Joy Archives - Rest Ministries - Chronic Illness and Pain Support

Why Is It So Hard to Choose Joy?

June 14, 2013 By admin 5 Comments

How do you choose joy when the pain won't stop and life is getting more complicated? Lisa shares her thoughts. "I will sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the Lord. (Psalm 27:6b) My friend Pam Farrel has a motto: "Choose Joy!" Chuck Swindoll has said, "Joy is a choice. It is a matter of attitude that stems from one's confidence in God--that He is in the midst of whatever has happened, is happening, and will happen." But how can we choose joy when our world is falling apart? How can I be joyful when nothing is working out the way I had planned? When the pain of your illness won't relent for a few minutes? Most of you have heard that Rick and Kay Warren recently lost their son to suicide after a lifetime of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Depression, Devotionals, Founder's Blog, Grief, Joy, What's New?

Do You Wait to Live Life When You “Feel Better”?

June 10, 2013 By admin 19 Comments

WHEN YOU ARE CHRONICALLY ILL IT'S NATURAL TO WAIT UNTIL YOU FEEL "BETTER" ... to do something, go somewhere, make plans. But what if those days don't come for years--or never come? How can we "live life" despite the pain?

It is wise to wait until we feel better to do some things, but if you think about it, do you find yourself waiting on life overall? Karlton shares. "My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; my strength fails because of my affliction, and my bones grow weak." (Psalm 31:10) I find myself guilty lately of "waiting to live." Certain times of the year are worse for me, and other times are generally better, and I often get into a habit of thinking, in another two weeks I will feel better or surely in another month I will be able to do more. I suspect you may do the same on occasion. The problem comes from those better days not arriving. A month later I find myself feeling just as lousy as the previous month. There is … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Coping Skills, Devotionals, Joy, What's New?

When Feeling Beautiful Seem Impossible On A Bad Day

March 20, 2013 By admin 32 Comments

DOES CHRONIC ILLNESS MAKE YOU FEEL VERY UN-BEAUTIFUL? It sure can and it doesn't take much when we are in so much pain. This #devotional reminds us that it is not what is on the outside, however, we can be beautiful because of who we really are --in Christ.

Feeling beautiful can be hard when you are in pain, your illness and side effects of medication can change your body. Kerryn explains a day like this and she eventually found beauty. “You are altogether beautiful, my darling; there is no flaw in you” (Song of Songs 4:7). Ever wake on the “wrong side of the bed?” I'm not sure that I actually woke on the wrong side of the bed today, because I didn't feel like I'd even slept! Forcing myself through a shower, after a few days without, should make me feel beautiful! I thought. It didn't. So, I put on a comfy patterned maxi dress and even added a necklace--something I rarely do! Looking in the mirror, I just felt extremely exhausted, sick, grumpy, and frumpy. I continued to … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Devotionals, Joy, Self -Esteem, What's New?

Glimpses of Spring are Gifts From God

March 13, 2013 By admin 6 Comments

IS THE COLD WINTER GETTING YOU DOWN? Chronic illness can make winter even harder, and we long for spring--in the temperature outside, in the sunlight that can stream through our windows and make us feel alive again, even if we are still in pain. They are gifts from God. This #devotional explains what we can do while waiting for glimpses of spring.

As we grow weary of winter we can find that gifts from God come in many forms, a ray of sunshine to even the snowflakes that fall. Laura shares... “The Spirit of the Lord spoke through me; His word was on my tongue. The God of Israel spoke, the Rock of Israel said to me: ‘When one rules over people in righteousness, when he rules in the fear of God, he is like the light of morning at sunrise on a cloudless morning, like the brightness after rain that brings grass from the earth" (2 Samuel 23:2-4) It has been a strange winter. We’ve had a few snowstorms that have dropped a foot or so of precipitation at a time; single-digit temperatures and below-zero wind chills. Conversely, there have been breaks where the thermometer has reached … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Devotionals, Hope, Joy, What's New?

Is an Authentic Smiley Face Possible When Ill?

March 5, 2013 By admin 8 Comments

TIRED OF PUTTING ON A SMILEY FACE WHEN YOU ARE FEELING TERRIBLE? Just because you live with a chronic illness doesn't mean you must be glum all the time! This #devotional writer shares how the power of God can change us from the inside out. And a smiley face doesn't have to mean we are faking our pain.

We all know how to put on a fake smiley face when the pain is getting to us, but have you considered that with God beside us, our smiley face could be authentic? Vicki explains. . . “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God. . . Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God" (Psalm 42:5, 11). School Picture Day was an adventure. Getting some of my second graders to smile naturally seemed impossible. There was the growl smile. With clenched jaws, the student would smile, revealing a mouth full of teeth. A favorite of dentists, but not of parents who were hoping to … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Devotionals, Joy, What's New?

Did You Have a Small Victory? Celebrate It!

February 21, 2013 By admin 14 Comments

LIFE IS HARD. . . BUT WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU SAID, "I AM GOING TO CELEBRATE IT!"? Stop having such low expectations of life--even if you DO live with a chronic illness. Instead, focus on the good things. It sounds so simple, but you may be surprised how it really can turn your joy around.

Yes, life is hard, but when was the last time you decided to celebrate it? Karlton reminds us just how many things we have to celebrate in our lives--no matter how small. "Now this I know: The Lord gives victory to his anointed. He answers him from His heavenly sanctuary with the victorious power of His right hand. (Psalm 20:6) Sometimes it feels like we are stuck in a rut of disappointments. We get to the point we are expecting bad news because we have had so much bad news. Yet I don't think the Lord wants us to stay in a state of gloomy expectations. Recently I was struggling through several days of depression and just feeling "off" mentally. I was dreading going to see my diabetes specialist because I was unsure how much, or if my … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Devotionals, Joy, What's New?

Expecting the Unexpected Blessings of Living With Illness

August 1, 2012 By admin 8 Comments

If you are used to expecting the unexpected while living with illness, it may be planning for what will go wrong next. But what if you expect the blessings? "Then Jesus said to him, 'Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.'" (John 5:8) I am a big believer of expecting the unexpected when it comes to the negative parts of living with illness. Illness brings flares, infections, canceled plans, mixed emotions. Most of us are used to expecting the unexpected when it comes to the losses. But what about when you start to expect the unexpected blessings? Last week I got on a bike, a recumbent bike. I haven't been on even a stationary bike for over 15 years. I rode less than five minutes --but it is extraordinary to me. After 19 years of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Devotionals, Joy, What's New? Tagged With: expecting the unexpected

How God Provides More Than Enough Joy

July 27, 2012 By admin 3 Comments

When was the last time you felt like you had more than enough joy? Honestly? Rhonda shares how we each have it right now as we read this. "Fill my heart with joy. . ." (Psalm 4:7) More than enough. Can anyone ever have "more than enough"? What does it really mean to have "more than enough"? Just think of pouring water into a glass—and not stopping when you reach the top. As the water overflows the glass, continue pouring. It's a never-ending flow of water. This is a great example of "more than enough." A constant overflowing, never-ending amount. Now, take that thought one step further. The "more than enough" comes directly from God Himself! Since God is the Creator of all, He is the source of everything, therefore, He never can … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Attitude, Devotionals, Joy, What's New? Tagged With: more than enough

Life Is A Blessing – Seeing God’s Hand At Work

July 21, 2012 By admin 7 Comments

Life is a blessing even when lived with chronic illness. Sandy shares how she is enjoying the time of reflection on what God has done. "Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet My unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor My covenant of peace be removed,' says the Lord who has compassion on you." (Isaiah 54:10) Twenty two years ago my husband and I were young, with two small children, and at last we were ready for the ministry. I knew life was a blessing. We both went to college, and my husband attended seminary for 5 years. Our children were 5 and 1 when we moved into our first parsonage. We had a lot on our plate, but we were excited to be in our first church. We worked a long time for this! We did not have … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Attitude, Devotionals, Joy, What's New? Tagged With: life is a blessing

God’s Purpose in the Pain Equips Us Even When Ill

July 20, 2012 By admin 2 Comments

Rhonda takes a look at how Job was given a special purpose in the pain, and from this responsibility we are given as well, we can find joy. "I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ." (Ephesians 3:7, 8) I'm studying the book of Job and as I was reading it this morning, a thought struck me—very simple, yet to me profound. The word "Job" can be read one of two ways. 1) as a name: as in Job. "Job was a man who lived in Uz." Job 1:1. 2) as a responsibility: as anything a person is expected or obliged to do; duty; work. As I … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Devotionals, Finding Purpose, Joy, What's New? Tagged With: count it all joy, purpose in the pain

Don’t Forget to Say Thank You – Video

June 24, 2012 By admin 4 Comments

Happy Sunday! I was in college driving to church on a Sunday morning when Boys II Men came on the radio. As one who loves gospel and jazz, I immediately turned it up and was surprised to hear this style of music on the pop radio channel. Here at Rest Ministries we talk a lot about struggles. We don't want to put a "Pollyanna" spin on things, because when we have an attitude adjustment it is because we gave our circumstances over to the Lord--not because we woke up and decided it would all be okay. But that is not to say our attitude can't use some adjusting! And one of the ways we can do this is to just tell God, "Thank You!" You may not be a fan of your situation right now, but there is still something you can find in your life to … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Joy, Overwhelmed, Reflection, Spiritually Struggling, Videos, What's New? Tagged With: boys 2 men, boys II Men, jazz, saying thank you, songs, thanksgiving

When We All Get to Heaven – Video

June 3, 2012 By admin 4 Comments

Happy Sunday! I grew up in the Presbyterian church so am familiar with many of the good old hymns. I enjoy the new worships style songs they sing at my church now, but there is something precious about the hymns. A few years ago I came across an Alan Jackson CD of hymns. Evidently, he put it together for his mom, but then decided to go ahead and release it. His mom even sings along with him on one of the songs. "When We All Get to Heaven" was written in 1898. And if you are feeling a bit blue this morning, perhaps frustrated that you are not able to attend church, remember there are better days coming! When we all get to heaven, What a day of rejoicing that will be! When we all see Jesus, We’ll sing and shout the victory! If … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Joy, Spiritually Struggling, Videos, What's New? Tagged With: Alan Jackson, Hymn, Jesus, Video, when we all get to heaven