Give examples of how the practice of ministry has affected your experience and understanding of A) God At the core of my understanding of God is a God of love in covenantal relationship with God’s children. Romans 8:38-39 says it well; “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” The practice of ministry has only proven to strengthen that belief. I was called early Saturday morning to sit with a family who had just learned of the death of their daughter/granddaughter in a vehicle accident.…
The Preacher is a painting by George Gittoes, an artist who is recognized for his travels around the world and for his visits of different scenes of famous mass murders such as Rwanda. Much of his artworks reflects on the many levels of violence he has encountered, from local to even international. Gittoes painted The Preacher in response to the aftereffects of the Rwandan genocide, where massacres were still taking place left and right. This destructive aftermath shows persistent trauma throughout the country. Violence is an unending train that brings disastrous effects regardless how big the passing cargo cars are.…
Suzanne Aslasken Scarborough is 72 years old, and born on September 13, 1944, in Orange, New Jersey. Suzanne is an only child, with a deceased father and mother whose names are Julius Hull and Birdie Hull. Being married twice she is now single. Her first husband also father of her three children is Richard Aslasken who passed away at the age of 40. Her three children include Kristin who is the oldest, Rachel who is the middle child, and Eric who is the youngest.…
I have read Cheryl’s obituary and found out she just wanted us to remember her “joy,” right? So I will give you one secnd and try to remember the joyful times that you had spent with her! The scripture that I have shared with you all is a joyful news that came to us by Jesus Christ. Jesus was not only raised from the death to be write down some miracle story in the Bible, he became a first exampler of what will happen to us.…
hope and conviction soon took over, and God began His mighty work within her. In 1998, she was granted a closer walk with my Jesus. All the things sin took from her, God was going to restore.…
Our presence brings reassurance to women that no matter the outcome she has reached her final journey to motherhood. When a mother looses her child to death our compassion wants to take her suffering away but the wombs of the loss will always be present, but it is through our time and support that she will not forget but will instead be able to grow and see that life is precious and only our Lord will help our beautiful wombs heal, my 1st experience with death was of my own 2 children where their hearts did not form and they had to be taken out of me due to infection, I had no one their I was alone. When I had gone through that stage in my life I thought I would never be able to birth children again since that is what I was told so I had truly thought I was being destroyed not only because my journey to motherhood was cut short but because I wouldn't be able to bear children anymore, but with guidance and support of my doula I got through my stage…
Has someone important to you passed away and you feel like words were left unspoken, or conflicts were left unresolved? In The Four Things That Matter Most, Dr. Ira Byock teaches us how to practice the following four phrases in our day-to-day lives to avoid that feeling of unrest after losing someone: “Please forgive me,” “I forgive you, “Thank you,” and “I love you”. Dr. Byock is an international leader in palliative care and is a Professor at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth. He is a recipient of numerous awards for academic achievement and community service and is the author of two other books, “Dying Well” and “The Best Care Possible”. In The Four Things That Matter Most, Dr. Byock shares his stories of helping families reconnect during difficult times and leaving them with the knowledge of how to use the four important phrases daily.…
Before I went to the hospital my family and friends tried really hard to keep me calm before this big endeavor that would change my life forever. One of the things they did was talk to my pastor at my church about blessing me before the surgery. My priest blessed me by saying in a holy voice, “Please God protect Emily from all harm during this surgery, and please be with her during this hard experience.” Another wonderful gesture my family did for me was put on a birthday party, since my birthday was only a couple days after my surgery when I would be still recovering. After the celebration came to a close I went upstairs to go to bed, but before I fell asleep my mother came into the room with a gloomy look on her face.…
Precious in God’s Sight: Dedication Page I dedicate Precious in God’s Sight, the first book of the Affirmation Station: Basket Books series, to my two daughters and my grandchildren. To borrow your grandmother’s words, “You give me joys like you cannot imagine.” I also dedicate this book to the memory of my Mother, Bea, whose love for the Bible and me, whose strength and care inspired the Affirmation Station: Basket Books series. And to the Native American community into which I was born and raised, you surrounded me with affirmation and made me believe I could achieve.…
In the summer of 2003, I lost one of my best friends to a rare, unknown, incurable disease called scleroderma. Karen and I had met at college where we were both working on our Bachelors of Science degree in nutrition with the goal of becoming future dietitians. We formed an instant bond as we were both Jamaicans and could understand each other’s struggles and pain. We often studied together and found ourselves on occasions spending many sleepless nights getting ready for our microbiology, chemistry or nutritional biochemistry exams. With perseverance and determination, we survived those years at Georgia State University and Karen went on to become a wonderful renal dietitian, until scleroderma make it impossible for her to live with us any longer……
I will never forget my experience with Sarah. I was taking a quick coffee break because I could not find anyone to interview. My frustration grew the point where only caffeine could help calm me down. I went into the nearest cafe and ordered a coffee. The place was packed and there was not a single free table.…
Arabic-Speaking Association Pray for Rev. Raed S. Awabdeh, president, as he ministers to pastors and churches in the United States. Pray for the development of promotional resources for missions that are relevant and effective among Arabic-speaking churches. Church Ministries HAMS (Home Assignment Ministry Seminar) is taking place July 20–25 in Colorado Springs.…
You bring to light some very important aspects of Buddhism and how it relates to our present life and occupations. Yes many people are devastated at the loss of a loved one and thank you for sharing your personal experience of the loss of your mother. I can’t say I know exactly how you feel since both of my parents are alive, but my mother is very ill and I attempt to prepare myself of her passing. I am a practicing Catholic but when I have free time after my last class, I would like to further research Buddhism’s and it’s teaching of the Eight-fold Path.…
Death is a hard concept to accept and may never be understood. Everyone will know someone who will die while they are still alive and they will have to cope with their loss, this is inevitable. For some, this task appears to be easier than others. But it is crucial that it is dealt with or it may fester into a number of other separate incidents. There are some ways to deal with problems that are more positive and helpful than others.…
A few years ago my family faced one of the most tragic events life had thrown at us. My stepfather was diagnosed with Terminal Brain Cancer after he had unexpectedly suffered from a grand mal seizure one night at dinner. I, being so young, suffered from nightmares and anxiety due to witnessing all the pain he had to go through. After brain surgery, radiation, and many sessions of chemotherapy the doctors had told us he was now in remission and the cancer was at a minimum. A short three months went by and we had many great memories including my mother and stepfather having their wedding they had planned long before cancer interrupted.…