• Living with urgency
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    Living with a Sense of Urgency

    I asked my dear friend Caren Austen to write about the life-upending diagnosis that, in a single moment of time, changed absolutely everything about her life. “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12 Cerebral atrophy. That was the diagnosis resulting from a recent MRI. Deterioration of the brain. After judiciously researching the diagnosis, a consultation with a friend in the medical field confirmed the most likely cause that my brain is shrinking: Alzheimer’s. A singular moment with horrific implications. At 66, I was stung as the future I had anticipated seemed to be snatched away. The time I likely would not…

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    Soul Care at the End of Life

    We are embodied souls. Our souls live in a body that touches, tastes, sees, hears, feels, and thinks. Our soul and our flesh are not separate entities. They are intertwined. When someone is at the end of life, we take care of the physical body; however, the soul needs care as well.   Several ways to care for someone’s soul at the end of life exist. Each individual will have particular ways that care needs to be administered; however, some general ways occur. General ways to be considered include ministry of presence, art of listening, skills of coping, and maintenance of relationships. The ministry of presence is a gift to…