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.

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