Dravet Syndrome

  • First Friday Prayers: Prayer for the Caregiver

    ByLauren Christian, Dravet Syndrome, Grace & Truth Link Up, prayer, rest
    12 Comments

    Today is World Day of Prayer.  How appropriate for the first Friday of the month, when we alway pray together.  It’s also Caregiver Appreciation Day.  Caregiving can be rewarding, exhausting, heartbreaking and up lifting.  And those feelings can change on a dime.  I can’t think of a better prayer to offer today than a prayer for the caregiver. (It’s also National If Pets Had Thumbs Day, but I wouldn’t know where to begin praying for that!)

     

    The term caregiver covers a lot of ground.  It can be a family member or a paid helper who looks after a child, the sick, the elderly or disabled.  In just my close family we have foster parents, adults taking care of their elderly parents, adults taking care of their sick spouses and Chuck and I taking care of our disabled daughter.  I know for us personally, there are moments I’m not sure we can continue to do it, and moments we can’t imagine our lives any other way.  But caregiving is always a lot.

     

    If you fall into the caregiving category, seek out some social supports for yourself, if you don’t already have them.  Find ways to take breaks when at all possible, and look into counseling if you feel overwhelmed.  Caregiving can be isolating, so stay involved in church to the extent you can and ask for help!  And pray this scripture over yourself or others you know in this situation:

     

    “I remain confident of this:
        I will see the goodness of the Lord
        in the land of the living.
     Wait for the Lord;
        be strong and take heart
        and wait for the Lord.” Psalm 27:13-14 NIV

     

     

    If you are a caregiver, I see you.  I am you.  Know that you are not alone and I am praying for you.  If you have a specific prayer request or just need an ear to listen, please send me a message to [email protected]t.  It would be an honor.  And if you don’t want to miss a Praying God’s Word post, subscribe over on the right hand side of this page.

    Lauren

    And now for this week’s featured post from the link up!

     

    I don’t know if it’s because my baby is a senior in high school this year, but Lois Flower’s post The Unexpected Blessing of a Newly Surfaced Photo gave me all the nostalgic feels.  Thanks, Lois.

    The Link Up

    1. Share 1 or 2 of your most recent CHRISTIAN LIVING posts. (No DIY, crafts, recipes, or inappropriate articles.) All links are randomly sorted.

    2. Comment on 1 or 2 other links. Grace & Truth linkup encourages community.

    3. Every host features one entry from the previous week. To be featured, include this button or link back here on your post (mandatory to be featured, but not to participate).

    Grace and Truth_Meet Hosts

    We encourage you to follow our hosts on their blogs or social media.

    MAREE DEE – Embracing the Unexpected
    Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

    LAUREN SPARKS
    Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

    LISA BURGESS – Lisa notes
    Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

    TAMMY KENNINGTON – Restoring hope. Pursuing peace.
    Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

     Now Let’s Link Up!

     

    You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

    Click here to enter

    If you liked this post, do me the huge honor of using the buttons below to share it to your favorite social media accounts. And if you want to get these essays emailed to you once a week, subscribe!  Lastly, my posts may contain affiliate links and I earn from qualifying purchases. If you buy anything from one of these links, I will receive a few pennies to help offset the cost of this website at no additional charge to you. Thank you in advance for your help.

  • Happy National Tattoo Stories Day

    ByLauren Christian, community, Dravet Syndrome, Grace & Truth Link Up, Jesus, mothers, salvation
    18 Comments

    Have you heard of National Tattoo Stories Day?  I had not – probably because I’m not a big tattoo kinda girl.  But I do have one.  And I actually love hearing the story behind a tattoo. 

    Click To Tweet
    I know some people simply like the art of ink and may choose a design purely for aesthetics, but those of you who got inked to commemorate something, remind yourself of something or memorialize someone, you are my people.

     

    They say tattoos are addictive, but I got my first one at 42 and have not been tempted to get another (almost 7 years later if you’re counting).  I regret that as a tattoo virgin I did not know to look for a real artist and wound up going to a guy who used stencils.  So mine doesn’t look great.  And one day I would like to find an artist who can touch it up and make it look a little more inspired.

     

    My Tattoo Story

     

    In spite of the amateur art, I don’t regret getting the tat.  I went with a group of moms who all have a child with the same rare genetic disorder as my daughter.  I share so many things with these friends that no one else can truly understand.  And I will never forget having our purple butterflies (the symbol for Dravet Syndrome) permanently applied to our wrists together.

     

    I have another daughter, though, and didn’t want to honor one on my body and not the other.  So I chose a rose (my girl’s middle name and the first flower my husband ever gave me) to symbolize her beautiful fragrance in my life.  And then I decided to have a small cross put between the butterfly and rose.  My children are so precious to me, but Jesus remains the most important and central person in my life.  tattoo stories

     

    The cross – the symbol of the horrible death my Savior endured to take away the sin separating me and the Lord Most High.  It is because of Him that I am forgiven, saved and blessed.  It is Jesus I seek to emulate in how I live my life and parent my girls.  So His symbol sits between the symbols for my daughters.  Because this is how we try to live.  Jesus in the middle of it all.

     

    Do you have a tattoo with a cool story?  I would LOVE to hear it.  Type your story in the comments below or click on the contact link at the top of the page to send me a private email.

     

    And now for this week’s featured post from the link up!

     

    Donna of serenityinsuffering.com wrote beautifully of threshold moments.  Not sure what they are?  Read here.  Thank you, Donna, for linking up with Grace and Truth!

     

    The Link Up

     

    1. Share 1 or 2 of your most recent CHRISTIAN LIVING posts. (No DIY, crafts, recipes, or inappropriate articles.) All links are randomly sorted.

    2. Comment on 1 or 2 other links. Grace & Truth linkup encourages community.

    3. Every host features one entry from the previous week. To be featured, include this button or link back here on your post (mandatory to be featured, but not to participate).

    Grace and Truth_Meet Hosts

    We encourage you to follow our hosts on their blogs or social media.

    MAREE DEE – Embracing the Unexpected
    Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

    LAUREN SPARKS
    Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

    LISA BURGESS – Lisa notes
    Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

    TAMMY KENNINGTON – Restoring hope. Pursuing peace.
    Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

     Now Let’s Link Up!

     

    You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

    Click here to enter

     

    If you liked this post, do me the huge honor of using the buttons below to share it to your favorite social media accounts. And if you want to get these essays emailed to you once a week, subscribe!  Lastly, my posts may contain affiliate links and I earn from qualifying purchases. If you buy anything from one of these links, I will receive a few pennies to help offset the cost of this website at no additional charge to you. Thank you in advance for your help.

     

    To find some great places where I might be sharing this post, click here.