The Pursuit of Peace Podcast

The holidays can be stressful for anyone, but navigating the holidays after experiencing a significant loss can be especially challenging. In this episode, clinical psychologist and author of Courage for Lambs: A Psychologist's Memoir of Recovery from Abuse and Loss,   Dr. JoAnn Nishimoto, shares her personal journey of the loss of her husband during the holiday season and her journey toward healing. Dr. Nishimoto speaks with honesty, vulnerability, and hope as she shares her hard-earned, practical wisdom and clinical insights for those grieving and those seeking support those navigating loss. Resources: 1) National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, 1-800-273-8255: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org2) GriefShare offers grief support and recovery for individuals navigating loss. Their is tool on their website to find the support group nearest to you: https://www.griefshare.org3) Catholic Charities in the Chicagoland area offers support groups for those who have lost someone to suicide. Outside of Chicago, reach out to your local Catholic Charities to see if they offer such groups in your area: Catholic Charities L.O.S.S. Groups (Loving Outreach to Survivors of Suicide)Reminders: 1) You are loved. 2) There is support and help available. 3) There are skilled people to help you navigate your emotions if you need extra support to process your emotions, grief or thoughts of self-harm. Reach out to a counselor, a pastor or clergy person or trusted friend for support in getting the help you need. 4) It is okay not to be okay, but when you are not okay, remember to reach out for help and support. 5) Everyone grieves, adults and children. It is healthy and good to grieve. Grief comes in waves and in moments that can surprise us. 6) It is good and okay to share fond, loving memories of a loved one or the loved one of a friend, who has passed away. 7) When people reach out to you for support, listen to them the first time. Be a peaceful, loving presence and help them get the support they need.8) Do not tell people who are grieving or struggling with suicidal thoughts to pray more. Love them and support them in getting support. 9) When grieving, journaling and reading can be good tools for adults and children to help  continue to process your grief and move toward healing. 10) Use mirroring when helping caring for those who are grieving. Tips for Accessing Care:1) If you need a counselor, call your doctor for a referral or your insurance company and find out what resources may be available to you with your insurance. 2) If you don't have insurance or your insurance does not cover counseling, many places work with sliding scale fees. Reach out to clergy or ask counselors for referrals for counselors who operate on a sliding scale. 3) Many insurance companies offer reimbursement for counseling fees if a counselor is not covered under your insurance. Some reimburse at as much as 75%. It is worth exploring it finances are a concern. 4) Some churches and counseling offices offer benevolence funds and may help with counseling. It is okay to ask. If they answer is no, simply request a referral for a sliding fee counselor. 5) A trusting relationship is one of the greatest predictors for success in a therapeutic relationship. Give a counselor a session or two, and if you are not connecting, move on. You will not hurt their feelings. They want you to feel supported. 

Lead yoga instructor and founder of Essencia Yoga, Jeannine Bush Clinton, and self-care coach and yoga instructor, Jill Rehm, share their own journeys toward peace through self-care, and offer practical self-care tips for the holiday season and beyond. 

During the holiday season, many of us look for opportunities to engage in charity or serving others. In this episode, Pastora Angelina Zayas, CEO and Founder of The Gap Community Center in the North Austin neighborhood of Chicago, shares her story, her passion and her experience with loving others well.  Through her story and some of ours, we share lessons learned and practical tools for serving others well. To serve at the GAPC/Gap Community Center Christmas Store, click here: https://signup.com/go/ZhDYMOxTo donate to the GAPC/Gap Community Christmas Store, click here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/gap-community-center-christmas-store?utm_medium=email&utm_source=product&utm_campaign=p_email%2B4803-donation-alert-v5Things to remember: 1)    Each person was created in the image of God and possesses inherent dignity. 2)    When we serve others, we serve with respect, humility, gratitude and openness. 3)    When we serve, we seek to honor, empower and build relationship. If these things are lacking, the serving may be more about us than about those we serving. 4)    We can begin serving exactly where we are, loving our neighbor right across the street. 5)    God is already working. We are not saviors. We are people who are invited to join in God's work of redemption, transformation and Shalom. This is a gift! 6)    Be creative, courageous and loving! 7)    Reflect with your kids after you've served. What did they think? Learn? How did they/you grow? Ideas for serving: 1)    Bake cookies, write a kind note and deliver them to your neighbors. Meet your neighbors if you have not! 2)    Provide babysitting coupons for single moms and dads in your life. 3)    Reach out to your church and write cards or visit shut-ins this holiday season. 4)    Go to a local refugee or immigrant owned business. Say hello. Ask questions. Learn. Listen. Make a purchase. 5)    Welcome international college students into your home over the holidays or for a dinner. Many international students can't get back home due to visa restrictions. 6)    Serve at a shelter for people who are currently homeless. Find a center that refers to guest by name, allows guest to serve with you and share a meal with you. 7) Serve at or support a Christmas store, such as the Gap Community Center. Organizations we love for serving/partnership: 1)    The Gap Community Center-Youth Advocacy, Domestic Violence Shelter, Food Pantry. www.gapcommunitycenter.org2)    World Relief-Refugee and Immigrant resettlement and advocacy. www.wr.org3)    New Community Outreach-Youth advocacy and trauma work. www.newcommunityoutreach.org1)    Subculture Incorporated-emergency scholarships and support for black college students and those who serve them. www.subcultureinc.org2)    Breakthrough Urban Ministries-empowerment for homeless individuals and advocacy for youth and families. www.breakthrough.org

In this episode we explore thoughts and practical tools for maintaining emotional health while engaging with family this holiday season. Under the guidance of board-certified psychologist, Dr. Terri Watson, and her use of attachment theory, we dig into real issues and tensions we may experience with family and discuss how we can pursue peace in ourselves and our families through empowerment, hope and positive action. 

This week we pursue peace with practical tips for a hassle free, low stress Thanksgiving with our special guest, Darcia Scafidi. Mashed Potato Recipe: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/jeff-mauro/the-creamiest-butteriest-tastiest-mashed-potatoes-ever-2656612Darci's Thanksgiving Turkey:-Thawed 10-12 pound turkey-Butter-McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning-Salt-Big foil pan1. Remove giblets and wash turkey inside and out with cold water. 2. Make a paste using the McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning and butter. Add steak seasoning and salt to taste. 3. Evenly distribute the paste inside the turkey cavity. Then, separate and lift up theskin on the turkey breast and rub paste directly on the breast meat. Finally, rub the entire turkey with the paste.4. Pin the wings back and tie the legs together.5. Place the turkey in a large foil pan, and roast at 350 degrees for 2.5 hours or until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and thigh. Baste bird 2-4 times while cooking.6. Remove the turkey to a cutting board and cover with aluminum foil; rest for 30 minutes.7. Slice the turkey. Keeping dark meat together and light meat together, place in a foil pan with a foil lid, and store in insulated cooler (hot box) until ready to serve. (Note: This is for a few hours. Turkey should not be left in hot box overnight. Please follow food safety guidelines regarding food temperatures in your Thanksgiving food preparation.) For more info and Thanksgiving tips: www.thepursuitofpeacepodcast.com

In a time when the news can make us feel powerless, we believe each person possesses the power to change the world for the better. The Judeo-Christian pursuit of peace, Shalom, is the pursuit of justice and wholeness in every sphere of life. With honesty, transparency and some laughter, cohosts Gladys Goeringer and Kim Whetstone explore the challenges, opportunities and practical tools we can use to pursue peace within ourselves, our families, our neighborhoods and our world today.