We shared the story of Matt Krueger previously on our web site in April 2011. His story was recently on Christian Broadcasting Network.

Matt says, “They did a great job on the piece! We are blessed to share God’s story with the World and are interested in sharing the music and message with more. . . I never thought I would be on the same program as John Tesh or Pat Robertson… LOL. God works in wonderful ways.”

At the age of 22, when Matt had a heart scan, he was told by his doctors he needed immediate surgery or he could have a heart attack. He married his girlfriend, and at the age of 27 had 6 stents inserted into his heart to open up the blocked arteries.

This is a beautiful 5-minute video I encourage you to watch. You will be encouraged, maybe shed a few tears with Matt’s wife, and see what god has done in his life.

Matt shares in the broadcast, “Life is shorter than we think and none of us want to think about death, but it will come to all of us… He just wants us, going forward, to continue to love Him and to grow in Him, so that when we get to that judgement day we’ve done what we can on this earth for Him and we can spend the rest of eternity with Him.”

Listen to some of >Matt Krueger’s music here.

The Gift of Pain

Physical, emotional, chronic –

Consumes, swallows, saps,

Drains.

Connecting, responding,

Reaching out

Requires more

Energy,

Effort,

Emotion,

Than the pain sometimes allows,

Leaving me separated, isolated,

Alone.

Words lie flat on printed pages –

Unclear,

Obscure,

Perplexing.

Thoughts drift, wander,

Swirl out of reach,

Refusing to make sense,

Take shape,

Opaque,

Leaving me wordless,

Isolated,

Alone.

Pain is difficult to define,

Describe, color,

Number, name,

A formless image,

A vapor, a mist,

A mirage

That dissolves, dissembles, disappears

As I try to capture it in words,

Wanting it to be concrete,

Quantifiable,

Understandable to others…

To me.

Yet the mystery

Is that once accepted,

Embraced,

Understood as allowed

By the Hand of my Heavenly Father,

Pain becomes a gift –

A mysterious,

Powerful,

Incomprehensible gift –

Able to refine, cleanse,

Justify, purify

And strengthen my soul,

Deepening my faith

And leaving in its wake,

A humble,

Useful, usable

Teachable,

Willing spirit,

Intrinsically reflecting

The heart and soul and mind

Of GOD.

Cindee Snider Re lives in Wisconsin with her husband and their five children (ages 10-18).  She’s a homeschooling mom who enjoys long walks, quiet evenings, and strong, black tea, who is also learning to live well with a permanent spine and rib injury, an unexpected blessing through which her best writing is born.  Cindee’s writing can be found at: http://www.breathedeeply.org.

By Mark J. Yerkes, The Simple Life, Part 3 of 3

Depth in Relationships and Life

Of course, no discussion of simple living would be complete without addressing relationships. Relationships matter. A lot.

I met with my friend Robbie for lunch this week, and the issue of relationships came up. He made an observation that captivated me. He said many of us go through life like skipping stones.

Do you remember skipping stones as a child? The pastime involves throwing a stone with a flattened surface across a lake or other body of water in such a way that it bounces off the surface of the water. Robbie describes it this way, “Many of us are skipping rocks in our relationship with God and one another.

We rush through life at such a pace that we hit the surface of interaction. . .and we bounce to the next person or the next big thing.” He points out that in the process, we miss the depth and richness of relationships. “If we slowed down long enough, we would sink to the depth of relationship that God has in mind.”

This past year, I have been intentional about going deeper in life and relationships. I am opening myself up to others in a new way, without pretense or apology. I share the good, the bad, and the ugly. My friends know me and love me despite my self-centeredness, my half-baked ideas, and the way that I sometimes try to make myself out to be something that I am not.

They have taught me not only love but also grace, a kindness I don’t deserve. What I receive from them and others, I seek to freely give to all those who come across my path. The woman at the cash register who rung up my purchase wrong twice, while I was standing there in pain. Grace. The neighbor whose dog did his business in my front yard. Grace. The friend who showed up a half hour late for lunch. Grace.

I am learning to look beyond the surface and into the hearts and lives of the people around me. It’s changing me. And I think it’s changing them, too.

My relationship with God has deepened, too. I have moved from religion and fabricated rules to deepening spirituality and real freedom. I worship not only in church but with the whole of my life and relationships.

Yes, my health is deteriorating.

What I did a year ago, I can no longer do.

But as I funnel my limited strength and energy through the filter of my life’s purpose and reach out with love and grace to others, I am learning that I can live with far less than I think. To live a significant, meaningful life, I need very little. And what I need is not found in achieving or acquiring more.

This past year as I have began to remove more and more clutter from my life, I found what I’ve been missing in the busyness of life. For the first time in years, my external world-my home, my relationships, how I spend my time-line up with my internal compass as I live out my life’s purpose. Most days, I have a deep, abiding sense of peace and purpose.

How about you?

Share below! Do you have a deep, abiding sense of peace and purpose? If not, what one thing could you do to change this?

Did you miss a day of our 3-part series? Here are the links:

1. The Simple Life: Intentional Living for the Chronically Ill – Part 1 of 3
2. Removing the Clutter: Part 2 of 3 with Mary Yerkes
3. Depth in Relationships and Life: Part 3 of 3 with Mary Yerkes

Mary Yerkes facilitates spiritual and personal transformation in the lives of believers through coaching, writing, speaking, and teaching. She is active helping the chronically ill, women in Christian leadership, the and new and aspiring writers find their purpose, live their passion, and experience abundant life through intimacy with Jesus Christ. To learn more about Mary and her ministry, visit www.newlifechristiancoaching.com and www.maryyerkes.com.

By Mark J. Yerkes, The Simple Life, Part 2 of 3

Removing the Clutter

Personally, I’ve made several significant changes to my life over the past year, all of which fall under the category of moving toward a more simple, meaningful life that supports my life purpose and gives me the time and energy I need to focus of what I value most. I have not yet arrived, but I am headed in the right direction.

Here is the first significant change I’ve made over the past year, along with the benefits this, and the change I share with you tomorrow, brought:

Home as Sanctuary

For most of my life, I viewed my home as a quick place to refuel rather than a sanctuary. Cluttered with things acquired over more than thirty years of marriage, I had my space (my office and bookcases) and my husband had his (the basement and garage). The basement contained his lazy-boy leather recliners while my office featured artwork, books, and pops of color. And never the twain shall meet.

As my health declined, I began spending more time at home. The cry of my soul was for a sanctuary and a space that would reflect not only me but us as a couple. And so I created one.

My husband and I sold our beaten-up, clunky furniture, along with the tschotchkes we had scattered throughout the house that survived our son’s growing up years, two dogs, and two rabbits in a garage sale. We replaced our old things with simple, inexpensive furniture with clean lines. We painted the walls, cleared the clutter, and created the home of our dreams–all while staying on a budget. Our home now reflects us as individuals and as a couple. It brings together two very different personalities as one, a reflection of the marital relationship and union.

Just as we retain our individuality in marriage, so, too, we’ve made for individual expression in our home. As a writer and coach, I spend many hours in my office, so I needed a warm, inviting, and inspiring space where I could spend hours at a time. I painted the walls a spicy red with orange undertones, aptly names Salsa Dancing, and filled the room with books, artwork, and family photos. My husband is creating a media room in the basement, filled with leather recliners and football paraphernalia.

My home is a sanctuary, a place of refuge that nourishes my soul and feeds my spirit. It is a place where I worship God by honoring the person he created me to be-a wife, a friend, a writer, a coach.

But it’s more than that.

What I failed to realize was the impact it would have on my relationships. More stuff usually means less time for relationships. I resisted friends just “dropping by” before, because the house was cluttered, and I could never clean the whole house at once with my limited mobility. With less to clean, I now have more time to cultivate meaningful relationships; and I love when friends drop by for coffee or conversation.

My home also gives me “soul space. . . room to breathe and freedom to dream,” as my friend, Jerome Daley, describes in his book, “Soul Space: Where God Breaks In.” In it, he says, “Only a few things are necessary. The rest is clutter.”

With the clutter gone, all that surrounds me supports my life purpose-to foster spiritual and personal transformation in the lives of others through writing, coaching, speaking, and teaching.

I had no idea how significant a few simple changes could be.

Share below! Where would you start in your home, even in little ways, to make your home your sanctuary? (If you need to begin with just a night stand!)

Tomorrow Mary Yerkes will share about how relationships are a vital part of our life and finding contentment in keeping life simple so we can put our energies into these important friendships.

Chronic Illness Coach Mary Yerkes sparks hope in the lives of those facing life challenges and change. Through a prayer-soaked, thought-provoking, creative partnership, she helps people find their purpose and live their passion for greater kingdom impact and abundant living in Christ. To learn more about Mary, visit www.newlifechristiancoaching.com and www.maryyerkes.com.

By Mary J. Yerkes, Part 1 of 3

Simple living can seem elusive. In a world focused on achieving and accumulating more and bumper stickers that read, “He who dies with the most toys wins,” the reality of simple living seems like some pie-in-the sky ambition, a trend. Despite the proliferation of products, books, magazines, classes, and organizational systems guaranteed to simplify our lives, most of us continue to hurry through live, pursuing activities and making purchases that ultimately add to life’s clutter. There has to be a better way.

As my rheumatoid arthritis and autoimmune diseases have worsened over the years, my desire for simple living has grown. It has become a quality of life issue for me; and if you live with chronic illness, it is one for you as well. Ask yourself, “Do I really want to spend my limited physical and emotional energy dusting rooms full of things I never use? How much physical, emotional, and spiritual space could I free up if I removed the clutter from my life?”

But how do you define simple living? What’s simple for me might not be simple for you.

I have looked for a satisfying definition for years, but could never seem to find one that fit. Until now. My thanks to author Tsh Oxenreider, who wrote “Organized Simplicity: The Clutter Free Approach to Intentional Living,” for her definition, which I have adopted for my life as well.

She says this, “It applies to everybody; it’s timeless, and it’s not bound by cultural trends or norms. It can be your definition for the rest of your life.” Her definition of simple living is this: “living holistically with your life’s purpose.” And I would add: life purpose is always directed toward others.

Holistic living means the different parts of your life all line up in the same direction-toward your life’s purpose. “All the independent things in your life–the items you own, how you spend your time, the relationships you cultivate, and the books you read–ultimately benefit your life’s purpose,” writes Oxenreider. “There is no clutter. The hours and days and weeks reflect your priorities, and so does the space in which you live.”

So simple, yet so profound.

Share below! How much physical, emotional, and spiritual space could you free up if you removed the clutter from your life?

> Tomorrow we are going to discuss how to remove the clutter and turn one’s home into a sanctuary–even on a limited budget!

Christian Chronic Illness Coach Mary Yerkes partners with the chronically ill to address issues related to living successfully with chronic illness, redefining purpose, and building a significant and meaningful life, of which illness is only a part. To learn more about Chronic Illness Coaching with Mary, visit www.newlifechristiancoaching.com.

I recently had the blessed experience of chatting briefly with Sherry Boettcher author of “Living a Meaningful Life” She has had such a good response from her readers, as well as many testimonials that inspire others to read and share her book.

Sherry, thank you for taking time to speak to me today, can you tell us a little about yourself and why you felt led to write the book “Living a Meaningful Life”?

Thank you, Debbi. Oh, how it breaks my heart that there are so many of us who hurt, but I’m so glad we can encourage one another and that God offers us all hope! I guess one of the most encouraging things for me has been the response from readers, giving me the affirmation that my book is touching hurting hearts and truly giving them hope and encouragement.

I’ll start by saying my name is Sherry Boettcher and I have had fibromyalgia from birth. I was diagnosed at the age of 18 and I nearly died from complications in 1998 which landed me in a wheelchair for several years. Though I’ve never felt well, and I face pain and many challenges each day, I feel that my life has been very blessed.

I love to do art work (when able), talk on the phone (with a head set), spend time with my husband and our two dogs, and spend time with God and in His word. God’s wonderful care, love, and provision through extreme difficulty is what inspired me to write “Living a Meaningful Life.”

The thought that there were others who were going through the same things, perhaps without the comfort of being understood, believed, and loved, helped me persevere. It took me four years from start to finish. I just kept thinking, “If I can reach one person with God’s comfort and love, if one life can be saved from the ruin, it will be worth it all!” The letters I have received have indeed made it worth while!

What is the key message you would like your readers to grasp?

The key message I want readers to grasp when reading my book is that they are priceless, that they have great value, and that their value is never affected by there limitations. They are not alone and that there are others who understand, believe, and care. And that most of all, God understands, cares, and experiences their suffering right along with them!

What inspired you to chose the title “Living a Meaningful Life”?

I chose the title “Living a Meaningful Life” because that is what I believe each one of us can have, no matter what our limitations! I may not be rich or have the perfect health I wish for, but my life if full of blessing and abiding comfort. God gives me comfort and joy even during the most trying times and that is what makes my life worth living. Sharing the secret to happiness and hope is what I want to share with my readers!

Can you tell us a bit more about your book and little about some of the reader’s responses to your book?

My goal in life is to give hope to others who are hurting, by offering understanding, encouragement, practical advice, and hope. I believe there is hope, because God is coming soon to take all who choose Him to a world where we will never ever be sick again and we will get to do so much more than we ever could have here! Praise God!

I want to offer hope to others, because I know what it is like to be sick, tired, and in pain, and I would want others to do the same for me. Please know that writing is hard for me, like emails etc., but I enjoy encouraging others on the phone when ever possible.

Just the other day I had the privilege to talk with a lady who had just read my book, she was so encouraged and said she felt like I was an old friend, that my book had given her such comfort, hope, and re-assurance that what she suffered was not imaginary and that someone understood.

Another lady contacted me whose friend had lent her a copy of my book. She is in her sixties and suffers immensely, but said my book had been such a comfort and inspiration to her that she had read it three times and now wanted her own copy!

It truly gives me great joy to know that my little book can make such a great difference in the lives of others who are hurting. God is so good and He cares for us all! My heart is filled with gratitude to Him, for allowing me the joy of encouraging others, even though it has meant I must walk the same painful path.

Thank you Sherry! I am sure there will be many who will be truly blessed by reading your book. God bless you.

Debbi Farmer is a retired homeschool teaching mom, who presently has opened her fun-dream “small business” even while facing many health challenges in her life. Debbi has worked many years with Rest Ministries in both the “Beyond Surviving Homeschool” forums as well as writing devotionals for the “Chronic Illness” forum. She has had many short stories, devotionals, as well as poems and gospel songs published over the years, and is now presently enjoying life with her husband of almost 30 years, walking where the Lord leads us.

You can find out more at Sherry’s web site, Hope4Hurting. Rest Ministries does not specifically endorse this book, as our founder has not yet read it personally.