VOLUME 2 ISSUE 2
JULY 2021
Lighter color theme
STAND IN THE GAP: PRAY ne of the first strategies in caring for ourselves is to seek the Lord in all we do. How do we do that. We Pray. Such a simple answer pray. Prayer can be a very perplexing puzzle. Why do we have to ask God to help us? If God is on the throne, then why can’t He take care of us? Jeremiah 33:3 states “Call unto Me and I will show you great and mighty things which you know not.” Matthew 7:7 states “Ask and it shall be given, seek and you shall find, knock and the door will be opened to you.” If we really believe that God is on the throne, John Courson states, “we need to hear what He says from the throne. And He invites, exhorts, commands us to pray”. In Ezekiel ‘s day the people fell into idolatry and all kinds of wickedness and immorality. God sought a man to “stand in the gap” through him He could show mercy, Psalm 106:19-23 states. While Moses was up on Mount Sinai receiving God’s law, the Israelites made a calf and worshiped an idol cast from metal. They exchanged God, for an image of a bull. They forgot the God who saved them, who had done great things in Egypt, miracles in the land of Ham and awesome deeds by the Red Sea. So, He said “He would destroy them”— had not Moses, His chosen one, stood in the breach (gap) before Him to keep His wrath from destroying them. They were so rebellious and impatient they forgot who saved them from the Egyptians. Moses could have said, go ahead God, wipe them out instead he said “Lord, you have made a promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that their seed would number the stars in the heaven, you cannot go back on your word now”. If you destroy them, destroy me along with them. Moses stood in the gap for them. God did not need Moses, but He used him to stand in the gap and was merciful and just to them. God wants us to pray and intercede for others. When we prepare for war and we are being attacked, does one man push the button to set off a nuclear weapon? No, there is a safeguard built in place in case someone wanted to play a trick on the world, it takes two people separated by a distance of 12 feet to punch in their numbers and simultaneously turn the key in tandem to set off the nuclear weapon. God says we cannot turn the key alone. When we do it in tandem with Him, His power is unleashed. That is the power of intercessory prayer. God wants us to pray alongside him. So, seek the Lord in all you do. Pray and ask God to help us in our trials and tribulations. He says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God”, Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV).
There is comfort in knowing that we can go straight to God with all our needs.
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Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
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EDITOR’S CORNER TABLE OF CONTENTS “And I am certain that God who begins the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally fished on the day when Christ returns”
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MAKING MUSIC WITH WHAT’S LEFT by Darlene Sala . . . . . . . . . . 3
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MARY MAGDALENE by Eithne Keegan, MSN, RN . . . . . . . . 4
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GOD-BASED THINKING by Dr. Dung Trinh . . . . . ...5
Philippians 1:6 (NLT)
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HE WASN’T ON MY LIST by Carol Krejci, RN. . . . ....6
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race and Peace to all of you. What a joy it is to grow our team throughout the US and abroad. Our gracious Savior blesses us with wonderful people to be a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our world. He is so good.
MAKING YOUR EMOTIONS WORK FOR YOU by Harold Sala Ph.D . . . . . . 7
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A TOWEL OF CONTENTION by Dr. Cynthia Pettross. . . . . . . . 8
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We just completed our conference on “Self-Care Strategies” To Maintain Our Physical, Emotional and Spiritual Health. We began with a nurse, Amy Lynn Howser, who came to us from Ottawa, Canada. Amy wrote a song a few years ago when several of her friends were battling different tragedies in their lives, all she could offer was prayer and the assurance that she was there for them in their pain”. She remembered the song again when she saw the devastating stats regarding the toll COVID-19 was taking on her patients and decided to bring in her guitar to sing and play and bring a little comfort to the seriously ill patients that were not allowed to have any visitors during the pandemic. Her friend videotaped her, and she ended up being on national TV in Ottawa, Canada. She did not know about HCF and now wants to be a part of our ministry. We are blessed to have her with us. Our South African friend (who wishes to remain anonymous) spoke to us on how to care for ourselves from her experience in going through depression and isolation in her life. Dr. Trinh is always a favorite speaker and again he did justice to his presentation on Post Covid Self Care. Skip McDonald blessed us with her talk on Jesus and Mental Health during a pandemic. What a great title that was “Jesus and Mental Health” and who would have thought that Jesus cared about our mental health? Skip showed us that Jesus cares for both little and big things in our lives. Skip came to us from Nurses Christian Fellowship Intervarsity (NCF). Pastor Timothy Yu opened our eyes to Spiritual Care in a Physical World. He spoke on the social, psychological and physical world connection and the most important thing he said is to be aware that possessing the Holy Spirit is a result of receiving salvation through Jesus
ALL ABOUT ART4HEALING® by Laurie Zagon . . . ......9
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HOW A PANDEMIC STRENGTHENED A MOTHER/DAUGHTER CONNECTION THROUGH PRAYER by Belinda Oberle, R.N.. . . . . . . . . 10
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COMPASSION FATIGUE by Skip McDonald, R.N, BSN, ThB. . . . . . . . . . 11
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WHAT IS HCF ? . . . . . . . . . . 16
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UPCOMING EVENTS . . . . . . . . . . 18
Christ. Last but not least was Jessica, a young woman who was a victim of sexual assault, and she explained how she was able to preserve her mental health through her pain and suffering and how a Christian family adopted her into their loving care and showed her God’s love. We know that God who began a good work in us will finish the work and get us through the trials, tragedies and burdens, brought on by this past year and a half. May we be a living testimony to all our patients and frontline workers as the darkness of the pandemic turns to light. In His name, Blessings Eithne Keegan, MSN, RN
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MAKING MUSIC WITH WHAT’S LEFT by Darlene Sala
y friend Chaplain Dick Johnson tells a story of world-renowned violinist Itzhak Perlman when in the middle of a concert a string broke on his violin. The snap was heard like a gunshot in the hall. Dead silence followed. Yet, after a brief moment, Perlman nodded to the conductor to continue. Chaplain Johnson notes, Pearlman refocused and played with awesome passion, power and purity as those in attendance had never heard before. He modulated, changed, recomposed that piece of music in his head. . . At the conclusion, there was. . . massive applause in honor of his achievement. Pearlman smiled, raised the bow to quiet the audience, and said, “You know, sometimes it is the artist’s task to find out how much music you can still make with what you have left.” 1 Because a violin has four strings, losing one of those strings represented losing 25% of the music-making ability of that instrument. In order to go on, almost every part of the music had to be changed. That’s like life, isn’t it. Sometimes you lose a key part of your life. Your health, a spouse, perhaps the ability to earn a living the way you have done it for years. You may feel you cannot go on. All the music is gone from your life.
Itzhak Perlman
https://bookingagentinfo.com/celebrity/itzhak-perlman/
Dear Lord, This is one of the hardest periods of my entire life. I’ve lost so much. And I don’t feel like I’ll ever make music with my life again. Yet, I know it’s not Your will for me to give up. Teach me how to make music with what I have left. I truly want to bless others around me and bring glory to You. Amen.
Yet, let’s focus on what’s left. How much music can you still make with what you have left? The prophet Habakkuk wrote, “Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines. . . , and the fields yield no food. . . , yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.” (Habakkuk 3:17, 18)
You can email Darlene at darlene@guidelines.org
If Habakkuk could do it, so can we! ____________________ Richard Johnson, Shield of Faith, “Making Music,” email posted 4-26-18, accessed 429-18. 1
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MARY MAGDALENE Second part of “The Mary’s of the Bible” series by Eithne Keegan MSN, RN ho was Mary Magdalene? She was a woman possessed by seven demons, from the town of Magdala. She was definitely not a saint when Jesus first met her! Jesus freed her from the demons that had possessed her for so much of her life. Is it any wonder that she loved Jesus deeply and followed Him radically throughout His life? She was the last woman at the cross and the first woman at the tomb to check on Jesus. She is depicted in the Bible as a close companion of Jesus, famous for recognizing Him. It is noted in all four Gospels, although each one differs, that Mary Magdalene was seen at the foot of the cross and was a witness to the resurrection.
with her hair and anoint his feet with expensive perfume. The Pharisee was even more skeptical of Jesus now. Jesus read Simon’s mind and said, “When I entered your home, you did not greet me with a kiss, you did not anoint my feet with oil; you did not welcome me lovingly, but this woman has not stopped kissing my feet and washing them with her tears and her hair and anointing them with expensive perfume.” Jesus knew who this woman was and knew she had previously been demon possessed.
It is surprising how little we are actually told about Mary Magdalene. It is very hard to grasp her true story, since everyone from Pope Gregory in the sixth century to Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber in the 1970s have had us believe she was an adulterer and a repentant sinner. There are paintings that portray her as a prostitute and public sinner who, after encountering Jesus, spent the rest of her life in private prayer and penitence. These interpretations have no basis in scripture and there is no place in the New Testament that refers to her as a sinner or a prostitute. She is also often confused with Mary of Bethany, sister of Martha and Lazarus (John 12:1-8, NIV).
In Mark 14:6-9 Jesus said “Leave her alone... “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me... She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.” Scott Saul, a pastor from Nashville, Tennessee, stated, “When she came and washed Jesus’s feet she used her lips, hair and scent to show her love. The religious leaders mocked and taunted Jesus for allowing a sinner to wash his feet. Jesus admonished the religious leaders on their anger and self-righteousness. Mary had just modeled a clinic on how we are to show love.” In Mark 16:9 (NIV), “When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons.” John 20:13-18 (NIV) notes that after the resurrection Mary Magdalene went to Jesus’ tomb only to find him missing and the stone rolled back. She was devastated. Where had He gone? She wept uncontrollably at the loss. There were 2 angels inside the tomb who said, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She then heard another voice with the same question, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, “Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, “Rabboni! (which means, Teacher). Jesus said, ‘Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.” Mary Magdalene per Jesus’s request ran and announced to the disciples, “I have seen
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The Gospel of Luke, chapters seven and eight, states that a Pharisee and skeptic named Simon invited Jesus to his house for dinner. As Jesus was at the dinner table ministering to the Pharisees, a woman burst into the room weeping, her tears streaming down her face and her long hair. She proceeded to wash Jesus’s feet
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GOD-BASED THINKING by Dr. Dung Trinh
Key Paradigms of Success:
held.
These are "truth concepts" that we can use to filter events and opportunities that we are faced with each day. It will allow us to move beyond a mind state of fear and doubt, and move forward with decisions for growth and success.
uccess is not determined by the size of a bank account, a title or a position
• God is Sovereign
Success begins in the mind. Achieving success is a pattern of thinking, a belief system, which removes barriers that prevents us from achieving our purpose and passion in life.
• Everything that is thrown at us in life is already "Father Filtered". God allows trials in our lives for a purpose — to allow our character to be refined and grow.
• God's ways are not our ways, His plans are not our plans.
Faulty thinking and untrue beliefs hold us back from achieving success in business and life. They limit our ability to grow and expand. Thinking correctly and embracing truth creates freedom in our life and expands our horizons. God has principles that govern this world, and being aligned to those principles opens the door to fulfilling our purpose in life.
• All things (good and bad) work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purposes.
• Where God guides, He provides (famous Pastor Chuck Smith quote)
• "I can" and "I can't" are stories constructed in our minds by
We are created by God in love, and we each have a purpose destined to us by God, with a specific set of talents/spiritual gifts given to us. When we recognize, develop, and implement our God given spiritual gift, it is when we find Purpose and Passion in our life, our reason for living. And to fully survive in society while putting our talents and gifts to work, we need all of these ingredients: Purpose, Passion, and People.
parts our brain (the medulla) who's primary purpose is "security and protection", Not Growth and Success. We acknowledge our Fear, say "Thank You for sharing", and move forward with our plans for success.
• God is orchestrating His Master Plan. Our goal is to find
where He is moving and be in the current of His work. Because He is sovereign, there are no accidental opportunities. Every meeting is a Divine appointment and every circumstance we face has already been known by the Father before we were even born. Our job is to be prepared and grab opportunities as they come.
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Dung Trinh, M.D. arrived in the United States at the age of 5 as a Vietnam War refugee. His childhood education was at a Buddhist pagoda in Vietnam and having never heard of God before, his first introduction to Christianity was when a Christian church in Orange County sponsored the whole family to be flown to the US during the war. Through a series of ‘God circumstances’ during his high school years, Dr. Trinh became a follower of Jesus, which he believes was the most important decision of his life. He has served on the Board of Directors of various organizations over the past several years and founded ‘Tongue Out’, a non-profit organization which provides free health care to ‘the least of these’ around the world including Vietnam, Haiti, Peru and Mexico. His activism stems from his deep faith in God and appreciation of his parents’ sacrifices for their four children. Dr. Trinh can be reached at iggy@tongueout.org.
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HE WASN’T ON MY LIST by Carol Krejci, RN
t was 9:30 at night and I was ready to go home. It had been a long and trying day and my mind and body were telling me to go home and rest. My mother had just been admitted to the hospital where I worked as a nurse. Her admitting diagnosis had emotionally drained me. After a month of progressive weakness and proximal muscle fatigue and aching, my mother, a resident of Pennsylvania, called me in Ohio to ask my help in finding her a doctor. Thirty-six hours later, she was admitted to the hospital (where I worked as a nurse) with a diagnosis of polymyositis, secondary to cancer of the breast. After being admitted, many lab tests, x-rays and doctor’s visits were planned. Mom, who had never been sick enough to be hospitalized (except for dental work), was checked and tested, discussed, and examined by physicians of various medical and surgical specialty areas.
Mom was finally settled for the night, and I was ready for the twenty-mile ride home, and, I knew, a night of tears and prayers. As I walked to the elevator, I had to pass the busy nurse’s station. Stopping to chat for a moment, I discovered how busy they were, and volunteered to take the 8:00 PM blood pressures, now well past due. With deep gratitude, someone passed the list of patients to be checked as I donned a borrowed lab coat and stethoscope. The list included almost all the patients on the odd-numbered side of the hall. My mother was in Room 509 and my dear friend Charlotte was room 505. Charlotte had already been here for a week for management of severe ulcers of the mouth related to leukemia. No coincidences that they are on the same floor, I thought, as there are no coincidences in the Lord’s arrangements.
Our planned trip to San Diego to see my new granddaughter (and Mom’s first great-granddaughter) came to an abrupt halt. Instead of celebrating her sixtysecond birthday by flying to California for a reunion with my children, we were to spend it in a hospital in Ohio. . . and wasn’t it just five short years ago on Mom’s birthday that my dad had called me at work telling me that he had an obstruction in his esophagus? again.”
So, I began to go from room to room, checking blood pressures and talking with the patients a few minutes as I went along. When I came to the third room, I checked the patient in the first bed and began to leave the room. The man in the second bed called out to me as I was going out the door.
“Oh, dear Lord,” I prayed, “please, not cancer
But the doctors were sure, and my heart was breaking, as I unbelievingly tried to deal with the reality of it all.
He’s not on my list, I thought to myself, and I’m so tired. “He wants to tell you something,” said Mr. A. Mr. B was pointing to the IV bottle hanging by his bedside. As I walked over to him, he pointed to his reddened hand and to the IV tubing draped over the IV pole. “They left something in my hand, and I don’t know if they will ever get it out,” he said. I inspected his hand and glanced over at the small, intact catheter connected to the tubing. “No, I assured him, the little catheter is all in one piece and is still connected to the tubing. No one left anything in your hand.”
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MAKING YOUR EMOTIONS WORK FOR YOU Based upon the book ‘Making Your Emotions Work for You’ by Harold J. Sala, Ph.D
ou have emotions because you were made in the image of God, and He, too, has emotions. Emotions are to life what pigment is to paint. They can make your life bright and beautiful or dark and dreary. Vast numbers of people consider the display of emotions to be a weakness, but Dr. Sala believes emotions are like rivers that can be damned up or else allowed to flow producing flowers and making your life more productive and beautiful. How you handle those vast array of emotions determines whether they produce sunshine and flowers or drought and dreariness. THE BIG FOUR: Anger, Fear, Worry, and Strong Passion (Lust) God equipped you with everything you need for life and happiness, but your emotions can work for you or against you. Your emotions drive your feelings and your feelings drive your behavior. Dr. Sala contends that emotions are like a two-edged sword which are neither right nor wrong in themselves, only how they are used. MAKING STRESS WORK FOR YOU Stress is part of life, and while many people avoid stress, actually stress can make you more productive, make you think more creatively and result in a more harmonious life. While too much stress can destroy you, avoiding all stress is not only unrealistic but unhealthy for you. You can make stress work for you. HOW TO HAVE A LIFE WHEN YOU HAVE TO WORK
Dr. Sala believes that balance is the key to success in both your personal and professional lives. The problem, simply put, is that more and more demands are made on your time, your energy, and your money, subsequently you feel torn—pulled by competing voices—and, at times, unable to function to your potential. Look at your life and commitments and—yes, have a life when you have to work. You are the one who determines your load limit. Saying, “I’d like to say “Yes” but it’s impossible right now is the key to a more balanced, fruitful life.
You can email Harold at harold@guidelines.org
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A TOWEL OF CONTENTION by Dr. Cynthia Pettross
n a mission trip, healthcare workers treat patients whether it’s a medical trip or not. And we usually find the facilities less and the observers more than home. For example: “Get me a towel!” I commanded the room in as loud a croak as I could muster.
“His finger’s coming off!” Charlene screamed, trying to constrain her hysterical 3-year-old son Andy. Andy, had smashed and ripped open his finger in a closing door. I was called out of the conference room to help in the lobby.
Surprisingly, this request enraged Jack, the father, who also knew I was a doctor. He grabbed the child and ran out of the hotel, calling for a Band-Aid. Jack made a futile attempt to bandage the bloody, flailing finger, but couldn’t.
The extent of the damage was not yet clear, but it sounded grim. Would there be an amputated finger to save? Like a code I called out orders, “Someone get ice. Get a wash cloth!”
Jack was losing touch with reality. I followed insisting that the lesion was serious, but was disregarded. Jack’s grabbing at Andy’s flailing hand threatened to extend his wound, and damage his joints. It was painful to watch.
My commands fell on deaf ears. The entire lobby watched, paralyzed. This was clearly not a hospital. True, with no white jacket and a hoarse voice, I was not exactly confidence inspiring. But the hotel staff was as clueless in response as our mission volunteers.
Parents have their rights. But I could not stand around and watch mistreatment. I told Charlene that Jack would not listen to me and left the lobby. And by this time I had called 911.
Lacking assistance, I demanded the gaping desk workers tell me where to get ice. Reluctantly, they sent me around the corner to an ice machine, but with nothing to hold the ice.
Five minutes later the mother came for me again requesting help. I got a towel, and finally a mission volunteer brought ice and a wash cloth. Dan, another volunteer helped me wrap the towel around Andy’s arm. Now immobilized, I could gently examine and firmly compress Andy’s finger.
I was amazed. Mother and child were frantic. Onlookers stared. Finally, someone got a wash cloth. Knowing that I was a physician, Charlene trusted me. We sat. She held Andy tightly, but he was thrashing so wildly I couldn’t examine his finger. We needed to immobilize his arm.
Almost miraculously Andy relaxed. With his wound under pressure, pain and panic had left. The scene was calm when the paramedics showed up to take him to the ER. “Jack’s brain turned off,” is how Charlene explained Andy’s behavior to me. Apparently it stayed off all day. Later he had no thanks, only rebuke. “It made no sense to ask for a towel!” he scolded me. “You couldn’t feel the finger through it!” In wide-eyed surprise I corrected his misunderstanding, “The towel was to immobilize Andy’s arm. Turn to page 13...
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ALL ABOUT ART4HEALING ® by Laurie Zagon
Who We Serve? Our trained and certified facilitators share the unique Art4Healing® method to help tens of thousands of people use art as a tool for self-expression.
or 21 years, Art & Creativity for Healing has facilitated non-profit Art4Healing® classes and workshops in Southern California. In that time, we’ve served over 85,000 children and adults through healing art. Our healing workshops facilitate participants as they learn to use abstract colors on canvas as a selfexpressive language, through the designation of colors as feelings. It is a form of journaling for self-awareness.
We also offer the only accredited certification program in the Art4Healing® method. Certification training is provided solely in the Laguna Hills studio. Our Art4Healing® International Online Certification Program is available world-wide, and we’ve graduated several international students. Our workshops are in our studio in Laguna Hills. Select courses are also offered live online, via Zoom.
Our mission is to support emotional healing through art & creative expression for those living with pain, grief, fear, or stress.
We work with more than 35 non-profit program partners in Orange, San Diego and Los Angeles counties, centered around six Core Programs.
What we do
Art & Creativity for Healing supports emotional healing for children, families, individuals, and military personnel using our Art4Healing® method.
A note on Art4Healing® vs. Art Therapy
We are NOT an Art Therapy provider. We share art as a tool for self-expression and self-exploration. The structure of the Art4Healing® sessions makes clear that the leaders are facilitators of the creative process, not therapists guiding it. ACFH facilitators don’t offer any interpretation or diagnosis.
We assist adults and children suffering from the emotional impacts of abuse, illness, grief, fear or stress. Our individual workshops and community programs offer expression, encouragement, clarity, and insight. We give pain a voice and meaning by providing expressive abstract art workshops to support emotional healing.
The focus remains on the participants in charge of their own exploration. The fact that this process is therapeutic DOES NOT make it art therapy.
ACFH also partners with schools, shelters, hospitals, and other non-profit agencies to integrate Art4Healing® programs. Our programs include Creative Tools for Homeless Children & their Families, Healing for Heroes and their Families, Vintage Colors – Art4Healing® Over 60, Raging Colors: Expressive Painting for Teens, Out of Darkness: Women Survivors, and the Visiting Art Angel Bedside Program.
Art therapy is actually a legally separate institution and field of practice.
Our Art4Healing® curriculum contains strictly guided exercises, rather than loosely formatted art sessions. These exercises are specially designed to elicit emotional responses. Participants leave encouraged, with enhanced clarity and insight.
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HOW A PANDEMIC STRENGTHENED A MOTHER/DAUGHTER CONNECTION THROUGH PRAYER by Belinda Oberle, R.N. ver the years in my walk as a Christian, I have developed a muscle for prayer. My journey of learning to pray started when my daughter, now 30, was in elementary school and I was introduced to “Moms in Touch”. This journey of becoming a prayer warrior has taught me so much about my heavenly Father. It has and continues to be a privilege to take my petitions on behalf of myself, my family, friends and others to Him. I have witnessed the power of prayer and this story has provided me an even deeper understanding of that power.
mother to Him and to trust that He would take care of both of us. He would walk hand in hand with Mom; I was not supposed to be with her at this time. Isaiah 40:13 entered my mind. This was the scripture I’d held onto when the pandemic first began. “For I am the Lord your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says, Do not fear; I will help you.”
“Are you busy now? I thought you might have prayer with me before I go to bed.” These were the words that appeared via text on my cell phone on January 14, 2021 at 7:59 p.m. PST. This was the date my 88 year-old, widowed and fiercely independent mother, Betty, was diagnosed with Covid 19 pneumonia. She was home alone in Indiana. I was almost 2,000 miles away in Orange County, California. I had just finished a Zoom call with my Bible Study small group feeling grateful to have such an amazing group of women believers in my life when I read this text message. I quickly went from gratitude to urgency and concern. It was unusual for my mother to ask for prayer, and emotions of fear, anxiety and frustration at being so far away swirled around in my head and body. I cried out “Please be with her and heal her, Lord”, as I dialed my mother’s phone number. After I assessed that she was not in distress and in need of medical attention, I asked her: “Are you scared?” Her response was: “Kind of.” Again, feeling helpless, I knew that the Holy Spirit’s covering of Peace was needed for both of us. I began to pray with confidence and under God’s authority Matthew 18:20: “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” As I continued to pray over my mother, a powerful calming occurred in both of us. At the end of our time together, her voice was stronger and she was less fearful. I instructed her in what to do if her symptoms worsened and reassured her that I was only a phone call away even in the middle of the night. After our call, I thought about all the people who have experienced loss during this pandemic and the feelings of helplessness that brings: the loss of a loved one who is no longer here, the loss of a job, the loss of not being able to see family. I sensed God’s Presence telling me to surrender myself and my
On January 15, I again prayed with my mom. What started as a one night “have prayer with me before I go to bed” has become a nightly ritual between my mother and me. While my mother doesn’t want to lead prayer, she does often respond with “Yes Lord” and “Thank You Lord” during our prayer time. My mother tells family, friends and neighbors that she and her daughter are praying for them or “that is an answer to prayer” and looks forward to our nightly prayer time and chats. It’s been a beautiful, sweet time together and God has used my heart for prayer to draw us closer to Him and to each other. He has reminded me of His sovereignty over our lives. This precious, God-anointed time He’s given me with my mother would not have happened if my mother had not gone through the dark place of illness with Covid pneumonia. I thank God for giving me this gift and for helping me to see these past perilous times from a heavenly perspective: Time with family and friends is precious. I feel blessed that God will allow me to be reunited with Mom and my family this summer. It will be a time of rejoicing and reflecting on what God has done in our lives. May God continue to deepen me as a prayer warrior and continue to use me for His Kingdom. Praise Be to Our Lord Jesus Christ!
1 Thesalanians 5: 16-18: “Be joyful always, pray
continually, give thanks in all circumstances for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.“
You can email Belinda at boberle@cox.net
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COMPASSION FATIGUE When Your Heart Gets Tired by Skip McDonald, R.N, BSN, ThB
So, what is an empath you may ask? That person who experiences the emotions of others, sometimes to the detriment of themselves or others. Therefore, if compassion fatigue can lead to burnout, what does burnout look like?
f you have any familiarity with Scripture, then you have probably read Galatians 6:9, “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” That is a wonderful Scripture and sounds really good, but it may seem impossible 24/7. Even though we are admonished not to, sometimes we do become weary in well doing. It happens! You know that I know that, and God knows that. This type of weariness usually comes from dealing with difficult people or situations. Compassion fatigue is a personal and or professional exhaustion which can lead to burnout.
1. Feeling tired a lot!
2. Negative attitude a lot! 3. Feeling unappreciated and useless 4. Patience wearing thin 5. Mind and focus out of whack 6. Restful sleep harder to come by 7. Headaches/stomachaches 8. Self-medicating with unhealthy sources 9. Running out of sick days! Psalm 32:8, one of my favorite verses admonishes us this way, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.” As he counsels me with his eye upon me, I need to keep my eyes upon Him! The Lord’s instruction and counsel does not lead us to compassion fatigue. Even as we minister in His name, He always considers us and wants our best too.
Consider these signs of compassion fatigue as an empath: 1. Emotions of others can flip yours like a switch 2. Feelings of compassion feels like a punishment to you 3. You find yourself feeling constantly fatigued and exhausted 4. Beginning to feel nonchalant towards others’ problems 5. Continual struggle with depression and anxiety 6. Find yourself talking abruptly about decisions
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7. Avoidance and isolation, even though empaths need time alone (empath refuge)
God knows that to the degree we feel cared for, we will extend that same care to others. In caring for ourselves as we care for others, we will exemplify Ephesians 5:15-17. This passage tells us to be careful how we walk, not as unwise people, but as wise, making the most of our time because the days are evil. We will therefore avoid foolishness and understand the will of the Lord. As I journey through life and minister in Christ’s name, the Holy Spirit reminds me of Matthew 11:28-30, 28 “Come to me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Cindy bunch in her book, “Be Kind to Yourself,” offers two questions throughout the book: 1. What’s bugging you? 2. What’s bringing you joy? These are two great questions for checking in with ourselves. Too often we don’t do that. We just keep Turn to page 15...
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Continued from “Mary Magdalene. . . “
Continued from “He Wasn’t . . . ”
the Lord,” and shared what he had told her to say. This story is noted in John 20:1-2, 11-18.
“Well, I don’t much care anyway,” he said with resignation. “They might as well ship me off to heaven right now. They want to send me off to Columbus for radiation treatments,” he said, lips quivering.
John depicts Mary Magdalene as the primary witness to the most central events of Christian faith. She was the first to discover the empty tomb. Christ, after his resurrection, chose her to announce the good news of His resurrection to the other disciples. In essence she was declared to be the first missionary--a woman, who was given the privilege by Jesus Christ Himself to inform the disciples/apostles that Jesus had risen from the dead. What a special gift that He bestowed on her!
I thought, I have got to pursue this with him. He seems so afraid. We talked of his loving family, and of his loving Father in heaven. It seems he was worried that if he went to Columbus, perhaps his bills would not get paid. I tried to reassure him that his family could take care of his financial obligations by putting his Social Security checks in the bank and paying his bills. As our discussion turned back to God and His constant love and care for us, he again remarked that “ they might as well ship me off to heaven, but then” he hesitated—” I might not get into heaven if my bills aren’t paid.”
Talking Points: • Mary Magdalene was a true witness to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. • Mary went beyond obedience to extravagance. From her heart she poured out a very costly gift that became a memorial of her love for centuries to come—in fact, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world.
So, right then and there, I was able to share with him, and remind him there are no bills in heaven. I reminded him that Jesus paid the bill in full when He died for us on the cross. He smiled, and as a nurse came in to give him a sleeping pill, I left.
• We cannot give God anything He needs. He owns everything already. But we can give Him something He wants—and that is the love of our hearts.
Before I got out the door, he called to me— “Come back when you get a chance.” I did not get another chance to visit, as he was discharged soon after that night. He might not have been on my list, but he certainly was on God’s list, don’t you agree?
• Have you ever given Him something extravagant simply because you love Him so much? It's something to think about.
Verses in the Bible related to Mary Magdalene are: (Mt 27:56,61) (Mt 28:1-10) (Mk 15:40,47) (Mk 16:1-11) (Lk 8:2-3) (Lk 24:10) (Jn 19:25) (Jn 20:1-2,11-18)
Eithne Keegan MSN, RN was born and raised in Ireland in a small village. She emigrated to the US on December 31st 1977. She started her nurse training in Dublin, Ireland, and continued her nursing career in Orange County California, where she raised her daughter, Nora. She accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior and was baptized on her first mission trip to Kiev, Ukraine May 2002. Eithne is an MSN, RN and an International missionary, teacher, speaker and short story writer. She now works at a COVID Clinic helping those affected by the pandemic. She helped start a school of Nursing in Northern Kenya and has led numerous mission trips around the globe as well as assisted in writing the best practices of medical missions. She is now the National Coordinator of Healthcare Christian Fellowship USA.
Contact Carol at cakrejci2001@yahoo.com to order the book, or if you are interested in:
You can email Eithne at hcfusa53@gmail.com .
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Teaching one of the subjects listed
•
Enrolling in the Zoom class
Continued from “A Towel ...” Without it, we couldn’t safely compress his finger.” Charlene was pleased with Andy’s treatment. Andy’s finger was not fully detached. The laceration was deep and there was a fracture at the bone tip, but eventually all healed nicely. In contrast, Jack wasn’t pleased. He criticized me to other team members. I struggled, feeling unappreciated and humiliated. Andy had been at risk because he didn’t trust me with a towel! Yet more, a shadow loomed over our two ministries’ future partnership.
Dr. Cynthia is a board-certified physician with decades of experience in America and overseas. Now retired from medicine she directs American Ethnic Ministries, which brings the gospel in word and deed to America’s unreached. AEM is active in outreach, personal evangelism, tracts and devotionals, discipling, and teaching ministries and churches of various denominations.
Insights: What can healthcare workers learn from this situation? •
Dr. Cynthia has hosted two international TV series, received an Excellence in Teaching award from the University of Southern California, and a community Physician of the Year award. She is now passionate about www.ChristianfromMuslim.com and YouTube, because through it every church and Christian in America can get free video training and study guides on Muslim evangelism and discipleship.
Mission trip spiritual warfare: Bad events and
difficult situations happen on outreaches and mission trips. Beyond the physical injury in this case was the threat good teamwork of a dozen years. To counter physical and spiritual threats, we need to be vigilant, in constant prayer, and have prayer teams.
•
Learning how we react: Under pressure and in
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Moderating our response: Voluntary mission work
You can email her at palmproject@hotmail.com Visit the AmericanEthnicMinistries.org
strange settings can we overlook misunderstanding of our medical skills, insults, and gossip? Can we forgive, block out bitterness and keep working with the offender?
is different from routine medical work. We can simply discontinue voluntary work. But there is another option. Might we be able to detach our pride and emotions from the situation? Might we objectively weigh the costs and benefits of future work with a person or ministry?
and www.ChristianfromMuslim.com
Jack mistreated me then and other times. He did not apologize. But he really loves God, and is committed to mission work that most Christians overlook. Relations were strained between us for a few months; but praise God, we continue working together to bring the gospel to the unreached. It is not easy for medical people to be humble. But the work is not about us – it’s about Jesus and people. As Hebrews 12:2 suggests, let us pray for grace to keep our eyes on Jesus and his kingdom – not situations, people, or what we deserve.
Note: Names have been changed. 13 X
Continued from “All About Art4Healing®. . . “ About the Founder/Director Laurie Zagon, M.F.A. is an artist, author, and former professor of art who lives and works in Southern California. She is the founder of Art & Creativity for Healing Inc., a non-profit 501(c)(3) public benefit corporation dedicated to offering art for healing workshops free of charge to hospitals and community organizations where children and their families can process abuse, illness, grief or stress. Born and raised in New York City, Zagon received her Master of Fine Arts degree from Syracuse University and her undergraduate degree from the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore. Her paintings have been exhibited throughout the world and are featured in many prominent corporate and private collections.
to create a series of workshops for children living in single parent homes.
Zagon has been teaching color, design, and painting for more than 20 years. From 1985-89, she created and facilitated the successful “Color and Play for the Inner Child” art therapy workshops in New York. After moving to California in 1989, she produced similar workshops for recovering alcoholics and drug addicts at local hospitals and community centers. It’s
Upon returning to Southern California in 1996, Zagon joined the faculty at Azusa Pacific University where she developed the City of Hope: Expressing Feelings with Color internship course. In its inaugural year in 1997, the course offered nine art for healing workshops for more than 100 cancer patients and their caregivers. From 19962002 the workshops served more than 650 individuals and their families. Zagon has received numerous awards for her work with Art & Creativity for Healing including the 2002, Clara Barton Award for “Woman of the Year in the Arts” from the American Red Cross, The Ambassador of Peace award presented by the Violence Prevention Coalition of Orange County in 2011 and most recently, the “Outstanding Founder” award on National Philanthropy Day in 2020 presented by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Orange County California Chapter.
Never Too Late To Have A Happy Childhood, Inspirations For Inner Healing by Dr. Claudia
Black, published by Ballantine Books, features 34 of Zagon’s paintings. To-date, this book has sold over 150,000 copies. From 1991-1992, Ms. Zagon was invited by the Symposium on Healthcare Design to create a unique workshop for architects and designers. This opportunity launched a nationwide six-hour continuing education seminar for the American Society of Interior Designers titled, “Selecting Appropriate Colors for Healthcare.” Over the next two years, Zagon presented 10 of these seminars throughout the nation. In 1995 she co-authored the book, The Power of Color: Creating Healthy Interior Spaces, published by John Wiley & Sons.
You can email Laurie at laurie@art4healing.org
In 1993, Zagon developed a series of art for healing workshops at Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles and the AIDS Resource Center in Pasadena for children living with HIV. After moving to Northern Arizona in 1994, she began conducting workshops for terminally ill cancer patients and women with breast cancer. She also partnered with Big Brother/Big Sisters of Northern Arizona
a r t 4 h e a l i n g . o r g
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Continued from “Compassion Fatigue ...”
going, and going, and going until we are depleted. She provides numerous exercises for self-kindness. One of my favorites is creating a “What’s bringing you joy playlist,” and “What’s bugging your playlist.” I knew right away which songs I would choose in getting started. What about you?
GET STARTED NOW
Jesus continually calls us to come and rest in body and soul. He wants you to know that He cares more about you and who you are than what you can do for him. He knows that when you feel cared for and loved by Him, you will eagerly serve Him, no coercing needed. And, out of his kindness, you can learn to be kinder to yourself.
Where do you start in healthcare ministry?
May the peace and love of God flood your heart with healing and nourishment as you continue your walk and pilgrimage with Him on planet earth. Peace.
Many of us struggle with questions along our walk of faith in healthcare:
• • • •
Why is faith important in healthcare? How can I fulfill God’s call in care giving? What is my part in healthcare ministry? Where can I find healthcare ministry training? • How do I start a prayer group?
You can email Skip at skip.mcdonald@intervarsity.org
We have a guide for you Through years of experience, we've developed a guide especially for you! Compassionate Care for the Sick and Hurting is a 10 part series we wrote especially for lay-people, visitors and all caregivers. You can read, download and use it today! Click to learn more and get your free guide.
Scan the QR code or go to the link https://rebrand.ly/ctvvtxb to download the whole guide.
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WHAT IS HCF ?
he Healthcare Christian Fellowship (HCF) is a non-profit interdenominational organization among caregivers. In 1936, Francis Grim, a Christian businessman in South Africa, and his brother Paul visited their elderly father daily in a local hospital. During these visits they noticed that the patient’s physical needs were well taken care of, but their spiritual needs were largely ignored. Francis was alarmed and concerned about the lack of spiritual care. He realized that many patients pass
through the healthcare systems of our world who do not pass through our churches.
Yet, when they are ill, they often want to reach out to God: A God they do not know. They need someone to teach them the Good News of Jesus’ forgiveness, care, healing, joy and salvation. He began to train a small group of student nurses how to share their faith with their patients and fellow workers. This was the beginning of what has now become Healthcare Christian Fellowship International (HCFI), a world-wide movement among all branches of healthcare, active in over 100 countries around the world. Go to www.hcfglobal.org for more information. Doctrinal Basis The Doctrinal Basis of HCFI shall consist of the essential beliefs of Biblical Christianity, including: • •
• • • • • •
The unity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit in the Godhead. The person of our Lord Jesus Christ as very God and very Man, born of the virgin Mary, His real and sinless humanity, His atoning death, His bodily resurrection, and His ascension into Heaven. The Divine inspiration and supreme authority of the Holy Scripture in all matters of faith and conduct. The guilt and depravity of human nature in consequence of the Fall. The substitutionary death of our Lord Jesus Christ, and His resurrection, as the only way of salvation from sin through repentance and faith. The necessity for the new birth by the Holy Spirit and His indwelling in the believer for sanctification and service. The personal return of the Lord Jesus Christ and the judgment to come for the just and for the unjust. The resurrection of the body and eternal life.
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Heaven as a place of everlasting blessedness for all who have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ.
In brief, HCFI places a strong emphasis upon the Deity of Jesus Christ and His Atonement; regeneration by the Holy Spirit and His indwelling fullness in the believer for personal victory and fruitfulness; the supreme authority of the Scriptures and the importance of personal and group evangelism. Healthcare Christian Fellowship, USA Healthcare Christian Fellowship, USA (formerly Hospital Christian Fellowship) is the United States chapter of Healthcare Christian Fellowship International. It began in 1972 at a small hospital in San Clemente, California. A nurse, Aubrey Beauchamp, started prayer meetings at her home. In time this small beginning became a national movement among Christian Caregivers. Aubrey has retired and Eithne Keegan has taken over the leadership of HCF USA. She can be reached at hcfusa53@gmail.com . Our mission is to encourage and strengthen caregivers in their faith, workplace, and personal life, promoting Biblical principles in healthcare. We train caregivers to meet the spiritual needs of their patients and fellow workers. You can also visit www.hcfusa.org for more resources and to know how to be part of what God is doing in the health fields of USA and beyond.
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Healthcare Christian Fellowship, USA P.O. Box 3439, Laguna Hills CA 92654-3439 Phone: (949) 312-7284
Get Dr. Ade’s book at
HCFI THEME VERSE FOR THE YEAR 2021:
Exodus 25:8 Photo by Tobse Fritz on Unsplash
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UPCOMING
EVENTS
Creative Strategies Using the Healing Hands of Hope Through Prayer, Music, Art, and Light
September 18-19, 2021 Day 1—Live via North Carolina and Zoom Day 2—Live only
Details : conference.hcfusa.org
Theme verse: " Light in a messenger’s eyes brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones. “ ~ Proverbs 15:30, NIV
Photo source: https://www.ellenwhite.info/books/bk-mh-15.htm
HCF Canada Conference November 2021 Agenda, details, and registration information coming soon!
You may submit articles for editing and review for the next issue by October 1st, 2021
Next Healthcare Pulse magazine
November 2021
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Healthcare Christian Fellowship, USA P.O. Box 3439, Laguna Hills CA 92654-3439 Phone: (949) 312-7284
www.hcfusa.org
