Front Row Seat

Front row seats are great when you are at your favorite concert, sports event or play.  There is nothing like getting up close to see everything up close.  Seeing, smelling, and feeling, it’s almost like being on stage yourself.  There are times in our lives that we are given a front row seat to people, places and things that take us out of our comfort zone.  I am a believer that when we are out of our comfort zone, it is when we are the most powerful and it is when we do the most growing.

A few years ago while working for a manufacturing plant, I was in charge of their logistics department.  The man I hired to be my assistant manager quickly became a close friend.  I have shared the thought that people come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime, and he would be no exception.

His daughter, after a series of illnesses, was diagnosed with cancer.  She was bright, bubbly and like her mother and father; had a gift of loving life and sharing that with others.  I visited her the day that did exploratory surgery to find out where the cancer is and how it has progressed.  Just as I entered her room her father texted me and said “she doesn’t know, please don’t tell her.”  He was not at the hospital.  I was reading this as I walked into the room.

It had been a while since I last saw her.  Instead of a bubbly, healthy looking, active athlete, there was a bubbly, skinny, brave child that lay in the bed.  Her smile was ear to ear when she realized I was there, her sister and a friend where there too.  I always wear a cross necklace when I do hospital visits, I used to think it was for my strength.  We visited and talked and I could tell she was getting tired.  It would be soon time for her to sleep.  I prayed with her, hugged her and told her I loved her.  And I left.  I made it to the elevator door and I had a chest pain.  I was beginning to cry as I knew that she had little time on this earth.  Why was MY chest hurting?  I grabbed it and realized what I grabbed was not my chest, it was my cross.  This was a particular meaningful cross to me, very sentimental.  In that moment I walked right back to her room, put it around her neck and kissed her forehead, without saying a word, only tears in my eyes.   Her father told me she loved the necklace.  She never let go of it.  She was holding it when she finally went to sleep for the last time.

The experience with her father, his family and that little girl was my front row seat to life, love and death.  Not words that you would normally speak of in the same sentence.  I am a better person, a better care giver and a better human being for having sat in that front row seat.  What front row seats have you had in your life.  Did you realize you had one?

We can be the change we seek in this world, and in ourselves.  One day.  One journey.  One person.  One front row seat at a time.

Royal D. Bush serves as Interfaith Chaplain.  He has studied at Andersonville Theological Seminary, and the International Institute of Faith Based Counseling.  He also holds a Bachelor Degree in business administration. He is available for premarital coaching, couples coaching, life coaching, and pastoral care in the Nebraska and Iowa area.

Inclusive Life offers both nondenominational and nonreligious care-serving all, without exception!  Inclusive Life offers Wedding Ministers, Premarital Coaching, Couples Coaching, Funeral Ministers, End of Life Planning, and Pastoral Care. To reach Chaplain Royal or Chaplain Beth please email info@inclusivelife.org OR phone 402-575-7006.

INCLUSIVE LIFE

In Omaha at 105 S. 49^th Street, Omaha, NE 68132

In Council Bluffs at 500 Willow Avenue, Council Bluffs, IA 51503

End of Life Planning 3 of 3

This is the final part in our 3 part series of End of Life Planning.  On October 4, 2011 CNN reported that a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association finds that advance directives are linked to less Medicare spending, lower likelihood of dying in a hospital, and higher usage of hospice care in areas of the U.S. that tend to spend the most on end of life care generally.  This is just one of many good reasons that planning, preparing and creating your legal End of Life Plan now, is a good decision: it will help your loved one, family and friends, it could help reduce costs and it will provide a road map for your medical team to follow.

I asked a few people if they have discussed End of Life Plans with their partners, family or friends and most of them said that they had not.  When asked why, some said that they have plenty of time and they were not too worried about it, while most said “that is just too morbid and uncomfortable.”  It is time that we take the stigma out of talking about death.  It is a natural part of life.  An observation I listened to today was when visiting a place of worship that was dedicated to celebrating the dead, a passage they read as they left was “Remember us.  We were once standing where you stand.  And you, at some point, will be where we are now.”  We can not predict how the future will be 5 minutes or 5 years from now.  Accidents, acute health issues, and other sudden, unplanned events can happen to any of us at any time.

It can begin with setting time aside to specifically discuss what your thoughts are on end of life, before any decisions are made.  We are happy to meet with you to help facilitate that discussion.  For some it comes with deep faith based beliefs, for some it comes with uncertainty, and yet others might have other thoughts or beliefs (and that is ok!)  Beginning the conversation is an important step to being on the road to have your decisions, wishes and plan created.

Regardless if you are in the Omaha/Council Bluffs area, Inclusive Life can help you no matter where you live.  Call or email today to find out how we can help you co-author your End of Life decisions.  “If even dying is to be made a social function, then, grant me the favor of sneaking out on tiptoe without disturbing the party.”  Allow your loved one, family and friends the peace of mind knowing today, that should that plans for that party  are already made and that is one less thing that they have to manage or do when that time comes.

We can be the change we seek in this world, and in ourselves.  One day.  One journey.  One person.  One plan at a time.

Royal D. Bush serves as Interfaith Chaplain.  He has studied at Andersonville Theological Seminary, and the International Institute of Faith Based Counseling.  He also holds a Bachelor Degree in business administration. He is available for premarital coaching, couples coaching, life coaching, and pastoral care in the Nebraska and Iowa area.

Inclusive Life offers both nondenominational and nonreligious care-serving all, without exception!  Inclusive Life offers Wedding Ministers, Premarital Coaching, Couples Coaching, Funeral Ministers, End of Life Planning, and Pastoral Care. To reach Chaplain Royal or Chaplain Beth please email info@inclusivelife.org OR phone 402-575-7006.

INCLUSIVE LIFE

In Omaha at 105 S. 49^th Street, Omaha, NE 68132

In Council Bluffs at 500 Willow Avenue, Council Bluffs, IA 51503

Sunday

Happy Sunday to you!  I hope that all is well with you and with “your world.”  I pause today to be remindful of how busy life is.  Work, volunteering, life, home, and everything in between there seems to be more on each to-do list then ever before, there are times that I actually schedule time to do things like eat, get rest and even check in on friends.

I missed two important events in the lives of friends recently.  I was following one friend as she was on a traveling journey to see her son, well so it seemed.  I missed a key piece of information, her son, a soldier, was killed in combat and she was traveling to his funeral. 

The other was a friend who I had not checked up on for a while.  And when I did I learned that she is undergoing treatment for breast cancer.  She lives alone with little family and many friends in the area. 

I felt devastated that I missed words, messages or announcements, however little they might have been.  I always urge us to all take time for our schedules and busy lives to have time to “be” and to have time to engage with our family and friends.

Someone pointed out that if it not for the internet and social media, I would not have learned of these two missed events when I did, it surly would have been a few weeks or months later.  Although that being true, it doesn’t change my feelings, and thoughts about being too busy to keep connected. 

It is said that us humans have the capacity to maintain a relationship socially with about 150 people (give or take a few) at a time.  If this is accurate I think I need an app for that!  Quality over quantity is a universal choice for many, and yet others will simply say, there is always room for one more!

Today, I encourage us all to live, laugh, love, pray and be thankful.  We can be the change we seek in this world, and in ourselves.  One day.  One journey.  One person.  One relationship at a time.

I offer the following prayer “Forgiving, loving and teaching parent, thank you for the blessings of family, friends and health for us all despite at times the challenges we face.  Help us to make time, help us to make space, help us to share time and space with one another.  Keep us safe, secure and healthy and free from hurt, harm and danger.  Amen”

Royal D. Bush serves as Interfaith Chaplain.  He has studied at Andersonville Theological Seminary, and the International Institute of Faith Based Counseling.  He also holds a Bachelor Degree in business administration. He is available for premarital coaching, couples coaching, life coaching, and pastoral care in the Nebraska and Iowa area.

Inclusive Life offers both nondenominational and nonreligious care-serving all, without exception!  Inclusive Life offers Wedding Ministers, Premarital Coaching, Couples Coaching, Funeral Ministers, End of Life Planning, and Pastoral Care.

INCLUSIVE LIFE   (402) 575-7006   info@inclusivelife.org

In Omaha at 105 S. 49^th Street, Omaha, NE 68132

In Council Bluffs at 500 Willow Avenue, Council Bluffs, IA 51503

End of Life Planning 2 of 3

This is part 2 of 3 of End of the Life Planning Series.  Part one planted the seeds about exploring our own thoughts of mortality and how we will interact with that during our final days.  How do we want our final days to be… a vegetative state or let nature take its course (or maybe another path or option!)

In Part 2 of End of Life Planning, we are going to talk about sharing.  You may not have secrets, but we are sure that there is something’s that you may want to share with others or want others to know.  Family members, close friends, loved ones, etc.

Who do you want to be notified in the event of your death? 

How do you want them to find out?

Is there someone you are entrusting this to?

Email, text messages, blogs and voice mail are certainly forms of communication that we didn’t use in such ways in years past.  They are slowly, becoming main streams of communication.  Of course, nothing compares to a face to face contact and the personal touch of a human being. 

Are there letters or notes you want to prepare “today” that in the event of your death you would like to be given to specific people?  Where will they be kept, and who will have access?

Funeral, Life Celebration, party?  Untraditional or traditional?  These are other items to consider.  Is a themed life celebration in order?  A traditional funeral.  Or is gathering your friends for one last social party the way you want to be remembered? 

Not every detail has to be planned, but recording your wishes, your decisions your choices today, will help give your loved one, family members and friends the knowledge needed to carry out your will without having to guess what you were thinking or wanting.

The three C-‘s of any relationship are communications, commitment and compromise.  And End of Life Planning is very much a continuation of this.  It is communicating what your plans are.  Is it having your family commit to your wishes. 

Royal D. Bush serves as Interfaith Chaplain.  He has studied at Andersonville Theological Seminary, and the International Institute of Faith Based Counseling.  He also holds a Bachelor Degree in business administration. He is available for premarital coaching, couples coaching, life coaching, and pastoral care in the Nebraska and Iowa area.

Inclusive Life offers both nondenominational and nonreligious care-serving all, without exception!  Inclusive Life offers Wedding Ministers, Premarital Coaching, Couples Coaching, Funeral Ministers, End of Life Planning, and Pastoral Care. To reach Chaplain Royal or Chaplain Beth please email info@inclusivelife.org OR phone 402-575-7006. Omaha Weddings, Omaha Counseling, Omaha Funerals