Christianity Archives - Rest Ministries - Chronic Illness and Pain Support

Just As Long as You Stand By Me – Video

July 15, 2012 By admin 1 Comment

Happy Sunday! It is so easy to get caught up in our own little world, even the news about the city we live in or our country, and forget that we are all God's children, scattered all over the world. We all hurt, we all need the Lord, and. . . we need each other too. This is a beautiful video that will remind you that there are people world-wide that are saying, "Just as long as you stand by me than I can _____." (Imagine, what could you do if someone promised to stand by you?) Be sure to listen past the 1-minute mark for more surprises. If you are receiving this in your email, you likely cannot see the video within the email. Click the title above to go to our website to watch it. Stand By Me - People of the World Playing for … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, Friendships, Hurt Feelings, Love, Reflection, Videos, What's New? Tagged With: Christianity, God, GodTube, Happy Sunday, Jesus, Lord, Religion and Spirituality, Video

Poem: Forever My God

June 15, 2012 By admin 1 Comment

Beautiful is not the right word It’s so much more One could use the word glory This only captures a tiny glimpse of the reality of your presence The dictionary does not contain a word worthy to describe your majesty I sit here with nothing to give back A broken body A sinful heart Praise is all I can offer In suffering, there is a reality of death You cannot be ignored Without You, I cannot get through my day I think about you all the time The pain brings me to You I cry out to You, my Father Not understanding why, but trusting there will be a when When I am healed Whether on this side of heaven or not, surely I will be healed Trusting in your timing as compassion for others is growing Patience is not a quality that … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Poems, What's New? Tagged With: Chicago, Christianity, God, Health, Inflammatory bowel disease, Interstitial cystitis, Jesu, patience, Poetry, Rest Ministries, Trusting

Devotion: Heroes of Illness Understand There is No Longer Reasons for Fear

June 9, 2012 By admin 14 Comments

". . . and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death." (Hebrews 2:15) On the old TV series "The A-Team" there was an episode where the A-Team had been trapped in a building by people who wanted to destroy them. A news reporter was trapped along with them, and when she asked what they would do next, they told her they were ready to die, and that their willingness to die was what gave them an advantage over their enemies. Of course the A-Team survived to fight another day. What can truly hold you in bondage to fear if you are not afraid to die? I'm not trying to be morbid. It is a reasonable question. If we truly comprehend what Jesus did for us on the cross, how He overcame hell, death, and the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Devotionals, What's New? Tagged With: Christ, Christianity, Death, God, Jesus, Lord, Necrophobia

People Need the Lord, Reminder By Chonda Pierce and Bonnie Keen

April 29, 2012 By admin 1 Comment

Happy Sunday! His is Risen! Yes, I know that is what people say on Easter, but just because the holiday of Easter has passed does not mean we still can't shout from the mountain tops, "He is Risen Indeed." As the relationships and the world around us spins and tumbles, and as the earth rumbles (lots of earthquakes lately!), I am reminded once again that Jesus' return continues to grow closer every day. This is a beautiful video of Chonda Pierce and Bonnie Keen, two amazing women I have been blessed to meet. As they sing People Need the Lord, lift them both up to the Lord as well. Both of these women have gone through extreme moments of deep depression and; have shared their struggles publicly in order to encourage others. (See Chonda … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, Articles - Read, Depression, Loneliness, Music, Video Articles, Videos, What's New? Tagged With: Calendar, Chonda Pierce, Christianity, Easter, God, Jesus, Lord, Religion and Spirituality

Dear Fear: A Letter To My Fears When Living with Chronic Illness

April 26, 2012 By admin 4 Comments

Have you ever considered writing a letter to your fears? Dear Fear. . . it can help you understand what is really important and what you will let go of and give to God so your fears no longer control you. By Melissa Svensen Dear Fear, We have known one another for a while now. You tell me lies all the time, yet I keep letting you back in my life. You overwhelm me with what ifs. What if you don’t ever get well. . . What if God does not want to heal you. . . What if you never accomplish your dreams. . . What if you never get to eat food that tastes good again. . . What if you have to live in chronic pain for the rest of your life. . . What if you can’t stick to the diet you need to follow to get well. . . What if your kids … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, Articles - Read, Fear, Suicidal Thoughts, What's New? Tagged With: Chicago, Christ, Christianity, First Epistle of John, God, Interstitial cystitis, Jesus, John

Devotion: Remaining Hopeful When Illness Allows My Mind to Wander to Worries

April 16, 2012 By admin 11 Comments

"Show me Your ways, Lord, teach me Your paths. Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long." (Psalm 25:4-5) Hope is a key to my staying focused on the Lord. It is one of God’s gifts that I can lose sight of quickly. It happens in the blink of a thought! I stray away for a time. You all know those thoughts: fear that I have failed God or others, fear that I will not get through a time of grief to feel whole again, fear of what a medical test will show or has shown, fear of the future and what it holds. I rob the present of God’s peace when I worry. Oh how I hate catching myself doing this. Yet, if these kinds of thoughts go undetected they escalate and the feelings that … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Devotionals, What's New? Tagged With: Christianity, fear, God, Lord, Lynnwood Washington, Medical test, Psalm, Religion and Spirituality

What I’d Like to Tell The Pastor About Living with Illness

April 13, 2012 By admin 14 Comments

If you had the opportunity to sit down and really share about your pain, what would you tell the pastor of your church about your chronic illness and daily pain? Lisa Copen Living with chronic illness is lonely. Everyone around us seems to be enjoying health, happiness, and the ability to at least pursue their dreams. But many of us feel lonely, scared, and disappointed. We are faced with so many insecurities and we are living with an illness that we have not been able to pray away, cry away, or confess away. So we turn to our church for guidance, for acceptance, for unconditional support during the most difficult time in our life. But churches are made up of people—all of us imperfect. And our church does not always give us … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, Articles - Read, Caregiver, Church Leader, Depression, Explaining Illness, Friend Has Illness, HopeKeepers Resources, Hurt Feelings, Loneliness, Medical Professional, Need to Know, Parent of Ill or Disabled Child, Person w/ Illness, Person w/ lll Spouse, Share Your Story, Spiritually Struggling, Support Group Leader, Teen w/ Illness, What's New? Tagged With: care pastor, Christianity, Chronic, Chronic pain, Church, church disabilities ministry, Conditions and Diseases, Congregational, congregational care, Denominations, disability ministry, Disabled, disabled ministry, disablity, God, Health, Illness, Jesus, Joni Eareckson Tada, joni erickson tada, joni tada, Lord, Online Communities, parish, parish nurse, pastor, pastoral care, pastors, Prayer, Religion and Spirituality, Rest Ministries, small groups, Stephen Ministries, stephen ministry

Easter Services Via WebCam

April 7, 2012 By admin Leave a Comment

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. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Announcements Tagged With: Calvary, Calvary Chapel, Christianity, Denominations, Easter, Jesus, Religion and Spirituality, San Diego

When We Suffer: A Biblical Perspective on Chronic Pain and Illness

March 20, 2012 By admin Leave a Comment

by Mary J. Yerkes Why we suffer may always remain a mystery on this side of eternity. We can, however, glean certain truths from God's Word. If God loves us, why do we suffer? Christian or not, it's a question that comes up repeatedly during times of grief and tragedy. In times of distress, we want to know that our suffering matters to God and that He cares about our pain. "Sometimes a fresh word may, in fact, be a very old one," write Joni Eareckson Tada and Steven Estes in When God Weeps: Why Our Sufferings Matter to the Almighty1 "Truths that are timeless often need only the 'time' brushed away in order to reveal the polished patina that has gleamed all along." Pastor Tim Hager, an associate minister in the Washington D.C. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, Overwhelmed, Spiritually Struggling, What's New? Tagged With: Biblical Studies, Christ, Christianity, Essential Tremor, Evangelism, God, Isaiah, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Joni Eareckson Tada, military chaplain, Religion and Spirituality, Second Epistle to the Corinthians, suffering

Devotion: Do You Weigh the Cost When You Give to Others Since Illness Zaps Your Strength?

February 24, 2012 By admin 4 Comments

"Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Luke 6:38) "Mom, what a rip off," my son said as he opened the pag of potato ships and saw the bag was barely half full. "I know," I explained. "That is how they deceive you into thinking you are getting more, with the big bag. But see, you have to look at the weight on the bag to really know how much you are getting." How many times we have gone after something, a dream, a material item, even a friendship, and then we discover our "bag" is only half full. The inside is not nearly as promising as the outside tries to convince us. Thankfully it … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Devotionals, What's New? Tagged With: Christianity, Chronic, God, lisa copen, Luke, Religion and Spirituality, Rest Ministries, San Diego

A Letter to One Afflicted With Illness (From One Who is Also Afflicted)

February 21, 2012 By admin 9 Comments

Karlton Douglas, one of our regular devotional writers, had someone who has recently been diagnosed with a chronic illness write to him asking for advice in a few areas. Karlton wrote him back and then sent a copy of the letter to us to see if we would be interested in reprinting it here at Rest Ministries. I hope you will read it and comment below on what you agree with, disagree with, your experience and more. What advice would you give someone who has just been diagnosed with an illness that may last his or her lifetime? A Letter to One Afflicted With Illness (From One Who is Also Afflicted) I think most of my life with illness I have felt it is a battle the Lord and I have fought alone. Beyond praying with me and a bit of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, Church Leader, Friend Has Illness, Hurt Feelings, Person w/ Illness, What's New? Tagged With: Christianity, chronic conditions, Chronic pain, God, Health, Hurt Feelings, if i could tell my healthy friends something, karlton douglas, letter to healthy friends, letter to those with loved ones who have a chronic illness, Lord, Ohio, Psalm, Rest Ministries, when healthy people do not understand chronic illness

Devotion: Leftovers

February 12, 2012 By admin 4 Comments

". . . Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted. (John 6:12b) What a title! Perhaps it leads you to think of food that has been set aside when enough has been consumed to satisfy one’s hunger. You might think of those who work with fabric and have cut out what they need but remnant pieces remain. With some resourcefulness leftover food can be used for a new meal. Extra fabric can be stitched into a different creation. I have known times when I have felt like a leftover and wondered where I belonged. When the challenges in my body became too intense for me to continue my teaching career, an early retirement was necessary. I hoped to volunteer occasionally at my former work site. That planned involvement failed. My … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Devotionals, What's New? Tagged With: Christianity, God, Jesus, John, leftovers, Lord, Lynnwood Washington, Religion and Spirituality