Thoughts and stories, by Pal

This touches my heart!  What a gift -- to be able to paint portraits like this!  JR Johansen in his studio in Hunstville, Utah. Faun Jackson As this wounded Vietnam vet answered a call to create portraits of missionaries who died during their service, he’s brought healing to grieving families—and to himself. The art studio is as unassuming as they come: it’s an undersized square cottage framed by trees outside a home in Huntsville, Utah. With its size and trappings—a broom and an upturned wheelbarrow flank the small front window—you might mistake it for a common tool shed. The artist laboring inside is JR Johansen, a man whose own exterior somehow belies an unexpectedly gentle core. Johansen’s graying flat-top haircut and tall, trim build hint at his past as a military man. But there’s no intimidation here; he’s soft spoken, with a mild manner that instantly conveys safety. This is a man on an exceptional mission: he’s creating portraits of missionaries who lost their lives du...

Long term, short term effects of medicine, Covid Vaccine for children?     from Meridian Magazine, with references.   Long-Term, Short-Term By  Jacob Z. Hess  · October 21, 2021 The following first appeared  in Public Square Magazine . My professional interest in long-term treatment outcomes started when someone I loved dearly began experiencing the anguish of profound depression and anxiety. We did what many families do—encouraging her to “get help.” She subsequently started a treatment designed to provide some immediate relief from the emotional pain. It worked for a while … until it didn’t. A few good weeks or months, and she was right back in it.  Up and down, year after year … with the lows becoming measurably lower over time. What was going on?  I started asking what many families today still wonder:  Is it possible for someone grappling with difficult emotional burdens to find deeper, more sustainable healing? If so, what kind of a tre...