I Need You, Lord. When Your Healthy Spouse Has a Medical Condition

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Dana Kennedy An antiseptic smell I couldn’t quite place permeated the air. Perhaps it was a combination of Pine Sol and Clorox. Industrial carpet woven in blues and reds needed a vacuum. A lone ant traveled by my foot. I took the damp tissue in my hand and squashed it. A few fluorescents created shadows which revealed the starkness of the room. The barren environment mimicked the fact that I was the only occupant waiting. It was the middle of the night, and I lay curled on my side wondering if my husband was going to live through surgery. I also--possibly selfishly, yet realistically--wondered if my body would allow me to make it through the ordeal. Having postural intolerance, chronic fatigue syndrome, and fibromyalgia severely … [Read more...]

In Response to Pat Robertsons Statment on Alzheimer’s and Divorce

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I was shocked to hear such a bold statement from Mr. Pat Robertson, 700 club host, who, on Tuesday's broadcast, justified that a person should not be held accountable for leaving his spouse and seeking divorce if his spouse has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease. In this scenario Mr. Robertson has shown the world that one's personal comfort, especially in the case of having a spouse with a chronic illness, is more important than the marriage vows of "for better or for worse, until death do us part." The religious broadcaster Pat Robertson and chairman of the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) told his "700 Club" viewers that divorcing a spouse with Alzheimer's is justifiable because the disease is "a kind of death." During … [Read more...]

Making a Difference in the Lives of Soldiers With Illness, Disability, and More

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Debbi Farmer One of the privileges of writing articles to share with the members of Rest Ministries who are looking for resources to help with their particular kind of pain is finding a "hidden jewel" that can out-shine many others. "Healing our Heroes Network" is just that jewel! "Once a Hero always a Hero," however our military heroes today are only human and can suffer many kinds of wounds too complex sometimes to treat, too personal to share, and too deep to heal without help. That is where this wonderful program comes into play. The "Soldiers for Bibles Ministry" a part of Heart of God International Ministries has seen the need to bring together resources to help our heroes in one convenient location. "Healing Our Heroes … [Read more...]

How a Husband Can Encourage a Chronically Ill Wife – The Spiritual and Emotional Stuff

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Matt Horne This is part 2 of a 2 part article. Part 1 is here: Carrying Super Rachel - The Logistics of When Your Wife Is Chronically Ill It's tough to live your life with a chronic illness. Even with the best attitude and support system, you have bad days where you think futile thoughts. "I should be able to do this. . . anybody my age should!" When you can't walk yourself across the room, it's easy to become depressed. Here are some of the ways I help my wife combat this mentality: I reinforce that she's definitely worth something--in face, everything--to me. We both are an active part of our support group, the Texas Association for Dysautonomia Awareness. I encourage her to participate in things she can find joy in and … [Read more...]

Carrying Super Rachel – The Logistics of When Your Wife Is Chronically Ill

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By Matt Horne Caring for a chronically ill wife is not what I had envisioned when I was working up the nerve to ask out "that hot girl" who would later become my wife. We were in college and she was on the cross country team. She let me know very early on in the relationship that she had a chronic illness. Nowadays, it's just part of life. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't know what to do with myself if she were well. There's a reason I call her "Super Rachel." On her good days, she can run circles around me--cleaning, getting things checked off her to-do list, and having tons of fun. She's amazing. On top of that, she has the greatest attitude and rarely lets her condition get her down. As her dad says, she's an "overcomer." Instead … [Read more...]

Marriage and Chronic Illness: Is Life is a Bowl Full of Cherries? Sometimes!

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By Jackie Confalone Once upon a time, a fair young maiden caught the eye of a godly young lad in the village of "Bowl of Cherries." The young lad asked the fair maiden if she'd accompany him to a jousting tournament and a courtship began that continued to blossom over the next two years. Once the fair maiden completed her classical studies, the young lad asked for her hand in marriage and she enthusiastically said yes! A grand wedding ceremony and marriage celebration followed and life became a "bowl full of cherries!" Actually, that "fair maiden" is me, and I have been married 30 years to my "young lad." We were blessed with two children, a 24 year-old daughter who married her own godly young lad, and a 21 year-old son who is … [Read more...]

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