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Dear Sara,

September 2011 is the first World Alzheimer's Month and a great opportunity to share your commitment to the fight against Alzheimer's disease through your social networking site.

During World Alzheimer's Month, we're asking people to declare “The End of Alzheimer's Starts with Me” as a way to demonstrate commitment to the cause. You can share this powerful statement with family and friends via your social networks.

Join us on Alzheimer's Action Day, September 21, by going purple.

• Dress up or dress down, but wear purple, the color of Alzheimer's awareness. Ask your friends and family to join you!
• Turn Facebook purple. On or before Wednesday, turn your Facebook profile purple using our “End ALZ” icon.
• Purchase purple products. Shop our limited-edition purple products, including a stylish Threadless T-shirt and Bare Escentuals tenderheart eyeshadow. All purchases benefit the care, support and research efforts of the Alzheimer's Association.
• Post a link to our World Alzheimer's Month page and encourage people to visit and get involved.
• Follow us on Twitter and re-tweet our posts about World Alzheimer's Month.

Share your passion. Share your committment. Let people know that the end of Alzheimer's starts with you. It starts with all of us.

Looking forward to a great Alzheimer's Action Day,

Angela Geiger
Chief Strategy Officer

I JUST GOT BLESSED!

Welcome to the I CAN! I WILL! Library

http://www.alz.co.uk/icaniwill/library/people-with-dementia/build-capacity/teach-speak

This is a new website that will be a blessing for those who have some type of dementia.  It will be a blessing for caregivers and more. 

One of the programs:  Send us your ideas.  So I did. 

Here is my idea:  Help us learn how to speak out.  Teach people in the early stages of dementia to speak, share, and tell people we are still alive. 

Hi:

I am Sara Parkin, in Midland, MI USA, and I have Alzheimer’s Disease.  I am a retired nurse and now am a caregiver for my mom. 

My idea is to have more persons in the early stages of dementia of all kinds to Speak Out for those that can't. 

Right now we are able to talk, to see, to care, to make a difference for those are struggling.  There are many classes for Caregivers and they need more.  

I have not seen many classes for early stage persons.  I think we could have a program to help us learn how to speak, how to share, how to tell our caregivers that we are still alive, that we can do things and we will.

The people who should hear about this idea: 

·         Any one who will listen to us.  

·         Doctors that say, "you are just getting old."

·         Family members that do not listen because they "know" what we want.

·         The early stage persons that think they are sick and can't make a difference.

God is amazing.  I was not sure if God was pushing me to do things that I can’t do.  Probably not! I think now that He is showing that if I let go of my will and follow His will:  I CAN!  I WILL! 

I think that all of us can use these words:  I CAN!  I WILL!

Rejoice in the lord always.  I will say it again: Rejoice!               Philippians 4:4

“THE NURSE’

To be a Nurse means many things to many people:

To those who need attention she’s an angel in white.

To her fiancée she’s a scintillating sight.

To the doctor she’s a dedicated girl.

To her family she’s a jewel, a priceless. a pearl.

 

To a child she brings comfort with her smile.

To the youth, an example will worth.

To the staff she’s important part of the team.

But to her family she’s the answer to a dream.

To her friends the paramount of dedication.

To a patient she’s the gift of inspiration.

To the school she’s hours of invested care.

To her family she’s the answer to a prayer.

For, you see, though she’s been away to school,

Though she’s grown and lives by her own rule.

Though she’s surrounded daily by a crowd,

She’s still a part of home and they’re so proud.

                                                                        A.   R. Parkin

Special Note:  I found this poem in my father’s papers 8 years after his death and 4 years after I became a nurse.  

I Will Be with You

I have been struggling for 2-3 weeks to get a blog out.  I know what I want to do with my words.  Yet, I can’t place them where I want them.  I have about 3 different messages waiting to be delivered to you. I start on one and I can’t remember the words or where they go; the letters don’t look right.  I want to scream.  I need help.  I need focus.  I need Patience.  I need rest.  I need God.  I know that God is here all the time.  I have my time and He has His.  And I started to think that God does not want me working on the blogs and wants me to rest.    Then I thought:  Housework, church, Alzheimer’s Association, walking, meetings and now I have to work in time for rest?   Sigh! 

The word focus came in to my mind.  I need to sit down and take on one thing that is important at a time. Then I said to myself:  “Sara, you have to get the bulletin ready for the service on 8-29-11.”  Our pastor sets up 3 month plans, so we can see the themes ahead of time.  If one touches your heart and you want to preside or speak on that date, you ask him if it is open or not.  Now our church, Community of Christ, uses the lectionary for our worship resources to help support our services.  It is wonderful.  In the instant I saw the theme “I will be with you”, it did hit my heart hard and I went looking for the Pastor.  It was mine!  I wanted to preside.  

 

I have presided in the past, not good, not bad, I was not focusing. I know that there is no bad service.  If only one person has been blessed by God, it is good.

 

It was the first of July.  I had 2 months to be ready.  I read the scriptures, the music, the readings all the things that were laid out that week.  Then, I took a break and made time to feel it in my soul.  Every now and then I would peek in and move this here and jot that down, take that out.  Or, I like this song, it works.  Who will play the piano?  Who would like to read or sing?  Who is working on a sermon, or a testimony or maybe developing a message from something they’ve read in a book? Maybe we could use the short movie the worship resource says is good.  

 

Then I was into August, got to get going. Well, I want to send out a blog, and I did and then, with his permission, I was able to use two of Richard Taylor’s blogs to share some of his insights from his blogs. About that time I was slowly getting tired, and I was getting upset, angry, why can I not be able to work on the blog #6: Laugh and Smiles in the Let’s Talk Words series.  I am not laughing or smiling.   Why, Why, Why!

 

I went back on my knees, and again asked why, what is wrong, when will it get better, I know it will.  AH!  Your Will!  O Lord I am so sorry.  I have been focusing at the wrong times, not taking rests, and I need to follow your will.  It was OK.  Laying on my bed, I took the time to Listen to God as I kept my mouth shut.  And He answered my questions in my prayer.  Focus on the upcoming next two weeks, and you will be able to preside at the Service if you keep focusing.   Can I focus?  Yes I can, as long as I walk side by side with God.    

 

Praise God, He was with us at our service on Sunday.  Below, I’ve included below some of the readings and music used in support of the theme, “I Will Be With You.” 

 

What a beautiful day! And the Lord gave it to us!  Praise Him!

 

Hymn:                                     “Now in this Moment”       

Hymn:                                    “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee”

Hymn:                                    “Meet Me in a Holy Place”

*Hymn:                                  “Here I am, Lord”                                                               

Ministry of Music:  Soloist - “I Know Who Holds Tomorrow”

Call to Worship: As Moses begins to understand that yhwh is speaking to him, he is filled with fear and then resistance to that call. At times we also fail to embrace God’s call because of are inadequacies, doubting our worthiness.  God’s call is a accompanied by the affirmation that God is with us.  God’s call is not about us. When we faithfully respond, God is able to use us as a blessing to those in need. 

Focus Moment:   One of our kids put the hula hoop around her and her mom tells us that today’s scripture talks about Moses and his encounter with God. God explains to Moses that God is with us always, surrounding us, with no beginning and no end.

Scripture Used: 

 

Psalm 105:1–6 

¹ Give praise to the LORD, proclaim his name; 
   make known among the nations what he has done. 
² Sing to him, sing praise to him; 
   tell of all his wonderful acts. 
³ Glory in his holy name; 
   let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice. 
⁴ Look to the LORD and his strength; 
   seek his face always.

⁵ Remember the wonders he has done, 
   his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced, 
⁶ you his servants, the descendants of Abraham, 
   his chosen ones, the children of Jacob. 

Psalm 105:23-26, 45

New International Version (NIV) 

²³ Then Israel entered Egypt; 
   Jacob resided as a foreigner in the land of Ham. 
²⁴ The LORD made his people very fruitful; 
   he made them too numerous for their foes, 
²⁵ whose hearts he turned to hate his people, 
   to conspire against his servants. 
²⁶ He sent Moses his servant, 
   and Aaron, whom he had chosen…

⁴⁵ that they might keep his precepts 
   and observe his laws.      Praise the LORD

Exodus 3:1-15 - Moses and the Burning Bush

New International Version (NIV)

¹Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. ² There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. ³ So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.” ⁴ When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!”  And Moses said, “Here I am.”

⁵ “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” ⁶ Then he said, “I am the God of your father,^[a] the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God. ⁷ The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. ⁸ So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. ⁹ And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. ¹⁰ So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”

¹¹ But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” ¹² And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.”¹³ Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them”

¹⁴ God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”  ¹⁵ God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’ 

   “This is my name forever, 
   the name you shall call me 
   from generation to generation.”

 Message – Nooma DVD-- Rain by Rob Bell. 

*Prayer of Benediction    Doctrine and Covenants 161:7

The Spirit of the One you follow is the spirit of love and peace. That Spirit seeks to abide in the hearts of those who would embrace its call and live its message. The path will not always be easy, the choices will not always be clear, but the cause is sure and the Spirit will bear witness to the truth, and those who live the truth will know the hope and the joy of discipleship in the community of Christ. Amen.

Remember:  He tells us:  “I will be with you.”  

Richard’s Call to Action Posted by RichardTaylor at 13th July, 2010

Stand up! Speak Up! Do not become a victim of your own silence.

Speak for yourself and those who will follow. Ask Carers and Friends to do the same.

Today will never be here again. Time is of the Essence!! Use it wisely!!

Tell as many people as possible your perceptions of your interactions with pro

fessionals, with carers, with friends, with strangers, with your government.

They won’t change unless they know, and they can’t know unless and until you SPEAK UP!

Seek to create a Palpable Sense of Change and of Urgency!

Join a Crusade, Now!
Be a Crusade, Now!
Lead a Crusade, Now!

In the eyes of many others, sometimes even the eyes of caregivers, I am seen as less than a complete someone. Just because my memory is failing me, just because a region of my brain is failing, just because I don’t always think like you do, nor do I remember as much or how you do, please, please know that in my own eyes, and I hope your eyes,  I am still a whole and complete someone. I am still me.  I am still Grandpa, and Dad, a friend, and whole and a complete Human Being.  I am in my mind still and have always been a complete person.  I am not becoming any less a person simply because I cannot remember like you, talk you do, or think like you do.   I know many of you want me to be who I was yesterday, or last year, or the last time they saw me, but I cannot be, nor do I any longer want to be.  I have ceased looking back over my shoulder at who I was, and now spend most of my time working on who I am , one day at a time.

Please help to enable me to be all that I can and should be.

Thank you!

Richard Taylor
richardtaylor.com
richardtaylorphd@gmail.com

“Aim above morality.
Be not simply good,
Be good for something.”
Henry David Thoreau

I CAN

The first time that I stepped in to the Alzheimer’s Association in Midland, MI I was scared and nervous.  I had a phone call from Erin Wallace (Senior Service, Seasons Program Manage) had a phone call from Alzheimer’s Association looking for an Early Stage AD(Alzheimer’s Disease) person to speak at Alzheimer’s Run for Reagan for Research, Saginaw, Mi SVSU on 4-9-11. Erin gave me the phone number to speak to Jo Campbell at Greater Michigan Chapter/ Central Michigan Region.  My next thing I did was get to my knees to ask God if it is His will and I felt OK.  When I called I got the information how to get to the building, up the stairs, in to the room, I liked being there, no fear.  I had 3 days to get ready to what can I say.  Praying a lot!  I did,   The name for the writing was: Speak Out!

When I was in the building she told me that they had some books that I might like to read and I did.  I picked up” Richard Taylor’s” Book : Alzheimer's From the Inside Out.   I learned that he had a blog and I thought I might be able (with help) to do my thoughts in a blog.  I sent an email to Richard about my stories and he email back.  I like:  I Can   I Will!     I know you will too.

I Can! I Will!

Posted by RichardTaylor at 10th August, 2011

September is World Dementia Awareness Month, and Laura Bramly and I are working with the World’s Alzheimer’s Association (Alzheimer’s Disease International) to develop a web site that lists ideas from around the world of how folks can stand up and speak up during the month of September. This web site is almost ready, but not quite. We are still accepting contributions so when we are ready to go live with the web site, we can begin with many many ideas for others to consider adopting as their own. Here are some real contributions we have already received, plus instructions on how you too can join us. Thanks for your support this project. Please pass the word about this project to other like-minded folks. Email your contributions to: standupspeakout2011@gmail.com. We will gladly help you with the form if you will just send us your ideas, plus if you want a picture of yourself. Pictures make our words/ideas seem more personal! Thanks for joining other kindred spirits in creating this “best practices/trial and error” clearing house. Richard On the I CAN! I WILL! website we will publish cyber books. Each book will be filled with your suggestions for activities to raise awareness about dementia and to fight against the stigma. There will be one book with ideas that people living with the symptoms of dementia might consider implementing, plus books for their family carers and friends, medical professionals, professional carers, Alzheimer’s Associations and others. This site will develop into a resource for individuals, groups, organizations and countries to consult when they are looking for ideas of how to stand up and speak out. Suggested Format for Postings Here is the suggested format for the idea posting. If you feel comfortable doing so, please provide a photo of yourself. To give you some guidance regarding activity ideas and format, sample postings are included after this section. 1. Subject line/title: One short sentence describing your idea. 2. Introduce yourself (whatever information you are comfortable making public). For example: · Your name (at least your first name), where you live (town, state/province, country). · If you have dementia, what form of dementia (Alzheimer’s, Lewy Bodies, etc.), how long since your diagnosis. · If you are a care partner, for whom, how long, what form of dementia. · If you are a professional in the field of dementia, what do you do and where? 1. Summarize your idea or just tell us your story. You can outline your idea and the reasons behind it; perhaps you are basing your awareness-raising activity on your own personal experience. If you think that talking about your personal experience will help someone else to understand and implement your idea, then please provide as much information as you feel comfortable. 2. Who should think about implementing this idea? For example, is your idea targeted to a person with dementia, a doctor, an activity director? This doesn’t mean your idea is restricted to only being done by that type of person; this information just helps us categorize your idea and make it easier to find on the website. 3. Contact Information: Web page, book, and/or email address of the idea author A Sampling of Ideas Submitted Thus Far Here are some ideas from folks from around the world, both with and without dementia. These are real ideas, contributed by real people, and these will be live on the website when it is launched. These ideas are meant to inspire you to contribute your own ideas. Send your ideas to standupspeakout2011@gmail.com.

Let's Talk Words #5 Pray

Pray

To pray is to take action:  I am talking to God.  I can use the word “ pray” and with adding am “er” or an “ing”, I can expand it to prayer or praying.   Sometimes I don’t know how to pray, what words to say, whether to be silent or say it out loud.   Do I go on my knees, standing up, sitting down, hands together, hands in lap, arms up and out or walking?  Do I pray alone or call someone out to pray with me?  

Spiritual Disciplines Handbook: Practices That Transform Us

  -- By: Adele Ahlberg Calhoun (Inter-varsity Press / 2005 / Paperback)

I have this book that has helped me to grow in spiritual disciplines.  So, when I was studying this book, I found they outlined different types of prayer.  Some of these types are:  Centering, Contemplative, Conversational, Fixed-Hour, Inner Healing, Intercessory, Labyrinth, Liturgical, Prayer Partners, Praying Walking, Praying Scripture, and more.  One way I learned to use: Praying Scripture.  When I go to a scripture and God is asking us or telling us his words I make them personal.  For me, some days, I want a private time and I really feel that I am face to face and connected with my soul and His Sprit.  Here is an example:

 John 3:16

New International Version (NIV)

 Lord, You so loved the world that you gave your only Son, that whoever believes in You shall not perish but have eternal life.          Thank you, God!   I am talking with God and He with me.

Why do I pray?  God told me to.  I pray to talk to God to ask Him for help and He answers.  I pray for strength, for hope, peace, joy, love.  I pray to Him to remind me I have to follow His Will not mine.  I get in trouble if I don’t.  And I pray for all of his children in many ways of peace, love, joy, hope.

When to pray?  Any time!  When?  In the morning, in the afternoon and night:  I can pray at any time.  I pray when I am happy or not, when friends, family, or anyone else is in need of prayers.  I pray when I am so thankful for God’s Gifts to me to pass on to others … it just seems right.

Where do I pray?  Anywhere!  Where I want to go!  I remember, the time in the grocery store when a friend needed a prayer for a family member’s problems. We hugged and prayed in the aisle.  In Brazil, in the church, the Pastor started the prayer, my head was down, eyes closed, listened quiet and realized that there were people talking at the same time.  How rude!   I started listening, I heard one person was praying for the pastor, another praying for family, another praying for the person who would be sharing the sermon.  Every one of them were praying different prayers.  I was the only one alone not praying.  Now I can pray everywhere. 

Who can pray?  Anyone! I can pray; you can pray.  Anyone can pray:  even those who are not sure they could pray.  One word can be prayer :  God.  Lord.  Help!  Why?  God listens!  A person who killed their family still has the right to pray.  Those who killed the Navy Seals can pray.   We have a God that loves us so much that He sent His Son to die for us so we can be able to pray when we felt unworthy.  He still loves us.  Thank you, Lord!

What do I pray for?  Anything!  I pray for people for other people’s health, ministry, God’s Will, families.  I pray for me!  I ask what I should do, what should I give back, where should I go.  What does He want me to do is a mystery.  I can pray for anything.  God will listen.

How do we pray?  Anyway we want!  We can pray out loud, silent, laughing, singing, on our knees, standing up, laying flat down on the floor, dancing, crying sad or with joy, with the bible, walking, driving, one word, in our house, on the street, church, stores … any way we feel we can connect with our God.

I don’t know how I could live my life without praying.  I pray so many times, for many reasons and in so many places.  I can’t image how many times in my life I have prayed.  I can’t figure out how many times I prayed crying for help, for joy, for friends, for not so friends, for my God, for darkness, sunlight, rain, drought or for celebration. 

Right now I am praying : My God, I am in need to use your words so others can know You.  I can’t do it alone.  Lord I love you so much, you tell me what to do when I don’t want to hear it.  Yet you give me a way to do what needs to be done.  So Lord, I will keep going on this blog and it will get done with You. 

Thank You

Yesterday I started on my knees, I prayed for God’s will for this day, prayed that the words on this blog will make sense and others will know God is with me in my walk with Alzheimer’s  Disease.  It will not go away.  It can be slowed down though.  One day this past week, at 4:00pm, I met the doctor to find out the difference in my condition, comparing last year to this year’s changes.   I was sure there are changes, I feel them, see them, hear them, laugh with them, cry with them and still have Hope, Joy, Love and Peace on my journey with God and Alzheimer’s Disease.  Well, I have been blessed, I am still on early stage of my disease, I have lost some things but I am still alive.  Yay!!!    Thanks to all of you that were praying for me.  I love you all!

The Model Prayer:  Matthew 6:9-13   

Our Father in heaven

Hallowed be Your name.

Your kingdom come

Your will be done

On earth as it is heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

And forgive us our debts

As we forgive our debtors.

And do not lead us in to temptation,

But deliver from the evil one.

For Yours in the kingdom and the Power and the glory forever . Amen.

Blog  #6         New words are:  Laughter and Smiles