Month: December 2015

Here we go into 2016 A New Year, the best year so far, let us bring it in together, sharing our successes and failures. We all have some of each, let share so we all can have the best year yet, 2016 is going to be incredible, best ever. In 2015 we made lots of changes, lots of new leaders and a philosophy to let those things fail that are meant to fail. And to let those things succeed that are meant to succeed and they did.

Let us lift each other up in support, as we bring in the New Year for each time zone together for all 4 time zones starting east going west. Together we can achieve all things. I am so excited about 2016 and all that it will bring. All that we shall make of it join in the party as we celebrate a year of blessing that is to come.

We’d like to thank our listener’s for supporting BIRN, so we can carry that support out to others. Together we can and are, making a difference.

Join me for The Stranger Inside Me..With the author on Recovery Now with Kim Justus. It’s a place we’ve all been, but never wanted to visit.

Unfortunately Randy had a heart attack over the holidays, so was not able to make this show. We pray for his complete recovery & reschedule this program. The show did go on .. But Randy was missed.

Kim Justus & Greg Costa will be doing this fill in show, until the new 4th Thursday of each month host starts in a few weeks. More will be revealed! Greg and I will be Kpntime on future shows of mine in 2016. Go back to Oct 14th for our first interview on Greg’s back story!

Hopefully no one has the holiday hangover .. Energy & Emotion crash. Now we decompress and look toward the future. Talk about goals and dreams, that never were .. And goals and dreams that will be revealed. We and our attitude play a big part in this, but so does reliance on spiritual support. Our willingness to be open to unlikely solutions that present, and building a solid foundation of support.

Scott Bloom is the Traumatic Brain Injury Program Coordinator working within the Behavioral Health Services Division of the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA). He, has been with the WDVA since 2009 having previously retired from the Army, as a Chief Warrant Officer and Aviator. Today, he continues to serve the veteran community as a Certified Brain Injury Specialist and Veterans Service Officer. Scott has spent the last several years providing awareness trainings to thousands of individuals on Traumatic Brain Injury, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Military Culture across the state of Washington, as well as offering peer to peer mentorship to former service members suffering from the lasting effects of Brain Injury.

Mr. Bloom is also the Co-Chair for the Disability Rights Washington; Disability Advisory Council; a member of the Washington Traumatic Brain Injury Strategic Partnership Advisory Council, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), American Veterans (AMVETS), and the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America

Les is suffering the ill effects of a Migraine tonight, so Kim will wing it, after two days of tech difficulty that cancelled shows. We’re still here!! No one folded up the BIRN tent & hit the road. Join me!

As the Christmas holiday season is upon us and as we are preparing to celebrate Christmas and New Year’s together I hope no matter what that even if you feel a since of loss and even loneliness right now that you will tune and take part in the discussion Tonight and hopefully you will find new Friends again and learn to find your true mission statement and start living life in a bold and beautiful new way!!!

Living with a TBI no matter how it happened, no matter how severe or mild, no matter your age it can change your life in the blink of an eye but you can turn that chapter ahead and start looking at life differently once your dare to Dream and start believing that no matter what you can turn them into your reality!

Subjects for Tonight’s show include:

1. Finding peace and joy in every situation
2. The search for Joy
3. Compassion and completion
4. Self-awareness
5. Overcoming difficult situations
6. Why not you
7. A focus on Completion
8. Enjoying the holiday season
9. Starting to say good bye to 2015 and getting ready for 2016
10. Open Conversation, Indi Music, and the power of peer support

Combat Veterans face issues known in a capacity different than than any other Veteran or Civilian. The ghosts can live long and large. Combat Veteran’s Motorcycle Association is an organization that helps lend support to its members (all who have served in combat), and all other Veterans. www.combatvet.org Rich Leasure and Crystal Larson will be my guests.

Rich Leasure, Jr joined the USAF in 1989 and is still on active duty. He currently serve as a Road Captain and Public Affairs Officer for CVMA Omaha. Rich served in Operation Desert Shield / Operation Desert Storm the first time and Operation Iraqi Freedom / Operation New Dawn the second time.

Crystal Larson’s husband Randy was medically retired from the Army National Guard in December 2014 with 19 ½ years of service. During that time he was deployed twice to Afghanistan, 2004-2005 and 2009-2010. Randy was diagnosed with PTSD in 2005 after his first deployment and it has been a journey ever since trying to find a new normal for our life. It has not always been an easy journey, but with much help and prayer, our marriage is the best it has ever been.

David Kracke says, “I have developed an expertise in understanding and utilizing the legislative process for the greater good. Two areas of my legislative work stand out: Laws requiring mandatory concussion education and return to play protocols for our young athletes, and laws requiring protection of our environment.”

In 2008, David was part of the team that wrote and passed Max’s Law, which along with Zach’s Law in Washington, was the first law in the nation to require concussion education for high school coaches. There is now a Max’s Law equivalent in all fifty states.

In 2012, working with Dr. Jim Chesnutt and Senator Elizabeth Steiner-Hayward, David wrote what is now known as Jenna’s Law. Jenna’s Law promises to reduce the incidence of SIS and to allow all young athletes in Oregon to fully recover from a concussion before returning to play.

Mr. Kracke is a member of the Board of Directors of the Oregon Concussion Awareness Management Program (OCAMP), now sits on the advisory board of the Brain Injury Alliance of Oregon.

Mr. Kracke is a skilled litigator who for over twenty-four years has successfully litigated cased in the Tri-County area. He is recognized as a leading advocate of Plaintiff’s rights in the Portland area, and has been interviewed by local and national media for his opinions on various legal and policy issues. david@craignicholslaw.com