All freedoms of choice are being eroded

Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
August 5, 2024

All freedoms of choice are being eroded, but we fail to see it coming. Some believe the threat is just about what we choose to do with our own bodies. It is about everything they consider a sin. Why? Because they believe humans are made in the image of God...
 

They are free to believe whatever they want but continue to fail to understand that the same freedom belongs to everyone else in this country. They fail to see that when the rights of others are threatened, there is no limit to other rights being threatened as well. 

It seems since they believe pregnancy is a gift from God, they also believe it was God who chose to create life within the female. It doesn't make sense to most of us since He sent Gabriel to offer the choice to Mary that He would force other females to become vessels. Just think about the females becoming pregnant because of rape. Pregnancy is the outcome of force in cases like that, and most of us believe that it is reprehensible for any female to be forced to give birth afterward. If they think all pregnancies are a gift from God, then do they also believe that the rapists are the instrument of that "gift" from God? Why would God force others to "receive" it when He gave Mary the choice to become pregnant or not?

If they made the choice to open their eyes, they would see that pregnancy is biological. Why would God make a female pregnant by acts of love to a couple wanting children and then cause her to miscarry? That happened to me when I was carrying twins; we wanted them to be born. When I was four and a half months pregnant, I started to bleed. One of the twins died, and I was hemorrhaging as I was wheeled into a room at the hospital. It left a blood trail. The other twin would not come out. To save my life, they had to abort the other one. That happened in the 80s, but if that happened now, in some states, they would have let me bleed to death. To them, they wouldn't care about my life but call themselves pro-life. 

It would be great if they could explain how a "gift" from God would include babies born with deformities so severe it causes them to die moments after they were born. Explain how they believe a baby born with missing limbs, blindness, or illnesses was God's decision to create. Maybe they could also explain how they think the inability of a couple to become pregnant no matter how much they want to become parents.

Today, they believe their beliefs are being threatened when the truth is that they threaten the choice of all others who choose to believe differently. They hide behind the title of Christian as they attempt to force what they believe on all others. I attended a church I was very active in for 45 years until I chose to be more of a spiritual person instead of a religious one. I believe in God and Jesus so much that I choose to do it their way without the man-made rules separating what "They" established. We are all free to do what is right for us of our own free will. That right is also being threatened.

What we fail to see is that when they attempt to remove the ability of others to make their own choices of what they believe is right for them, it jeopardizes all other rights.

Think about the belief the human body is in the "image" of God and how that would involve their desire to control what others do with their own bodies on all matters. We must look no further than the Old Testament when God's punishment for sins was every physical condition. The people would not do anything to help cure the illness because they thought it was sent by God. Babies with disabilities were born because the parents were sinners, and the baby had to pay for those sins. We know that it is caused by genetic conditions or biology gone amuck. Jesus straightened that out when he told his disciples that no one sinned when asked because that was what they believed.

Christians should know that God is spirit, which means it is the spirit sent when God breathes life into humans. In other words, that means the image of God is what is within us and not our mortal bodies. They would know that our spirits hold free will to make our own choices because God, being a loving God, did not want to force anyone to do anything, including forcing them to worship Him.

The Founding Fathers of this country created the protection of our religious freedom because of the Salem Witch Trials. Why? Because people decided that their beliefs provided them with the right to make false accusations and murder 20 innocent people as well as incarcerate 200 more facing their own deaths. 

That right is also being threatened as people hide their intentions to take away our freedom by accusing others of doing it to them. 

In the 4th book of The Ministers Of The Mystery series I am writing now, one of the main characters faces a tribunal because she preaches that all people have free will because of God's love. If what they choose is really a sin, they can be forgiven. Otherwise, it is never up to someone else to force them to do what God would not. 

So, who among the people in this country are not just sinners in God's eyes but going against the basis for the rights all of us are supposed to have by His will and protected by the Founders?

Readers' House UK Interview with Kathie Costos

"Costos brings a unique authenticity to her storytelling, providing a voice for those who often go unheard."

26 July 2024
readershouse.co.uk

Kathie Costos discusses her inspiration, research, and creative process in blending historical accuracy, psychological depth, and spiritual exploration in her novels. Throughout our interview, Costos offers insights into her creative process, emphasizing the importance of developing complex characters with rich backstories. For her, storytelling is not just about entertainment but about shining a light on the human experience and the resilience of the human spirit.

In our latest issue of Reader’s House Magazine, we have the pleasure of delving into the creative mind of Kathie Costos, an author whose works blend historical fiction, psychological thriller, and spiritual exploration with a deft hand. Her series, The Ministers of The Mystery, delves into the haunting legacy of the Salem Witch Trials while also exploring the psychological struggles of her characters, particularly regarding PTSD and personal demons.

Costos’ journey into the Salem Witch Trials was born out of a deep curiosity to explore beyond the obvious. In her own words, she shares her fascination with the over 200 accused individuals, their families, and the pervasive fear that gripped the townspeople during that tumultuous time. This exploration forms the perfect backdrop for her gripping narrative. Drawing from over four decades of research and personal experience, particularly as the wife of a veteran dealing with PTSD, infuses her characters with authenticity and depth. She expertly navigates sensitive topics, portraying the psychological struggles of her characters with empathy and understanding.

The Scribe of Salem, one of her acclaimed works, has drawn comparisons to the atmospheric and gothic elements of Edgar Allan Poe’s writing. Yet, Costos manages to balance historical accuracy with crafting a narrative that resonates with modern readers. She reveals how supernatural themes and spiritual exploration intertwine with historical events, offering a fresh perspective on familiar tales.

Her advocacy for veterans and their families shines through in works like For the Love of Jack, where she addresses combat PTSD with insight and compassion. Drawing from her personal experiences, Costos brings a unique authenticity to her storytelling, providing a voice for those who often go unheard.
read the interview here

Read the books from your favorite seller here.

The Scribe Of Salem

The Visionary Of Salem

13th Minister Of Salem

PTSD: 'Cry together, laugh together'

If you take nothing else away from the article below, remember this part.

'Cry together, laugh together'

Immediately after the fires, the town's art gallery became a refuge for residents and tourists alike.

Left in devastation, with a long recovery process ahead, Mallacoota Arts Council president Ms Casement and fellow artists banded together to run art workshops to take people's minds off the horrific event and provide a safe space to gather.

I found that and the report extremely comforting. Knowing a community was coming together to help fellow residents heal instead of just focusing on veterans gave me great hope that people like me mattered as much as veterans. That's what all of us need to remember. #PTSD is about surviving something others will never know or understand. That's why it is so important for us to find support from others who will help us.

Art classes help Mallacoota residents process bushfire trauma and find connections

ABC News
By Jessica Schremmer
July 28, 2024

In the aftermath, many people struggled to find words, expressions and ways to deal with the disastrous experience and psychological stress.

Ms Casement says people are traumatised and still processing what happened.(ABC News: Jessica Schremmer)

When the catastrophic 2019 bushfire ripped through the small coastal town of Mallacoota in Victoria's far east, it changed the vibrant community's fabric forever.

For some residents, the fire turned everything they owned into ash.

Resident Lynn Casement's home was among the 123 houses the fire destroyed.

"I will be traumatised probably for the rest of my life," she said.

"So many people after the bushfires have suffered PTSD [post-traumatic stress disorder] and are traumatised by what they saw and what they felt."

Sarah Holt, who moved from Melbourne to her new home in Mallacoota in 2019, lost everything just months later in the bushfire emergency.
read more here

What is your comminty doing for your residents? Are they aware of how many of you are suffering after surviving? If not, then how about you do something to explain it to them? If they are, then how about you spread the word about what they are doing? Don't simply assume just because you know about it, others like you know as well.

It is my greatest hope that you will acknowledge knowing there is nothing to be ashamed of because of what being a survivor did to you, will help you open up to help others like you. Believe it or not, that is also healing for you. I know it has been for me.

Are you feeding the #PTSD posion trying to kill you?

Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
July 23, 2024

Are you telling yourself you're taking care of getting over what happened to you, or are you feeding the #PTSD posion trying to kill you?

I know I did that. It was after my first husband tried to kill me. My friends weren't willing to listen to me. Truthfully, I wasn't willing to talk most of the time. Their solution was to take me out every night to our favorite bar. They were trying to cheer me up. I was trying to get drunk enough to get some sleep. I figured if I passed out, the nightmares wouldn't wake me up as soon as I fell asleep. My poison was CC and Sprite. It should have been something to kill what came with PTSD instead of trying to get numb.

That was my solution back in 1981. People like me weren't talked about back then, and reporters didn't interview survivors of other traumas either. No one understood us but us. We didn't have the Internet or home computers. We had to deal with all of it on our own. What made it worse was that veterans had to deal with it on their own as well, which is ironic considering that researchers were studying what combat had done to them.

I used my own history as the basis for the protagonist of The Scribe Of Salem. Chris Papadopoulos is, in many ways, the male version of me. His pain and confusion regarding PTSD were what I went through. His struggles with God were the torment I went through many times. He self-medicated to kill the emotions he didn't want to feel since none of them were good ones.

I created friends for him because they were the friends I wished I had. Not that there was anything wrong with the real friends I had back then, but they didn't know what I was going through and were unable to help me. Chris was surrounded by survivors of other traumas. They remembered the pain but wanted to share the healing to restore hope within him.

It had to take place in Salem because it is an example of what can happen when faith turns against us. Faith was used as a weapon to control the people and cause them to fear everyone around them. They knew they could be the next ones to be accused of witchcraft. It didn't matter that people used the gifts in their spirits to help others. It didn't matter that most of those charged and murdered had no relationship to any type of witchcraft any more than the other 200 imprisoned were innocent. This hatred-inspired trauma caused another trauma of faith.

One of the biggest struggles I had was spiritually based, but I couldn't talk to anyone about it. I tried. My Priest had no understanding of what trauma did mentally or spiritually. It wasn't his fault he wasn't trained to understand it. After all, most therapists in the civilian world weren't trained either. Now, even the National Center For PTSD addresses the need for spiritual therapy. I helped people understand what PTSD was and then addressed their spiritual struggles. When they were ready, I made sure they sought mental health professionals.

The Scribe of Salem flips many popular beliefs around to change the conversation most of us wish we had heard. It flips what many hear in church to focus on what scripture tells us but they will not speak of. It flips what many think they know about Salem, including the fact that none of the accused were witches. After all, the judges supposedly thought witches possessed all sorts of powers. Did they really think the "witches" would just sit around waiting to be arrested? It flips from what too many think PTSD is into what it really is. It flips what people think about secret societies and conspiracies. 

I wrote it because I couldn't find anything like it. My poison of choice became something to kill the demon called PTSD. Isn't it about time someone flipped the conversation around and made it something that most of us need? 

Consider the truth a giant-size bug killer

Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
July 17, 2024

Some people mellow with age. Some people don't. I am one of those. I've reached a point when things bug me so much that I've been binge-watching shows repeatedly. I prefer to watch made-up horror shows than watch the news. Current events are more terrifying to me.

When people believe lies because they are of popular beliefs, no matter how ridiculous the lies are, truth isn't popular in their circles. No truth can penetrate their closed-down minds. The rest of us wonder what is wrong with them, especially if we know them to be people with functioning brain cells.

Hell has gone wrong with them. It isn't as if we haven't seen all this before. It has happened throughout history and has had deadly results. For those of us with PTSD, the lies we hear are more popular than the truths we need to know. It bugs me that the buzzing lies also come with financial gain for those pretending to help us. Sure, we could be grateful we aren't their targets because, apparently, they only know about Veterans with PTSD. It's hard to be thankful when we have been forgotten in all the news reports and veteran charity groups getting all the attention while the rest of us are left alone.

It bugs me that I used to be guilty of being just as obvious about civilians suffering, even though I was one of them.

Years ago, someone left a comment regarding how civilians with PTSD were ignored. I thought about it and then concluded that veterans were different. As a nation, we owed them help to heal what combat did to them. All the researchers back then agreed veterans needed to be treated in their own groups and receive therapy from professionals with special training able to care for them. I wasn't a veteran and never had trouble finding a therapist to help me. Not that I had a clue I was dealing with PTSD at the time, and my therapists didn't see it either. I just needed to do talk therapy to work through a lot of things. One was what I was going through with my husband when the stress was changing me. I was feeling angry most of the time. That is not in my nature. I knew I needed help to let it go.

Now I know I was living with PTSD in me most of my life. I had no clue I was suffering from a rare form of it. It bugs me that with all the clinical books I read, the therapists I saw, and the professionals I knew because of my work, I never learned anything about people like me. 

It bugs me that after all these years, veterans are still hearing lies because they are more popular than the truth. It bugs me they don't know civilians end up with PTSD after surviving just one event. They could see what their surviving events did to them if they knew about us. 

It bugs me that we don't communicate with them, and they don't communicate with us. Donating to charities focusing on veterans is all we need to do for them. We have no clue that sharing our struggles with them would help them more, and they have no clue that sharing their stories with us would help us as well.

So, what can we do to change the conversation? The next time you hear a lie buzzing in your ear, slap it with some truth and stop it from moving in. Explain the truth to the one telling you the lie. Read anything online you know is a lie, confront them with the truth, or at least let people know that the writer doesn't know what they are talking about. This has to include professional people lying about it.

We have enough crap that bugs us in the world we live in. Consider the truth a giant-size bug killer.