The Thread of Life!

National Mental Health Month!

"Good mental health is a state of well -being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully and is able to make a contribution to his or her community." World Health Organization."

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"Good mental health is a state of well being in which a person can cope with the stresses of being homeless, sleeping on the streets, not having family or have society to care for one as a person and is able to measure one's worth not by successes or?failures, but simply but by one's ability to survive day to day ! (Fr. River Damien Sims).

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"But I do not count my life any value to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the good news of God's grace!" Acts 20:24.NRSVeu

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Good mental health outside of our present system is found in a quote used by me some time ago:

"Good mental health is a state of well being in which a person can cope with the stresses of being homeless, sleeping on the streets, not having family or have society to care for one as a person and is able to measure one's worth not by successes failures, but simply but by one's ability to survive day to day ! (Fr. River Damien Sims).

This is essentially the definition our author, Heather Masco, demonstrated in The Thread of Life through the poetry of her journey through the healing of sexual abuse.

Masco demonstrates how through her faith in Christ she begins the healing of her trauma, and learns to forgive the man who abused her. Her faith sustained continues to hold her in the arms of Jesus, and through that holding of her life finds wholeness.

As I looked at Heather's story I thought of the mental health of LGBTQ kids and adults.

In my story on the our website of www.temenos.org, I glorify my years on the street, and coming out. The truth is the years on the street, and coming out have been pure hell, and it was Christ who is my foundation. I only found one therapist, a psychiatrist, that for ten years lead me through my coming out process.

There is so much homophobia in our churches, even the ones that pride themselves on being open and affirming that it is impossible to truly be open. I know of no church that have youth groups for LGBTQ kids.

No place in the institutional churches for their meeting to discuss their issues.

People often say "You are against the Church!" LOL! What I am against ARE churches not being open to youth,especially LGBTQ youth. I love the Church. I am a priest and very honored and proud to be one!

Today our ability, to "survive day to day" is the mental health gift we can give to youth and adults. Personally, for me that is enough!

Walking the way of the Kingdom is truly being open and in doing so assisting others on their journey of mental health

Like Paul, my time is coming to an end as all of our times are, and like Dorothy Day I feel each day that "I try". So join together in that "trying", and in walking, with others day to day. We are all clinging to The Thread of Life!"

"But I do not count my life any value to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the good news of God's grace!" Acts 20:24.NRSVeu.

Deo Gratias! Thanks be to God!

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Father River Damien Sims, sfw, D.Min., D.S.T.

P.O. Box 642656

San Francisco, CA 94164

www.temenos.org

415-305-2124

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As of now I am planning to attend the following course, as my sabbatical as I enter our thirty years of ministry. Would love for someone to join me in this adventure:

The thirteenth Annual INTERNATIONAL COURSE in INDIA

“Gandhian Nonviolence: Theory & Application”

COST: Tuition, Room & Board FREE (though donations are accepted); all other

expenses regarding travel to & from India, visas, healthcare, & other spending is

the responsibility each course participant. Once in India, a total personal expense

budget equiv. of $300 per month would be reasonable (less, if one is very frugal).

DURATION: 4 months (Sept. 30 th , 2023 thru Jan 30 th , 2024). A Course Diploma will

be issued in a final graduation ceremony at Gujarat Vidyapith.

LOCATION: Gujarat Vidyapith, a university founded by Mahatma Gandhi in 1920,

(see: www.gujarat vidyapith.org) will host the first 2 months of the course during

which International Students attend classes weekdays, have housing on campus,

are provided vegetarian meals, and are given access to exercise facilities including

a large indoor swimming pool (free of charge). Centered in the historic city of

Ahmadabad (pop. 7.7 million), the urban campus enjoys a mild autumn climate

and is near Gandhi’s Sabbatical (Satyagraha) Ashram where the 1930 Salt March

began. Faculty associated with India’s oldest Gandhi Studies Program will teach

the course while assuming little or no prior knowledge of Gandhi or India.

To better understand the application of Gandhian nonviolence theory to practice,

December and January will include course field trips involving 5-10 days each at a

Nephropathy Center, an Organic Farm, the Institute of Total Revolution at Vedchi,

the Gandhi Research Foundation at Jalgoan, and other experiential learning travel

opportunities. Students will be accompanied by the Course Coordinator and/or

another faculty member with transportation & on-site expenses free of charge.

ACADEMIC CREDIT can be earned via arrangements that may be made by each

student with an educational institution in their home country. Examples of

mechanisms which may exist to be utilized have included credits awarded for

“Independent Study”, “Cooperative Education”, “Service Learning Internships” or

other devices negotiated by a student with their home institution prior to their

departure to India. Such arrangements need not require MOUs for credit transfer.

APPLICATION

SEND TO: [email protected] with cc to: [email protected]

NAME (First, Middle, Last): ____________________________________

Address: __________________________________________ Country: _________

Email: ___________________________ Cell Phone: ________________________

Brief Bio (including educational background & activist profile):

Why I am interested in taking this course:

SIGNATURE: __________________________________ Date: ____________

DUE DATE: May 31, 2023.

(If accepted, a $20