Health – Page 7 – Christian Science Committee on Publication for Michigan

Oklahoma: connecting with each other and the divine to move forward

By Bob CummingsMay 24, 2013Health, Mental health, Notes from Bob Cummings, Spiritualitycomfort, divine, fear, grief, love, Moore, Oklahoma, Oklahoma tornado, peace, prayer, PTSD, spirituality, stress

(©Glowimages/Stock photo; Models used for illustrative purposes only)

Images of the category EF-5 tornado that went through portions of Oklahoma on Monday and the trail of destruction it left behind can be disturbing to watch. And, as in the case of other recent tragedies, such as hurricane Sandy, the Newtown massacre and the Boston Marathon bombing, our hearts yearn for everyone involved to find comfort and peace, along with any needed provisions.

Perhaps we recognize familiar sentiments from these words of the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah when he wrote in the book of Lamentations¹ about devastation:

“Oh, oh, oh…”
“How empty the city, once teeming with people.”
“…I weep, weep buckets of tears…”

The Power of Hope in Healing

By Bob CummingsMay 15, 2013Guest Posts, Health, Spiritualitycompassion, empathy, forgiveness, Framingham, grace, gratitude, hope, humility, Hypocrites, Ingrid Peschke, inner calm, Jerome Groopman, Mary Baker Eddy, morals, Nancy Gaulin, neurochemistry, optimism, peace, purpose in life, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, serenity, Spirit and Healing in the 21st Century, spirituality, The Anatomy of Hope, values

A guest post written by Ingrid Peschke, a Christian Science practitioner and a legislative advocate for spiritual healing in Massachusetts. You can also read this post on her weekly syndicated blog, “Health Conscious” at MetroWest Daily News.

Ingrid Peschke (Photo courtesy of Ingrid Peschke)

Hope.

That’s the word I came away with this past weekend after I took part in a panel discussion on the topic of “Spirit and Healing in the 21st Century” at the Open Spirit Center in Framingham. The motto for the center: “A place of hope, health, and harmony” to address the deeper spiritual yearnings of the wider community.

I joined four local spiritual leaders on the panel, along with two keynote speakers: a clinical psychologist with a specialization in health psychology, and a cancer survivor.

A repeating theme was that spiritual practice is incredibly important, if not vital, to healing. Nancy Gaulin, the psychologist, opened the 3-hour event, speaking from her twelve years of experience in the greater Boston area. She said she spends more time now asking her patients about their spirituality and exploring their beliefs, their morals and values, and even discussing their family upbringing–all contributing factors to health and well-being.

When Mothers Offer Spirituality It’s Good For Health

By Bob CummingsMay 11, 2013Health, Notes from Bob Cummings, SpiritualityBible, health, mother's day, mothers, prayer, spirituality

My mother – through her example and her actions – instilled in me a recognition of the value of spirituality as it relates both to health and to everyday life. She didn’t push spirituality at others, she quietly lived it – in patience, caring, tolerance, and in a daily practice of Scripture reading and prayer.

Appreciating Nurses and Their Recognition of Spirituality

By Bob CummingsMay 8, 2013Health, Notes from Bob Cummings, Spiritualityhealth, health care, healthcare, Michigan Nurses Week, National Nurses Week, nurses, prayer, spirituality

(©Glowimages/Stock photo – models used for illustrative purposes)

The Michigan Legislature passed a resolution recognizing National Nurses Week – May 6-12 – here in Michigan. It points out that the “146,488 nurses in Michigan comprise the largest group of health care professionals in the state.” And it calls on the residents of Michigan to honor our nurses and appreciate their efforts to improve the health of our state.

I’d especially like to honor the recognition by most nurses of the value of spirituality and spiritual care in nursing.

Here are some examples in which this is evident:

Prayer in a Mercedes

By Bob CummingsMay 2, 2013Health, Notes from Bob CummingsBoston Marathon, Danny, mercedes, National Day of Prayer, prayer, safety, spirituality

(©Glowimages/Stock Photo)

Today is National Day of Prayer (see Presidential Proclamation — National Day of Prayer, 2013). Here’s a guest post written by Cynthia P. Barnett, media spokesperson and legislative contact for Christian Science in North Carolina, who shares her thoughts on the power of prayer.

It’s a little word, really. One that often gets overlooked in the drama of an exciting story as it’s told or recorded. The word is a soft one to say; it’s a meek word. But more than most, it’s a mighty word.

Mental health treatments that go beyond a drug-based approach

By Bob CummingsApril 30, 2013Health, Notes from Bob CummingsAlzheimer's, connectedness, mental health, spirituality

In a brief video, Eric Bashor in the Christian Science Press Room shares how some mental health treatments today go beyond a drug-based approach. Bashor cites a Washington Post article by Tony Lobl entitled, World Alzheimer’s Day: The healing depths of togetherness. The article includes this guidance from Professor John Swinton of the University of Aberdeen: “…good dementia care has to do with

Improving our ideals to achieve excellence in health care

By Bob CummingsApril 24, 2013Health, Notes from Bob Cummingsexcellence, Harvard Medical School, health, health care, healthcare, ideals, placebo, Pony Express, Russ Gerber

How can changing our ideals bring excellence to health care? Russ Gerber takes up this question in a recent in-depth article in The Washington Times entitled, “First, health care excellence” – apparently inspired by a question asked at a recent talk sponsored by the Harvard Medical School. Gerber draws some interesting lessons from placebos and the

Dealing With Grief

By Bob CummingsApril 23, 2013Health, Notes from Bob CummingsAnna Bowness-Park, comfort, divine Love, drugs, grief, love, mental illness, Times Colonist

Consider these thought-provoking questions about grief: Is grief a mental illness? Do drugs help or hinder the healing of grief? What brings comfort to the grief caused by loss and pain? Anna Bowness-Park, of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, answers these questions in a tender, heart-warming article in which she shares how she found freedom from intense (or

Followup: A Runner Prays

By Bob CummingsApril 17, 2013Health, Notes from Bob Cummingsmarathon, prayer, runner

My previous post was a guest post by friend and colleague Stormy Becker Falso in Georgia about her insights as a runner, having run her first marathon earlier this year. That guest piece was published shortly before the tragic events at the Boston Marathon. With the events of that day still pulling at our heartstrings, I thought

Looking for Potential

By Bob CummingsApril 15, 2013Health, Notes from Bob Cummingsmarathon, potential, prayer, running, Stormy Becker Falso

With the Boston Marathon being run today, this guest post by my friend and colleague Stormy Becker Falso in Georgia seems especially relevant. A runner for some time, she ran in her first marathon earlier this year. Enjoy her insights.

Looking for Potential
By Stormy Becker Falso

I heard the rhythmic footfalls quickly approaching from behind. I was running my fastest, but I could hear them overtaking me. A runner, tall and lithe, effortlessly passed me. I watched as he disappeared into the distance. As I continued my steady gait, I thought about his efficient movement and grace.

Instead of feeling impatient with my own plodding pace, I spent time thinking about how this runner’s example of effortless speed, revealed possibilities for my own improvement. I see the same possibilities when I read about people who have been healed of illness through prayer. I find these reports of healing not only in religious and spiritual literature but also in popular non-fiction. For example, have you read the incredible story of Louis Zamperini in “Unbroken”? He left PTSD and raging alcoholism behind virtually overnight as a result of a spiritual experience.

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