Shawn Kilgarlin Explores the Intersection of Women’s Health and Spirituality
Shawn Kilgarlin along with her husband Ron Kilgarlin manages American Screening Corporation which is a pioneer institution manufacturing and distributing Drug and Alcohol Testing Kits and Medical Supplies. Started in the year 2004 ASC is an ISO 13485 Certified distributor of infectious disease tests, cardiac tests, rapid drug and alcohol tests, and medical supplies to the United States.
Shawn Kilgarlin currently serves as VP of Marketing and Product Development at ASC. She is engaged completely by sharing her time with her family, profession, charitable deeds and creative pursuit.
Shawn Kilgarlin has a strong conviction that women’s health is entirely dependent on her spirituality. Whether it is Physical Health, Mental Health or Spiritual Health, they are nourished by the belief in God and the deep faith one has on the presence and blessings of God. Praying especially highlights ones confidence and self trust and motivate them to achieve success.
Shawn Kilgarlin believes that deep trust in God gives lot of energy to women to face her everyday challenges, accomplish them and come out victoriously. Also Meditating and reading scripture in the early morning certainly helps women to face the whole day with a positive attitude and happiness.
About Shawn Kilgarlin
Shawn Kilgarlin graduated from South-eastern Louisiana University specializing in Microbiology and Chemistry.
Shawn Kilgarlin previously managed a Catholic Book Store from 2014 to 2020. She takes an active interest in promoting Laminated Prayer Cards. Her current project is a 75-piece Roman Catholic collection, which features Fratelli Bonella’s artwork along with an appropriate prayer.
Shawn Kilgarlin is an inspirational writer and speaker who have authored a number of books on What Parents Need to Know About Drug Testing their Teens, a Drug Testing Dictionary, a guide to Workplace Drug Testing, and workplace safety booklets on all sorts of OSHA-regulated subjects. Her book, God’s Love Letters: Overcoming Adversity discusses how God’s love leads to spiritual resiliency. She also wrote Past Tense: 365 Daily Tools for Putting Stress Behind You – for Good! With her husband. The book provides daily solutions to stress reactions based on her own experiences as a mother, scientist, and person of faith.
Shawn Kilgarlin is the mother of four children. Her family life and faith have been the source of inspiration for many of her creative pursuits. Kilgarlin also loves to paint and creates Christian art with her children. Art lessons with her children have become “a bonding time, no phones, just peace!!” She uses the signature I.K.S.K. Kilgarlin on artwork that she creates with her daughter Isabella. She is also working with her daughter Juliana to produce art.
The Christian faith of Shawn Kilgarlin also comes through in her charity work. She focuses her support on Holy Angels, a Shreveport-based non-profit organization that provides love, support, and empowerment for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Shawn Kilgarlin believes that though she is blessed with a wonderful family and a successful profession, she cannot have a fulfilling life without giving back to society and contributing to the less privileged people.
Shawn Kilgarlin has won many awards and honours for her professional and personal charity and community work.
In 2011, the Cambridge Who’s Who Registry named her the Professional of the Year in Health Care Support.
The local Chamber of Commerce awarded her a Spirit award. She’s also received a Rising Star Writing Award and has been named an Outstanding Diplomat.
She is a member of The American Probation and Parole Association, The Texas Probation Association, The American Academy of Pain Management and The American Association of Clinical Chemistry.
The Intersection of Women’s Health and Spirituality
Women’s health includes Physical, Mental and Spiritual Health. Women’s Physical health includes Reproductive health, Gynaecology and Heart health.
Women’s Mental Health refers to the Psychological and Emotional Health. It depends upon Biological factors such as pregnancy, menopause and child birth. Also it is based on sociological factors such as poverty, stress, sexual tortures and domestic violence. Another important aspect which affects women’s health is the cultural factors and depression, anxiety and eating disorders.
Women’s spiritual health refers to the spiritual connection with the omnipotent God, the set of beliefs, set of principles and set of values based on that. The Spiritual health depends on Prayers, Meditation and Chanting Mantras.
Some of the religious practices which boost up the women’s spiritual health is regular prayers, meditating, fasting, listening to devotional songs, sermons, celebrating said practices periodically which enhances the faith in God and their inner well being. It also helps in boosting their confidence and a positive attitude.
Kilgarlin’s Insights and Approach
Shawn Kilgarlin is of deep conviction that using Catholic Prayer Cards and Rosaries certainly improves ones health and spirituality. The prayer cards consist of specific prayers which help us to say our prayers to God for guidance, protection, wisdom, strength and all blessings. This practice helps in having a healthy attitude that since God is with us and God is guiding us, everything would be fine and nothing will go wrong. Also it gives confidence that God will take care of all our work and situations.
Chanting Rosary at regular intervals helps a woman to leave everything in the hands of God and asking for his mercy, grace and kindness to lead us successfully.
Periodically attending Group Worship, listening to Sermons and Devotional Music gives guidance to the individual to march in their chosen path and relieves them out of all their fears and doubts. It also gives them the clarity of what is right and wrong and how to live their life in an honest way.
Meditation enhances a woman’s mental health and relieves them out of any tension or stress. It gives them a balance to live their life amidst problems, difficulties and tiring situations. A woman gains confidence and courage to face any challenges and circumstances by meditating early in the morning before starting the day.
Benefits of Integrating Spirituality into Women’s Health
The potential benefits of spiritual practices of a woman is she not only is equipped to face any situation confidently, but also capable of guiding others successfully. This includes guiding her children and if required offering good suggestions for her husband, friends and relatives. A woman who practices Spiritual Practices is like a Beacon light showing the way for others when they are in distress. Since she has a positive attitude all the time through her prayers and continuous communication with God, she is equipped with leadership qualities to take up any assignment and finish it successfully.
Listening to Religious Sermons regularly, Praying and Meditation keeps her calm and quiet all the time irrespective of the disturbances. She is well composed to tackle any situation with patience and wisdom. This spiritual health enhances the mental health which in turns protects the physical well being of a woman. Therefore a woman who takes care of her spiritual health regularly is a winner, achiever, successful professional, best wife, caring mother and a very good friend.
Practical Applications and Tips
Since the spirituality paves way for a peaceful and successful life, it is indeed crucial that every woman incorporates regular practices in everyday life.
- The first and foremost practice is Prayer which communicates a woman with God to receive strength, wisdom, guidance and blessings.
- The second practice is to Chant and Sing devotional songs which really give a woman the much needed peace and comfort.
- The third practice is listening to spiritual Sermon which provides the woman with the very required guidance and suggestions to run the race of life.
- The fourth practice is the Group Worship which motivates and inspires a woman to march ahead and gives a sense of belongingness and togetherness.
- The fifth practice is Fasting and praying for a particular aspect to overcome the problems and achieve the result.
- The Sixth practice is Celebrating Festivals with fellow humans and relatives which boosts the mental well being of a woman and gives lot of happiness and cheerfulness.
When faced with trials and tribulations a woman can always approach a Counsellor or Spiritual Advisor to learn about the ways and practices and get proper guidance to overcome those difficulties.
Hence a health care professional should always concentrate and focus on enhancing the Physical, Mental and Spiritual well being of a woman and should give suggestions to maintain a healthy life style in all walks of life.
Future Directions
Shawn Kilgarlin strongly believes that adding spirituality into everyday practice of women help them to have a stronger personal, professional and public life.
A recent research proved that when women suffering from breast cancer were provided with devotional music, sermon and prayer cards there was a steady increase in their emotional strength and perseverance. It was wonderful to see them develop a new perspective of life with renewed confidence, purpose and hope.
A recent initiative is some health organizations have approached Faith Communities to offer prayer support and counselling to women suffering from intolerable pain and diseases. To our surprise this effort had really paid off with more women emerging out from their sickness and pain to start a fresh life. More such developments are on the threshold to improve women’s physical and public life.
Shawn Kilgarlin is already into the community programs and charitable activities. Further she wants to help the women of her community by providing them with campaigns, lectures, workshops and meetings to develop their physical, mental, social and spiritual health. Further she wants to introduce spiritual practices to women and incorporate them in their regular routine and make them more confident and strong.
Conclusion
Shawn Kilgarlin wants to stress the fact that spirituality can bring about noteworthy and positive changes in all aspects of women’s health. Hence she advocates prayer, devotional sermon, music and group worship for the betterment of women.
It is no doubt that practicing some spiritual exercises everyday, boosts up the happiness quotient and makes women stronger and cheerful to carry out all her responsibilities to the fullest possible level. Hence this is an invitation to every woman reading this article to entwine some spiritual habits in their routine life and enjoy the benefit.