Chaplain Jeanne

Patient (18 years of age) expressed need of someone to talk with. Begin crying as she shared how she was told, “You will not live until you are ready to die” She was frightened. Her boyfriend attended a church that she felt was judgmental towards her. She not attend as he did and felt she could worship God better praying to him alone than begin forced to do what they wanted her to do. She had begun having physical problems for a few months now and the doctors could not find out what was wrong. Her tongue and esophagus were swollen and she could not eat.
It reminded me of a story I had recently heard from James Dobson where this same thing happened to a pastor. He ended up with a feeding tube put in him. Later on a trip with his family the feeding tube got blocked and he cried out in despair to God who completely healed him right there. He had no one to turn to and was in a desperate condition. That was when God intervened for him.
I shared with the patient God’s love for her and that he gave his life just for her. I also shared that God does not punish us like that. Fear is normal, but God wants to give us peace through it all. She was so much better by the time I left.

Met a man in the hospital who said he was a Music Director for a good sixe church. He has 12 singers and 5 instrument players. The singers are on a rotating basis. His greatest challenge he said was working and doing ministry both for church and his family. He felt if the church could hire him full time that would make a difference, so therefore he had to work two jobs. Loving music (I understand here) he put himself into it taking time from family. His second challenge was working with the younger singers who were not as committed. He would receive a text or call they had a game, ect. He loved his work. The pastor likes to preach so he did not do musicals on Sunday mornings. The kids would do stick ministry in the church. He served for a congregation of about 400. He used mostly contemporary music with a few hymns and said they had been singing a lot about the blood recently. He watches the congregation and if things go well he goes with his plans; if not, he will add in a hymn. This seems to help apparently.