View - In HIS Name Outreach
Transcription
View - In HIS Name Outreach
JULY 2016 IN HIS NAME OUTREACH Current Collaboration! We’re so excited to say WELCOME to Inspired Health Care/ The Glory Center, located in the Southtowns at the Mercy Ambulatory Care building at 3671 Southwestern Blvd. If you have been following us over the last three years, you have watched God take us into the Addictions field in a very strategic way. We now offer Addiction Trainings and Programs to the churches and we place Recovery Life Coaches into positions to help those walking the Recovery Road: from Rehab to Accountability to Sustainability. Dr. Donna had the privilege to put forth a design plan for the “Medicated Assisted Treatment Facility” opening up at the 3671 Building. She is also excited to expand her own territory into the Southtowns. We introduce some awesome, God-loving physicians (and spouses) that we have come to love: Dr. Darren Caparaso and wife, Joy, and Drs. Rob & Jen Ericson. We look forward to a great relationship! Calling all future Recovery Life Coaches! If you or anyone in your life has a family member or close friend who is addicted to opiates, we can train you to become a Recovery Life Coach. This training will equip you to help individuals during their recovery process. Since January, we’ve graduated five Recovery Coaches who are eligible for NYS Certification and seven who are half way there!! Are you the next Recovery Life? One recent graduate, Kate, tells us: “RCA training opened my mind a bit further, as well as learning a different aspect. Each life experience is a gift we can use or not, I choose to use it for a greater purpose!” RCA 2: August 10th - 12th (8:30am-4:30pm) & Aug. 13th (8:30am-12:30pm) RCA 1: September 24th (8:30am-6:30pm) & 26th - 30th (5-9pm) Location: IHNO, 3871 Harlem Rd, Cheektowaga Registration: call (716)464-3871 Cost per course: $450 payable by credit card or a check to “IHNO” Inside this issue: Announcements: “One Picture is Worth…” by A. Sullivan 2 3 Pre-Marital Course “Slow Down…” by A. Merrill “Dwelling in Zion” by N. Brawdy 4 5 2016 List of Events 6 List of Services-Contact Us 7 Check our Events page for a running list of new events!!! Page 2 IHN OUTREACH “One Picture is Worth a Change of Heart” by Andrea Ross Sullivan (Adapted from an article which originally appeared in “The Grit and Grace Project,” www.thegritandgraceproject.org) We don’t always get to say our good-byes under ideal circumstances. Illness can catch us unprepared, and unfortunately, unrepentant. Part of the preparation for Communion in my church is to read Psalm 51. It asks God to “create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me.” Over the years He has used two pictures, both taken at family weddings, to teach me that sometimes it takes a different perspective to acquire an empathetic heart. In the days that followed my husband Mike’s sudden and untimely death to brain cancer, one picture in particular seemed to mock me. It was a 5 x 7 photo from our wedding: Mike and I are in the center with Mom and Dad on either side. We’re standing before the choir loft under the stained glass bulls-eye window of “Jesus, the Good Shepherd.” At that time, the picture was taken 20 years ago and of the four of us, I was the only one still alive. The other picture was taken at my brother’s wedding, same church but 24 years earlier. I was the junior bridesmaid and by the end of the ceremony had managed to succumb to the humid September weather. As everything began to fade out of focus, one of the groom’s men took me by one arm and Dad had the other, quickly ushering me to the door. Once the fresh air hit my face everything came back into view. This picture is of the two of us sitting on the front steps of the church: me very pale and Dad looking very concerned. And while the picture taken at my wedding has long ago disappeared, I still have the one of Dad and me. The months, weeks, and days leading up to Mike’s death were fraught with much anxiety as the brain tumor robbed him of his reason and functions. I became hyper-vigilant, always operating on red alert. And my adrenaline was still pumping non-stop two years after Mike passed away. I developed neck and shoulder problems and eventually went for physical therapy, and it was there that I saw a picture of my emotional state. It was a poster espousing the merits of massage with the image of Atlas carrying the world on his shoulders. I knew then that I would never correct what was wrong with me physically until I unburdened myself emotionally, and so I sought counseling. In the initial interview I was asked about my family. I admitted to a tendency toward anxiety on both sides. One grandmother had a bad stomach, the other outright bad nerves. But it manifested itself differently in Dad: he was an alcoholic. Dad was a well respected business man, and to this day there are many people who never knew of his struggle. There were never any fights, bills were always paid, there was always food on the table, and I knew he loved us. But it took its toll on his health over the years and by his 70th birthday he was dying from it. For a few months before his hospitalization he was estranged from family and friends, so his was a quick and quiet funeral. “Valium and alcohol were how men of your father’s generation handled their problems,” the counselor said matter-of-factly. My father’s generation fought WWII. Dad was 19 when he was drafted, and when he returned home he immediately stepped into the adult world of marriage, family, and business. One day shortly after a counseling session I was dusting the bookcase shelf where our picture sat. Tears began to flow as the words “valium and alcohol” echoed through my mind. And with those tear God began to wash away the anger I had felt over Dad’s drinking and its effects for I then realized that we both knew what it felt like to carry the weight of the world on our shoulders. Maybe at that moment in the picture his thoughts were projecting ahead to my wedding day, as one of my mother’s friend’s suggested. But I also think Dad was silently hoping that there would always be somebody to take me by the arm and guide me to wherever I needed to go. And while maybe he hoped it could always be him, it certainly has been my Heavenly Father. IHN OUTREACH Page 3 Classifieds Seeking Partners and Private Sponsors IHNO is on a quest to bring our Church family, Community, and Business world together, under the umbrella of fighting Addiction through the services and support that we offer here at IHNO. We can’t do this alone. We need your financial support. Be an IHNO Ambassador and be a part of the change! To donate to IHNO: Visit our website: inho.org and click the “DONATE” button at the top right side of the home page. Donate by either credit card or PayPal. Cash or check payable to IHNO can be sent to: In His Name Outreach, 3871 Harlem Rd. Cheektowaga NY 14215 In His Name Outreach, Inc. was granted tax-exempt status under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Your financial contribution to IHNO is tax-deductible... Thank you & God bless you! Seeking Volunteers to Staff Reception HNO is always in need of kind, compassionate, and hospital volunteers who can answer incoming phone calls, greet guests (clients) and offer coffee or water to our guests throughout the day. Basic computer skills suggested but not required. Call or email Traci for more information at Traci@ihno.org. Thank You so much for your heart for service and coming to our call in this time of growth and need for additional helpers! PRE-MARITAL COURSE: The most important 4 hours of your life! Marriage is supposed to be sacred and forever! Gather the tools needed for a successful marriage. Includes cost of materials and framed certificate Payment Options: Cash, Check, Credit Card Pre-marital counseling is a great investment in a lifelong Details: 1st Saturday of endeavor and covers all the components of a healthy mar- every month at IHNO Office riage through a 4-Part Course Each 60 minute Class: complete with… 101, 102, 103, and 104 "Certificate of Completion". (4 hours total) Total Cost: $250 p/couple. IHNO 3871 Harlem Rd Cheektowaga, NY 14215 Call to Register 716-464-3871 Page 4 IHN OUTREACH Slow Down and Make Change Last by Andrea Merrill Why is it that so often when we are trying to make changes in our lives, we go all-out all at once and try to accomplish a HUGE change in a matter of a day or a week? It's that "all or nothing" mentality. Perfectionism at its finest. We don't like to wait for results. We see social media posts that make it seem like someone else has it all together and figure we need to get there ASAP! There's no process needed, no journey, just a sprint to make a change and achieve the ideal as quickly as possible. I definitely tend to operate this way. I think I need to change everything or else my efforts have failed. The problem is that changing everything all at once is often impossible given our time and resource constraints. Even if we do succeed for a few days or weeks, eventually it becomes too much to maintain and we give up (New Years Resolutions, anyone?). What if we were to look at a need to change as a step-by-step journey rather than a full-blown makeover? Quite a few years ago I made the decision to start cleaning up my life and start cooking more and reducing chemicals in my home and skin care. I wanted to live as organically as possible. I joined a group of like-minded women so I could make those changes. I remember clearly sitting in a meeting with these ambitious ladies. They made just about everything - food, cleaning products, skin care. They gardened, composted and recycled. They attended rallies to create more awareness of what's in our store-bought products. In my eyes, their lives exemplified what I wanted to achieve! I was inspired to start that week. I was going to throw away everything in my house that wasn't organic. I was going to start making everything from scratch that went in my mouth. I bought a book with recipes to make my own skin care. I bought some dirt and got started my garden. I tried cleaning my counters with a homemade vinegar concoction, and bought organic laundry soap online. While I never said it out loud, the expectation in my head was that I would be "completely organic" (whatever THAT means) within 2 weeks - 4 weeks. As you can imagine, I started with gusto. I quickly realized, however, that this kind of transformation was really a full-time job, and I already had one of those! I stressed about not having enough time to soak my beans overnight or grind my own wheat berries into flour. I was frustrated when the enormous garden I tried to plant felt like a chore to water and prune. This was supposed to be fun! And making my own skin care? Never got around to that. I stopped going to the meetings because I felt like I couldn't pull it together enough to carry out the level of organic living that these ladies had going. I was overwhelmed and ready to call it quits. "I gave it a good shot", I rationalized, "but my life is too busy for this!" Ever been there? You decide to make a big change and go strong for a few weeks, but you can feel the burnout creeping up on you. Maybe you've had thoughts like I did - it's too much. My life doesn't work this way. I'll never get anywhere so why even bother? It was shortly after I stopped going to the organic living meetings that I got an email from one of the ladies. I was honest with her about why I stopped going. I felt totally overwhelmed. It was too much all at once. She emailed back with something that gave me an "Ah-ha" moment. She said that where they are now is not where they started. For all of those women this has been a process, not an overnight overhaul. She challenged me to think about what I eat on a daily basis and start there. Make one change to one thing. Mentality is everything. When we see each blip in the process as failure we get stopped in our tracks. When we see those blips as a chance to reevaluate and learn something about ourselves, it strengthens us and we try again. As I turn each new change into a routine, I look to the next change I can make. Not all at once - one change at a time. THIS has been my secret to creating new habits that have lasted years rather than weeks. I see how far I've come over the last decade. The way I live now is drastically different and infinitely better than when I started this journey. More than anything, my mentality is healthy. I still see plenty of areas to grow in, but I also know that I will accomplish them in time, and when I do, those changes will be forever. Slow it down. Make it last. Enjoy the journey. Page 5 IHN OUTREACH DWELLING IN ZION by Nancy Brawdy Recently, I was struggling with something which was pressing on me during the night. As I tossed and turned I cried out to God for help, the words came into my mind, "dwell in Zion". Zion is known as the dwelling place of God. It is the city of Jerusalem but also is referred to in a spiritual sense as the place of the presence of God. As we consider the scriptures below we see that it is a favored place of God. When we dwell in Zion we are in His presence, we see His glory and observe His beauty. When we are in His presence we cannot help but speak of these things. Psalm 125:1 Those who trust in the Lord Are like Mount Zion, Which cannot be moved, but abides forever. Psalm 48:1-2 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised In the city of our God, In His holy mountain. Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, Is Mount Zion on the sides of the north, the city of the great King. Psalm 87:2-3 The Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God! Isaiah 8:18 Here am I and the children whom the Lord has given me! We are for signs and wonders in Israel From the Lord of hosts, Who dwells in Mount Zion. From our most joyful times, our darkest times, and all that is in between we need to learn to dwell in Zion. Even Jesus as he cried out to His father, "Not my will but thine be done", was dwelling in Zion. He did not want to miss out on what God had for Him and finally for all of us. Jesus found His strength by dwelling in Zion. We can learn to trust God in every circumstance by learning to dwell in Zion no matter how we feel. God has promised us a victorious life. He expects us to embrace that victorious life by dwelling in Zion, The City of Our God! So then, how do we climb up to that Mountain of God? By giving thanks, singing praises, holding on to His word and desiring more than anything not to miss out on all that God has for us. Simply put, "Set your affections on things above, not on things of this earth." (Colossians 3:2) It's not hard but it takes practice. MAKE IT PERSONAL WITH PRAYER Dear Lord, Thank you for providing us with a place to go. A place of your presence here on earth. May we learn more and more each day to dwell in that City of Zion. Teach us to dwell there. Call us to dwell there. Bring us to a place where we will run to your presence immediately just as a child runs to the presence of their parent for safety and protection. It's there for us and we really want to know the reality of it. Thank you for providing all that we need in every way, every day. In Jesus name we pray, AMEN IHN OUTREACH Page 6 Up-Coming Events FREE NARCAN TRAINING September 13th, 6pm-8pm Scholfield Residence Nursing Facility, 3333 Elmwood Av, Tonawanda Pre-registration recommended: www2.erie.gov/health If you are in the Addiction Recovery field or have someone in your family that is addicted to Heroin, consider registering for Narcan Training. Participants will learn to recognize the signs and symptoms of an opioid overdose, administer Narcan properly and take necessary follow-up steps. Men’s Discipleship Bible Study: "Growing with God" (6 sessions) Facilitator: Corey Niemen (Biblical Counselor) Mondays: Sept 12th, 26th, Oct 11th, 25th, Nov. 8th, 22nd @ IHNO 7pm-8:30pm cost: $12 payable to Corey ANGER Listen to a two-part WDCX interview with Dr. Donna Potter and Dr. Leeland Jones Part 1: http://todayslivinghope.us10.list-manage1.com/track/clicku=4d9a44b9c52d7252c6f014509&id=4efac8d763&e=81a49603af Part 2: http://todayslivinghope.us10.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=4d9a44b9c52d7252c6f014509&id=4efac8d763&e=81a49603af Upcoming: Sat, July 30th:“Mother and Daughter Relationships” … Linda Penn Biblical Counselor at IHNO and Radio Host FREE EVENT! DEATH BY CHOCOLATE Monday, SEPT. 26, 2016 @ 6:30pm Bender’s Christian Bookstore, 8550 Sheridan Dr, Williamsville *free chocolate, give aways, worship & fun!!!