Wounded Times Kathie Costos August 27, 2024 I have been hearing people say hateful things most of my life. However, I have never witnessed so many people spreading hatred as if it were something to be proud of. How does it make them feel about filling themselves up with it?  Do they notice it doesn't make their lives better? I don't need to wonder about those doing things out of love. I know it fills them with the knowledge they helped someone. Over the years, people asked me why I do what I do to help people with #PTSD. The answer was simple. Because I can remember what it was like to ..read more

Wounded Times Kathie Costos August 17, 2024 Have you ever wondered how someone healed long before you did? Was it because they had more support around them than you did? Sometimes, it isn't what or who is around them. Sometimes, it's because of what's within them they gain strength from. Waiting for the traffic light to change, I noticed a license plate with YRU HERE. I smiled because it reminded me of all the times I wondered why I was here. Why are some of us born with brilliant minds, extraordinary talents, or passions that come with no explanation? Why are some born with kindness and hum ..read more

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 sin ..read more

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 creativ ..read more

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 ve ..read more

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 w ..read more

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 ..read more

Wounded Times Kathie Costos July 11, 2024 Have you ever watched a horror movie or read a book and wondered if demons are real? The answer is yes, they are. While you probably have heard of the religious practice of exorcisms, they have been performed for centuries. The truth is, it's gone on a lot longer than that. Just read this from National Geographic. In Mesopotamia during the 1st millennium B.C., purveyors of magic called ašipu staved off and expelled demons that brought illness and chaos. As spiritual healers, ašipu were esteemed protectors who used amulets, performed elaborate ritual ..read more

Wounded Times Kathie Costos July 5, 2024 The walls you hide behind to protect you from more pain also protect you from more joys. It is time to remove the walls and stop being trapped by your past. Have you ever wondered why you push people away, especially those you love? I know I did. After all the times I survived, my family saw right through me and got me to talk about what was going on in my head. Being able to talk kept the walls of #PTSD from closing me in. It was not until my first husband tried to kill me that I hid the pain well enough that they didn't suspect more than I was willi ..read more

Wounded Times Kathie Costos June 30, 2024 Most of us may not say it, but we wonder who we are. Why are we here? What makes us different from others? Why do we have strange thoughts and feelings we can't figure out? The answer is within us. Some call it our soul. Others call it our spirit. I often wonder what makes someone join the military knowing they are risking their lives. What makes people join the National Guard to help the people in their state while knowing they could also be sent to foreign lands? What makes a firefighter willing to risk their lives and members of law enforcement ..read more