Download or read book Spirit Matters written by Judy Flickinger and published by Tate Publishing. This book was released on 2010-03 with total page 188 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Death...takes only a moment; you breathe out and you don't breathe ina "that is death. On the other hand, dying can take a very long time, and depending on how you approach it, it can be either a miserable, sometimes terror-filled experience or an enlightening adventure. In Spirit Matters: How to Remain Fully Alive with a Life-Limiting Illness, Judy Flickinger offers a seldom-considered but all-important perspective on what really matters at the end of life. As retired hospice nurse turned author, Judy focuses on the importance of keeping the spirita "the person inside the dying bodya "alive and well during the course of a life-limiting illness. Spirit Matters exposes the motives, misconceptions, and lack of knowledge that often prevent dying people from receiving the type of care that can create and maintain a healthy spirit. The message in Spirit Matters is conveyed in eleven lessons illuminated by the personal stories of dying people and their families. Readers will learn, laugh, cry, and hopefully realize that near the end of life, first and foremost, Spirit Matters."
Download or read book On Living written by Kerry Egan and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2017-10-24 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "A poetic and philosophical and brave and uplifting meditation on how important it is to make peace and meaning of our lives while we still have them.” –Elizabeth Gilbert, bestselling author of Eat Pray Love "Illuminating, unflinching and ultimately inspiring... A book to treasure.” –People Magazine A hospice chaplain passes on wisdom on giving meaning to life, from those taking leave of it. As a hospice chaplain, Kerry Egan didn’t offer sermons or prayers, unless they were requested; in fact, she found, the dying rarely want to talk about God, at least not overtly. Instead, she discovered she’d been granted a powerful chance to witness firsthand what she calls the “spiritual work of dying”—the work of finding or making meaning of one’s life, the experiences it’s contained and the people who have touched it, the betrayals, wounds, unfinished business, and unrealized dreams. Instead of talking, she mainly listened: to stories of hope and regret, shame and pride, mystery and revelation and secrets held too long. Most of all, though, she listened as her patients talked about love—love for their children and partners and friends; love they didn’t know how to offer; love they gave unconditionally; love they, sometimes belatedly, learned to grant themselves. This isn’t a book about dying—it’s a book about living. And Egan isn’t just passively bearing witness to these stories. An emergency procedure during the birth of her first child left her physically whole but emotionally and spiritually adrift. Her work as a hospice chaplain healed her, from a brokenness she came to see we all share. Each of her patients taught her something about what matters in the end—how to find courage in the face of fear or the strength to make amends; how to be profoundly compassionate and fiercely empathetic; how to see the world in grays instead of black and white. In this hopeful, moving, and beautiful book, she passes along all their precious and necessary gifts.
Download or read book Still Time to Care written by Greg Johnson and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2021-12-07 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: At the start of the gay rights movement in 1969, evangelicalism's leading voices cast a vision for gay people who turn to Jesus. It was C.S. Lewis, Billy Graham, Francis Schaeffer and John Stott who were among the most respected leaders within theologically orthodox Protestantism. We see with them a positive pastoral approach toward gay people, an approach that viewed homosexuality as a fallen condition experienced by some Christians who needed care more than cure. With the birth and rise of the ex-gay movement, the focus shifted from care to cure. As a result, there are an estimated 700,000 people alive today who underwent conversion therapy in the United States alone. Many of these patients were treated by faith-based, testimony-driven parachurch ministries centered on the ex-gay script. Despite the best of intentions, the movement ended with very troubling results. Yet the ex-gay movement died not because it had the wrong sex ethic. It died because it was founded on a practice that diminished the beauty of the gospel. Yet even after the closure of the ex-gay umbrella organization Exodus International in 2013, the ex-gay script continues to walk about as the undead among us, pressuring people like me to say, "I used to be gay, but I'm not gay anymore. Now I'm just same-sex attracted." For orthodox Christians, the way forward is a path back to where we were forty years ago. It is time again to focus with our Neo-Evangelical fathers on care--not cure--for our non-straight sisters and brothers who are living lives of costly obedience to Jesus. With warmth and humor as well as original research, Still Time to Care will chart the path forward for our churches and ministries in providing care. It will provide guidance for the gay person who hears the gospel and finds themselves smitten by the life-giving call of Jesus. Woven throughout the book will be Richard Lovelace’s 1978 call for a "double repentance" in which gay Christians repent of their homosexual sins and the church repents of its homophobia--putting on display for all the power of the gospel.
Download or read book Parting written by Jennifer Sutton Holder and published by Univ of North Carolina Press. This book was released on 2009-11-30 with total page 81 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: At times we may be called to be companions on a journey we would rather not take--the journey of a loved one toward the end of life. For those who choose to serve as close companions of terminally ill relatives or friends, Parting offers the collective wisdom of people from many cultures and faith traditions as a "travel guide" for meaningful companionship--helping someone toward a peaceful transition from this life. Sections of the book discuss how to cross the bridge from ordinary conversation to spiritual reflection; how to provide comforts for the body, mind, and soul; and how to care for yourself while concentrating on the needs of another. Transcending any specific religion or culture, this handbook addresses universal spiritual needs. Designed for easy reading by weary travelers, this practical, pocket-sized guide prepares the spiritual companion for an enriching experience, even on the journey toward life's end. It is an indispensable tool for family members and friends, hospice workers, religious leaders, counselors, and medical providers.
Download or read book SPIRIT CARE written by Richard Gordon Zyne and published by iUniverse. This book was released on 2024-06-03 with total page 465 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Spirit Care is a resource created for spiritual care providers, especially chaplains, ministers, nurses, healthcare workers, educators, and family members who provide love and support to those facing crisis or trauma. Drawing from real patient encounters, this book is grounded in the concept of dialogue—a pathway to self-exploration, insight, and growth. It serves as a crucial component of the spirit care process, enabling individuals in need to delve into their inner world with the guidance of trained professionals and the Love of God. Spirit Care is rooted in the teachings of Jesus Christ, as expressed in Matthew 18:20—”For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them”—Spirit Care embodies the essence of companionship and support. Spirit Care is a journey of discipleship that follows the path of Jesus, allowing His transformative power to flow through caregivers as they serve others. It presents real experiences of pain, suffering, and trial while also offering joy and fulfillment, and the affirmation of human worth and dignity. Through firsthand experiences, this book presents the profound impact of compassionate care on both caregivers and recipients. It is the hope of this author that this book will serve as a beacon for all who are called to the sacred work of Spirit Care, highlighting the enduring power of love, empathy, compassion, and faith in serving others.
Download or read book The Creative Art of Living Dying and Renewal written by Elise Dirlam Ching and published by North Atlantic Books. This book was released on 2014-08-12 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Drawing from the healing powers of qigong and the expressive arts, this book offers a path for personal transformation full of wisdom, compassion, and understanding Tapping the tremendous healing power of qigong and the expressive arts, this beautiful book invites the reader to contemplate the continuum of living, dying, and renewal within this life and beyond. The stories, qigong meditations, and journaling/art processes, including collage and mask-making, are invitations for you to engage them for your own healing, transformation, and wisdom. Authors, artists, healers, and teachers of qigong and art, Elise and Kaleo Ching draw on their twenty-three years of experience working with others on their paths of personal transformation to present an approach to living and dying that is saturated with wisdom, compassion, and understanding. Through their work, the authors have witnessed many personal journeys of dying, transformation, rebirth—facing terminal illness or loss of a loved one; letting go of old lifestyles and embracing new; connecting with past lives and future dreams. The stories and processes in this book will inspire a wide range of people interested in using qigong practices and meditations, journaling, and art for self-cultivation, mindfulness, spiritual awareness, and healing: artists, clergy, spiritual seekers, psychotherapists, hypnotherapists, social workers, chaplains, hospice workers, teachers, students and practitioners of transformative, shamanic, and healing arts.
Download or read book Lifting Up the Senior Spirit written by Janet Mitchell Hisbon and published by AuthorHouse. This book was released on 2012-06 with total page 184 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The crocus flower/bulb has special meaning for the design cover. It was selected because it is symbolic of the act of lifting the Senior Spirit from the emotional dark, cold, winter season of an older adult's mundane and dull life to give birth to change and the springtime of a new way of life. These beautiful blossoms breaking through the snow and ice represent the inner struggle that one encounters to bloom where they are planted. What is happening to them is not mere happenstance; something larger than them are at work within them. Someone wiser than they are has a word to speak and that word is "Yes" to God's will and His way in their new life. It is also a reminder of the death and resurrection of Jesus from the dark tomb to the newness of life. Jesus rose that we may have life and that we may have it more abundantly. So it is with Older Adults, they rise to a better quality of life and at the same time preserve their dignity.
Download or read book Hidden Treasures written by Covenant Renewal Ministries and published by Abingdon Press. This book was released on 2018-08-07 with total page 237 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Many people are facing life-threatening diseases, terminal illness, and the long-term care of elderly parents, but have few resources to rely on in these difficult times. They often keep their challenges private only to suffer in silence with no real support system. This book delivers practical solutions to the problems everyone must deal with when they are experiencing the degradation of the quality of their life or the potential loss of a loved one. Based on experiences derived from 25 years of prayer ministry, Bertram’s Hidden Treasures provides insight and guidance to equip patients, family members, and friends to walk through these challenging times with foresight, looking for and expecting to see God at work in many miraculous ways. It offers sound advice grounded in the truths found in Scripture and the wisdom revealed through real-life stories and case studies. This book helps those who have ever wondered . . . If God is good, why are we going through this? What will our family do during this crisis? How do we fight the fear that is trying to consume us? How can we encourage reconciliation in our family? Where can we find peace in the journey? What happens when we die? Is there life after death? What is heaven like? Hidden Treasures will inspire, motivate, and encourage loved ones to begin to walk the road to heaven without the fear and anxiety associated with death and dying. They’ll discover that the Word of God has answers to the questions that seem to have no answer; and that comfort awaits as they begin to view their situation from a heavenly perspective. Ultimately, it reveals that hope is available, death with dignity is possible, and there are hidden treasures to embrace along the way.
Download or read book The Complete Hospice Guide written by Robert W. Buckingham and published by HarperCollins Publishers. This book was released on 1983 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Prayer Shawl Ministry written by Leisure Arts and published by Leisure Arts. This book was released on 2005 with total page 46 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Prayer Shawl Ministry, -Knitters and crocheters of all faiths are creating handmade shawls as gifts of comfort, hope and peace. 8 beginner friendly shawls.
Download or read book Religious Understandings of a Good Death in Hospice Palliative Care written by Harold Coward and published by State University of New York Press. This book was released on 2012-06-13 with total page 354 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Winner of the 2012 AJN (American Journal of Nursing) Book of the Year Award in the Hospice and Palliative Care category In the 1960s, English physician and committed Christian Cicely Saunders introduced a new way of treating the terminally ill that she called "hospice care." Emphasizing a holistic and compassionate approach, her model led to the rapid growth of a worldwide hospice movement. Aspects of the early hospice model that stressed attention to the religious dimensions of death and dying, while still recognized and practiced, have developed outside the purview of academic inquiry and consideration. Meanwhile, global migration and multicultural diversification in the West have dramatically altered the profile of contemporary hospice care. In response to these developments, this volume is the first to critically explore how religious understandings of death are manifested and experienced in palliative care settings. Contributors discuss how a "good death" is conceived within the major religious traditions of Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Chinese religion, and Aboriginal spirituality. A variety of real-world examples are presented in case studies of a Buddhist hospice center in Thailand, Ugandan approaches to dying with HIV/AIDS, Punjabi extended-family hospice care, and pediatric palliative care. The work sheds new light on the significance of religious belief and practice at the end of life, at the many forms religious understanding can take, and at the spiritual pain that so often accompanies the physical pain of the dying person.
Download or read book The Renewal of Generosity written by Arthur W. Frank and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2009-11-19 with total page 166 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Contemporary health care often lacks generosity of spirit, even when treatment is most efficient. Too many patients are left unhappy with how they are treated, and too many medical professionals feel estranged from the calling that drew them to medicine. Arthur W. Frank tells the stories of ill people, doctors, and nurses who are restoring generosity to medicine—generosity toward others and to themselves. The Renewal of Generosity evokes medicine as the face-to-face encounter that comes before and after diagnostics, pharmaceuticals, and surgeries. Frank calls upon the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, philosopher Emmanuel Levinas, and literary critic Mikhail Bakhtin to reflect on stories of ill people, doctors, and nurses who transform demoralized medicine into caring relationships. He presents their stories as a source of consolation for both ill and professional alike and as an impetus to changing medical systems. Frank shows how generosity is being renewed through dialogue that is more than the exchange of information. Dialogue is an ethic and an ideal for people on both sides of the medical encounter who want to offer more to those they meet and who want their own lives enriched in the process. The Renewal of Generosity views illness and medical work with grace and compassion, making an invaluable contribution to expanding our vision of suffering and healing.
Download or read book Glimpses of Heaven written by Trudy RN Harris and published by Revell. This book was released on 2017-03-14 with total page 188 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Drawn from her decades of experience as a hospice nurse, Trudy Harris shares stories that offer an incredible glimpse at what lies beyond this world--ethereal music, colors that did not exist on earth, angels, and loved ones who have gone on before. She has been with hundreds of patients as they took their last breaths and knows the kinds of questions that both the dying and their loved ones ask: What happens when we die? What should I say to a loved one who is dying? How can I make a dying friend feel safe? The stories she shares will bring the reader comfort and peace even amidst pain. Tender, heartbreaking, and eye-opening, this expanded edition of the New York Times bestseller offers more incredible windows into the world beyond and life after death.
Download or read book Grieving For Dummies written by Greg Harvey and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2011-04-18 with total page 379 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Coping and recovery strategies for dealing with the loss of a loved one Whether the death of a loved one is sudden or expected, grieving the loss is a difficult yet transformative process. Grieving For Dummies approaches this very important subject with sensitivity, helping readers who are grieving the loss of a loved one as well as those who want to support them in this process. This compassionate guide covers all types of profound losses, including parents, spouses and partners, children, siblings, friends, and pets. It also addresses children’s grieving and how the manner of death may cause additional hurdles to grieving the loss. The book is filled with practical suggestions for moving through the phases, stages, and tasks of grieving with an eye towards successfully integrating the loss of a loved one, while at the same time, keeping the love shared alive.
Download or read book The Invisible Choir written by Tessa Lynne and published by Lifepath Press. This book was released on 2017-09-04 with total page 294 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Spiritual Journey - A Love Story - A Search for Truth An extraordinary spiritual encounter has left psychotherapist Tessa Lynne in a quandary. Her intuition tells her to believe--her logical mind wants proof. A series of surreal events unfolds, forcing her to question her judgment and to examine her beliefs. Each time she thinks she knows the truth of her experience, she is tested again. Tessa is told of our life purpose, about life after death, and of a long-lost destiny, named Michael. Then she learns that he is dying. She reaches out to him spiritually and he sees her in a dream. They have visions of past lives, are surrounded by The Light. Is it possible that Michael might survive? Could their destinies be restored? Who holds that power? Events predicted to Tessa in 1995 have since come to pass. What she was told then resonates more strongly now, more than twenty years later. Discover why she was approached, learn more about the Invisible Choir, and use her story to reflect on the course of your own life journey.
Download or read book The Five Invitations written by Frank Ostaseski and published by Flatiron Books. This book was released on 2017-03-14 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The cofounder of the Zen Hospice Project and pioneer behind the compassionate care movement shares an inspiring exploration of the lessons dying has to offer about living a fulfilling life. Death is not waiting for us at the end of a long road. Death is always with us, in the marrow of every passing moment. She is the secret teacher hiding in plain sight, helping us to discover what matters most. Life and death are a package deal. They cannot be pulled apart and we cannot truly live unless we are aware of death. The Five Invitations is an exhilarating meditation on the meaning of life and how maintaining an ever-present consciousness of death can bring us closer to our truest selves. As a renowned teacher of compassionate caregiving and the cofounder of the Zen Hospice Project, Frank Ostaseski has sat on the precipice of death with more than a thousand people. In The Five Invitations, he distills the lessons gleaned over the course of his career, offering an evocative and stirring guide that points to a radical path to transformation. The Five Invitations: -Don’t Wait -Welcome Everything, Push Away Nothing -Bring Your Whole Self to the Experience -Find a Place of Rest in the Middle of Things -Cultivate Don’t Know Mind These Five Invitations show us how to wake up fully to our lives. They can be understood as best practices for anyone coping with loss or navigating any sort of transition or crisis; they guide us toward appreciating life’s preciousness. Awareness of death can be a valuable companion on the road to living well, forging a rich and meaningful life, and letting go of regret. The Five Invitations is a powerful and inspiring exploration of the essential wisdom dying has to impart to all of us.
Download or read book Final Acts written by Gerry Cox and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2016-12-05 with total page 362 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The editors undertook this project to promote the International Conference on Death, Grief, and Bereavement in La Crosse, Wisconsin, USA. Throughout its history, the conference has attracted internationally known speakers. This book illustrates the quality of their presentations.
