20 life lessons I have learned over the course of the last decade. In the last 10 years, I have been through it all. I have learned closely and painfully how precious life is. I have learned that life isn’t easy when you are healthy and is much more difficult with a chronic illness but following Christ allows you to see the lit path before you. Today, 10 years ago, I went states away following the lit path to have a surgery that was my only hope outside of christ performing a miracle. 10 years later to the day I look back to see that that surgery was my miracle. This was also a life event that changed everything about who I am, who I am going forward, who my friends and family are to me. and now we are a decade out. chronically ill, total pancreatectomy with auto islet cell transplant, pancreatitis, type 3c diabetes, diabetic life, chronic pain, neuropathic, neuropathy, migraine, narcolepsy, cataplexy, insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea, anxiety, depression, splenectomy, appendectomy, surgery, hospitals, doctors, ready to be heard, feelings are validated, validation of pain, friend who understand , family understands

What was your biggest “Ah- Ha!” moment while in Israel? Was there anything that until you went to the Holy land you were unable to understand completely until being there. These tours and time of prayer allowed me to grow deeply in my faith. There is so much we will never understand but I want to learn as much as possible. I am being as vulnerable as I know how to be to share that I did not know the significance of “My God, My God, Why have you forsaken Me?”

Palm Sunday is the Sunday before Easter Sunday. It is the day that Jesus rode a donkey into the city of Jerusalem. The people gathered in crowds and fanned Him with palm fronds. They would lay the palms, robes, and other plants down on the road to help the ease the steps for the donkey. The road being incredibly steep and uneven. They celebrated His arrival and less than a week later they will condemn Him to the cross.

Packing for any trip when you are chronically ill can be a daunting task in it of itself. However, packing for a trip that is across an ocean and a 13-14 hour flight is a whole other level of difficulty. My goal in this post is to help you understand what to pack and how to successfully pack so that you don’t over pack but you have what you need. Packing for Israel was difficult but together we can achieve anything. This is a post that should help explain all that and be honest about it all. I hope this helps and look forward to hearing your thoughts.

This is what our group did on our Israel familiarization tour. The reason I keep specifying that it was a familiarization tour is because of how much we did in such a short amount of time. However, that was the purpose of this trip. It was incredible. If you have any interest in going you need to read this israel Itinerary Blog. I will always say you need a guide. Not just any guide, but someone who is a local and knows the ins and outs of the country. It is tumultuous at times but it is the safest when you are with people who speak the language and know the area. THis is just an example of my trip and I would love to answer any questions!