What would you do if a friend told you they were suicidal? It was 6:04 a.m. when a messenger alert went off on my phone to call my organization’s call center. I’m not sure about you, but if my phone goes off before 7:00 a.m. or after 10:00 p.m., it’s typically not good news. This […]
Suicide Prevention
Suicide, One Christian’s Response.
Unfortunately, the rates of Suicide continue to go up. Equally unfortunate is the Church’s impotent response to this crisis. Today, September 10, 2019, I discovered that a young pastor, Jarrid Wilson, took his life after a long struggle with depression. While people around the world are responding to this news with shock and sadness. Many […]
The Dark Side of the Holidays
The Dark Side of the Holidays By John Thurman While I absolutely love this time of the year, there was one Christmas Season where, at least for a few moments, I thought about ending it. Much like George Bailey, the lead character in Frank Capra’s, […]
The First Christmas After A Loss
Helpful tips for people facing their first Christmas after a loss. Are your Christmas lights up? Have you started your Christmas shopping? Have you reached your limit of Hallmark holiday movies? Today, with the help of my grandson, our kitchen will be filled with the intoxicating aroma of two of the favorite holiday treats, sausage […]
Cutting Down Holiday Stress
Well, we are officially off to the retail madness of the Holiday Season with yet another Black Friday followed by Cyber Monday. As I pen this post, I am having a flashback about spending three Christmases managing a Christian Gift Shop in at the Macon Mall in Macon, Georgia. At the time, I was grateful […]