Can
you believe it's summer already? With it comes our preparation
for National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week.
I'm so excited about our theme this year.
It's...
(drum roll)
Living
with invisible illness is a roller coaster! Help a friend
hold on.
The
Invisible Illness Week web site is all done (whew!) at
www.invisibleillness.com.
Be sure to visit the site and click the link by the little
globe and put in your location on our worldwide map so
we can see where we are all from. We have lots of fun
items for purchase and more are on the way. Print items
(like flyers, etc.) are also on the web site that we can
for you to simply download and print them to save funds.
We began a MySpace
site and have 1572 friends! Wow!!
Now
is the time to talk to your pastor or support group about
Sept 10-16, 2007 being a time to encourage those with
chronic illness and help others become aware of how GOOD
we can sometimes look, even though we don't feel so hot.
PLEASE
TAKE OUR POLL TOO! These 4 quick questions will
help us have some statistics to build our press releases
on for Invisible Illness Awareness Week. (It asks "What
do you say when someone says you look great?")
You
are all such a blessing to me. As I hear the stories
about people getting together and for fellowship who have
met via the internet and then vacationed in to other states,
or the outreach people do sending notes to others... it
just blows me away how much MINISTRY goes on behind the
scenes that I may never even know about. But God knows.
Thank you, friends, for making this ministry what it is.
Managing
your pain doesn't have to be a pain! You can find
all kinds of goodies to get the kinks out all at the
Chronic
Pain Store.
This
new store is owned by Dr. Barbra Hanna who is a board
certified OB/GYN who had to leave the practice of
clinical medicine two years ago due to inflammatory
arthritis in her hands. So she has designed this store
with us in mind!
You
can search via your symptom, your illness/condition
or by category!
Plus,
Rest Ministries receives 10% of every purchase made
by our readers! (Just select "referred by Rest
Ministries/HopeKeepers" at checkout.)
WAYS
TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR REST MINISTRIES
Do
you search online? Shop? Buy flowers, office supplies,
pharamaceutical stuff? Anything through Amazon? Don't
forget to use of one our links when you do it!
Shop
through our Amazon
link so we gain a percentage (We've raised $0)
Shop
through Shop
for Charity Day or IGive
for all kinds of stuff and we will gain a percentage
(In April, we raised $10.21--all from Lisa
and her husband's purchases)
Download
the Alexa
Toolbar for fast access to our web site and our
Amazon account
Have
you read a book by Lisa Copen?Pleeeease
take a moment to write a few sentences to review it
at Amazon.com.
It helps us play the "Amazon game" by bumping
our books up higher when people search for "chronic
illness!"
This
is one of the best books I've ever read on healing and the
emotional struggle while we wait to see what God will do.
I had a lot of "ah ha" moments the first time I
read it. And I was so relieved to see healing explained so
well in an actual book!
When
it originally went out of print, I grieved and bought up all
the copies I could afford. We had them until they ran out
a few years ago! It's one of the books Rest Ministries should
have available! Thankfully, it's now back in print. I'm so
excited to have it for you! ~Lisa
What
does it mean when God
seemingly chooses to heal some illnesses but not others?
Why
is it that some people pray in
faith, believing, but the suffering continues?
Author
Ron Dunn tackles these difficult, real-life issues, proposing
that the ultimate issue is not our healing, but our faith
in God's will for us, that we may learn to trust Him fully,
whichever way His sovereignty may lead. Will God Heal Me?
ministers to everyone who faces a frightening illness or prolonged
suffering, and to all who have a family member or friend facing
the same.
What
people with illness have said about this book. . .
It
is MUST READING for anyone interested in a balanced and Biblical
approach to the subject of healing. This subject is much misunderstood
and Ron Dunn nails it down with
integrity and compassion.
This book dispells the falsehoods that believers often
have about faith and explains true, Biblical faith. It also
gives encouragement and inspiration to those with chronic
conditions.
If
you have ever wondered about the Christian who WAS NOT divnely
healed of a terminal illness you should read this book...
It is scriptural and it shatters the myth that illness only
strikes believers who have transgressed God in some way or
that healing cannot be imparted based simply upon a lack of
faith. Order
it here
Around
here I am preparing for ICRS
(also known as International Christian Retail Association).
It's the annual Christian show bookstore owners attend to
find new books and gifts to sell. Authors, musicians and publishers
abound. At the same time, our books are now available through
a distributor for bookstore owners (Christian or secular)
can order them to stock their shelves. The company's name
is BCH Fulfillment.
We have
a great postcard for bookstore owners that is available
on our web site here. Please feel free to send this
postcard as an email attachment or print it out and send it
to your local Christian bookstores who would be interested.
It's likely they will be sending a representative. We sent
about 900 to people who had pre-registered, but if you're
able to let them know you recommend the books too, that will
HELP A BUNDLE!
A
free screensaver you'll love! We've designed a gorgeous
screensaver you can download for free with scenery and scriptures.
A sampling of photos are below.
HopeKeepers
Magazine Update--Yes! We are all caught up and
going to print soon. I am currently in touch with the designer
and some advertisers and hope to have a firm date soon. Thank
you for your patience while we took care of our debt.
All subscriptions will be honored with 4 issues. We'll keep
you posted on how it's going, but be assured that it's in
the works and back on track!
We're
organizating an article database for ANY articles on illness
You can
even contribute too. We'll announce it in the next ezine. Right
now I'm in the process of gettng the software running. These
are articles you can read, reprint and more.
Podcasts
are coming! Do you have any topic ideas?
Lisa is
putting together topics and planning recordings and hope to
have them up soon. You can listen to them online or on an mp3
player. One of the additional benefits is that is multiplies
our outreach considerably, being able to be listed in dozens
of Podcasts directories, etc. If you have some subject ideas
for about 3-5 minute Podcasts, or would like to be interviewed
on a topic related to your illness, coping, etc. please email
me!
Prayers
with Rev. Sherri's Family
Sadly, we
lost a HopeKeepers leader. Thankfully, we know she's dancing
in heaven pain-free! In an article a friend says, "I believe
that in her dying, Sherri showed all of us how to live. In her
final weeks of life, she embraced life with an intentional expression
of her faith in Christ. She would say, 'I should live what I
preached. If I believed in Christ resurrected from the dead,
then I have nothing to fear.'" There is a beautiful article
on this HopeKeepers group leader with the Cincinnati
Post.
Do you
know a woman of worth who is making a difference?
L'Oreal
is now accepting nominations for women you know who has a record
of exemplary service within her community and the community
at large and is aspirational and inspirational to others. Click
here to nominate someone who inspires you!
Find
a Therapist
Beliefnet.com
has a new "find
a therapist" tool where you can submit your preferences,
such as the faith and gender of the therapist. Chronic illness/pain
is also listed as a specialty you can request your therapist
to specialize in.
Chronic Babe
founder, Jenni Prokopy, had a contest
and gave away 5 copies of our book, Beyond Casseroles, to the
winners. She asked people to, "think about the most thoughtful
or creative way someone has helped you. Describe what they did,
and how it made you feel. Provide as many details as possible."
You can see the winners here.
(Read more about Chronic Babe below
- we love it!)
Lisa
did a 10-minute interview last month with Salem
Radio News Network. We hear it's airing "here and there"
(one of our devotional writers heard it on his local Christian
radio station!). It's sure to get Rest Ministries some great
exposure. SRN News is the only Christian-focused news organization
with fully-equipped broadcast facilities at the U.S. House,
Senate, and White House manned by full-time correspondents --
ensuring timely, on-the-spot coverage of breaking news.
The American
Academy of Pain Management posted an article in their ezine
about our press release (below). Special thanks to Ada who forwarded
this to us so we'd know!
We recently
sent out a press release!
How frequently
do the chronically ill attend church?May 2, 2007--In
a survey of six hundred people done by Rest Ministries, a Christian
organization that serves those who live with chronic illness
or pain, 44.4% of the respondents said that they attended "less
frequently" since being diagnosed with a chronic illness.
Read
the rest of the story
*** Do you remember the survey we asked you
to take last year? 600 of you responded and out of that
survey we have about 15 press releases of interest regarding
chronic illness awareness coming soon. Watch for them and be
sure to participate in future surveys! It helps us GET
MEDIA ATTENTION - and increase the awareness of illness for
both medical and religious professionals. It was the reason
I was interviewed on Salem News Radio :) ~Lisa
Every
wonder who visits Rest Ministries web site?
==>
Average # of visitors per month: 75,000
==>
Average # of page views per month: 134,000
==>
Top 5 states of visitors for April: Washington, Virginia,
California Georgia, and Texas
Where
we rank for "chronic illness" on
the search engines-- wow!
MSN
- #1
Yahoo - #5
Google - #10
And
our promotional
video, hosted by
YouTube, reached 1000 views as of May 22, 2007!
Have
you seen our promotional video yet?
Just click below!
Praise
God from who all blessings and "search
engine algorithms that work in our favor" flow!
I
want to thank you--not because of what you are doing--but
because of how Christ is being glorified through you. It
would be so easy for you to turn inward and not listen to
what God was and is teaching you. Please accept a virtual
hug from a grateful sister. This group is exactly what I
needed. I'm the caregiver of two daughters with daily, intractible
migraines and have been struggling with depression for years
because it's so hard to see them in so much pain. Your Bible
studies and the website have redirected my thinking. Thank
you!" --from a member of our RM family
You know you have a chronic illness when...
You
understand all the medical terminology discussed on the
T.V. show Grey's Anatomy.
When
you hear the term "Club Med" you automatically
think of the hospital.
You
ask your child to open the "child-proof" bottles
of medicine because your hands are too sore.
Your
medical records have to be transported on a cart.
To
entertain people at parties you recite the side effects
of medications as if you are the voice over on a commercial.
Your
favorite Oprah program is when Dr. Oz is on.
To
get rid of boredom on road trips, your whole family can
go through the alphabet and name a drug that starts with
each letter of the alphabet.
When
you're unable to sleep because of pain, you watch "The
Jerry Springer Show" and feel like you actually have
a life.
Your
spelling has improved dramatically, especially on words
like "fibromyalgia" and "osteoporosis."
Or you've
been "Around the World in Thirty Minutes" with CNN's
Headline News 57 times in one sitting.
You have
a panic attack in public and say, "Praise God this is only
the fourth one today!"
You're
invited to the wedding of the gal who works at the hospital
lab.
You're
child thinks watching you do injections of medication is "cool."
You have
a flashback and don't know what happened and can honestly say,
"I don't know where I was or
what I was doing but I'll make something up if you'd like."
--------------------
Reprints are fine if this footer attached: Reprinted
with permssion of Lisa Copen, founder of National Invisible
Chronic Illness Awarenss Week, See www.invisibleillness.com
- Copyright 2007
***
SHOPPING ***
Did
you know Rest Ministries is fully funded through your donations
and purchases at our online store? We appreciate every item
you purchase! It keeps us going!
A new survey finds that 85 percent of U.S. doctors believe
religious faith can help patients have a good outcome.Researchers
polled 1,144 doctors for the study, which was published
in the Archives of Internal Medicine, The Los Angeles
Times reported. Only 1 percent said they believe religious
faith and spirituality have a negative effect, while 2 percent
said it has no effect and 12 percent said they think the
positive and negative effects are balanced. Asked about
their own religious beliefs, 54 percent said they think
God sometimes intervenes to help patients, 28 percent do
not and 18 percent are agnostic.
A
survey found pain relief is the number one request for massage,
ahead of stress reduction and relaxation.
Two-thirds
of the therapists responding to the survey indicated more
than half of the treatments they provide are for pain relief,
while the other third of therapists indicated more than half
of the treatments they provide are for stress reduction and
relaxation.
High
Health CostsHit U.S. Women Harder
"American
women are more likely than men to go without needed health
care, because they can't afford it, a new report finds,"
reports Health
Day News. The study, which is available online, was released
by the Commonwealth Fund, a private foundation advocating
for improvements to the U.S. health system, and prepared by
researchers at the National Women's Law Center.
Jody
McBrayer leaves Avalon due to health issues
After
nearly 12 years with award-winning vocal group Avalon, founding
member Jody McBrayer will step down due to health issues,
according to the group's label, Sparrow Records. The group,
though, will continue to record albums and tour nationally.
Currently, McBrayer is in the studio recording his last record
with Avalon, which is slated to release this September. McBrayer
will travel with the group through the end of the year on
its 40-city fall tour.
In March,
McBrayer was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Although
manageable, the heart condition often affects an individual's
ability to undertake physical work, Sparrow Records said.
After prayer and discussions with his family, doctors and
the members of Avalon, McBrayer decided to resign from Avalon
to focus on his health and his family's welfare.
“I
am saddened to see Jody leave Avalon,” said Avalon's
Janna Long. “He has walked this amazing road with me
from the very beginning. And while we will all miss him tremendously
as an outstanding vocalist and friend, I know it is in his
best interest to step down and take care of himself.”
Visit
his web site here
Attention,
women: Are you a
?
According to Jenni Prokopy, the founder, "a ChronicBabe
is a woman who, despite being a sick chick, still does
everything she can to create balance in her life. She’s
a woman first, a patient second. Her approach is openminded
and creative, and she’s not afraid to stand up
for her needs and rights. She tries to have a sense
of humor when she can, and she relies on her friends
for support when she needs it. She accepts that there
are some things about her health she can’t change,
and musters up the courage to take charge of the things
she can control."
We
love this site that reminds us women of all ages that
we can still feel good about ourselves, even when the
body is challenging our self-esteem.
New
TV Program Features Impact of
Hope on Chronically Ill
Hollywood
Reporter has announced a new medical drama based on The
Anatomy of Hope, a book by author Dr. Jerome Groopman.
Groopman's new book, How Doctors Think has just been
released (Editor's note: I thubmed through it at the bookstore
the other day and it looks interesting!) According to sources,
there promises to be a great team working on the HBO production
of The Anatomy of Hope, including Lost co-creator J.J.
Abrams as producer. Tom Schulman, who won an Oscar for Dead
Poets Society. The series will focus on the affect of hope in
seriously ill patients and promises to be "quite a show."
The former ABC TV series, Gideon's Crossing, was based
on two of his previous books. See
Dr. Groopman's web site here.
Heart
surgery with a guarantee
A Pennsylvania
hospital group is offering a 90-day
guarantee of workmanship for surgery. Geisinger Health
System is charging a flat fee on elective heart bypass
surgery and offering 90 days of follow-up treatment. The
hospital said it won't charge the insurance company if a
patient suffers complications or has to come back to the
hospital. Since the experiment started in February 2006,
patients have been less likely to return to intensive care
and spent fewer days in the hospital, Geisinger said.
The program is called ProvenCare.
* As with
any health information you receive, check with your doctor before
taking anything. No information provided by Rest Ministries is
meant to be health advice.
AMAZING
BIBLE ON AUDIO!
Can't
concentrate to read? Missing reading The Word?
Lisa
saw the promotional video for The Bible Experience
last fall at the Christian retail show and was blown away!
She bought it for herself for Christmas. Now YOU can watch
this video below, thanks to Zondervan and YouTube.
It
truly brings the story to life and features voices from
Denzel Washington, Angela Bassett, Cuba Gooding Jr., Samuel
L. Jackson, Bishop T.D. Jakes, Blair Underwood, Yolanda
Adams, Shirely Ceasar, Faith Evans, Kirk Franklin, and
more.
Do
yourself a favor watch the video. It was originally priced
at $50 so this is a great deal and you can listen to it
in bed! Get
it here
Sign
a petition! ... of The
Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease (PFCD)
It is aimed
towards the 2008 presidential candidates. PFCD is a national
coalition committed to raising awareness of the policies and
practices that improve health and reduce health costs through
more effective prevention and management of chronic disease.
The Petition
to the 2008 Presidential Candidates states, "We, the undersigned,
are concerned that our nation's health care system does a better
job taking care of us after we are sick than it does keeping
us healthy and preventing illnesses... We
ask that you, as a national leader and possibly the next President
of the United States, join us in supporting health care and
other public policies that proactively address this crisis.
Autism
Speaks hascreated a music video of the Five for
Fighting song, "World", which features images of autistic
children and their families. It is a truly moving video and
was the work of Bill Shea.The band is generously donating $0.49
to Autism Speaks for each time the video is viewed - the funding
goes toward research studies to help find a cure. When you have
a moment, please visit the link below to watch the video and
pass it along to your friends and family. They
are aiming for 10,000 hits, but hopefully we can help them to
surpass this goal.http://www.whatkindofworlddoyouwant.com/videos/view/id/213154
Have
you heard about RSS feeds and blogs but are still a bit confused? No problem!Just click above and you will get an email
whenever I update my blog.
No need to do anything else!
It's...
(drum roll)
I
want to thank you--not because of what you are doing--but
because of how Christ is being glorified through you. It
would be so easy for you to turn inward and not listen to
what God was and is teaching you. Please accept a virtual
hug from a grateful sister. This group is exactly what I
needed. I'm the caregiver of two daughters with daily, intractible
migraines and have been struggling with depression for years
because it's so hard to see them in so much pain. Your Bible
studies and the website have redirected my thinking. Thank
you!"
--from a member of our RM family
After
nearly 12 years with award-winning vocal group Avalon, founding
member Jody McBrayer will step down due to health issues,
according to the group's label, Sparrow Records. The group,
though, will continue to record albums and tour nationally.
Currently, McBrayer is in the studio recording his last record
with Avalon, which is slated to release this September. McBrayer
will travel with the group through the end of the year on
its 40-city fall tour. 
