Just about any where there are Vets there is a Point Man presence

Point Man turning lost into found and healed

PTSD Patrol
Kathie Costos
May 16, 2020

From Point Man's website

Since 1984, when Seattle Police Officer and Vietnam Veteran Bill Landreth noticed he was arresting the same people each night, he discovered most were Vietnam vets like himself that just never seemed to have quite made it home. He began to meet with them in coffee shops and on a regular basis for fellowship and prayer. Soon, Point Man Ministries was conceived and became a staple of the Seattle area. Bills untimely death soon after put the future of Point Man in jeopardy.

However, Chuck Dean, publisher of a Veterans self help newspaper, Reveille, had a vision for the ministry and developed it into a system of small groups across the USA for the purpose of mutual support and fellowship. These groups are known as Outposts. Worldwide there are hundreds of Outposts and Homefront groups serving the families of veterans.

PMIM is run by veterans from all conflicts, nationalities and backgrounds. Although, the primary focus of Point Man has always been to offer spiritual healing from PTSD, Point Man today is involved in group meetings, publishing, hospital visits, conferences, supplying speakers for churches and veteran groups, welcome home projects and community support. Just about any where there are Vets there is a Point Man presence. All services offered by Point Man are free of charge.

From Wounded Times September 21, 2007

The leader of the Newark post, Russ Clark, is a retired Marine who fought in Vietnam. Clark was a Methodist minister for 25 years before leaving the pastorate due to life upheaval brought on by Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. He knows firsthand the devastation PTSD can bring into the lives of veterans and their families.

“I lost a family. I lost a ministry. Point Man is now my calling,” Clark explained. He said helping other veterans has brought him great healing. He encourages other veterans to reach out to those with similar experiences.

read it here

Yes we can prevent veteran suicides

Preventing suicides is only impossible if we do nothing

Over half a lifetime ago, I started working with veterans with PTSD and their families. Why? Because it was a matter of life or death. Over the years it became apparent that peer support worked best, but having an educated peer was better than anything else.

Want to change a life? Learn what PTSD is and then start to change the conversation from doom and gloom, to "adapt, improvise and overcome!"

That is what Point Man International Ministries started to do in 1984 and proved healing was possible when people are joined together to open doors few knew existed.

Can community engagement prevent veteran suicides?

VAntage Point
Mike Richman
April 29, 2020

Specifically, the team interviewed participants within a week of their discharge from an inpatient psychiatric unit. They discovered Veterans analyzed for psychiatric conditions, such as PTSD, are at much greater risk than other cohorts of taking their own lives within three months after leaving the hospital.

Social isolation and feelings of loneliness are associated with suicidal thoughts. Consequently, the more people feel disconnected from their friends, peers and colleagues, the more isolated they become.

One antidote for social isolation is social connectedness. That is, people coming together and interacting. But there's been little research on suicide prevention programs that target social connectedness.

Dr. Jason Chen of the VA Portland Health Care System is leading a study to establish a stronger sense of social connectedness for Veterans at high risk of suicide. He's doing this by increasing their participation in community activities.

Chen and his team have been identifying the community engagement needs and preferences of Veterans who have been hospitalized and evaluated for psychiatric conditions. Specifically, the team interviewed participants within a week of their discharge from an inpatient psychiatric unit. They discovered Veterans analyzed for psychiatric conditions, such as PTSD, are at much greater risk than other cohorts of taking their own lives within three months after leaving the hospital.
read it here on We Are The Mighty

Sharing pain is often healing for us and gives comfort to others

When you know your work is not worthless

PTSD Patrol
Kathie Costos
March 25, 2020

During this time of isolation, it has been really hard to fight depression, especially when my life has been about helping veterans and their families. My husband and I are both over 60 and have health problems. Being out with people is dangerous for me, but more so for him. It is also dangerous for all others. Knowing that isolation is very hard on veterans, especially when they have PTSD, rips at my soul!

I just put up a video for the leaders in Point Man International Ministries, knowing that if I am going through all of this, they must be too. Sharing pain is often healing for us and gives comfort to others going through the same thing. Knowing you are not alone is empowering!
read it here

What do we receive in return for our time than to see a veteran's life change from hopelessness to healing?

Faith In Healing PTSD Hardly New

Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
February 20, 2020

The recent news about the Department of Veterans Affairs joining forces with faith based groups is something wonderful, yet troubling at the same time.

While more and more groups have been popping up all over the country for over a decade, we have been wondering if any of them noticed what others had already begun long before these new leaders heard the term Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Wondering what else did they miss?

It is obvious they missed a group dedicated to delivering the awesome power of healing through peer support based on someone else who knew what it was like to be willing to sacrifice His life for the sake of others...Jesus.

If even the Son of God asked for help, there should be no stigma associated with needing your peers to help you. After all, none of you looked down on those you were sent to help. If you were willing to die for their sake, as well as the sake of those you served with, turning to them for your own sake makes sense.

So why is it that the stigma lives on, as strong as ever, while you were brave enough to serve, are afraid to communicate with those you served with?

Point Man International Ministries has been clearing the road to #TakeBackYourLife since 1984 because a Vietnam veteran knew the price he paid for his service in Vietnam, as well as, the price he was willing to pay as a police officer in Seattle Washington.

Leaders in Point Man have been working with the Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals all over the country for years because it works. Yet, much like the 72 Jesus sent to care for others, no one knows their names.

Jesus Sends Out the Seventy-Two
After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.
Luke 10:1-2 New International Version (NIV)

They did not want to glorify themselves, they just wanted to freely share what they had been given by Jesus. It did not matter that no one knew their names, but it was they joy they received in doing the work they were sent to do that mattered the most.

The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.”

He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

We live with that joy everyday! There is nothing to compare to what we receive in return for our time than to see a veteran's life change from hopelessness to healing! To see you go from feeling abandoned by God, to knowing you are loved!

New Veterans Affairs rule helps religious organizations provide quality services

Washington Times
By Mike Berry
February 19, 2020

Illustration on veterans and suicide by Linas Garsys/The Washington Times

America faces a crisis of epidemic proportions. The number of Americans who take their own lives by suicide each day is staggering and sobering. Even one suicide is heartbreaking; a recent study estimated that 135 surviving people are affected by each suicide.

The latest data show that 17 veterans tragically take their own lives each day, and the rate shows no sign of slowing. Veterans comprise only 7.9 percent of the U.S. population, yet account for 13.5 percent of all suicides.

Americans know something has to be done to help the men and women who have selflessly served our nation, often resulting in terrible, unseen wounds. Thankfully, some Americans have answered the call to help those “who have borne the battle.”
read it here

What if Jesus did not ask for help?

Even Jesus Needed Help

PTSD Patrol
Kathie Costos
February 6, 2020

Is needing help to heal PTSD still a sign of weakness to you? Too many believe it is, yet they do not consider it to be a wise thing to do. There is not much that can be accomplished by someone without someone else to help them, believe in them and be willing to stand by their side.

If you are suffering right now because you were willing to sacrifice your life for the sake of others, and struggling, there is something you need to be reminded of.

What if Jesus did not ask for help? The Son of God did ask for it many times.

First He asked Peter and Andrew.

Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee. He saw two brothers. They were Simon (his other name was Peter) and Andrew, his brother. They were putting a net into the sea for they were fishermen. Jesus said to them, “Follow Me. I will make you fish for men!” At once they left their nets and followed Him.

And He asked again

Going from there, Jesus saw two other brothers. They were James and John, the sons of Zebedee. They were sitting in a boat with their father, mending their nets. Jesus called them. At once they left the boat and their father and followed Jesus.

And He asked again,
read it here

Time for change into spiritual recovery

Post Traumatic Spiritual Recovery

Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
January 27, 2020

Maybe you told yourself there is no hope for you. Maybe you convinced yourself that you deserve to suffer from what PTSD is doing to you. Maybe, if you think about it long enough, you will see that what it is doing to you, has more to do with how you see yourself, than the power PTSD should have over you.

Someone must have told you that PTSD has something to do with "what is wrong with you" instead of reminding you that it came because of what is strong within you. The very thing that gave you the desire and ability to risk your life for the sake of others, it what was strongest within you. That is where PTSD entered and that is where you have to fight it.

Among other things, like making you think you are a victim of "it" or "damaged" because of all you survived, it wants you weaken what you know to be true. It wants you to be afraid and hide your wounds, to be silently suffering, masquerading as if you have been untouched by what you lived through. In other words, it feeds off all you have forgotten about yourself, in order to destroy what was, and still is, best about you...that magnificent spirit God sent to this earth for the sake of others.

So do not fear, for I am with you;

do not be dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you and help you;

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Isaiah 41:10 New International Version (NIV)

He put it within you to want to serve others. You had the courage to risk your life and the ability to endure the hardships that came with your job. He also put within you all you would need to recover from what you had to go through to do everything you had to do.

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord,
“plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give
you hope and a future."

Jeremiah 29:11 New International Version (NIV)

Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.

Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:4-8 King James Version (KJV)

If you want to start Post Traumatic Spiritual Recovery, contact Point Man so they can lead you in the right direction.

We do not achieve that thing we want to do without hope

Understand that hope is what keeps all of us going

Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
January 18, 2020

There comes a time when you begin to understand that hope is what keeps all of us going, not just in our time, but since time began.

You cannot read the Bible and not see what it was like for people of faith to struggle in their lives. The thing that all of us need to remember, is that faith means we do not struggle alone. We do not fight our battles all by ourselves.

We do not achieve that thing we want to do without hope, or even try without it.

Corinthians 13:13 GOD’S WORD

So these three things remain: faith, hope, and love. But the best one of these is love.

Think about if what you wanted to do, was because you loved. If it was based on love, like the type of love Jesus had, then you may wonder why you are suffering. You missed the part where Jesus suffered too for not just those He loved, but for all generations to come into this world.
John 11:35-36

 Jesus wept.

 Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”

Faith does not mean we will have a great life with no problems at all. It means we are not alone and can hope for better days. If we love, it does not mean that we will not suffer for love, but it does mean that Jesus does understand what we go through and is always by our side.

All of the following came from a time that began with pain, but they clung onto hope.

Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:

he leadeth me beside the still waters.

3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Isaiah 40:31

but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Romans 15:13

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

John 15:13

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

If you are suffering because of the job you did, willing to lay down your life, not just for your friends, but for the sake of total strangers, then know, you are understood, you are loved and you can heal. What you needed to do your job, was already inside of you and what you need to heal, because of your job, is already in there too.

You did not fight those battles alone then...and you do not have to fight alone now.

This is from the new President of Point Man International Ministries.

When I came home from Iraq in November of 2003 I did not know anything about PTSD. I definitely did not think I was affected by it, but others around me could see that something was very different about me. After I was referred to the clinic that diagnosed me with it, I struggled and things didn’t feel quite real. My wife is actually the one that searched and reached out to Point Man and while I was going through the process of getting out of the Army, one of the outpost leaders here in Oklahoma rode down on his motorcycle to visit with us. He was a Vietnam veteran and I was out training when he made the trip, but his visit planted a seed that would grow. After I got out I became friends with several more leaders through Point Man that were also veterans of other conflicts but they had all been down the path that I was winding my way through, and I realized that we had a common bond that transcended my time in Iraq. They were my friends, brothers, mentors, and they helped me to forge my way through the chaos that was all around me that I was not able to comprehend on my own.

Most veterans are used to working with a team, squad, or platoon; Yet for some reason when we separate from that life we try to take on the struggle on our own. We are not meant to take it on by ourselves, the men and women of Point Man Ministries are here to “walk point” with you whether it’s a veteran with a phone or one of our groups around the country. Point Man outposts and homefronts are here for you and have the desire to help veterans and families dealing with PTSD to find the peace they are looking for.

If you are dealing with PTSD and would like to know more about PMIM, reach out and join us in our journey. We weren’t meant to carry this load alone, and with Christ's help we don't have to. Our nation is grateful for your service and sacrifices. Whenever and wherever you served, welcome home! We look forward to hearing from you!
Marcus King (President of PMIM)

Contact Point Man to find the way toward hope of a happier life. 1-800-877-8387
UPDATE
Benefits of Faith Based Counseling - Enlighten Yourself
By Featured Articles January 18, 2020

(Newswire.net -- January 17, 2020) -- Have you ever heard about the great benefits of faith based counseling? It is a therapy approach, which improves your relationships and mental status, and helps you cope with all kinds of life challenges. Christian counseling combines psychology principles and faith. It encourages Christians to accept God's will, even if it is not their will. Faith based counseling can be quite beneficial, because it aids you go through devastating events like the death of a loved person, health problems, financial troubles or relationship issues. A resilient faith is going to help you get back on your feet, and move on with your life.

Benefits of Faith Based Counseling
Christian counseling provides support for different problems such as mental illnesses, parental challenges, grief and loss. We all know deaths are always heartbreaking, but faith is what makes the grieving period less painful. Christian counseling is also beneficial for various marital problems and addictions. Sometimes people just need a little courage to admit they have a problem. Fortunately, faith counseling can make you take the first step to recovery, and change your life for the better. Now, let's take a more profound look at these enormous Christian counseling benefits.

Accepting Loss and Recovering From Grief
When you lose someone, the grief is excruciating, but this is the right time to lean on your faith. Many people think it is impossible to move on afterwards, but Christian counseling can be the salvation. It teaches people to accept reality and loss, honor and remember their loved one, and eventually heal from the pain.

Dealing With Mental Health Problems
People, who suffer from mental conditions like anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, etc. usually have low self-esteem and self-love. Christian counseling helps them learn they are children of God just like everybody else. The greatest thing about faith is that it provides you with support, comfort, and solace when you need them most. (click link for more)

We shall begin with what will change the rest of your life with PTSD!

The SOUL mission of healing PTSD

Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
January 8, 2020

There are so many misconceptions about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, that it would take too long to cover. We shall begin with what will change the rest of your life with PTSD!

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Jeremiah 29:11 New International Version (NIV)

You are not a victim! What tried to kill you lost and you survived, There is nothing to be ashamed of. Having experienced something like that, and being changed by it, it is time to experience healing so you can change again!

Understand PTSD is not a punishment from God, especially if you were willing to sacrifice your life for the sake of others.

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
John 15:13 King James Version (KJV)

Most of the following videos go back to 2006. While some of the numbers are outdated, the message of healing is timeless!

If your job caused the pain you feel right now, you need to know that everything you needed to do your job was in your soul. That is why you felt the tug to do what did, knowing the high price you would pay to do it. The great news is, whatever you need to heal the pain it caused you, is also within you!

If you grieve, then it was because you loved...not just your friends, but willing to lay down your life for strangers too.

If you trusted those you served with, with your life, then understand that while they were willing to die for you too, they will be more than willing to listen to you now! Let them help you come out of the darkness that has trapped you.

You can break through what has you trapped in misery by knowing IT IS POSSIBLE NOW!

Since 1984 Point Man International Ministries has been sharing what we know about healing and how to focus on what is possible.

If you look up Point Man statement of faith and our Mission statement you will find that our mission is based on doing the work that God intended us to do so that veterans know they are loved by Him.

PMIM is a service organization with an evangelical purpose. Keeping Jesus Christ the focal point PMIM acts as a referral service to connect hurting veterans and their families to our Outpost and Home Front system for continued support and fellowship. These support groups are available at no charge, and utilize the gospel of Jesus Christ and Biblical principles to facilitate healing and restoration.

Point Man was started by a Vietnam Veteran working as a police officer in Seattle. He knew they needed someone to listen to them and help them heal their spirits, as well as their minds and bodies.

If you have not received help yet, it is not too late for you to live a happier life, healing your wound. The word "trauma" is Greek for wound.

For female veterans, it is not too late to start over again too!

Isn't it time you started to live for love instead of just being willing to die for it?

Time for more owls to teach crickets how to scream about healing PTSD

Crickets found microphones to share good news you can use. You can heal PTSD!

PTSD Patrol
Kathie Costos
December 29, 2019

If you think that what you have heard about veterans committing suicide is useful information, think again. The only ones benefiting from it are the people raising funds for doing it. Everyone else is being reminded that others have given up, instead of learning how to fight back.

The help they needed to heal has been available for almost 4 decades, but the noise on social media is all about raising awareness that veterans are committing suicide while passing around a fictions number as if it is supposed to mean something. The only number that really means anything is the ONE who could not be reached in time to save them.

LADY MACBETH "I heard the owl scream and the crickets cry. Did not you speak?"

Time for more owls to teach crickets how to scream!

Cricket

With my work on PTSD, it usually comes up at the strangest times. When I was with my family for Christmas, we got into a conversation about when my ex-husband tried to kill me. Not a very pleasant subject for what was supposed to be a joyous day, but it turned out to be a lesson on healing.

When the police took my ex out of the apartment somehow I knew it was just the beginning of a nightmare. Shock wore off and I went into survivor mode fully prepared to fight whatever he had in mind.

I had nightmares and flashbacks, mood swings and everything else that goes with surviving traumatic events like that. The thing that I could not overcome was paranoia.

My ex always drove muscle cars. I used to love that sound but it became torturous.It is the sound I heard when he violated the restraining order. It is the sound I heard when he would follow me on the road. It is the sound that caused panic whenever I heard it coming from another car.
read it here

Congress did not invite Point Man to PTSD round table?

One of the first groups working on spiritual healing of veterans, was not invited to table?

Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
December 16, 2019

Definition of point man 1: a soldier who goes ahead of a patrol 2: one who is in the forefront

Any idea how many people will read Congress Holds Forum Discussing Potentials of Faith-Based Programs Helping Veterans Suffering PTSD and actually believe it is something new?

To say I am disappointed right now, would cause God to smack me in the head. He knows how angry I am about reading Congress has yet again, held a meeting with "faith base" groups working on PTDS. Why? Because on of the first groups to do this work, proved it worked back in 1984 and has been proving it every day since then!

Point Man International Ministries

Since 1984, when Seattle Police Officer and Vietnam Veteran Bill Landreth noticed he was arresting the same people each night, he discovered most were Vietnam vets like himself that just never seemed to have quite made it home. He began to meet with them in coffee shops and on a regular basis for fellowship and prayer. Soon, Point Man Ministries was conceived and became a staple of the Seattle area. Bills untimely death soon after put the future of Point Man in jeopardy.
However, Chuck Dean, publisher of a Veterans self help newspaper, Reveille, had a vision for the ministry and developed it into a system of small groups across the USA for the purpose of mutual support and fellowship. These groups are known as Outposts. Worldwide there are hundreds of Outposts and Homefront groups serving the families of veterans.
PMIM is run by veterans from all conflicts, nationalities and backgrounds. Although, the primary focus of Point Man has always been to offer spiritual healing from PTSD, Point Man today is involved in group meetings, publishing, hospital visits, conferences, supplying speakers for churches and veteran groups, welcome home projects and community support. Just about any where there are Vets there is a Point Man presence. All services offered by Point Man are free of charge.

We started working with Vietnam veterans and their families but did not shut the door to older veterans dealing with the same spiritual battle caused by war. We did not cut off the newer veterans from entering into our groups. The current President of Point Man, Paul Sluznis is an Iraq veteran.

Many of us had no idea where to go or who to talk to when we came home from our different conflicts. We had no clue we had PTSD or anxiety. Who thought they would still be clearing their own home 15 years after getting out of the military. I had no idea how to deal with any of these issues till my Bride found out about Point Man Ministries and I haven't looked back since.

Yet during the roundtable, this was said.

“We have been throwing millions of dollars into the military suicide issue, and many other military behavior health issues. The statistics keep getting worse and worse. We are not doing something right. We need to integrate faith-based solutions,” commented retired U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Bob Dees after the forum. Dees was also the former vice director for operational plans and interoperability for the Department of Defense (DOD). He also asserted that the faith-based solutions are incredibly important to veterans and the military. “I have found as a senior military commander over the many years that is what really works. We have got to heal not just heart and soul, but the very spirit of each one of our men and women wearing our nation’s uniform,” he stated.

They would not have had to throw "millions of dollars" as he mentioned had they actually looked to find groups that were not doing it for money or fame. As for the "millions" it is actually billions per year when you factor in all the groups taking in huge sums of donations.

Three faith-based veteran PTSD programs with successful track records were invited to present their stories and past experiences to the forum. They were Mighty Oaks Foundation, Reboot Recovery, and Operation Restored Warrior.

“A spiritual wound of a war needs a spiritual solution,” said Chad Robichaux, the founder of Mighty Oaks Foundation. He expressed after the forum that “I walked away very encouraged seeing that we have Congressional leaders who share our passion for our warriors, and also share our ideas.”

We don't just have the knowledge and plans in place to do this work, but have proven it all along. Any idea what the outcome would have been if anyone asked us to the table when the reports first came out?

Female veterans it is no longer acceptable to be forgotten warriors!

Female veterans it is no longer acceptable to be forgotten warriors! Isn't it time that your service mattered as much as the male veterans? Isn't it time that you received the same attention to your needs and wounds?

Hell, it isn't as if women did not fight since the Revolutionary War! Considering that women have earned ever medal for service, including the Medal of Honor after the Civil War, you deserve a lot more than you have been getting.

Point Man International Ministries is coming to the New Hampshire-Maine border just for you! My husband and I moved from Florida to Rochester New Hampshire. Point Man has asked me to open the first Out Post for female veterans. While I am not a veteran, the need is so great that we can no longer wait to find a female veteran to take the lead on this.

The goal is to begin to train women veterans from all generations to open their own Out Post and Home Fronts for families.

Consider the following and begin to understand why we can no longer wait for someone else to do it.

The need for female veterans is growing and will continue to grow as more women enter the military.

Military.com had this in 2019 report With Historic Number of Women in Uniform, the Vet Community Is About to Change

In fact, the number of women in the armed services -- and subsequent veteran population -- is rapidly increasing. According to the Defense Department, women now make up 20 percent of the Air Force, 19 percent of the Navy, 15 percent of the Army and almost 9 percent of the Marine Corps.

Women now make up approximately 10 percent of the current veteran population, the fastest-growing demographic. The number of female veterans treated at the VA almost tripled between 2000 and 2015. As a result of this rapid growth, the VA experienced difficulty meeting the clinical needs of female veterans at all sites of care.

For 2017 according to the VA report on Female Veterans 8,541 lived in New Hampshire and 9,103 lived in Maine.

And another report from the VA in 2018 focusing on female veterans indicated that "between 2005 and 2015 female veterans between the age of 35 and 54 had higher suicide rates than those in other age groups. While we seem fixated on the rise of veteran suicides in general, the most shocking find was that for male veterans the rate went up 35.3 but the rate for female veteran suicides went up 45.2 percent.

It is no longer a matter of we need to do better. It has become we have to do better right now and we have had enough years to get this right! Contact Kathie Costos at 407-754-7526 email woundedtimes@aol.com

After two months, Wounded Times is back in operation

Wounded Times is back

Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
December 1, 2019

After two months, Wounded Times is back in operation...although right now, I do believe only part of my brain arrived in our new home.

September 30th was our 35th anniversary. It was also the day we closed on our old home and headed up north. When the movers closed the door to the truck, we got into the car without a clue where we would end up living.

We headed to a La Quinta because they allow dogs and then I thought about how strange life was. It was our anniversary and I was unemployed because of the move. We were also basically homeless since the house we thought we were going to buy did not do well on the inspection. We had to start the search all over again.

The thought of all of this should have freaked me out but I cracked up laughing. Then I blurted out,"35th anniversary...I am unemployed and homeless! Yahoo! Road trip for our second honeymoon~We knew we had to do this so that we could live closer to our daughter.

I had to leave my job at Fidelity National Title and everyone on our team in Timeshares. After 5 years it was very hard leaving them since they were more than coworkers...they were family too.

Here is the catch up.

Our first real estate agents in Florida sucked big time! The house was over priced and they were not interested in earning their commission. (Never deal with people you think are supposed to be your friends.) The pictures were horrible and they stopped returning my phone calls. Long story short, I had to get a lawyer to get them to cancel the contract. We lost two months with them.

We got another agent Wes Garrison of ReMax and he knew what he was doing so well that he sold the house in less than 2 weeks. He also managed to keep me from losing my mind. He had a professional photographer show up with a drone and the pictures were so good, I was amazed our house could look like that...and we lived there for 15 years.

We lost count on how many people came to see it, but the best part of all is that the buyers were actually people we knew and very glad to know they are in the home we loved.

After we signed the agreement, Hurricane Humberto was going up the east coast, so we had to wait to fly to New Hampshire to find a house. We thought we found a great one just across the Maine border, made an offer, and flew back home. 

The inspection turned out to be lousy and we had to walk away. Since we had already agreed to sell our house, we did not want to go back on our word, so we started packing...and sweating it out.

On the move side we had Catherine Allen of Keller Williams Coastal Realty. Moving over 1,600 miles away is hard, but after the mess the first selling agent put us in, Catherine was a true blessing! She got me through all that with some sanity left, got me through the inspection on the house in Maine killing the deal and then when it was time to search again, she had what we wanted all lined up. 

We spent the first week of October on the road. Then we stayed with our good friends for two more weeks. We started looking the second week in October. Some houses were OK but not what we wanted. 

This house had just listed a couple of days before we saw it and we offered their asking price. They said "yes" and mortgage broker Brad Kelly of Annie Mac and his team were able to get us to the closing table early in November in less than a month after we saw it.

Murray had to be boarded and we missed him so much that we picked him up and went to the Governor's Inn in Rochester. 

All of the staff made the stay memorable. It was amazing how people can be so nice that you can feel as if you are home. I was so comfortable there, I started walking around the grounds with just my socks on to have a cigarette. 

Murray started barking at the guests as if to say "get off my property" and I had a table in the bar for dinner every night since we had to eat in shifts so that Murray was not alone in the room.

It took two more weeks for our things to arrive from the movers and we are still unpacking.

Coming soon is an organized office so that I can find stuff again. Also coming is that Point Man has decided that I will start the first Out Post for female veterans in the area, especially since I am near the border of Maine. Hopefully I will find a location soon and I'll let you know when and where.

During all of this I have kept track of what has been going on with our veterans and I am more pissed off than ever! The news is terrible but too much is being accepted when none of what is going on should be accepted by anyone! With the national media and social media not paying attention to any of it, people run their mouths off with lies and slogans going unchallenged. The truth will only be known if we get as serious about sharing it as the liars have been for far too long.

Plan on daily updates as much as I can while we are still in the process of getting settled...and my brain resuming normal operations again, or at least as close as that can be.

Point Man getting to the point of love and what heals PTSD

Point Man weekend lifting up healing

Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
August 5, 2019

Of all the things you have been hearing about lately, you may have received the impression that it is all new stuff. Peer support...not new. Healing of mind-body and spirit...not new. Suicides and attempted suicides...not new. None of what you hear about today is new, but most of it is not an improvement on what had already been done without the glow of reporters covering stunts.

This weekend I was in Buffalo for the Point Man International Ministries conference. Dana Morgan, the President of Point Man for longer than I have been involved, has stepped down and is taking on leading an Out Post instead of the whole thing after over 20 years.

Want to know what works? Listen to these speeches and know what the rest of the groups should be doing because if you end the video and are not awakened to possibilities...not much else will open your eyes.

There will be a few more videos up tomorrow but they will have to wait until I get back from work.

It is my birthday and I want gifts to go away

Rejoice with me

Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
July 7, 2019

Today is my birthday and I am asking for gifts to be given away.

I know it sounds strange, but since that is how I have spent most of these years, it makes perfect sense to me.

Lily Casura at Healing Combat Trauma posted a reminder on her Facebook page of something I said a long time ago.

I took the gift I was given by Dana Morgan, at Point Man International Ministries so I could keep giving away what I had to give.

So many times I wanted to quit. It got to be too much for me, spiritually draining and depressing. Even with the knowledge of how many lives have been changed, there were times when I did not see any point in continuing this work.

It was especially hard when some families asked me to put together the book The Warrior SAW (Suicides After War) because of the video I had done years before. It was based on research for the post Why isn't the press on suicide watch?

That post and video was not as hard as writing the book. Too many memories came flooding back. Nightmares were draining too.

When you do this work, taking on the pain of others, comes with the territory. It is called Secondary Traumatization but I dealt with it, the same way I did with all the other times. I talked to people I trusted, like Dana.

There were so many other times I needed help because of what I do, and I took comfort in knowing all this provider had to do was ask for help too!

Next month I am going to Buffalo for a conference and a thank you celebration for Dana, who retired as President. It is also to congratulate Paul Paul Sluznis as our new president.

Dana also helped Paul. Years ago, I was at another conference and Paul was giving his presentation. I recorded it while he was talking about having the gun to his head, but his life was saved because of Dana. Paul ended up saving others in Washington.

This is the link to part one but I want to focus on what came afterward in part two.

None of us do any of this for money, or fame, or glory. We sure do not do it for publicity. We do it because we know what pain feels like and what it is like to rejoice again!

So, for my birthday please give to the group who helped me, and so many others, receive so much from!

Point Man Intl. Ministries
14420 SE 13th st
Vancouver WA 98683