The Secret Life of the American with Chronic Illness

My house is an absolute wreck! I live in constant fear that someone will stop by my house and find out that I'm not Susie Homemaker. I like things very neat, clean, and uncluttered. And I'm a classic germophobe. So it's not like I'm oblivious to the mess or don't care to address it. At the moment I'm just overwhelmed. Last month I was hospitalized for heart problems, and my sister came from Michigan and stayed with me for about a month to help out. While she was here, she did nearly all of the cooking and cleaning. Then, it took me about a week or so just to rest and recuperate from her visit. (And if you have chronic illness, you know what I'm talking about: is there anything that DOESN'T take a week of recovery?) Also, she and I tended to stay up late at night talking, watching movies, playing board games, etc., which is great except for the fact that it wreaked havoc with this narcoleptic's sleep patterns.

I look around and see piles of laundry that needs folding, furniture that needs dusted, carpet that needs vacuumed, and dishes that need washed and put away. And I don't know where to start. Of course, telling you about it isn't getting it done either. I guess I just felt I needed to confess the huge secret mess that is behind my front door. You probably think less of me now than before, when I seemed perfect and you thought I had it all together. But this is my reality. Sadly, there will probably never be a time when I will be caught up on all of the household chores and would feel great if unexpected company just showed up. That's just a part of my life that I have to learn to accept. I don't know that I'll ever be completely okay with it.

So today it is my goal to get ONE room in my house clean and clutter-free, and if I can accomplish this through God's strength, then I will choose to be content in that. And if you happen to stop by and see all the other rooms in my home, please don't judge me too harshly. I'm doing the best I can, and everything else will just have to stay messy until I get to it.

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men" ~Colossians 3:23

The Witness by Josh McDowell: A Book Review

Marwan Accad, owner of a posh international security firm, suddenly finds himself on the run after disclosing to his client that his wife's kidnapping was actually staged as a plot to extort millions from him. Narrowly escaping death himself, Accad is the only witness to that client's assassination and the only person who knows about the extortion. Circumstantial evidence leads police to believe Accad himself may have been behind the murder, and a corrupt detective does all he can to manipulate facts and evidence to show Accad's guilt. Marwan Accad's quest to uncover evidence to clear his name while trying to avoid being killed himself, leads him to a journey of healing deep wounds from his past and discovering God's love.

The Witness is an exciting, page-turning thriller with well-researched detail that makes you feel like you are traveling through the different countries and experiencing the dramatic chases along with the characters. Although some of the conversations about God that arise between characters seem unexpected, the historical Biblical facts they contain are thought-provoking. And despite the fact that the much-anticipated conclusion is a bit abrupt, the story does provide a clear gospel message enveloped within an engrossing and highly titillating drama. I would definitely recommend Josh McDowell's The Witness as an entertaining read but also as a clever evangelistic tool.



Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Tyndale House Publishers as part of their book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”