Last November my book, "When Light Dawns" was released. This 40 Advent and Christmas topic devotional is the first and only Lyme patient specific book for Advent and Christmas. "When Light Dawns" features daily reflections that will inspire, encourage, and give hope to Lyme Warriors. Containing a daily reflection for each day (from the last week of November through the first week of January) "When Light Dawns" can be used as a simple encouragement to the weary heart or as a guided devotional study. Either way, this book will provide spiritual encouragement and give new meaning to the popular phrase "holiday preparations".
Today I wanted to share a brief snipped from the book- the note from the author at the beginning of the book. This truly shares my heartbeat behind this dear book and my hope and prayer for each of us in the upcoming holiday season:
(a note from the author, When Light Dawns)
Dear Fellow Lyme Warrior,
The book that you hold
in your hand has been written from my heart. I found out I had Advanced Late
Stage Lyme Disease the day after my 33rd birthday. For the previous
six years prior to that day I had experienced a myriad of intricate and
confusing health symptoms that never made sense to any doctor. I had spent
hundreds of hours traveling across the United States talking and consulting
with some of the best in the country. No answers came and I was eventually told
that either (a) this was “in my head”, (b) I had a very “complex case” of
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (for which I had been diagnosed for) or (c) “stress
was contributing to these issues”. Finally, after seeing 273 doctors in one
year, seven years of searching, hundreds of invasive and painful tests, and
thousands of prayers, I was correctly and accurately diagnosed with Advanced
Late Stage Lyme Disease.
To be frank, I have often approached the Advent and
Christmas season with a myriad of different emotions: joy at our Saviors birth
and yet discouragement at the extreme lack of energy I have and the way that
fighting Lyme Disease often prohibits me from celebrating the way I wish I
could. I have found that there are so many emotions and issues that accompany
the holiday season while fighting Lyme Disease, and yet there is incredible
hope in the picture of waiting for the fulfillment of our longings.
Over the last few years I started writing and
praying through bits and pieces of this precious holiday season and out of this
journey has come the book that you are holding in your hand. My prayer with
this book is that it will encourage you, lead you to scripture, and remind you
that you are not alone in this fight, especially during this Christmas season.
It is of interesting note that untrue to popular belief, the season of
Advent is rarely four weeks long and it can vary from year to year what its
exact length is. I find this particular interesting for us Lymies as this is
similar to our fight with this disease- never knowing exactly how many days or
weeks or years that this journey will last. Due to the way that Advent can
shift and change in length this book starts on the earliest possible date
(November 27th) and this book is arranged to see you through January
5th. Each day’s devotion has a scripture memory verse, a reflection,
an inspiring quote, and highlights a Christmas hymn or a specifically chosen
song that relates to the particular topic in the days reflection.
The Advent season is a season of waiting and a fascinating and
inspirational season for Lymies who are in the midst of a fight for their
health and waiting for healing to come. Like those who have gone before us and
fought the good fight we can find inspiration and encouragement in this season
knowing that the God of light came in the darkness. May we find everlasting
peace and hope in this season as we celebrate the birth of our
King as the true light of lights has dawned.
Rebecca
If you are looking to purchase the book you can buy it where books are sold and find it on Amazon HERE. Happy Saturday friends! May you have a wonderful day and weekend!
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