Join Friends of Rest Ministries & HopeKeepers for Sunshine Through Illness
Looking for Christian support for living with illness? Share, encourage, & find support with Rest Ministries- HopeKeepers social network.
Make a Difference at Rest Ministries
Click! Click! Click! Part 1
The power of the internet is live and well and your clicks can make a huge impact on helping Rest Ministries reach more people. The big companies are even cutting back in these economic times and trying to do more “social networking.” If you can click a few places a week it will help us [...]
Encourage Our Devotional Writers
We have a new blog where all of our devotions are posted each day. By posting a comment after any devotional, you are encouraging both our writers and all the other readers who come and visit the web site and know they are not alone.
Rest Ministries Recommends...
Do You Love Our Sunroom? Want Your Web Site Listed? For a small donation that will help our ministry, your link (after it is approved) will appear here, moving down as more participate.
Photos
Videos
Rest Ministries Promotional Video
Welcome to our Sunroom
Welcome to our long-time participants and those who have just joined us today! Over 1000 of you are connecting! You are a part of our Rest Ministries family. Each of you bring special experiences that are unique to you and can benefit others. Regardless of how you are feeling you are special to the Lord and to us.
You will find loads of joy, compassion and understanding here, all from people who live with illness each day. Many mornings it's hard to get out of bed... but we take one moment at a time and having friends to share it all with make it a bit easier. Each post makes the Sunroom richer, so even if you are feeling a bit down and out, go ahead and share your thoughts. Not only may someone cheer you up, you will likely validate exactly what someone else is feeling who just hasn't yet felt comfortable enough to write about it.
Be sure to read our new announcement section below regarding any changes. We've made a few!
TAKE OUR SURVEY SO WE CAN BETTER SERVE YOU! THANK YOU!
ANNOUNCEMENTS - JULY 2009
WE HAVE A NEW STORE!
Rest Ministries just opened a brand new store with books, gifts and more! Visit the bookstore for those with illness today and start your wish list, write a review on a favorite product, see what's new and check out our new Invisible Illness Week items!
HAVE AN AMAZING BLOG POST?
Or have you read a blog post here in the Sunroom that really touched you? Let us know and we may just feature it on this front page of the Sunroom. We want to get to know you better and hear how God is working through your valleys and mountain tops!
IS YOUR PHOTO A SUNFLOWER?
We'd rather see you! Go to your "page" and in the left column under your country it says, "Change My Photo." If you don't want to post one of you, choose whatever. Your favorite flower, pet, whatever.
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DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE SUNROOM WELL?
We had a wonderful volunteer writing up some tips about using our network, how to make friend, etc., but her illness has prevented her from doing this. Are you interested in helping out? If you struggled with an area of figuring out the Sunroom when you first got here, let us know on the link below about how we can improve the Sunroom. We'll do our best with the tools Nng.com gives us!
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MEET AND SHARE BUTTON IS NEW
We've combined some of the buttons under the new "Meet and Share" tab at the top. Things like blogs, discussions, member pages, photos and videos are here now. Just hover your mouse over the tab and in a moment a drop down menu will appear. Don't like it? Is there a button you'd like fast access to? Tell us!
______________________________________________________________________TELL US!
- How can we improve the Sunroom? Where could you use help? We can add your questions to the new FAQ tab with answers!
- What do you love about the Sunroom?
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Offer a Sunroom friend a kind birthday note!
______________________________________________________________________A NOTE REGARDING POLICIES AND POLITICS POLICIES: Please read them and follow them accordingly. In order to keep this a safe place for everyone, if you blatantly break them you will automatically have your Sunroom membership removed. We have an increasing number of people try to take advantage of our network of friends here and we are not obligated to give a warning. If you have a health/illness related business, book, etc. please consider the advertising options instead. POLITICS: It's no secret that (as usual) there is controversy over our new president and some of the decisions he is --and will be --making. We ask you to resist the urge to post/blog about these topics in this forum unless is strictly relates to your illness or your opinion on his policies that affect chronic illness initiatives. Instead, please lift him up in prayer and write about it at a web site that is more specifically related to the issue. ______________________________________________________________________
LISTEN TO OUR 20 FREE SEMINARS... During Invisible Illness Week Sept 2008 we had over 15,000 listeners! They are all free and we encourage you to email friends about certain topics that may be of interest to them. They are all hosted by Rest Ministries founder, Lisa Copen and can even be downloaded to your ipod or MP3 player.
Chronic Illness and Pain Daily Devotionals from Rest Ministries
Crossing The Red Sea
“Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” (Exodus 14:13-14 NIV) As I was reading this story of the Israelites crossing the Red Sea [...]
Dreams, Dreams
“I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14 NIV) Dreams, dreams. I could see it in their eyes. As we boarded the airplane, a stream of young men followed behind. They each looked strong and hungry for more. Their shirt logos revealed [...]
It’s Lonely At The Top
“Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” (I John 3:2 NIV) I kept having the same recurring dream. I was walking towards a beautiful [...]
Forum
Any Arthritis Sufferers Out There? 5 Replies
Started by Young Wife in Illness or Pain Related Questions. Last reply by Kelly Young 2 hours ago.
How does the weather affect you? 44 Replies
Started by Shelley in Dallas in Illness or Pain Related Questions. Last reply by Young Wife 1 day ago.
Does anyone have Sjogrens Syndrome?
Started by Christine in Illness or Pain Related Questions Jun 28.
Need Your Prayers So Much 13 Replies
Started by Sherry in Prayer Requests. Last reply by Marney Jun 27.
God Never Wastes A Hurt 2 Replies
Started by Jeff in Things I Think Would Encourage Others. Last reply by Cecily R Bornemann Jun 26.
Blog Posts
The Alpha and Omega Express
Well, I got on board the Train of Salvation,
At the depart from sin.
I felt so good that I was a Christian,
that I’d been born again.
All at once I felt a jerk and as I turned around,
I saw someone had pulled the cord and I was on the ground.
Well, I got myself on board again and this time I was sure,
If that cord was pulled again I would still be on the train.
I have been on board the Train of Salvation
and here’s what I have found.
God gives me wisdom to learn His… Continue
Posted by Mary Lou Brazell on July 4, 2009 at 7:23pm
Discouraging day at PT
Posted by Gretchen on July 3, 2009 at 12:11pm
SharonNJ
Posted by Sharon Gonzalez on July 2, 2009 at 9:50pm
Who we are and how we got to today.....
We are Stephen (42), Stephanie (43), Stephen (14), and John (8), and Adam (24). We live in the Delaware River Valley of New York. On the PA border. We have two large breed dogs and host a whole cast of human characters besides.
Now... For anyone that doesn't have a long time to sit and read... you all can skip to the next message... as I’m about to post a long intro .. Since its been forever since I have sat and sent the whole coherent story in one piece... and this year having been a… Continue
Posted by Stephanie Valastro on July 2, 2009 at 4:30pm
July 1st HAPPY BIRTHDAY CANADA
Happy Birthday Canada
Yes, July 1st is when we Canadians celegrate our country's birthday. There are celebrations in Ottawa our capitol city and all across Canada. There are specials on TV. And my favorite is Fireworks. Even in the small town (population 3600) where I live there are fireworks. And I can enjoy them from my own front yard as they light up the sky. A resident of our town has expertise and experience with pyrotechnics. He does an excellent job! Sometimes Mothe… Continue
Posted by Rachel on July 2, 2009 at 3:56am
Lisa Copen's Latest Articles-Read or Reprint for Free
5 Steps to Use Twitter as a Pain Log Tool
This article is free to reprint on your blog, ezine, web site, etc. Just leave everything “as is” including the resource box at the bottom. Thank you! If chronic illness or pain is a part of your life, the odds are that at one point you have been requested by a physician to keep a log [...]
Invisible Illness and Friends Who Don’t Get It: What to Do
by Lisa Copen If you live with an invisible illness, you may find the emotions of coping with people’s doubts about it can be harder to manage than the disease itself. Most of us with a chronic illness must eventually accept our condition. In order to live our best life, we need to educate ourselves about [...]
Minister to the Chronically Ill: 20 Ways in 20 Minutes
by Lisa Copen Rest Ministries, the largest Christian organization that serves the chronically ill, recently did a poll, asking “List some of the programs or resources a church could offer to make it more inviting comfortable” Below is a sampling of the 800+ responses. 1. Send out encouraging emails. 2. Make sure the handicapped stalls in the restroom [...]
Latest Activity
About
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To listen now... choose a show (see the list in the black) and then click the arrow button & turn up your computer speakers. To stop, just click the same button. Join us Tuesdays at 10 a.m. to hear the program live!
Birthdays
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What is Lisa (Our Founder) Doing?
____________________GUIDELINES FOR ROOM USE
Please read these carefully.
Things to note: If you are using our network inappropriately, we are not hesitant to ban your membership. We always try to be fair, but the integrity of the ministry will never be risked due to posts or peddling of products, books, etc.
1) All are welcome but please remember that this is a Christian environment. Use discretion, compassion and wisdom with any postings.
2) The Sunroom is a place for individuals to find encouragement and friendships among others who live with chronic illness.
3) This social network does not allow any kind of advertising or promotion of one’s own web site, book, blog, company, etc. within your postings except as the 15-word footer as explained below. Repeatedly posting about your own resources as part of engaging in conversations will be seen as advertising. For example, if it's obvious you are pasting the same welcome message to numerous people just so you can mention your 15-word footer, is not allowed. You are allowed a 15-word footer to your postings to let people know about your book, chat room, web site. For example, “Free download to a chapter of my book for the chronically ill see www.restministries.org”
4) Paid advertising is available for a very low cost for people or members wishing to reach Sunroom members with their message. Members cannot recruit for other networks and websites, nor solicit other members about products and services. One warning will be given with clarification and then you risk being banned from our room.
5) Under no circumstances, posting of nudity or profanity in this network is allowed.
6) All images, music, videos, etc. that you post you must own the rights to or have permission to post.
7) Rest Ministries does not provide medical advice. No information found here should be interpreted as such.
8) Rest Ministries reserves the right to remove or ban members, postings or groups for any reason.
9) Though Rest Ministries does their best to remove any questionable materials as soon as possible, they cannot be held responsible for the posts of others on this site.
10) Please do not post messages about politics unless is specifically relates to illness issues.
11) Rest Ministries reserves the right to remove/delete any messages, photos, profile accounts or any other form of information at any time.
To report misconduct, please click on Feedback below or email Lisa, Sunroom "owner." See top of this column.
© 2009 Created by Lisa Copen on Ning. Create Your Own Social Network
