Orthopedic Nourishment

"Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and
shun evil. This will bring health to your body and
nourishment to your bones." (Proverbs 3:7-8 NIV)


"You have osteoporosis in your spine and left hip."
The doctor looked at my chart.  "Let's try this
medication..."

I don't remember anything else she said.  My thoughts
stopped at "osteoporosis". What next?  Just when I
believed I was safe from having to take more medicine,
I learned about an additional ailment?  I felt
discouraged.

The nose spray failed because I developed extreme
migraines.  The once-a-week pill was worse.  "Lord,
what am I going to do?'

My sympathetic doctor developed a diet, exercise, and
supplement regimen for me.  If my bone density went
unchanged or lessened, I would need the prescription.
She would use trial and error to adjust me to the
medicine and treat the migraines.

"Lord, I need you."  I needed God's help like never
before.  I committed to the diet, took my supplements
on schedule, and did my exercises.  Each day, I asked
the Lord to make my bones stronger.

One morning, I read this Proverb and found hope.  I
took this promise literally, asking God to make it a
reality in my life.

After the follow-up bone scan, my doctor was amazed.
She told me that she had never seen results like mine.
   "A 20% increase in the density in your spine and a
15% increase in your hip."  I needed to continue the
diet, exercise, and supplements, but I did not have to
take the extra prescription.

Fear and uncertainty plague me on a regular basis.
Living with the physical and mental pain of chronic
illness often numbs me to the core.  Yet, I have
learned to record my amazing victories to help me get
through those dark times.  I look back and witness the
Lord's hand on my life.  It helps me to remember that
God is merciful, loving, and kind.  I may not have a
"miracle testimony" every day, and that's fine because
I can rely on God's help and guidance for whatever
comes my way.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
About the Author:
Dorothea Love lives in California with her husband and
two children.  For over 20 years, she has faced the
challenges of systemic lupus, fibromyalgia, migraines,
endometriosis, and osteoporosis.  She trusts in God's
sufficient grace to help her get through each day.
She prays that her testimonies will encourage others
to share their stories.

"Who shall separate us from the
love of Christ? Shall trouble or
hardship or persecution or famine
or nakedness or danger or sword?"
(Romans 8:35 NIV)





The Grinch... who or what is stealing
  your joy?

If you remember or have ever seen
the movie "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas",
the Grinch starts out be hating everyone in the
town, even grabing the phone book and reading
the names and saying he hated and loathed all
of the people in it.

Bitterness, anger, and many things can take
the joy right out of the day in which we celebrate
our Lord's birth. Not just the day, but the
whole season.  We need to put off all of these
things and concentrate on the One we are
wishing a Happy Birthday. Let's not even allow
our pain to interfere with our wishing Jesus
a Happy Birthday.

The grinch goes to the village and steals all of
the packages and trees etc. Then after He
realizes that... Maybe Christmas doesn't come in
a store. Maybe it is a little bit more.  You see our
true Christmas Spirit comes from our heart and if
our heart is cluttered with bitterness,
resentfulness, anger, or hate then we will not have
a good Christmas.

Wouldn't it be terrible if our own feelings ruin the
Holy Day.  When all we have to do is not think
about that person or thing that has done awful things
to us and focus on Jesus.

Lord help us to remember what the real reason for
the season is.  We thank you for your love and mercy
in our lives.  In Jesus name.   AMEN...

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

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Pastor Pat Dittert lives in a berm home in Central
Iowa with his lovely wife Nancy and 5 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://fibromyalgia help.homestead. com/RevPatsDevot ional.html
Contact him at rivpat77@msn. com

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

Matthew 6:33, But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all
these things will be given to you as well.

New International Version

"The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he
delivers them."  (Psalm 34:7 NIV)

The nurse came in at two o'clock this morning to inject a double dose
of chemo.  I have always been a morning person, but she was just a
little overly awake when she began her cheerleading chant, "Go,
chemo, go!" I wondered, doesn't she realize what time it is? She then
talked about visualizing chemo as PacMan, gobbling up the cancer
cells. Great, I thought, now she's stuck in the 80's.  Computer games
have never, ever, been my thing. She left as happily as she came in,
and I was left trying to get some rest.

It did start me thinking about what was significant to me - something
I could visualize to help tolerate the chemo. My thoughts landed on
something that has been with me all along, my "Peace" flag with the
dove on it. I envision doves with wings curled around their bodies to
form a circle, and then I imagine them racing down my blood vessels
sifting out bad cells. My "Peace" flag reminds me that the Holy
Spirit encamps around me and delivers me.

When I cry in pain and feel an absolute loneliness, I know God weeps
with me and is right there by my side. I know that the Holy Spirit
ministers peace and strength to me when I don't think I can go on
another day. His kindness, graciousness and compassion are shown to
me through others.

Prayer: Lord, fill me with Your power and presence to overcome
illness in my body. May I not leave You for a moment, for Your holy
presence wraps me in dove wings.  Let me hear the rustle of the Holy
Spirit that keeps me from falling into self-pity and doubt. Thank You
for Your promise to put the Holy Spirit in charge to watch over me
wherever I go. Amen.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
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.

Matthew 5:14-16, 5:14
"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.
5:15
Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they
put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.
5:16
In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see
your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

New International Version

Joshua 24:15b, But as for me and my household, we will serve the
Lord."

New International Version

**********************************************************************
**********
"If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness."
(2 Cor. 11:30)

Sometimes I feel like those words were written just for me. My torn
Rotator Cuff will probably not be fixed until after the holidays,
which is a good thing as it turns out. I took another bad fall last
week and the doctor says I most likely have fractured my tailbone.
Just about every move I make results in pain (sigh).

To be honest, at first I thought that maybe I had done something to
displease God. The negatives in my life just seem to be piling
up . . . surely God wouldn't let that happen unless, for some reason,
I was to blame. I have learned that whenever I have questions or
doubts, the best place, the ONLY place, to find answers is in God's
word. So, I turned to the Bible.

According to 2 Corinthians, chapters 11 and 12, my sufferings are
nothing new. In 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 Paul even describes how God may
specifically use suffering for His glory or as Paul put it, "for My
power is made perfect in weakness." Could it be that any suffering
that I experience is part of the "cost" of discipleship?

That's how one author sees it.* In fact, he says, "If we are
Christ's, then what befalls us is for His glory and for our good
whether it is caused by enzymes or by enemies." Somehow that makes my
suffering more bearable . . . a "calling" of sorts.

How good of God to remind me that no matter what I go through, I can
be used to glorify Jesus!
**************************************************
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."
*J. Piper, "Suffering: The Sacrifice of Christian Hedonism


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

"Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by
so doing some people have entertained angels
without knowing it."  (Hebrews 13:2 NIV)


  A few years ago we received a call from a friend
saying there was an old man at one of our local
convenience stores in town and he needed a place
to stay.  Being Pastors we began to wonder about
this man and why he couldn't stay in a Motel.

I went to the store and talked to the man. He was
an elderly man who actually was wealthy. He drove a
big fancy car. He walked slowly and  talked slowly
as well. His mind was also slow, either from Dementia
or Alzheimers. We found out by talking to him that
he also had Emphysema. He said he had come from
another state. He said He was coming to a small town
near us to say good bye to his wife who was buried in
a cemetary there before he died.

We gave him a meal, and let him stay in our camper that
night. The next morning when we got up he was gone.
No sign of him anywhere.  We do not know what time
he left or got up.  When we went out to check the
camper it was clean and nice.

You see sometimes God puts strangers in our lives to
see how we will react. Also to teach us lessons.

This man may have been an Angel, we do not know.
I tried to follow up by trying to find out if his wife was
truly buried in the small town but was unable to ever
find out.

God gives everyone of us a uniqueness, that is all of
our own, some are healthy, other have disabilities like
the elderly gentleman, others are great orators for God,
and still others want to just be in a corner and be unseen
and unheard.  This man had a uniqueness. He was unique
because he came from a long way off to find the love of
his life.

Doesn't this story sound uniquely familiar?  How about
Jesus? He came into many towns as a stranger, some
accepted him, others rejected him!  We could have
rejected the old man...  made him go away,,, but I
remember a verse that I learned that says to entertain
strangers, for some have entertained Angels unaware.

Unfortunately, Jesus is a stranger in a lot of hearts and
churches today.  All he wants is to come in and dwell
with you. It costs nothing, and he will sweep us
clean and forgive us of your sins.  I am not saying the
old man was an Angel, however he was a very unique,
quiet man who knew his mission and he was set to fulfill it.

What about you? Do you have purpose in life?  Do you
have a planned route or mission that you want to
accomplish?

Let Jesus in and he will give you the confidence,
the mission and plan that you need to make your life
complete.

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

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Pastor Pat Dittert lives in a berm home in Central Iowa with
his lovely wife Nancy and 5 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@...

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

Isaiah 40:31, but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

New International Version

"Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night
left its place in front of the people." (Exodus 13:22 NIV)

The fall of the year is my favorite season, by far.  I love the
cooler temperatures and the smell of fall.  To me, there is nothing
quite like it.  It's no wonder last night was so incredible.

It had been a dreary cloud-covered day with leaves blowing in the
wind.  The cornfield across the road is ready for harvest, the beans
in the field behind us have been picked and winter wheat sown.  The
beauty of this season absolutely astounds me.

Gracie, my 13-month old cockapoo, had to go outside.   I grabbed
Gracie's leash and we stepped out onto the front porch.  She began to
walk into the yard as I looked up.  I literally gasped!  I mean, I
audibly gasped.  The beauty of what I beheld with my own eyes was
indescribable.

The sun was low in the western sky and brilliantly  peering through
small breaks in the cloud cover.  The rays lit the top of  the trees
bordering the family property like they were on fire-oranges and
yellows and reds vibrantly aglow against the darkness of  approaching
nightfall.

Darkness was dispelled by the brilliance of the sun's rays reflecting
on the treetops.  Just like God does in our lives-He uses the
backdrop of darkness to expose the light of His presence.

When our world is darkened by pain and suffering, God never fails to
shine His light and reveal His presence.  We simply have to look for
it.  His presence never left its place in front of the children of
Israel as He led them through the wilderness. In like manner, His
presence will never leave its place in front of us as he leads us
through the dark and oppressing days of illness.

Prayer:  Father, help me to see Your light shining in my darkness
when I am overcome with pain.  Let me see the light of Your presence.
Amen.
> ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jan Ross lives in Willard, OH, with her husband, Ron; they have six
adult children and twelve incredible grandchildren.  Jan serves as a
women's  minister and missionary with Heart of God International
Ministries and she enjoys teaching and writing Bible Studies.  Jan
has  seen God move in her life as His strength is being made perfect
in her weakness from  fibromyalgia, psoriatic arthritis and other
chronic conditions.  www.heartofgodinternational.com

Philippians 4:8, Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is
noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely,
whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think
about such things.

(NIV)

Matthew 7:7, Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find;
knock and the door will be opened to you.

New International Version

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he
is a new creation: the old has gone,
the new has come!,"
(2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV)

Cruise Control

All of our lives are full of memories and
guide posts. One of the
things I remember from my Dad was
he would take us out for a ride. We
always knew that if we went for that
ride we would end up at a Dairy Queen
somewhere eating Ice Cream etc. That
was status quo.

Many of us now have our own things we
do, some being a daily routine. For some things
that is fine except for our lives with the Lord.

When we put our lives on cruise comtrol we
do not stop and smell the roses or take one
minute vacations.  We just go along and live,
expecting everything to always be the same
on our life's journey.

Have you ever gone somewhere and you were
delayed for some reason and found out later there
was a good reason for the delay? That was a
change. How did you accept that change? Did you
grumble and complain?

The Lord wants us to not get into cruise control
mode where we just watch things go by.  He
wants us to participate and to get involved with
what he wants for us.

Whether we are disabled and in pain or whatever,
I challenge you to get out of the cruise mode and
get into what God has for you by working for him
and changing your life to meet his plans and goals.

He has a specific plan for you and if you are willing
he will complete his work in you

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

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Pastor Pat Dittert lives in a berm home in Central Iowa with
his lovely wife Nancy and 5 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://fibromyalgia help.homestead. com/RevPatsDevot ional.html
Contact him at rivpat77@msn. com

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

Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, the Lord, The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints not is weary.
His understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might He increases strength,"
(Isaiah 40: 28,29)

How comforting to know that our Creator never faints, nor grows weary.
   He is always there to meet our needs.  He created all, and is in
  charge of all.

I moved here to Arizona just a year ago.  Since I have been here, I
  have been diagnosed with three different chronic illnesses.  Each
day I am
  faced with pain and fatigue, changing my whole daily life.  But in
  reading God's word, and searching Him out in prayer and believing
that He
  is in control, I can let go of many daily struggles.  Through His
word
  I have found that he gives us peace, love, and strength. I know there
  are many days I run out of strength.  My body becomes weaker as the
day
  carries on. I can not continue on my own.  But, He lifts me up and
  gives strength to my heart and mind.  Allowing me to lean on him and
not
  this weak body of mine.

God promises to always take care of us.  Through Him we can find the
  peace and power to deal with our pains and weaknesses.  God
describes our
  strength given from him as the strength of the eagle.  We need to
hold
  on to the promises he gives.  In (Isaiah 55: 11) it says, "So shall
My
  word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me
void,
  But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the
  thing for which I sent it."  Just as the rain gives life to thirsty
and
  withered  plants, God's word brings life to our hearts and minds.  He
  will renew us each day as we go to Him in prayer, and in His word.
What
  an everlasting God we have!

Heavenly Father, thank you for lifting us up each day.  For renewing
  our strength, our hearts, and minds.  Your love rains on us as we are
  thirsty and withered plants, springing forth with renewed strength.
Thank
  You for always being there for us. I'm thankful You are my Creator,
  the One with endless strength and power.
Amen

Margie Scott lives in Chandler, Arizona, with her son, James.  She
  enjoys reading, writing, sewing, and spending time with her family.
Margie
  strives each day to trust God's grace will provide as she faces
  Parkinson's, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and Fibromyalgia.

Joshua 1:9, Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not
be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with
you wherever you go."

New International Version

James 4:7-8, Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he
will flee from you.
4:8
Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you
sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

New International Version

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer
and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will
guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers,
whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is
pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable— if anything is
excellent
or praiseworthy— think about such things. " (Phil.4:6-8 NIV)

Many of us with daily Chronic Pain try to do things to help our
holidays run smoothly. One thing I do is try to buy gifts all through
out the year instead of purchasing them all at one time or in one
month. This not only helps keep me from the Christmas rush and
traffic but also helps my budget stay smart.

I had a few last minute purchases to make at Wal-mart and I
couldn't help but notice all the different personalities and moods.
I could surely tell the people that were happy and the ones that
were completely frustrated and not so polite.

My heart went out to people that were like me, in scooters or
using canes or wheel chairs. Strangely enough the people that
were physically disabled were the ones that were trying the
hardest to make the holiday spirit more festive and cheerier.
I was so pleased about that.

These dear people had wide smiles on. They were polite and
friendly. They were not allowing their illness to get in the way
of having a beautiful and pleasant Christmas.

I believe this is because they have truly remembered the true
meaning of what Christmas is all about... love and the Christ
child.

Keeping our minds focused on the realiity of Christmas does
not always come so easy, but if we keep our hearts and our minds
upon God's Word we find that life is easier during the holidays
and easier any day of the year.

Let us keep our minds on the good things, the lovely things, and
what ever we think about will be the way our attitude will show
forth to others. Our merciful Heavenly Father will shine through
everyday and in all we do throughout each year.

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

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Nancy Dittert (Founder & Overseer of Fibro/Chronic
Pain Support Ministry) lives in a berm home in Rural
Central Iowa with her husband & soul mate Patrick,
4 cats and a Lab/Sharpei dog. Nancy & Patrick are
both pastors, retiring early because of illness. Nancy
lives with Severe Fibromyalgia, Absence Seizures and
Neuropathy, and her husband had a brain tumor that
left him disabled. They are still actively involved in Prayer
Group, and Chronic Pain Support Ministry through the
Internet and as Christian Freelance writers.
Write Nancy at nancierose@...
and visit her Chronic Pain Web Site at...
http://Fibromyalgiahelp.homestead.com/index.html

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

"Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do
not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes." (Isaiah
54:2 NIV)

When I read the above scripture, the first thing that came to mind is
an old canvas tent I have that has been passed down through my
family.  It is large enough to sleep 13 people and it is very heavy.
Where today's tents are made of light-weight nylon, this is made of
heavy canvas. It was made in the 1920's and it is still in perfect
shape - it doesn't leak in the rain.

I compare it to my earthly tent which has been cut more times than I
can count; it has been sewn, patched up and repaired.  I often wish I
could exchange it for a newer model. But, God's ways are not my ways.
He takes the weak things and makes them strong. In my limitations,
God's plan and power are limitless.

Slowly I am learning to get my eyes off the tent and onto how to
enlarge it.  God is able to do wonderful things in and through my
life - if I just let Him. Instead of being overwhelmed by the
limitations and imperfections of my body, I have the privilege and
opportunity of watching God work in ways beyond my understanding.

It is true that this temporary shell was not designed to last
forever. "The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised
imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is
sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body,
it is raised a spiritual body." (1 Corinthians 15:42-44 NIV).

I complain about my earthly tent, it doesn't do what I want it to
anymore; it isn't as strong as it once was and it keeps getting new
patches at the rate of one a day. I am truly grateful that it is not
the one I will have for eternity.

Prayer: Lord, forgive me for complaining about this earthly tent. I
praise You for holding this earthly tent in Your hands and guiding
all that touches it. You delight in me, not my body. You look at the
heart. Enlarge the place of my tent, and stretch my curtains wide.
Use this experience for Your glory in ways I cannot even conceive.
Amen.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
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.

Psalm 46:1, God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in
trouble

(NIV)

Then you will know that I am the Lord; those who hope in me will not
be disappointed." (Isaiah 49:23 NIV)

I am sure that you remember the exact day and time that you were told
the diagnosis by your doctor. I remember vividly and also remember
that she said, "You have a 10% chance of living 5 years." I
desperately wanted some kind of guarantee that I would be O.K. But
that was impossible. Plenty of people offered me other "guarantees":
Eat certain foods, and they will cure you. Drink a certain tea, and
it will cure you. Take certain vitamin supplements, and they will
cure you. But, I have always been a skeptic at heart. I knew there
was no way these things could deliver what they promised. I wanted to
believe that one of them was the answer, but which one was it? What
if I chose the wrong one?

Then, I remembered this Psalm, "Some trust in chariots (food and
drink) and some in horses (vitamins and herbs), but we trust in the
name of the Lord our God." (Psalm 20:7 NIV).

It wasn't which had an ironclad guarantee; it was Who. My diagnosis,
my treatment and my prognosis......my future were in His hands. I had
His guaranteed promise that when I put my hope in Him, I would not be
disappointed.

Since my diagnosis, I have had many treatment decisions to make and
for each one, I go before Him and pray and ask that He guide my
decisions. He is the one who knows every cell in our bodies and He is
the one who is in control. I also ask Him to help me remember that no
matter how many times I am cured of an illness, I am still going to
die someday, perhaps soon, and when that happens I really will be
more alive than I have ever been.

Prayer: We are so grateful that those who trust in You will not be
disappointed. Help us make wise decisions about what medical
treatments to take. Let us choose things that will feed our body,
mind and spirit. Keep us from putting our trust and hope in anything
but You. We humbly ask these things in the name of Jesus, the One who
died for our sins and gave us life. Amen.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
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.

Psalm 46:10, "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among
the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."

New International Version

Psalm 34:22, The Lord redeems his servants; no one will be condemned
who takes refuge in him.

New International Version

"Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know
that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and
character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has
poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has
given us."(Romans 5:3-5)(NIV).

Our local TV news is broadcasting a segment this month about
endurance training. One newscaster is preparing to run a 5K marathon
for a local charity. She's working with an athletic trainer to
develop her body to resist fatigue and develop her cardio-respiratory
system into peak performance. The daily broadcast is designed to
encourage others to become interested in physical fitness and to
raise money for charity. As I watch, I wonder how many other viewers,
like me, cannot even begin to think about undertaking such a task!

But as I think about this young lady's challenge before her, I
realize that many of us are actually undergoing endurance training of
a different sort. The Bible tells us that our suffering, affliction
and hardships work in us to produce perserverence.

Despite the obstacles that chronic pain and illness bring, we persist
and press on in Christ. We learn to patiently endure, and we realize
that our suffering is not meaningless, because through it we develop
maturity of character. We are being trained with Christ's strength,
not our own, to become spiritually better than when our affliction
began.

While, our endurance training is not preparing us for a long-distance
race, in a sense, it is a marathon we are running - for the Kingdom
of God. We are not working our physical bodies, but we are
conditioning our spiritual selves through the gift of God's love and
the power of His Holy Spirit in us. We cannot physically sprint, but
we rejoice because our reward comes when we joyfully cross the finish
line of life in the confident hope of eternal salvation.

Prayer: "Dear God, we realize that the trials and difficulties we
experience are developing our spiritual muscles to make us better
disciples for You. Help us to endure with patience, knowing that Your
strength is in us, preserving us with Your love, unto life eternal.
Amen."

________________________
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Doris Farley experiences chronic pain that began after an accident.
Her circumstances have led to an unexpected, life-changing spiritual
journey that has renewed her commitment to our Lord. She thanks God
for reaching her and prays that He will reach you also, through the
words He gives her to write for you. You may write to her at
dorisfarley@....

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 Standard 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
************************************************

1 John 5:14, This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if
we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.

New International Version

As Jesus knelt in the garden to pray, His main concern was that the
will of the Father was done when he said in Luke 22:42 "Father if
Thou art willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Thine
be done."

I heard a Christian man once say "You know you're depressed when the
only hope you have is that you ARE GOING TO DIE, and you start
winning the battle!" Obviously things were so difficult in his life
that his thoughts were only directed to his reunion with the Father.
I had to take a close look at that thought and wonder if this was
from God or was he being "duped" by the devil once again in his mind.
Jesus, kneeling before the Father, already knowing His fate, pleads
with the Father that the "Father's will be done."

The chronically ill experience so many difficult and despairing times
that it is sometimes hard to tell where these thoughts sometimes come
from. Then I was directed to First Thessalonians 5:16-18 which offer
the simplest directive to the will of God for each of us, no matter
what the circumstances are. The verse reads: "Rejoice always; pray
without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will
for you in Christ Jesus."

1. Rejoice always: whatever the circumstances, whatever the condition
in life, God says to "Rejoice always".
2. Pray without ceasing: always live life in an attitude of pray,
whether it is for yourself or someone God has placed on you heart,
God says to "Pray without ceasing".
3. In everything give thanks: I can think of hundreds of situations
in my own life that I am NOT thankful for and here God says "give
thanks".

Here God has given us the simplest of recipes in life for His will.
Rejoice, pray, give thanks. How difficult can that be? When I am
lying in bed and cannot move from the pain, "Rejoice, pray, give
thanks". Guess what? I tried that last night as I lay on my bed,
unable to drift off to sleep and before I knew it, I was looking at
my clock beside my bed and it was 6:17am and I had slept through the
night.

I must give credit to a church and pastor I met last week in
California for this verse application. His church is called "Set Free
Church" and he is Pastor Willie Dalgity and he shared this
impressive, yet simplistic approach to God's will for our
lives. "Rejoice always...not just some of the time (when things are
going well); "pray without ceasing"...allow our minds to be in a
constant attitude of prayer; "in everything give thanks"...Thank you
Lord that I'm not in as bad shape as some of the people I know. And
God's promise is "for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
How simple can it get? Don't know God's will for your life? Try this
simple 3 verse application and see if God doesn't start to reveal,
not only His love for you, but His will for your life as well.

And yes, if you live in the Calimesa area of California and you are
not going to church somewhere, you really should check this one out.

Dave Stallings lives in Phoenix, Arizona with his wife of 36 years,
Barbara, and their dog, Captain Jack…along with their kids and grand
kids! Dave is a semi-retired pastor and loves to blog on his personal
web page since being diagnosed with Stage IV incurable non-Hodgkin's
Lymphoma two years ago...his motto is "It is what it is and God is
not surprised"….his website is www.nowwhataz.blogspot.com and can be
reached by email at dstallings2@....

Matthew 25:13 "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or
the hour.

New International Version