
Traveling Together On The Path of Chronic Illness by Timothy Gunnells
I thought when I was in my mid-20s dealing with a nagging back issue that I understood chronic pain and illness. The back issue corrected itself after about a year.
Illusionists David & Teesha Laflin are coming to Woodward to perform in the historic Woodward Arts Theatre! Tickets are available for 8/11 & 8/12 in our online store!
Broken & Mended is a chronic pain support ministry that is open to people of all ages. Our support groups meet both online and in-person, and friends, family members, and caregivers are welcome to attend. Join us for a time of encouragement, Bible study, and prayer.
Kintsugi pottery is the Japanese art of repairing a broken pot using gold or other precious metals to fill the cracks.
David Furman in Kiss The Wave wrote, “…our rough edges and cracks are filled with gold to point to the greatness of God…Through [our scars] we exalt the one who is conforming us more and more into the image of Christ.” We are not ashamed, but instead, we look for God to shine through our brokenness and the work of his mending!
About Broken & MendedBroken & Mended support groups are open to chronic pain sufferers as well as their family, friends and caregivers.
There’s something special about spending time together in person. These groups meet in leaders’ homes, churches, or other locations.
Visiting a group through video conferencing is the best option for our members who need the convenience of attending from home due to health reasons or distance from a group. Many of our groups are hybrid, meeting both online and in person.
Our growing community of members from around the world is here to encourage or lament with you, and pray for you and your loved ones.
6 in 10 adults in the US are living with a chronic illness.
In 2019, 20% of adults had chronic pain.
7.5% of adults in the U.S. have “long COVID” symptoms.
People with strong relationships are 50% more likely to survive health complications.
Support groups
“can decrease anxiety and depression, are helpful in educating patients and family caregivers, and can improve wellbeing.” National Center for Biotechnology Information
Benefits of participating in a support group may include:
David Heflin is the founder and president of Broken and Mended. He is married to Katie and has three kids. David has been a preacher for 18 years and founded Broken and Mended in 2018 after being inspired by his own battle with chronic pain to connect other hurting people to Jesus and each other. David has a B.A. in Bible from Oklahoma Christian University and a Master of Arts in Religion from Azusa Pacific University. He resides in Woodward, OK.
Meet Our StaffI thought when I was in my mid-20s dealing with a nagging back issue that I understood chronic pain and illness. The back issue corrected itself after about a year.
We struggle to see what good could come out of suffering, but as the years pass by, we gain a new perspective that what Satan has intended for harm has instead been flipped on its head and turned into good. Some of our worst moments turn out to be our greatest Ebenezers!
Full healing will not come until the resurrection (even healthy people are dying), but Jesus makes us clean now!
‘If your illness allows you to bless one person through your presence and empathy in their life, then your pain is not purposeless.”
Our focus right now is on building community through support groups and sharing original and other helpful content through our website and social media presence.
Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, RSS Feed.
In this episode, David talks about the additional struggles that chronic illness heaps upon us while we still have to go through the usual griefs of life like losing a…
We welcome Micah Heflin (my son) and Katum Redfearn on this episode of In The Seams, a junior and senior in high school respectively. They both struggle with significant chronic…
In this episode, I interview Jeremy Harrison and Jeremy Wright, two faithful Christians and ministers, who have wives living with chronic illness. Both Jeremys open up about their personal struggles…
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