San Diego, CA -- (ReleaseWire) -- 03/16/2009 -- Surprise! That is the theme for the first Christians with Chronic Illness Blog Carnival starting in April 2009. The carnival, hosted by Rest Ministries, the largest Christian organization in the USA, hopes to reach the thousands of people who live with chronic illness or pain, and who also rely on their faith to get them through the difficult moments.

Rest Ministries, Inc. began in 1997 when founder Lisa Copen, then 29, was unable to find Christian support for her illness, rheumatoid arthritis. Her ministry now reaches over 80,000 visitors per month through daily devotionals, a social network, HopeKeepers Magazine, and HopeKeepers groups in churches around the USA and beyond.

Copen explains, “There are some amazingly gifted writers on the internet who share about the ups and downs of living with chronic or invisible illness and also their faith. As the number of bloggers increases exponentially each month, we want to provide a place where those who are blogging about their faith and their illness can share their message with more people.”

Submit your blog posting at www.christianswithillnessblogcarnivalsubmit.com by April 5, 2009. The carnival will be posted the 15th of each month. Upcoming theme include coping with loss and creative ideas for keeping kids busy during summer months when you have limited energy.

This is a great opportunity for Christian authors who have an illness and blog to share their posts too. Rest Ministries encourages anyone to submit. Preference will be given to those who submit blog posts on the theme, and to those with an illness or who is a caregiver.

“Oftentimes we are most encouraged by others who have walked a similar path,” says Copen. “We want to discover how they are still able to celebrate their lives and find a purpose in their pain.”

Surprise! That is the theme for the first Christians with Chronic Illness Blog Carnival starting in April 2009. The carnival, hosted by Rest Ministries, the largest Christian organization in the USA, hopes to reach the thousands of people who live with chronic illness or pain, and who also rely on their faith to get them through the difficult moments.

Rest Ministries, Inc. began in 1997 when founder Lisa Copen, then 29, was unable to find Christian support for her illness, rheumatoid arthritis. Her ministry now reaches over 80,000 visitors per month through daily devotionals, a social network, HopeKeepers Magazine, and HopeKeepers groups in churches around the USA and beyond.

Copen explains, “There are some amazingly gifted writers on the internet who share about the ups and downs of living with chronic or invisible illness and also their faith. As the number of bloggers increases exponentially each month, we want to provide a place where those who are blogging about their faith and their illness can share their message with more people.”

Submit your blog posting at http://www.christianswithillnessblogcarnivalsubmit.com by April 5, 2009. The carnival will be posted the 15th of each month. Upcoming theme include coping with loss and creative ideas for keeping kids busy during summer months when you have limited energy.

This is a great opportunity for Christian authors who have an illness and blog to share their posts too. Rest Ministries encourages anyone to submit. Preference will be given to those who submit blog posts on the theme, and to those with an illness or who is a caregiver.

“Oftentimes we are most encouraged by others who have walked a similar path,” says Copen. “We want to discover how they are still able to celebrate their lives and find a purpose in their pain.”