Retired police officer attempted suicide twice, now urges mental health counseling for first responders
WTSP News Author: Thuy Lan Nguyen February 27, 2020
He says the stigma of seeking help for mental health counseling is one of the biggest issues. "Don't look down upon our brothers and sisters who have committed suicide. In my opinion, it's a line of duty death, just like if an officer responded to a bank robbery and unfortunately got shot. It's still a line of duty death," said DiBona.
TAMPA, Fla. — Mark DiBona has more than three decades of service in law enforcement under his belt. The stress of his job pushed him into a spiral.
"I went through some very difficult times where I attempted suicide twice on the same day. I felt really alone and didn't know how to seek help," said DiBona. He shares his story openly, hoping other first responders learn from his struggles. He's now a board member for an organization called Blue H.E.L.P. read it here
Transition home helps homeless female veterans get on their feet
CBS 46 News Bobeth Yates Feb 10, 2020
GRIFFIN, Ga. (CBS46) When you think of Griffin, Georgia you may think small rural community, but a Griffin nonprofit is all but small and they are making major impacts for veterans.
On Friday about 100 people gathered to witness Way Point Veterans Service Center's latest milestone.
"You pray about doing the right thing and doing good by people," said Way Point's founder Sandra Brownlee.
After two years of planning, the organization opened Phoenix House, a transition home for homeless women veteran's and their children. The project was completed with the help of Home Depot, multiple organizations and community stake holders. The house is renovated to serve five female veterans.
"Because there is no VA service centers in these rural community areas it’s just logical for me to service this area," added Brownlee.
The property for the transition home was donated by a church in Griffin, and even though the house is just for women and children, the nonprofit provides help for all veterans. read it here
PTSD Patrol Kathie Costos February 6, 2020
Is needing help to heal PTSD still a sign of weakness to you? Too many believe it is, yet they do not consider it to be a wise thing to do. There is not much that can be accomplished by someone without someone else to help them, believe in them and be willing to stand by their side. If you are suffering right now because you were willing to sacrifice your life for the sake of others, and struggling, there is something you need to be reminded of.
What if Jesus did not ask for help? The Son of God did ask for it many times.
Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee. He saw two brothers. They were Simon (his other name was Peter) and Andrew, his brother. They were putting a net into the sea for they were fishermen. Jesus said to them, “Follow Me. I will make you fish for men!” At once they left their nets and followed Him.
And He asked again
Going from there, Jesus saw two other brothers. They were James and John, the sons of Zebedee. They were sitting in a boat with their father, mending their nets. Jesus called them. At once they left the boat and their father and followed Jesus.
And He asked again,
Jesus Calls Simon and James and John While Jesus was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, many people pushed to get near Him. They wanted to hear the Word of God. Jesus saw two boats on the shore. The fishermen were not there because they were washing their nets. Jesus got into a boat which belonged to Simon. Jesus asked him to push it out a little way from land. Then He sat down and taught the people from the boat.
When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Push out into the deep water. Let down your nets for some fish.” Simon said to Him, “Teacher, we have worked all night and we have caught nothing. But because You told me to, I will let the net down.” When they had done this, they caught so many fish, their net started to break. They called to their friends working in the other boat to come and help them. They came and both boats were so full of fish they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw it, he got down at the feet of Jesus. He said, “Go away from me, Lord, because I am a sinful man.” He and all those with him were surprised and wondered about the many fish. James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were surprised also. They were working together with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will fish for men.” When they came to land with their boats, they left everything and followed Jesus.
He is mentioned in many places in the New Testament. He was a man of action; he was very ambitious; and a man with an explosive temper and an intolerant heart. His second name was Boanerges, which means son of Thunder.
And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.
Do you still think He will not understand you when you ASK HIM FOR HELP? Do you still think that those who were willing to die for you, will not be willing to listen to you? Point Man International Ministries has been clearing the way for you since 1984. Is it time for Post Traumatic Spiritual Recovery? UPDATE
Prayer for those who serve
Lord, I was willing to die for those I served with, and they were willing to die for me. Please help me to ask for help to heal, so we can help each other stay alive!
In the wake of a KARE 11 investigation exposing a Marine Corps veteran facing eviction because of a VA mistake, a judge expunges the veteran’s record.
KARE 11 Investigates: Mail sent to wrong address puts family on brink of homelessness
KARE 11 NBC News Author: A.J. Lagoe, Steve Eckert Published: 12:13 PM CST February 3, 2020
A Marine Corps veteran had her PTSD benefits dropped from 100% to zero after VA sent important notifications to wrong address.
LAKEVILLE, Minn. — Join us Monday night for KARE 11 News at 10 p.m. to hear Maria's story.
“That’s my daughter’s dress,” Maria Jewell said, pointing to the picture of a little red dress listed for sale on an online garage sale.
“I feel like I failed her,” Jewell said, fighting back tears, “I’m supposed to be taking care of her, it’s not supposed to be the other way around.”
Instead of celebrating Christmas by buying gifts, Jewell and her teenage daughter resorted to selling their furniture and clothes just to put food on the table and gas in the car.
The family spent the holidays fearing the looming possibility they’d end up living in a shelter.
“I did not do anything wrong,” Jewell said. “And here I sit, can’t pay my rent, facing eviction.”
Their struggles could have been easily avoided.
A KARE 11 investigation discovered she was facing homelessness all because the Department of Veterans Affairs kept sending her mail to the wrong address, even though records show they had her correct address all along.
Still, the VA blames her for the mistake.
KARE 11’s investigation of improper ER bill denials led VA Inspector General Michael Missal’s office to discover years’ worth of mail piling up in processing centers around the country. read it here
Does it offend you because you did not ask for it?
PTSD Patrol Kathie Costos January 31, 2019 When someone offers to pay for something you need, do you allow your pride to reject the offer? Does it offend you because you did not ask for it? Too many times we do not believe we deserve help, even though we know we need it. If we decide to go-it-alone, we remain where we are, suffering within the darkness we created. It suffocates hope.
The Word Became Flesh 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:1-5
We have been conditioned to believe that we need to get right with God in order for Him to hear us, see us suffering and then solve our problems. The truth is, God does hear you, see you and He also knows what you are going through. Is He trying to open your eyes so you see Him? Open your ears so you hear Him? Trying to guide you to the answers you seek? After Jesus was crucified, there was a man named Saul. He did not believe Jesus was the Son of God and all of those who believe He was, were worthy of death.
9 “I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the Lord’s people in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. 11 Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to blaspheme. I was so obsessed with persecuting them that I even hunted them down in foreign cities.
12 “On one of these journeys I was going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. 13 About noon, King Agrippa, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions. 14 We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’
15 “Then I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’
“ ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied. 16 ‘Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen and will see of me. 17 I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them 18 to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’ ACTS 26:9-18
Saul saw the light and he was made blind so he could see how to help others find the way out of their own darkness. The thing is, he did not ask for it. He did not seek it and on the surface, he did not deserve it, but Jesus saw what was within him and made the offer. Saul could have let his pride reject the offer. Is is because his eyes were opened enough to know that he had been wrong all along? Did he think of all of those he hunted down while he was wrong and they were right?
21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! Romans 7
No one is without sin, but time and time again, we have seen miracles happen. When we ask for help, God hears us. He sends the answer to us, or sends help to come to us. Sometimes those He sends, do not hear Him. Sometimes they do not go where they are led. Sometimes they postpone doing what God wants them to do. And we wait suffering wondering why God did not hear us. In those dark moments remember all the other times He proved He heard you and cared about what you were going through when help finally came. Remember He does not wave a wand to produce all you want and cannot mess with the freewill of others. If those He called upon to help you, do not respond, He sends someone else in their place. My own freewill gets in the way sometimes and I reject what God is asking me to do. This post is because this morning when I started my computer, there were some images on my background. I did not remember what they were, so I opened them in Photoshop. The image above started this post because I knew I had to do it, so that someone who needed to find it, would find what they were looking for. The following video is one more example of my unwillingness to do what God asked of me. I fought Him for months but the song kept playing in my head and the images popped into my brain. I surrendered. I hope it helps you!
