Praying For Maine: Do Prayers Work?

Praying for Maine? I think it can at least help. I'll explain.

As we close the week with heartache and pain, thanks to another senseless shooting, it's especially close to home, being in Maine. Too close. If you want to know the story, all you have to do is look down at your phone and you will be deluged with sadness, with the reports of the shooter, still at large, with families of lost loved ones coping, trying to make sense of this. We cannot make sense of it.

I won't take this platform to debate this long debated issue. Many will say it's a gun problem. On the other side many will say that, states with the toughest gun laws experience as much or more gun violence than states with lesser laws. Some say in rural areas, with less law enforcement available, families must protect themselves with responsible gun ownership.

Many argue that these constant shooting events, can now be pointed to mental illness. In this recent shooting, it is reported that family members of the shooter warned police of increased signs of mental illness.  According to NBC News:

The family of the Army reservist accused of fatally shooting more than a dozen people in Lewiston, Maine, alerted police and military officials that he was experiencing an “acute” mental health episode before the Wednesday night massacre, his sister-in-law said.

The accused shooter, Robert Card, a firearms instructor, after being fitted for a new hearing aid, claimed to his family that he started "hearing voices accusing him of bad things." This information alarmed the family, who claimed they alerted police and military.

When we hear the phrase Thoughts and Prayers, we see a lot of pushback these days, understandably.  People feel that just saying that phrase, isn't enough, as more action is needed, not just words. But are they just words?

Personally, I think praying, is an actual conversation that takes place between ourselves, and our higher self, the higher power, that's within us. I believe that higher power is simply, God. Now, for those that are not so religious, or are not believers, let's call it another name.

We can call it Universal Power, Jesus, Buddha, Moses, science or what ever that ENERGY is, that powers all around us, and IN us. But we can't argue, that it must be something. 

What do you call that feeling of watching those videos of a military vet coming home, surprising his high school child at a basketball game. Or when we see a dog reunited with their owner when they return home after a military deployment? How about the video of the infant, hearing her Mom for the first time, after getting ear implants. You can see the little infant baby cry, happy tears at the voice of her loving Mom.

This power I am talking about, could it be LOVE?

It is the same power, that starts the day our hearts begin to beat, until the day we transition. The same power that powers the sun forever, and same sun power that's in our bodies known as Vitamin D. How is it that the sun is 93 million miles away, but we can feel its heat on our face? Add to that, how is it that we, the planet is hurling through space at 67,000 miles per hour, yet, we feel nothing?

I feel that when we are praying for Maine, or for any prayers, they are not just words. When we pray, we tap into this very same energy, and transfer it to others that need it.

Praying for Maine, is not just words. It's much much more. It's an energy that we are sending to those that need it most, that will begin the process of healing, growth and solutions.

To me, that's an Amen. Thank you for reading.

If you want to make a donation to help the families affected, you can click here for more.

You can hear Jaybeau each weekday afternoon from 2pm to 7pm on 1057 WROR.

More than ever people need positive phrases to the help them everyday, and luckily an esteemed Harvard Psychologist has determined the nine positive phrases we should use everyday. Let's face it, times are tough, we have been through a lot in the past few years. We endured a global pandemic that has probably changed our world forever in more ways than we could have ever imagined. Is it true that tough times make tough people? Perhaps, but knowing how to deal with stress is the key.

Having confidence in yourself is more vital than ever. Let's face it, even with the advent of social media and the internet, we are more isolated than ever. Sure, you see your friends and family everyday online, but we see them less often now in the digital world. You are relying on yourself to "coach up" and "build up" the confidence needed to navigate this brave new world.

Forget the axiom that stress builds character, it also builds emotional scars that can last a lifetime. If you find yourself in need of some motivation, these simple nine positive phrases just might give the added lift of confidence that you're looking for.  Of course none of us will get through life without a modicum of stress, and the idea that we can all lead stress free lives is fantasy.

Dr. Cortney S. Warren, PhD, is a board-certified psychologist and author of “Letting Go of Your Ex.” She specializes in marriages, love addiction and breakups, and received her clinical training at Harvard Medical School. She has written nearly 50 peer-reviewed journal articles and delivered more than 75 presentations on the psychology of relationships. Follow her on Twitter @DrCortneyWarren.

The Dr says, "developing resilience requires getting to a place where you can see difficult life circumstances for what they are, and actively choosing to let them go." When you can let the little and sometime big things go, you are on your way to a better you!

"The key to resilience is not denying reality or seeking out a reason that makes us feel better about why something happened." Like football coaches preach, you are what your record says you are.

"We are hardwired to notice threats to our well-being but people who are resilient find a way to turn towards the positive even in times of difficulty." As your grandmother might have said, "count your blessings."

"A key component of resilience is emotional flexibility, or the ability to regulate your feelings, and reduce their intensity in a given situation." Sometimes you need to step back and take stock of things, you might have a better perspective with just a little more time.

"Openness to experiences and ability to shift your perspective. Ask, why did this happen to me too what can I take from this to help me grow? Can help you better navigate through life‘s inevitable ups and downs." Life's learning lessons continue long after you finish school.

"For resilient people believe that setbacks and challenges can feel horrible in the moment, but that nothing in life is permanent. It doesn’t mean that the pain will go away entirely, but it does mean that we can work to make them less traumatic over time."

"Resilience is associated with a basic acceptance that life isn’t always fair and that we all experience emotional hardships excepting this truth helps people to not take things personally." Nobody ever said life is easy, it can be hard a lot of the time, so when you accept that it's natural to have struggles, the more you will be able to face those hardships.

"Being resilient means that when you experience the pain of this treatment you shift your perspective from I’m a victim and powerless to help myself to. How can I grow from this?

"Emotional resilience is associated with grit and mental toughness. There is an understanding that we have to be strong and overcome adversity without letting it break us." This is a powerful affirmation that you should use whenever you're feeling up against a hard time, remind yourself that yes, I can get through this, than you give yourself a fighting chance.