Luke Archives - Rest Ministries - Chronic Illness and Pain Support

Devotion: The Lord of Compassion and Mercy Can Turn Suffering to Joy

May 7, 2012 By admin 1 Comment

"When the Lord saw her, His heart went out to her and He said, 'Don’t cry.'” (Luke 7: 13) Our Lord’s heart goes out to His people when they must endure pain and suffering, as stated in the verse above. Our Jesus is the Lord of compassion and mercy. We can see in the gospel of Luke, Chapter 7, examples that prove His compassion for His people. The Lord was anxious to fulfill the needs of the people He encountered--their physical, as well as spiritual ones. One account tells of a widow whose only son had died and was about to be buried. The Lord knew the woman had suffered much loss in her life and was well acquainted with grief. Luke says that when Jesus saw her, He had compassion on her. The Lord brought her only son back from … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Devotionals, What's New? Tagged With: Benjy, Compassion, God, Jesus, Lord, Luke, mercy, War Cry

Devotion: Saying “Yes” At the Edge of the Unknown– Even When Our Body Says No

April 6, 2012 By admin 10 Comments

"I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10b) I had sought refuge in a small memorial chapel during an unexpected heavy rain shower. Very minimal daylight was present inside. Tapered candles, lit and placed in trays of sand were the first images I could see. Then I saw her in sculpture, bathed in this candlelight--Mary holding Jesus in her arms at the foot of the Cross. God had chosen Mary to birth His son, Jesus. An angelic encounter brought this news to her. Anointed words had greeted her bewilderment, "Do not be afraid" (Luke 1:30). Humbly, Mary said "yes" in agreement. How could she have deeply known what that "yes" would mean? We now know it was a pivotal moment for all of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Devotionals, What's New? Tagged With: Christ, Easter, God, Jesu, Luke, Lynnwood Washington, Mary, Resurrection of Jesus

Devotion: The Words of My Heart When Coping With Pain

March 31, 2012 By admin 2 Comments

"A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of." (Luke 6:45) "You are being so selfish! Can you think of someone other than yourself?" "Why doesn't anyone else seem to care that our house is trashed? If everyone would just pick up their own stuff I wouldn't be so tired all the time!" "Stop making that screeching sounds! and turn down the video game! And pick up your dishes and take them to the kitchen." Uh. . . Yeah. Those are my words. Not very polite, are they? I said them politely the first five times, but then I started to seethe and said nothing, and then, as I couldn't walk through my … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Devotionals, Founder's Blog, What's New? Tagged With: Christ, Chronic Illness, God, Lego, lisa copen, losing our temper, Luke, mad mom, moods and medications, prednisone and temper, Rest Ministries, San Diego, side effects of prednisone, Word

Devotion: Are You Tearing Patches From Your Life Before Illness?

March 1, 2012 By admin 1 Comment

"He told them this parable: 'No one tears a piece out of a new garment to patch an old one. Otherwise, they will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old.'" (Luke 5:36) Soon I will hit the nineteen-year mark for living with rheumatoid arthritis. In some ways I can hardly believe that I have lived with daily, life-changing chronic pain for nearly two decades. On the other hand, I remember my days before pain as my childhood, and my days with pain as my adulthood. So if I can barely remember doing tasks such as picking up the house or doing laundry without pain, why is it so easy to slip into moments of frustration? Of. . .. "If only my hand would work! if only every step wasn't so painful!" One would … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Devotionals, Founder's Blog, What's New? Tagged With: God, Illness, Jesus, lisa copen, Luke, Pain, Rest Ministries, San Diego

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

Devotion: God’s Blessings In Good Times And Bad

December 18, 2011 By admin 4 Comments

"Zechariah asked the angel, 'How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.' The angel said to him, 'I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.'" (Luke 1:18-20) Sometimes we are so stuck in a mindset of things being bad, and continually being bad, that it is hard to muster the faith to believe improvement is on the way. That was Zechariah's state of mind. Imagine that an angel, a holy being who stands in the presence of Almighty God, steps into your home bringing a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Devotionals, What's New? Tagged With: Angel, Elizabeth, Gabriel, God, Lord, Luke, Ohio, Zechariah

What We Can Learn From Mary While Living with Chronic Illness

December 7, 2011 By admin 4 Comments

During this time of year when we are celebrating the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ we can easily grow to have the Christmas story sound casual since we have heard it so many times. Mary rode a donkey, there was no room in the inn, and she gave birth to Jesus in a stable, with a star overhead. I always love to take a second look at this story, however, to find a fresh perspective on it and to personalize it. This year, as I looked more closely at the life of Mary, I saw certain traits that we all can learn from, especially those with chronic illness. Mary surrendered her own will to God's plans “'I am the Lord’s servant,' Mary answered. 'May your word to me be fulfilled.'” (Luke 1:38) Mary was just a girl who had dreams of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, Coping Skills, Holidays, Person w/ Illness, What's New? Tagged With: God, Jesus, Joseph, Lord, Luke, Mary, Rest Ministries, San Diego

Devotion: Jesus Does Heal, But What Can We Gain While We Are Praying for Healing?

June 6, 2011 By admin 3 Comments

"Then he said to her, 'Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.'" (Luke 8:48) Like many others dealing with chronic illness, I am particularly fond of Luke's account of Jesus' life. As a physician, Luke took a special interest in chronicling Jesus' interactions with the sick--both in how He showed compassion and in how He healed. Many of us are familiar with the story in which Jesus is among a crushing crowd of people, and a woman who has been living with an untreatable chronic illness for twelve years has enough faith to know that merely touching her Savior's cloak will bring her healing. She is healed by her faith. I don't know about you, but I have prayed for the healing of my physical body. Others have gathered around … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Devotionals, What's New? Tagged With: Christianity, Faith, God, Gospel of Luke, Healing, Jesus, Luke, Savior

Devotion: Learning to Escape To Our Knees When We Cannot Escape Our Illness

March 22, 2011 By admin 1 Comment

"When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place." (Matthew 14:13) I was recently sharing with a friend how exhausted I am lately, coping with some harsh flares of my rheumatoid arthritis. "I love people," I explained. "But when I am in so much pain I need space. I don't want to talk to anyone. I don't want to answer the phone. I don't want anyone in my house, even the housekeeper. And then that feels so selfish! I don't want to be that kind of person! But I shouldn't have to leave my own house to get some quiet." "Lisa," she calmly said. "What did Jesus do when he was tired and needed to find renewal?" "He withdrew" I said. What does "withdrawing" mean to you? We all have read how Jesus went … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Devotionals, Founder's Blog, What's New? Tagged With: Christian, Christianity, God, Gospel of Matthew, Jesus, lisa copen, Lord, Luke, Satan

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