Recommended Reading When God Doesn’t Make Sense by James Dobson (Tyndale House Publishers, 1993) This is a practical book for those going through difficulties, such as disease, divorce, rejection, death, or sorrow. Experiences like these are hard to understand and seem unfair. Dr. James Dobson, a Christian psychologist and family counselor, writes this book…
Author: nowwhat
Coping With Job Stress
How we can keep from dreading the workday. by Harold “Doc” Arnett Have you heard that novelty song from the early sixties about the reluctant cavalry member who begged to be excused from the Battle of Little Big Horn? As the troops mounted and headed to battle, he kept lamenting, “Please, Mr. Custer, I…
A Quiet Place
A change from the chaos of uncertainty. by Constance B. Fink Wednesday, January 29, 1997, was one of those days that becomes a point of reference for the rest of life, when events are explained as having occurred either “before” or “after.” It started as a typical day in a rural Midwestern town in…
Surviving the Pain of Suicide
From horror and hurt to healing and hope. by Judy Bruns When my mother took her life, she took a part of mine, too. It felt as though she had rejected me, along with her faith in a God who sees us through. Didn’t she love me? Didn’t she love God? Didn’t she care…
My Right to Die
by Beth Swain “I have a problem about wanting to die.” I struggled to get the words out while sounding casual. After months of thinking about suicide, this was my first attempt at talking about it. Maybe sounding casual would soften the impact of my disclosure in this, my first counseling session. Odd…
Making Contact
by Anna R. Hageman “I don’t know what to do!” The caller’s voice was racked with anguish. “I can’t go on this way, and I can’t go back and do it again.” “Would you like to tell me what happened?” Diane Steward asked empathetically. Within an hour she had learned of the caller’s financial,…
Making Contact – Techniques
Techniques CONTACT people have used to save lives: Be supportive. Let the troubled person know he has done the right thing in talking to you. Non-judgmentally, empathetically, assure him you care about him, no matter what his situation may be. Encourage him to talk. Talking is a God-given relief. Try to discover his past…
Life, Death, and Euthanasia
by Kimn Swenson Gollnick When Eleanor James’ father developed esophageal cancer in 1990, questions about compassion for the dying and assisted suicide leaped out of the news and became reality for her family. As her father’s health deteriorated, they admitted him into hospice care. Eleanor and her family visited him daily. She later wrote…
Inside the Suicidal Person
by Susan J. Shelley “What a wonderful life I’ve had! I only wish I’d realized it sooner.” — Colette [1] On a warm May evening in 1996, Jamie*, a 36-year-old divorcee with two adolescent daughters, committed suicide in her home. So distraught over the course of her life, she decided to end her misery….
Life, Death, and Euthanasia-Resources
Footnotes Eleanor James, Christian American, “When Dad Asked to Die,” March/April 1997, p. 31, 32 International Anti-Euthanasia Task Force (online report), http://www.iaetf.org/jk.htm, p. 1 Dr. Diane M. Komp, Christianity Today, “The Battle over Assisted Death is Just Starting,” November/December 1997, p.1 (http://www.christianity.net) International Anti-Euthanasia Task Force (online report), http://www.iaetf.org/fctholl.htm, p. 2 Ibid. Diane M. Gianelli,…