When
it comes to our ministry outrach you'd be surprised
how far we can stretch your dollars! We don't pay
any salaries - just bills like phone, internet,
web services, etc. so a good percentage of your
donation helps people with illness!
Please
consider
partnering with us in the new year with a $5.00
gift each month. We appreciate your help and your
prayers for Rest Ministries.
Devotionals
Are Moving! Do you receive our daily devotionals via Yahoogroups?
If so, you will want to sign
up by clicking here because as of Jan 15th, they wont
be on yahoo any longer. The good news is you will still
get the daily email, or you can also read them on our web
site. If you want to get
devotionals PLUS the other articles from our web site, click
here to subscribe to emails with the content.
THANK YOU! Last week Lisa explained her need for a new computer due
to her joint replacements in her hands, cataracts and old
technology. You responded with enough donations to nearly
cover a new computer with the Touchsmart screen (that was
on sale last week!) Her husband is working late this week,
so it's still in the box, but she is cleaning her office.
Your response meant THE WORLD to her! As soon as she gets
it up and running she will get donor thank you letters out!
What We Are Up To. . . Around here Lisa is figuring out rides for her and Josh
everywhere since she can't drive for a couple more weeks,
still doing physical therapy, getting back into a routine,
trying The Life Journal for quiet time, getting Christmas
decorations put away, cleaning up her old computer and office,
figuring out how to make RM groups more effecient (thanks
to all who added a photo to their bio in our Sunroom!), and
planning Josh's birthday party.
Good day,
Thanks
so much for all of your kind emails full of encouragement.
I read each and every one of them! I am still
in my splint so typing with a finger and a thumb,
so not typing much, but I appreciate them all,
and all the prayers you say you are sending up
on behalf of Rest Ministries and even myself.
My new splint I wear as long as I can each day
to try to make the new joints move (photo to the
right). I leave it on 30 minutes - 90, depending
on the amount of pain. I am hopeful it will help
my new joints (the ones that attach the fingers
to the hand) bend. Right now I have about 25%
movement.
As you may be, I am reflecting on the last year
and deciding what God most desires from me this
year and where I need to "prune" in
my life. I hope the article below by my friend
Mary Yerkes who lives with rheumatoid arthritis
is helpful to you in this process.
How Being "Tolerant" Can Ruin Your
Health: Start Your New Year Right by Eliminating
These Common Energy-Drainers
by Mary Yerkes
My desk is messy. My clothes don’t fit. The dog
needs grooming. Life coaches agree that people
zap their energy and increase their stress by
putting up with a multitude of things that bug
them, what life coaches call “tolerations.” And
for the chronically ill, lingering stress can
translate into increased pain. So, why not start
your New Year right by identifying—and then eliminating—those
things that deplete your energy and dampen your
spirit.
Here are four common tolerations, along with
practical suggestions for addressing them or eliminating
them from your life:
Health Tolerations
If you live with chronic illness, you probably
realize there are some things you just can’t control.
But what about the things you can? Why add to
your distress by eating too much junk food, not
taking your prescribed medication, or failing
to do your exercises, designed to increase your
range of motion or reduce your pain? Take a few
minutes and write down your health goals. Just
make sure they’re realistic.
Don’t set a goal of jogging three miles a day
when you struggle to walk to the curb each day
to pick up the day’s mail. When making your list,
make sure your goals are SMART: specific,
measurable,
achievable,
realistic,
and timely.
A goal of eating healthier this year is too vague,
but eating five serving of vegetables a day is
SMART.
Environmental Tolerations
It’s hard to keep on top of housework and home
repairs when you’re in constant pain and struggling
to make it on one income. But, let’s be honest.
If you feel well enough to sit at your desk and
work, couldn’t you take a few extra minutes to
clear that pile of papers from your desk so you
could actually see your computer screen?
But what about bigger projects around the house
that you can’t do yourself? If finances are tight
and you can’t afford to hire someone to tackle
larger projects, barter your services instead.
For example, if you’re a graphic designer, offer
to create a brochure for your neighbor’s new business
in exchange for shoveling the snow off your walk.
You get the idea.
People Tolerations
Face it. Some people are just toxic. They consistently
say hurtful things like, “But you look so good!”
or “You really should try harder to get to church
on Sunday.” They chide you for canceling at the
last minute and raise their eyebrows when you
serve a store bought cake for your child’s birthday
party instead of making one yourself.
If you’re chronically ill, limit your contact
with people like this. It’s a little more difficult
if you’re dealing with toxic family members. To
maintain your sanity and preserve your health,
learn to maintain appropriate boundaries. To better
understand how to set healthy boundaries, I recommend
reading, Boundaries:
When To Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control
of Your Life by Henry Cloud and John Townsend.
Spiritual Tolerations
Are there areas in your spiritual life you need
to address? Do you struggle with unforgiveness
or harbor resentment or bitterness toward your
spouse or children for failing to understand your
pain, help with the housework, or give you the
emotional support you need? Nothing will rob your
joy or sap your strength more quickly than unforgiveness.
Don’t tolerate sin in your life for one more
day. God’s Word tells us, “If we confess our sins,
he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins
and purify us from all unrighteousness (1 John
1:9).” Help is just a prayer away. The benefits
you’ll gain from identifying and removing tolerations
from your life are significant. You’ll be amazed
at what a difference it will make. So, start the
New Year right by making room in your life for
what matters most.
Life
Coach Mary Yerkes specializes in helping the chronically
ill live abundant lives in Christ. Diagnosed with
rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and
ankylosing spondylitis in 1997, Mary understands
the challenges of living with chronic pain and
illness. Her greatest joy is seeing people set
free to love and serve God with all their heart,
mind, and soul. Mary is also an author, speaker,
and contributor to popular Christian print and
online magazines, including Focus on the
Family, The Journal of Biblical Counseling, and
On Mission Magazine. Visit www.newlifechristiancoaching.com
and www.maryyerkes.com
to learn more.
I know times are difficult right now. Proverbs
15:16 says, "Better a little --with the fear
of the Lord --than great wealth with turmoil."
The "great wealth" can sound pretty
good at times, but I hope your life this year
has as little turmoil as possible!
Many blessings,
Lisa Copen, Rest Ministries Founder
Rest Ministries Chronic Illness Pain Support
ENCOURAGE
SOMEONE IN THE NEW YEAR! (Myabe even yourself?)
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are receiving this email because you signed up for HopeNotes,
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Rest
Ministries, Inc, PO Box 502928, San Diego, CA 92150; (c) 2009
Rest Ministries, Inc. All rights reserved.
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