Faith
Suicide Desperation...Not Forever Trapped in
Lifestyle Toys:
Good for...All Ages
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his issue of R each UP mag azine mixes so being stuck in me tough topi a rut of bad de cs -- suicide, ci si ons -- with th feelings of de these subjects e subject of pl speration, should not go ay. At first glan together. Yet, ce, it might se I think they ca em that n and should . The awesome thing about G od is that He hears your cr understands ies. Believe m how deeply yo e, it’s during thes u hurt. He sees “Deliverer” an e times that w your tears an d “Comforter e begin to un d ” really mean. derstand wha t His names But I also know that it’s impo rtant to unde you’ve cried an rstand that af d worked on ter you’ve talk th em, there com ed about your control” and es a time whe issues and af change chan n ter yo ne u ne ls ed to use the for a time. En confronting th joyment of life “emotional re e things that mote is just as impo hurt. God is FO rtant to your R you and wan outlook as ts the BEST fo r you in ALL th It’s my hope th ings. at all of these articles will he and healed of lp you move the hurts of yo to ward healing. ur past. God wants yo u to be whole My prayers ar e with you -keep ‘Reachin g UP,’ Crystal Wacke r Editor-in-Chief
Table of Contents
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Faith
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Faith
Trapped in Suicide ................................... Page 2 Desperation...Not Forever ...................... Page 3 I Am What I Think! I Do What I Think! .... Page 5
Lifestyle Lifestyle
Toys: Good for All Ages ........................... Page 6 Ask Pat ................................................... Page 7
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www.reachupmag.com
Editor-in-Chief .......................... Crystal Wacker Writing Editor ....................... Christina Williams Spanish Translation .................... Jodi-Kay Ellis Spanish Editor ....................... Mona Ré Shields Contributing Authors ..................... Karen Grant Pat Gonzalez Olga “Nena” Podbury Jeanette Rivera Crystal Wacker Graphic Artist .............................. Diana Faruqui
Trapped in
suicide By Karen Grant
Here I am
all alone wondering who’s going to lend a hand
I’ve had this thought many times No more
ending it, is where I stand
hurt, no more pain, life will never be the same
My surroundings are dark with
no compassion
But I keep holding on to evil’s passion A hand I don’t see But it temporarily releases me I sought the
hand of the dealer; the fix was quick just not fast enough
It only made a dark empty room seem filled with imaginary stuff But great here comes another hand only this time, it aggressively
slaps my face
“Must do what you’re told” he said “or find a way to compensate”
So now the street corner is my place as the passerby watches me in disgrace “A hand!” I scream as I quickly make my way to
the pole
The only thing that I can hold Yes! I see hands, the hands of professional men, Who only want me for their pleasurable transaction I can never tell them what my purpose is,
They
wouldn’t understand plus this is only business
There’s a
church up the block they can lend a hand
They once gave me a card telling about a Man Whose hands were
nailed to a cross for the lost
Doors are open every Sunday
The ladies are all dressed quite nicely, Married couples look very happy,
But,
where do I fit in? When all that’s seen is my imperfection
Now I know I am in the hands of darkness and confusion. As I search for
my escape thinking of my way out, I take the gun out of its pouch
While on my knees feeling displeased wondering what’s out there for me I scream out in distress thinking I’m ready for the consequence I mumble
“I just need to end it now”, but instead the gun jams and I pass out A vision appears: Why is that Hand extended in my direction?
It has holes
in it as if it has been through my affliction
These Hands picked me up and carry me softly
These Hands stroke me very carefully while opening doors to set
me free
I now know these Hands for it’s the Hands of the Almighty and will always be there to guide me. See my lifestyle only degraded me, and the church couldn’t save me But it introduced me to a new
A permanent
substance.
relationship with the One, that brought me my deliverance. Reach UP
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By Jeanette Rivera
Y ou have heard the saying,
“Desperate times call for desperate measures.” All people, even Christians, experience desperate times. It’s how we deal with those times that are important. Growing up living in N.Y.C. wasn’t the best, but my parents managed to make the most of it. Gangs, sex, and drugs were everywhere on the streets of Brooklyn, New York. It was only a matter of time before I was exposed to the worst of the worst. My parents did everything they could to protect me from the street life, but somehow it all caught up to me. I started drinking at a young age, then smoking marijuana at thirteen. At the time, it seemed my life was headed down a path for the worst. Depression set in at a young age because I felt alone all the time. I would lie and get my way and do as I pleased in the street. On June 6, 1996, my world came crashing down. I was fifteen when I was taken advantage of sexually by someone I trusted the most. I kept asking myself, “How can someone so close to me hurt me in a way that is so perverse? My very own
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cousin.” I put my trust in him, and he stole every bit of it. I battled pain, hurt, anxiety, fear, tears, sores, and open wounds; that was how I saw myself.
Ministries. This is where I met trust, love, and hope. And most important, I met Christ! It is through Him that I am healed today of all my past hurt.
To you who cry in desperation for I stood alone at a very young age, answers and a way out, God is desperate for an answer to heal my listening. Help is on the way! wounds. I went after everything Thirteen years later I can speak and everyone except God for help. out and help many young women Alone and fearful, I didn’t know who across the world and tell them about to turn to and what to do. I wanted God’s love. While everyone thought to die! What was I was never going to amount to anyI going to live thing, God had a plan. My husband for? I would and I are the founders of a nonprofit picture organization helping the inner-city myself community. And we are the pastors j u s t for On the E.D.G.E. ministries. drinking and In the ministry and through the taking organization that my husband and every I founded, we have helped many pill my women in desperate situations. We mother have given these women simple stored in scriptures to meditate on, so when the medicine they see themselves as hopeless, cabinets just so they can know there is hope at the that I could fall end. There is such a thing as love asleep and never and hope. Lift your face from the wake up. In a way, I hoped there ground and look toward the heavwas a big sign across my forehead ens. Here are verses that you can screaming out for HELP. But, who read over and over. Believe the truth was going to believe me? So I held of them, not the lies that come out it all in. of your pain. I know now there are many others who have faced what I did. Help came my way when a very good friend told my mother about a group home just for girls called Mercy
(See next page for Bible verses...)
HOPE
Prayer: Father, I’m putting my life in Your hands. Help me to understand that when it’s so hard, You are right there beside me. I need to feel Your love cover me and hold me in my hard times. Let Your light of truth shine on me. Help me to trust more in You and less in this world. Give me the strength to go on daily. There is no problem too big for You! Cover me with Your blood. I rebuke this moment any tactics the enemy has planned for me; I break them in Jesus name. Amen
Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:6
We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We don’t know what to do, but not driven to despair. In times of trouble, God is with us. We get knocked down, but we get up again. 2 Corinthians 4:8, 9 To all who mourn...He will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair, they [you] will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory.
Isaiah 61:3 NLT
Jeanette Rivera is originally from Brooklyn, NY, and now resides in Columbus, Georgia. Jeanette is married to Guillermo and is the happy mother of four children. She and her husband are the founders of On the E.D.G.E. Inc, an organization that helps inner-city children who are just like she was as a child. They eagerly teach what the love of Christ has done for them.
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By Olga “Nena” Podbury
A
s I sat there at the reunion listening to them talk about the same ol’ things, and complain about the same ol’ things, I realized nothing had changed. Everyone had gotten a little older these past ten years, but what, really, had changed for any one of them sitting there? Not much that I could tell…. I have heard the 2000 - 2009 decade referred to as the “Decade of Uh-ohs” or the “Decade of Shattered Dreams.” No matter what you label it, here is the decade in review: 9/11, Tsunami in the Indian Ocean, Anthrax scare, hurricane Katrina, Virginia Tech shooting, American Idol, Lord of the Rings, the first AfricanAmerican president, the most decorated athlete in history, technology breakthroughs (IPOD, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter), the miracle on the Hudson, the wars in Iraq and now Afghanistan, H1N1, the recession, and of course, Kanye West’s famous quote “I’ma let you finish.” But no matter what has happened in the previous decade, one thing I know for sure -- hope comes with the next decade! Many of us have set goals to lose weight and get in shape, get better jobs, get out of debt, be better parents to our children, or spend more time with friends and family. But the truth is, if you want this next decade to be better than the last, there’s something you have to do: You have to change your thinking. Nothing will change
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in your life unless you change the way your mind operates. Maybe you’re saying, “I’ve already made the decision to be born again and give my life to God.” That’s great! But that’s just the beginning of a life worth living. When you combine your new heart with a brand new way of thinking -- a mindse -- incredible changes take place in your life. The Bible says in Romans 12:2, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.”
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Why do we struggle with the same issues and continue to commit the same sins? It is because our thinking has not changed. We still think and behave as the world does. In our “worldly” mind it’s still okay to get drunk once in a while, or go out partying, or get revenge on someone who has wronged us. It’s alright to tell someone off if they really deserve it, or tell nasty jokes if they’re really funny. These things don’t matter if we really love God, right? WRONG! The Bible says in Matthew 22:37, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all our mind.” That means God not only wants you to love Him with your heart, but also with your mind adapting and bending to His way of thinking.
And this is what God thinks: “Get rid of all hard feelings, anger, and rage. Stop all fighting and lying. Put away every form of hatred.” (Ephesians 4:31) “There must not be any unclean speech or foolish talk or dirty jokes. All of them are out of place.” (Ephesians 5:4) “Let us act as we should, like people living in the daytime. Have nothing to do with wild parties. Don’t get drunk. Don’t take part in sexual sins or evil conduct. Don’t fight with each other. Don’t be jealous of anyone.” (Romans 13:13) If you want to see good changes take place in your life; if you want to see God’s blessings; if you want to see a difference in your life -- you have to change your thinking! When you change your thinking, you will change your life. Take the advice of Colossians 3:2 “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” Recommended reading: Battlefield of the Mind, by Joyce Meyers
Olga “Nena” Podbury grew up in the Bronx, New York, but currently lives with her husband, Ben, in Denver, Colorado. They have a company, Big Picture Creations. Nena co-authors children’s curriculum
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f you’ve got kids, you’ve got toys lying around. But after you’ve tripped over the same thing for the tenth time, you may wonder, “Are these toys all that necessary?” Well, a long time ago when my cousin was just a little guy and times were tough, he got only some socks and some pants for Christmas. He was heard to say, “Cwoves [clothes], cwoves, cwoves, I got a hun’red cwoves! What I need is toys!” And while he may not have been an expert, he was right. Kids needs toys. Kids of all ages need toys, and that includes you!
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tell them what to do. Enjoy watching them discover and learn for themselves. After they have figured it out, you can *Puzzles join in and play and talk about it. No one, *Skipping (no money not even a little kid, wants someone involved, but my older to be a show-off and take all of the personal favorite) *Swinging on swings fun away. *Playing dress up *Board games – “Trouble” and “Sorry” The first six months of an infant’s life is a are favorites great time to have a mobile above the crib to help with eye movements. Move it from side to side. Let them grasp toy rattles too. From six months to one year, a baby learns to sit up, crawl, and stand. Toys are a fun motivation for them to reach for. Games that are bright, colorful and that play music or roll slowly away encourage children to crawl toward them. Play hiding games by putting something under a blanket and letting them find it. Choose toys that are soft and touchable, not stiff with parts that can break off. Black and white toys help the infant to focus, too!
Toys are important for your child’s development. They can help activate their senses, creating experiences that help them with different skills. Babies even need them to become aware of their own bodies and surroundings. Since kids are born with a desire to explore and grow, and toys help them do that. And often these toys have rewards that keep the child trying and trying until he or she masters the skill. Toys can’t There are many more tips replace parents, but they sure brighten for children and toys, but Moms, the world of a child and do lots of good here’s some for you! for him or her, too. *Hula hoops -- Do you still have what it takes? So encourage your children to play, *Barbie Dolls whether they’re six months old or six years old. Always watch them, but don’t *Coloring Books
Karen Blake writes, “I think that whatever you liked as a kid should be what you can play with now. Why does all the creative stuff belong to the kids? Take Playdough for instance, with all those cool colors and cutting machines. Feel free (be released) to play with this stuff now! “Basically, I think you should play with anything you like playing with and not be restricted (in your mind) by your age. Just enjoy! “Your kids will be delighted to see you enjoy and learn how to enjoy themselves!”
Just as you like to watch your kids having fun, it’s the same for your Heavenly Father. He likes to watch you enjoy life.
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Ask Pat! Sandra from Harlem asks: Why is it that after the holidays or big events I always get sick? Right now I’m congested, have a fever, and feel run down. Sandra, that is a great question, especially at the start of a new year. I have always thought there was a connection between stress and getting sick. It’s common to see many of my co-workers get sick after the holidays -- having coughs, colds, or just feeling run-down. Everyone knows that a cold is a virus. Right? But why do some people get sick and some don’t? I’ve done some research on this question. Medical professionals still can’t find one single biological cause for why people get ill. According to psychologists, the mind seems to play a key role in giving in to becoming sick. Those long days of shopping, preparing, not sleeping, and feeling stressed all add up to the breakdown of the immune system, making us sick. Who wouldn’t want a few days to sleep and stay in bed? The body and the mind are linked together. How you think actually plays a part in your getting better. If you want to get better, you are going to want to see yourself healthy.
The Magazine to Empower and Enrich Today’s Urban Woman
Given to you by:
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Spring 2010
So, what does the picture in your mind of your world look like? Is it good and healthy, or sick and depressed? An overall healthy lifestyle is very important, too. That’s why doctors always say to get plenty of sleep, eat well, and exercise. All three of these parts work together to build you back up physically, mentally, and emotionally! When you get yourself built back up, you strengthen your immune system and start feeling good every day, ready to fight those bad germs! Pat Gonzalez, RN, BSN, CPAN Director of Quality, Risk Management Corporate Compliance Officer O’Connor and Tri-Town Regional Hospital Bassett Healthcare Network New York