Today is “Character Counts” ~ a meme hosted by Tracy Keck at Seed Thoughts. It’s about spotlighting, celebrating and honoring people of good character, who’ve led exemplary lives and who’ve lived with honor, integrity, dignity and sacrifice, and those who’ve inspired others by overcome great obstacles in their own lives.
The person I am highlighting this time is Lisa Copen of Rest Ministries. Lisa Copen is a wife, a mother, a Christian, a Rheumatoid Arthritis and Fibromyalgia sufferer, a writer, an encourager, and a dedicated advocate for people with chronic illnesses. She is also the founder of Rest Ministries, Inc., a nonprofit Christian organization that ministers to people with chronic illnesses. Copen lives in San Diego, Calif. with her husband and son.
Lisa graduated from the University of Oregon with a BA in Sociology. Even before graduating, she loved to volunteer at crisis centers, abuse shelters and other service organizations. Upon graduating, her goal was to do marketing and fund development for a nonprofit organization. After being diagnosed with RA, she chose to do her internship as a volunteer with the Arthritis Foundation.
Life took a turn, and it seemed as if Lisa’s career dreams would end before they began. When she tried to go for job interviews, she had difficulty standing up when the interview was over. Once after an interview, she wasn’t able to leave the interviewer’s office because she couldn’t grasp the doorknob tight enough to turn it. As her physical condition deteriorated, it became apparent she would not be able to work full-time and follow the career path she had planned.
After spending most of her time confined to her couch, Lisa began praying for a way to do what she loved while working at home. She went to the library and checked out books on writing, nonprofits and fundraising, then began to study.
Seeing the Need
In an online interview at About.com, Lisa says “I saw the needs of people with all kinds of different illnesses who all struggled with the same issues, who all had those ‘You don’t understand’ feelings.” She also noticed that most people with chronic illnesses were looking for answers –– and often they looked to God for those answers. When a search of several Christian bookstores failed to turn up a single book about chronic illness, Lisa clearly saw a need that wasn’t being met. And thanks be to God that she saw the need!
How Rest Ministries Began
Lisa started out by putting together a newsletter focusing on Christian support and encouragement for a few chronically ill people across the country she knew who voiced a need for this type of assistance, who couldn’t physically get together. She copied and mailed the newsletter, and soon checks from newsletter recipients began arriving to help cover the cost. As requests for the newsletter grew, the copying and mailing tasks became more cumbersome and time-consuming.
It was then that Lisa realized it would be really smart to use the Internet to reach more people. So she invested in a computer and learned how to set up a simple website.
About Rest Ministries
Founded in 1997, Rest Ministries is an all-volunteer nonprofit serving people living with chronic illness or pain and their families by providing spiritual, emotional, relational and practical support. The website for Rest Ministries is… www.restministries.org. Since starting in 1997, RM has grown significantly. On the website, you can check out blogs (chronic illness), devotionals, and encouraging articles. Hopekeepers Magazine subtitled “joyfully serving the chronically ill,” HopeKeepers is Christian in nature, and addresses diverse topics such as spiritual struggles, family challenges, alternative medicine, devotionals, caregiving, doctor’s advice, and profiles of celebrities and national HopeKeepers groups. There is also a weekly ezine sent to subscribers called Hopenotes. Lisa Copen hosts a a Radio Program called Hope Endures (this is where “Yours Truly” is interviewed). So check out www.restministries.org
Lisa Copen, Author
In addition to her work with Rest Ministries, Lisa has also managed to write several books, including:
• Mosaic Moments: Devotionals for the Chronically Ill
• Beyond Casseroles: 505 Ways to Encourage a Chronically Ill Friend
• Why Can’t I Make People Understand? Discovering the Validation Those With Chronic Illness Seek and Why
Lisa’s Advice
When asked what was the best advice she could give to someone with fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome, Lisa replied, “Seek out ways to find your passions despite your illness because they are there. Be open to them coming in different shapes than you imagined. Connect with one other person –– someone you can encourage and be encouraged by –– your lifeline.”