Dominic Cook

By Debbie Farmer

Recently I read a letter from a young man named Dominic Cook (also known as “Dooch”) who uses his pain to encourage others with his music. His testimony was such a blessing to me and I am going to share this interview with you now and hope that you too can also receive a blessing today.

Dominic Cook (AKA: “Dooch”) Please tell us about yourself and how you got into the music industry.

Where to start, where to start. . . Well, I’m a 27-year-old, husband, married, and going on 8 years. I have been a Christian going on 7 years now and a father of 5. My youngest Joshua, passed away at 2 months old–a year ago.

I have been doing music since I was 8 years old. It was the first thing I wanted to do and has been the only thing since. I spent my teenage years in New York City where I worked in the music business and learned a lot before I moved back to Virginia. [You can read his complete bio here on his web site, he has quite an amazing testimony!]

How did you get your stage name?

My stage name, “Dooch,” is actually a life long nick name that was given to me as a baby. But my alias, “Hope Boy,” is a name that I picked up as I’ve been known to give people hope. In the streets the drug dealers are known as “d-boys” which means dope boys because of what they sell. I see myself as the opposite of them as a hope boy, one who gives out hope instead of dope.

What kind of music do you perform?

The kind of music I do is rap to say the least. I desire my music to inspire people and give them hope. To comfort the broken and hurting, to be a voice for the voice-less and to stand up for the oppressed.

Can you give us some personal background on yourself and your battle with clinical depression?

I have been a Christian for almost 7 years now and this is when I first noticed my battle with being melancholy. However, I believe that this has been a struggle for much longer. While a teenager, I was addicted to alcohol, weed, and cigarettes so I think that the struggles were masked.

When I became a Christian I immediately became sober and that’s when I realized what I was dealing with. Every day has been a literal fight and battle for me, as every day either started off gray or quickly turned gray. I was heavily into the Word of God and that is what keep me grounded, hoping for a brighter day, but the “melancholy” soon affected all areas of my life.

It has affected my work, relationships, self esteem, plus more, and for all these years I never went to the doctor. I just thought it was normal, I never thought it was depression. A year ago our 2-month-old son passed away suddenly and this brought my wife into a place of depression. This ultimately caused both of us to receive help. This is when I was finally diagnosed with chronic depression.

How has music helped you?

When I started recording music that was true and real to me and my life it became a avenue of release and healing to me. I was able to get stuff out and it brought healing to me to be able to do that. It encouraged me when I saw others who heard the music cry and talk of how they deal or dealt with the same things and how my music helped them.

It made me believe that even my pain and depression could and would be used for God’s glory and for good.

How do you think your music might be able to help someone else?

I think it’s hard for people who deal with depression because of all of the myths about it and the “cooties” that people who deal with depression have. So a lot of people who suffer from depression are too ashamed or scared to admit to it that they suffer from it. Especially for Christians having depression is seen as taboo and it’s frowned upon so most people who suffer from it feel as if they can’t tell anyone or they will be ostracized, frowned upon and judged.

So, I think my music will meet these people where they are–both believer and un-believer alike–and let them know that God loves them, He is here for them, and they are special.

They have a purpose, they are someone.

It will let them know that they are not alone, they are loved and it’s okay, that they can reach out for help.

Can you tell us about your song and video and where our readers here at Rest Ministries can check your music out?

My latest song and video is called Drowning, [you can see video at end of this article] and I wrote this song a few months after my son passed, as I was walking through a very dark season. I felt as if I was drowning, I hated my life, I disliked everything and everyone and just wanted life to be over, so I poured my heart out in this song–everything I was feeling and dealing with–and just cried out to God, asking Him to help me. It was a true expression of my heart, something I equate to a modern day psalm of sort.

You can check out my music at www.youtube.com/godisdope and you can follow me at www.doochakahb.tumblr.com

Can you share some of your inspiration?

Yes. These are my two “life verses” so to say. I believe that my life is a letter written for all to see for the glory of God and whether I deal with depression or something else and He comforts me, He will use that to comfort others.

2 Corinthians 1:1-7 3 Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. He comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so through Christ our comfort also overflows. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation. If we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is experienced in your endurance of the same sufferings that we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that as you share in the sufferings, so you will share in the comfort.

2 Corinthians 3:3 The Message:
Your very lives are a letter that anyone can read by just looking at you. Christ himself wrote it—not with ink, but with God’s living Spirit; not chiseled into stone, but carved into human lives—and we publish it.

Wow. . .

This interview and your video are such a heartfelt blessing. I cried through the video! Thank you so much for sharing this with us. You are a remarkable young man and your testimony will help so many. May the Lord hold you close and comfort you.

Thank you so very much for your time and for doing this interview. I would like to leave you with a quote that I love which is in Latin. “Spes Mea in Deo” that means “My hope is in God.”

May your hope be in God, who can and will take your pain, depression, sufferings and hurt and use it for His glory and to comfort and minister to others.

Debbi Farmer, a part-time writer in North Carolina, lives a song-filled life now with her family thanks to the Lord’s wonderful and sufficient grace after suffering from severe clinical depression herself. Today she suffers from several illnesses including Fibromyalgia, but the Lord is good and has helped her face the trials of life and even waddle through them. She wishes she could give you all a cheerful hug today and share with you a song of hope.

Dooch - AKA "Hope Boy"

By Debbi Farmer

Eventually, we will all feel blue. We will have days, even weeks when we are sad. Many can rebound from these emotions–but many cannot.

We face tragedies and struggles that can turn our world completely upside down. And sadly there are times also when physical changes in our body can cause clinical depression even when life appears to the world to be running smoothly. When you have depression, it interferes with daily life and causes pain for both you and those who care about you.

Depression is a common but serious illness.

Many people with a depressive illness never even seek treatment. Helping someone with depression can be a challenge.

If someone in your life has depression, they may feel helpless and you may wonder what to do. You can help the person you care about recognize the symptoms of depression and get treatment that will help them.

People with depression may not recognize or even acknowledge that they are depressed. They may not even be aware of the signs and symptoms of depression, or they may feel too hopeless to address the issue. People with depression may think that how they feel is normal and not the result of a mental health condition. All too often, people feel ashamed about their depression and mistakenly believe they should be able to overcome it with willpower alone. But depression seldom gets better without treatment and may indeed get worse.

If you are in this same boat, believe me when I say the boat is full as many more are suffering today also.

Debbi Farmer, a part-time writer in North Carolina, lives a song-filled life now with her family thanks to the Lord’s wonderful and sufficient grace after suffering from severe clinical depression herself. Today she suffers from several illnesses including Fibromyalgia, but the Lord is good and has helped her face the trials of life and even waddle through them. She wishes she could give you all a cheerful hug today and share with you a song of hope.

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Tomorrow . . . we will be featuring an article about a rapper.

You heard it right! A rapper! Dominic Cook (also known as “Dooch”) has quite a story to tell and Debbi recently interviewed him about his testimony. He understands depression. He knows loss–deep, soul-wrenching, questioning God kind of loss.

His web site tells the details of his story:

From 12-17 his life revolved around the streets, he wanted to really live the stuff he rapped about and he did. Gang fights, felony arrests, robberies, him being stabbed 3 times and becoming a statistic by ending up on the notorious Rikers Island at age 18.

And that is why I ask you to open your heart. We do a lot of profiles here at Rest Ministries on women who have ministries out of their home, the clean-cut, those who sing what we define as traditional worship music. But pain is pain. And “Dooch” believes in the same God we do. And as I read through the interview by Debbi, a few people immediately came to mind who could use this man’s faith to strengthen their own. He speaks their “language.” They would read his story and see where he now puts his faith.

I hope you will look forward to it!

By Lisa Copen

Have you seen the T.V. show, “What Would You Do? With John Quinones“? In it, they have actors set up a situation and then wait to see if anyone gets involved. Do people stand up for the “underdog”? Will adults buy teens beer? Will people stop a drunk parent from driving? Results are very interesting.

Below are some scenarios to help church leaders think, “What would our church do?” We always hope that we will do the right thing. We believe our church will make the best choices for all involved. But sometimes the lines get buried. Phone calls don’t get returned because no one has an answer for the hurting person.

Too often I hear from people who have called their church with stories like the ones below and the receptionist offers the quick response of, “Well, we don’t really have any programs for that, but our services are at 8 and 10:30.” And just because someone is a pastor, a chaplain, or a deacon, doesn’t mean that they always are able to express things exactly how they would like. Our church leadership and all members of pastoral care can benefit greatly from discussing these situations and asking, “What would we do?”

So. . .what would your church do? The last thing you want you want is for someone to hang up the phone when calling your church and think like Job did, “I have heard many things like these; miserable comforters are you all!” (Job 16:2)

When the apostle Paul wrote the Corinthians he said,

^“For when we came into Macedonia, this body of ours had no rest, but we were harassed at every turn—conflicts on the outside, fears within. But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, and not only by his coming but also by the comfort you had given him. He told us about your longing for me, your deep sorrow, your ardent concern for me, so that my joy was greater than ever. (2 Corinthians 7:5-7)

He speaks of conflicts and fears, but also comfort, longing, and concern. When we know someone is concerned for us, it can produce comfort and even joy.

Below are 7 scenarios that you can print out and use in your church to see how people in leadership would respond. Read the situations and discuss them. Have people ask questions or step into the shoes of the person who the scenario is about and probe deeper. By going over some of this together with other people in church leadership, when similar situations actually arise you will be given the gift of having discussed this in advance and having an idea of how to answer.

Scenario #1 – Nancy, 64, single

Nancy has attended your church’s denomination in Virginia for 10 years, but stopped going two years ago when her degenerative disc disease caused her to be unable to sit for more than 15 minutes. She moved to this community last month and has called the church to see if there are any ways she can get involved. She would like to make some new women friends and fellowship. She moved here because her son and his family live nearby, but her son works and travels a lot. Nancy’s daughter-in-law doesn’t seem to understand the pain she in on a daily basis, or the fact that she can’t drive to her home and babysit for her for hours.

Nancy is feeling saddened, but also hopeful that she can connect with someone at the church. What do you tell her?

Scenario #2 – Jeff, 39, married

Last week you ran into Jeff. He was looking at a cycling magazine in a waiting room and you commented on your similar interests. He confided that he doesn’t cycle any longer since he was diagnosed with severe chronic fatigue syndrome last year. And then he opened up to you that he is a bit lost. He can barely work, his wife is growing frustrated and distant, and he is unable to coach his nine-year-old son’s baseball team any longer. He wonders if the pain doesn’t stop. . . if maybe his family would be “better off without him.” He jokingly said “There are ways I can make it look like a bicycle accident so my family is taken care of.”

You asked him about his faith and he said he used to believe in God when he was a child, but if there is a God–he’s not interested in Him because no God of love would allow such suffering. How do you respond?

Scenario #3 – Sarah, 26, married

Sarah and her spouse have attended your church for five years. She has dealt with infertility issues, but has still volunteered at Vacation Bible School and Sunday School. Now she has recently been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and can barely get out of bed in the morning, plus she has discovered that she is two months pregnant. Last week, she saw her neighbor, who currently has cancer and also goes to your church, have people stop over with meals, flowers, etc. She’s happy her neighbor has the help, but she also feels alone and overwhelmed.

When she confided in a woman at Bible study about the stress she was feeling she was told, “God will just take care of it!” But Sarah is scared that her medications may cause birth defects. Her husband is scared too, and blocking her out. He is working extra hours, wondering how he will provide for her and the baby and the additional care they both may need. This is more responsibility than he thinks he can handle.

Sarah is starting to wonder why God has allowed her to feel so physically awful during what should be a joyful time. And what does she even pray for? How do you respond to Sarah?

Scenario #4 – Joe and his wife, 49, married

Joe’s wife called the church. She is 49 and Joe has just been diagnosed with stage 3 cancer. He also has diabetes and she has congestive heart disease. Joe refuses to talk to anyone about it, including her. But he is doubting whether to even seek treatment. She is scared for his life and if he may actually take his life. She is scared for her life as well. And all the stress is not good for her heart.

They attend your church about once a month, but it is even harder to get there now. She needs prayer. She wonders where God is in all of this. She needs help with some basics, like getting Christmas lights down (it’s April!). And she wonders if there any man he may be able to talk to Joe? What do you tell her?

Scenario #5 – Laura, 39, single mom of a teenager

Laura has heard that your church has a great teen program and although she goes to another church, she is feeling invisible there. She is a single mom and her daughter, Jessica, is 19 years old and survived a brain tumor last year. Jessica lived with Laura’s mother, (her grandmother) who served as her daily caregiver, so that Laura could keep her job and her health insurance to best care for her daughter.

Now Jessica lives with her mom and in your community, and is homeschooled. But she needs friends who will understand that she had some delays with cognitive abilities and is self-conscious of some of the things that are challenging for her. What do you suggest? How do you prepare and introduce the youth group to Jessica?

Scenario #6 – Ellen, 58, diabetes and caregiver

Ellen is new in town, but she has always been part of your denomination. She is a grandmother to Shane, who is 13, and severely autistic. Shane’s dad (Ellen’s son) and Shane live with Ellen, but Shane’s dad travels a lot for work and Ellen’s former support system for fellowship and respite help is gone with their relocation.

Ellen hates asking for help, but she’s eager to just go to a women’s Bible study or talk to other caregivers. She is quickly growing exhausted caring for Shane and is becoming resentful — to Shane, to his dad (her son) — and to God. It’s no one’s fault. Shane lost his mother to cancer when he was two years old so Ellen stepped in to help raise him. But she’s been diabetic for 10 years now and the doctor visits are never ending between her and Shane. Trying to control Shane at her own doctor’s appointments is a disaster and yet there aren’t any babysitters she trusts, since Shane has some special needs.

Where is God and why has he allowed so many burdens to hit their family? How would you encourage this woman and offer her practical help through your church?

Scenario #7 – Rebecca, 22, lives with boyfriend

Rebecca lives in your community and you have seen her a few times at church, but it has been six months or so since her last visit. She lives with her boyfriend and you have never met him. Last week you drove a friend to the emergency room, and Rebecca was there in the waiting room, quite beaten up.

You went over to her and sat down to try to offer some comfort. At first she said she had been mugged, but as you began to pray for her, she told you to stop. Through tears, she confessed that her boyfriend Mark had beaten her up pretty badly. She has had fibromyalgia for two years. Some days are okay, but other days she can barely get out of bed. Mark told her she was a hypochondriac and making it up for attention.

He insisted if she really was that ill, then she should just quit her job and just rely on him. But she can’t quit her job! She has been the one providing for him for years! Plus, she would lose her health insurance. She is scared to leave him though and worried if he would make it without her. It is obvious to you that her boyfriend has a great deal of emotional control over her. It is also impacting her health and illness. And now with a black eye and a broken nose, she may lose her job anyway. What do you suggest?

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Overwhelming, isn’t it? It is even more exhausting to live these lives –not just read about them. With chronic conditions hitting nearly 1 in 2 people in the USA, it oftentimes hits one family multiple times as in some of the scenarios above.

What can your church leadership learn from these examples?

It can be hard to just listen but remember that “He who answers before listening–that is his folly and his shame.” (Proverbs 18:13) By giving “pat” answers of “I’m sure God will work it all out” we are saying, “I don’t have time for this or really know what to do so I will reassure them that God is in control. But is that shutting our ears? Even if we don’t have the answers, listening can be one of our greatest gifts. And if we don’t? Well, that can be one of our biggest downfalls, for scripture tells us, “If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered.” (Proverbs 21:13)

Why should we take the time to prepare in advance?
Because Colossians 4:6 says, “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” With time spent in the Word, and discussing it together, we may know in advance more fully how to answer. “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” (1 Peter 3:15)

I look forward to your comments below about how this worked as a discussion tool–or–how these stories even touched your lives. They may be “fiction” on this page, but they are based on real emails I receive every day.

Related articles: What I’d Like to Tell My Pastor About Living with Illness (restministries.com)

Some of you may know the codes for using the fire extinguishers in the event of a fire. The acronym PASS means “Pull, Aim, Squeeze, and Spray.” Doing so will help you use the fire extinguisher properly so that you may fight whatever flames may be around you.

Yesterday, the Lord gave me a new idea for this. Have you ever thought about other ways we can use this code? In Ephesians 6:16, Paul talks about a vital piece to the Armor of God by saying, “In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”

The enemy is constantly trying to throw fiery darts and battles at us Christians, but we must stand tall and strong, fighting back at Him with the faith that God is always with us and will fight those battles for us.

This being said, the Lord gave me a new set of words for the code PASS: Pray, Ask, Seek, and Stand.

As I thought about this, it occurred to me that this would work in just about any situation. We must always pray about any situation, whether we are praising and thanking Him for a blessing or praying about a serious situation that needs to change, or simply talking with Him during the day.

Pray:

Prayer is our closest and best communication with God, as it is a direct line (Jesus on the mainline, tell Him what you want!) between you and Him. He gave us the manner of prayer that covers all things that we know as “The Lord’s Prayer.”

If you really study the Lord’s Prayer, it covers everything you could face throughout a day. It is something that my family says every morning before we even leave the house. 1 Thessalonians says to “pray without ceasing.”

Ask:

That leads us into the next word which is to ask. According to James 1:6, he says “But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.” I have been here before. I have doubted Him on my journey more times than I can even begin to count. Jesus says that when we ask, or ask in faith, we shall receive. He can answer our prayers the way that He knows is best for us and in His due time.

A lot of Christians in this world have not learned and do not practice patience, and sometimes expect Jesus to become their Santa Claus, of sorts, or a genie. I heard someone once refer to Jesus answering prayer as a McDonald’s drive-through, where one can ask for something and have it granted to them instantly. Not so! My, how they were steered in the wrong direction! He will answer our prayers; it may just not be in the way or the timing that we expect it to be.

Seek:

Next we come to seek. My family just went through a period of a time without having a car; because of the urgency of the situation and the fact that we had doctor’s appointments and such to get to, we began looking for a car immediately. We called everyone we knew for prayer and to see if they knew someone with a car in our price range. My mother and I were on Craigslist all day every day for a week and a half, and we posted all over Facebook looking for prayers and/or a car before we were finally blessed with one that was perfect for us.

After we had the car for a day or two, the Lord pressed this upon my spirit: If we search that hard for a vehicle, lost car keys, misplaced wallet, or anything else we may lose, why can we then not apply to the same level of seeking into His word and building a relationship with Him?

This started me on my newfound walk. I want to seek and search for Him and His word just as hard as I did for a vehicle. Imagine, if I apply the same level of seeking to Him as I did to this car, how much stronger can my relationship with Him get? Awesome stuff!

Stand:

Last is the word stand. We have talked about praying, asking, and seeking so far. 1 Corinthians 16:13 says to “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.” God is our ever-present help and our light in the midst of the darkness. If we stand upon His word and trust in Him, we cannot go wrong. We will face trouble, but Jesus is the conqueror over all the evil in this world.

John 16:33, a favorite verse, says “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Some of us have heard this quoted before, but just as a reminder, Matthew 18:20 says, “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

If this is true, can you imagine what God can do if we band together as one body in Him, as one group of believers and pray for our nation and the condition that our world is in today? The things that could change in the lives of our families and those around us if we stand strong in His name as believer? My, what a mighty move God can make! My, how many mountains will move! If we truly stand in agreement one with another, God can change things.

Pray, ask, seek and stand

Are you ready for the battle? Are you ready to fight the fire? Are you ready to be diligent in service and give it to God? I know I’m ready to go! May God bless and keep each and every one of you; I love you and may He keep a hedge of protection about you at all times.

Shelby Boughman is 21 years and currently resides in Canton, Ohio. She is a proud godmother to two boys ages 6 and 5. Shelby and her oldest godson Elijah are both cancer survivors of a rare and aggressive form of childhood lung cancer known as Pleuropulmonary Blastoma (PPB).

In the midst of other health issues and short-term memory loss, Shelby has rededicated and surrendered her life back to God. She is currently in the process of writing her autobiography about the journey she has come through during her lifetime and is starting a singing and testimony ministry in the local churches and nursing homes. If you would like to keep updated on Shelby’s whereabouts and her walk in faith, please feel free to visit her website at http://travelingapostle.webs.com and follow her on Twitter @sbough90. She is always looking to meet new people and bless them in any way she can!

You can see more of her amazing story on this video.

Have you ever wondered where God is when no one seems to hold your hand through those tough times? When you cope with health problems, you hold on and fight to stay positive, but there are days when you can easily wonder, “Why bother living when I am facing a serious infection without a hand to hold?”

It was the seventh day of being hospitalized with the flesh eating bacteria and I felt so alone. The couple of people who had visited were friends my husband had emailed or called and pleaded that they stop by to say hello, since the original announcement of my hospitalization had not resulted in any visitors or calls.

Sitting there feeling so alone, I refused to cry. If I started, I knew the tears wouldn’t stop. My husband had to work. My mom was flying to town to help once I was released from the hospital, but now I had to have the big, painful procedure of debriding the dead skin that had turned black on my ankle.

I may live with painful rheumatoid arthritis daily, but the truth is, I am a wimp when it comes to painful procedures where I have no control over someone else’s actions.

The nurse came in and helped the surgeon prepare, and then she grabbed my hand. “I know it is scary, honey, but I am not going anywhere. I will be here the entire time and hold your hand. Squeeze if hurts. Just pretend I am your mom.”

I squeezed when the pain of the procedure became unbearable and tears flowed down my cheeks without a sound, but having that hand to hold made the difference.

So often we feel like life is just not worth living anymore and it is not unusual when you are dealing with a serious infection or illness to have suicidal thoughts. If we have to go through the tough times alone, and the people who know us and love us cannot even be there, why bother hanging on? When you love with daily chronic pain and then additional infections threaten to take your life, why not just give in and end the pain?

Because someone will hold your hand. Pray for a hand to hold, whether it be a stranger or a best friend. In Genesis 21:17, 18 we read that when the fourteen-year-old Ishmael cried, God heard him and sent His angel to tell his mother, “Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. Lift the boy up and take him by the hand. . .”

And those times when no one appears? God is there to hold your hand.

When you see someone who is hurting, ask them if you can take their hand in some way. You may find purpose in your life today by just holding the door open for one who is struggling, taking a box into the post office for one who is in need. Lift someone up by taking your hand and offering it to someone in need. You may never know the difference you have made. They may have been wondering that very day, “Why bother living?” and you have let them know there is hope.

This song below, “Hold Her Hands,” is written by Carolynn Grace who shares, “I wrote this song about a close friend of mine who went through a stage of depression, but God pulled her through. He is always faithful and his love never fails.”

Lisa Copen has lived with rheumatoid arthritis for nineteen years, and has found purpose in her pain by reaching out to others with chronic illness through her organization that serves those with chronic illness or pain through daily devotionals and other programs at Rest Ministries.

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When one is chronically ill, and a friend wishes to help her, the first thing that comes to mind is to bring her a meal. In fact, since the most popular gift to bring is a meal, I wrote the book, Beyond Casseroles: 505 Ways to Encourage a Chronically Ill Friend to get people to think beyond food.

Having said, that, however, a meal is a gift of comfort. And even though we may be physically able to cook, it takes a burden off of us so that we can use the energy we would have spent cooking doing something else.

I have discovered that many people who cook for the chronically ill are actually ill themselves. Though it is easy to understand new mommies and those who have just had surgery are in need of meals, those who see a chronically ill friend at the bank and picking their daughter up from school, it’s hard to understand why they would need someone to cook for them.

But those who have a chronic illness understand just how much a meal can make a difference. It makes a difference in practical ways, like not having to cook dinner for your family that night. But it also tells someone, “I acknowledge your (invisible) illness. I recognize how hard it can be to just get through the day sometimes. I know how hard you are trying to do it all and not complain. Let me give you this gift.”

So, in that spirit, here at Rest Ministries we are providing some fun printables to use when you give someone a meal. These can be downloaded and then printed out. You can tape it onto the foil covering a meal, print it on label paper you can get at your local office supply store, or punch a hole and attach it with a piece of ribbon. It makes that special meal a true gift and tells the person you are delivering it to that they are very special!

The circles can be added to any little item, condiment, gift bag of something, etc. with a note from you!

Please feel free to share these, “pin them”, print out and distribute them to people in your support group to use, email the link to your women’s ministry leader–whatever you can do to share. Our only stipulation is that you do not repost them as your own creation. Thanks! You can download these free printable meal delivery labels here or click the image below.

And… leave a comment below and we will randomly choose three winners next Monday of my book “Beyond Casseroles: 505 Ways to Encourage a Chronically Ill Friend, for those who want to go beyond the casseroles!

In honor of Military Spouse Appreciation Day, today, May 4th, we offer you this inspirational article from a military wife. Thank you to all the families who serve our country daily–including the spouses and children of the men and women who are soldiers. In honor of Military Spouse Appreciation Day remember to say thank you, not just to a solider, but to his or her spouse too!

Lynn Burchfield

I’m currently enduring a very challenging deployment, but I want to tell you about the amazing gifts from God that have not only helped me through, but brought my family back on a path to Him.

Our son was born in April 2009 and I could not imagine being any happier. Unfortunately, an upcoming deployment was looming and I couldn’t help but become angry and despondent. My husband had decided to accept an opportunity to serve overseas with the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) in the Sinai Peninsula. Now, I’d heard him speak of this deployment many times before, hoping he could someday be a part of it.

I screamed, “But why now? What horrible timing!” There were many tearful discussions and arguments, but deep down I knew he had to do this. After the initial shock, I surprised myself with my understanding and patience. Was that God’s first gift during this difficult time?

In a few months I was to be a single mother of sorts, so I had to just take it day by day. After my husband left, I really didn’t have time to be upset, but somehow I found time! I had evenings alone to get angry and think about all that daddy was missing. I cried a lot, but my tears were always erased by the most amazing baby. I cherished our times together rocking, kissing, cuddling, nursing, singing, giggling. . . the blessings he brings me are endless. His love kept me going. “. . . weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning” (Psalm 30:5, NLT).

This is where I first started to see why God had given me a son when He did.

The diagnosis

Just when I thought I could make it through, life threw me a curve ball to end 2009. At the end of November, I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Here I was with a 7-month-old baby, a husband a world away, and a family states away. Again, I cried “But why now? What horrible timing! Why me?”

MS is such a disease of the unknown. Every patient is different and all the doctors could tell me was that only time will tell how I fair. Here I am, the one who likes to plan everything and whose only fear is the unknown, and I’m marked with a disease that could eventually disable me. . . or maybe not! Life sped out of control. I went in the hospital for a 3-day steroid treatment meaning I had to stop nursing my son cold turkey. I had to learn about giving myself shots three days per week and I had to break the news to my husband, my family, my friends.

I thought the stress alone would kill me

Somehow I had the strength to carry on, to be positive and try not to worry about the unknown. I again surprised myself at how I was dealing with a difficult situation. This time I really started to see what God’s plan was. I knew I had to be the mom God wanted me to be and it was through God’s gift of our son that provided me the strength and comfort I needed during a tough time. I saw this circle of life and thanked Him for an abundance of grace.

Still midway through his deployment, my husband was told he couldn’t take leave as previously scheduled. But he somehow found a way to make it home. Having our family together again for two weeks rejuvenated me. I thanked God for bringing my husband home when I needed him the most!

God’s plan starts to unfold

The end of this deployment is on the horizon, but God’s blessings didn’t end there. I love to say God works in mysterious ways, so let me tell you of the final gift from God that came from this deployment. My husband and I are Christians, but we’ve struggled to really let God into our lives. Over the years I’ve talked of our need to join a church and gently tried to nudge my husband in the right direction. I must admit, I wasn’t always walking the walk myself. We just weren’t serious about getting on this path.

Having a family now, I was even more adamant in our need to raise our son as a Christian and lead by example. My husband agreed, but I wasn’t sure his heart was in the right place yet. I planned to start looking for a church family and we’d go from there. Meanwhile, I had noticed changes in my husband. He was the one encouraging me to keep faith in my heart during tough times. He was the one telling me that our son, “our Angel,” would help me through it all. He gave me constant praise as a mother and thanked me for all that I was doing. His encouragement was uplifting.

Most recently he wrote to tell me of the “spark that has been lit here” and how he has a longing to learn more about Jesus and to really do what is right. When I read those words, my eyes welled with tears and I thought, now I really know God’s plan for this deployment. If he had to take my husband to the Holy Land to bring his heart back to Him, it was all worth it!

What I am learning on this journey

Last year I learned what it means to experience the best and worst time of your life all at once. God showed me that He truly provides all that I need and He’s working in my life in ways that I could have never known. I was upset and scared, but He provided me comfort—our sweet Angel. I was angry and despondent, but He showed me His plan—our way back to Him.

“So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold…” (I Peter 1:6-7, NLT).

Lynn Burchfield became an instant Army wife when she got married in 2002 and has lived through active duty and national guard life. She is originally from Illinois and now resides in Arizona with her husband and their 15-month-old son. She enjoys writing, hiking (in Arizona winters!) and getting together with other new moms whenever possible.

“Amazing Gifts: God’s Surprising Timing” originally appeared at www.faithdeployed.com, a web site providing spiritual encouragement to military wives. The web site was born out of the books by Jocelyn Green, Faith Deployed and its sequel, Faith Deployed. . . Again.

By Leslie Vernick

Do you ever find yourself saying “yes” when you want to (or should) say “no”? For example, several years back, a graduate student asked me if I thought she would make a good counselor. I knew her gifts weren’t strongest in that area, but I didn’t want to hurt her feelings. She left our conversation believing I thought she was capable.

We all do it. We say “yes” when our honest response should be “no.” But let’s take a look at the cost of being too nice.

We Hurt People

It amazes me how unaware we are of how we injure people by being too nice. Isn’t that why we’re nice to begin with? We don’t want to hurt people? When I wasn’t completely honest with my intern, I unintentionally hurt her. She spent time, energy, and money pursuing a career that didn’t reflect her true calling.

In another example, Lydia worked hard to be a Proverbs 31 wife and mother. But the more she gave, the more her husband and children took, with little concern or even awareness of Lydia’s needs.

Lydia became exhausted caring for everyone with no one giving back to her. Over time, Lydia’s niceness enabled her family to become more and more self-centered, self-absorbed, and selfish. Lydia didn’t mean to, but she weakened her husband and children by not inviting them into a more reciprocal relationship.

Here’s another way we wound people by being too nice. Debbie was a new believer who attended Nancy’s Bible study at church. Debbie began phoning Nancy at home, asking a question or wanting to talk something through.

Debbie always took Nancy’s calls, but soon grew weary. She didn’t want to discourage her new friend, but found her neediness overwhelming. Instead of being more honest with Debbie and setting a better schedule for phone calls, Nancy started using her caller ID to screen her calls. Eventually Debbie caught on and felt hurt and abandoned. Nancy’s niceness gave Debbie the impression that she was always available any time night or day.

When we are too nice and fail to set appropriate boundaries, we may not mean to, but we hurt people. The only person who can be always available without getting crabby or tired is God. Don’t try to do his job. You will fail every time and the other person will get hurt.

We Hurt Ourselves

There is nothing unbiblical about being wise with who you give yourself to. While in college, Sharon took a walk with a young man she wasn’t attracted to, nor was she very comfortable with. She said yes because she didn’t want to hurt his feelings by saying “no thanks”. During their walk, he sexually assaulted her. Every day she deeply regrets that she was too nice.

It doesn’t have to be a dangerous or suspicious situation for us to learn to simply say “no thank you, I can’t,” or “I don’t want to.” We all have limited resources of time, energy, and money. When we allow others to take from our resources without limits, it’s like giving them unrestricted access to our checking account and then feeling angry when we’re constantly overdrawn.

If giving to someone hurts you, count the cost. Sometimes it’s appropriate to sacrifice yourself for another, and other times it’s foolish. Jesus tells a story about five women who refused to share their lamp oil with five others who did not bring enough for themselves. Instead of rebuking these women for being stingy, Jesus called them wise (Mathew 25:1-13).

We Miss God’s Best

Each day there are endless things and people that clamor for our attention. Oswald Chambers reminds us that “the great enemy of the life of faith is the good that is not good enough.” Don’t allow other people to set your values, your schedule, or your priorities.

Many people asked Jesus to do things for them, but Jesus always looked for what God wanted first–even if it meant disappointing people. (See Mark 1:29-38 or John 11:1-6.) When we are too nice and passively accommodate others, we could very well miss God’s best.

How Do I Make Good Choices About This?

Finally, here are some steps to help you stop being too nice:

1. Understand that nice isn’t one of the fruits of the Spirit. Being kind doesn’t mean you always say “yes.” It means that you learn to say “no” kindly.

2. Before you say “yes,” stop and say, “Let me think about that. I’ll get back to you.” This will give you time to think through whether you’re being too nice or if you really feel led to do it.

3. Let go of guilt. You can’t be all things to all people nor do everything people want. Jesus was perfect, and he still disappointed people.

Leslie Vernick is a licensed counselor with over 25 years of experience helping individuals, couples, and families. “Lord, I Just Want to Be Happy”. It’s received over 75 reviews and has 5 stars! This book will help you recognize and change habits that, day by day, keep you from experiencing happiness; make good choices and learn from mistakes without beating yourself up; develop the skills that will enable you to let go of negative and painful emotions quicker; and transform difficult circumstances so you can live with gratitude, joy, and purpose. Visit Leslie’s web site to submit a question for her to answer!

Reprinted with permission, Copyright LeslieVernick.com

Note from Lisa:

When we live with illness we can easily feel guilty about all that we cannot do, perhaps how our family misses out on things because of our disease. To compensate, it is easy to give in to everything they want that we are “somewhat” capable of. I say somewhat because just because we can doesn’t mean we should.

For example, I have been trying to encourage my family members to pick up after themselves better, so that I don’t have to do so much of this, so I have leftover energy to do fun things with them or make healthy (not last minute) dinners.

I know it is easier to talk about then it is to put into place. How could you “stop being nice” to help improve not only your life, but the life of those around you?

Excerpt from Beyond Casseroles: 505 Ways to Encourage a Chronically Ill Friend
Please do not reprint without permission

“A good friend is a connection to life – a tie to the past, a road to the future, the key to sanity in a totally insane world.” ~Lois Wyse

1. Ask, “What events in your life are changing and how are you coping with the changes?”
2. Understand that she lives in a constant state of making decisions for which there is no guarantee that she is making the right choice.
3. Put meals in disposable containers and attach a note saying “This doesn’t need to be returned.”
4. Add stickers to envelopes for a cheerful touch.
5. Arrange for your friend’s kids to have a night with your children.
6. Don’t make a person into a project.
7. Ask, “Would you be willing to talk to a friend of mine who has recently been diagnosed with a chronic illness and offer her some encouragement?” It makes one feel good to know that her
   experience can offer someone else hope and that God still has a purpose for her life.
8. Wash his car and put a little note inside for him to find later.
9. Remember important anniversaries, both the good and the bad. No one else will.
10. Ask, “Do you want company the day that you wait for the test results? I could come over for a couple of hours.”
11. “No matter how little you have, you can always give some of it away.” ~Catherine Marshall
12. Just listen . . . until it hurts to not say anything. And then listen some more.
13. Ask her, “How do you feel God is working through-or despite-this illness in your life? I’m interested.”
14. Ask, “What do you wish people understood about your illness?”
15. Don’t make her feel guilty about things that she cannot do.
16. Treat her to a gift of movie rentals via postal mail through a service ($7-15 a month).
17. Ask, “Would you be comfortable with having your name on a prayer list, so that others can pray for you?” Don’t assume.
18. Instead of saying, “I will pray for you,” say, “I’d like to pray for you right now, if that’s okay.”
19. Mop the floors.
20. Ask if she would be interested in writing something for the church newsletter, maybe even about the subject of living with chronic illness.
21. Buy a brightly colored umbrella as a gift.
22. Ask, “Do you have an errand I can run for you before coming over?”
23. Ask her to do spontaneous things, like go to a concert in the park, or just for a picnic. She may be more likely to participate since she knows if it’s a good day or a bad day.
24. Don’t say, “So, why aren’t you healed yet?” or “I wonder what God is trying to teach you that you just aren’t learning!”
25. For a unique gift, provide brightly colored paper plates, napkins, and utensils in a gift bag with a note that says “For when you don’t feel like doing dishes.”
26. Get her a pretty box to keep all of her notes of encouragement. Remind her to get it out and read things when she is feeling down.
27. Be her advocate. If you are at an event and walking/seating is an issue because of her disability, ask her if she’d like you to take care of it. If she says you can, be firm but not rude.
    Don’t embarrass her by making accusations of discrimination or by making a scene.
28. Ask, “Would you be interested in a prayer partner from our church?”
29. Purchase matching coffee mugs for you and your friend, and then commit to pray for one another each morning while using them.
30. Say, “While you’re in the hospital I’d be happy to take care of your pet.”
31. Don’t tell her about your brother’s niece’s cousin’s best friend who tried a cure for the same illness and. . . (you know the rest).
32. Find out which charity is most important to her and then give a donation in her honor.
33. Ask, “What are your top three indulgences?” and then spoil her soon.
34. Hold the door open for her. They are heavy!
35. Don’t tease her and call her “hop along” or “slowpoke.” Comments you mean in fun can cut to the quick and destroy her spirit. Proverbs 18:14 says, “A man’s spirit sustains him in sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear?”
36. Say, “I know you must need someone to just vent to occasionally. I may not fully understand how you feel, but I’m here to listen anytime.”
37. Ask your church youth group to come over and clean up the yard during seasonal changes.
38. Don’t ask her, “How are you able to make it financially?” If she wants to share a burden she will.
39. Ask, “What would you advise me to look for in a new doctor?”
40. If your friend has a disabled parking placard and you are driving, allow her to tell you where she wants to park. If she’s feeling particularly good that day, she may not want to park in the “blue space.” Don’t be disappointed that you’ll have to walk farther.
41. Don’t gossip about others. She’ll wonder what you say about her. “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (Ephesians 4:29). Proverbs 25:11 says, “A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.” Be kind, gentle, and respectful.
42. Accept that her chronic illness may not go away. If she’s accepting it, don’t tell her the illness is winning and she’s giving in to it.
43. Don’t say, “Let me know if there is anything I can do.” People rarely feel comfortable saying, “Yes, my laundry.” Instead pick something you are willing to do and then ask her permission. Try the coupon in back!
44. Ask her to share her testimony at an event.
45. Buy a magazine subscription for her on her favorite topic.
46. Plant a rosebush to view from a window.
47. Understand that you don’t need to know all of the details about the illness in order to be helpful.,He’ll share with you what he’s comfortable with you knowing.
48. Don’t ask, “Why can’t the doctors help you?” or insinuate that it must be in her head. There are millions of people who are in pain with illnesses that do not have cures.
49. Avoid having gifts be “pity gifts.” Just say, “I saw these flowers and their cheerfulness reminded me of you.”
50. Send CDs of church services your friend misses to her with a copy of the bulletin and a note.
51. If she doesn’t have a cordless phone, get her one. Phone headsets are also nice.
52. Send an encouragement card or a funny card, but resist the temptation to send one that says, “Get Well Soon.”

Beyond Casseroles is a popular little book to help people understand the needs of the chronically ill–and then get into action. They are $6 each or 3 for $15; we recommend getting one for yourself, one for a fiend, and one for an influencer (like a counselor, pastor, women’s ministry leader, doctor, etc.)

By Debbi Farmer

One of my favorite hobbies is scrapbooking. I have so many memories that I want to keepsake for others to enjoy down the years. I am often looking for new resources to add to my scrapbooking technique. Perhaps that is why I found this book and web-site to be so fascinating and wanted to share it with you.

Scrapbook Your Christian Faith: The Beginners Guide to Scrapbooking Your Spiritual Legacy by Donna Riner Weber is just one of those many treasures that you have to share with all of your friends. I recently interviewed Donna Riner Weber about her book and website and discovered for myself how to scrapbook my Christian faith.

What is Donna’s story?

One crisp, cool Friday afternoon in September, Donna flipped off the lights in her classroom. She thanked God for the week, her students, and for the upcoming weekend. She didn’t know that she had just taught her last class ever.

Donna had been living with chronic lung diseases which caused her to live a life of doctor’s appointments, medicines, and hospital visits. But with God’s help she had continued to teach.

This time this episode with her illness things were different. This time her life changed. She would never return to her teaching job again. You can read more here on her web site…

Donna, can you tell use about your book and what it is about?

Scrapbook Your Christian Faith: The Beginners Guide to Scrapbooking Your Spiritual Legacy by Donna Riner is presently an e-book (and soon to be in-print book) and was written to help newbies come to understand “how to Faithbook.”

I’m sure you’ve heard the old saying “everyone has a story to tell.” And then there is that old cliché “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Now if you put your words and your pictures together, what do you have? A precious heirloom for your loved ones.

Now, in addition to your words, add some verses from God’s Holy Bible. And now what do you have? A powerful, precious, priceless, love letter for your loved ones and those who will follow you—a keepsake that will last many years longer than you live here on planet earth.

For the Bible tells us “So will the words that come out of my mouth not come back empty-handed. They’ll do the work I sent them to do, they’ll complete the assignment I gave them.” Isaiah 55:11 (The Message)

When I was new to Faithbooking, I was totally overwhelmed. I tried and tried to find resources but at that time I could not find the right book that would provide me with the help I needed. I did not understand the scrapbook language, the tools, and supplies. I didn’t even know what an embellishment was. It was all confusing, and yes, overwhelming to me.

Yet I wanted to do this. . . I wanted to learn how to leave my spiritual message for my son and granddaughter and other future descendants.

You may be thinking, “instead of going to all this trouble couldn’t you just use a journal?” Yes, you can and perhaps that is the way God will lead you. However, if you take a photo of your grandchild, add some of your own words and then add a scripture beside it, he/she will likely take the time to look at it, read your comments and also read that verse.

Numerous Bible verses instruct us to pass on stories of God’s presence in our lives. Some include:

• “One generation shall praise your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.” Psalm 145:3-4 (NASB)
• “Write this down for the next generation so people not yet born will praise God…” Psalm 102:18 (MSG)
• “One generation makes known your faithfulness to the next.” Isaiah 38:19 (TLB)

Knowing this, I realized I wanted to help others learn how to leave their Spiritual Messages for their loved ones without having to go through all the searching and frustration I went through.

So, tell us what you did.

I wrote Scrapbook Your Christian Faith to help beginners to faithbooking learn how to:

• Express love for their family in a priceless keepsake
• Influence the Spiritual Future of their children/grandchildren
• Have a unique way of telling others about Jesus

Scrapbook Your Christian Faith helps the reader seize their opportunity to begin working on one of the greatest gifts they can ever leave their loved ones.

What kinds of stuff does the book teach?

It is about 98 pages and it teaches:

• Basic tools and supplies needed for beginners
• How to incorporate scriptures, prayers and stories into the Faithbook layouts
• Step-by-step lessons on matting and paper piecing
• Examples to jazz up titles
• Scrapbook language

I understand you have some freebie stuff too.

Yes! Readers who would like to learn more are invited to come over to http://www.ScrapbookYourChristianFaith.com. There they can sign up for Free Five Faithbook Lessons. They will also receive Free Faithbook Bits and Pieces approximately once a month.

Ms. Weber; besides a lack of resources, what else inspired you to write this book and start a Faithbook ministry?

“For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good. . . to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11 (TLB)

Over the years Jeremiah 29:11 became “my verse.” I often wrote it on napkins for waitresses, scratch pads in hotel rooms, and on mini-cards, shared it with students and preached it to my son. I really believe that as long as we are here on planet earth that God has a plan for us.

This became very confusing to me as my chronic illness and pain caused me to stop teaching. I felt so frustrated, depressed, and non-productive. I would lie on the sofa and cry day after day and ask God but “What is your Plan for me?”

I knew it wasn’t to lie around on the sofa and wait to die. I kept praying that questioning prayer. “What is Your plan for Me?” What is it that a person like me with a chronic illness and daily pain can do?

God did not immediately answer my question—like I wanted Him to. Rather He began to give me little steps and as I took one step He revealed another one to me.

• First, I began to feel God wanted me to write down stories of how He had been faithful to me and my family.
• When my cousin, Nora, from Chicago came to visit our family, she brought her scrapbook. As I flipped through the beautiful pages, I thought it was so wonderful but I’m not able to do that. I’m not an artist. (I didn’t realize it at the time, but God had planted a seed in my heart.)
• I didn’t know what to do with the stack of stories I had been writing. After praying about it, I became interested in going to Christian Writers Conferences.
• That scrapbooking seed God had planted earlier started to sprout. I had never been interested in creating a scrapbook—but I had this notion that I wanted to go to a class and check it out.

These steps happened over several years. And I still did not realize God was going to call me to combine these new interests. As I learned to create scrapbook layouts I discovered a very vital part of my life was not included in the album. They did not show my relationship with God.

How could I solve that problem? I had written some stories, but how can I put them into my layouts?
I attended Christian Writer’s Conferences and Scrapbook classes and conventions. I learned from each one—but nothing taught me how to mesh these two concepts. And I began to search for books to help me combine these new interests. At that time, I could find only 5-6 that were even slightly related to what I wanted to do and none of them solved my problem.

At that point I felt called to write the guide book that I had needed— one that explained how to include our Christian faith in scrapbooking. The result was Scrapbook Your Christian Faith—The Beginners Guide to Scrapbooking Your Spiritual Legacy.

When did the web site come to be?

I learned that in order to market this book I needed a web-site. This was yet another new learning experience for me. But God has continued to lead me step by step through this exciting journey. It is one that I travel at my own pace—a rather slow and at times tumultuous one because of my chronic illness and daily pain.

It amazes me because I did not realize where God was leading me and I still don’t. Even though chronic illness and daily pain keeps me from being what I consider a “normal person” on the work force, I still know that God has a special plan for me—and I anxiously await the next step!

This sounds like a totally fascinating way to scrapbook your family memories! What do you think our readers from Rest Ministries can gain from learning about faith-booking?

I pray that others—especially those like me who are in a different season of their life now because of chronic illness and chronic pain—will be inspired to create their Spiritual Legacy. I pray that their Faithbook will touch the hearts of their loved ones and others who will follow them and that ultimately their scrapbooks about their Christian faith will make a difference on earth and in eternity.

Thank you. And how can our readers get the faithbook lessons?

I would like to invite the readers of Rest Ministries to visit http://www.ScrapbookYourChristianFaith.com and sign up for the “Free Five Faithbook Lessons”. In addition they will receive approximately once a month Faithbook Bits and Pieces which will cover tips, techniques and various related topics on Faithbooking. This is also free. My book is scheduled to also be published in print book form by early fall.

You had mentioned to me you would love to hear from our readers at RestMinistries.com. How can they reach you?

When they contact me, please ask them to identify themselves from Rest Ministries and let me know that they also have chronic illness/pain. I would love to pray for them. They can write to me at donna@ScrapbookYourChristianFaith.com.

I also would appreciate their prayers as I continue to learn and expand this ministry—that it will always be one that honors Our Lord.

Thank you so much for sharing with us Ms. Weber! Your book and web-site sounds exciting and I personally look forward to learning more about Faithbooking my Christian life through your great resources.

You can follow Donna on Twitter @FaithScrapper . Did you catch her article last week here at Rest Ministries You Are God’s Messenger Today For Someone Who is Hurting?

Debbi Farmer, a part-time writer in North Carolina, loves art and finding great resources. She shares her life with her family more creatively now thanks to the Lord’s wonderful and sufficient grace. She suffers from several illnesses including Fibromyalgia. She wishes she could give you all a cheerful hug today and share with you a tiny morsel of hope.

How significant a difference it can make in our perspective and even our ability to cope when we know someone else understands some aspect of what we our feeling–especially when we thought what we felt was a bit unusual.

Well, C.S. Lewis said many years ago, “Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, ‘What? You too? I thought I was the only one!’”

How many people could you share this with, who you consider one of those friends?

This free printable is 300 dpi resolution (which means it will look good, not all blurry, when you print it out.) It is optimized for a 5×7 frame or can be printed smaller too. Click here or on the image below. Then right click on your mouse and choose “save as” and save it to your computer. You can then open the .jpg in nearly any program, such as importing as a picture into Word. It was designed by Lisa Copen. Please feel free to share it on Facebook, Pinterest.com or wherever you believe it could be an encouragement to someone! If you would like to share it on Facebook you can find it at MyHopeQuotes.com

You can find other free printables on our web site under “More>Free Printables”. We have more coming soon!

As the relationships and the world around us spins and tumbles, and as the earth rumbles (lots of earthquakes lately!), I am reminded once again that Jesus’ return continues to grow closer every day.

This is a beautiful video of Chonda Pierce and Bonnie Keen, two amazing women I have been blessed to meet. As they sing People Need the Lord, lift them both up to the Lord as well. Both of these women have gone through extreme moments of deep depression and; have shared their struggles publicly in order to encourage others. (See Chonda Pierce’s story and Bonnie Keen’s).

Can’t see the video?

If you are receiving this by email, the video will not show up. Just click the link of the TITLE of the POST and it will take you directly to our web site so you can watch it there.