - Reviving 

It's the name of the game, peeps. 

living abundantly,

Dana