This episode is entitled: Learning to love your mentally ill friends and family members. On this podcast, I have spoken at length about physical illness and even death and how as Christians, our faith in Christ deepens our hope and gives us strength through seasons of intense grief. Topics like this matter to me because as a Navy chaplain, I want to encourage you and remind you that you are not alone in your pain. I want to encourage you that you don’t have to grieve alone. Grief can isolate us from others and when we allow Christ to deepen our faith when we hurt, it allows us to invite others into our lives.

I have often pointed us to scripture and pointed to Jesus as the one who is our ultimate hope and peace in this life for those who suffer physical pain and death. But what I have failed to do thus far is to address another kind of illness. Mental illness is much more common than we realize. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 1 in 5 American adults lives with a mental illness. The World Health Organization says 1 in 4 people worldwide will experience mental-health issues. No one is exempt from mental illness. Anyone can have mental illness regardless of your age, gender, or ethnic background. Join me in this episode of Evening Thoughts and let's talk more about how to love our mentally ill friend or family member.

I have always been drawn to a good story and that may explain why I devoured books as a child. Once I got hold of a good book, I would not put it to rest until I scoured it from cover to cover.

And as an adult, I have not changed. I still love a good story and I’m still taken away by them whether it be movies or books. Books like the Reaper man by Terry Pratchett, or movies like the Shawshank Redemption are some of my personal favorite stories. What are yours? What books or movies would you recommend to me? As much as I like books and movies, some of my favorite stories of all time are not written down or in any film. You can’t stream it from Netflix or YouTube.

It is in fact because it exists only inside of you. Yes you! Your story, specifically your grief story is unique to you and only you. Yes there may be some others like it, but it doesn’t have your personal experience and personal touch. You see, there is immense importance in you sharing your story…your grief story. Join me in tonight's episode of Evening Thoughts and let's talk more about that.

My dad has stage 4 colorectal cancer. He was diagnosed with it in 2017 and he has outlived all expectations with regular visits to his Oncologist and bimonthly chemo treatments. I can’t say though that the last several years have been pleasant for him. You see, his cancer is growing and spreading. His treatments has allowed him to live to this day, but we have observed cancer slowly taking him from us.

I know I talk a lot about grief and death on this show. Perhaps it is because it is the reality of our family right now and by talking about it I am able to process our experience, and at the same time I hope that those of you who have gone through similar things may find that you are not alone. Personal and family illness can feel isolating at times, and my hope is that if you clicked on this episode because the topic hits home for you, that you find some connection and feel less like you are in this by yourself. The topic of this podcast is entitled, When death comes slowly. Last week my podcast episode was entitled When Death comes suddenly, and I talked about the unique grief that a person goes through when the unexpected happens. But what about when death comes slowly for you or for a loved one due to a terminal diagnosis? What about when at times the anticipation of death of a loved one happens over a span of months and even years? Join me in this episode and let's talk about that.