I have been trying to declutter for months. . but I am finally hitting my home office here at Rest Ministries. I want space, open spots on my desk that don’t have a pile. But I have so much good stuff! And some of those goodies are books.

Most of these are books I have been given by the authors, the publishers, etc. and I just cannot keep them all. They are “like new” (I have read everything on my Kindle since 2008–much easier on my rheumatoid arthritis hands). So these little books are gems that I have barely broken the cover on.

Each day I will post the book title over on our HopeKeepers Facebook page, so be sure to “like” us and tune in each day to leave your comment on the Facebook page. When you comment you will automatically be entered to win and I will just randomly select one each morning from the day previously.

Not on Facebook? Never fear! I have a special pile of books I will be giving away later in the month here at the Rest Ministries website too.

Lisa

PS: Be sure to see what the book was on Monday right now. You can still comment!

Amazon originally set the price at $1.99, but has since dropped it to just $.99. Rest Ministries receives 30% from each sale, and we do not have any control over the price setting.

Over 30 people get the chronic illness devotionals on their Kindle each day, making it convenient to read anytime and anywhere, such as when stuck in those waiting rooms at doctor’s office or for both short and long hospital stays.

Thank you for supporting Rest Ministries in every way you do, including passing on the daily strength of our devotions. Many of you forward them to friends, post links to them on Facebook or other social networks, and tell your friends at church about them. It is because of you so many people are encouraged daily and I appreciate it immensely!

Warmly,

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.

Happy Easter! He has risen! He has risen indeed!

If you are unable to get to church this morning we invite you to come to Lisa’s church via webcam. Go to Maranatha Chapel. It is a Calvary Chapel church with Pastor Ray Bentley, in Rancho Bernardo (San Diego), CA.

Services will be broadcast at 8:30 and 10:30 AM Pacific time and if you miss it, it will be archived on the website later in the day.

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.

Lisa

Related articles

• From Lisa – Resting in the New Year(chronicillnesspaindevotionals.wordpress.com)

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What is a link party?

A link party is sort of like a “blog carnival” if you are familiar with that term. If not, that is okay.

Here is what a link party consists of. There is a host for any Link Party. In this case, Rest Ministries is your host. Greetings to everyone!

Anyone can write and submit their blog to us at Rest Ministries. If approved (this means, it falls within our beliefs and content guidelines) than we will approve it and you will get a link here at Rest Ministries web site so other people can read it. We rank pretty well in the search engines, especially Google, so a link from us can also help your own blog site increase in the rankings.

What do I have to do?

[1] Write. For now, we are collecting stories/links “Reflecting on Living with Chronic Illness.” Soon we will have some other topics too and we’re always open to hearing your ideas as well.

[2] Post your blog on your web site. Try to have the most interesting image/clip art you can, as a thumbnail of this will appear on our web page and if it–and the title–are interesting, more people will click on it. The more specific your title is the better!

[3] Post one of our 2 buttons on your page where your blog post is at. You need to do this BEFORE submitting your web page to us. You can find the buttons here (this will open in a new page). Although the button may look the same for different link parties, pick the correct one because it does have code specific to the topic.

[4] Go to our link submission form here and submit it. It will scan through your entire web page to make sure our button is on your site. If it is not yet, it will remind you go do this step.

[5] Once approved, your blog post and image will appear on RestMinistries.com web site . Go to RestMinistries.com and under the “Article” drop down it will say “Link Parties.” Look under your topic and you will find it here. it may seem buried a bit deep, but. . . It will appear on the front of our web page under “what’s new” a few days, over 5000 people will receive the page in their emails; and it will also be categories under other areas of our web site such as “coping” or “depression” — wherever it fits!

There will be a bunch of other sites listed here too. The idea is that people who read your blog post (or those of other participants) will click through and visit lots of different web pages who have participated.

What link do I submit exactly?

Here is a screenshot of what it will look like when you submit your link. It’s quite simple!

First, under URL, you will need to submit a link to your EXACT post, not your general website. For example, it should look like this –

http://restministries.com/2012/02/06/qa-how-do-i-get-doctors-to-listen-and-stop-passing-me-to-another-doctor/

But not like this: http://restministries.com

Our cool submission software will know if you just submit your blog site and not the article featured on your blog site, and give you a friendly reminder.

Put your mouse in the URL-area bar and right click “copy”, then go to our form and right click “paste.” You can also use Ctrl C and Ctrl V to copy and paste (I know, the “V” makes no sense, huh?)

Secondly, enter THE TITLE of your blog POST (the actual article, not the name of the blog itself).

Lastly, enter your email. This is so we can contact you and let you know when your post is live!

Are there any rules I should know about?

Use good etiquette.
What does this mean exactly? If you are giving away a freebie, we will allow it, but you must have an entire article, not just a promotional page. Do not link to your stores, your Esty page, your pinterest page, etc. If you are writing a blog on how you have began to do more crafts to get you through the emotions of living with illness, than share what your pinterest.com page is, just don’t link to it directly!

Visit other participant’s blogs
Take a few minutes each day, or whatever time you can give, and browse through other participants blogs. Be sure to leave a comment. Chances are they have a lot in common with you and you may just connect with some other bloggers who you can exchange guest posts with.

Add the button or banner to your site andyour post.
The button should be added to the specific post that you’ve submitted and not just on a link in the widget area.
Why? Because every time the hostess adds one of your blogs she links to you individually. If you just place ONE link back to her site, than this gets a bit lopsided.

How do I add the button?

Most link parties ask that you add a button to your site for linking up. Basically the button is a link back to the place where the party was held. To add a button go here, highlight and copy the code below the button picture that we have here (that is the topic of your submission), then go to your blog, update your blog and the button will be added.

When does the Link Party begin? Or end?

Most link parties have a “ready, set, submit” time and then a cut off time. For now, we understand you are living with illness. . . and we don’t want to miss out on one of your fabulous blogs because we set a deadline. But, the sooner you get us the link, the sooner we can start sending readers who need your inspiration and encouragement your way. So, please do submit ASAP!

I can’t wait to have this new way to connect with some of the wonderful writers I see all over the internet who write about coping with chronic illness and their spiritual journey along the way. I hope that we can introduce you, and you to others, who also depend on their faith in Jesus to get them through each day.

Just a note to let you know we are posting some of our favorite devotionals this week as “reruns.”

My apologies for not having devotions this weekend. I got the flu bug and have been in bed a few days.

We always enjoy reading your comments, so thank you for adding your 2-cents on the web pages and sharing them on your Facebook pages.

Lisa

Many of you have been blessed when you have called Rest Ministries to speak to my volunteer assistant, Kara. Her sweet southern voice and compassion is a comfort to us all, and she keeps the ministry running smoothly and me (relatively) sane.

A couple of weeks ago she let me know she’d been diagnosed with breast cancer and last week she had a lumpectomy. I briefly posted on Facebook this week as she was in surgery, but I asked her permission to share it publicly and she said it would be fine (and prayers appreciated).

Wednesday following surgery Kara posted the following:

I’m already home from the hospital after the lumpectomy and lymph node sampling and praise the Lord that’s all for now, depending on what the lymph node status is. I’ll have an apptointment with the surgeon in a week and find out the status of the nodes then, but I’m hoping they would call me sooner–who knows?

They may have to sample more nodes or need more extensive surgery, depending on the results, but the plan right now is to heal for 3-4 weeks, meeting with the oncologist meanwhile and starting 6 weeks of 5 day/wk. radiation therapy; hopefully I won’t need chemo, but I may have to do some hormone treatment since the biopsy results showed the tumor was estrogen-fed–some people take those anti-estrogen meds for 5 yrs. or indefinitely, evidently, and they’re apparently no fun. I’ll be doing some natural stuff too in addition to traditional medical therapy.

Everything went as well as could be expected at the hospital–I was pretty nervous and felt like getting teary sometimes, but it helped knowing that I was being prayed for so much and I also tried to think of my mom and my sister Barbara Goodson facing even more scary diagnoses and surgical procedures and ultimately death at such young ages with so much grace and far less medical knowledge. They must have been so frightened–I just thought of their strength and faith and it helped me to think, “They did it so well and I can do it too.” I’m not being morbid–hopefully my outcome is good and I pray that God will allow me more yrs. to enjoy my sons, grandson and future grandkids.

If not, the Lord and I are on good terms and I have faith that I would be in heaven having a reunion w/ so many loved ones. But right now I’m not thinking that–I’m really hopeful and so thankful that everything is good so far. Thanks so much for all the prayers! Hopefully I can get some rest soon!

Please continue to keep Kara in your prayers. This path is never easy, as many of you know, and she has little support in the town where she has recently moved. She is truly feeling them. If you would like to send her an encouraging message, please post it in the comments below and she will see it!

Also, last fall I posted our web site about our ministry sister Jenni Saake who had suffered a stroke (and then a few more). She updated her blog the other day with the following status report.

“It is about 3 months since my first strokes now. I still see blurry and double so have trouble reading. Can’t use my left hand so typing is challenging. Need a walker or wheel chair and doctor say extent of my injuries is profound but hopefully I will mostly rebuild mental connections within two years. Thank you for prayers. Circumstances are hard but God is faithful and good. “

Prayers for her are needed and appreciated as well. So much pain here on earth, huh?
Relying on God one day (or minute!) at a time,

Lisa

It is the second week in January. According to the world, it is time to “get busy.” But I feel like molasses is a world of energy drinks. I still have much I want to give, but it is not bubbling just below the surface like it usually does.

Despite all the hype about doing, I am just concentrating on being. Well, the word “concentrating” is over-stating the reality. Honestly, I am just wandering around, resting in not having a to-do list of items that “must be done today or else,” and yet, still feeling like I am wasting time by just resting.

There is a long list of things I should be doing for this ministry. I feel my presence has not been what protocol dictates. Yet, I don’t like to fake it. I want to be real with you. I want to be authentic. And who says I all of these ideas should turn into more “should”–really? What shoulds have you put upon yourself and then felt the stress because you didn’t do it?

I am too depleted to give of myself, so I have just been hibernating for awhile. And waiting. Sometimes the waiting may come across to you as me being unorganized, uncaring, distracted. But it is just self-preservation. It is getting rid of the noise in my life, so if God speaks –I can hear Him.

Most ministries have many employees. While the founder takes a needed sabbatical, the program leaders start up a new Bible study. While the founder stays home to get over a cold, the web designer updates the site to reflect the new year. I am very blessed to have volunteers that help us in so many ways, and yet, I still feel as though I am dropping the ball. I am here. but, right now, I don’t have anything I can give.

There is much God wants to do with Rest Ministries. There is also much I want to do. But I need some time to determine what He wants to build–without my plans getting in the way.

I am soaking, marinating, spending time regrouping. I am not depressed. Discouraged perhaps, because I have stuff I want to do but no energy. I am discouraged because I know that the new year often feels this way to me and yet, for some reason, I am still surprised when I am not a ball of fire on January 1st like the rest of the world.

For now, I am just maintaining the coals beneath the surface. The fire is still there, but it is simmering, not producing flames.

So know this. . . I have not forgotten you, my precious friends of Rest Ministries. I have faith that you understand. And during times like this it is always amazing for me to sit back and watch you minister to each other in ways that I cannot even imagine. Out of your own pain comes so much unbelievable joy. And I know that there is no possible way joy can come from pain unless you are rooted in God’s loving hand.

These are the times that humble me. I am reminded that this ministry is not about me or what I can do. It is God’s ministry and I am leaving it in His hands as I rest.

Lisa Copen

FOR YOUR SITE:

We chose Teresa who shared about putting her children’s artwork around the house from when they were young. She shares, “I know someday we won’t always get to be together on Christmas Day, or even decorating day, but I still have the memories and the actual artwork and ornaments to bring my children back home to me, whether in body or spirit. It’s the greatest gift ever besides the birth of Jesus!”

We know not everyone has kids–and if you do, you may have long ago lost the artwork, but remember to put up whatever it is that brings you joy. It can be a paper chain, set out a few cards you’ve received in the past, the music from your favorite Christmas song, whatever.

Thanks for all of your fabulous ideas to bring more coziness into our lives.