Joy

Ever Feel Like Your Body is a Crime Scene?

May 1, 2010 By admin 2 Comments

Ever get sick of being poked or having to take your medications via a needle? When I was in the hospital for a week I was given shots every few hours & my stomach looked like a crime scene. Boy do I wish I'd had these fun little b&ages. I could have stuck a couple of these "Crime Scene: Do Not Enter" b&ages on the biggest bruises & it would have given all of the nurses a good giggle. In Genesis 21:6 it says, 'Sarah said, "God has brought me laughter, & everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.'" Go ahead & be a bit silly. Let God bring you some laughter & while you are laughing, spread it around! Do you have a favorite item like this you want to share with us? Let us know or comment below. We want to spread the laughter … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Friend Has Illness, Joy, Links, Parent of Ill or Disabled Child, Person w/ Illness, Silly Stuff, What's New? Tagged With: AppalachianTrail, Caregiver, chronic illness tips, Computer-aided design, funny, guide to organizing your medicine, Hospital, how to organize your medication, Joy, make a pill box out of bead holder organizer, Mount Katahdin, nurses, organize, Pope, prescriptions, Research, Romans, Springer Mountain, United States

Embracing Brokenness with Diane Dike – Part 1

April 28, 2010 By admin 1 Comment

Diane Dike was an elite athlete, professor, & coach. Yet pain became her constant companion at the tender age of 23. Three years later she was diagnosed with a debilitating, incurable disease called Cryoglobulinemia Vasculitis. In the midst of her despair, Diane found the transforming love of Jesus, & discovered the secret to happiness, serving others - & that God has a purpose & a plan for her life - even in a broken body. She challenges people to realize that "With God nothing is impossible, & it's never too late to be all He created you to be." We are delighted to share her story with you today & tomorrow. httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJKNzxyes5c&feature=player_embedded ____________________________________ My body went numb … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, Caregiver, Church Leader, Explaining Illness, Joy, Links, Person w/ Illness, Profiles, Spiritually Struggling, Support Group Leader, Videos, What's New? Tagged With: Chronic fatigue syndrome, Conditions and Diseases, Health, Hobbit, Musculoskeletal Disorders, Pacific Northwest, Pain, Pippin, Question, Research, Return of the King, Rubbermaid, Sierra Nevada

Help Us Design This Bag!

April 22, 2010 By admin 15 Comments

We love this cute striped bag for summer time! Details about it are below. It's perfect to throw a towel in, extra clothes, snacks, books, whatever! It will retail in our bookstore this summer for just $15 & we need your help! What do you want to see on it? If we pick your idea you will win one! Do you want something fun like a palm tree? Do you want it to say something like our other bag that says "Don't Postpone Joy"? Do you LIKE the bag? If so, be sure to click "LIKE" below (the box with red dots outlining it.) Post your ideas below & if you have a particular image in high resolution you think we should consider let us know & we'll tell you how to send it to us. This 100% heavyweight 10 oz cotton canvas striped blue tote … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Joy, Silly Stuff, What's New? Tagged With: aprils fools day pranks, Business, hearing god speak, how do you uhear god's voice? finding peace in illness, listening for god's voice, making myself rest when in pain, Shopping, Silence

Need a Giggle? Take a Walk Down TV Memory Lane

March 31, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Ever feel sad when you're happy? Oscar does! Oscar the Grouch that is! Who better to make you laugh then Big Bird or Grover? Take a minute to watch the same old clips you loved as a kid at the Sesame Street web site (for the Oscar one above search "oscar" "sad." We're partial to the Martians & the Telephone video. Yep yep yep yep yep yep yep yep yep. And if that doesn't do it for you, check out the weekly podcasts. The "word on the street" this week ANGRY with Oscar the Grouch hosting. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Joy, Our Best Tips, Parenting, Person w/ Illness, Silly Stuff, What's New? Tagged With: Arts, books by chaplains, Carnegie Mellon University, Children, Depression, Emotions, Hacketstown, hospice chaplain, Jews, Pentagon, Professional association, Programs, Rabbi, Television, United States armed forces, United States Corps of Chaplains

Pretty is As Pretty Does – Even With Pill Boxes

March 6, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

We all carry them, whether it's jeweled or an old mint tin, & they are never that much fun. Here are some great pill boxes that will make you smile whenever you have to dig a pill out. Smiles through medication? Now that's worth cheering about! See "Forgetting the Pill" to add some sparkle to your life! … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Fashion, Joy, Links, Our Best Tips, Person w/ Illness, Silly Stuff, What's New? Tagged With: Amazon Kindle, Amazon.com, Daily devotional, depression loneliness, encouraging scriptures, Hosea, IPad, IPod Touch, Israel, Lord Jesus Christ, medication, Ministry of Jesus, share, testimony, understanding

Special Interview with Renee Bondi

February 3, 2010 By admin 1 Comment

Reprinted from HopeKeepers Magazine 2004 I was having a ball with wedding plans; my music program was a huge success; I was blessed to have had the opportunity to travel & see the world; I had friends & family to love. My life was full, & I saw nothing but blue skies above," she writes in her book The Last Dance But Not the Last Song. But in May 1988, after a romantic weekend as a prom chaperone with her fiancé, her life would take a dramatic dive—literally. She went to bed filled with innocent anticipation of life ahead, but awoke "diving" off the foot of her bed. She simply remembers being in mid- air & thinking, "Huh?" & then hitting the floor. Filled with searing pain in her neck & shoulders, she thought, "I've really done it … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, Caregiver, Church Leader, Joy, Marriage, Parenting, Person w/ Illness, Profiles, What's New? Tagged With: bible study, christian ministry, Disability, disability ministry, God, hopekeepers, joni and friends, Joni Eareckson Tada, Medicine, Music, quadraplegic, Religion and Spirituality, renee bondi, Rest Ministries, singing, The Last Dance But Not The Last Song, United States, women of faith, women of virtue

Christmas Lights to “Amazing Grace”

December 27, 2009 By admin 1 Comment

If you didn't get a chance to get out & see Christmas lights this year, no worries. Here is an amazing Christmas light "show" to the tune of Amazing Grace. httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTbpuQzMnxA" target="_blank"> … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Holidays, Joy, Music, Silly Stuff, Videos, What's New?

This is My Christmas Prayer Video

December 24, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

When BeBe Winans sings This is My Christmas Prayer we get goosebumps! Enjoy! httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKzjaieItH8 … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Holidays, Joy, Music, What's New?

13 Gift Ideas for a Chronically Ill Gal

December 19, 2009 By admin 1 Comment

We women like to shop & there’s nothing better than seeing the face of a friend light up when we offer up our thoughtfulness & creativity wrapped in a box with home-made, h&-stamped paper bag wrapping paper, all tied up with a raffia ribbon & 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, & wrap a strip of shipping tape on the h&le 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 & intimidating. We want to give her something she’ll like (she can’t get enough of that American … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, Articles Free to Reprint, Caregiver, Church Leader, Friend Has Illness, Holidays, Joy, Our Best Tips, Person w/ Illness, Person w/ lll Spouse, Support Group Leader, What's New? Tagged With: Christmas, Compact Disc, Gift, Gift wrapping, Shopping, Teddy bear, Variety store, Website

A Talk Over Tea – Reflecting Back to 2002

December 8, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Years ago, days before all our families were to arrive for Christmas, I stood in the kitchen & felt the floor squish. Within hours men started to arrive & traipse dirt into my home, the entire kitchen floor was ripped out, large holes were made in the drywall of three rooms, & Christmas decorations were torn down to bring in large fans that ran twenty-four hours a day. My car had been in the shop for over seven weeks for a job that should have taken a few days. Tension was high in my home, but I had no choice but to pray the roof wouldn’t fall in too. At last, I got my car & two men put in a new hard-wood floor while I ran to get groceries. Relatives began to arrive from out of state —literally—within two hours of the floor being … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, Holidays, Joy, Person w/ Illness, Spiritually Struggling, Videos, What's New? Tagged With: Arthur Blessitt, Bethlehem, Christmas, Christmas and holiday season, Holidays, Jerusalem, Jesus, Mary

Yes, There IS a Santa Clause!

December 7, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

In 2004 I had the honor of interviewing Ed Butchart about his outreach & ministry as "Santa." Sadly, his wife went to be with the Lord soon after (see a lovely tribute to her.) He has since had his second book published (the first one, The Red Suit Diaries is a gem!) & has a br& new web site with photos, his schedule, & much more. I encourage you to visit his site & learn more about this amazing man, fondly called "Santa" by many. Lisa Copen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Yes, there is a Santa Claus. Storybooks say that he & Mrs. Claus live somewhere in the North Pole, but a rumor has spread that they actually live in a little town outside of Atlanta, Georgia & they go by the off-season name of Ed & Anna Butchart. Known … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, Books, Holidays, Joy, Links, Parent of Ill or Disabled Child, Person w/ Illness, Support Group Leader, What's New? Tagged With: Atlanta, Bible, Christian Church, ed butchart, fodac, friends of the disabled, God, hallmark, jaf, Jesus, joni and friends, Lord, North Pole, red suit diaries, Santa Claus, santa diaries, Tom Brokaw, wheelchair ministry

Being What God Created Us to Be

December 4, 2009 By admin 2 Comments

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGODurRfVv4&feature=player_embedded I found this video at Advocacy for Patients web site & watched its in its entirety. It is a sweet & precious video of the story of a dog who has gone beyond what his owner ever intended. But it is also a nice reminder for those of us who cope with chronic illness on a daily basis & wonder if God will ever be able to use us the way we are. I hope it brings you a moment of joy today. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Joy, Links, Person w/ Illness, Silly Stuff, What's New? Tagged With: Arts, Dramas, Pets, Programs, Television, Third Watch, Video, Website