07/24/2026
Happy World Sjögren’s Awareness Day to everyone whose chapstick collection is out of control and whose water bottle is never out of reach. 💙💧
Approximately 14% to 18% of lupus patients also develop secondary Sjögren's syndrome, a combination that typically leads to higher disease activity, greater risk of organ damage, and lower remission rates.
So yes Ash Fights Sjögrens, too. 😉
To my dry eye, dry mouth, exhausted-for-no-reason warriors, you know that staying hydrated is practically a full-time job. You’ve probably tried every eye drop on the market and can review humidifiers like a seasoned critic.
Living with Sjögren’s has taught me what thirst really feels like, not just physically, but spiritually too. That is why these Scriptures have been on my heart today.
“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for You, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.” Psalm 42:1-2
Our bodies understand thirst in a way many people never will. Even so, our deepest need has never been water alone. It has always been the presence of God.
That is what makes His promise in Isaiah so powerful.
“For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring, and My blessing on your descendants.” Isaiah 44:3
Then Jesus reveals where that promise is fulfilled.
“If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.” John 7:37
I love how these Scriptures fit together. Psalm 42 gives words to our longing. Isaiah 44 reminds us that God promises to pour out His Spirit on thirsty places. John 7 points us to Jesus, the One who satisfies the deepest thirst our souls will ever know.
We may live with physical dryness every day, but we never have to face spiritual dryness alone. In Christ, there is living water, lasting hope, and strength for every season.
Now for an important question.
What’s the weirdest place you’ve ever found, or hidden, an emergency chapstick? 😂 I recently found one in my car’s cup holder after it had melted and re-solidified more than once. And yes, I still used it.
Share your best Sjögren’s survival confession below. Let’s laugh together, encourage one another, and remind each other that we are so much more than our diagnosis.
We are deeply loved, sustained by His grace, and never without hope. 💜💧
