Saturday, May 28, 2016

150th ANNIVERSARY OF MEMORIAL DAY


May 2016 represents the 150th anniversary of Memorial Day celebrations in the United States. According to history.com, 50-years ago the federal government designated Waterloo, New York as the birthplace of Memorial Day.
Source, waterloony.com

Previously, the day was known as Decoration Day—a day when people decorated the graves of soldiers with flags and flowers.

It is a sad irony that the defense of freedom from aggression too often involves the loss of personal freedom when soldiers lose their lives.
 
Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery Belgium, G Sutton 2007

Parades include veterans who offer a living memorial of those no longer among us.

Today we also remember others who have died. Amidst the celebrations and parties, it’s good to remember that freedom adds meaning to life and death.

In the U.S., 3:00 p.m. local time is the official time of remembrance.

My website www.suttong.com



Friday, May 20, 2016

Faith and Emotional Health




Ten Ways Spirituality Promotes Emotional Health

I was asked to write an article about faith and emotional health. As a Christian, I naturally focused on Christian spirituality. As a psychologist, I examined recent publications describing emotional well-being. In this process, I came up with ten Christian principles and virtues linked to psychological well-being.

The complete article can be found in Vital Magazine online (Sutton, 2016).

In this post I will just list the ten items and refer you to the magazine article for the content.

1. Strengthen Faith 1 Corinthians 13

2. Nurture Hope 1 Corinthians 13

3. Embrace Love 1 Corinthians 13

4. Express gratitude Psalm 95:2

5. Practice Forgiveness Ephesians 4:32

6. Share Generously 2 Corinthians 9: 6-7

7. Connect with Friends and Family Genesis 2:18

8. Share your concerns Matthew 11: 28-30

9. Manage Anger Ephesians 4:26

10. Enjoy a Sabbath Rest Mark 2:27

A quote from the article:

"Emotional health goes hand in hand with spiritual health — and both can be shared with others"

See Vital Magazine May 2016