Love

God LOVES You – Free Printable to Share

February 10, 2012 By admin 2 Comments

The song says, "All we need is love. . ." but what happens when we look around our life and we just don't feel loved? You may feel forgotten, invisible, dismissed, or even a low priority in the lives of those who you love. If Valentine's Day leaves a bitter taste in your mouth take a moment to print out this scripture, Jeremiah 31:3, ""I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness." Stick it in a pretty frame or just post it on your refrigerator. This week when everyone seems to be talking about roses and valentines and chocolates. . . remember that all of those things are temporary. In fact, none of them will last longer than a week or two. But the love from God is eternal. He has drawn YOU, and with … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Free Printables, Love, What's New? Tagged With: Classroom, Facebook, God, holiday, Home, Jeremiah, Opinions, Valentines Day

Carrying Super Rachel – The Logistics of When Your Wife Is Chronically Ill

May 30, 2011 By admin 3 Comments

By Matt Horne Caring for a chronically ill wife is not what I had envisioned when I was working up the nerve to ask out "that hot girl" who would later become my wife. We were in college and she was on the cross country team. She let me know very early on in the relationship that she had a chronic illness. Nowadays, it's just part of life. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't know what to do with myself if she were well. There's a reason I call her "Super Rachel." On her good days, she can run circles around me--cleaning, getting things checked off her to-do list, and having tons of fun. She's amazing. On top of that, she has the greatest attitude and rarely lets her condition get her down. As her dad says, she's an "overcomer." Instead … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, Cooking, Coping Skills, Love, Marriage, Organizing, Person w/ Illness, Person w/ lll Spouse, Share Your Story Tagged With: Chronic (medicine), chronically ill spouse, Dysautonomia, Exercise Physiology, Health, husband care-giver, husband caregiver, ill wife, in sickness and in health, marriage and illness, Once A Month Cooking, Person w/ lll Spouse, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome

How Do I Know God Loves Me If I Am Suffering So Much?

February 22, 2011 By admin 4 Comments

"For great is your love, higher than the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies." Psalm 108:4 Last year my son and I were cuddled up on the bed having one of those rare quiet moments where he just wanted personal attention and was holding still long enough for me to talk with him. I told him, "Do you know how much Mommy loves you?" "How much?" he asked. "I love you as high as the sky and as deep as the ocean" I told him. "I love you. . ." he started to say, trying to think of something to compare it with. ". . .as deep as the toilet!" [Ah. . . thanks, I think!] Well, maybe he was trying to think of a body of water like I had mentioned the ocean. We ARE loved. Valentine's Day is passed and suddenly all the store … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, Founder's Blog, Love, Spiritually Struggling, What's New? Tagged With: Bible, Facebook, God, Love of God, Psalms, Rest Ministries, Rheumatoid arthritis, Valentines Day

Ministering to Those Who Have Lost Someone They Love

February 13, 2011 By admin 1 Comment

By Fran Caffey Sandin “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep” (Romans 12: 15 NASB) Rejoicing comes easily when something good happens in the lives of friends. But when death and its sorrow invade a home, we often find ourselves struggling for an adequate response. We sincerely want to help, but deep inside we’re afraid of saying or doing the wrong thing, not being “strong” enough, or of becoming depressed. Who among us ever feels sufficient when death intrudes? And yet, that is when we’re needed most of all. The good news is that, in spite of our human weaknesses and fears, God can use us to uplift and encourage the bereaved. When the Holy Spirit dwells within our hearts, He will be our guide, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, Love, Need to Know, Relationships, What's New? Tagged With: Death, God, grief, Grief Loss and Bereavement, Health, Holy Spirit, Jeffrey, Mental Health

My Valentine’s Day Gift… of Pain?

February 3, 2011 By admin 5 Comments

By Dana Kennedy In a holy whisper, compassionate eyes searching my soul, He hands me a gift. “I love you, my child. As the cross is a symbol of my love, so is this gift. It’s not what you desire, but it will bring you more than you ever asked or imagined. Remember, all my gifts are good.” Tears course off His face as He leans down to kiss my forehead. As I carefully open the gift avoiding the thorns twisted into a bow, the blood red paper drops to the ground. I lift off the lid and peer into the tiny box. Before my mind can comprehend that it is empty, I am brought to my knees. Pain, fatigue, and weakness crash through my body pulling me under. Instantaneously, I am stricken with illness. “Oh, God! What have you given … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, Love, Person w/ Illness, Spiritually Struggling Tagged With: Chronic Illness, Chronic pain, Gift, Heart, Valentines Day

Remembering Each Person We Run Into is an Opportunity for Us to Encourage and Be Encouraged

November 8, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Every year as Thanksgiving approaches we start to receive some of these “cute” stories in our email box. . . but some so resonate with us that we want to pass them along and not save them for ourselves. I hope this is one that touches you. Thanks to Roy Weaver for sharing it with us here at Rest Ministries. An Anonymous Story called “Daniel’s Gloves” I sat, with two friends, in the picture window of a quaint restaurant just off the corner of the town-square. The food and the company were both especially good that day. As we talked, my attention was drawn outside, across the street. There, walking into town was a man who appeared to be carrying all his worldly goods on his back. He was carrying, a well-worn sign that read, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, Love, Spiritually Struggling, Support Group Leader, What's New? Tagged With: Bible, Christianity, God, Lord, New Jerusalem, Religion & Spirituality, Rest Ministries, Town square

Nurse Comforts Patients with Original Songs

May 9, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

If you have spent time in the hospital you know just how quickly the thrill of being in charge of the remote control can dry up. If family members or friends visit, you feel torn between the feelings of gratefulness that someone cares, & yet being exhausted by a simple conversation. Nurses, however, can hold so much influence however, in how our hospital stay really feels. When I was stuck in the hospital for 8 days with the flesh eating bacteria I didn't have a whole lot of visitors. (Can't imagine why, huh?) It was a nurse on her Sunday shift who sat & talked to me about her kids, the Fireproof movie, & other day to day stuff that made a couple hours quickly pass. Even nicer, when another nurse arrived for the next shift she said the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Caregiver, Health News, Love, Person w/ Illness, What's New?

Illness & Marriage – Please Don’t Kiss Me!

April 18, 2010 By admin 3 Comments

"I'm not going to kiss you..." Who would ever think that hearing these words from your spouse would be considered a sign of his deep love? As my husband and I celebrated our 14th anniversary recently at a nice hotel on the Oregon Coast, we walked on the beach hand in hand, and finally, after 3 days I said, "Just kiss me!" so he did. He'd been in the state of "getting sick" for the last week on and off. The 1000-mile drive (and all the caffeine I kept handing him on the way to stay awake) had not exactly helped him fight it off. Yep, that kiss was really stepping out of a safety zone. I'm glad to say I didn't get sick. Some of you may laugh. If you don't have a chronic illness, you may think this all sounds a bit odd. I mean, who … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, Caregiver, Founder's Blog, Love, Marriage, Person w/ Illness, Person w/ lll Spouse, Podcasts, Support Group Leader, What's New? Tagged With: care-giver, Caregiving, Chronic, Chronic Illness, Conditions and Diseases, Health, ill wife, Illness, in sickness and in health, lisa copen, Marriage, marriage and illness, Relationships, Rest Ministries, Rheumatoid arthritis, romance ill wife

Love & Marriage . . . & Illness

April 18, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

"I'm not going to kiss you." Who would ever think that hearing these words from your spouse would be considered a sign of his deep love? As my husb& & I celebrated our 14th anniversary recently at a nice hotel on the Oregon Coast, we walked on the beach h& in h&, & finally, after 3 days I said, "Just kiss me!" so he did. He'd been in the state of "getting sick" for the last week on & off. The 1000-mile drive (& all the caffeine I kept h&ing him on the way to stay awake) had not exactly helped him fight it off. Yep, that kiss was really stepping out of a safety zone. I'm glad to say I didn't get sick. Some of you may laugh. If you don't have a chronic illness, you may think this all sounds a bit odd. I mean, who is going to get … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, Caregiving, Founder's Blog, Love, Marriage, Person w/ Illness, Person w/ lll Spouse, Podcasts, What's New? Tagged With: add, adhd, asperger's, care-giver, Caregiving, Chronic, Chronic Illness, Conditions and Diseases, CureTogether, entetainment, finding strength in weakness, god's strength in our weakness, god's ways are not our ways, hard to be weak, Health, Illness, in sickness and in health, lisa copen, Marriage, marriage and cronic illness, marriage and illness, movies, Relationships, Rest Ministries, Rheumatoid arthritis, sensory integration disorders, Sphygmomanometer, theater, Wii, Wii Balance Board, Wii Fit

Celebrate You or Someone You Care About

April 7, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

The Bible tells us, "She is more precious than rubies" (Proverbs 3:15) but if you cannot afford rubies to celebrate you maybe a cute little certificate on your wall would do for now? Certificate Street has dozens of free certificates that you can easily edit & print out. This also makes a great way to reward a child of a special accomplishment or maybe just a reminder of how much God loves them! Make yourself a certificate that reminds you that you are precious in His sight. Or if you have a sense of humor make up one that says you are a professional at living with chronic illness. Want to make someone on your medical team smile? Make up a certificate for "best listener" for your favorite nurse. Maybe you could surprise your spouse by … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Links, Love, Our Best Tips, Parenting, Silly Stuff Tagged With: Bible, Chronic, Chronic Illness, Conditions and Diseases, God, Health, Muscular Dystrophy, pregnant and illness

Send a Soldier a Bible

March 19, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Have you ever considered how precious something like a Bible could be to someone who risks his or her life every day? When is the last time you gave a gift that you knew could change a person's life? Requests for Rapid Deployment Kits, which contain a New Testament with Psalms & Proverbs, a daily devotional, and an evangelistic booklet all packaged in a waterproof bag, are requested for 15-20,000 soldiers each month through Campus Crusade for Christ's Military Ministry. Find out more info on what & where to send it. Their web site states: A grateful mom of an Air Force recruit recently shared: You have no idea how blessed [our son] was in receiving the [Rapid Deployment Kit] . . . You all provided him with exactly what he … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Links, Love, Our Best Tips, What's New? Tagged With: Bible, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Christian, Clinics and Practices, definition loneliness, depression and loneliness, Evangelism, FluMist, Hebrew grammar, help for loneliness, Lazarus, Live attenuated influenza vaccine, loneliness meaning, navy, New Jerusalem, Niphal, Pantry, Peek, Porphyria, Psalms, Town square, Website

Happy Valentines Day

February 14, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

… [Read more...]

Filed Under: Holidays, Love, Scriptures, What's New?