Self Respect in our World Today

A Companion of the Cross

2012-03-25T18:54:00.000-05:00

A Companion of the Cross

It was almost a year ago when I ran across an exhibition of relics on the internet that was being sponsored by a community of priests and brothers called “Companions of the Cross.” I don’t know why but at the time I was deeply drawn to them so I started looking over their site at http://www.companionscross.org/. I had been discerning a calling to join a lay apostolate for some time (year’s in-fact) and had tried The Holy Name Society but they are a failing confraternity whose members would not help me in bringing the order to AR. It hurt me deeply to have given almost a year of my life over to them and to have performed services for them yet received no cooperation in spreading the message of Jesus and His Holy Name across Central Arkansas.

A few months later I made my decision to call the Companions of the Cross and see just what they had to say. I first spoke with a woman named Mary and she was a great help in explaining to me just what this Order was all about and she sent me some material from their late founder Fr. Bob Bedard who in my opinion was an extraordinary man. It seems as though he not only left behind a great personal legacy but left everyone whose life he touched forever the better for it. So far in all of the reading I have done I have yet to hear anything negative from this man and all the advice of his has proved to be of great value. I must also compliment Mary on the personal interest she has shown and she truly cares about the lives of our members. Here is another person I have yet to hear anything negative from and believe me, I look closely at people and notice these traits. My paternal grandfather, God bless him and rest his soul never once in my life time ever said anything negative about anyone or about anyone’s life and that’s a hell of a statement to make about someone. There are many things in this life I have aspired to be and these traits are at the top of the list.

Well a few weeks later and many phone conversations with Mary I finally received the phone call from Fr. Terry Donahue and I made my promise as a lay associate and I cannot tell you how overjoyed I was at this. For the first time in my life I felt as though I were a real part of something, a family if you will and I for one plan on making the most of it. I realize I have a lot of reading and learning to do along with a lot of evangelization if I wish the men of my parish and those that I do business with as a sales rep for Lighthouse Catholic Media to stand up and take notice of this wonderful order. So many of us just don’t even know what’s going on around us it’s a crying shame but I am going to do my very best to shine like that beacon on the hill, an example of what it means to be a Companion of the Cross.

I have read that Fr. Bob said “we are going through a crisis of faith” and that the only way to turn this around is through evangelization. Why do the Protestant Churches continue to grow, and to grow into these “Mega-Churches” we see? It is because they are out there involved in the community and they are evangelizing. We Catholics have become so complacent that we rely simply on our shear number to carry us from generation to generation. I am telling you, this will not hold true forever. Pope Benedict IV sees this and has called for evangelization and now it is the duty, the responsibility of every Catholic to do this. Oh I hear many saying that they don’t know where to begin but I am telling you that you can start in your own backyard.

When was the last time you really spoke of your faith with a family member? I do not mean an argument or just words in passing but about the depth of your faith. How about your neighbors, a fellow parish member? Many of us just don’t do this and many of the people we talk to really do not wish to take the time to involve themselves in a deep conversation. We just don’t have time for God anymore do we? So what is it we should do?

First off we must become faithful to the Word of God and to the traditions of Holy Mother Church. Then we must find a place where we can share these things and difficult it may be I promise you it can be done. You can find a Bible study somewhere; you can volunteer at a soup kitchen or food pantry. You can find street missionaries and share your faith or maybe you could just tell someone one day that you care about the and even love them with the eyes of Christ.

I have recently started a Prison Ministry and a Legacy Foundation; I am a stage 4 pancreatic patient/survivor and am very proud to have my family of The Companions of the Cross with me as I go about bringing the Word of God into some dismal places and uplifting the terminally ill. God loves us all no matter what and His love is unconditional. When I begin my preaching of the Word I know that this family is with me in all that I do and this alone gives me, a lowly sinner the power to go on. When they pump me full of chemo and I become ill I know I can go on because of those who stand with me and wish me only the best. I would love to travel to Houston one day soon to see the men there and spend some time with them getting to know them and to gain a deeper understanding of our calling. For me now I must go it alone but I know they are with me and together we can and will spread the Word of God in many places to many people.

I know that this cancer will take me one day and all I can think about are the words of our Lord Jesus Christ when he said: “A man can have no greater love than to lay down his life for his friends.” And this is what I am going to live by until that day comes when I can go on no longer.

Yes, today I have a home and a family and that is what it means to me to be A Companion of the Cross.

May God Bless you all and may your prayers be answered by our Father in Heaven, the author of all of creation.

Sincerely in Christ Jesus

Wm. (Bill) Karabinus

Lay Associate, Companions of the Cross

**The Living Through Faith Foundation**

http://wkenterprises.webs.com/livingthroughfaith.htm

**Central Arkansas Prison Ministries**

http://wkenterprises.webs.com/prisonministries.htm

A New Spring!

2012-03-23T09:27:00.000-05:00

2012 has been pretty good so far and I am really looking forward to the moment when “real spring” shows itself in the buds of the trees and the new grasses. The wildflowers are blooming now so I can actually feel it right around the corner. My new projects though starting out slowly do show promise in the future and I do have many more things to accomplish this year but I must say that all in all I am comfortable with everything.

My biggest project though will be my small garden. This year it’s all going to have to be done in containers and I have never done this one before. I have had a little experience with a few vegetable plants but they just do not seem to produce as well in pots. I must be very picky in what I use so that I can get a maximum yield from the little I am going to grow. I have started out with small peppers (Tabasco) and some nice purple decorative peppers. I also started some cherry tomatoes, some early tomatoes (medium size) and some pickling cucumbers. All of these ought to grow nicely in containers and I even have some upside down, hanging baskets that I will put the Tabasco Peppers in, really out to be fun growing this stuff so wish me luck and I will be making some killer salsa by the 4^th of July!!!

The other big projects I have going are still my prison ministry and my legacy foundation. The prison ministry seems to be doing well on its own so far and these last couple of months have seen a real boom in participation from people both inside and outside of the walls. One of my best friends just wrote me from the Pine Bluff Unit and told me he would like me to fill a spot in the re-entry group coming up and I am sure this is something I will do. Now that I am free of the system it seems that everyone wants to see how I am doing and hear something successful from one of the older guys. Well I hope that I can show them that they have nothing to fear once they are out and it’s a big old world out here and things are indeed looking up. I believe with a change in the Washington Administration in November things will be even better and then look out! Many people will be making a real success of their lives!!!

Now as for the legacy foundation well, it’s not doing as well. I have realized that this will require a lot more work on my part and a whole lot of patience. Getting backers and funding is no easy trick and my lack of experience show at every turn. Next month I will be going to the Diocese of Little Rock to inquire with Catholic Charities of Arkansas just how to go about this. I need some guidance and that’s where I believe I will receive the very best!

If you can please take some time out to visit my website and maybe donate a dollar or two. It does not take that much to run it, a few tanks of gas, envelopes, stamps, printer ink and a bunch of my time. Either way please give it some thought and pray about it. So many are looking for help as they sit and wait for death to take them.

**The Living Through Faith Foundation**

http://wkenterprises.webs.com/livingthroughfaith.htm

Now as for the rest of the spring and maybe to the start of summer, my big goal is to make it to Indiana to visit my daughter and my grandson. I miss them terribly and that from the pictures I see the boy is growing like a whirlwind! I have so much I want to share with them and I want to see how they are doing and how Alisha is getting along in grad school. Oh such regrets I have for not finishing college and I kick my own but over it every day. Maybe before my time comes I can take a little Associates program online and give myself some satisfaction and peace of mind! Yes, my advice to all of you is to spend your life learning all you can as you will be so much the better for it and will be such a great help to those in need. Yes, YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE if you put your mind to it!

Well I am off for now to tend my little garden and I hope and pray that all of you enjoy the spring. Do something nice for yourself this weekend and relax and enjoy!!!

May God Bless you all here in 2012 and beyond…..

Sincerely,

Bill K.

What Jesus taught in the Garden of Gethsemane

2012-03-13T11:28:00.001-05:00

What Jesus taught in the Garden of Gethsemane

Prison Ministries - WK ENTERPRISES

2012-03-10T12:04:00.001-06:00

Prison Ministries - WK ENTERPRISES

Taking responsibility for ourselves, our world

2012-03-10T08:49:00.001-06:00

Taking responsibility for ourselves, our world

Living Through Faith

2012-02-28T13:25:00.000-06:00

Support is needed so very badly and there are so many out there who need your help before they die in seclusion......

Believe me when I tell you that there are some out there dying today and you, yes you can help!

Please help us today...

**The Living Through Faith Foundation**

http://wkenterprises.webs.com/livingthroughfaith.htm

After Fifty Living: The increasingly male face of caregiving

2012-02-26T06:24:00.000-06:00

After Fifty Living: The increasingly male face of caregiving

Suffering

2012-02-24T08:50:00.000-06:00

FOR ASH WEDNESDAY

Suffering, My Role in the Mystical Body of Christ…

As a Catholic I have heard about suffering all of my life. I never though gave it any real thought outside of Christ’s Passion until I was diagnosed with cancer and really started feeling the pain of this horrible disease.

“Now I rejoice in my suffering for your sake, and in my flesh and I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of His body which is the Church, of which I am a minister in accordance with God’s stewardship given to me to bring to completion for you the word of God, the mystery hidden from ages and from generations past.”

Colossians 1:24-26 (Douay-Rheims)

Amazing to think of it in this context and much easier to understand when we are told to “offer up our sufferings” for the love of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ok, now you will ask, “Offer it Up?” yes we offer it up in order to join our sufferings to those of Jesus in order to complete the circle of salvation that he indeed fulfilled on Calvary 2000 plus years ago. When we join our suffering to His it gives us a sense of being complete within the mystery of the Mass and how our sufferings are just as important to the Father as He is our Father as well.

I remember as a child asking why we kept the Crucifixes around the house and I, like many or most children was told that it is to remind us of the suffering of Christ, the suffering He went through for our salvation. Well as an adult I have learned that it is so very true this answer but it goes so much deeper and so much farther. The Crucifix stands as a reminder of all suffering throughout humanity so that we bring the very mystery of salvation to fruition.

I was listening to a CD the other day by Dr. Scott Hahn that was about this very topic, Suffering and that is what gave me that push I needed to complete this story that I had intended to write a week or so ago. Now I understand that most of you who go on to read the rest of this post will ask, “How can we, just regular people begin to compare our small suffering to those of our Savior?” Well I am not asking you to compare, I am asking you to join yours to His, a very simple thing…

Is it not amazing how we shrink away from suffering of any kind in order to protect our own balance in life? Now don’t get me wrong here, balance in life is a great thing but sometimes we get thrown a curveball. So our first reaction is to run away from anything that might cause us suffering but, what if its God trying to point us in a direction we never wanted to go. Yes, that is indeed possible, that through your own suffering God can bring you to a place where you may very well find that peace of mind that you have searched for all of your life.

This is the beginning of our own suffering being brought together with His in order that it may be used as a tool, a tool called redemptive suffering where it becomes a weapon against evil in your life. Your suffering should bring you closer to the Father not push you away. This is also how we come to share in the complete life of Jesus, His life, death and resurrection. We have lived our life and our suffering can become a death of sorts when we offer it up to God to do with what He wills and we die to our own life choices and begin to do His will in its entirety. That for us is the beginning of resurrection in a complete life in Christ! What a wonderful feeling….

That is what I have come to know in my very own battle with cancer and the suffering I went through at the very beginning when I was lost in my pain trying to run away or blame it on something or someone who would take it from me. In the end I turned to God and was again (like so many times before) saved in Christ Jesus and I became a new creation of sorts who had joined his own pain to that of the world through our Lord.

You know, even your small daily sufferings can lead you to a place where you have never been before if you turn it over to God, offer it up as you will and let Him guide you to a more comfortable place. Suffering as we all know is not just about physical pain it’s about emotional pain as well and we all know that it can be very intense at times. We get hurt in so many different ways and many of those times are by the ones we love the most. I know that some of most intense times of suffering have been more on an emotional and spiritual level and they are very hard to overcome. The death of a loved one, divorce, addictions, incarceration and many more I have seen in my lifetime either directly or to someone very close to me and it hurts especially when you are limited as to what you can do about it. Yes, that’s when God comes in and we seek out His love and comfort. Now I have learned that when something starts to hurt or even bother me I immediately turn it over to my Heavenly Father for care and He never lets me down. I am not saying that the pain might not stay for a while but sometimes pain is good for us and can be a process in which we come to understand healing more intimately.

I know that in the end what is lacking is our suffering joined to that of Christ’s suffering so that we may be made whole thus joining us to that mystical body of Christ, right where we need to be….

Bill K.

Ash Wednesday

2012

Cardinal Dolan to Bishops - ‘Where does it end?’

2012-02-23T12:33:00.000-06:00

Cardinal Dolan to Bishops - ‘Where does it end?’

Pope to new cardinals: "The Church does not exist for her own sake"

2012-02-19T13:58:00.000-06:00

Pope to new cardinals: "The Church does not exist for her own sake"

The Living Through Faith Foundation

2012-02-17T11:54:00.000-06:00

WK ENTERPRISES

The Living Through Faith Foundation

MISSION STATEMENT

To remember where we have been and where we will go by maintaining positive relationships with family, friends and the business community. To always choose the ethical way, by making a personal commitment to honesty and integrity. To find peacefulness within ourselves by looking inward while using our God given hearts to guide our dreams and desires, and our minds to pursue knowledge, creating balance among all of our obligations. To content ourselves in our surroundings so we will always know where security lies within our lives. To build a reputation of fairness dedicating our very best to every goal we choose to pursue while having success in both our personal and professional lives. To enjoy every moment along life’s journey finding laughter, love and happiness with each day that passes.

To help guide and strengthen those in need and to boldly proclaim our faith in God in all areas of our lives giving hope to those who feel forgotten and unloved and to respond with a loving heart of faith to the least, to the last and to the lost.

Wm. (Bill) Karabinus,NAHNS

Executive Director

WK Enterprises

wdkarabinus@catholic.org

Hello to you all and I wish to thank you for reading my posts concerning my battle with cancer and my hopes for the future. At this time I am asking for your support so that my Legacy Foundation, “The Living Through Faith Foundation” may come to fruition. We believe that our message of “No Fear of Death” will resonate throughout the terminal illness community bringing those with terminal illness closer to God and an understanding that Eternal life is a free gift to all and that fear need not rule your lives.

We wish to take this message into hospitals, hospices and nursing homes offering strength along with a shoulder to lean on in times of need. We also supply resources to those in need assisting them with medications, insurance and housing needs. WK Enterprises is a multi-faceted organization providing services to the state of Arkansas and with your help, to the world.

I have lived through this past year battling this disease (pancreatic cancer) and have come out on the winning end and I beg you to help me share my life with those that are suffering today. I cannot do this alone so I am asking for any type of donation, large or small as anything will get us just one more mile closer to helping those who seek our assistance.

Please visit our website and consider being a part of our team. Together we can bring those in fear of death out of darkness and into the light of eternal life!!!

Wm. (Bill) Karabinus,NAHNS

Executive Director

WK Enterprises

wdkarabinus@catholic.org

**The Living Through Faith Foundation**

http://wkenterprises.webs.com/livingthroughfaith.htm

Timothy Dolan: Being a cardinal it's not a promotion, it's a higher calling to serve the Church

2012-02-16T16:24:00.000-06:00

Timothy Dolan: Being a cardinal it's not a promotion, it's a higher calling to serve the Church

Holy Name Society: New Blog Author, A New Beginning For All....

2012-02-12T18:09:00.000-06:00

Holy Name Society: New Blog Author, A New Beginning For All....: Greetings to all of you in the Most Holy Name of our Lord Jesus Christ! My name is Bill Karabinus and I have been blessed to act as a volun...

Thoughts from Infusion with Jill & Carol, my oncology nurses…

2012-02-08T20:58:00.000-06:00

I remember my first trip to Infusion and how horrified I was and how I was lied to by the oncologist I had at first… You know how people make promises to you most every day of your life and you also understand that half of them will never be kept. “Oh yea, I’ll take care of that” or “Oh I’ve got your back!” All of that, but when you are dealing with an issue like going for your FIRST Chemo treatment and your doctor promising that you will not have to go through it alone well, it’s a big thing! Well for me that day I was alone…

My post about caregivers gave you a picture of what it was like taking care of my mother and going through the motions with her and gaining some sort of an understanding of what she was going through but when it’s your butt on the line well, it’s another matter altogether. I must admit that after that first trip and the trip that followed at UAMS I was never comfortable with the treatments at all. In-fact, I was never comfortable in any visit I made to anyone at UAMS so when I finally made my decision to change I knew there would be great challenges along with many new thoughts where my cancer was concerned. I of course went to my primary care physician and told him just how I was feeling and that I had to do something now while I still had the time to make choices. He set me up a visit with the folks at Arkansas Oncology and man was I in for a surprise!

On my way to my first visit with my new oncologist I imagined it would be pretty much the same but I realized that I had no basis for comparison so I just tried to quiet my thoughts and drive. Well the first thing I saw was the building and I at once felt a sense of relief as this was a small office building with no large imposing towers, no emergency where you are a nothing and when I walked in I felt at home. It was a nice waiting room with a TV and some couches and chairs and the staff was so friendly. I was called in and an IV was placed in my port, some blood was drawn and I was sent back to the waiting room. This was odd as nobody used the port to draw blood before, only my arm and NEVER was an IV left in me for any reason… Well I was called in and the nurses got all of my information and I was seen right away by Dr. Thomas Sneed my new doctor. He was about the same as Dr. Makhoul but different in a way as well. We were both (or it seemed to me) comfortable around each other and the appointment went well. We decided to continue my current regimen and he only changed a couple of things stating that I was in good shape and that the chemo would continue to make a difference in my life. From there I went into the infusion room and was awe struck by the comfort of it. I felt totally different than I felt at UAMS and had no fear at all. Everyone looked good and they were happy and I could see no sorrow in any of the faces around me. I then met my first of the oncology nurses Carol and she removed the IV line from my port asking if I would be seeing them on my next visit. I told her yes and that I was amazed at the difference and asked how long treatment lasted in my case. She said it would be about 4 hours but they did some extra that UAMS did not do. Well I left there filled with hope and was so happy when I called Suzanne that we both rejoiced over the phone at my finding this oasis in the middle of my despair….

2 weeks later I returned for my first treatment and Suzanne accompanied me. We were still a bit tentative but after my story of the first visit we felt we were in good hands. Oh this turned out to be so true and we both spent the remainder of the afternoon in absolute peace while the vile poison was pumped into my system in an effort to enhance and lengthen my life. We enjoyed talking with everyone around us and again I was surprised by the attitude of everyone. We were all going through life changing treatment and we shared a happiness and hope that could be felt in the air. Suzanne was not only amazed at the environment but in the change in me as well. Gone was the fear and combativeness that overwhelmed me at UAMS and it was replaced with a calm that was just not natural for me in these situations. I had been so angry with everyone before and I did not know how to deal with it but all that was over now and we were on a new journey at last, a journey of healing….

Now I am a few months into this and am going to be taking my first treatment break to allow my body to heal 100% before we take off again. My CA19-9 count is way down and all is going well. I feel just great most of the time and I am able to work a little. The last time I was in the treatment room I took the opportunity to talk to my nurses about their thoughts on the kind of work that they do and its difficulties, difficulties which I know are many and how they deal with it all. As we talked I was a bit awed by the happiness they felt in their work and how dedicated they were to those of us lucky enough to have them in our lives. We talked about the many concerns people have during chemo treatments and how we all deal with the changes we go through. I could not help but to notice again that Jill and Carol went through these changes with us as if it were happening to them as well. Their tone of voice reflected the care in which they saw everything and how it was all handled and that I, me, Bill was a part of their lives as well.

The following are some of the subjects that concern me and things I wish my Legacy Foundation to address as we deal with others who are terminally ill. They are also the things which concern these ladies as they go about their difficult task of saving lives on a day to day basis…

When we are first diagnosed with cancer we try to find something, someone to blame for our affliction but after a time we, in some way or another come to terms with it. With me it was my family, my blood that I tried to pin the blame on. Oh my mother and sister both died of cancer so it had to be the blood that we shared that caused this!!! Well not necessarily, it is really the way in which I have lived my life and all the things I have done that caused it. It’s a great thing to look back and say I shulda, woulda, coulda but it does not work that way. We must play the hand we are dealt and do the best we can with it. I do realize that heredity does factor in with cancer and it did increase my chances but all in all if I would have taken better care of myself it might have turned out different so, blame? None exists. Jill and Carol both told me of patients who for the longest time blamed others for their affliction and some who never got over it but I myself know better and will not spend the remainder of my life blaming anything for my short comings…

After talking to the ladies for a bit another subject was brought up, one that went in line with the foundation I was to begin building just a few days later. We were all born with a purpose in life but some just don’t get it. They search and search but never really grasp what it is they were called to do. I know I spent many years just working, coming home, eating dinner, watching a little TV and going to bed just to do it all over again the next day. Day in and day out this went on for years with nothing really to show for it but the material possessions we all accumulate over time. Now don’t get me wrong here, it’s great to have a home and a car/truck and have all the stuff to go with it. Video games, sporting equipment, tons of movies to watch and just all kinds of junk but in the end when faced with a life changing experience you wonder just what to do with all the stuff. You begin to understand that old saying, “you can’t take it with you” and you become afraid. I had written before how I had felt that I had done nothing with my life that really mattered; now I did raise a daughter who has turned out just great but her mother and I failed in the end at marriage. I had had a few relationships since but nothing that really came to be much. I have had really good jobs in my life and my family was just great but again I had not really done anything. I guess it sometimes takes a “wake up call” to get you thinking about it but hell, getting zapped with a cancer diagnoses was just too much. Jill and Carol pointed this out to me that most of the people who come into infusion for the first time are somewhat lost because of their lack of purpose and some never do find it but for the most part many of us do and believe me, we are truly the blessed ones. I could not imagine just giving up and letting the disease take me like so many do. I won’t say that I don’t understand because I do when it comes down to the pain and discomfort we feel every day of our lives now but for me to call in a Dr. Kevorkian or some such person would be unconscionable. So for me it was prayer that led me to my purpose and Carol said that for many it is the same. We look to God for an answer and find out that we are not done yet, that we are only getting started. In my case it was the alleviation of my fears and the desire to help others like me that gave me purpose. For some it’s to rejoin with old friends and family making amends for the past and developing new relationships. Oh there are just so many things a person can do with their lives it can be overwhelming. But now you see what Jill and Carol meant when they said that some just lack purpose and give up. You know, you don’t have to be dying to find yours and you should just maybe start looking in the right place…

A good place to start is God! The ladies told me that in all that they have seen they find the most completeness in the people who have turned their lives over to God as without this, your soul will simply wander and you may very well be lost. Being spiritually lost is simply living day in and day out. Having no fuel in your soul tends to cause a person live without living and in doing this we rob ourselves of that completeness our soul searches for from the start of our lives. I remember when my daughter was born and that feeling of being a father was born inside me. What a fantastic feeling that was the night I drove home from the hospital; it was the first time in my life that understood “Having a Purpose!” Today my purpose is to live and tell others what it is like to have a sincere relationship with Jesus Christ and to let them know how He has helped me overcome my fears of loneliness and death. How he has helped me understand suffering and how to deal with it on a day to day basis. I admit it is sometimes hard especially when I am by myself and the pain sets in but you know what, all I have to do is pray and I know that I am not alone and that my suffering has been noticed by the author of life and that He will do something about it. Yes, what a wonderful feeling, what a wonderful life!!

I myself remember a time in my life where I lived with No Spirituality and that time in my life though fun, was indeed empty of any real importance. Today my life is very different as I think of this the better part of every day. Jill and Carol tell me that we, the dying think differently than others and though that may very well be true I kind of like it this way. I know that there are many times during each day that I look at those around me and think to myself, what are they doing today to bring themselves closer to God, to become a better person and be of help to those around them? I know too many people who only pay lip service to others who are in need but very few that act. In fact, just today I received a letter from an old friend who is serving time for something in his past but instead of looking at him in that light I saw him as only a friend who is reaching out, trying to gain comfort from those he trusted in his former life. What would you do today if you were confronted with the need to reach out to someone dying or imprisoned? I know what it says in Matthew 25:40, “Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for these least brothers of mine you have done for me.”

Ok, with that all said I must give credit to Carol and Jill for awakening many things in me that I guess were always there but needed to see some daylight. My wish today for all of you is to befriend some people like this and don’t wait until you are dying. Hell, you never know, it just might save your life!

Good-bye for now and God Bless you all!!!!

Bill K.

February 8, 2012

My grandson Jack’s 4^th Birthday!!!!

5 Ways Prescription Drugs And Scripture Are Abused - Christian Faith At WorkChristian Faith At Work

2012-02-07T21:17:00.000-06:00

5 Ways Prescription Drugs And Scripture Are Abused - Christian Faith At WorkChristian Faith At Work:

'via Blog this'

Developing a Deep Prayer Life – The Most Important Talk You Will Ever Hear

2012-02-07T08:21:00.000-06:00

Developing a Deep Prayer Life – The Most Important Talk You Will Ever Hear

God's love overcomes the misery of illness, Pope teaches :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)

2012-02-05T12:26:00.000-06:00

God's love overcomes the misery of illness, Pope teaches :: Catholic News Agency (CNA):

'via Blog this'

The Living Through Faith Foundation

2012-02-03T09:33:00.000-06:00

January saw the launch of my Legacy Foundation and it is called "Living Through Faith." This foundation was set up so that the message of hope can be spread to the many that are suffering from terminal illness. There are so many people out there who are dying right now, and by right now I mean WHILE YOU ARE READING THIS MESSAGE! It is my plan to share my journey with others so that they too can be brought out of their fears and into a light of healing grace the same as I was. The grace I am talking about is a free gift that comes from God, the gift of eternal life. I know that no matter what, no matter how deep this cancer takes me I will never die, not really.

It is my wish, my plan to travel to our local (and even farther) hospitals, hospices and nursing homes spreading the message of eternal life to the men, women and children who are suffering from fear, fear brought about by the diagnoses of a terminal illness. I want them to know that there is hope for a tomorrow for all of us as long as we have faith. Faith breeds hope and hope brings us peace, that inner peace that only God can give. So, why don't you join me on this journey, my journey of hope so that together we can bring people back to their lives and stop them from cowering and hiding in fear of death. I personally know what it feels like to be told that death is right around the corner and that death will come from a deadly disease that there is virtually no help in beating. Pancreatic cancer only has a 6% survival rate and that's not much but with my faith in God I have passed the one year mark and am doing fine. Now its my turn to share this with others and hopefully spread out from the local areas to the entire state! With your help this can be done and maybe even more. Along with my message of hope I have resources that I can give to help those in need with many of stumbling blocks we find along the way. There are many groups out there who help with many needs we face, needs like medication, insurance and so much more. And with your help I can bring all of this into the lives of those suffering.

Please join us and do what you can. Every little bit helps, every little bit is a tank of gas, a cartridge of ink to process the lists of resources, some stamps and envelopes to get the message into the hands of those I cannot reach out to personally at this moment. With you I can do this, do it every day and bring a message of eternal life and hope to the many.

Please visit our website and read my stories. Take a moment and pray with us and then consider a donation of any size to help.

Gods peace to all of you and may your life never be touched by any kind of terrible illness.

Sincerely,

Bill Karabinus
wdkarabinus@gmail.com
The Living Through Faith Foundation
http://wkenterprises.webs.com/livingthroughfaith.htm

Liturgy and Prayer Hours | Community of Saint Benedict

2012-02-02T06:56:00.000-06:00

Liturgy and Prayer Hours | Community of Saint Benedict

Guest Post by David Tackett, My First Trip To Chemo!

2012-01-24T10:24:00.001-06:00

My first trip to the chemo room…The day has finally gotten here. If you are like me, I woke up at 2:30am, nervious, scared, but feeling strong . I had been given steriods to take at bedtime and more to take when I got up.

I was told the first treatment would take 4 to 4 ½ hours to complete. The 2^nd treatment may take less time because they can drip it in at a faster rate.

During the first hour of the first treatment there will be several medical workers or nurses keeping an eye on you to see if you are going to have an allergic reation.

I asked, “If I do have an allergic reaction, then what happens? Is there a different form of treatment that we go to?”

The nurse said, “No, this chemo is going in you. We may have to slow it down but reaction or not, the chemo will be in you before you leave the chair.”

I said,”Hmm, what kind of a reaction are you looking for?”

The nurse said, “Your face will turn red and you will get short of breath.” I said, “That’s not good because I get red faced and short of breath at least once a day even without chemo!”

I didn’t have a reaction so I can’t help you there but I can tell you that on my first trip in, I had an I-Pod, lap top, books, bottled water, snacks, cell phone, a movie to watch on my I-Pod, a pillow, and blanket.

For those of you that have raised children, it looked like I was heading off to summer camp, the back seat of the car was full!

By the time I got to the infusion room at the hospital, I had narrowed down my supplies to a notebook and pen, I-Pod, book, and bottle water. I put these items in my backpack and away I went.

dtackett@farmersagent.com

David is wonderful friend and supporter of The Living Through Faith Foundation and you can find David hard at work for you at Farmers Insurance in Hot Springs, AR.

Bill K.

Guest Author "Jeff Howard Silverman" my best friend!!!

2012-01-22T11:06:00.000-06:00

How Cancer Has Affected My Life

Up until 1977 I never really thought too much about cancer. Cancer was something that happened to somebody else, to someone else's family, but in August of that year my paternal grandfather died from lung cancer. A few years later the same type of cancer took his wife, my grandmother. He was a lifelong smoker but she never lit up a day in her life, so if there are people who still don't believe that second hand smoke kills they can come talk to me. Just four years ago my father beat bladder cancer because it was diagnosed early. His sister, my aunt, had a masectomy around the time we lost grandpa Silverman. My mom's sister died in 2003 from liver cancer. That's just my family.
Two years ago I lost a very old, very dear friend and one of the best musicians I ever knew personally, Jack Trevino. Jack was a year younger than me and that one really got my attention. My dear friend Keri Butera had surgery for breast cancer four years ago and just this past week she had some new tests run that came back with questionable results and I keep her in my prayers and my thoughts every day. Last year I lost one of the great people to ever grace my life, Toby Meservey. Toby went to the doctor with just some stomach pain and it turned out he had a mass in his colon the size of a baseball. He was gone less then three months later. What doesn't seem to compute is the reality of the people my own age, the friends I spent the better days of my youth with who have fallen victim to cancer and now it's happening again and I am at a loss as to how to deal with it.

Bill Karabinus was diagnosed a year ago with pancreatic cancer. Bill has been my friend for over forty years and we've seen the up's and the down's, we've been through the thick and the thin together as friends and brothers. The reality of male friendship is a much more complicated thing than some people may want to believe because as men we're not supposed to show too much, we're not supposed to feeltoo much. As men we're always supposed to keep that chin up, to be able to smack our buddy on the shoulder as if to say, "Man, this is just a speed bump in your life, it's nothing to worry about." But in all honesty I'm feeling very helpless right now. Bill and I have talked a lot lately about fear and hope and the future. I do fear real well. Hope and the future are things I have to work on. He lives in Arkansas and I'm in Nevada and that's one of the hardest things to deal with, being so far away. But even when we were kids there was always an inner-strength to Bill that he's never lost even in the face of such a devistating diagnosis. I could use the well worn saying that he's "battling cancer" but that wouldn't exactly cover the reality of his day to day odyssey as I see it. It's not easy to explain but what I hear in his voice isn't a man who's fighting anything, but rather someone who's already beat that monster that is growing inside of him. I usually try and steer the converstation back to the 1970's when we were doing our best hanging out because if I talk too much about it then it becomes my reality and some days I'm just not equipped to handle the health of my friend. But you know what he does? Like the bad-ass he was when we were kids he just grabs that monster by it's horns and says, "Not this time, not this man."

It would be easy for anyone in Bill's position to just give up. With every round of chemotherapy it takes him longer to bounce back because those caustic chemicals are taking their toll, but when he talks about it he only describes what's happening to him physically. He refuses to fall into the familiar "Wo is me" mentality because Bill has something that I need to work on in my own life. He has hope. He isn't letting the fear that would bring another man to his knees get the better of him because he's stronger than that, and in turn that allows me to deal with my own fear and pain of knowing that man I dearly love is in pain. And knowing there's nothing I can do for him except to be his friend, to be a soulmate in the truest sense of the word and to always be there for him.

Fear is a terrible thing to live with. Sometimes what scares me are the things I already know, but most of the time it's the unknown that invades my dreams at night. Some days I want to lash out and curse God for allowing this to happen to my pal but thankfully Bill's faith is stronger than mine and that's where the hope comes in. I always have to keep this in sight because if I don't, then all that's left is the fear and I can't let that happen. I won't let that happen.

The two of us wearing raincoats, standing so low
In the sun
You and me burning matches, lifting latches
On our way home
We're on our way home, we're on our way home
We're going home
You and I have memories
Longer than the road that stretches out ahead...

I love you, my friend.

Jeff Silverman has been my best friend for over 40 years, from way back in elementary school. Though we do not agree with everything we each live for or believe in we have shared a mutual respect that defies human relationships. No matter what the future holds I will always know that Jeff is in my corner and if anyone ever needs a friend you could circle the universe and never find a better man or better friend.

Jeff is currently the caregiver for his own parents as they fight age and infirmity, he lives in Las Vegas Nevada….

Becoming a Caregiver.... Is it a job or is it a Calling?

2012-01-21T10:44:00.000-06:00

I remember back in 1997 my mother came over to the house and dropped off some groceries (she was always doing this) and told me that we needed to talk. After we had settled into a couple of recliners she told me, “I saw the doctor today and was told that I have lung cancer.” It was just like that, straight faced with no noticeable despair nothing. Me I just kind of stared at her wondering just what the hell she could possibly be talking about, CANCER? Who? After about a solid minute my mind “kind of” adjusted to what she had just dropped on me and my first question was, “ok, what do we do?” She told me that she planned on doing the radiation/chemo thing and that it was going to be pretty bad but somehow we would get through and there was really nothing that could be done about it at this point anyways. Well that was my mother, a fighter and a friend. Well she continued to work until February 1999 and she, after well over a year had to lay it down and retire, she was 69 years old.

In February when she retired she came to me and asked if I would move back to Little Rock, live in their guesthouse and help take care of her. They would have to pay for it anyways and she said she would rather have me than a stranger. So of course I said yes (what the hell could I say) and put my business plans on hold and moved back to Little Rock. Well saying yes to becoming a caregiver to someone with cancer is no easy task but at the time I had not thought about it. And so it went….. I did the grocery shopping, took her back and forth to the doctor and simply took care of the house just like she would have no big deal right?

Well it wasn’t, not at first, but after about 30–45 days she started to become weaker by the day. She would not eat and in-fact when she did it would only be Stouffer’s Lasagna. She would drink her Boost to retain vitamins and such but you could tell that weight loss was going to be an issue and it would be happening fast. By April we had to have a hospital bed brought in so that she could sit up comfortably and still make an effort to feed herself. She began to become very unsteady on her feet and needed help in getting around, going to the bathroom and just navigating her own home. We got a wheelchair and that helped some but she of course she could not maneuver it herself so she had to be pushed around the house back and forth to the kitchen, living room and bedroom. Each of which she could not stay in very long because she would become fatigued. I had started a garden in the backyard, a yearly ritual that had gone on for years and she loved to go outside and sit and just look. She would point out things she wanted done and I would work while she watched just enjoying the sunshine and fresh air. These are the best of my memories of that time because she loved it so.

By July the 4^th holiday the family had decided to have a get together at the house so that we could all enjoy a last time with us all together and my Aunt Sue (my mother’s sister) flew in from CA. We ended up with about 25-30 people there and I sort of stayed in the background just organizing things and watching. My mother enjoyed all the attention she was getting and was just soaking it all up. I was very, very happy for her but I could see the toll it was taking and how tired she was becoming. She did not eat dinner with us that evening as she was tired but she did come out for the kids fireworks show and mother just smiled, laughed and clapped her hands like a child herself. I believe that was probably the best day she had had in many years and I too was overjoyed simply at the sight of her happiness although by this time I was stressed from the day and worried that she would end up in the hospital from all the excitement! Well she did not and the next day she was just fine. She and Aunt Sue went out to the old home place the next day with Sue pushing her around in the wheel chair. The drove out to the house and looked around at all the changes that had taken place over the years and at the neighborhood that had sprung up where my grandfather’s farmland used to be. They went to the cemetery where the family is buried and spent time sprucing up the graves. Again, she had a great time with me left home alone worried to death. It was a very interesting experience for me that day and a kind of a preview of would come about the following October….. I had not been alone in a long, long time.

Well by the time that week ended we were all tired and to top it off my stepfather decided that he could not deal with it anymore and had me switch places with him. He moved into the guest house and I moved into the spare bedroom in the main house. This room came equipped with a baby monitor so I could hear mother during the night in case she needed something so my role became a 24 hour a day caregiver. Now I have to tell some truths here at this point because I am sure that by now you have realized that my stepfather and I did not share a really close relationship at all. Sometimes I could barely stand being in the same room with him so when he bailed out at this stage of my mother’s life I was greatly pissed off and there was no turning back….. But you know what? Life went on and I guess we were actually better off. Don, the stepfather stopped coming home in the evening and would stay at work until 10 or 11 o’clock at night and we never saw him. He did though surprise me one day in late July by bringing in a lady from Baptist Hospice to help out. Well I was all for it, a great idea! On the other hand, mother was not… She DID NOT want a strange woman in her house washing clothes, rummaging around in the cabinets, blah, blah, blah… We went through about a half dozen women before we found one that would not get fed up and quit. Oh my mother drove them and talked bad to them and just made their 4 hours a day with us unbearable. So we did find a keeper and she was a great help to me. She did the washing and kept mother bathed. Took her around the house and just entertained her for the half day she was there. I too was happy because I had some time to myself again where I could go out and get some personal things done. It was pretty good. August 16^th came along and mother turned 70 and we had a little party with just us and all was great but by the first of September you could tell that mother had had just about enough. Her appetite was gone and we had to start feeding her through a tube. She had to be catheterized and was now bedridden 24/7. I too was nearing my wits end and found myself getting mad over things that were simple before. The lady from hospice brought me a book that would prove to be my most valuable tool in the end but at first I rejected it simply because of the title; “My Mother is Dying.” I hated looking at that book and thought it was full of crap. NONE of the things this book described would ever happen to us so I found it useless. About three weeks later I found this to be untrue. My mother started talking about people being in the room with her and she went on and on about nothing. She paid no attention to anything I said and would not eat at all or drink her Boost. One thing that did get my attention though was that she kept pointing to the corner across the room and she would smile and just rave about the beautiful woman and her beautiful baby. It would take me a while to understand this but I was fascinated.

Well October arrived and she was now completely out of it. She just laid there and I would come into her room and sponge out her mouth every 30 minutes or so and make sure I pushed the button on the medication machine. I did not want her to suffer at all so we had oxygen and morphine set up going 24 hours a day and on the night/early morning of October 12^th she passed away. I had just been in there sponging out her mouth and it seemed as though she was looking at me intently out of her one eye that was left working. I went into the kitchen and made a sandwich and got a coke and prepared to settle down in the living room to watch a movie. I felt a strange tug at my heart so I went back in the room and she had gone. Well I just stood there a moment not really thinking of anything, just looking at her. I then closed her eyes and told her that I loved her and that I was so very proud of her, she had fought the good fight and ran the great race. After they took her away to the funeral home I just sat there and for the first time in my life I felt alone… It did not last very long but the feeling was terrible. I would spend the next week or so wandering around that empty house feeling very strange but finally the thought occurred to me that the woman and the beautiful baby she kept seeing in the corner across the room were the Blessed Virgin and the Child Jesus. I know this to be true in my heart and nobody can ever take this from me. It was then that I realized that I was not alone in that empty house, God was with me….

Being a caregiver and experiencing death with someone is a very intimate thing. It is very difficult but I would not change anything that happened back in 99’. This time in my life I think, was for me the time when I learned about true love.

True unconditional love

May God bless you all and may He bless our memories. They are a part of us and be them good or bad it is what we are…

Bill K.

January 21, 2012

Guest Author, David Tackett sharing HIS Journey down that Long, Dark Road.

2012-01-20T12:47:00.001-06:00

My first thought about my throat cancer was that I had a popcorn

hull stuck in my throat. I tried clearing my throat repeatedly, eating

crackers in an attempt to dislodge it but I could never get rid of it. I would try a

few times a day but of course the feeling that something was in my

throat was always there.

This was taking place at the same time that my sister-in-law Kathy

was dying from cancer. I never heard Kathy say that she had

cancer. She would always say that the doctors weren’t certain

what was wrong even though she was undergoing chemo treatments.

I never knew why she wouldn’t face her killer head on but she never did. The daily

conversations about Kathy always included tidbits about cancer

and paying attention to your body. After a few weeks I started

thinking that this thing in my throat, this invader may not be a popcorn husk at

all,,, but, what if it’s cancer?

That was when I came to the conclusion that I had something

inside of me that had only one goal. That goal was to kill me. I

knew I had to kill it before it was too late.

At the time I had no idea how difficult this battle would become but I indeed found out.

I’m David Tackett, a stage 3 throat/tongue cancer survivor. My last treatment was mid

2007.

Sincerely,

David T.

2012

David is wonderful new friend and supporter of The Living Through Faith Foundation and you can find Davis hard at work for Farmers Insurance in Hot Springs, AR.

Bill K.

Another New Beginning and a Fresh Start for Something New…

2012-01-18T14:09:00.000-06:00

Hello my friends, how are you doing? I hope all is going well for you in this New Year and that you are busy making your dreams come true…

I am happy to report that I am now past the one-year mark with my cancer and I am doing just great! I just visited with my cardiologist and he even remarked that he was amazed at how well I am doing & how well I look for having stage 4 pancreatic cancer and dealing with it after a full year. I replied saying that it was not I who have done this but God responding to my faith. You see, I gave up, gave over to Him my fears and sorrows and allowed Him to take control of my life and this of course has truly set me free to go about my business without looking back. Well in the midst of all of this a woman who works with cancer patients asked me to write a guest post for her blog sharing how I have overcome my fears and have gotten on with my life. So it was this that began another journey for me, a journey of hope where I can share my experiences and my faith with other who are terminally ill in hopes that they too can follow on my path to wellness. Well through a friend, Wes Schaeffer an idea was born, a way to help others like myself with hope…..

The Living Through Faith Foundation was born of this idea and I would like for you to become a part of it. This foundation is designed to bring wellness through Help and Hope for Those Dealing With Terminal Illness. You can help us in many ways by donating old/used office stuff, paper, toner, envelopes and stamps. I am attempting to partner with HP, Dell, Microsoft and the many drug manufacturers who’s products have brought me this far. If at all possible we would like to receive cash donations of any amount, small or whatever and I promise you will be remembered in our prayers, on my blogs and on my website.

Please take time to pray about this and if you can, support us in this endeavor, this ministry. Fear is a terrible thing but the many that suffer from these fears need not to because the Lord is there to guide and guard us along the way.

Please take time to visit our website and our blogs and I pray you make a decision to help out.

Sincerely in Christ Jesus,

William (Bill) Karabinus

dba WK Enterprises

402 Mockingbird Lane #5

Cabot, AR 72023

Phone: 501-628-1824

Email: wdkarabinus@gmail.com

http://wkenterprises.webs.com/

http://wdkarabinus.wordpress.com/

http://wdkarabinus.blogspot.com/

Listen My Son — Benedictine Wisdom for Fathers

2012-01-16T07:37:00.000-06:00

Listen My Son — Benedictine Wisdom for Fathers