Chronic Illness Pain Devotionals

Chat Room Ministries This Week

SCHEDULED CHAT ROOM MINISTRIES THIS COMING WEEK

Please take advantage of these times of fellowship, encouragement and support.

C.A.R.E. CONNECTION CHATS: (all in Daylight Savings Time)

Mondays 10:00 am Pacific/12:00 pm Central/1:00 pm Eastern

-  Chat Host is Mary

Mondays 5 pm Pacific/7 pm Central/8 pm Eastern

-  Chat Host is Liz

Tuesdays 5 pm Pacific/7 pm Central/8 pm Eastern

-  Chat Host is Donna

What is C.A.R.E. Connection?  C.A.R.E. stands for Comfort, Accept, Refresh, Encourage.  We want you to be able to connect with others who are going through similar problems or situations.  There will be a volunteer “Chat Host” at each of these times so you can be sure that someone will be there to make you feel welcome and lead the chat time in an hour of encouragement in God’s Word and fellowship and prayer together.

Other scheduled chat ministries:

Fellowship hour – Tuesdays at 1 pm Pacific/3 pm Central/4 pm Eastern

Hopekeepers Bible Study – Thursdays at 5 pm Pacific/7 pm Central/8 pm Eastern

TO GET TO THE CHAT ROOM:  Go to www.restministries.org/pro-chat.htm and type in your name in the box and click on “Connect”.  (It may take a few minutes to load the chat room window.) 

C.A.R.E. CHAT ROOM:  A special chat room has been created just for the CARE chats to meet together in if the CARE Host chooses to do so.  So when you want to join one of the scheduled C.A.R.E. Connection chat times, you just sign into the Rest Ministries chat room as usual, which takes you to the main room called the Lobby.  Check there to see if the CARE chat is taking place in the Lobby or in the CARE Connection chat room.  To move there, click on  "show rooms" above the user names and then double click the room you want to go to (CARE Connection).

If you are unsure about getting there at the correct time try going to www.timetemperature.com/tzus/time_zone.shtml and below the map you will see the time zone differences (i.e. Pacific, Mountain, Central, Eastern). 

Carolann Page

Rest Ministries

C.A.R.E. Chat Co-ordinator

************************************************

What Is Normal?

“And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:18 NIV)

We have all heard the saying, “Normal is relative.” It is normal to open an umbrella on a rainy day, but strange to carry one on a sunny day. It is normal to laugh at a good joke but in bad taste to laugh while someone is crying.

The “normals” of life vary with all the changes of life. Illness, a new test, treatment, surgery and hospital stay are life changes that require great adjustment. Cancer has led me into a new normal that has remained.  It all began when my doctor said, “You have gastric cancer and it is very aggressive.”

My reflection in the mirror has changed and is vastly different from what it was before cancer and CIDP. Illness and pain force us into many new “normals.” All the changes in our lives, all the new “normals,” are allowed by God’s loving hand and are borne by His grace. Our outward appearance isn’t all that can change; He can transform us on the inside, as well.  This transformation is sometimes painful, but it happens day by day according to His plan for us.

It is often hard for us to see it this way, and I know I have struggled with this concept, but “He who has begun a good work in us, will carry it on to completion.” 

Prayer: Almighty God, may it be normal that when we face change, we seek Your face. You are our strength every morning and You help us in times of distress. You long to be gracious to us and show us Your compassion. Blessed are those who wait for You.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Denny Dowd lives in Pennsylvania with her cat, Shamrock. Denny is a social worker and she enjoys writing, reading, and volunteering. Denny is the world's biggest Notre Dame football fan. Denny lives with Chronic Inflammatory Demylineating Polyneuropathy and cancer and has strong faith that God will see her through even the most difficult of days.

Be An Encourager

“So when we could stand it no longer, we thought it best to be left by ourselves in Athens. We sent Timothy, who is our brother and God's fellow worker in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith,

All of us are enduring pain and suffering; we have no choice. But thank God, not only does He love us, but He also provides us with friends who are suffering and can relate to what is happening to us! Timothy, the faithful companion of Paul, was sent to encourage believers who were going through trials and afflictions, and we are to do the same with those around us. All it takes is a card, an e-mail, a note, or a word of encouragement to enable our suffering friends to carry on.

Mrs. Kindall was my English teacher through high school.  I had a dream of becoming a writer, but it was just a dream. Mrs. Kindall carefully honed my grammatical and writing skills, and praised my creativity. Many times I hated the red marks she made on my compositions, but they turned me into an expressive and accurate writer.

She encouraged me through four years of high school courses, then through a college creative writing class.  Every time I wanted to give up on writing, she urged me on and assured me that I had the talent and the ability to get better. If she had not been there to constantly spur me on, I probably wouldn’t have graduated in the Honor Society, and I surely wouldn’t be writing this devotional!

Our gestures of encouragement may seem small to us and take only a moment of our time, but could mean more than anything to a hurting soul in despair. Investing ourselves in the ministry of encouragement always reaps a profitable return.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

About the Author: Melissa, age 49, has been married 29 years to her supportive husband, Ron.  They have 2 adult sons, a daughter-in-'love', and dog K-9, adopted from an animal shelter.  Melissa, an administrative assistant, has had fibromyalgia syndrome and osteoarthritis for over 21 years, and wants others with pain and depression to know they can have hope in God.so that no one would be unsettled by these trials. You know quite well that we were destined for them.”  (1 Thessalonians 3:1-3 NIV)

Never Forsaken

“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”  (Hebrews 13:5b)  “For the Lord will not reject His people; He will never forsake His inheritance.” (Psalm 94:14)

I watched a TV program yesterday on the history channel about Pontius Pilate. It ended with the crucifixion, reminding me of all Jesus endured.

We have a lot of different kinds of hurts in this fallen world. Physical, emotional, spiritual pain, hurts, and sorrows of all sorts, often magnified when dealing with chronic illness and/or chronic pain. Do you ever feel like you are alone? Or that no one else has experienced quite what you are experiencing, or at the level you are dealing with that pain? Probably we’ve all had times such as these.

But know that there is no pain, no feeling or sorrow, no experience you have had that Jesus didn’t have first. Because He was here in human form, He was able to feel all that we have felt. He knew physical pain; indeed, agony. He knew emotional sorrow, such as when his friend Lazarus died (John 11:35), or when He wept over the fate of Jerusalem (Luke 19:41). He knew spiritual anguish -- He cried out on the cross, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Mark 15:34 and Matthew 27:46)

There was that moment on the cross when God had to turn His back on His beloved Son, when Jesus became sin for all of us. Because of that, we are His forgiven children.

No matter how severely we feel betrayed by friends, loved ones, even our own bodies, God will never betray or leave us! We are “precious in His sight” and will remain so! Deuteronomy 31:6 says, in part, “He will never leave you nor forsake you.” Turn to Him when thoughts and feelings of pain and betrayal come to you. He has said He will never leave us. That means not for a second! He is the God of all comfort, the God who loves you!

Prayer:  Father God, thank you that we are precious to You. Thank you Jesus that You know first hand our feelings. May we turn to you in prayer when pain and sorrow invade our thoughts. AMEN.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:  Priscilla Ervin lives in Arlington, Texas with her husband of 31 years. She lives with chronic Epstein Barr, Fibromyalgia and other health issues. She loves the Lord and wants others to find comfort in Him, too.

From Hardship to Holiness

“Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord” (Heb. 12:14, NIV).

In our culture today, holiness is a word that we hear very little and see in action even less.  Sadly many people, including some Christians, don’t take God’s command to be holy seriously enough and non-Christians could care less about this vital character quality.  As Christians, we should strive daily to display holiness in our speech, attitude and conduct (I Tim. 4:12).  In Noah’s day, when God saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, He was grieved in His heart that He had made man (Gen. 6:5-6).  How much more is God grieved by the evil in our world today?

What is holiness?  Simply put, holiness is hating what God hates, loving what God loves and measuring everything by the standard of His Word.  God often uses hardship, including sickness, to create in us a desire to be more holy.  Through my fourteen-year battle with chronic illness, the Holy Spirit has exposed more of the sinfulness of my own heart and created in me a desire to be more holy like Christ. 

In the book of Ruth, God used the hardship of Ruth’s husband’s death to create in her a hunger and thirst for Him.  Ruth saw something in Naomi’s life that she wanted for herself and that was Naomi’s God.  Ruth refused to go back to her people and her gods and she told Naomi, “Your people will be my people and your God my God” (Ruth 1:15-16).  After deciding to return to Moab with her mother-in-law, God providentially brought Boaz into Ruth’s life and their baby, Obed, was in the lineage of Christ (Ruth 4:17).

What hardship are you facing today?  I know many of us struggle daily with chronic illness and/or pain.  We should ask God to use our hardship to produce holiness and Christ-likeness in us and to conform us more into Christ’s image (Rom. 8:29).  Then, we can show the world the beauty of holiness, without which no man (or woman) will see the Lord.

Prayer:  Dear Jesus, use our hardships to produce holiness in us for Your glory.

===================================

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tammi has suffered with Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome (or “CFIDS”) for fourteen years.  When able, she enjoys swimming, cooking, sewing, writing and traveling.  Tammi’s passion is encouraging others with chronic illnesses to draw closer to Jesus Christ and find hope and strength in Him.  Take a minute to visit her website at www.lordhelpmyhusband.com.

Facing Loss Through God's Love

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. (Psalm 23: 4-8 NIV)

Saying goodbye is never easy. This past week I was faced with three deaths; each different in their own right, but none easy to deal with. First, my beloved cat Liam, whom I rescued 5 years ago from a shelter along with his sister Shamrock, died suddenly. Then, my friend and fellow cancer traveler, Mary Beth, went to Hospice on Tuesday and died Wednesday morning after a 4 year battle with ovarian cancer. And third, I was forced to face the death of my naiveté about this illness and what it is capable of doing physically and emotionally to those in its grasp.

When barraged with these losses, admittedly I almost buckled under their weight. However, I tried to pull the positives out of these losses. My friends not only helped me physically get Liam to the vet and home again, they also removed him from my apartment, shed tears with me and buried him with love. I was blessed by their care for him and for me. Mary Beth blessed me by allowing me to share her final hours. I am awed by her courage, fight, humor and ultimately by her faith-fullness. She was truly filled with faith and confident that she was finally going home where there would be no more cancer or pain.  She shared herself and the lessons she learned along her cancer journey and in so doing bore witness to God’s unlimited supply of love for His children.

Lastly, as I continue on this journey of cancer and all that it entails, I continue to pray and ask for healing if that is God’s plan for my life. I have come to learn and know that the only way for me to survive this illness on a spiritual level is for me to bend to His will and give up my own. I thank him every day for the friends he has blessed me so abundantly with. I have also been blessed by a Christian community where the flame is kept alive and nurtured so that it can grow and become stronger. That is why I can claim that God is a God of love even though there is death all around me this week. Waiting together, nurturing what has already begun, expecting its fulfillment - that is the meaning of friendship, community and Christian life. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Denny Dowd lives in Pennsylvania with her cat, Shamrock. Denny is a social worker and she enjoys writing, reading, and volunteering. Denny is the world's biggest Notre Dame football fan. Denny lives with Chronic Inflammatory Demylineating Polyneuropathy and cancer and has strong faith that God will see her through even the most difficult of days.

Not Dependent On Human Hands

“Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.” (2 Cor. 5:1)

This “earthly tent” is so frail. Mine keeps falling down! The result of this being, I’m not able to eat without getting sick. I think one of my falls damaged a stomach surgery I had a couple of months ago. In any case, if it’s not better in two weeks, I’ll have to have some medical tests. The good news is that I’m losing weight!

Honestly, the pain associated with eating, does make not eating a little easier to swallow. (Sorry, bad pun I know - I just couldn't resist!)

When I attended a small group Bible Study with others from my church, my situation came into perspective. After we had studied and prayed together, the hostess brought out a huge layer cake. There was also a box of chocolates being passed around. I had to say “No thank you” to both. People felt bad for me, but honestly, I was just happy to be a part of the fellowship. I had missed this for weeks, due to illness, but was determined to go this time, despite how I felt.  I could relate to what Jesus said in John 4:32, "I have food to eat that you know nothing about."

It occurs to me that my fellowship with Jesus does not stand or fall based on my physical circumstances. The really good bonus to this is that He will never leave or disappoint me when I’m at my lowest. Even (maybe especially) if I had been unable to attend, He would have still met with me. You see, God is not limited by our church buildings or our circumstances. Just like it says in today’s verse. What a blessing! (Especially to those of us whose earthly tents are falling apart!)

What a wonderful God we serve!

*************************************************

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Christy Brewster and her husband live on the Oregon coast. She lives with MS and Diabetes. Her writing goal is found in Psalm 19:14, “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.”

Chat Room Ministries This Week

SCHEDULED CHAT ROOM MINISTRIES THIS COMING WEEK

Please take advantage of these times of fellowship, encouragement and support.

C.A.R.E. CONNECTION CHATS: (all in Daylight Savings Time)

SCHEDULE CHANGE:  Please note that the Friday CARE chats are now cancelled.  Kathy, our CARE Host, has increasing time constraints on her due to her growing business practice and it has become a bit too much for her.  On behalf of us all I thank you Kathy for your diligent and caring service as a CARE Host and your continuing desire to encourage and help those in need.  God bless you!

Mondays 10:00 am Pacific/12:00 pm Central/1:00 pm Eastern

-  Chat Host is Mary

Mondays 5 pm Pacific/7 pm Central/8 pm Eastern

-  Chat Host is Liz

Tuesdays 5 pm Pacific/7 pm Central/8 pm Eastern

-  Chat Host is Donna

Note:  Thursdays chat usually at 1 pm Pacific/3 pm Central/4 pm Eastern

with Chat Host Deborah is suspended until mid September

What is C.A.R.E. Connection?  C.A.R.E. stands for Comfort, Accept, Refresh, Encourage.  We want you to be able to connect with others who are going through similar problems or situations.  There will be a volunteer “Chat Host” at each of these times so you can be sure that someone will be there to make you feel welcome and lead the chat time in an hour of encouragement in God’s Word and fellowship and prayer together.

Other scheduled chat ministries:

Fellowship hour – Tuesdays at 1 pm Pacific/3 pm Central/4 pm Eastern

Hopekeepers Bible Study – Thursdays at 5 pm Pacific/7 pm Central/8 pm Eastern

TO GET TO THE CHAT ROOM:  Go to www.restministries.org/pro-chat.htm and type in your name in the box and click on “Connect”.  (It may take a few minutes to load the chat room window.) 

C.A.R.E. CHAT ROOM:  A special chat room has been created just for the CARE chats to meet together in if the CARE Host chooses to do so.  So when you want to join one of the scheduled C.A.R.E. Connection chat times, you just sign into the Rest Ministries chat room as usual, which takes you to the main room called the Lobby.  Check there to see if the CARE chat is taking place in the Lobby or in the CARE Connection chat room.  To move there, click on  "show rooms" above the user names and then double click the room you want to go to (CARE Connection).

If you are unsure about getting there at the correct time try going to www.timetemperature.com/tzus/time_zone.shtml and below the map you will see the time zone differences (i.e. Pacific, Mountain, Central, Eastern). 

Carolann Page

Rest Ministries

C.A.R.E. Chat Co-ordinator

************************************************

The Margins of Life

“So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken” (Gen. 3:23, NIV).

Our pastor recently preached a sermon about the margins of life.  Providential circumstances like poor health, an injury, an aging parent, or a new job are all used by God to take us off center stage and sideline us for a time. 

We all spend time in the margins, and we can be grateful for these marginal times because God uses them to take us off the rat race of life and put our focus on Him.  God is not found in the busyness of life.  We find Him in the margins of life and it’s here that we grow and learn to become more dependent on His mercy and grace.

Many Bible characters illustrate life in the margins.  God created Adam and Eve and put them center stage in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 2).  Then they turned against God by eating the forbidden fruit (Gen. 3:1-8).  They thought they had found a better way than obeying God, so God cast them out of the garden and into the margins of life.  However, God showed them grace by making tunics of skin to cover their nakedness and He showed them mercy by allowing them to be the parents of all mankind (Gen. 3:21). 

Abraham and Sarah were childless, and in Biblical times, infertility was disgraceful.  Those who couldn’t bear children were often ostracized and treated with shame.  God finally blessed them with the promised child, Isaac, but not until Sarah was in her nineties and Abraham was one hundred years old. 

None of us enjoy being in the margins of life.  Most of us, including myself, would rather be on center stage where the action is, but that’s not where God has us right now and we must be obedient to Him.  Our time on the sidelines should draw us closer to Christ, and we can consider ourselves very blessed because it’s in the margins of life that God often reveals Himself.

Prayer:  Dear Jesus, it’s hard being in the margins of life and not on center stage.  Please give us grace to glorify You each day!   

------------------------------------------------------------------

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tammi has suffered with Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome (or “CFIDS”) for fourteen years.  When able, she enjoys swimming, cooking, sewing, writing and traveling.  Tammi’s passion is encouraging others with chronic illnesses to draw closer to Jesus Christ and find hope and strength in Him.  Take a minute to visit her website at www.lordhelpmyhusband.com.

Leaning On The LORD Jesus

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." (Heb. 11:1 NIV)

As a suffer of Chronic pain myself... I often have to rely on

Scriptures to get me through.

One especially that helps me is Galatians 2:20.

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but

Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body I live by faith

in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

I remember a time when I was told I had a brain tumor

and needed surgery. This was one of the many scriptures

that I relied on to get me through.

When I face a time of pain or everyday trials this verse

helps me get through whatever it is I am going through.

It tells me that Christ lives in me and if He is in me He

understands what I am feeling.

What are you leaning on to get you through? Are you

leaning on something that has no hope?  Or are you leaning

on the One who gives hope to the hopeless, peace to

those in a storm,  rest for the weary and relief and

healing for those with pain.

Father: today as we lean upon you for our strength and

getting through our pain we ask that you will touch us 

with your hands and give us your mercies and grace.

Touch those Lord that are in deep pain whether it be physical,

emotional, or spiritual. Let us all feel your presence and your

love.  In the name of Jesus,  AMEN.....

~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~ *~*~*~*~*

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Pastor Pat Dittert lives in a berm home in Central Iowa with

his lovely wife Nancy and 3 fur babies. Pat lives with Chronic

Pain from a number of surgeries and injuries. Brain Tumor

surgery left him disabled and unable to do most physical

activities. He is also a survivor of Cancer and has 2 stints

in his heart. Pat has several Internet Ministries, leads a Home

Bible Fellowship on Sunday Nights and is a freelance writer

with Christian newpapers, poetry, etc. His Devotional page is

http://fibromyalgiahelp.homestead.com/RevPatsDevotional.html

Contact him at rivpat77@msn.com .

~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~ *~*~*~*~*