Their brochure states, “They are all around us; sometimes vocal but often silent. We walk with them, sit with them, maybe even live with them. Occasionally – we are one of them. People in pain.”

It is November 5 & 6, 2010, (Fri 6:30-9:00 pm; Sat 9 am-4:30 pm) at WESTERN SEMINARY, Portland, OR in the Johnson Chapel.

Keynote speakers include Rick McKinley, the founder and pastor of Imago Dei Community and Bev Hislop, Associate Professor of Pastoral Care to Women and Exec. Director of the Women’s Center for Ministry at Western Seminary. Bev is also the author of the book, Shepherding Women in Pain: Real Women, Real Issues and What You Need to Know to Truly Help. (Note: Bev Hislop has a beautiful web site of resources you may want to check out!)

We’d like to thank Bev too! Bev says, “[Rest Ministries] is the first [resource] listed at the end of Chapter 9 “Physical Disabilities, Chronic Pain and the Aging Process” by Ev Waldon in my book Shepherding Women in Pain: Real Women, Real Issues and What You Need to Know to Truly Help. Ev Waldon will be teaching the Breakout Session at this conference. Most of the speakers are contributing authors to this book.”

We are thrilled to see this topic being covered at the conference and thankful for Bev including Rest Ministries in her book too! They have said that Ev will also be happy to have some Rest Ministries brochures there. We are very grateful for their inclusion of Rest Ministries as a resource for those in pain.

More information is at their web site, Western Seminary, including the additional topics that will be covered, registration information and how to receive credits for attending.

Related articles on the web

• Let Your Church Know About Invisible Illness Awareness Week (invisibleillnessweek.com)
• “I Just Want To Help!” When People Comment On Your Illness (invisibleillnessweek.com)
• What Exactly Is A Chronic Illness And Who Defines It? (invisibleillnessweek.com)
• Living With Invisible Illness: 5 Ways To Get Over Aggravations (invisibleillnessweek.com)

For more information on Daily Devotionals for the Deaf visit their web site.

We know that you will find some support and understanding with these 40 or so other men that are going through similar circumstances.

In Living With Chronic Illness, by Cheri Register she says:

When the husband is the partner in the marriage with the illness, his usual role as fully involved husband, father, and provider is disrupted. The division of responsibilities that the husband and wife are accustomed to becomes unbalanced, with more and more transferred to the healthy wife.

The home is then restructured with the wife assuming her own responsibilities, the responsibilities of her sick husband, and the role of nurse too. Conflict can arise when the sick husband feels tension and frustration because he cannot function in every capacity that he once did.

Join our group for men with chronic illness, Just Men, in our Sunroom to hear more about HopeKeepers and ask questions of current leaders. This is the place to find out what’s working, what’s not and lots more.

Ministries We Like For Men

Ransomed Hearts
The ministry of John Eldredge which has some wonderful podcasts and other resources for men who are wondering, “Is this really what life is supposed to be like for me?”

Promise Keepers
Based in Denver, Colorado, Promise Keepers has directly reached more than five and a half million men since its founding in 1990. Their mission is to ignite and unite men to become passionate followers of Jesus Christ through the effective communication of seven promises to God, their fellow men, family, church and the world. Promise Keepers’ vision is simply put in three words: “Men Transformed Worldwide.”

Web Sites/Articles for Men With Chronic Illness

• The Father’s Network, Coping with Chronic Illness
• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Men’s Stories
• Black Men with Chronic Pain Show Greatest Risk for Depression
• RA Guy A great blog by a man who lives with rheumatoid arthritis.

Rest Ministries, the largest Christian organization that specifically serves the chronically ill, is the sponsor of the upcoming National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week, September 13-19, 2010.

Lisa Copen, 41, began Rest Ministries in 1996 following a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. “I was looking for a way to connect with others who were living with a chronic condition, for encouragement and support for what my life may hold,” says Copen.

After a few years of networking people who live with chronic conditions through online ministry and support groups in churches called HopeKeepers(R), Copen saw many people who were suffering from feeling misunderstood.

“Even those who coped the best with their physical limitations had a lot of emotions about feeling like no one understood how great the pain was,” shares Copen. “National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week was a way to be able to validate the pain people were feeling, and create more awareness overall, including in the faith communities.”

Many participants are having resource tables at their churches during Invisible Illness Week. Support groups are having community events and a lot of people are participating in online activities, including a virtual conference September 13-17 and blogging for the cause.

When you sign up for daily updates from http://InvisibleIllnessWeek.com you receive a free 80-page ebook written by Copen and other illness experts, “Chronic Illness Tips: 263 Ways to do More Than Just Get By.”

Rest Ministries provides a variety of resources and programs such as online daily devotionals one can receive via email. Copen has authored a dozen books for the ministry such as “Why Can’t I Make People Understand? Discovering The Validation Those with Chronic Illness Seek and Why.”

With nearly 1 in 2 people living with a chronic condition, about 96% of those people are suffering silently with invisible illnesses where their pain cannot be seen. Through Invisible Illness Week Rest Ministries hopes to let people know they are not alone and that someone does understand and care about their struggles.

Rest Ministries is an affiliate of Joni and Friends International Disability Center, the ministry of author and disability advocate Joni Eareckson Tada.

For more information on how to participate visit the web site at http://InvisibleIllnessWeek.com

Most of us have had at least one day we’ve walked into the bathroom, looked around at the splattered mirror, the toys in the tubs, the hard water build up, and turned around and walked right back out. Geri Hess gives us a few ideas on how to keep our bathroom not only looking clean. . . but also being clean — clean free of germs that is! And if you have children in the house, well, it’s just a matter of time before they are dragging in dirty clothes from sports, germs from Lord knows where, and gunk off the bottom of their shoes. Let’s get busy and find out Geri’s shortcuts!

-ljc

By: Geri Hess

We’ve all heard reports that most public bathrooms are not clean. Is it possible that private baths are not clean as well? They just look that way. Admit it you’ve seen the report that “bathrooms are full of germs.” This article is how to keep your bathroom looking clean without chemicals.

Why would you want the bathroom to look good? First, it gives a sense of healthiness. After all what you don’t see might not hurt you. Right? It is common knowledge that toxins must reach a certain level before you get sick. Levels differ from person to person. The fewer dirty things you see the less likely you will become ill. Haven’t you heard that some “diseases are in your head?” Avoid looking at germs. When your bathroom looks clean think, “it must be clean of germs.”

Second, you won’t be embarrassed when unexpected guests show up. They will think that you are SUPER_____ you fill in the blank. Don’t you want to have your guests put you on a pedestal as the “best” housekeeper that they know? Make your bathroom look clean.

This cleaning method takes almost no time. Follow these easy quick steps to have a bathroom that always looks clean.

• After you dry yourself off use the towel to dry off the bath/shower and floor.
• Hang towel neatly on towel rack to dry or launder right away.
• Use a nearby toilet bush to dislodge any non-flushables.
• If you plan to run the dishwasher, add your toothbrushes. Not only does this clean them, but also they aren’t lying out on the counter. If the dishwasher cleans well enough for other things that you put in your mouth it is good enough for toothbrushes. You’ll save $ by not having to replace them as often.
• Hide stuff out of sight. If you like a lot of decor, get over it. Stuff attracts dirt and if you want your bath to look clean keep decor to a minimum. Practical ideas for what to keep out: Items that get used like a pile of neatly folded daily hand towels; a pump soap dispenser looks cleaner; hand lotion dispenser, and toothbrush holder (better yet keep your toothbrushes in a cabinet)
• Take the hand towel that you just used in this order: wipe off the mirror, facets, counter top and toilet, seat and behind. Put the lid down (Lids that are down look much cleaner)
• Change the toilet paper as needed.
• Most Important Step. As you leave the room take a look back. Do you get a sense of pride? Doesn’t it look clean? Yea! After putting your towels in the laundry, your work is done!

Of course, what you can’t see can hurt you. And, the invisible germs in bathrooms account for multiple illnesses. So just because it looks clean doesn’t mean it is clean-even if your neighbors think you are the best housekeeper on the block.

If however you suffer from chronic illness or allergy you may want to visit Geri Hess‘ website http://www.ecosteamer.com for a healthy way to clean that also doesn’t use chemicals. This article addressed how to make your bathroom LOOK clean without chemicals.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Bathroom Cleaning Uses for Vinegar in a Green Home (greenliving.suite101.com)
• H1N1: Where Germs Hide (lifescript.com)
• Disposable Hand Towels? Seriously? (hippie-mommy.com)

2 Corinthians 1:3-5 says, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.”

Each year during National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week thousands of people who are not believers come check out Rest Ministries because we seem to be talking about a topic (invisible illness!) in (“about” instead of “in”) which they want more information. Please pray with me that God will use Invisible Illness Week in whatever way people need it in their walk with the Lord.

Perhaps our efforts will be the first seed that God plants. Or perhaps another person may have planted the seed, and the fellowship here at Rest Ministries that they discover will be part of the watering of that seed.

Regardless of their needs, pray that God will be glorified through our actions, words, communication, and our responses.

Many times people have had negative experiences with Christians when it comes to their illness, so they may be skeptical of our intentions. They may test us to see if we are authentic.

Pray with me that as a community, we will represent our Lord God in the holiest way possible. Remind us that we are not to be haughty, but rather pilgrims on a similar path to walk along beside those that join us.