Dear Friends,

It is with great joy I introduce our new publication of hopekeepers(R), formerly our newsletter ...And He Will Give You Rest. If you've received one of our newsletters in the past, you know how exciting it is for all of us who have long-awaited for a Rest Ministries' "mini-magazine" and I look forward to hearing your feedback. When I began Rest Ministries in 1997, it was for many reasons: I was searching for my life's work (I thought I had found it, but God had other plans), I had a heart ready to serve, and a deep desire to reach out to others who were hurting. But perhaps what got me out of bed each morning and led me to write business plans or pray with a new friend was simply this: I felt alone. I was a social person. Since I was in Junior High, I'd lived with a calendar of activities that barely left time for sleep. Sitting around the apartment watching talk shows was not how I wanted to live my life-not even temporarily. And I trusted that God knew my limitations and that He would somehow work through them.

Yes, God has surely worked in amazing ways as he has built this ministry through thousands of hours of the volunteer work of us chronically ill folks. But every day we reach out to thousands more, with over 50,000 hits to our web site daily and dozens of calls. For many people, it's the first time they feel their pain validated, the first time they feel the smallest bit understood and accepted. They don't feel quite as lonely as they did a few minutes earlier. Psalm 86:6 says, "He puts the lonely in families. . ." A simple scripture, a special plan. We hope you will enjoy our new publication and find comfort, joy and understanding within these pages; tools to live joyfully with chronic illness. When you're done reading this, won't you pass it onto a friend? Leave it in the doctor's office waiting room. Give it to your pastoral staff. Order a gift subscription for a friend. Let's all be a part of that family God speaks of today.

Your friend,

This article was featured in our January February 2004 issue. Subscribe today so you don't miss our next issue. You can also order back issues while supplies last at our bookstore, The Comfort Zone. We also gladly accept orders by mail, FAX or phone. REST MINISTRIES, PO Box 502928, San Diego, CA 92150, FAX 800-933-1078 or phone 888-751-7378..

All information on this web site and from hopekeepers Magazine® is copyright, 2004, not to be used without permission in print or electronically. All rights reserved. Use of this site constitutes your acceptance of our Terms and Conditions. Please contact us at rest@restministries.org if you would like to reprint it for public use. Permission is not needed for 10 or less copies of personal use (send to a friend, share with your support group, etc.) We're happy to answer your questions about it.