Health Archives - Rest Ministries - Chronic Illness and Pain Support

If God Never Gives Me More Than I Can Handle, Why Is Life So Hard?

August 12, 2012 By admin 19 Comments

If God never gives me more than I can handle, then explain what is going on in my life! Have you ever felt this way? By Lisa Copen, this is a reprint from http://thinkingaboutsuicide.com where Lisa is a contributor. The web site is a good place to turn during those rough days to help you remember that God cares about you and is here beside you even when you don't feel like it. Over and over I have heard the saying, "God doesn't give you more than you can handle." But what about the pain. . . the grief. . . the depression. . . the darkness? It is more than we can handle. Much more. There are days that we wonder is life worth living if we have to get up every day and fight to be strong? We look enviously at others who seem to not … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, Articles - Read, Depression, Spiritually Struggling, Suicidal Thoughts, What's New? Tagged With: Chronic Illness, depending on god, god doesn't give you more than you can handle, Health, lisa copen, Matthew West, Pain, Rest Ministries, Rheumatoid arthritis

What Excuses Are You Making? – Video

July 22, 2012 By admin Leave a Comment

Happy Sunday! Have you just felt like not doing something lately? Avoiding it, even if there are consequences? Maybe it is not your physical pain that is preventing it, but a situation when you just can't get motivated. Let me introduce you to Matt Scott, who was born with spina bifida and grew up in Detroit, Michigan. Here he participated in a variety of sports alongside his able-bodied peers. Now a member of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater wheelchair basketball squad, Scott has won four national championships. He was also recently selected to the Paralympic squad for the second time. The 23-year-old college senior attributes his achievements to a dedicated work ethic, and to a support structure of friends and family that … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, Attitude, Coping Skills, Fear, Overwhelmed, Videos, What's New? Tagged With: Detroit, Health, Matt Scott, Paralympic, Paralympic Games, Scott, Spina bifida, Wheelchair basketball

Avoiding a Life of Misery: Facing Down The Aches and Pains

June 26, 2012 By admin 1 Comment

A note from Lisa: Remember, if you feel you have a life of misery, suffer from depression, or even deal with suicidal thoughts you are not alone. In the devotional below, Karlton speaks of both extreme depression that need medical intervention, as well as our "melancholy moods." There is a great difference between these two areas, but they are often lumped together. If you are feeling suicidal at all, I encourage you to visit a Christian web site I write for ThinkingAboutSuicide.com or seek out immediate help. __________________________ When coping with chronic illness it can feel like we are leading a life of misery. God is bigger than our circumstances, however, and gives us hope to hold onto. "Then we cried out to the Lord, the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Depression, Devotionals, Suicidal Thoughts, What's New? Tagged With: God, Health, life is a misery, life of misery, Mental Health, Ohio, Suicidal Thoughts

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

“You Are Too Young to Be That Sick!”

June 14, 2012 By admin 16 Comments

"You are too young to be that ill! Oh, you are too young to be dealing with that kind of pain." Why do simple, even well-intentioned words hurt so much? By Lisa Copen At the age of twenty-four, a thousand miles away from my family and living in a new city, I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. Over a period of four weeks and about eight doctor’s visits, I finally found a physician of internal medicine who listened to me explain my symptoms; in less than two days I had a diagnosis. Despite the terms “chronic” and “forever” I felt relieved to know the label that described my chronic pain. Few of my friends, however, shared my enthusiasm for a diagnosis. The managers at my office were more concerned about the fact that I … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, Articles - Read, Coping Skills, Depression, Explaining Illness, Friend Has Illness, Friendships, Invisible Illnesses, Need to Know, Person w/ Illness, What's New? Tagged With: Arthritis, Chronic, Conditions and Diseases, Fibromyalgia, Health, hidden disabilities, Illness, invisible disabilities, invisible illness, Life Disrupted: Getting Real About Chronic Illness in Your Twenties and Thirties, lisa copen, Pain, Rest Ministries, Rheumatoid arthritis, San Diego, you are too young, you dont look sick, you look fine

What a Difference Love Can Make – Video

June 10, 2012 By admin Leave a Comment

If you are one who loves animals, you may need to grab a tissue to watch this video. This doggie, found abandoned and blind in both eyes, gets a new chance for life and love because of some people who care. What a difference we can make in the lives of someone who needs a second chance, both animals--an humans--alike. 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. Blind Dog Living in a Trash Pile Gets the Most Beautiful Rescue - The End is Amazing from iluvanimals on GodTube. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Loneliness, Love, Videos, What's New? Tagged With: Animal Welfare, blindness, Conditions and Diseases, Dog, dog rescue, Eye Disorders, GodTube, Health, Los Angeles, puppy

Dominic Cook’s Unique Testimony Reaches Those Suffering From Depression

May 14, 2012 By admin 1 Comment

By Debbi Farmer Eventually, we will all feel blue. We will have days, even weeks when we are sad. Many can rebound from these emotions--but many cannot. We face tragedies and struggles that can turn our world completely upside down. And sadly there are times also when physical changes in our body can cause clinical depression even when life appears to the world to be running smoothly. When you have depression, it interferes with daily life and causes pain for both you and those who care about you. Depression is a common but serious illness. Many people with a depressive illness never even seek treatment. Helping someone with depression can be a challenge. If someone in your life has depression, they may feel helpless and you … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, Articles - Read, Depression, Fear, Parents of Adult Children, Profiles, Suicidal Thoughts, Teen w/ Illness, What's New? Tagged With: Depression, God, Health, List of people with major depressive disorder, Lord, Major depressive disorder, Mental Health, North Carolina

Devotion: A Challenging Doctor’s Appointment With God As My Strength

May 10, 2012 By admin 3 Comments

"Give thanks to the Lord for he is good; His love endures forever." (Psalm 118). It has been one of those weeks where I’ve realized how important it is to rely on my faith. My illness has caused added symptoms and made things difficult. My doctor wasn’t in so I saw his partner for a sick visit. He didn’t agree with my own physician’s treatment plan and challenged it and my condition. He didn’t want to give me the IV therapy necessary to hydrate and stabilize me. As I laid on the examining table--for if I sat up I was dizzy and weak--I had to extrapolate medical information from my brain of what I had; how I knew I had it and why I didn’t have the disease this doctor surmised. It was a surreal experience. I survived the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Devotionals, What's New? Tagged With: Chronic, Conditions and Diseases, God, Health, Holy Spirit, New York, Physician, Psalm

Bring a Meal and Make is Special With Free Printable Labels

May 7, 2012 By admin 21 Comments

When one is chronically ill, and a friend wishes to help her, the first thing that comes to mind is to bring a meal. In fact, since the most popular gift to bring is a meal, I wrote the book, Beyond Casseroles: 505 Ways to Encourage a Chronically Ill Friend to get people to think beyond food. Sometimes all we can think of is to bring a meal! Why is that? Well, a meal is a gift of comfort. And even though we --who are chronically ill--may be physically able to cook, it takes a burden off of us so that we can use the energy we would have spent cooking doing something else. I have discovered that many people who cook for the chronically ill and offer to bring a meal to them, are actually ill themselves. Though it is easy to understand new … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, Articles - Read, Beyond Casseroles, Caregiver, Cooking, Free Printables, Friend Has Illness, Invisible Illnesses, Ministry - Personal, Need to Know, Support Group Leader, What's New? Tagged With: Chronic, Chronic Illness, Conditions and Diseases, deacons, free labels for meals, Health, meal delivery, meals for family, meals for recovery, organize meals, organize meals for sick friend, printables, Rest Ministries, take a meal

52 Ways to Encourage a Chronically Ill Friend

May 2, 2012 By admin 5 Comments

If you are looking for ways to encourage a friend who is living with a chronic illness, dealing with a lot of pain, or even fighting cancer, this article is a great starting point to think creatively! Get the "Beyond Casseroles" book for 505 ways! By Lisa Copen Excerpt from Beyond Casseroles: 505 Ways to Encourage a Chronically Ill Friend - Please do not reprint without permission or reword a few of the ideas and post as your own article. We've seen quite a few out there and appreciate you linking back to the source here. Thanks! "A good friend is a connection to life - a tie to the past, a road to the future, the key to sanity in a totally insane world." ~Lois Wyse Ask, "What events in your life are changing and how are you … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, Articles - Read, Beyond Casseroles, Books, Caregiver, Coping Skills, Explaining Illness, Founder's Blog, Friend Has Illness, Friendships, Need to Know, Overwhelmed, Person w/ Illness, Person w/ lll Spouse, Support Group Leader, What's New? Tagged With: 50 ways to encourage a chronicall ill friend, 52 ways to help an ill friend, beyond casseroles, Catherine Marshall, Christian, Chronic, God, Health, how to help a sick friend, how to help an ill friend, Illness, lisa copen, ministering to a seriously ill friend, Rest Ministries

Devotion: How God Can Use Your Affliction to Bring You Closer to Him

April 22, 2012 By admin 3 Comments

"It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees. The law from your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold” (Psalm 119:71-72). From my journal during a recent health battle I wrote the following. . . The nausea and back pain are getting worse. All I want to do is sit by my fireplace, put some heat on my back and open the Word. I love how the Word instantly calms my anxiousness and restores my inner peace. Why is it then that I only seem to read my Bible and pray when I’m sick, tired, or frustrated? Dear God, I know how important it is for me to spend time with You daily, but yet I do not do it. I know that when I do make my quiet time with You a priority my day starts off … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Depression, Devotionals, What's New? Tagged With: afflication, Bible, Chronic, cronic, God, good to be afflicted, Health, Illness, Lord, management of pain, Ohio, Pain, pain diary., Psalm, West Michigan

Devotion: What We Think Can Affect How We Feel: The Mind-Body Connection

April 19, 2012 By admin 17 Comments

“As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” (Proverbs 23:7 KJV) We hear a lot these days about mind/body connections. Not surprisingly, God’s Word spoke about that long before now. There are various verses in Scripture confirming that our thoughts and emotions affect our bodies. I have seen this in my own body over the past 15 years. I typically react to difficulties with fear, anxiety, or depression. Literally within minutes of thinking about or feeling negative thoughts and emotions, I will get a migraine or tension headache, have a panic attack, or become extremely fatigued. It takes great effort to fight these responses. It is much easier to give in than to put up a fight and respond differently. When recently faced with … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Devotionals, What's New? Tagged With: Bronlynn Spindler, Emotion, Father God, God, Health, Thought, Thyroid cancer