Day 31: Letting Go so that We Can Listen

Wow! God has helped us to travel all the way to

DAY 31

in this #31Days of Listening with Chronic Illness!


 Along the way, we've listened to find peace,

to find rest,

to hear the voices of those around us,

and to seek to hear our Lord's voice more clearly.


 I've been surprised at the remembering

that God has stirred up,

at the ways He spoke in the past,

and showed us HIS story

in the midst of my own.


 But at the end of this month,

I've heard Him speaking

to me, a nudging

that has continued from the very beginning

of these travels.


 To truly hear HIS voice,

there is only one way

that opens my heart

to the crystal-clear words

that HE wants to bring:

I must continue to let go of the plans

and the ways that I set up for myself

along the road of this life.

Only in resting myself, daily,

in the HOPE of His Care,

and the Plans of HIS heart,

will I hear the

NEW,

and see the BEAUTY

that HE wants to bring now to this Season.

 

  Isaiah 30:15 The Message  "God, the Master, The Holy of Israel, has this solemn counsel: 'Your salvation requires you to turn back to me and stop your silly efforts to save yourselves. Your strength will come from settling down in complete dependence on me'"

Have you heard Him calling to you this month?

In the letting go of your own efforts,

Jesus will bring you salvation.

And in the settling down into HIM,

you will find new strength.

My heart rises up with you as we pray

that our Lord

will help us 

in this journey 

of learning

to let go

and listen to Him.

I have been so honored to have you join me this month!

To say thank you for being so faithful,

I'm partnering with Cindee Snider Re,

for a give-away of her great book

Discovering Hope: Beginning the Journey Toward Hope in Chronic Illness

Anyone who leaves a comment this week on my blog

will automatically be entered to win 1 of 2 books

that I'll be sending out!

I will announce the winner this coming weekend,

November 6.

One more time,

Click here for the Series Index

Day 30: Glean and Listen Part 4

My man and I took our Grandpuppy,
Pepper the Schnauzer
(she's actually the face for my #Write31Days Challenge Thumbnail below!)
for a very short walk yesterday.

As I stood watching the two of them,
thinking that my days of long hikes
are only a memory now,
I can still be thankful for the grace
that allows me to take a short walk
now and then! 


And with that same heart of gratitude,
I feel so blessed by several
new authors that I have been
allowed to "meet"
through the world of blogging.


You may have read one or more of these books
already, but if not,
then allow me to introduce you to these
ones who have helped me so much
on my journey of learning
to listen and walk with God
through this season of chronic illness.



One of the first authors that touched me through
her brave-hearted blogging,
was Joy Lenton, who blogs at
PoetryJoy -- click here to find her site 
She is a fellow chronic illness warrior, and her
words are laced with the poetry of grace
and truth.
I first read her book during hard nights
filled with anxiety attacks and pain.
Her poetry drew me into the heart of Jesus,
and became a stand-by to read again and again
as the Lord brought fresh breath
into my weary soul.
Find her book at Amazon by clicking the link below:

Seeking Solace: Discovering grace in life's hard places 



 Another blogger that touched me
with her heart for Jesus is Ifeoma Samuel.
Find her blogging at
Purposeful And Meaningful -- click here to go to her site 
I was blessed to be part of the Launch team for her book,
and gleaned so much encouragement
from her study of the Scriptures.
She writes from an honest perspective of one
who knows what it feels like to face failure
and brokenness, but then points us 
back to the Grace of Jesus again and again.
Find her book at Amazon by clicking here:

Overcome Failure: Get Back On Your Feet 



If you have walked through the pain
of loss and grieving,
then you really should check out the blog of Anna Louise Smitt.
Click here to find her site: Joy of the Spirit Within.
I purchased the book that told her story 
of grace and redemption
as the Lord walked her through a trail marked
with suffering and PTSD.
But her chapters were packed with so much
beautiful Scripture and gleanings
that I slowed my reading to a simmer
so that I could let the healing sink into
my own soul.
Find her book at Amazon by clicking here:
 
Love Embraced: A Journey in and through Suffering   



I found this next blogger through the recent series
that she joined with Anna to write.
You may remember their series on #31Days of Miracles
that I shared recently here.
Debbie Barrow Michael blogs at
Consider it all Joy -- click here for her site.
She has walked through 
an amazing adventure of obedience,
and has learned to hear God's voice
through the adoption of her son from Russia. 
To read the story of that process, click the link below:

But the Greatest of These Is Love .


I was so blessed to be part of the launch team
for Cindee Snider Re's book this fall.
She is the co-founder of Chronic Joy Ministry
that I mentioned last week.
Her book changed my view of how I approach
living with a chronic illness.
The questions that I had buried deep
were brought to the surface and laid open
before God
as the book moved through it's material
in a study fashion
that begged the reader's participation.
Click the link below to find her book at Amazon:

 Discovering Hope: Beginning the Journey Toward Hope in Chronic Illness  


But here's the surprise that I've been hinting at:
Cindee has sent me two books to offer
as a give-away to two of my faithful readers!
I can't wait to see which of you will be
the next ones to be blessed by this journey
of discovery!

To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment on my blog
sometime this week.
I will be sharing a reminder with every post
until next weekend.
Then I will draw two of those names, randomly,
and notify you of the winners next week.

Proverbs 4:1-2 (NIV) "Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction; pay attention and gain understanding.  I give you sound learning, so do not forsake my teaching"


This is Day 30 for the #Write31Days Challenge,
and I am so thankful that you have journeyed with me
for #31Days of Listening with Chronic Illness.
 Click here for the Series Index