Life Issues

How a Rapper Encourages Those Depressed to Rely on God

May 15, 2012 By admin Leave a Comment

By Debbie Farmer Recently I read a letter from a young man named Dominic Cook (also known as "Dooch") who uses his pain to encourage others with his music. His testimony was such a blessing to me and I am going to share this interview with you now and hope that you too can also receive a blessing today. Dominic Cook (AKA: "Dooch") Please tell us about yourself and how you got into the music industry. Where to start, where to start. . . Well, I’m a 27-year-old, husband, married, and going on 8 years. I have been a Christian going on 7 years now and a father of 5. My youngest Joshua, passed away at 2 months old--a year ago. I have been doing music since I was 8 years old. It was the first thing I wanted to do and has been the only … [Read more...]

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

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

May 10, 2012 By admin Leave a Comment

By Shelby Boughman Some of you may know the codes for using the fire extinguishers in the event of a fire. The acronym PASS means "Pull, Aim, Squeeze, and Spray." Doing so will help you use the fire extinguisher properly so that you may fight whatever flames may be around you. Yesterday, the Lord gave me a new idea for this. Have you ever thought about other ways we can use this code? In Ephesians 6:16, Paul talks about a vital piece to the Armor of God by saying, “In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” The enemy is constantly trying to throw fiery darts and battles at us Christians, but we must stand tall and strong, fighting back at Him with … [Read more...]

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

Free Meal Delivery Printable Labels to Give A Special Touch

May 7, 2012 By admin 17 Comments

When one is chronically ill, and a friend wishes to help her, the first thing that comes to mind is to bring her a meal. In fact, since the most popular gift to bring is a meal, I wrote the book, Beyond Casseroles: 505 Ways to Encourage a Chronically Ill Friend to get people to think beyond food. Having said, that, however, a meal is a gift of comfort. And even though we may be physically able to cook, it takes a burden off of us so that we can use the energy we would have spent cooking doing something else. I have discovered that many people who cook for the chronically ill are actually ill themselves. Though it is easy to understand new mommies and those who have just had surgery are in need of meals, those who see a chronically ill … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, Articles - Read, Beyond Casseroles, Caregiver, Cooking, Free Printables, Friend Has Illness, Invisible Illnesses, Ministry - Personal, Need to Know, Support Group Leader, What's New? Tagged With: Chronic, Chronic Illness, Conditions and Diseases, deacons, free labels for meals, Health, meal delivery, meals for family, meals for recovery, organize meals, organize meals for sick friend, printables, Rest Ministries, take a meal

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

May 1, 2012 By admin 1 Comment

Scrapbooking Your Faith By Debbi Farmer One of my favorite hobbies is scrapbooking. I have so many memories that I want to keepsake for others to enjoy down the years. I am often looking for new resources to add to my scrapbooking technique. Perhaps that is why I found this book and web-site to be so fascinating and wanted to share it with you. Scrapbook Your Christian Faith: The Beginners Guide to Scrapbooking Your Spiritual Legacy by Donna Riner Weber is just one of those many treasures that you have to share with all of your friends. I recently interviewed Donna Riner Weber about her book and website and discovered for myself how to scrapbook my Christian faith. What is Donna's story? One crisp, cool Friday afternoon in … [Read more...]

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

New Book In Store: Stronger Still: A Woman’s Guide to Turning Your Hurt into Healing for Others

April 18, 2012 By admin Leave a Comment

This book, Stronger Still: A Woman's Guide to Turning Your Hurt into Healing for Others (Deeper Still), by Edna Ellison is an amazing workbook to hold in your hand and work your way through if you are trying to figure out how to use the pain in your life to encourage other people. We have it available now at the Rest Ministries shop. I am happy to be able to call Edna a friend through a Christian women writers organization, but even I didn't know all that she had experienced in her life until I read this book. This woman has every right to write about her journey with suffering and how to use it for God's plans. This is an interactive 6-week Bible study that helps guide the reader through her pain and to a point where she can see how … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, Books, Caregiver, Church Leader, Coping Skills, HopeKeepers Resources, Links, Ministry - Personal, Need to Know, Person w/ Illness, Reflection, RM Volunteer, Support Group Leader, What's New? Tagged With: bible study, book, Christian, Chronic, chronic pain support group, God, Healing, Health, illness support group, lead a group, Leadership, Ministry, Pain, personal, Religion and Spirituality, Rest Ministries, small group leader, start a small group, support group resources, women's ministry, women's ministry resources, workbook

Devotion: When Healthy People Envy Our Unwanted “Benefits” Of Illness

March 28, 2012 By admin 18 Comments

"The Sovereign Lord has given me a well-instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed." (Isaiah 50:4) One of the strange and paradoxical things about illness is how it can bring out jealousy and envy in others. It is more than I can wrap my mind around that there are those who appear to be jealous and envious of our illnesses. Perhaps some people enjoy getting a lot of attention, or are starved for attention, and they see everything with that mindset. I would be happy to be rid of my illnesses and am willing to give them to anyone who wants them. I don't need or want the attention. Then there are those days when we are doing a bit … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Devotionals, What's New?, Working Tagged With: Chronic, chronically ill want to work, Envy, God, Health, holding down a job, Illness, illness and career, Isaiah, Jealousy, karlton douglas, Kindle, Lord, Malingering, Ohio, unable to have a job

Oh, The Emotions You Can Find in a Walk-In Closet

March 22, 2012 By admin 5 Comments

By Lisa Copen A walk in closet I have not walked into for . . . years. My husband uses most of it, but my clothes--in about 10 different sizes--sit on the bars. The wire baskets hold old t-shirts. An Old Navy shirt, size small, mocks me with the year 2004 on it. The day previously I started throwing them into bags. I have become sick of the clutter all over my house and have been purging for months. But this closet has overwhelmed me. I had no plans to take care of the closet this weekend. . . and I have discovered that this works best for me. This way, any effort is a step in the right direction, but I don't have to use up all my energy on it. I can pace myself. But Saturday morning I started bagging items up, and in less than two … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, Articles - Read, Depression, Fashion, Founder's Blog, This is Me, What's New? Tagged With: Closet, Clothing, Foot, Footwear, Old Navy, San Diego, Shoe, Shopping

What is the Hardest Part of Living with Illness? Your Responses!

January 24, 2012 By admin 7 Comments

What is the hardest part of living with a chronic illness? Well, it depends on who you are asking, what time of day you are asking, and a million other factors. Yet, we all have so much in common and we can understand the challenges of the friend beside us even if we don't deal with it ourselves. We all feel "called" to certain things, and not being able to do them--from homeschooling to making dinner--is difficult when we don't feel we can do what we, and others, expect from our self. And the fact that it is invisible . . . well, that makes many of the struggles even more painful as we feel we must justify a housekeeper or a parking placard. We asked you, "What is the hardest part of living with illness?" and here are your … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, Attitude, What's New?, Working Tagged With: challenges, Chronic, Chronic (medicine), chronically ill challenges, Conditions and Diseases, coping, difficulties, Fatigue (medical), Fibromyalgia, frustrations with illness, God, hard living with illness, Health, Illness, Pain, Polycystic ovary syndrome, suffering, things that are hard to cope with when ill

From Illness Comes Unique Card Ministry

January 17, 2012 By admin Leave a Comment

By Debbi Farmer This was a rough week for me. One of my close friends lost her battle with cancer. Shortly after this, I lost my beloved family pet after having her in my life for fourteen years. My business has been almost non-existent the past few weeks because of the bad economy, and my health has taken a serious turn for the worse lately. I had so much I needed to say to the family of my friend. I had so much I needed to say to my family for losing their sweet pet. I needed to do more in my business, but my health would not allow it. I felt absolutely lost even knowing in my heart that the Lord was holding me and carrying me through. When you find yourself needing to convey a message to a friend or family, but you need help … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, Caregiver, Links, Ministry - Personal, Person w/ Illness, Support Group Leader, What's New?, Working Tagged With: Christ, Christian, Christianity, God, Healing, is having a ministry working, is ministry a job, Jesu, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Lord, Pennsylvania, Sunday School

Trusting God’s Goodness When Fearful of Making Plans

January 10, 2012 By admin Leave a Comment

As we begin the new year, it's easy to feel that obligation to make plans and set resolutions. But goals can be difficult for those with chronic conditions. this lovely article by Ann can help us put our goals into perspective and learn more about why we can feel anxiety when we start that "to do" list. Trusting God’s Goodness When Fearful of Making Plans By Ann Ferguson “When I am afraid, I put my trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust and am not afraid” (Psalm 56:3-4). I often live in fear. I know I shouldn’t, but I do. I’m not so much afraid of the big picture. I have accepted fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome for what it is and I know God is in control. Mostly, I am afraid to make plans. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, What's New?, Working, Worry Tagged With: Christian, Chronic, Chronic fatigue syndrome, chronically ill getting job, Conditions and Diseases, fear, Fibromyalgia, Florida, goals, God, Health, Neurological Disorders, plans when ill, Psalm, working with illness

Devotion: Jesus Has Always Been Accessible to Us

December 25, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them. . . . So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger." (Luke 14:8,9,16) Merry Christmas! The King is born! Out of all of the people on earth God could have sent His angels to, to announce the birth of His son, He sent them to the shepherds. I was recently reading a children's version of the Christmas story and it described the shepherds having one of the lowest forms of employment. In the class system, the shepherds were pretty close to the bottom in the level of respect they received for their work. It also … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Devotionals, Holidays, What's New? Tagged With: Angel of the Lord, Christmas, God, Jesus, Lord, Mary, San Diego, Shepherd

What We Can Learn From Mary While Living with Chronic Illness

December 7, 2011 By admin 4 Comments

During this time of year when we are celebrating the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ we can easily grow to have the Christmas story sound casual since we have heard it so many times. Mary rode a donkey, there was no room in the inn, and she gave birth to Jesus in a stable, with a star overhead. I always love to take a second look at this story, however, to find a fresh perspective on it and to personalize it. This year, as I looked more closely at the life of Mary, I saw certain traits that we all can learn from, especially those with chronic illness. Mary surrendered her own will to God's plans “'I am the Lord’s servant,' Mary answered. 'May your word to me be fulfilled.'” (Luke 1:38) Mary was just a girl who had dreams of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, Coping Skills, Holidays, Person w/ Illness, What's New? Tagged With: God, Jesus, Joseph, Lord, Luke, Mary, Rest Ministries, San Diego