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![[Sams+Photo.bmp]](http://bp0.blogger.com/_BnIFl_rW3X4/R6UkGFgRywI/AAAAAAAAAAM/HTPSDHgEWM4/S220/Sams+Photo.bmp)
A Fish Named Ed
God a Logs on Living and Dying
What The Dying Teach Us
Grief Care Resources Page
Poetry/Speaker Info
Dying people have much to teach us about living in soul.
I have witnessed people of all races, ages, genders, and sexual orientation let
go of the life they have come to know. One thing becomes clear "everyone learns
to love the life they have been given."
When a dying person enjoys or is saddened by the past
constitution of their life, he/she reaches deep within themselves to find
meaning, hope, and unconditional love. Despite our humanness, we have an
inherent need to bless what has given us experience within the expressions of
our lives. This is the level of soul care "not made with human hands." It is
the heart of creation, and perhaps, the heart of God.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sam has cared for the needs of the
dying in palliative care for over 17 years. During that time, Sam has served
as the Chair, and now, Co-Chair of the Hospice Ethics Committee at a
Hospice Care Center in Northern Ohio. He has served several years as
a State Continuing Education Chairperson for the Association of
Professional Chaplains. For well over a decade, Sam has been an active
editorial review board member and contributing writer for Healing Ministry
Journal, The Journal of Terminal Oncology, and The American Journal of
Hospice and Palliative Care.
Sam began his speaking about spiritual care over 15 years
ago and continues to speak at public engagements on the local, national, and
international levels. He has spoken at several college campuses and keynoted
at several Hospice Conferences. His first book of four "What the Dying
Teach Us: Lessons on Living" is a Doubleday Book Club, One Spirit,
and National Hospice and Palliative Care
Organization selection.
Sam's undergraduate study was at Georgetown
College with a B.A. in Psychology. He received his Master of Divinity @ The Southern
Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky with an emphasis in the
Pastor/Teacher track. In 2003, Sam Oliver finished his post-graduate
certificate in Healthcare Ethics through Rush University in Chicago, IL.
Presently, Reverend Doctor Samuel Lee Oliver is the Chaplain at a Hospice Care Center
in Ohio.
Articles
on Soul & Spirit:
Nature of Soul Senses of Soul Heart of Soul Characteristics
of Soul The Sound of Soul
The Spirit of Soul
Physician
Assisted Suicide
More Articles
Email comments or questions
The following brief story is true, and I want to share it with you
for it is one of many guiding forces upon my perspective:
Imprints on my Soul
When I was a resident Chaplain at the University of
Kentucky, I would often baptize those who were dying. On one
occasion, I was given the task of baptizing an aborted child that
did not make it through labor. I was given a small fetus in an empty
room. This child was
not much bigger than my thumb. I remember wondering what this
infant's mother looked like and who was the father. What were they
going through? I wondered who was helping them through their grief.
This fetus was given to me, so I could
baptize him/her before further burial procedures were to take place. In the back of
my mind, I began to imagine what this child's life would have been
like if this child had of lived. What baring on the parents would
all this create in their heart and in their soul?
There are several places for a person to find comfort and
healing. Your local Hospice Care Program has several support groups
with qualified therapists to assist you in sharing your grief. Your
local hospital has social workers and chaplains to guide you through
this difficult time. Also, hospital social workers have a list of
groups in the community to give you in finding a caring group to
share your grief. Your Minister and friends will help you too. And,
if you have a pet, they grieve to. Give them attention. They will
draw close to you.
In the meantime, be good to yourself. Eat right. Take walks.
Take time to listen to your heart recall memories of your loved one
who has passed on into a deeper place in your heart only your soul
can embrace. There are several books on grief. Often we heal in the
deepest parts of our being before we notice it physically. This
journey into the heart is a predictable one. I would like to
recommend my book "Integrating the Feminine Spirit: Returning to the
Womb of Creation." This is a book about the journey into one's heart
and soul.
This event took place over 16 years ago. I can still
remember this event as though it were yesterday. I was alone with
this fetus and nurse. I did anoint this child. In a way, I believe
the child anointed me as well. This child, to this day, has left an
image in my mind and heart that lives and breathes through my
recalling this story. This child has left an imprint on my Soul and
shown me a way into Eternity.
A Worldwide Radio Interview on Hospice Care
featuring
Author Samuel Lee Oliver
click below
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