Audio Bible is Exceptional When You Don’t Feel Well

Can’t concentrate to read? Missing reading The Word?

Lisa saw the promotional video for The Bible Experience at a Christian retail show and was blown away! She bought it for herself for Christmas a couple of years ago. Now YOU can watch this video below, thanks to Zondervan and YouTube.

onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/www.youtube.com');" title=" class="autohyperlink" target="_blank">www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_OCovT8Y68

It truly brings the story to life and features voices from Denzel Washington, Angela Bassett, Cuba Gooding Jr., Samuel L. Jackson, Bishop T.D. Jakes, Blair Underwood, Yolanda Adams, Shirley Ceasar, Faith Evans, Kirk Franklin, and more.

Do yourself a favor watch the video. It was originally priced at $50 so this is a great deal and you can listen to it in bed! Get it here.

Is Your Loved One Depressed?

By Dena Dyer

Is your loved one or friend depressed? If you’re fairly certain they are, you are in the position to help. You’re also in the uncomfortable place of trying to help someone who may not be able to (or want to) help themselves.

I’m not a medical professional, and I’m not a counselor. But I am a layperson who has experienced both short-term and long-term depression, and I’ve been able (with God’s help) to live for several years now in a mostly-sustained place of good mental health. Life isn’t perfect, of course, and neither am I. Some days are better than others, and I’m not “cured,” but my life is so much better–and my faith is so much stronger–than it was just a few years ago.

Lately, I’ve been feeling that God is doing a new thing in my life and in my family, and I’m excited about what the future holds. It hasn’t always been that way.

One of the words I’m concentrating on this year is HOPE. I long for 2010 to be a year when I gave hope in tangible, practical, and inspiring ways. . . to many more people than ever before (if God wills, of course). He has been so good to me, and I want to share His grace and mercy as much as possible, in as many ways as He makes available.

So, to start the new year, here are a few do’s and don’ts from someone who has gone through the nightmare of depression and lived to tell about it:

DO:

• Listen without judgment. Despite what some Christians mistakenly believe, depression itself is not a sin. Many, many Bible characters and faithful Christians have suffered with depression. It’s a complex, often debilitating disease…and so many well-meaning believers (and even some successful Christian leaders) make depressed people feel as if it’s all spiritual and all their fault. PLEASE don’t make this mistake.
• Pray, pray, pray. Remember that prayer (and scripture) are our most powerful allies in the battle for mental health.
• Encourage your friend/loved one to get the right kind of help–whether it’s medical, emotional, spiritual and/or psychological assistance. Find a godly Christian counselor and physician who will work together, if that’s what healing takes. And be prepared to help with paperwork, transportation, and follow-up. Depressed people often feel “foggy” mentally, and may find it hard to keep track of their appointments.
• And keep after your friend/loved one until they do get some kind of relief. Remember, depression can lead to suicide.
• Provide rides, babysitting, housecleaning, cooking and/or groceries–anything that will help lighten their load. But ask them what would help first (don’t assume)!
• Try to think about what they’re going through and put yourself in their shoes.
• Give them space to cry, read, pray, be alone, and sleep more if they need to. That being said, look for signs that their depression isn’t lifting, and be prepared to intervene, if necessary.
• Try to get them out of the house, but don’t be offended if you can’t persuade them to go.

DON’T:

• Say “just snap out of it”, “why don’t you try —” or “I was depressed once and — worked for me” or similar things. Of course, give an answer if they ask for your opinion or advice. Just try to be careful with prescriptions and pronouncements.
• Try to cheer them up. Instead, ask them what they need, and be prepared to follow through.
• Don’t say “let me know what I can do to help” and leave it at that. Give them specific ideas and questions to answer.
• Avoid them, if at all possible. They might not be great company, but they need your presence, even if they can’t articulate it.
• Pressure them to get better too quickly. Coming back from depression can be a painstakingly slow process, with many ups and downs. If they’re making progress, try to be content. Know that they’re doing the hardest work they’ve ever done.
• Give up hope. Depression is a disease, but there are treatment options–and many, many people who have suffered from it have gone on to lead wonderful, fulfilling lives.

That’s it for now. Do you have do’s and don’ts to share? I’d love to hear from you in the comments section.

Dena Dyer is a mom and wife who lives with her two boys (three, if you count her husband!) in the beautiful Texas hill country. Her passions are my loving, laughing, and encouraging others–whether that’s through writing, speaking, or singing. She is a Christian author and speaker and if you’d like to receive a handout she gives when she speaks on depression, which includes Bible verses, books, and other helpful resources, send her an email at denadyer@austin.rr.com and she’ll send you one. Visit her web site here.

Carved Dove is Perfect Comfort Gift

This beautiful hand-carved dove is one of the newest items we have added to our Comfort Zone Bookstore.

It is the design of Kathy Myers Nave who has lived with multiple sclerosis.

The dove is similar to the much-loved Clinging Cross. One holds it in his or her hand; even for those who have hands that are somewhat deformed (like our director Lisa Copen) it still works with ease. It’s a wonderful way to feel God’s peace when praying or for those times one does not know when to pray.

It comes packaged in a sheer lavender gift bag and then that is in a clear plastic triangle-shaped box, ready to give as a gift. It would be a great item for those who are support group leaders, elders, parish nurses, etc. to have on hand. It would be a nice gift to leave behind with someone when doing a hospital visitation or home visit to someone who is chronically ill.

Artist Kathy Myers Nave has carved over 450 originals since she began her work in 1989. Her studio is located in the hills of southern Indiana, where her husband and three children don’t seem to mind the wood chips.

Every Day Is Christmas

A friend recently sent me this and this year, more than any other, I can relate to it since I have been dependent on friends and strangers to help drive me around from place to place as I continue to recover from joint replacement surgery in my hand.

I hope it encourages you to continue to reach out to those in your life who are strangers or friends. While we may assume that the people around us are well taken as, emotionally provided for, and without needs, it is rarely the case and our helpfulness or even smile can make all the difference in their life.

Lisa Copen, Rest Ministries Director

__________________________________________________

Every Day is Christmas

Every day is Christmas when you have the kind of mind,
That stores up all the goodness and the sweetness it can find.
When you don’t need an occasion, to spread a bit of cheer,
But just keep on a-giving, of yourself throughout the year.

Every day is Christmas, with a gaily wrapped surprise,
When you’ve learned to see the friendship, in someone else’s eyes.
When you try a little harder, and complain a little less,
Holding fast to all the fervor of the faith that you possess.

Every day is Christmas, when you’ve found that you can be
More concerned with words like “you” and less with “I” and “me.”
When it’s fun to do a favor, and to lend a helping hand,
When being understood means less, than when you understand.

Every day is Christmas, with a beauty deeply cast,
When you find it doesn’t matter, if you’re first or if you’re last.
When you can face your conscience, and be glad of what you are,
Then every day is Christmas, with a stable and a star.

– Author Unknown

13 Gift Ideas for a Chronically Ill Gal

We women like to shop and there’s nothing better than seeing the face of a friend light up when we offer up our thoughtfulness and creativity wrapped in a box with home-made, hand-stamped paper bag wrapping paper, all tied up with a raffia ribbon and dried orange slices. Say what?

If you’re like me—since it’s the thought that counts—you basically try to stuff the gift into a dollar-store gift bag, rip the wrinkled tag off, and wrap a strip of shipping tape on the handle so it doesn’t burst. But I used to be the girl that did rafia with home-made dried orange slices.

Either way, shopping for a chronically ill friend can be both fun and intimidating. We want to give her something she’ll like (she can’t get enough of that American Indian blanket she brought back from Arizona last year) but we don’t want to add to the frustration of giving her a gift she won’t really use (like a matching leather jacket with fringe sleeves to wear out to those Christmas parties).

And how many bottles of scented lotion can a girl really use? And if she gets another “Be Happy Bouquet” or “Teddy Bear” she’ll run screaming from the room.

Here are 13 ideas to get you brainstorming for things she may enjoy:

1. Make her a wall collage. Even if you aren’t crafty, head on down to your craft store and buy a few scrapbooking embellishments. Spray paint a bulletin board and attach your photos, notes, special poems, and the little do-dads you bought. The less crafty you are the more she’ll love it, but don’t be offended if she puts it in her bedroom and not above the couch in the living room.

2. Okay, so you can’t afford the $3000 hot tub, but if she’s able to get into the tub (many people can’t, so double check) give her a bathtub jets spa. Amazon sells the Conair Thermal Bath Spa Mat for under $100.

3. Is she a movie buff? Treat her to a gift of movie rentals via postal mail through a service ($7-15 a month) for a year. This is one of those presents she will call you and thank you for again and again.

4. Buy her some cheery winter necessities. A fun umbrella, a colorful scarf and gloves, even a pair of ear muffs. And if she has to be places when her car windows are going to frost over be sure to stick in a can of spray defroster.

5. Get her a pretty gift box to keep all of her notes of encouragement. Remind her to get it out and read things when she is feeling down. Start to fill up the box yourself a few weeks before giving it to her. You can clip articles, comments, scriptures, funny photos. If you wish, put them in envelopes that say, “When you’re feeling like no one understands” or “When you need a good laugh.” Let her friends know that it would be encouraging if they would start sending her items or notes to add to it in the new year too!

6. Plant a rosebush or another hearty plant that require little maintenance that she can view from a window. Or get a bird feeder, a wind chime or a fun solar-powered patio decoration.

7. Give her a compilation CD of songs that will encourage her when she is feeling down. If you know someone who is 18 years or younger, there is an organization, Songs of Love, that will actually write a song for an ill child. See songsoflove.org . Also, consider buying books on CD if she loves to read but can’t always focus long. Or get her a shower CD player to help make the transition to the shower easier on those sore mornings.

8. Order some items from her favorite organization at their web site. For example, Rest Ministries has some darling items that say “Hope Endures” which don’t have the word “illness” on it. In black and white, the fleece jackets and little tote purses are cute and a reminder to her that you support the organizations she supports.

9. Short on time? Check out wellbaskets.com where you can order the perfect gift basket for a friend who has diabetes, a thyroid issue, cancer, depression or chronic pain. They fill them with appropriate food goodies, CDs, books, teas and more.

10. Heat! A heating pad, a blanket, warm socks, or a cozy neck wrap. If you’re creative, give her a hot water bottle and make a liner that will make her laugh. During those cold winter months this will be a nice reminder of your friendship. A few new throw pillows can live a place up too. Buy something soft and comfy to lie back on or prop a leg up on.

11. If she is bored and has a sense of humor, bring out the kid in her and bring some markers, coloring books, origami books, etc. Or find out if there is a new hobby she’d like to read more about whether it’s photography or gardening in pots and buy her current magazines and books on this topic.

12. A charm bracelet is a sentimental gift if you can make a habit of buying charms as future gifts that signify the strength and hope you see in her. You can find charms for nearly anything online if you’re unable to find them at the store. And some can be silly—just have a story behind each one that will make her smile. Remember to buy her charms celebrating anniversaries too—those dates no one else will remember.

13. One of the best gifts of all? A JOY Coupon! This is from Beyond Casseroles: 505 Ways to Encourage a Chronically Ill Friend, but can easily be reproduced even in a handwritten note. JOY stands for “Just Offering You…” and then write out whatever you will do: Mow the law, do all the laundry (sheets included!), baby sit, drive her to appointments, or even just listen to her vent for thirty minutes without saying a word.

All gifts that come in boxes are fun, but the best gift of all you can give is your time and your unconditional love. When she is throwing up in your new car, when she is canceling plans for the third time, when she is calling you at midnight in tears, or when she is making you uncomfortable as she laughs about all her hair falling out. Being a true friend through all of this is a gift few will give and those who do will be treasured forever.

Lisa Copen is the founder of Rest Ministries and author of Beyond Casseroles 505 Ways Encourage a Chronically Ill Friend

The Grinch & 2 Spa Prizes Next Week

It’s that time of the year again when we share our annual Grinch story! Only this year we want to hear a few sentences from you too!

Just post a couple Seuss-style sentences below in the common section that have anything to do with the holidays, illness, etc. and we will take pick our two favorites next week and send you a little spa just as our treat!

Feeling Grinchy?

Every person around
The country it seemed
Liked Christmas a lot…
All was joy, red and green.
But the Grinch,
Who lived with illness,
And had a heart of the blues,
Did not like Christmas!
The Grinch dreaded Christmas!
The whole Christmas season!
So much to do, so little energy,
there were all kinds of reasons.

It could be said that the medicines
were making her mind feel like putty,
She went shopping at last,
and forgot why she had gone—how nutty.
But we think that the most likely reason of all,
May have been that her heart was hurting,
trying to find her place in it all.

But, whatever the reason,
Her heart or her head,
She laid there on Christmas morning,
with a feeling of dread.
Staring up at the ceiling from the bed, feeling very down,
She wondered how to make it through this day,
without even the hint of a frown.
For she knew every friend and family member around,
Would be arriving soon,
ready to open the gifts and paint the town.
“I just want to feel decent!” she snarled with a sneer.
“Today is Christmas! It’s actually here!”
Then she growled, with her Grinch fingers nervously drumming,
“I must find a way to keep the pain from coming!”

For, later she knew…
…All the relatives would arrive
They would bring with them her nieces and nephews who would make a
mess
and tons of noise.
They’d rush for their toys!
And then! Oh, the noise! Oh, the noise!
Noise! Noise! Noise!
That’s one thing she hated!
The NOISE! NOISE! NOISE! NOISE!
Then the family, young and old,
would sit down to a feast.
And they’d feast! And they’d feast!
And they’d FEAST! FEAST! FEAST! FEAST!
They would start on pudding, and rare roast beef,
With her irritable bowel,
the Grinch couldn’t eat these in the least!

And then they’d do something she liked least of all!
Every family member, the tall and the small,
Would stand close together, and say, “You look so great!”
They’d all tell her she needed to get back to work,
Stop lazing around in her pajamas so late!
They’d talk! And they’d advise.
And they’d think they were so wise.
And the more the Grinch thought of the Christmas-Nice
The more the Grinch thought,
“I must stop this whole thing!
“Why for over five years I’ve put up with it now!
I must either deal with it or convince them somehow!”
…But HOW?”
Then she got an idea!
An awful idea!
The Grinch got a wonderful awful idea!

“I know just what to do!”
The Grinch laughed in her throat.
And she made a quick run to the closet
for her lounging coat.
And she chuckled, and clucked,
“What a great Grinchy trick!
“With this robe and my slippers,
I’ll look just like I’m sick!”
“All I need is a sniffle, a cough, maybe a cane…”
The Grinch looked around.
But since canes are scarce, there was none to be found.
Did that stop the old Grinch…?
No! The Grinch simply said,
“If I can’t find a cane, I’ll just look sick instead!”
So she got out her pale makeup
and tried not to use anything pink,
She made sure the circles under her eyes,
were not covered up, but seen.

Then she threw on some sweats
And put her hair up in a twist
It didn’t look fancy,
It looked like you do when you’re sick.
Then the Grinch said, “I’m ready”
They can start to arrive,
I’ll be nice to everyone,
But I’m not going to lie.”
The family members arrived
and saw the Grinch arrive at the door.
“What’s happened to her?” They whispered and more.
The Grinch said, “Hello, come in, how are you?”
And when they asked her she just said, “Today’s not a good day.
It may be Christmas but I still feel a droop.”

Then little Cindy-Lou arrived
dragging her noisy toy behind her.
This was more than the Grinch could take!
She couldn’t allow that noise to batter.
The Grinch reached out and took the toy,
“let me have that, hon..”
She stared up at the Grinch as asked,
“Auntie, why are you taking away my toy? Why?”

But, you know, that old Grinch was so smart and so slick
She thought up a lie, and she thought it up quick!
“Why, my sweet little tot,” the Grinch lied,
“There’s a better one under the tree,
we have even more to surprise!
“So I’m taking this one away for now, my dear.
“I’ll put it away for now, and later, bring it back here.”
And her fib fooled the child. Then she patted her head
And sent her to the tree to open up a quiet puzzle instead.

The Grinch thought she had it all figured out,
At least people understood. There was no more doubt.
She expected to hear people talking about her,
In the kitchen they surely must all be worrying about.
“That’s a noise,” grinned the Grinch,
“That I simply must hear!”
So she paused. And the Grinch put a hand to her ear.
And she did hear a sound rising through the wall,
It was joy and fun, at first it wasn’t concern at all!
The sound wasn’t sad!
Why, this sound sounded merry!
It couldn’t be so!
But it WAS merry! VERY!

She stared into the kitchen,
The Grinch popped her eyes!
Then she shook!
What she saw was a shocking surprise!
Cindy Lou sat in her mom’s lap and said,
“What’s wrong with Auntie?”
Her mom told her quietly, “She’s a very special lady.
When we visit her, she often tries to look nice,
But she still hurts inside,
She just acts like she’s fine.”
“I love Auntie, I don’t want her to hurt,” said Cindy Lou.
“I know,” said her mom, “We love her too.”

Family members were still having a great time,
They weren’t worried about her,
or even of her appearance surprised.
She hadn’t made them concerned,
because they already were,
She just didn’t know
that they didn’t know what to say to her.
And the Grinch, with her Grinch-feet ice-cold on the floor,
Stood puzzling and puzzling: “How could I be adored?
I look so awful, I’m in such a bad mood.
I’ve been such a fake hostess, I even took away a gift from sweet
Cindy Lou!”

“I thought no one understood,
but I never thought to ask.
I listened to what they said,
and didn’t try to explain.
I assumed they should just know how I felt
I let them pull my chain.”
And she puzzled three hours,
`till her puzzler was sore.
Then the Grinch thought of something
she hadn’t before!
“Maybe Christmas,” she thought,
“doesn’t come from feeling great.
Maybe Christmas…perhaps….
“comes from communicating straight!
Maybe Christmas comes from accepting the love
Of those all around us, friends, and God from above.”

And what happened then…?
Well…in some parts they say
That the Grinch’s small heart
Grew three sizes that day!
And the minute her heart didn’t feel quite so slow,
She whizzed through the house, with a spirit that was no longer low.
The body still had aches, the pain didn’t go away.
But the rest of the afternoon, her spirit felt at play.

Lisa Copen lives with rheumatoid arthritis is the founder of Rest Ministries, a Christian organization that serves the chronically ill. She had a little help from Dr. Seuss on this! Visit her web site at www.restministries.org and sign up for web site updates!

Special Scriptures for Volunteers

Special thanks to the many volunteers who keep Rest Ministries going each day.

“This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you.”
2 Corinthians 9:12-14

Photos Can Give Pain Relief

Most of us would say it’s common sense that our loved one or pet will reduce the pain we are in. They can talk to us, give us compassion, distract us from pain and more. But a new study has some surprising results!

You don’t actually need the person there! In fact, a photo of your loved one may bring you more comfort than the person being there holding your hand!

Scientists at the University of California at Los Angeles applied pain (heat), to the forearms of 28 women who had all been in relationships for at least six months.

Each woman had the heat/pain applied while:

• holding the hand of their partner who was sitting behind a curtain;
• holding the hand of a stranger sitting behind a curtain;
• holding a squeeze ball; viewing a photo of their partner;
• viewing a photo of a male stranger;
• viewing the letter x, which was meant to be a neutral image

Then they then rated the level of pain they felt in each circumstance.

The study found that the most powerful pain reducer turned out to be the picture of their significant other. And that “images of their romantic partners lowered levels of pain even more than holding their hands. ”

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• A Loved One’s Photo Helps Reduce Your Pain (psychcentral.com)

Pondering a Helpful Heart

“While we may stand with meaning at the manger, many are moving by just looking at the lights. Are we willing to turn from our festivities and help someone out of the car? Are we willing to lend a hand of assistance and an invitation to open their hearts to Jesus as He says, ‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone opens the door I will come in,’?”

—Florence Littauer, Blow Away the Black Clouds

When You Need Help at Home Resources

Here is a listing of some of the at-home-care resources we have found to be helpful and professional. If you have other suggestions to add to this list,
please add them to the comments section below.

Visiting Nurse Associations of America
The Visiting Nurse Associations of America (VNAA) was established in 1983 as the official, national association of freestanding, not-for-profit, community
based visiting nurse agencies (VNAs).

VNAA leads a profession that is more than a century old – a profession that VNAs actually helped create. Today, by linking leading not-for-profit home health
care agencies from coast to coast and creating a comprehensive brand identity program, VNAA has created a powerful network for growth and development. One that will continue to enhance and support the delivery of home health care for the next one hundred years.

SuburbanCaregivers.com
SuburbanCaregivers.com specializes in placing quality Nannies, Caregivers and Housekeeping services to households in Suburban Chicago Land and Nationwide.

They extend their services to families who intend to provide the highest quality of care for their families and loved ones. Services include locating and screening
qualified candidates and matching your family’s requirements to the right Caregiver,
Nanny or Housekeeper without the Finders Fee*

The National Association for Home Care & Hospice
This is the nation’s largest trade association representing the interests and concerns of home care agencies, hospices, and home care aide organizations.

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• States Helping Aged Leave Nursing Homes (nytimes.com)

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