|
Nurturing Spiritual Growth through Spiritual Direction |
|
|
|
|
Saturday, 24 July 2010 13:32 |
|
JOIN US ON Thursday, Aug. 12, 2010 as the Northeast Forum on Spirituality & Aging Central NY Forum presents:
Nurturing Spiritual Growth through Spiritual Direction
Facilitated by Rev. Karen Marshall
Thursday, August 12, 2010 8:30 – 10:00 a.m. LutheranCare 108 Utica Road, Clinton, NY 13323
Church leaders, professional aging services providers, organizations, and individuals are encouraged to join us and bring your ideas, announcements and program information to share.
Wondering about how or where to find the spiritual in the ordinary events of life? Join us as Pastor Karen shares ways we can be more intentional about spending time with our spiritual selves and with God in our everyday lives. Her presentation will include useful information for both personal spiritual growth and for use in congregational spiritual formation. Knowing something about Spiritual Direction may assist your work by helping you to recognize obstacles to and sources of inner strength at your clients’ disposal.
The Rev. Karen Marshall is currently serving the United Methodist Church in Clinton, NY. She earned a Bachelors in Education from SUNY Albany and a Masters in Education Administration from SUNY Plattsburgh. After 30 years of teaching, Pastor Karen followed God’s call to seminary attending the Methodist Theological School in Ohio where she received her Masters of Divinity. She is now pursuing training in spiritual direction & congregational formation.
R.S.V.P. and more details contact: Patsy A. Glista, Associate in Ministry LutheranCare / 108 Utica Rd. / Clinton, NY 13323 / (315) 235-7106 / (315) 289-2686 (cell) /
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
|
|
Last Updated on Saturday, 24 July 2010 13:49 |
|
Tuesday, 20 July 2010 23:56 |
|
JOIN US ON Monday, Sept. 20, 2010 as the Northeast Forum on Spirituality & Aging Rochester Forum presents Creativity and the Arts – a Vehicle for Nurturing Spiritual Growth for the Second Half of Life. Facilitated by Ann Tabrizi on Monday, September 20, 2010 from 9:30 – 11:00 a.m. at Christ, the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church (1000 Winton Road N., Rochester, NY 14609). Church leaders, professional aging services providers, organizations, and individuals are encouraged to join us and bring your ideas, announcements and program information to share.  A registered nurse with a Bachelors degree in Gerontology from Utica College of Syracuse University, Ann Tabrizi is an avid advocate for the use of humor and the promotion of a positive attitude in both personal and professional relationships. Ann has presented to Elders and their Caregivers, Health care professionals, human Service and Resource professionals as well as direct care staff in both community based and institutional settings. She is a member of “The American Association of Therapeutic Humor”, ”The National Storytelling Association”, and “Toastmasters International, Mohawk Valley Chapter”. R.S.V.P. and more details contact: Patsy A. Glista, Associate in Ministry LutheranCare / 108 Utica Rd. / Clinton, NY 13323 / (315) 235-7106 / (315) 289-2686 (cell) /
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
.
|
|
Thursday, 15 July 2010 23:18 |
"The Alzheimer's Project," a presentation from HBO Documentary Films and the National Institute on Aging in collaboration with the Alzheimer's Association, has begun national broadcast.
If you missed any of the broadcasts the material is available without charge on streaming video at: http://www.hbo.com/alzheimers |
|
Thursday, 15 July 2010 10:23 |
|
“Summertime, And the livin' is easy” (George Gershwin) My granddaughters live in Denver, Colorado. They have year-round school there. They say kids do better in school because they don’t have time to forget so much of the lessons from the previous year. I suspect that their experience of summer will be far different than mine.
For many of us, when we were young, summer was the best time of the year. As a child I can’t tell you how much I looked forward to summer vacation. Those twelve years (plus eight more with college and seminary) embedded a summertime rhythm deep into my soul. I’ve found that every season has its unique rhythm that has imprinted us with its own stories and wisdom, but the rhythm of our youth and summer times are often a source of innocence, enjoyment, and strength. We were no longer babies, we’d gone out into the world of school, we’d given nine months to “readin’, writin’, and ‘’rithmatic” and when summer rolled around we had a whole new appreciation of free time and play.
We never moved, but my older brothers grew up when the land around us was farm land. They started working on the farms with their friends at an early age. By the time I came along the land had been turned into suburbs and a shopping mall. Our experiences were different but each was shaped by the combination of a unique time of history, a time of life and a recurring time of year
Summertime was spent outdoors. At first it was finding a best friend to be with to explore a world that was filled with new discoveries-like tadpoles, bird nests, painted turtles, and ant hills; creating forts or houses, climbing trees, living out imaginary adventures from sunup to sundown -on wagon trains, battlefields, little houses on the prairie, or seven seas pirate ships and picking up where you left off the next day; dollhouses, sail boats, race cars, airplanes, and rocket-ships were built; on rainy days comic books were passed around; having enough kids in the neighborhood meant that a spontaneous game of baseball or starlight-moonlight could start-up, getting bicycles brought us to lakes, parks, community pools, swimming holes. I got into scouting, so I had the opportunity to go to camp and to become a camp counselor, which had a huge impact on the direction of my life.
Summer time memories are filled with great friends, some unforgettable people, some incredibly stupid stunts, and some great times. I love to point out that all of that has gone into the mix of who we are. Taking time to reminisce, to do a little digging in summer times past might uncover some long forgotten buried treasures. The inner strength, joy and innocence of your youth is still part of you. Reconnecting with it might just be what you need to handle the events of today. Reminiscing out loud with some young people – including the feelings along with the story might just create new summertime treasures for both of your futures.
Central New York Forum meets every other month on the 2nd Thursday, 8:30 – 10:00am in the Community Room at LutheranCare, 108 Utica Road, Clinton, NY 13323.
The next meeting is August 12, “Nurturing Spiritual Growth Through Spiritual Direction” presented by Rev. Karen Marshall, Pastor of Clinton United Methodist Church |
|
Sunday, 27 June 2010 14:44 |
|
Our granddaughters are here on their first visit since we moved to Upstate New York four years ago. As one might expect of an 8 & 10 year old they often have a unique perspective on the world. The children commented that we seem to laugh a lot. (Emma, the youngest has taken it upon herself to count how many times she makes grandmother laugh.) The antics of our granddaughters, as well as our two cats do often leave us laughing out loud. There’s an old saying that laughter is the best medicine. Norman Cousins told his story of humor therapy in the book Anatomy of An Illness. Cousins had a painful, life threatening illness and he found that watching old Marx Brothers movies evoked genuine belly laughter, which led to at least two hours of pain-free sleep and a significant drop in his sedimentary level. With daily doses of laughter, combined with active participation in his medical treatment, Mr. Cousins made a full recovery. Almost 20 years later, he suffered a massive heart attack. Using the same philosophy of laughter and "partnership" with his physicians, he again made a full recovery. There is a lot of science out there that points to the physical benefits of laughter. There is a scientific "name" for the study of humor as treatment – psychoneuroimmunology -- as well as a "title" for the practice of humor therapy – "Mirthologist".
Last year I visited my son in Minneapolis and came across a group of people in the second half of life acting silly in a local park. This was my introduction to Laughter Yoga. Laughter Yoga is described as a simple and profound exercise routine. The brainchild of Dr. Madan Kataria, a Physician from Mumbai, India, launched the first Laughter Club at a Park on March 13, 1995, with merely a handful of persons. Today, it has become a worldwide phenomenon with more than 6000 Social Laughter Clubs in about 60 countries (http://www.laughteryoga.org). Laughter Yoga combines unconditional laughter with yogic breathing (Pranayama). Anyone can laugh for no reason, without relying on humor, jokes or comedy. Laughter is simulated as a body exercise in a group; with eye contact and childlike playfulness, (If no one else is around look in a mirror) it soon turns into real and contagious laughter. The concept of Laughter Yoga is based on a scientific fact that the body cannot differentiate between fake and real laughter. One gets the same physiological and psychological benefits. Some of the physiological responses to laughter include increased respiration, circulation, hormonal and digestive enzyme secretion, as well as a leveling of the blood pressure. Laughter also promotes the release of endorphins from the brain. Endorphins are nature's own "drug", giving a sense of euphoria. It’s possible to cultivate an internal observer; that little inner voice can remind us to choose the path of healthy laughter. When I was younger LOL (Lots of Luck) could be understood as either
1. a sincere wish for another’s success or 2. a cynical dismissal of a planned action (= You’ve got to be kidding! or What, are you crazy?).
Now I understand that for those who twitter it translates as “Laugh Out Loud”, with a meaning of ;
1. an experience of humor 2. a cynical dismissal of another person.
A habit of perspective often determines which meaning is used. Laughter often comes out of difficult experiences. What allows us to laugh rather than rage or weep is a shift in perspective. What allows us to laugh with someone rather than at another can also be a conscious change in perspective. Language is fluid; the meaning of words continually changes. Our spirits are fluid as well. We can consciously choose to be a little silly, to strengthen our connection with others by laughing with them rather than at them, and to even find delight in being able to laugh at ourselves. LOL might just be a path to having a healthy body and spirit. |
|
|