Have you suffered in this life?
I suspect you have never met another human being who has been 100% free of suffering and pain. We cannot escape it in this life.
Last week, I attended a training offered by the Trauma Healing Institute http://thi.americanbible.org/. The training was great, and if you’re a caregiver to other people (if you have friends or family, you’re probably a caregiver!), then I would encourage you to take this training when it comes to your area. It is about healing and finding a life of joy, amidst the pain and suffering in this world.
See what healing can do: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFvYp_832QA
From their website:
Bible-based trauma healing programs from the Trauma Healing Institute at American Bible Society equip local churches to care for people with deep emotional and spiritual injuries caused by war, domestic violence, natural disasters and other traumatic events.
Laughing during life
A friend of mine and I were walking to her car after our fourth day of trauma healing training. It had been a long day day of examining the how’s and the why’s of forgiveness. We were kind of quiet, and my friend and I were ready to go home! She told me that another nurse once shared with her the benefits of belly-laughs. The nurse, who was leading a training session for midwives, suggested a minimum of 30 belly-laughs per day! What?! Who does that? I don’t. However, she got me to thinking, and so I sent this information via text to Ken and Mark. Then, I started sending jokes. and more jokes. and then I took a few jokes with me when I went out to dinner with a few women friends of mine. Guess what! We laughed!
Why talk about laughter in a blog about trauma healing?
Laughter has not taken away anyone’s trauma. But, it has given us something good to share. During this last week, I shared tears with someone who lost her pastor in a terrible accident, a woman who has recovered from a violent attack, and a man who is facing his sister’s terminal cancer. Our tears were good. We also got to laugh together, and it was good.
Just for a laugh or a smile
A man was helping one of his cows give birth, when he noticed his 4-year-old son standing wide-eyed at the fence, soaking in the whole event. The man thought, “Great…he’s 4 and I’m gonna have to start explaining the birds and the bees. No need to jump the gun – I’ll just let him ask, and I’ll answer.”
After everything was over, the man walked over to his son and said, “Well son, do you have any questions?”
“Just one,” gasped the still wide-eyed lad. “How fast was that calf going when he hit that cow?”
ken and julie faulkner 