Marriage

Connect Again with Your Spouse – Book Sale $1.99

February 9, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

With Valentine's Day just around the corner this cute little book has the potential to add some spark to your marriage regardless of where it is at. The book "Life Brighteners for Couples: 90 Notes to Touch Your Spouse's Heart" has 90 notes grounded in biblical encouragement - each one perfect for slipping into your mate's briefcase, purse, back pack or Bible. It's a great way to reconnect, especially when you have had a rough day or your typical conversation seems to always go back to something to do with your illness. In honor of Valentine's Day we are marking this book down from $7 to JUST $1.99 at the Rest Ministries Comfort Zone Bookstore through February 15th. Some other great books we recommend that are available at our … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Books, Holidays, Love, Marriage, Person w/ Illness, Person w/ lll Spouse, RM Shop E-flyers Tagged With: Arianna Huffington, ChronicFatigueSyndrome, Full-spectrum light, Holidays and Special Days, how to surrender to god, i love you with an everlasting love, in sickness and in health, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Light therapy, Luke, Marriage, marriage and illness, Seasonal Affective Disorder, Second Epistle to Timothy

Love Endures When Your Spouse is Ill

February 9, 2010 By admin 2 Comments

In the process of loving someone with a chronic illness, we often feel a recurring pang of grief & fear that overshadows the happy moments of our lives. Because the shadow never lifts completely, we must depend on the healing power of love when medical science has no answers. I have come to underst& that love endures when it is based more on friendship, respect & commitment than on romance. Such love carries with it a sense of belonging, a feeling of home. Couples who deeply love each other become so interwoven that it is difficult to tell where one stops & the other begins. They think alike, talk alike, even begin to look alike. As one devotes one's self to caregiving & weathers the storms of illness & recovery, you discover that … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, Caregiver, Marriage, Person w/ Illness, Person w/ lll Spouse, What's New? Tagged With: Christ, Chronic, Chronic fatigue syndrome, Chronic Illness, chronic illness married couples, Conditions and Diseases, First Epistle to the Corinthians, God, Health, husband caregiver, husband with illness, ill husband, ill wife, illness mariage, in sickness and in health, Jesus, Kids and Teens, marriage and illness, Medicine, Pain, Person w/ lll Spouse, spouse with illness, talking about your illness, vows marriage, wife caregiver, wife with illness

Fireproof – A Good Valentine’s Rental Movie

February 7, 2010 By admin 2 Comments

Fireproof is an amazing movie that was out in 2008 that set records for any independent film. Starring actor Kirk Cameron, heplays a fire chief & a man who is well-respected by those in his community. But his marriage is nearing the end. It’s not because of an affair with another person, or some dramatic event that takes place; but rather because, day by day, both spouses take one another a little more for granted & move away from each other than toward each other. Both are searching for validation of their emotions & even simple appreciation. Despite the fact that the movie was at the theaters two years ago the ministry of this movie continues to impact lives & change marriages. They have set up a Fireproof website specifically for … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Anger, Articles, Books, Church Leader, Depression, Events, Fear, Links, Marriage, Person w/ Illness, Person w/ lll Spouse, Support Group Leader, Videos, What's New? Tagged With: Arianna Huffington, Marriage, Relationships

Special Interview with Renee Bondi

February 3, 2010 By admin 1 Comment

Reprinted from HopeKeepers Magazine 2004 I was having a ball with wedding plans; my music program was a huge success; I was blessed to have had the opportunity to travel & see the world; I had friends & family to love. My life was full, & I saw nothing but blue skies above," she writes in her book The Last Dance But Not the Last Song. But in May 1988, after a romantic weekend as a prom chaperone with her fiancé, her life would take a dramatic dive—literally. She went to bed filled with innocent anticipation of life ahead, but awoke "diving" off the foot of her bed. She simply remembers being in mid- air & thinking, "Huh?" & then hitting the floor. Filled with searing pain in her neck & shoulders, she thought, "I've really done it … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, Caregiver, Church Leader, Joy, Marriage, Parenting, Person w/ Illness, Profiles, What's New? Tagged With: bible study, christian ministry, Disability, disability ministry, God, hopekeepers, joni and friends, Joni Eareckson Tada, Medicine, Music, quadraplegic, Religion and Spirituality, renee bondi, Rest Ministries, singing, The Last Dance But Not The Last Song, United States, women of faith, women of virtue

Love Letter Contest by Focus on the Family

February 2, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Focus on the Family has announced that they are having their first "Love Letters Contest." If you'd like to tell your spouse how much you love them, this is a great way to do it & possibly even win a prize. Just visit the Focus on the Family website & explain to them "why you want to grow old with your spouse." Each day from Feb. 1-11 they will choose their 4 favorite love letters & each couple will win a prize. February 12 they will choose the Gr& Prize recipient from all of the daily winners. This will be a "unforgettable trip to the live Focus on Marriage™ simulcast on Feb. 27 in Colorado Springs, CO." Click here to enter the Love Letters Contest! Gr& Prize Includes: - Round-trip transportation to Colorado Springs, CO - Two … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Links, Love, Marriage, What's New? Tagged With: Arts, Child sexual abuse, Focus on the Family, Lisa Saunders, Marriage, Pope Benedict XVI, Survivors, Website, Writers Resources

Rebuilding Your Life After Divorce

December 20, 2009 By admin 1 Comment

The pains of divorce & separation are real, but they don't have to last. For many, making a New Year's resolution to attend a DivorceCare group has been the key to healing. This is an article we are passing on. WAKE FOREST, NC, Dec 2009/Christian Newswire/ -- For people facing the pain of divorce or separation, the New Year is a good time to commit to the healing process. A marital breakup can be devastating for the individuals going through it, as it affects emotions, self-esteem, children, finances & daily energy levels. With so much personal upheaval, most people going through divorce are unsure of how to find complete healing from the hurt, & hope for the future. Many experience a breakthrough in this process by attending a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, Hurt Feelings, Links, Marriage, What's New? Tagged With: Christian, Divorce, New Year, New Year's resolution, Raleigh North Carolina, Relationships, Support group

View The Whole Shebang! 64-Page HopeKeepers Magazine

December 14, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Merry Christmas! If you haven't yet had a chance to check out our current issue of HopeKeepers magazine, now is the time. Our December issue is completely free & available to read online in its digital format, or you can out up to 15 pages at one sitting. Please help us spread the word by posting this to your Twitter, Facebook, etc. We would love for others to know about HopeKeepers magazine! … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Advocacy, Explaining Illness, HopeKeepers Resources, Links, Marriage, Parenting, Person w/ Illness, Spiritually Struggling, What's New? Tagged With: casey martin, christian golf, christian illness, Christmas, Facebook, Holidays, hopekeepers magazine, Merry Christmas, Online Communities, People and Society, rtest ministries, Social network, Twitter

Photos Can Give Pain Relief

December 8, 2009 By admin 1 Comment

Most of us would say it's common sense that our loved one or pet will reduce the pain we are in. They can talk to us, give us compassion, distract us from pain & more. But a new study has some surprising results! You don't actually need the person there! In fact, a photo of your loved one may bring you more comfort than the person being there holding your h&! Scientists at the University of California at Los Angeles applied pain (heat), to the forearms of 28 women who had all been in relationships for at least six months. Each woman had the heat/pain applied while: holding the h& of their partner who was sitting behind a curtain; holding the h& of a stranger sitting behind a curtain; holding a squeeze ball; viewing a photo … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Alternative Treatments, Caregiver, Coping Skills, Friend Has Illness, Marriage, Our Best Tips, Person w/ Illness, Person w/ lll Spouse, Statistics Tagged With: Chronic pain, Conditions and Diseases, Health, Los Angeles, Medical Specialties, Medicine, Pain, Pain Mgmt & Illnesses, Photograph, relieve chronic pain, relive pain, Research, United States, University of California, University Of California Los Angeles

October is Caregivers Month

October 30, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

It's no secret that chronic illness affects the entire family. It comes into the home like an uninvited guest & it becomes a team effort to learn to adjust to the changes that transpire. Part of the purpose of Rest Ministries, Inc. is to serve the family, as well as the individual, who has the chronic condition. Caregivers come in many forms. For some of us a caregiver is a person that we pay to come into our home & help us out with certain tasks. For others of us, our caregiver is our well-spouse who helps us shower & dress each day. And many of us we may not even believe that we have a caregiver. We simply have a spouse that scrubs the shower or a neighbor that … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Caregiver, Caregiving, Church Leader, Friend Has Illness, Health News, Marriage, Parent of Ill or Disabled Child, Person w/ Illness, Person w/ lll Spouse, Support Group Leader, What's New? Tagged With: Caregiver, Caregiver Support, Chronic, Chronic Illness, Conditions and Diseases, Family, Health, Rest Ministries

New Marriage Book “Cracks the Code”

October 23, 2009 By admin 2 Comments

I am honored to call Pam Farrel a friend. She is the author of many books such as Men are Like Waffles & Women are Like Spaghetti & Woman of Influence: Ten Traits of Those Who Want to Make a Difference. She was a recent guest on Invisible Illness Week, talking about Coping with Chronic Illness in Your Marriage. Her newest book with her husb& Bill is The Marriage Code & it is hot off the press! Here is a bit about it. I can't wait to read it as I know it will be a wonderful resource to add to my books on making marriage a blessing. (Or at least, how to underst& why your spouse does what he does...) Codes are all around us: access codes for banking accounts, to make reservations for travel, or to gain entry into buildings or our own … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Books, Links, Love, Marriage, Our Best Tips, Person w/ Illness, Person w/ lll Spouse Tagged With: Author, Bestseller, books on marriage, chronic illness and marriage. bill and pam farrel, chronically ill per, chronically ill person becomes the caregiver, chronically ill spouse, Focus on the Family, husband with illness, illness books on marriage, Marriage, marriage code, pam farell, pam farrel, pam farrell, Radio, relationship, Shopping, Website, wife with illness

YOU Hurt My Feelings! When Illness Causes Strife In Your Relationship

October 21, 2009 By admin 1 Comment

By Lisa Copen Have you felt a great divide in a relationship that could compare with the parting of the Red Sea? In the midst of trying to redefine who we are with chronic illness, we often encounter a torrent of remarks that are hurtful. Sometimes, the “wounds from a friend can be trusted,” (Proverbs 27:6), because the remarks are made out of ignorance: “If you just prayed about it more, God would heal you.” It hurts, but we know they aren’t purposely trying to hurt us. You may even feel abandoned as friends and companions avoid you because of your wounds (Psalm 38:11). Or perhaps you’ve felt that the comments from friends or family are outright abusive, and you leave with tears flowing down your cheeks, wondering what … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Anger, Articles, Articles - Read, Church Leader, Explaining Illness, Founder's Blog, Friend Has Illness, Friendships, Hurt Feelings, Marriage, Person w/ Illness, Person w/ lll Spouse, Relationships, What's New? Tagged With: #featuredpost, Anger, Bible, bitterness, Christ, Christianity, Chronic Illness, Epistle to the Ephesians, First Epistle to Timothy, forgiveness, Friendship, friendship broken, frustration with relationships, God, how to get past w someone has wronged you, Hurt Feelings, Jesus, Lord, marriage help, not able to forgive, Psalms, Red Sea, Religion and Spirituality

Talking to Our Spouse About Our Illness: How Much is Too Much?

October 7, 2009 By admin 1 Comment

It feels like I'm laying on thumb tacks," I tell my husb& as he crawls into bed beside me. "But there is nothing there! I feel so bruised." "I'm sorry," he offers with a sympathetic voice, but there is little else he can do. "I feel kind of nauseous too," I say. "I wonder if I should get something to eat. . . But then that might upset my stomach. It's must be the drugs. I'm sure it will pass." As I finish my sentence he's snoring away. For many of us, our spouse is our best friend. If our relationship is good, we want to share our feelings with them. Even if our relationship is hurting, we feel that by explaining our pain, they may sympathize & be more loving towards us. Although we don't want to burden them by constantly sharing … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles Free to Reprint, Caregiver, Coping Skills, Explaining Illness, Friend Has Illness, Hurt Feelings, Marriage, Our Best Tips, Person w/ Illness, Person w/ lll Spouse Tagged With: Christ, Chronic, Chronic fatigue syndrome, Chronic Illness, chronic illness married couples, Conditions and Diseases, Health, husband caregiver, husband with illness, ill husband, ill wife, illness mariage, in sickness and in health, Kids and Teens, marriage and illness, Pain, Person w/ lll Spouse, spouse with illness, talking about your illness, vows marriage, wife caregiver, wife with illness