Keep Voting

I told you we are in the running for a $25,000.00 prize if we win the Cincinnati Innovates prize for being the best innovation with a new product or service. Some 190 entries have been in the contest, many for some time. My friend just informed me of the contest last week so I developed the summary, posted it and went live on Sunday. We were 190 Sunday morning.

I wrote a letter asking friends to vote for the project called Special Life Skills(TM)Series. You can also vote by clicking Because we are getting so many votes it is moving up in rank all the time. Go to the http://www.cincinnatiinnovates.com open it and go to view and vote.

Set the sort to Votes and 50 per page and count down 26 or so entries. We started last on Sunday, went to 65th or so Sunday night and yesterday at 33 and now 24. When people vote it change the ranks so you can scroll to find it on the first page of 50. The key is how you sort the entries and that was no evident to us at first.

Advance God's Healing

I am re-reading my book, Hope and Change for Humpty Dumpty because we just uploaded it for a free download on my Sweeten Life web page. I sat in the Gold Star Cafe eating a cheese coney and looking over the book Steve Griebling and I wrote while we were training the Cell Group Leaders in Singapore how to integrate care, coaching and healing into group life.

It is designed to help Pastors and Pastoral Care Ministers train Peer Helpers. (We do not call Peers Counselors or Psychologists. Those terms are legally used on for licensed professionals.)

Let me change that. We were teaching the Cell Group Leaders how to EFFECTIVELY integrate care, coaching and healing into their groups. they had been trying to do that with some success before I arrived in 1994 but they had a lot to learn. And learn they did.

I was and am very impressed with the people we met in Singapore, Taiwan and other Asian countries. They are real Christians with a very deep faith and an unbelievable commitment to advance the Kingdom of God. However, it takes more than motivation, compassion and hard work to effectively minister to hurting people. It takes some skills and it takes knowledge of the transformation and change process.

I suggest that you go to my web page and take a look at some of our materials. Download all you are interested in and make a donation if you can. I promise that you will learn more about how to car, coach and heal than you ever thought possible.

What Brings Healing?

In I Corinthians 13 we read that "these three remain, faith, hope and love; but the greatest is love."

What does that mean? Is God pointing us to look for love with another person because that is the greatest thing we can experience?

Does it mean care and concern for one another?

Does it mean that loving God is the greatest?

Or, does it mean that when we are loving and being loved with an unconditional care we will grow and be healed?

Maybe it has some meaning for all of those things. Human love is called phila or brotherly affection in the Greek language. It is highly recommended in the Bible.

Romantic love is called eros in the Greek language of the Bible and we know of its power to motivate people and even the power to divide, cause jealousy and pain.

Godly love or what scripture calls "Covenant love" is agape in Greek. It means a commitment to lay down one's selfish desires and follow God or do His will toward others. I think this is the best way to understand I Corinthians 13 for agape love is the greatest.

When we minister to others we do need to show some phila or brotherly affection and care. Research shows that phila is a healing force. the book of James mentions this and tells us to touch people warmly when we pray for healing.

Many years ago I read a book on the power of touch to bring relief and improvement to desperately ill patients in a hospital. So, phila is included in agape for wee may not wish to show warm, caring affection toward a diseased person. I have ministered warm touch to patients with AIDS and can say frankly that it requires some agape as well as phila.

As Clinical Counselor I know that the quality of the relationship between the Helper and the Seeker is the single most important factor that facilitates the Seeker's health and welfare. It is not our knowledge, our wise words or even the statements we make from scripture that makes so much difference. It is how we treat the Seeker. If it is with the "Fruit of the Spirit as outlined in Galatians 5:22, the person will more than likely get better. That is good news.

Why Blog About Healing?

I spoke at the Stephen Ministry last night at Hyde Park Community Methodist Church in Cincinnati. It is a church that has many practical ministries and serves all sorts of people in need. I spoke on what I called, "Pre-Divorce recovery". Many churches, including this one, have support groups for Divorce Recovery but it is too late to really bring healing to a couple already divorced. I want to help people recover BEFORE they see the need to divorce.

With about 20 Stephen Ministers in attendance we discussed the needs they see in the community as the visit in the homes of the ill, shut ins and so forth. We discussed the fact that depression and anxiety are rampant and more is expected because so many people are living in toxic conflict that often leads to divorce and divorce leads to dysfunctional kids.

With all the Psychologists, Counselors and Psychiatrists as well as the anti depression medications, what can Peers from a church do to bring healing? Plenty! As a Clinical Counselor, Retired, I can say for a certainty that Professionals need the helps and follow through of Lay Helpers, Ministers, Support Groups and Self Help Classes in churches. And, we must not forget sermons and worship that provide faith, hope and love for people.

If your church does not have a Stephen Ministry or something similar, start praying and planning how to set one up. It can do a lot to prevent depression and anxiety and support hurting people as they face pain, illness and loss.