About Heather

Hi there! The short story is that I answer to all of the following names….

• Child of God
• Wife of 20 years to Tom
• Mom to Thomas
• Daughter
• Sister
• Friend
• Student
• Author
• Speaker
• Bible Teacher
• Disney nerd
• Library geek
• That girl who has that weird medical thing otherwise known as Vascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
• and Heather

But here’s the long story…

Diagnosed with an incurable and terminal genetic disorder (Vascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome) that I inherited from my mother, I understand living with a story that’s not easy. Choosing to hope in God’s plan for my life, my goal at The Rescued Letters is to equip women to trust in God, face their greatest fears, and choose life, especially when life presents its most difficult circumstances. Because of vEDS, so far I have experienced pre-term labor and delivery, a miscarriage, a ruptured colon, two aneurysms, a partial kidney infarction, and a ruptured carotid artery. Oh and my doctors tell me that my life expectancy with vEDS is 48. So there’s that.

But there’s also this: I love Jesus. And there is still breath in my lungs because God fills them up. The knowledge of man says that there is no reason why I should still be here today, but I’ve long-since stopped putting my faith in man. God is good and He is faithful and as long as I’m breathing, that’s what you’ll hear from me.

Most days I’m just trying to keep up with the laundry and the lunch-packing and the dust fairy while savoring every minute with the man of my dreams and my hockey-playing son. Some days I’m chasing my bucket list. And some days I’m here with you, throwing as many letters on the page as I can.

When I’m not spilling rescued letters all over the place, you might find me cooking for my husband and son, checking out way too many library books, or unashamedly indulging in my love for all things Disney.

Aaaaand here’s the fancy version…

Heather M. Dixon is an author, speaker, and Bible teacher who understands living with a story that is not easy. Diagnosed with an incurable and terminal genetic disorder that she inherited from her mother, she is passionate about encouraging and equipping women to trust in God, face their greatest fears, and live with hope, especially in the midst of difficult circumstances. When she is not blogging at The Rescued Letters or speaking at women’s conferences and events, Heather loves to make the most of everyday moments such as cooking for her husband and son, checking out way too many library books, or unashamedly indulging in her love for all things Disney. Heather serves as the Women’s Ministry Coordinator for her church in Raleigh and is a regular contributor to Lifeway’s Journey magazine. She is the author of three Bible studies including Determined: Living Like Jesus in Every Moment and Renewed: Finding Hope When You Don’t Like Your Story.

Read my statement of faith here.

Still with me? Good, because we’re getting to the good stuff. Here are 41 fun facts about me:

1. My public library account currently has $20.70 in fines. I’ve had a running tab with them since I was twelve. Update: Fines have been paid and I’ve got ten freshly-checked out books on my nightstand. Woot!
2. I can’t whistle and I can only snap with my left hand.
3. I love to imitate foreign accents, but I am really terrible at it. No matter which one I start with, it always ends in Asian Indian.
4. My son has inherited this love of foreign accents, but he is freakishly good at it.
5. Je parle un petit peu de français. I can, however, speak a wee bit of French. On a trip to Paris a few years ago I surprised myself and spoke French almost the entire time. Thank you, Coffee Break French. I slaughtered it, but my new Parisian friends were so gracious and enjoyed helping me learn.
6. Also in Paris: I cried over the butter. It’s just not the same here.
7. My BFF’s favorite thing about me is that I never say an idiom correctly. They work in my head but just never tumble out of my mouth the right way. I think the last one I said was “when the tire hits the pavement”. Also recently heard from my lips…”it’s like searching for a penny in a haystack.”
8. I was a chorus nerd in high school and I still consider those days as some of best days of my life.
9. And because my chorus teacher was my favorite teacher, I majored in music in college – voice and harp.
10. When I’m writing I’m usually listening to classical music. When I’m not, there is a good chance that some variation of Pachelbel’s Canon is floating around in my head. Say what you want about this perennial wedding favorite, but you can jam on that baseline for days in your mind. Pachelbel, the original riff-maker.
11. I listen to this podcast when I’m folding the laundry because I’d rather dream about my family’s next trip to Walt Disney World. I’m in love with the place, and although my husband some would say it’s an unhealthy obsession, I say it’s a celebration of all things happy. We need more of that everywhere and I really appreciate the dreams of a man wanting to help people create memories and smile a lot.
12. I may or may not be able to recognize most Disney movies by their font types.
13. I grew up in a small town where football rules, but I still can’t tell you what a first down is. Either way, go Trojans!
14. Sometimes, I struggle with anxiety.
15. I hate grooming. I’ve been known to go 5+ days without washing my hair. I’m a pro dry-shampoo user.
16. I drool over office supplies and colored pens. And bookstores.
17. My favorite dessert is the molten lava chocolate cake from Chili’s.
18. My favorite dinner is my Grandma’s chicken and pastry. And the fourteen vegetables served with it. Update: my Grandma went home to see Jesus in April 2018, on Easter Sunday no less. So now I cook the chicken and pastry.
19. I let my son stay up late and watch TV with me when my husband goes to play hockey.
20. My son plays hockey, too. Every game I wonder why he could not have taken up surfing.
21. I would rather wear bracelets scarves than necklaces. And I would rather wear hats than scarves.
22. I chose the college I attended because of it’s cherry trees. Go Heels!
23. My taste in music ranges from classically-trained snob to I just got my drivers license.
24. My hand-lifted-high-in-worship looks just like my hand-lifted-high-at-a-Bon-Jovi-concert. Fourth finger slightly behind middle finger. Pinky flying.
25. I have toenail fungus. Thank you, cheap pedicures. Update: my doc says it’s not toenail fungus. It’s toenail trauma that won’t heal. Thank you, Vascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.
26. I am a total introvert.
27. I put whipped cream in my coffee every day.
28. My favorite pair of pants are gray pajama pants I bought from Old Navy in 1999 on clearance for 99 cents. But I worked there at the time so technically I only paid 79 cents for them.
29. I cannot help my son with his common core math homework because I get it wrong every.single.time. Reading and writing are more my jam.
30. I wear Uggs in the summer. See #20.
31. One time I let my son’s teacher eat my loogie.
32. I have anxiety over Facebook messenger. And texting. And email. And phone calls. And any form of human communication, really. See #26.
33. When I moved into my freshman dorm for college, I took three boxes of books and one box of clothes. Again, see #26.
34. I can make a mean serving of grits. PSA: don’t skimp on the cream. Or the cheese.
35. My favorite book of the Bible is Ruth.
36. My favorite chapter of the Bible is Luke 1. Charitoo, my beloved.
37. I don’t watch a ton of TV, but when I’m sick I binge on Say Yes to the Dress. #teamtulle
38. When we have a family potluck, I am usually asked to bring one of two things: potato salad or homemade french bread.
39. I think sad movies and shows are a waste of time, even if they have a good lesson. I don’t like to be emotionally manipulated for the sake of entertainment. Looking at you, This is Us.
40. Some of the pics on this page are five years old, but I keep them up here because I think my kiddo is so stinking cute.
41. I’m not very good about having regular family pictures taken.