Deborah Howard, RN, CHPN (Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse), and her husband, Theron, live near Little Rock, Arkansas, where she divides her time between writing, lecturing and working as a hospice nurse. She has worked in various nursing fields. However, it was when she found hospice care that she discovered her nursing passion. She views her work with hospice as a personal ministry that has given her great satisfaction. "Many people tell me they don't see how I could love this particular field of nursing," she says, "but I tell them it is a most rewarding profession. At the end of every day, I go home knowing, with absolute certainty, that I've made a significant difference in someone's life." Deborah is a versatile musician and an avid tennis player and tennis official. She enjoys the arts, reading, decorating, gardening, movies, word games, cooking and spending time with friends and family. She is a member of the Bible Church of Little Rock and treasures her time in the study of God's word, both corporately and personally.
A Word from the Author:
“Sunsets" began as a labor of love, an attempt to help people deal with the difficult issues surrounding the end of life. I wanted to put this information into the maximum number of hands because, well, death will affect each one of us. This topic is relevant to everyone! Though I wrote it within the specific confines of the subject of death and dying, the content of this book can easily be applied to any event that threatens to break your heart – the break-up of a relationship, getting passed over for a promotion you felt you deserved, dealing with chronic pain or illness, losing your house and everything in it to a disaster. We don’t have to look very far to see pain and suffering all around us. This book is for all those who have asked themselves, ‘Where is God in all of this?’ or ‘What did I do to deserve this?’ But it is also for those who want to discover ways to comfort and help a loved one who is experiencing this lonesome journey. It is for those who find comfort themselves in the promises of God.
Let me tell you a little about Sunsets. Its organization serves as the framework of the book. Each chapter begins with a fictional account of a man diagnosed with cancer in Chapter 1. In each subsequent chapter, he’s a little further progressed in his illness, dealing with specific issues that pertain to the theme of the chapter. Each chapter also includes a Case Study. The Case Studies are all true stories. All the names have been changed to protect patient confidentiality with the exception of the study in Chapter 4. (I used real names in that one at the family's request.) In the body of the book, the reader will find both spiritual food for thought, and practical information regarding the physical and nursing implications of the dying process.
I love this book, not just because I wrote it but because of the truth it contains. My brother, John, was diagnosed with cancer about the time I was working on my final rewrite. His illness caught my entire family by surprise. As I worked through the book, I found it ministering to my own heart, reminding me of the precious truths that kept me from despair. No, it didn't stop the heartache over John’s illness and death, but it refreshed my spirit and saturated my mind with the promises God gave us in the Bible. I was confronted over and over with His faithfulness to care for His people. I found it astounding that my book could be a salve for my own bruised heart. It served to strengthen my belief that these truths do serve to comfort the hurting. From the comments I’ve received from readers all over the country, God seems to be working through the humble vessel of Sunsets: Reflections for Life’s Final Journey. If you’re one of those who are suffering loss, may you find comfort and restoration in this book and may it point you toward our Savior, Jesus Christ.
It's Not Fair!
This book was co-authored with Dr. Wayne Mack. It came about as a result of sitting under his teaching during the summer of 2006 at the Bible Church of Little Rock. The course was called Truth for Life, a life-changing experience. Dr. Mack asserts that a proper theology is necessary to effectively live a life pleasing to Christ. One session concerned the "it's not fair" attitude. The material was so good that my husband and I suggested Dr. Mack write a book about it. To my amazement, he said he would on one condition -- that I help him with it. He is so busy with all the different fingers of his ministry that he just didn't have time to sit down and write a book. So he endowed me with all his notes, his power-point slides and other material relating to this subject and allowed me to add my own material and then to turn it all into a book. He took the finished product and "Mackinized" it -- writing the introduction, the study questions, revising some of the writing and adding his own personal touches. Thus, It's Not Fair! came about. I consider it an honor and a privilege to work with him on this important book and hope there will be more in the making in the future.
It is designed to come alongside the sufferer who thinks their life, circumstances, situations, etc is not fair and somehow blame God for their problems. That's a very painful place to be. So what can we do to comfort them? A big, friendly, warm group hug? No, that only feels good for as long as it's going on. What actually meets the person where they are and moves them beyond the pain into a greater spiritual maturity is meditating upon the attributes of God. Through the work of the Holy Spirit, we can rise from our hopelessness by turning our tortured minds from our own misery to the utter faithfulness and reliability of God, as well as considering His attributes, and find our hope in HIM once more. This book was released in October 2008 by P&R Publishing.
Where is God in All of This?
Chapter 6 of Sunsets was the watershed chapter of the book. I had several requests to make that chapter into a stand-alone book. It is currently used by some pastors and counselors in their counseling sessions. So I rewrote the chapter and expanded the material to form Where is God in All of This? In essence, what I did was remove the hospice element, the death and dying element, the fictional account and the case study and concentrated on the theological discussion of the purposes of suffering. I gave each purpose its own chapter and added relevant material, illustrations, biblical arguments and lots of scripture. Where is God in All of This? is designed to help those who find themselves asking this painful question. I pray it will point you to the source of all comfort -- to the Lord Jesus Christ. This book was released in April 2009 by P&R Publishing. Currently, I am enjoying the flurry of activity associated with the release of a book -- the newspaper announcements, book signings, radio interviews and now even a TV interview. Where is God in All of This? is meeting with excellent reviews and I am so gratified by the exposure it's getting.
For those of you interested in viewing the TV interview with Time for Hope, please tune in to your Christian channels on the week of November 9. Go to their website to find a channel in your viewing area. Or if you'd like to see the interview you may watch it in its entirety on their website. Just click the image on the View Full Episodes area. www.timeforhope.com.
I've just finished editing a couple of new projects for Dr. Wayne Mack. Please buy a copy as soon as they're available! I heartily endorse each one. The first is a small booklet about a subject you rarely read anything about! It's called, "In-Laws: Married with Parents" It is the be all and end all about in-law relationships! It is not only for the married couple but for the parents of the married couple and clearly lays out biblical boundaries and descriptions of the role each should play. I urge you to purchase a copy for any young couple contemplating marriage. The other project is not published yet, but will be next year. It is called, "Maximum Impact." It takes the familiar passage of 1 Corinthians 13 and applies it to our lives with a perspective I don't think you've considered before! I've never heard it before. But it takes those verses and says that if you want to influence others for Christ in a maximum way, you must apply these various characteristics of a godly love to your own life and in your relationships with others. Dr. Mack again hits the target with this book.
I've just returned from the NANC Conference in Spartanburg, SC. In those few days, I was able to hear some powerful and timely messages from great men of God, and to have the privilege of witnessing the tribute to a great man in the field of biblical counseling -- Dr. Jay Adams. This NANC Conference was essentially the last public event in which he would participate or attend. So I was there to hear his final few messages, which were as strong and efficient as ever. At age 80, his health is not such that he can continue to travel. As I understand it, he will continue his written ministry from the comfort of his home.
Thank you for visiting my website.
My lectures and presentations are an outreach of my personal ministry to comfort the hurting. I speak on a variety of subjects, including Preparing for Approaching Death, Where is God in All This Suffering?, The Purposes of Suffering, Comfort & Compassion, Handling Adversity with a Godly Attitude, Pushing Through Depression, God's Answers to Our Perception of Unfairness or any of the other topics covered in Sunsets, Where is God in All of This? or It's Not Fair! I use humor and music as much as possible to punctuate such heavy topics with hope and balance. Contact me if you believe your group or event could benefit from this lecture ministry.
You may contact me at: Sunsets@DeborahHoward.Net or write to me at 7306 Terry Lynn Drive, Benton, AR 72019. I may not be able to answer each letter, but I assure you I'll read and consider every comment. Sunsets, Where is God in All of This? and It's Not Fair! can be purchased at any major retail or online bookstore or Christian bookstore or you may purchase a copy online at:
www.amazon.com, www.Christianbook.com. or www.prpbooks.com
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