Spiritually Struggling

When We Suffer: A Biblical Perspective on Chronic Pain and Illness

March 20, 2012 By admin Leave a Comment

by Mary J. Yerkes Why we suffer may always remain a mystery on this side of eternity. We can, however, glean certain truths from God's Word. If God loves us, why do we suffer? Christian or not, it's a question that comes up repeatedly during times of grief and tragedy. In times of distress, we want to know that our suffering matters to God and that He cares about our pain. "Sometimes a fresh word may, in fact, be a very old one," write Joni Eareckson Tada and Steven Estes in When God Weeps: Why Our Sufferings Matter to the Almighty1 "Truths that are timeless often need only the 'time' brushed away in order to reveal the polished patina that has gleamed all along." Pastor Tim Hager, an associate minister in the Washington D.C. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, Overwhelmed, Spiritually Struggling, What's New? Tagged With: Biblical Studies, Christ, Christianity, Essential Tremor, Evangelism, God, Isaiah, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Joni Eareckson Tada, military chaplain, Religion and Spirituality, Second Epistle to the Corinthians, suffering

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

Not Feeling Very Thankful? Instead, Focus on God’s Faithfulness

November 13, 2011 By admin 2 Comments

Today we are featuring an article instead of the typical devotional. "What are you thankful for?" Have you heard this question lately? November is the month it seems everyone insists on tackling this topic. We make lists, we try to journal, we blog, we go around the table at Thanksgiving dinner and try to get our children to say that they are thankful for something (and hopefully something that doesn't require batteries!) But what if you are not feeling particularly thankful right now? Sure, we are told to give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:18), but don't we also serve a God who understands what we are going through and who won't anger when our well of thankfulness starts to runs dry? Yes, we do. God does … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, Devotionals, Founder's Blog, Spiritually Struggling, What's New? Tagged With: God's faithfulness, god's promises, Illness, thankfulness, when you don't feel thankful

What Do You Do When You Aren’t Feeling Very Thankful?

November 8, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Some days we can easily see all the blessings in our life despite the suffering. Other days we just see --and feel!-- the pain! How do you find encouragement when you are stuck in those blues? Here are three books we think would bring you through those slumps, and if you click anywhere on today's e-flyer it will take you to our store in the "Endurance books" section to find even more encouragement! PRODUCT LINKS: How to Live Right When Your Life Goes Wrong | Finding Hope When Life is Not Fair | Have You Felt Like Giving Up Lately? … [Read more...]

Filed Under: RM Shop E-flyers, Spiritually Struggling, What's New?

Where Is The Justice?

August 18, 2011 By admin 3 Comments

46 million people are on food stamps, 15 percent of Americans. July saw the highest level of layoffs in 16 months, the steepest jump since the recession. The president promises that the next few months will be about jobs. The reporters says it's all about. . . Jobs. Jobs. Jobs. But talking about jobs doesn't make them materialize. People are still hungry. I read Jeremiah 33:2-3. "'This is what the Lord says, He who made the earth, the Lord who formed it and established it-—the Lord is His name: 'Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.'" Life is messy. But God is still on the throne. He says to call to Him and He will answer and He will tell me … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Fear, Founder's Blog, Spiritually Struggling, This is Me, What's New? Tagged With: Christ, God, Google, Jesus, Lord, Psalm, Rest Ministries, San Diego

What She Learned Lying Down, Angela Dugi Shares Her Reflections

August 4, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Bridget Gazlay Through my conversations with Angela Dugi, author of What I Learned Lying Down: Hope for the Chronically Ill, I saw that God did indeed meet her needs during her times of devastation. She struggles with chronic fatigue, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, osteoporosis, and asthma, and yet God has provided for her in miraculous ways. God has used her illnesses to teach her five life lessons: First, we must gain an eternal perspective "God used my weekly trips to the cancer center to teach me that, and much more." Because she is chronically ill, she could empathize with others who were hurting. She knows firsthand (after fourteen years) how encouraging words helped her to survive when she thought she could not … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, Coping Skills, Person w/ Illness, Share Your Story, Spiritually Struggling, What's New? Tagged With: Christ, Chronic (medicine), God, Gospel of Matthew, Holy Spirit, New International Version, Second Epistle to the Corinthians, West Michigan

Beyond Pain: Job, Jesus, and Joy – Excerpt From New Book By Maureen Pratt

July 26, 2011 By admin 5 Comments

How do we find joy in the midst of suffering? How do we rise above our pain and attain lives of purpose and bright light? This work focuses on the story of Job and the life of Jesus to show that pain can encourage, nurture, and help us find joy--if we keep the faith! Note: The following article is an excerpt from Beyond Pain: Job, Jesus, and Joy, reprinted with permission of author, Maureen Pratt. Many of you know Maureen as you have read her previous book, Peace in the Storm and watched Rest Ministries founder, Lisa Copen, on Maureen's TV show of the same name. This book is available at Amazon (where you can read Lisa Copen's review) among other places. JESUS: Our Light and Our Hope . . .but we even boast of our afflictions, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, Attitude, Books, Spiritually Struggling, What's New? Tagged With: finding peace through trials, maureen pratt, peace in the storm

Part 3 of 3: What Can We Learn From Job?

June 8, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Can We Believe in a God Who Allows Suffering? Part 3 of 3: What Can We Learn From Job? By Bridget Gazlay This is a 3-part article series. Part 1: Reflections On Job Part 2: When We Question God Yesterday's article was about how we naturally question God, but we need to always remember that God is in control of all of our circumstances and situations and has our best interest at heart at all times. Today, we will look at what we can learn from Job's story? How can we apply this to our own suffering? Your situation might not be directly caused by sin (although there certainly could be consequences of sin). God is with you and sees everything you are going through, and even allows it. We don't like to think that God … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, Spiritually Struggling, What's New? Tagged With: Christian, Christianity, God, Jesus, Job (Biblical figure), Psalm, Religion & Spirituality, West Michigan

Part 2 of 3: When We Question God

June 7, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Can We Believe in a God Who Allows Suffering? Part 2 of 3: When We Question God By Bridget Gazlay This is a 3-part article series. You can read Part 1 here: Reflections On Job Yesterday we ended the article saying that Job knew he was innocent and blameless and that God must have His reasons for allowing all the pain and suffering. This, however, does not mean that Job didn't have a few questions for God. From the pits of despair he asked God. . . "Why did I not perish at birth, and die as I came from the womb? Why have you made me your target? Have I become a burden to you? Does it please you to oppress me, to spurn the work of your hands, while you smile on the schemes of the wicked? Your hands shaped me and made me. Will you … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, Spiritually Struggling, What's New? Tagged With: Christianity, God, Job, Question, suffering

Can We Believe in a God Who Allows Suffering? Part 1 of 3

June 6, 2011 By admin 7 Comments

This is one of those questions that nearly all of us have asked at one time or another. And just as we think we understand, a new circumstance occurs and we ask this question all over again: Why does God allow such suffering? This is a tough question but Bridget Gazlay takes on the challenge with a beautifully written 3-part article that dives into some of those unrelenting emotions and how to have a faith-based response. I hope you will share your own thoughts in the comments below each article. Your own experiences, questions, doubts, and lessons you've learned are as vital to us as the article itself. We love to see you share with one another and encourage each other. Lisa Can We Believe in a God Who Allows Suffering? Part 1 of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, Spiritually Struggling, What's New? Tagged With: Book of Job, Christianity, God, Lord, Religion & Spirituality, suffering, why does god allow suffering, why does god let people suffer

Poem: The Gift of Pain

May 4, 2011 By admin 2 Comments

By Cindee Snider Re 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 … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, Overwhelmed, Poems, Spiritually Struggling, What's New? Tagged With: Emotion, Father God, God, God the Father, Health, Lisa Saunders, Medical Specialties, Medicine, Pain, Pain Mgmt & Illnesses, Soul, Support Groups, Teachable