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photo illustrated by Kevin Wong
Article first published on Blogcritics
My daughter, a mother of three young boys, recently asked herself what she could do to help protect the environment and decided as a family they would do what they could. They were chosen as one of the three families in the nation to be spotlighted for their efforts. This past weekend as the film crews were working, I had the opportunity to listen to what they had accomplished. I was impressed with the fact that they didn’t have to dramatically change their lifestyle.
They walked to their local Farmer’s Market for their fresh foods – not to save money but because these foods were fresher and supported the local farmers. They headed up a fundraiser that saved a marine teaching station on the local pier used by school children and the public. They decided not to use chemicals to clean the house; sparkling water bottles were replaced with a sparkling water maker and regular water bottles were replaced with filtered tap water, saving space at landfills. This family was living in a manner that they felt was not only good for them, but also good for their community and the environment in general. They were developing habits and attitudes about their environment and educating themselves in the process. § Read the rest of this entry…
photo illustrated by RamondPhotography
by Don Ingwerson
Article first published on Blogcritics.
Most of us have very efficient ways of compartmentalizing aspects of our life. There’s a time for community service, spending time with the family, recreation, vacations, exercise, and fixing things around the house. These plans make us feel like we’re propelling ourselves forward in a balanced manner – keeping peace with our family members and showing attention to everything that seems important in our lives.
But wouldn’t it be fantastic if all these tasks had a thread running through them that gave us a greater sense of inner peace and satisfaction? In other words, a life that blessed others in such a way that it gives evidence of a spiritual power within. In this vast country of ours, bigger always seems better. And yet, how wonderful it would be if I didn’t feel that the faster I run the further behind I get. Many characteristics that surmount the pressures of bigness or busyness come from very small and seemingly unimportant deeds. These small, insignificant deeds affect daily happiness, create joy, reduce stress, promote satisfaction, and lay a solid foundation for the more lasting qualities that point to the self we desire. This past week my daughter shared with me just such an account. It had that thread I mentioned earlier. § Read the rest of this entry…
photo illustrated by Timothy Tolle
by Don Ingwerson
As many of you know, Christian Scientists pray daily to see the world in a spiritual light, looking beyond what the physical senses may be saying to a higher sense. Mary Baker Eddy, the author of Science and Health, devotes a whole chapter on prayer as well as many quotes on prayer throughout her book. Here are just a few:
- Consistent prayer is the desire to do right.
- Even if prayer is sincere, God knows our need before we tell Him or our fellow-beings about it. If we cherish the desire honestly and silently and humbly, God will bless it… § Read the rest of this entry…
California State Capitol Building Sacramento - Photo illustrated by Steve Wilson
by Don Ingwerson
On Thursday, January 26th, Eric Nelson, Northern California Committee on Publication, and I visited legislative staff members in Sacramento and attended the Essential Benefit Board public hearing. Six legislative staff members who have been helpful with health care items in the past were once again contacted about the present status of health care legislation. Each contact was helpful and aided with planning next steps in obtaining the concept of spiritual care as part of California legislation.
During the public hearing section of the Essential Benefit Board meeting, there were an estimated 50 individuals waiting to present remarks or make requests. Their remarks, suggestions, and requests were varied and covered a broad range of subjects and the individuals represented most geographical areas of the state. Most testifiers were requesting to have some form of consideration in the essential Health Benefits List in the Affordable Health Care Act. § Read the rest of this entry…
photo illustrated by SCA
by Don Ingwerson
Article first published on Blogcritics.
How would you answer these questions? Would you like to live longer; be more flexible, centered, balanced?
According to “Tap into the Power of Prayer,” those who pray are able to demonstrate the above qualities to a greater degree than those who don’t pray. The article reports a landmark study in the 1980’s that states, “…prayer was tested in heart patients in a large hospital. Half of the patients were prayed for; half were not. The results revealed a significant therapeutic effect from the prayer.
Even more interesting, distant or intercessory prayer worked without the knowledge of the recipient, reports Larry Dossey, M.D. in his book In Healing Words: The Power of Prayer and the Practice of Medicine.
§ Read the rest of this entry…
Photo illustrated by Leslie Martindale
There is a great amount of information on the Federal Committee office web site and I encourage you to peruse it. The article below on insurance is just one of the many items that are presented on this web site. The comments from readers and the answers from the Federal office that follow this article are very informative.
Insurance Plans Covering Christian Science Care
Various federal, state, and private health insurance plans provide for the reimbursement of Christian Science nursing care and practitioner treatment. Additionally, 17 Christian Science nursing facilities across the country are Medicare providers, which means individuals who have Medicare Part A can receive reimbursement at those facilities. § Read the rest of this entry…
Photo illustrated by asenat29's photostream
by Don Ingwerson
Article first published on Blogcritics.
Now that Christmas is over, I’ve been thinking about how giving and happiness relate. Not so long ago our family decided to adopt a family in need during the holiday season. It took a while to find a community agency that had a list of needy families, but with persistence we got the name of a family and the names and ages of the children. Christmas Eve we took our gifts to our adopted family.
They spoke little English and we spoke little Spanish, so communication was more felt than spoken. After we presented our gifts and visited for a while we prepared to leave, but this family invited us to join them in a community dinner around an outside fire pit. Sharing in that dinner, I felt that we had received more than we had given, and I deeply felt the good for my fellow man. Each Christmas, I find my thought returning to the family we shared Christmas with that evening. Yet, there have been other times when giving didn’t result in the same sense of satisfaction or happiness, and I wondered why.
§ Read the rest of this entry…
Photo illustrated by Dawnzy
by Don Ingwerson
Article first published on Blogcritics
Over the holidays my wife and I had the opportunity to have our three grandsons stay with us for several days. On the last evening of the stay, Asher, age 4, bolted up in the middle of the night very upset about a commercial he had seen on TV. My wife and I are careful to monitor the programs they watch, and we could not recall a commercial that would have upset him. He wanted to be in our bed and asked us to read to him, which we did for several hours. The next night his parents had the same experience in the middle of the night. I’m still trying to understand what upset him, and why he interpreted the commercial as he did. As I was thinking of Asher and his sensitivity, I realized that we are all sensitive to things that we see and do, and are affected in different ways, which led me to explore ways of keeping these threats to a minimum.
Sensitivity to perceived threats can be important to survival. Esther Entin, M.D. is a pediatrician and clinical associate professor of Family Medicine at Brown University’s Warren Alpert School of Medicine and writes for TheDoctorWillSeeYouNow.com. She pointed out in a recent article in the Atlantic that our body and brain are designed to recognize and react to threats to our well-being. This is an important capacity that increases our survival in or adjustment to adverse circumstances. But how do we correct these situations when these alarm and response systems become over-sensitized or overly reactionary as a result of something that appears very real? § Read the rest of this entry…
photo by Dae Ho Lee
by Don Ingwerson
Article first published on Blogcritics
Two years ago a friend mentioned that her daughter was appointed as a chaplain in a near by hospital. I remember at the time contacting her and asking if any materials were needed to share with patients. I don’t recall her response, but I got the sense from her that religious activities were not an integral part of the hospital’s operation. Instead, they were more of a support service – available upon call with a small office and maybe a small room for prayer. Wow, did I reach the wrong conclusion!
Recently, there has been much consideration given to the relationship between religion, spirituality, and health. Like all new areas of development, some wish to move forward with little supportive evidence while others wish to only refine what might be acceptable in their own field. However, a new breath of fresh air is blowing and individuals from all sides of this issue – connecting religion, spirit, and health – are looking into methods to treat the whole man. § Read the rest of this entry…
photo illustrated by Bev Sykes
by Don Ingwerson
This will be the second year for many health care bills currently on file – generally bills must be acted upon by the second year or they will automatically be rejected. Many of the bills introduced this past year were held over for the 2012 session because legislative members were waiting for more information from the federal government about what benefits could be offered within the guidelines of the new law. With the Supreme Court considering in March the legality of some aspects of the law, and additional information still needed from Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius, it’s difficult to know which bills or amendments will be brought up for discussion and review.
According to information from Sacramento, there are 41 health bills that were introduced last year and are being held over for legislative action this year. It will be interesting to note if any bills addressing alternative or integrated care (spiritual care) will be introduced this year. In 2011 I noticed quite a few positive discussions concerning the effectiveness of alternative medicines, especially prayer and spirituality. § Read the rest of this entry…
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