Loneliness

How a Rapper Encourages Those Depressed to Rely on God

May 15, 2012 By admin Leave a Comment

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 … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, Articles - Read, Depression, Fear, Loneliness, Ministry - Personal, Music, Profiles, Spiritually Struggling, Suicidal Thoughts, Videos, What's New? Tagged With: attitude about illness, Christ, Christian, dooch, God, God of All Comfort (Pure Gold Classics), hope boy, how to beat depression and loneliness, how to cope with depression and loneliness, Jesus, Major depressive disorder, New York City, rapper, testimony

When a “Fire” Hits Your Life, Do You Know How You Will Respond?

May 10, 2012 By admin Leave a Comment

By Shelby Boughman 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 … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, Articles - Read, Coping Skills, Loneliness, Ministry - Personal, Spiritually Struggling, Videos, What's New? Tagged With: God, Gospel of Matthew, Jesu, Lord, Lord's Prayer, Prayer

Why Bother Living When I Am Facing a Serious Infection Without a Hand to Hold?

May 9, 2012 By admin 2 Comments

By Lisa Copen, this is a reprint from http://thinkingaboutsuicide.com where Lisa is a contributor. The web site is a good place to turn during those rough days to help you remember that God cares about you and is here beside you even when you don't feel like it. 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 … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, Articles - Read, Depression, Loneliness, Person w/ Illness, Suicidal Thoughts, What's New? Tagged With: Arthritis, Chronic, dealing with a serious infection or illnes, debridiment, depression and illness, God, Illness, life is just not worth living anymore, Lisa, lisa copen, loneliness, Pain, Rest Ministries, Rheumatoid arthritis, Suicidal Thoughts, Why Bother Living When I Am Facing a Serious Infection Without a Hand to Hold

God’s Surprising Timing: A Story From a Military Spouse

May 4, 2012 By admin Leave a Comment

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 … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, Articles - Read, Fear, Loneliness, Person w/ Illness, Person w/ lll Spouse, What's New? Tagged With: Baseguide.com, deployment, faithdeployed, miliatry spouse, Military Spouse Appreciation Day, military wives, US soldier, wife

What Do You Want Your Faith-Legacy To Be? Donna Has an Idea with Scrapbooking!

May 1, 2012 By admin 1 Comment

Scrapbooking Your Faith 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 … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, Articles - Read, Hobbies-Crafts, Joy, Loneliness, Ministry - Personal, Profiles, Reflection, Statistics, What's New? Tagged With: chronic illness. scrapbooker, faith-based scrapbooking, faithbook, keepsake, memories, purpose in illness, scrapbook legacy, Scrapbook Your Christian Faith: The Beginners Guide to Scrapbooking Your Spiritual Legacy, scrapbooking christian faith, Scrapbooking Your Faith: Layouts That Celebrate Your Spiritual Beliefs

People Need the Lord, Reminder By Chonda Pierce and Bonnie Keen

April 29, 2012 By admin 1 Comment

Happy Sunday! His is Risen! Yes, I know that is what people say on Easter, but just because the holiday of Easter has passed does not mean we still can't shout from the mountain tops, "He is Risen Indeed." 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 … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, Articles - Read, Depression, Loneliness, Music, Video Articles, Videos, What's New? Tagged With: Calendar, Chonda Pierce, Christianity, Easter, God, Jesus, Lord, Religion and Spirituality

The Top Christian Books About Grief and Loss

April 27, 2012 By admin Leave a Comment

Grief. It is such a simple word yet it holds sooo-o-o much emotion, doesn't it? A few months ago someone at Rest Ministries asked me what books I would recommend for some different areas of grief, and in looking at my list from years past, I realized sadly that many of them had gone out of print. So I started compiling a new list. To add to the books I was aware of, I asked a group of Christian women authors of a group I am part of, AWSA (Advanced Writers and Speakers Association). They eagerly told me what books they recommend to people (many of them are also counselors), and what books they had written of specific areas of grief. Some of these books we have even carried in our Rest Ministries bookstore over the years such as, The … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Books, Church Leader, Depression, Friend Has Illness, HopeKeepers Resources, Loneliness, Overwhelmed, Person w/ Illness, Support Group Leader, What's New? Tagged With: A Grief Observed, advanced writers and speakers association, awsa, books on grief, God, grief, Grief Loss and Bereavement, husband, Illness, loss of child, loss of loved one, Pain, resources on grief, Rest Ministries, San Diego, Suicide, widowhood, wife

Devotion: Allow God To Lead You Out of the Desert When Illness Makes You Want to Give Up

April 27, 2012 By admin 5 Comments

"But He brought His people out like a flock; He led them like sheep through the desert." (Psalm 78:52) I have made a number of drives over to Phoenix, from San Diego. It is dry and hot, yet before you reach the desert you go over mountains. I always think about the settlers who came through these difficult paths to reach San Diego and eventually settle there. How many horses were injured? How many wheels on covered wagon broken? How many people buried those they loved along that trail? But even more interesting to me is the question, did those who built a homestead out in the desert ever regret that they stopped? "Why didn't you keep going?" I want to ask. "Did you send out a scout and he never returned? Did you begin to believe the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Devotionals, Founder's Blog, Loneliness, Spiritually Struggling, What's New? Tagged With: God, Jesu, Kindle, lisa copen, Lord, Pacific Ocean, Rest Ministries, San Diego

What I’d Like to Tell My Pastor About Living with Illness

April 13, 2012 By admin 10 Comments

Living with chronic illness is lonely. Everyone around us seems to be enjoying health, happiness, and the ability to at least pursue their dreams. But many of us feel lonely, scared, and disappointed. We are faced with so many insecurities and we are living with an illness that we have not been able to pray away, cry away, or confess away. So we turn to our church for guidance, for acceptance, for unconditional support during the most difficult time in our life. But churches are made up of people—all of us imperfect. And our church does not always give us what we need; in fact, sometimes, the people say things that hurt us even more. "Everything will work out fine. Just keep praying." "If you just came to Bible study I am sure … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, Articles - Read, Caregiver, Church Leader, Depression, Explaining Illness, Friend Has Illness, HopeKeepers Resources, Hurt Feelings, Loneliness, Medical Professional, Need to Know, Parent of Ill or Disabled Child, Person w/ Illness, Person w/ lll Spouse, Share Your Story, Spiritually Struggling, Support Group Leader, Teen w/ Illness, What's New? Tagged With: care pastor, Christianity, Chronic, Chronic pain, Church, church disabilities ministry, Conditions and Diseases, Congregational, congregational care, Denominations, disability ministry, Disabled, disabled ministry, disablity, God, Health, Illness, Jesus, Joni Eareckson Tada, joni erickson tada, joni tada, Lord, Online Communities, parish, parish nurse, pastor, pastoral care, pastors, Prayer, Religion and Spirituality, Rest Ministries, small groups, Stephen Ministries, stephen ministry

4 Steps to Take to Get Rid of Resentment You May Hold Against Others

April 11, 2012 By admin Leave a Comment

By Leslie Vernick When someone hurts us, is foolish, or sins against us, the consequences of their behaviors often impact us more than the other person. Anger, bitterness and resentment can be the result. Even when someone hasn't intentionally inflicted harm, these negative emotions creep into our spirits and are hard to get rid of. Here are 4 things you can do if you find yourself stuck in resentment. 1. Ask yourself what purpose do these negative emotions serve? Is it payback? Is it an attitude of I get to be right? Or, is it that you haven't been able or willing to forgive Or, perhaps it is an indicator that you're angry and need to have a conversation with someone who has sinned against you in order to bring healing … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Anger, Articles, Articles - Read, Explaining Illness, Hurt Feelings, Loneliness, What's New? Tagged With: Anger, Apostle Paul, Emotion, God, leslie vernick, Paul, relationship, Resentment

Are You Willing to Wait to See God’s Plan In Your Illness?

March 15, 2012 By admin 2 Comments

“But if all of you are prophesying, and unbelievers or people who don’t understand these things come into your meeting, they will be convicted of sin and judged by what you say. As they listen, their secret thoughts will be exposed, and they will fall to their knees and worship God, declaring, ‘God is truly here among you’” (1 Corinthians 14:24-25, NLT). God used that passage of Scripture over six years to speak to me. He told me that my writing would bring people to Christ! I was searching and searching for an excuse to find a reason to write because writing was too difficult for me. I was so broken. My faith was not where it needed to be. My best intentions were a waste compared to my own disobedience and lack of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, Articles - Read, Depression, Loneliness, Person w/ Illness, Spiritually Struggling, What's New? Tagged With: Biola University, Christ, El-Shaddai, God, Jesus, Lord, NLT, Repentance

I Forgot. . . My Life is Not My Own. When You Attempt Suicide Due to Chronic Pain

March 12, 2012 By admin 3 Comments

By Claudette Palatsky It’s not a pretty story all wrapped up neatly, bow nestled nicely on top. Well, maybe it looked like that on the outside—we chronic pain sufferers understand that, “Oh, you look so good.” Looks, though, can be deceiving; appearances misleading, right? Who knows what it took just for you to get out of bed, let alone out the door, so that someone could comment on how wonderful you look behind that grimace of pain they think is a smile. You would think after more than 20 years of a right relationship with God, in service to Him, seeking Jesus, and loving His Word, that my testimony would be beautiful. So, what a shock to the friend who found me passed out, a bit of vomit on my chest, pasty, and barely … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, Articles - Read, Depression, Loneliness, Share Your Story, Spiritually Struggling, Suicidal Thoughts Tagged With: can't bear the pain, Christ, chronic illness and suicide, Chronic pain, chronic pain and suicide, coma-state, considering suicide, do you go to heaven if you commit suicide, God, Good news (Christianity), grace, HolySpirit, Jesus, mental ward, Rest Ministries, suicidal, Suicidal Thoughts, Suicide, thinking about suicide, You Attempt Suicide Due to Chronic Pain