Dominic Cook

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 thing since. I spent my teenage years in New York City where I worked in the music business and learned a lot before I moved back to Virginia. [You can read his complete bio here on his web site, he has quite an amazing testimony!]

How did you get your stage name?

My stage name, “Dooch,” is actually a life long nick name that was given to me as a baby. But my alias, “Hope Boy,” is a name that I picked up as I’ve been known to give people hope. In the streets the drug dealers are known as “d-boys” which means dope boys because of what they sell. I see myself as the opposite of them as a hope boy, one who gives out hope instead of dope.

What kind of music do you perform?

The kind of music I do is rap to say the least. I desire my music to inspire people and give them hope. To comfort the broken and hurting, to be a voice for the voice-less and to stand up for the oppressed.

Can you give us some personal background on yourself and your battle with clinical depression?

I have been a Christian for almost 7 years now and this is when I first noticed my battle with being melancholy. However, I believe that this has been a struggle for much longer. While a teenager, I was addicted to alcohol, weed, and cigarettes so I think that the struggles were masked.

When I became a Christian I immediately became sober and that’s when I realized what I was dealing with. Every day has been a literal fight and battle for me, as every day either started off gray or quickly turned gray. I was heavily into the Word of God and that is what keep me grounded, hoping for a brighter day, but the “melancholy” soon affected all areas of my life.

It has affected my work, relationships, self esteem, plus more, and for all these years I never went to the doctor. I just thought it was normal, I never thought it was depression. A year ago our 2-month-old son passed away suddenly and this brought my wife into a place of depression. This ultimately caused both of us to receive help. This is when I was finally diagnosed with chronic depression.

How has music helped you?

When I started recording music that was true and real to me and my life it became a avenue of release and healing to me. I was able to get stuff out and it brought healing to me to be able to do that. It encouraged me when I saw others who heard the music cry and talk of how they deal or dealt with the same things and how my music helped them.

It made me believe that even my pain and depression could and would be used for God’s glory and for good.

How do you think your music might be able to help someone else?

I think it’s hard for people who deal with depression because of all of the myths about it and the “cooties” that people who deal with depression have. So a lot of people who suffer from depression are too ashamed or scared to admit to it that they suffer from it. Especially for Christians having depression is seen as taboo and it’s frowned upon so most people who suffer from it feel as if they can’t tell anyone or they will be ostracized, frowned upon and judged.

So, I think my music will meet these people where they are–both believer and un-believer alike–and let them know that God loves them, He is here for them, and they are special.

They have a purpose, they are someone.

It will let them know that they are not alone, they are loved and it’s okay, that they can reach out for help.

Can you tell us about your song and video and where our readers here at Rest Ministries can check your music out?

My latest song and video is called Drowning, [you can see video at end of this article] and I wrote this song a few months after my son passed, as I was walking through a very dark season. I felt as if I was drowning, I hated my life, I disliked everything and everyone and just wanted life to be over, so I poured my heart out in this song–everything I was feeling and dealing with–and just cried out to God, asking Him to help me. It was a true expression of my heart, something I equate to a modern day psalm of sort.

You can check out my music at www.youtube.com/godisdope and you can follow me at www.doochakahb.tumblr.com

Can you share some of your inspiration?

Yes. These are my two “life verses” so to say. I believe that my life is a letter written for all to see for the glory of God and whether I deal with depression or something else and He comforts me, He will use that to comfort others.

2 Corinthians 1:1-7 3 Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. He comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so through Christ our comfort also overflows. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation. If we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is experienced in your endurance of the same sufferings that we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that as you share in the sufferings, so you will share in the comfort.

2 Corinthians 3:3 The Message:
Your very lives are a letter that anyone can read by just looking at you. Christ himself wrote it—not with ink, but with God’s living Spirit; not chiseled into stone, but carved into human lives—and we publish it.

Wow. . .

This interview and your video are such a heartfelt blessing. I cried through the video! Thank you so much for sharing this with us. You are a remarkable young man and your testimony will help so many. May the Lord hold you close and comfort you.

Thank you so very much for your time and for doing this interview. I would like to leave you with a quote that I love which is in Latin. “Spes Mea in Deo” that means “My hope is in God.”

May your hope be in God, who can and will take your pain, depression, sufferings and hurt and use it for His glory and to comfort and minister to others.

Debbi Farmer, a part-time writer in North Carolina, lives a song-filled life now with her family thanks to the Lord’s wonderful and sufficient grace after suffering from severe clinical depression herself. Today she suffers from several illnesses including Fibromyalgia, but the Lord is good and has helped her face the trials of life and even waddle through them. She wishes she could give you all a cheerful hug today and share with you a song of hope.

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 the faith that God is always with us and will fight those battles for us.

This being said, the Lord gave me a new set of words for the code PASS: Pray, Ask, Seek, and Stand.

As I thought about this, it occurred to me that this would work in just about any situation. We must always pray about any situation, whether we are praising and thanking Him for a blessing or praying about a serious situation that needs to change, or simply talking with Him during the day.

Pray:

Prayer is our closest and best communication with God, as it is a direct line (Jesus on the mainline, tell Him what you want!) between you and Him. He gave us the manner of prayer that covers all things that we know as “The Lord’s Prayer.”

If you really study the Lord’s Prayer, it covers everything you could face throughout a day. It is something that my family says every morning before we even leave the house. 1 Thessalonians says to “pray without ceasing.”

Ask:

That leads us into the next word which is to ask. According to James 1:6, he says “But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.” I have been here before. I have doubted Him on my journey more times than I can even begin to count. Jesus says that when we ask, or ask in faith, we shall receive. He can answer our prayers the way that He knows is best for us and in His due time.

A lot of Christians in this world have not learned and do not practice patience, and sometimes expect Jesus to become their Santa Claus, of sorts, or a genie. I heard someone once refer to Jesus answering prayer as a McDonald’s drive-through, where one can ask for something and have it granted to them instantly. Not so! My, how they were steered in the wrong direction! He will answer our prayers; it may just not be in the way or the timing that we expect it to be.

Seek:

Next we come to seek. My family just went through a period of a time without having a car; because of the urgency of the situation and the fact that we had doctor’s appointments and such to get to, we began looking for a car immediately. We called everyone we knew for prayer and to see if they knew someone with a car in our price range. My mother and I were on Craigslist all day every day for a week and a half, and we posted all over Facebook looking for prayers and/or a car before we were finally blessed with one that was perfect for us.

After we had the car for a day or two, the Lord pressed this upon my spirit: If we search that hard for a vehicle, lost car keys, misplaced wallet, or anything else we may lose, why can we then not apply to the same level of seeking into His word and building a relationship with Him?

This started me on my newfound walk. I want to seek and search for Him and His word just as hard as I did for a vehicle. Imagine, if I apply the same level of seeking to Him as I did to this car, how much stronger can my relationship with Him get? Awesome stuff!

Stand:

Last is the word stand. We have talked about praying, asking, and seeking so far. 1 Corinthians 16:13 says to “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.” God is our ever-present help and our light in the midst of the darkness. If we stand upon His word and trust in Him, we cannot go wrong. We will face trouble, but Jesus is the conqueror over all the evil in this world.

John 16:33, a favorite verse, says “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Some of us have heard this quoted before, but just as a reminder, Matthew 18:20 says, “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

If this is true, can you imagine what God can do if we band together as one body in Him, as one group of believers and pray for our nation and the condition that our world is in today? The things that could change in the lives of our families and those around us if we stand strong in His name as believer? My, what a mighty move God can make! My, how many mountains will move! If we truly stand in agreement one with another, God can change things.

Pray, ask, seek and stand

Are you ready for the battle? Are you ready to fight the fire? Are you ready to be diligent in service and give it to God? I know I’m ready to go! May God bless and keep each and every one of you; I love you and may He keep a hedge of protection about you at all times.

Shelby Boughman is 21 years and currently resides in Canton, Ohio. She is a proud godmother to two boys ages 6 and 5. Shelby and her oldest godson Elijah are both cancer survivors of a rare and aggressive form of childhood lung cancer known as Pleuropulmonary Blastoma (PPB).

In the midst of other health issues and short-term memory loss, Shelby has rededicated and surrendered her life back to God. She is currently in the process of writing her autobiography about the journey she has come through during her lifetime and is starting a singing and testimony ministry in the local churches and nursing homes. If you would like to keep updated on Shelby’s whereabouts and her walk in faith, please feel free to visit her website at http://travelingapostle.webs.com and follow her on Twitter @sbough90. She is always looking to meet new people and bless them in any way she can!

You can see more of her amazing story on this video.

Do you remember passing notes in school? Us girls always seemed to have a need to put the most basic of thoughts or questions down on paper, fold them up in little shapes and maybe write the recipient’s name on it; it likely even included a few doodled stars or hearts.

Occasionally, we even passed a note along to a boy. Like the country song George Strait sings, “Yes or No”, we would write “Do you wanna be my friend? / Check yes or no” and include the little boxes beside the yes or no.

A yes. . . or a no. . . could determine our mood for days.

Did you know you are a letter? The scripture above reminds us that people read us. And when they do, what do they find out about Christ? About God’s love? About grace or forgiveness?

We are all imperfect, which is why we also need to be reminded daily about who we are in Christ. without Him and knowing Him, we will never be able to represent Him well.

Below is a love letter from God to you. I have seen this on the Internet but have yet to find the source of the person who compiled it to offer credit. But the true source of this love letter is God’s Word itself.

Print this off–a few copies–and place them on your bathroom mirror, inside the front flap of your Bible, in a note of encouragement to a friend. It is well worth recalling God’s unconditional and almighty love He loves us with.

About the Author:
Lisa Copen is the founder of Rest Ministries and she lives in San Diego with her husband and son. She is gradually learning how to balance motherhood, family, illness, and ministry, but she still knows it will be a lifetime lesson. You can see the books she has written, including, Why Can’t I Make People Understand? at the Rest Ministries shop.

My Child

You may not know me, but I know everything about you – Psalm 139:1
I know when you sit down and when you rise up – Psalm 139:2
I am familiar with all your ways – Psalm 139:3
Even the very hairs on your head are numbered – Matthew 10:29-31
For you were made in my image – Genesis 1:27
In me you live and move and have your being – Acts 17:28
For you are my offspring – Acts 17:28
I knew you even before you were conceived – Jeremiah 1:4-5
I chose you when I planned creation – Ephesians 1:11-12
You were not a mistake, for all your days are written in my book – Psalm 139:15-16
I determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live – Acts 17:26
You are fearfully and wonderfully made – Psalm 139:14
I knit you together in your mother’s womb – Psalm 139:13
And brought you forth on the day you were born – Psalm 71:6
I have been misrepresented by those who don’t know me – John 8:41-44
I am not distant and angry, but am the complete expression of love – 1 John 4:16
And it is my desire to lavish my love on you – 1 John 3:1
Simply because you are my child and I am your father – 1 John 3:1
I offer you more than your earthly father ever could – Matthew 7:11
For I am the perfect father – Matthew 5:48
Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand – James 1:17
For I am your provider and I meet all your needs – Matthew 6:31-33
My plan for your future has always been filled with hope – Jeremiah 29:11
Because I love you with an everlasting love – Jeremiah 31:3
My thoughts toward you are countless as the sand on the seashore – Psalm 139:17-18
And I rejoice over you with singing – Zephaniah 3:17
I will never stop doing good to you – Jeremiah 32:40
For you are my treasured possession – Exodus 19:5
I desire to establish you with all my heart and all my soul – Jeremiah 32:41
And I want to show you great and marvelous things – Jeremiah 33:3
If you seek me with all your heart, you will find me – Deuteronomy 4:29
Delight in me and I will give you the desires of your heart – Psalm 37:4
For it is I who gave you those desires – Philippians 2:13
I am able to do more for you than you could possibly imagine – Ephesians 3:20
For I am your greatest encourager – 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17
I am also the Father who comforts you in all your troubles – 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
When you are brokenhearted, I am close to you – Psalm 34:18
As a shepherd carries a lamb, I have carried you close to my heart – Isaiah 40:11
One day I will wipe away every tear from your eyes – Revelation 21:3-4
And I’ll take away all the pain you have suffered on this earth – Revelation 21:3-4
I am your Father, and I love you even as I love my son, Jesus – John 17:23
For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed – John 17:26
He is the exact representation of my being – Hebrews 1:3
He came to demonstrate that I am for you, not against you – Romans 8:31
And to tell you that I am not counting your sins – 2 Corinthians 5:18-19
Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled – 2 Corinthians 5:18-19
His death was the ultimate expression of my love for you – 1 John 4:10
I gave up everything I loved that I might gain your love – Romans 8:31-32
If you receive the gift of my son Jesus, you receive me – 1 John 2:23
And nothing will ever separate you from my love again – Romans 8:38-39
Come home and I’ll throw the biggest party heaven has ever seen – Luke 15:7
I have always been Father, and will always be Father – Ephesians 3:14-15
My question is – Will you be my child? – John 1:12-13
I am waiting for you – Luke 15:11-32

Love,
Your Dad, Almighty God

You can now read this on your Kindle. Find out more at http://TodaysDevotionOnKindle.com

How does it make you feel about yourself and your circumstances when you truly see yourself as the precious gift God sees you?

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 Pacific Ocean didn’t exist or was months away by foot?”

How many families had to make the difficult choice between stopping and being assured they would have food and shelter, versus continuing on, not knowing what lay over those hills. More hills, famine, or sickness? Who made it to the ocean and, though their bodies ached and even suffered some permanent disabilities, they sat by the ocean and were in awe about God’s creation of the sea?

Living a life full of chronic illness we face daily struggles, infections, side effects, and life-risking choices more frequently than most people. When we hit that desert in our life, it is tempting to just sit down and say, “Lord, I can’t go another step. I am done.”

Rather than giving up, however, give in. Give in to accepting the strength God offers when your own is completely depleted. If you sit down in the desert and just give up, you will surely never feel the ocean breeze, see the power of the Lord in those waves. Keep on going until you reach the place where you can sit down and say, “Thank You, Lord. We made it. I have reached a place of joy despite the ache of my bones.”

Whenever I am feeling weak, tired, and wondering where God is in it all, I go to the ocean. Fortunately, I have always lived within an hour of the Pacific Ocean. Even in my earliest days of being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, I remember feeling pulled to the shores to talk to the Lord about my future.

Don’t give up and live in the desert of life. Instead, give in and accept Jesus’ hand as He pulls you to the seashore.

Prayer: Lord, it is so hard to keep putting one foot in front of the other most days and I know I cannot do it on my own. Help me when I feel like giving up. When I am tempted to just give in and cancel all my plans and live in isolation, don’t allow me to get stuck here. Amen.

About the Author:
Lisa Copen is the founder of Rest Ministries and she lives in San Diego with her husband and son. She is gradually learning how to balance motherhood, family, illness, and ministry, but she still knows it will be a lifetime lesson. You can see the books she has written, including, Why Can’t I Make People Understand? at the Rest Ministries shop.

You can now read this on your Kindle. Find out more at http://TodaysDevotionOnKindle.com

Have you ever felt like just sitting down in the desert and say, “I give up! I cannot go another step. This will have to do”? When have you made the choice to grab Jesus’ hand and have Him pull you to His warmth, leading you to His seashore?

Worship can be expressed in various forms. Some examples are through music, tithes and offerings, responding to the teaching of God’s Word, and performing acts of service and mercy in God’s name. This verse suggests something else to me as well–worshiping God through my sacrifices of earthly suffering.

I am slowly learning to be aware of ways in which I can do this. As I endure the ongoing struggle with migraines day after day, I am trying to praise God for the ability He gives me to keep functioning and serving through them.

When I am not able to sit, stand, or walk well because of back pain, I write devotionals on my knees. When the eye pain is so intense that I can’t read or use the computer or television, I listen to Bible study tapes or worship music and pray for others. None of these things are done in my own strength–it is all done by the power of Christ giving me not only the ability but the desire to do them.

There are many times when I don’t offer my sufferings as a willing sacrifice. Sometimes all I can do is sit in agony or despair and cry to the Lord, pleading for mercy and endurance. God understands that. But each time I offer my pain and suffering in an attitude of worship as a sacrifice on the altar of praise, God does something wonderful.

Whether now or later, He turns the ashes of my offerings into beauty and gives me a garment of praise for my spirit of heaviness. Whether praising or crying, I want to remember that my body is God’s living temple, and regardless of its physical condition, it can be a beautiful place of sacrifice to Him.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, give me a willing spirit to view my sufferings as a sacrificial offering to You, and show me ways I can do this through my specific circumstances. I praise and thank you Lord for accomplishing this through me. Amen.

About the Author:
Bronlynn Spindler lives in VA and is blessed to have the support and encouragement of a wonderful husband and three grown daughters. God’s grace and strength have brought her through thyroid cancer and continue to sustain her through ongoing back pain, depression, headaches, vision problems, and fibromyalgia. You may view her blog of devotionals at www.aplaceofsprings57.blogspot.com.

You can now read this on your Kindle. Find out more at http://TodaysDevotionOnKindle.com

Are there certain ways that you are able to praise and worship God even when you are suffering?

Postcard image Copyright Donna Riner Weber

By Donna Riner Weber

Numerous items fell onto the bed as I dumped the contents of my purse. One especially drew my attention–a post card of 4 adorable white fuzzy, fluffy puppies.

It reminded me of the mini-type postcards that I like to share. I purchase the little 15 cent variety from the Christian Book Stores. Adorable baby animals create the backdrop for a Bible verse on one side. On the opposite side I usually write a Bible verse or some type of message I feel God leads me to write.

I place these in restaurants, hotel rooms, restrooms etc.–wherever, God leads. Then I pray for the person whom God will lead to the little card.

It brings pleasure to me as I sprinkle these in various places as we travel. Although I love to travel, I have chronic pain which gets worse as we travel.

A couple of years ago, Brian and I were on a trip to New Orleans to visit family. My pain was just about unbearable. I took my medicine. We prayed. I cried. We prayed. And I cried some more. I could take the travel no longer. We stopped.

I went into a ladies room. A postcard caught my attention. It had 4 adorable, little fluffy, fuzzy white puppies. You got it—the same postcard of the puppies that fell out of my purse.

Ever since that day, I’ve had that postcard in my purse.

“Why?” You wonder.

Because as I turned the post card over, someone had written 4 words—only 4 words— “Jesus Knows Your Pain.”

As I took the card, I cried–but this time for a different reason. I knew God had directed someone to leave this card with this message for me.

I needed to be reminded that God knew what I was going through right at that moment. God knew exactly where we would stop and which restroom I would go into. He sent His messenger with the perfect message especially for me. How awesome!

What about us and the messages we leave in our Faithbooks? God already knows who will be reading them.

I would like to challenge you to fulfill the scripture that says “Make the most of every opportunity.” Colossians 4:5.

Whether it‘s a 4-word message, a scripture, or a story, God knows the message and He will give it to you. Who knows it may be for a person who will read it tomorrow or for someone who will read it years from now.

But the right person at the right time will get the message God wants them to have.

Why? Because you are God’s messenger today!

Donna Riner Weber is the founder of Scrapbook Your Christian Faith and she lives with a chronic condition. Next Tuesday we will be featuring an interview with her! You can visit her web site to get “Five Faithbook Lessons,” as well as the newsletter “Faithbooking Bits and Pieces” with tips and techniques about Scrapbooking Your Christian Faith.

I recently wrote about this new blog on 3/30/12, New Thinking About Suicide Blog Offers Eternal Hope. Some of you, however, missed this post and then wondered why I was “liking” a page on Facebook that is called “Thinking About Suicide”. Don’t worry! I am just supporting the efforts to help spread the word.

Below is a short video message to you about this blog and also my personal plea with anyone who wonders if life is worth living. . . it is. It is hard. But life is worth living.

Lisa Copen is the founder of Rest Ministries and she lives in San Diego with her husband and son. She is gradually learning how to balance motherhood, family, illness, and ministry, but she still knows it will be a lifetime lesson. You can see the books she has written, including, Why Can’t I Make People Understand? at the Rest Ministries shop.

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 getting your mind off the pain would make it all go away.”
“You need to keep praying for healing. Remember that verse when Jesus asked the disabled man if he wanted to get well?”

We asked our readers, What would you like your pastor to know about living with a chronic illness and your need to serve others, or be ministered to, within the body?

Here are some of your heart-felt replies.

Please feel free to add your own comments below about what you would like your pastor to know. Remember, this is not a forum to vent about everything your church did wrong, but rather, honestly and kindly tell us what you would like your pastor to know about illness, your life, etc. so that he and the church body can better minister to those with chronic illness.

• I know I am young and you may not believe I am feeling well enough for leadership, but the Lord has worked in my life in so many ways through my illness and I am bursting to be a part of an “illness ministry” to encourage others. Please make some time to sit down and let me share my new calling with you. —Renee
• It is very difficult for me to get to church due to the fact that the services are about three hours long and I have problems sitting for long periods of time. When I come, I have to choose between worship or the sermon. No one ever calls or checks to see why I am not there and I used to be one of their Sunday school teachers. I think they have a problem with the fact that I am one of those that have not been healed. —Doris
• Every time we have gone to church and we have gone for prayer and I have sought out help, people keep telling me one of two things: “Patty, by His Stripes, You are healed. . . You must have faith; if you have faith then you will be healed,” or “You must not be praying hard enough.” I can’t tell you how much that hurts, and how I keep feeling like a failure when I am told that. —Patty
• Some of us simply want to rest confidently in the Lord and rely on Him for provision during long periods of ill health. I want rest, calm and privacy—not to be cut off from kindly connection with people—but not to have knocks on my door at all hours of the day and night, either! —Caron
• There needs to be a ministry devoted entirely to helping others: meals to the woman who just had a baby or rides to doctor appointments. Please help me out by seeing past the “you look fine, so you must feel fine” mentality. —Bridget
• Those who live with chronic illness need understanding first, love second, and challenge third. There are times when an ill person can’t function, and the church and its leaders need to be understanding, prayerful and available—for solving practical needs as well as spiritual counsel. —Kay
• Find out limitations, hindrances to participation. Ask, “What barriers, hindrances are there that prevent you from coming to church, worshipping with us, participating fully?” or “What can we do to help you to be able to participate more fully in church life?”
• Be supportive, take me seriously, not down-playing my illness and yet not drawing too much attention to it either. Suggest helpful tapes, books and articles that help me keep my eyes focused on God.
• I’d like people in the church to ask how they can help me in practical ways and offer some suggestions of what they could do, such as: rides to doctors, doing shopping, baking or housecleaning.
• Invite me to activities even if I probably can’t attend and when inviting, give as much details re the proceedings, program, length, environment, etc as you can. Don’t be hurt if I can’t come.
  —Marguerite
• Even though I went through physical therapy and rehabilita-tion, I was unable to continue working. This was very devastating. In the months following the accident, I learned to rely on my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for comfort.
• My husband was also disabled and this caused a greater stress. I was most grieved because my church family didn’t visit and the telephone calls were few. Don’t just tell people you’re praying for them. Come pray with them. Don’t ask if there’s anything you can do, come prepared to do!
• Don’t ask if there is a financial need; think of the expenses you have in your household and, if they don’t have an income, there has to be a need. Don’t think that because they aren’t complaining they aren’t hurting. Don’t tell them to “give their problems to God.” Take that person and their problems in your hands and hold them up before God. —Wanda
• Please don’t discuss details of my illness with others without my expressed permission. When someone asks how I’m doing, they don’t need to know that I now have a catheter. Ask me, “When others ask, what shall I tell them?” I will be happy to tell you how much information to share. —Rev. Koiv
• My pastor feels very uncomfortable with people who cannot work hard and “Go! Go! Go!” for the Lord. His sermons are filled with “You must do this and you must do that!” I leave the service beaten up in spirit because my body is unable to “Go! Go! Go!” I fight depression because of the chronic pain and lack of sleep so I’m not “Happy! Happy! Happy!” all of the time. He feels that if you don’t “whistle while you work” then you better get on your knees before God! (Like I could get down on my knees and then get up again?) —Judy
• My church seems to operate under the misconception that a person who is disabled by a chronic illness, as I am, doesn’t need to serve the church. They are content with my just showing up for worship when I am able.
• I feel a compelling need to serve my Lord and my church. But I am no longer physically able to fill any of their traditional roles offered as service opportunities. When suggesting possible alternatives, I am met by rejection where it might cause someone else more work, or they just can’t see out of ‘the box’, or simply patted on the head and told to rest and not worry. This makes me feel useless, helpless, and a “lesser” person in the church – a burden.
• My disability makes it extremely difficult for me to counteract these obstacles – I need my pastor or another leader to champion my cause for me. I need him to teach/motivate others in the church to extend a hand so that I might participate as fully as God allows. —Jean
• As my pain grew worse over time, I realized that I could not do all the ministry that I wanted to do and had been doing; I am the pastor’s wife and was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. It was difficult for me to admit to our congregation that it was physically necessary for me to relieve myself of certain duties since I appeared fine. I periodically missed church, but I tried to go no matter how I felt.
• As time went on, I decided to give up areas of ministry: I quit teaching; I quit singing in the choir; I quit being the secretary. I stood up in a service and, by way of testimony, explained my situation. The people were very supportive and did not look down on me because I was withdrew myself from ministry. Our church was encouraged to get behind me and hold me up. My (pastor) husband made sure that he provided updates on my progress. It was important to me that he validated my illness and supported my decisions.
• It is difficult when someone steps down from ministry in order to attend to the physical needs of their bodies. But God has told us that this is his Temple and we are to take care of it. God sent new families to our church during my time of hiatus from ministry. My husband was very influential in plugging them into the vacant ministries. Because he supported me and my decision to remove myself, others were given the opportunity to serve the Lord and I have been able to focus on my relationship with the Lord more through this time. —Pamela

Lisa Copen is the founder of Rest Ministries and she lives in San Diego with her husband and son. She is gradually learning how to balance motherhood, family, illness, and ministry, but she still knows it will be a lifetime lesson. You can see the books she has written, including, Why Can’t I Make People Understand? at the Rest Ministries shop.

At the end of last year, our church gave out volunteer certificates to thank and recognize those who help make our church community function better. It’s been done before, but this time it was recognizing that it’s ten years since the government started National Volunteer Day in Australia.

While I did receive a certificate, I had been thinking that week about all the people in the church who do so many things, to care and help others. Like many churches, some people do a lot, and many do little, or even nothing.

I am one of the “little” ones and though I guess some people would understand that my health limitations make it hard to do things, I still feel like I don’t contribute much.

God gifts each of us differently and expects us to use those spiritual gifts to help build up the body of Christ. (Ephesians 4:12) I know God has gifted me in certain ways, but it seems I’m not able to use those gifts in the way I once was. I see roles I would love to fill, but know that my limitations would prevent me.

It sometimes seems that I’m not able to bring as much as others can.

The above verse tells us that the Israelites were to bring gifts in proportion to how God had blessed them. While this often referred to crops, herds, or other goods, I think maybe it is also a reminder of how God may measure our service. Jesus talked about the widow’s few coins counting for so much more in God’s sight–it’s how we sacrifice, not what, or how much we do.

God doesn’t call me to do what others do. He calls me to do what He has gifted me to be able to do and He also understands my limitations. I don’t want to use that as a cop-out, but as an encouragement to give, or do, what I’m able to do. And not worry so much about what I’m not able to do.

Prayer: Father God, Thank You that You don’t measure things as we do and that the little ones are valuable in Your sight too. Help me to be obedient to You and what You call me to do. Amen.

About the Author:
Fiona Burrows lives in Melbourne, Australia. She is thankful for the difference God makes in her life, and the lessons He is teaching her, as she lives with chronic back pain. She enjoys finding time for reading, writing, and photography, and to travel when she is able. You can contact her in the Sunroom.

You can now read this on your Kindle. Find out more at http://TodaysDevotionOnKindle.com

Do you find it hard to sit back and watch others do things you once could do? Has God asked you to different things since you became ill? Do you still feel valuable to Him?

“The promises of God are what give us hope in the midst of affliction. . .” Pastor Thorn

As we approach Easter, I understand that many people are feeling it hard to rejoice. If God is love and cares about us, why are we going through such physical pain and other hardships?

I recently came across a sermon at entitled “Trials (Part 1)” given by Pastor Joe Thorn at Redeemer Fellowship. It looked like a good one and I asked Debbi Farmer if she would listen and let me know her thoughts. Below is her review on this podcast sermon that you can listen to here on Trials. It is an MP3 file.

If you hear a fantastic sermon on suffering, illness, pain, etc. that is available to listen to online, feel free to write up what it is about and why it touched you in a couple of paragraphs and we will consider sharing it!

Lisa Copen

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By Debbi Farmer

Redeemer Fellowship is in St. Charles, IL and it is a gospel-centered church. Their web site states, “we believe Christianity is better than a list of rules, and more than believing the right things. The Christian life is a life transformed by the gospel, experienced in community, and lived out for the glory of God and the good of our neighbors.”

Pastor Joe Thorn’s sermon “Trials” (Part 1), is based on James 1 and in it he talks about suffering.

His key points about trials and suffering are:

1. It strengthens our faith
2. It deepens our relationship with Christ
3. It makes us mature as we trust in Him

James 1:2-8 says,

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”

Most all of us have endured severe trials, suffering, pain and affliction in our lives.

What kind of questions do you ask yourself about your pain and suffering?

1. “What is God doing in my life?”
2. How can we find joy in our trials?
3. Can our inflictions be used in our lives?
4. Is my suffering in my life for a divine purpose?
5. Do we take all our trials to the Lord in prayer?
6. Is sin the reason I am going through this trial?
7. If we are to by joyous in our trails than what is joy?

What is this sermon about?

I believe you will find his speaking style easy to listen to and encouraging, regardless of what you are going through today. Here are some of the highlights by Pastor Thorn.

• Did you know that our trials aren’t meant to test our discipline, but our dependency on Christ?
• Trials are like storms and we have to weather that storm. It is the wind in that storm that will ultimately drive you to where you need to go!
• We are to be joyous in trials. . . but what is joy?
• Joy is not happy, bubbly, or smiling through suffering. Joy is the “Holy Hopeful Happiness” that we have in God and His promises! We look to God as our redeemer and trust him to make it all work together for our good.
• Joy is theological not superficial. Joy is hopeful; it is embracing the promises of God.
• God will not leave you or forsake you and He will cause you to grow in your faith.
• Your interaction through the trial can get you to the joy of the Lord.
• Testing of your faith through trials produces steadfastness and leads you to maturity.
• Every child longs to grow up! As children of the Lord, we strive to persevere without falling, but growing up takes time and maturity.
• You will face trials in your life! Trials are the school that God uses to test your faith! Trials prove your dependency on Christ.
• Can you rejoice in grief?
• Your faith is the most precious thing to hold onto in this life!
• You will not be defeated by the circumstances of your life! You cannot go on, on your own, but you can in Christ!
• You need to rest in Christ! We need to continue to grow in Christ. The whole body of Christ needs to grow in maturity.
• The church must become mature and complete. How can we do this? We need wisdom (insight from God)! If you lack wisdom ask God.
• How do I make sense of my life right now? Are you shouting because this trial was not in our plan for life? Remember we are to seek God’s will!
• God is our father and ready to give all good things to his children. Don’t be surprise by the manner that God gives you His wisdom! So if you pray for rain, carry an umbrella! Believe it! Expect an answer when you pray. Everyone is called to believe in Jesus! Trust Him. Pray!

Why I enjoyed this sermon

This sermon helped me discover how to have joy in the trials of my life. I hope that it will do the same for you! Why don’t you tune in and see if you discover why your trials are so important in your growing faith in Christ? The sermon was a blessing in my life today!

Interested in listening to Part 2, the pastor’s second sermon on trials? You can find it here.

Debbi Farmer is a part-time writer, mother and wife and loves to read! She is praying for all today to persevere through their trials as they learn to lean on Jesus!

A few months ago a friend of mine, Linda Evans Shepherd, announced to our group of Christian women writers that she was starting a blog specifically to reach out to those who were considering suicide. I have to say that anything Linda touches is done well and with complete passion and heart behind it. Her most recent web site, Finding God Daily, has a wonderful collection of articles about all the places we can find God!

But would I be able to make a commitment to write an article or two a month about suicide? What do I know that may encourage someone else? And I just have a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology, while many of the writers are professional counselors.

But then I got an email from someone at Rest Ministries pouring her heart out. . . about taking her life. And all those statistics about chronic pain or physical illness being the cause of about 70 percent of suicides kept popping up in my mind in the next few days (Source: Mackenzie TB, Popkin MK: “Suicide in the medical patient.” Intl J Psych in Med 17:3-22, 1987).

So I prayed about it. And God said, “Do it.”

I emailed Linda and volunteered and was accepted as a writer for this new amazing blog Thinking About Suicide. It just kicked off last week on Wednesday, March 21, 2012. Why a Wednesday? Linda explains in one of the blog posts How to Live Through Hump Day that Wednesday is the day when most suicides occur.

In just a little over a week there is a wonderful growing collection of blog posts by this team of writers. Recently, author Karen Boerger wrote about Help For Chronic Pain With Suicidal Thoughts.

Our hope is that through a collection of various articles, when people search the internet about “thinking about suicide” this web site will come up, and not only will one find hope for the moment, but also a Christ-based resource that will provide answers about where that real, enduring hope comes from.

Please make a note to yourself that this blog exists and if you, or someone you know, needs a resource to turn to through a difficult time, visit it for a pick-me-up. If you are seriously considering suicide, I urge you to contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) without delay.

Also, if there is something you are personally experiencing with hopelessness and would like me to consider addressing it in a future blog post over at Thinking About Suicide, please let me know.

My first article will appear on Wednesday, April 4, 2012. “Why Bother Living When I Am Facing a Serious Infection Without a Hand to Hold?”

If you are having a rough day, here are a few resources on our web site that discuss suicide– a tough but very real topic.

• When You Are Tempted to Speed Up The Trip to Heaven
• I Forgot: My Life is Not My Own, Christian Author Shares About Her Attempted Suicide
• Assisted Suicide Due to Pain of Illness and How it Fits With Our Belief in God

Lisa Copen is the founder of Rest Ministries and she lives in San Diego with her husband and son. She is gradually learning how to balance motherhood, family, illness, and ministry, but she still knows it will be a lifetime lesson. You can see the books she has written, including, Why Can’t I Make People Understand? at the Rest Ministries shop.

By Linda Newton

I have stumbled onto a tool that has been very helpful when I get stuck and I can’t let go and let God. I have named this tool my “Counseling Sessions With God,” and here’s why.

As a counselor for the past twenty-five years, I have a lot of experience with how counseling sessions flow. The client comes in, shares his/or her presenting issue, talks for a while, then expects the counselor to sum things up, and offer clarity regarding what was presented.

With this pattern in mind, I idle down in my Divine Counselor’s office, under a tree, beside a rock, at my desk, anywhere in the universe will do since He owns it all. Then I put my pen to the paper and write out what is consuming my thoughts.

I slow down by writing my thoughts

I am the kind of person whose mind can run a thousand miles a minute, but as I simmer down, I can get in touch with the deeper layers of what I am thinking and feeling. If I am seriously troubled, I simply start with what I am feeling right now in this moment, just as a client would do in my office. Writing is better than talking because it slows me down and fine-tunes my focus. As I write, I ask the Lord to speak into my life.

Writing helps me see the real issues

I write until the issue crystallizes. Sometimes that happens in a few lines. Other times it takes a few pages. But I find as I slow down enough to write, I can better hear the “gentle whisper,” that Scripture refers to in the story of Elijah in 1 Kings.

A pastor friend of mine explains that God often speaks to us as, “an interruption of thought.” As I quiet myself, my mental commotion dies down, and a crystal clear thought dispels all the others. When God is trying to get my attention, it’s not just some random interruption. It’s a clear succinct thought that provides peace and offers help.

The wisdom and clarity presented are far beyond my ability to conjure up in that moment, leaving me more convinced that ever that the message is divinely inspired.

I write what I hear God showing me

As that clarity comes, I write down those words just as I have written my thoughts and feelings, but I’ll highlight those words of wisdom. I may need to keep writing to finish getting my feelings out, but I can come back to those words of insight for the answers that I am seeking.

Please understand, I am not one of those people who claim, “I do whatever the voices in my head tell me to do!” The interruption of thought is often my own voice, only uncluttered by confusion and unencumbered by fear, and it possesses a power to bring peace, and an assurance that it is the Truth. The old saints of the church would often call that one’s “inner witness” referring to the voice of God within each of us who follows Him.

What I think it means to hear God’s voice

I believe that when we feel the inner witness, hear the gentle whisper, experience the interruption of thought, or however we choose to reference this Divine Help, we can always check the validity of it by God’s Word. He won’t contradict Himself. So the crazy-eyed guy on TV who says God told me to kill a certain person, clearly didn’t hear from God.

God can’t go against His nature and that nature is represented in the person of Christ who as He walked the earth, loved sinners, encouraged saints, and died to prove it. Even if my counsel that day from the Lord is corrective, it never comes from a place of anger or disgust. It’s helpful and uplifting for me and for the people in my life.

My counseling sessions with God have supplied me with answers as straightforward as, “Let go of your offence. That person doesn’t mean to hurt you,” to as specific as, “Now is not a good time to make major purchases.” Sometimes it’s a reminder of what I already know, that God has a plan, and that He can be trusted to take care of my problem.

Linda Newton’s contagious enthusiasm and engaging storytelling brings God’s Word to life. With authentic transparency and down-home humor she shares how God transformed heartbreak in her life into hope from her book 12 Ways to Turn Your Pain Into Praise published by Warner Press. She has currently written 2 new devotional books, Better Than Jewels: 31 Days of Biblical Insight for a Woman Seeking God based on the book of Proverbs, and Sapphires From Psalms. For more encouragement read Linda’s blog, “Savvy Choices.”