Opinion

Thinking out Loud: Anyone Anywhere Anytime     On occasion a grief occurrence may strike anyone anywhere at anytime.  Sometimes it is anticipated, other times completely unexpected.  It can have damaging effects and block our progress, dampen our spirit, diminish our hope, and leave us vulnerable to discouragement and despair.    “I am responsible.  Although I may…

Thinking Out Loud:  Moving On With Life!    In one way or another, everyone is bound to face grief.  Anyone can lose someone near and dear, like a relative, a close friend, or a pet, because death is part of life.  To better understand grief, one must look at is as a multifaceted response.  It affects the emotion…

Thinking Out Loud: Bewildered!    Love and life are funny things that often bewilder us, creating feelings within our body that are not really caused by any physical injury.  Heartbreak is a good example. Heartbreak is not a pain caused by a physical injury, but is an emotionally generated pain to the heart.  The pain we…

Vacations are Good for Body and Soul OKLAHOMA CITY – I read an interesting article about how Oklahomans work far more hours and use less vacation than those in other states. Coincidentally, this was at the airport as my own vacation was ending. Oklahoma ranked 14th for the hardest working workforce and finished in the…

Thinking Out Loud: Death of the Love of Your Life! It doesn’t matter if you were married for one year or over sixty years, losing your spouse can be one of the most painful losses you will ever endure in your lifetime. Your spouse can play many various rolls, some of which are your best…

Stepping Outside Our Comfort Zones    We live most of our normal lives in a place that feels comfortable and safe to us.  We often have to stretch ourselves to do, say, or take action on anything that is outside of the realm of these comfort zones.  When grieving the loss of a loved one, that place of comfort is disturbing, as…

Views From the Back Pew Have you ever been out in the woods in the dark with no flashlight, feeling lost and alone? A young boy found himself in that predicament one time on a fishing trip with his dad. They were catfishing at night down on the big creek at his grandparents’ farm. The…

Editorial We believe in local control until we don’t By Roger L. Thompson I have heard for generations that the best government is local government because it is closet to the people.  We extol the virtues of local control and affirm that we believe in local control.  Government should be a servant to the people…

 Thinking Out Loud: Signs of Grieving    Grief usually refers to the personal inner feelings of an individual, but in some cultures when someone dies, family members and close friends express their grief outwardly by weeping and wailing.    The onset of grief is from the moment a person becomes aware of the death of a loved…

Thinking Out Loud: Frozen Pain Melting Away!    A very interesting article by Gabriella Tal called “The Nature of Hurt” tells about a time when she experienced a serious car accident that left her paralyzed.  Her healing journey led her to the work of Peter Levine, author of Walking the Tiger who helped her realize the power…