Why I believe we still need Jesus.

Disclaimer: You might want to know why I am posting this on my homeschool blog, but it definitely has something to do why we homeschool at all...to know Christ as our Saviour.


I am sitting here at 1:25AM at the computer desk. You ask why? Well, it's mostly me thinking about the today's event I had today (well yesterday). I am currently taking a 2-day course called ASIST training. What is that?

ASIST Suicide Prevention

To combat suicide, The Chapel is offering a vital two day course, in Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training, or ASIST. The program is open to any Soldier or civilian interested in understanding suicide and helping others.

Many don't know my past, but I have been in a situation in my teen years that made me grow up a little too fast, too hard. It had to deal with suicide.

I have grown up realizing that in any situation, some situations will happen whether you want them to or Not and or if we are ready for it. Going through this type of training, made me wonder about why this isn't taught in high schools today...

Anyway, what really bugs me and why I can't sleep—is the simple statement one Chaplain said during his segment of the training.

Basically there are three phases to assisting a person who is thinking about suicide.

1. Connecting
2. Understanding
3. Assisting


Bottom line if we are made known of someone who wants to commit suicide or thinking about it and they reach out to you...there is some hope to life for them, to live outside the hurt, pain, and/or trauma in their lives and there is something we can do--Listen.

In my group we had a full spectrum of people who had personal experiences with one or MANY suicides (family and friends)to not knowing anyone personally, from people who genuinely care for others-to not wanting to get involved too much-to the other end of the spectrum of –who cares- if they want to do it, then let them do it. (I'll show you where to get the ammo.)

Military life is hard. We all came to agree that anyone (REALLY) is at risk for suicide.

PCS moves, deployments, illness, death of a loved one, death of a pet, adultery, rape, job loss or no jobs, overseas living, racism and the list goes on and on.

With Military life you can actually deal with one or more of these life stressors and most of the time ALL at once! I feel though...that the only way to handle this is really how that person deals with life in general, do they have a support system, do they have others who listen to them (when needed), do they have a faith-based support system? (which is key to me)

Anyway, back to the Chaplain. He mentioned all these stressors as an example. One example that goes on a lot inside and probably outside military life; Soldier is deployed, wife is back home wants a divorce, taking all the kids and leaving a financial ruin for him to come back to.

Sad situation right? Yes, very. What do you say to a person who is dealing with all that? Who says he has no reason to live? We've learned that you need to ask specific question.

1. How are you doing?
2. Are you thinking about suicide?
3. Do you have plan?
4. What is that plan?
5. Get Resources for them and quick.
6. Follow up

That's basically it in a nutshell....

Again back to the Chaplain. He said that some or MOST Chaplains want to tell them about Jesus—as a joke. Well, I beg a differ Mr. Chaplain. I think that IS the right thing to do.

I totally understand the urgency to get the help. I do. BUT that only goes so far.

Back to the Soldier situation – wife is leaving, divorce is there, children are in the mix, finances are ruined. Yeah, who wouldn't want to think about ending it all?

BUT---like my husband has said before...Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem.

Going to the mental health person or Chaplain --you may get something out of them, but there's never a real fix to the problem. One quote that I love is this: “Christ is a substitute for everything, but nothing is a substitute for Christ.” -H.A. Ironside --And I whole-heartily agree with that!


I have been to seminars where, as a family, living for Christ is the way to go. You are covered under the protection of Christ. Think of it in this way (the way it was explained to us)... think of an umbrella; the husband is head of houshold, to love his wife as the way he loves Christ; the wife is to submit to authority because God is head of Husband, so then comes Husband to wife. (YES—that is Biblical) and then so forth with Children...to obey their parents. This ACTUALLY creates harmony –when everyone is doing there part.

So now you have a wife back home who is having an affair or whatever, she thinks she doesn't need her husband because he is deployed and not there...and then the children are not seeing a family of unity but a breakdown in the family...never mind that they don't go to church or worse are not being raised up in the fear and admonition of the Lord. (Ephesians 4:6)

There's the breakdown, no unity, no respect for the Word, and we wonder why there's a breakdown in families...the military divorce rate is through the roof.

To say that Christ has nothing to do with suicide prevention is FOOLISH, STUPID, and DANGEROUS.

No one likes to talk about it, Chaplains can't express their 'religion' on the Soldier...so what is he or she there for?? A glorified conselor with some religious tendencies??

Yes, I was irked. Disclaimer: I KNOW that not all Chaplains are this way and there and MANY FINE Chaplains in the Military and serving our Soldiers well. But come on---if you know the truth, read a Bible here and there. You KNOW the consequences of a person being UNSAVED and killing themselves.

Doesn't that bother them? Doesn't that bother anyone?? It does me, hence ---I am up late and I have to be up early in the AM.


Making fun of Christ to me was not the answer and a little appalling to say the least. Telling a person to just talking to a mental health rep isn't the answer either –quick fix (maybe) –but not the answer.

As a Healthcare major and with previous experiences from Nursing homes to ER to observing life in general...people just want to be loved. Bottom Line. To be respected, to be loved, for someone to care.

Through my experiences I have learned this along the way...my only wish is that I knew this when I needed to.

So, what I am saying is that...don't make fun of people, don't be a bully, and be the Good Samaritan. We STILL need those in this dying world we call home. A fantastic verse and our family verse is this:

“While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen [are] temporal; but the things which are not seen [are] eternal.” - 2 Cor. 4:18

We need to stop looking at the temporary and start looking at the eternal, because in the end that IS what matters.