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Caring for our bodies to meet the needs of those we love is a good thing to do. In this post, guest blogger Heather Braucher tells about her long journey to improved health for the benefit of her family members, which includes two boys with special needs.<\/em><\/p>\n A memory becomes a core memory because we never forget how we felt.<\/em><\/p>\n Aashna Jain<\/em><\/p>\n A couple weeks ago, a core memory was made in me while the fitness company I work for filmed me leading a workout for the first time.<\/p>\n The reason the event was so significant was that prior to finding this program<\/span><\/a> I had endured a 10+ years of debilitating chronic back and neck pain that took away my job as a strength coach, impaired my ability to hold and nurse my children when they were young, and required significant time and resources to treat.<\/p>\n I feel like I have been given a second chance at life and am living out these verses in Joel\u00a02:25-32:<\/p>\n So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten.<\/em><\/p>\n I now GET to help others who are looking for similar support, wisdom, and relief.<\/p>\n My journey did not happen overnight. It started when I decided to not give up on asking God to help me care for my body well. Some days that looked like asking for pain relief, other days it was asking for direction on who to ask for help.<\/p>\n At first those prayers were just for me. Then the position of my heart changed. I prayed that my body would be a blessing to my spouse and that my endurance and testimony would glorify God. When I had children, I prayed for my body\u2019s ability to care for my children well, sustain them, hold them and be there for them.<\/p>\n The call to care well for my body in order to meet the needs of those I love was a powerful one on my life. In 1\u00a0Peter\u00a04:10, God asks us to be good stewards of the gifts that he gives us. Our bodies are one of those gifts.<\/p>\n The definition of stewardship is \u201cthe careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care.\u201d We are quick to identify those things as the jobs we have, our homes, resources, and finances. We know that the precious children and family members he entrusts into our care requires our faithful stewardship too.<\/p>\n Often as a caregiver, we are exhausted and giving our all to manage the needs of those given to us. There is little left over to use to care for ourselves. But I tell you this:<\/p>\n YOU are worth caring for. Your health will overflow into the lives you are caring for. And if you don\u2019t, who will?<\/strong><\/p>\n Sometimes our pain and suffering is a gift. Mine turned out to be the tool that God is using now to help others. It is also the tool that helps me to understand, embrace, and nurture my children with special needs.<\/p>\n I started this article with Aashna Jains\u2019 quote about core memories. There is power in remembering what it felt like to suffer. Those memories help me live out 2\u00a0Corinthians\u00a01:4 which says, \u201cHe comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.\u201d<\/p>\n My passion is shared with many of you who have suffered, endured, been restored, and blessed to serve others. My hope and prayer is to provide other caregivers with the hope and possibility to care for themselves well so they can serve well, so that the lives of those they serve and their own CAN BE abundantly blessed.<\/p>\n Do you like what you see at DifferentDream.com? You can receive more great content by subscribing to the monthly Different Dream newsletter and signing up for the daily RSS feed delivered to your email.<\/em><\/p>\n Photo by\u00a0Bruno Nascimento<\/a>\u00a0on\u00a0Unsplash<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column_inner][\/et_pb_row_inner][et_pb_row_inner _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column_inner saved_specialty_column_type=”3_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ background_color=”#b4dbc0″ custom_padding=”20px|20px|20px|20px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_blurb title=”@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF9hdXRob3IiLCJzZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJiZWZvcmUiOiJCeSAiLCJhZnRlciI6IiIsIm5hbWVfZm9ybWF0IjoiZGlzcGxheV9uYW1lIiwibGluayI6Im9uIiwibGlua19kZXN0aW5hdGlvbiI6ImF1dGhvcl9hcmNoaXZlIn19@” image=”https:\/\/differentdream.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/HeatherBraucher.jpg” icon_placement=”left” image_icon_width=”100px” content_max_width=”800px” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _dynamic_attributes=”title” header_font=”Rubik|500|||||||” header_text_color=”#44465f” header_font_size=”14px” header_line_height=”32px” body_font=”Rubik||||||||” body_text_color=”rgba(0,6,69,0.6)” body_link_text_color=”#ffffff” custom_css_main_element=”font-weight: 400;” border_radii_image=”on|100px|100px|100px|100px” border_color_all_image=”#ffffff” box_shadow_style_image=”preset1″ box_shadow_vertical_image=”20px” box_shadow_blur_image=”40px” box_shadow_color_image=”rgba(68,70,95,0.27)” image_max_width=”100px” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Heather Braucher is a member of the \u201cBraucher Bunch\u201d aka her energetic family of 5. The bunch includes her husband and their three children, all of whom are dominant and extroverted and are going to change the world (if she can keep them alive!) She has always held a passion for writing, but motherhood has given her a reason to share her experiences, heartaches, and victories with others. In her writing you will hear stories of hope as well as grief, as her family has navigated life in ministry in the US and overseas, all while discovering that 2 of her children have special needs. Her desire is to provide others with connection, understanding, encouragement and laughter, all washed with the love of Christ.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_blurb][\/et_pb_column_inner][\/et_pb_row_inner][et_pb_row_inner _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column_inner saved_specialty_column_type=”3_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_comments _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_button=”on” button_text_color=”#42313A” button_bg_color=”#EBDCB2″ global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_comments][\/et_pb_column_inner][\/et_pb_row_inner][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_sidebar _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_sidebar][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ use_background_color_gradient=”on” background_color_gradient_direction=”159deg” background_color_gradient_stops=”#42313A 0%|#EBDCB2 100%” background_color_gradient_start=”#42313A” background_color_gradient_end=”#EBDCB2″ custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” border_width_all=”3px” border_color_all=”#1c1259″ saved_tabs=”all” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ use_custom_gutter=”on” gutter_width=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ width=”100%” max_width=”100%” custom_margin=”||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”25px|0px|5px|0px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ module_class=”horizontal_optin_column_1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ header_text_align=”right” header_text_color=”#45107a” header_3_font=”Dancing Script|700|||||||” header_3_text_align=”center” header_3_text_color=”#B4DBC0″ header_3_font_size=”45px” custom_margin=”10px||||false|false” custom_padding=”||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_signup mailchimp_list=”JolenePhilo|89f719a52b” layout=”bottom_top” first_name_fullwidth=”off” last_name_field=”off” email_fullwidth=”off” module_class=”custom_emailoptin” _builder_version=”4.16″ form_field_focus_background_color=”#42313A” background_enable_color=”off” custom_button=”on” button_text_size=”16px” button_text_color=”#42313A” button_bg_color=”#B4DBC0″ button_border_width=”2px” button_border_radius=”0px” button_font=”|||on|||||” button_use_icon=”off” button_custom_margin=”5px||||false|false” button_custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” border_width_all_fields=”2px” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_signup][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”0px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ header_font=”EB Garamond|600|||||||” header_text_color=”#B6452C” header_font_size=”50px” header_text_shadow_style=”preset1″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_blog fullwidth=”off” posts_number=”3″ include_categories=”current” show_more=”on” _builder_version=”4.16″ header_text_color=”#42313A” meta_font=”||on||||||” read_more_font=”|||on|||||” read_more_text_color=”#B6452C” read_more_font_size=”12px” pagination_text_color=”#B6452C” pagination_font_size=”20px” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_blog][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Guest blogger Heather Braucher explains how caring for our bodies can meet the needs of those we love as well as our own.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":43074,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"2880","footnotes":""},"categories":[3559,3615,3574],"tags":[2511,4220,3841,2462],"class_list":["post-42778","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-different-dream","category-encouragement","category-self-care-and-stress","tag-caregiving","tag-heather-braucher","tag-self-care","tag-stress"],"yoast_head":"\nSubscribe for Updates from Jolene<\/h3>\n
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