Note from the Director

As I write this, it is Holy Week, a very solemn and special time for Christians. A theme that has been surfacing for me of late is forgiveness. I spent Saturday at a retreat with some friends and the theme was forgiveness. The talks were very moving. One woman shared her journey and need to forgive and another woman shared that it was in being forgiven that she learned how to forgive. One of the quotes from the retreat was from Mark Twain, “Forgiveness is the fragrance the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it”. My pastor’s sermon was also on forgiveness. It is amazing how many times I need to hear something in order for it to penetrate my heart and soul.

The prior weekend Rose Coulter, the Assistant Director at Nurse Ministries Network, led a wonderful retreat at Spirit in the Desert Lutheran Retreat Center for the parish nurses and health ministers. The theme we focused on was relationships, our relationship with ourselves, others and God. It was an enriching time of renewal and refreshment for all of us.  As spring continues to burst forth, I hope your hearts and souls may be nourished and your relationships bloom.

Book Review by Rose Coulter, RN

                  The Secret of the Shadow               The Power of Owning Your Whole Story

Author Debbie Ford

We all encourage each other and our parishioners to share their stories.  Are we always facilitating the best for them and us in these interactions?  Debbie Ford in her book “The Secret of the Shadow, The Power of Owning Your Whole Story” proposes that it would be of great value to examine all sides of who we are.  So many of us sit in trying to fix or rid ourselves of those parts that we view unacceptable.  Debbie Ford states that in order for us to become the delectable desert God wants us to be, we must embrace and look at all the ingredients that make up who we are including the light and the dark.  It is through the blending, mixing, and baking of all the ingredients we are able to step outside the box and live life according to God’s will and not our own.  The visual of the kaleidoscope is very powerful for me.  The author speaks of seeing ourselves as one single piece of red glass when the reality is we are actually made up of thousands of brightly colored broken glass.  By shifting our focus we can see things from a completely new perspective and a new story emerges.  Action steps and contemplation to help discover your unique purpose and realize the fulfillment of your deepest desires follow each chapter.  Debbie Ford did an excellent job of making you think outside of the box.

Information Overview

This section highlights some of the information we glean from parish nurses, community organizations, newsletters and periodicals. If you would like more information on a topic listed in this section, please contact us and we will be happy to share the resource with you.

The Bottom Line on Hip Replacement

The Harvard Health Letter, February 2002, recommends that you “find a surgeon who performs many of these operations a year – at least a hundred or so. Study after study has shown that surgical outcomes improve depending on the experience of the surgeon and the specialization of the hospital”.

Healthy Arizona 2010

The Arizona Dept. of Health Services has a website for Healthy Arizona 2010, it is: http://www.hs.state.az.us/phs/healthyaz2010.  It lists the targets: physical activity, nutrition, tobacco use, substance abuse, responsible sexual behavior, mental health, injury & violence prevention, environmental health, immunization & infectious diseases, access to care, maternal/infant health and oral health and gives specific objectives. It also states that “51% of your health status is directly related to your lifestyle.

Anne Miller, parish nurse at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran shared a website at our Central support group for medications that were more affordable:

·        www.canadameds.com

 Your can also call (800) 762-4636 to receive copies of a Directory of Prescription Drug Patient Assistance Programs published by PhRMA.

Music Therapist

Robin Rio is a music therapist who presented at the Nurse Ministries Network spring retreat. She did a wonderful job and is available to present to congregations. You may contact her at: robin.rio@asu.edu

Cornerstone Contemplative Prayer Center

The Center for Christian meditation has just opened and is located at 1818 North 23^rd St. (Between Thomas and McDowell: west on E. Palm Lane and left on 23^rd St. ) Phone: (480) 423-1645 or (480) 970-6428. e-mail: centeringprayer@cox.net

What is your risk of heart disease?  Visit www.med-decisions.com, a site recommended in HealthNews, published by The New England Journal of Medicine.

Standards of Care 

If you would like to purchase the “Scope and Standards of Parish Nursing Practice”, please contact the American Nurses Association at (800) 284-2378 or visit the web: www.nursingworld.org and click on their bookstore.

New International Parish Nurse Resource Center site is: www.parishnurses.org.

Grant Funding for Older Adult Ministries in United Methodist Congregations. Grants up to $2,500 are available. For further information and an application contact: Teri Kline, Assistant to the Director, Center on Aging & Older Adult Ministries, P.O. Box 340003, Nashville, TN 37203,  telephone: 877-899-2780, ext. 7177, website: www.aging-umc.org.

Americans Eat Out 

The University of California , Berkeley ’s Wellness Letter, reports that “more than 45% of money spent on food in the U.S. goes for restaurant meals and other away-from-home food”. An important point to remember when doing nutrition education.

Caregiver’s Respite 

First United Methodist Church , 5510 N. Central, Phoenix , has a caregiver’s respite for older adults with dementia on Monday mornings, 9:00-11:30a.m. Space is limited but there are current openings for people in the community. Call Robin Spencer, parish nurse at 602.263.5013 ext. 107 for more information.