Thanks From Our Friends

Judith, a HopeKeepers leader shared, “I want to thank you for the extra copies of Hopekeepers magazine. People are excited about this wonderful ministry you founded. This is a wonderful tool to help educate members of the church esp. the deaconesses & members of the group. I really appreciate you & all you have done in Christ’s name by the power of the Holy Spirit, Praise the Lord!”

“I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoy your little notes each week. And I can’t imagine how you do all the things you do each week and still find time to encourage the rest of us! God Bless You for all that you do!” Carolyn

“I love these weekly HopeNotes, Lisa! They’re a breath of hope on a difficult day. Thank you for spending your time and energy on them.” Judy Gann, author of God of All Comfort

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Your newsletter is stunning! I eagerly await its arrival as there are always interesting articles and important information available. Having your newsletter syndicated on my blogsite is the best news I’ve heard yet! Any way for hurting folks to access your wealth of information is great news! Jonnie Wright, author of The Silver Bullet: God’s RX for Chronic Pain

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I am so glad that you have started this ministry. It has been such a blessing to my life. We had our first meeting last night. Six people showed up. Which I felt that was wonderful that many has taken the first step in speaking out and taking off their mask. I truly feel that God’s glory was with us last night. Thank you so much for everything that you have done. Debbie

 

HopeKeeper Leader Shares

Thank you for your ministry. I am a leader of a HK group at my church. We started last September, and we have 6-8 attending each week. We are so close. We comfort and encourage each other through hard times  nd celebrate during the good times. I was talking to one of the members of the group last week, and we  both agreed that we never would have known each other so well or cared or prayed so much for each other so much- except for the HK group. It’s just what Jesus wants! Thanks again!
- Ellen B., HopeKeepers leader at Family Bible Church, Ellsworth, Maine

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I really like the new website. I am not very computer saavy and I find it easy to navigate and find things I want. Thanks and God Bless you! - Priscilla

 

Thanks… Plus Spousal Resources

Thank you to our kind friends who tell us how Rest Ministries is making a difference. We share this with you, not to toot our own horn, but because so many of YOU ARE our ministry! Your kindness to strangers in the Sunroom, your answering prayer requests, writing devotionals, or encouraging devotional writers… You are all appreciated and we want you to hear just how much God uses you ever day!

Yours is such a valuable ministry. It continues to bless me every day, and I plan to share it with all others who might benefit from it. I am six days post-op from a hip replacement for osteoarthritis, and am making remarkable progress. (Thank you Jesus, surgeon, nurses, physical therapists, and family and church support!)

I am so anxious to get on with the healing ministry to which I am called, but also trying to “wait patiently” for God’s timing! Blessings on you all. Prayerfully, Rev. Sandy R.

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After stumbling upon this website I have found a renewed sense of hope for my life. I feel quite isolated on a day to day basis, which is frustrating for a 32 year old married mother of two, but this ministry and its members have very quickly given me a hope for fellowship and friendship! Thank you! (Ah, we accidentally deleted her name… sorry!)

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I just want to thank you so much for your ministry. I want to praise God for all of you and your ministry. Is there a place on your website for support of the loved ones of those with chronic pain? Your social network and support has really helped my husband. Gretchen

Response from Editor about Spousal Resources

>> Thanks, Gretchen! People with loved ones in chronic pain can find some encouragement and resources here: “For Friends of those with Illness.” We need to add more resources to the page, but it has the links that will direct you around to some of our other pages, for example: Organizing Care and Communication For Those with Chronic Illness. Your husband may also be interested in resources found here for spouses
. It has information on everything from romance to feedback from other spouses. There is also a new book out that we haven’t actually read yet, but we hear good things, called “A Husband, A Wife, & An Illness: Living Life Beyond Chronic Illness.” Worth checking out!

 

Spreading the Word One Site at a Time

Special thanks to National Association of Catholic Chaplians for listing Rest Ministries as the chronic illness resource and contact. We urge you to check out their site for loads of great resources.

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Hi Lisa, I am completely enjoying myself in the Sunroom! This was just what I needed. I’ve met some incredibly beautiful, brave, gifted people here. The Sunroom reaches people no other network can reach no matter what their outreach. Thank you. I never even knew anything like this existed on the Internet before receiving the HopeKeepers Magazine - and I’m a complete novice, but felt led to create my own network after being on yours. God certainly has a sense of humor I am loving letting all my creative juices flow towards something that blesses people, and I’m so humbled that God would allow me to do something like this.

- “Kimberly-theORGANICgeek”

 

Thanks for Sharing RM with Others

Special thanks to Jolene who reprinted an article by Lisa this week on her web site. The article is “7 Habits of Happy People Who Live with Illness” and you can find it on her new web site at Peace in Pain . For more articles, devotionals, etc. that you can reprint on your web site for free see articles here and syndication options here.

In response to Lisa’s recent review of the book YOU: The Smart Patient, Becki, a HopeKeepers leader commented, “”Lisa, Thanks so much for always pointing us in the right direction. You ROCK.” (Lisa’s never been told “You Rock!” so she just had to put this in the archives to show her son in later days that mommy rocked.)

 

Thanks for Sharing Your Opinion

I just received my Hopekeepers Magazine the other day and I was so excited! I just finished reading it today. It has such validating and heartwarming stories. I really enjoyed it. Just wanted to let you know.
All My Best, Sue Jones

(Note from editor: Sue is the author of Crack Up at the Wake of Dawn, a book of poetry and anecdotes that I recently reviewed. Check it out at the link above.)

 

Thanks for Your Posts at YouTube!

Bonnie at CoffeeTime Shares Her Thanks
You and the team are such a blessing, such a life savor, mood maker. I know that God will bless you each in a huge way. People living in pain can’t depend on many to “understand” yet here is a haven for us, You are needed so bad. I wish the world know about you. I for one, need and appreciate you (and all who make Rest Ministries) what it is. I know hundreds of others whom feel the same way. Thank you for caring, Bonnie

Another member of our family says…
I just was on your site and held back my tears of joy.I was looking up another ministry that i have been involved with and saw yours listed for those with chronic pain.Praise God for your courage to step out and help others. THANK YOU a million times over would not be enough. -D.

Thank you for your YouTube Comments!
Whoo-wee! Thanks to the 9 that stopped by our video last week and wrote a review. You are awesome! Anyone can still go to the web site and share your remarks. It helps us be found much easier on Google and YouTube! And be sure to click on the little “thumbs up” buttons that the reviews were helpful. That helps us rank even better too!

 

Thanks to Everyone Sharing HopeKeepers Magazine

We’re getting lots of nice emails from all of you who are saying that you are passing on your HopeKeepers Magazine to a friend when you are done with it! Thank you! Please don’t toss them… drop them in your doctor’s office waiting room, pass it on to your pastor, a friend, or counselor. And don’t forget.. with every order from The Comfort Zone you also get a free copy, so you may end up with a few to pass along!

> read about HopeKeepers Magazine

 

Thanks to Bottom Line Personal

Thanks to a Bottom Line Personal
This popular newsletter that goes out to over 500,000 people is featuring a “blurb” that states the findings of our poll from this last year about living with invisible illness. With 1058 respondents, over 50% of you said that the most annoying of frustrating thing a healthy person could tell you about your illness is “you look so good!” Because you all took the time to fill out this poll, we’ll have the news featured to half a million people! Thank you!

> read about Bottom Line Personal

 

Special Thanks

Thanks to a New Assistant!

Lisa has recruited one of her girlfriends to help her catch up with busy work. Welcome Shelley who you may receive an email from at some point in the future. Shelley lives in San Diego, is married with two children, ages 3 and 5. She’s been busy helping Lisa find Christian writers conferences to send magazines and writers guidelines too. And chances are if you order anything that needed stuffed (envelopes, bookmarks, etc.) it’s the ministry of her hands. Thanks, Shelley!

A few thank yous from you!

Thank you for the book Why Can’t I Make People Understand. It is wonderful! I really did not know what to expect from the book and was pleased by the message of grace, trust, joy, love, forgiveness, and acceptance. I have also recently read Dr. Cloud’s book on setting boundaries, and Philip Yancey’s books on pain, including Where is God When It Hurts?, and What Is So Amazing About Grace?  God is so great to provide all of this information, people, and their ministries working together in my life as well as others when we simply ask and pray for His help. . .

I wanted to tell you about a wonderful coincidence that happened to me with your ministry. I was surfing the web on a night when I felt so alone in my pain and illness, and found your video clip on YouTube Then I went to your website and ordered your book. The week I received the book and started to read it, I also decided to join a new disabilities support group at my church, Cornerstone Christian Fellowship, here in Chandler, AZ. To my surprise they were using your bible study book When Chronic Illness Enters Your Life. I was so amazed that God works in such interconnected ways in the lives of so many. So thank you so much for your ministry. We have an amazing God!” - Erin D.

Your web site and books, etc. have given me new hope and God is telling me to help others. I hope to start a HopeKeepers group in my church. I’m finally understanding that it’s not my lack of faith that I’m not healed. God is in control and has a purpose. Thank you! - Kathy