Free E-Book: Chronic Illness and Friendship

I am excited to share with you the Chronic Illness and Friendship eBook! Whether you have a friend with a chronic illness, or you have a chronic illness yourself, this book is for you. In this book you will find ideas for how you can reach out to new friends and how you can better serve the friends God has already placed in your life. 

In the fall I wrote a blog post series about Chronic Illness and Friendship. That original series has now been edited to create this eBook. Now you can have all of the helpful information from the series in one easy to access file. The eBook has added discussion questions and resource pages for those who wish to learn more about friendship and chronic illness.

It is my hope and prayer that this eBook will be beneficial for both the healthy and the chronically ill as we seek to be good friends to those whom God has placed in our lives.

View the free eBook here: Chronic Illness and Friendship. The eBook can be read online if you wish. You are also welcome to download and print it at home. I hope this will be a helpful resource for you. 

Endorsement for Chronic Illness and Friendship:

"’But I asked her to go to the movies! She never takes me up on my offer.’ If you have a friend with a chronic illness it can be a challenge to know how to encourage her or help in the way she needs most. Rachel Lundy has written a 36-page book 'Chronic Illness and Friendship' that inspires us all to be better friends--whether we are the one with the illness or the friend of one in pain. It reminds us to remember the family of one who is ill as we learn more about her world. ‘Chronic Illness and Friendship’ also explains how to pray for and encourage one who is ill--which may be much different than we assume. Rachel has written a book that can be used as a conversation tool with friends, complete with topical questions at the end of each chapter. This book gives terrific insight into the value of friendships--even when you feel too tired to pursue them. If you are chronically ill or wish to be a better friend to those who are, this book will be an evening read, but it may impact your life for years to come.”

- Lisa Copen, author of Beyond Casseroles: 505 Ways to Encourage a Chronically Ill Friend and founder of http://restministries.com

Bless the Lord, O My Soul!

Last week I was looking at pictures from my healthier days. They brought back wonderful memories of friends and ministry and a very active life in Alaska.  

Along with the wonderful memories came a twinge of sadness. I miss the days of being able to hike, climb, swim, ice skate, and teach. I miss being able to work in children's ministry and youth ministry.

On most days I don’t think about what has been taken away, but seeing pictures brought memories flooding back, and I felt the loss all over again. Just as tears started to fill my eyes, Bless the Lord by Laura Story began to play on my CD player. It was just what I needed to hear. It encouraged me, and I hope it encourages you today too.

(If you are reading this in an email, you will need to click over to the blog to see the video and hear the song.)

Bless the Lord 

You give and take away for my good,
For who am I to say what I need?
For You alone see the hidden parts of me,
That need to be stripped away. 

And as You begin to refine,
I'm learning to let go and rely,
On One who walks with me,
As hard as it may be,
You're teaching me all the while to say: 

Bless the Lord, oh my soul,
All that's in me bless Your name!
Forget not Your power untold,
Not Your glory or Your fame,
For You came to heal the broken,
To redeem and make me whole.
Bless the Lord, oh my soul. 

Lord, You give and take away for my good,
For who am I to say what I need?
For You alone see the hidden parts of me,
That need to be stripped away. 

And as You begin to refine,
I'm learning to let go and rely,
On One who walks with me,
As hard as it may be,
You're teaching me all the while to say: 

Bless the Lord, oh my soul,
All that's in me bless Your name!
Forget not Your power untold,
Not Your glory or Your fame,
For You came to heal the broken,
To redeem and make me whole,
Bless the Lord, oh my soul. 

Though my faith may falter, my strength may fail,
I pray for eyes to see the richness of Your mercy shown to me! 

Bless the Lord, bless the Lord...

Bless the Lord, oh my soul,
All that's in me bless Your name!
Forget not Your power untold,
Not Your glory or Your fame,
For You came to heal the broken,
To redeem and make me whole,
Bless the Lord, bless the Lord,
Oh my soul, oh my soul. 

Bless the Lord, bless the Lord.

Words and music by Laura Story.

Coming Soon: My First E-Books

Hello Friends. I am excited to share this news with you today! I have been working on two eBooks, and they will be releasing soon! Both eBooks will be available for free here on Cranberry Tea Time as a PDF download. You will be able to read the books on your computer or print them at home. 

Chronic Illness and Friendship - releasing January 26, 2015

I have edited the posts from the Chronic Illness and Friendship series to create this eBook. Now you can have all of the helpful information from the series in one easy to access file. I have added discussion questions and resource pages for those who wish to learn more about friendship and chronic illness.

Come back next week to download your free copy for Chronic Illness and Friendship!

Hope for the Hard Days - releasing March 23, 2015

This devotion book is for those who need encouragement on the hard days. There are days when I am spiritually weary and need to be reminded of the hope I have in the Lord. Some of these devotionals were written on the days when I struggled to cling to hope. I wrote the words that I needed to hear on those hard days. Perhaps they are the words you need to hear too.

God has given me much encouragement and comfort through His Word, and I want to pass on the encouragement and comfort to you. I pray that you will not despair when the hard days come, but that you will cling to the hope found in Christ.

Come back on March 23 to download your free copy of Hope for the Hard Days!

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I will be announcing the eBooks here on my blog when they are available for download. If you don't want to miss the announcement, you are invited to subscribe to Cranberry Tea Time, and new blog posts will be delivered to your inbox.

I hope that these books will be a blessing and a help to you.

Grace and peace,

Rachel

Happy New Year!

Hello Cranberry Tea Time Friends,

Happy New Year! I hope you have had a good holiday season. All of the celebrating has worn me out a little. How about you? I plan to get some extra rest in January! I am looking forward to spending time reading, writing, resting, watching movies, and crocheting.

I want to extend a special welcome to all of the new Cranberry Tea Time Friends who have recently joined us here on the blog or on facebook. It is great to have you here! I hope that you find this place to be warm, encouraging, and helpful.

If you are new here, you might enjoy reading some of the favorite posts from the past year. These are ten of the most read posts from 2014:

• Marriage Letters: Once Upon a Time
• Fighting for Joy
• I Was Surprised by Motherhood
• Five Minute Friday: Accidental Writer
• A Day in the Life
• Kissing the Wave
• Joni and Friends 35th Anniversary
• Just One Thing I Did Not Know about Chronic Illness
• 10 Ways to Reach Out to a Family with Chronic Illness
• Saying Yes in my Weakness

I think that 2014 has been my favorite year of blogging so far. Thank you all for joining me here, whether you comment often or just read quietly. I’m glad to have you here. I look forward to continuing to write in 2015 and getting to know you better.

Blessings and joy,

Rachel

Saying Yes in My Weakness

One of my favorite books this year was Rhinestone Jesus by Kristen Welch. In this book she shares about her journey of faith and learning to say yes to God. Kristen learned that she didn't have to wait until her life was perfect before she could start following God. She learned to start saying yes right in the middle of her mess. Her small steps of obedience eventually led to founding Mercy House and helping pregnant teenage girls in Kenya.

Kristen encourages other Christians to follow the Lord and say yes to Him in whatever He calls them to do, no matter how “big” or “small” it is. She says, “Saying yes isn’t really about doing it all. It’s about saying yes right where you are. It may seem small or insignificant, but any time you love someone or care for another person’s needs, you’re changing their world, and yours, too. It’s about looking up from your everyday life and seeing opportunities around you to make a difference. It’s about loving others as we are loved.”

This year Kristen invited various bloggers share their "yes stories" each week on her blog. Her "Works for Me Wednesday" (WFMW) series has become a "Yes Works for Me" series! Today I am honored to be guest posting on her blog and sharing about saying yes in my weakness. Please come on over and join me! WFMW: Saying Yes in Your Weakness