Thank You God and Halls

Have you ever had a time you are struggling with thoughts, or tests, or writings, or anything that you want to just walk away from?  I do.  There are times I walk away and don’t have the strength to go on.  There are more times I can get help if I ask my Higher Power (God) and I ask.  There are different ways God will help:  Touch me on my shoulder, send a person to work with me, provide a friend who prays for me, or He’s present in something I read. 

Last Sunday (18^th) I was sharing the Message.  Last month our church had a fire in the sanctuary.  We have to worship somewhere else.   Right now we are worshiping in a building that was given to us to use.  Wow, great! Then my Pastor called to remind me I was to do the Message.  Gulp!  I am scared, I can’t do it!  Then I remembered I had started to focus on the message two months ago.  I called my Pastor and I said I could do it.  So, I was nervous, my throat got dry, I put a cough drop in my mouth and I looked at the wrapper.  I was surprised when I saw the writing on the wrapper as I opened the cough drop.  I use the Halls sugar-free cough drops and there was a message in the cough drop wrapper on this day:  Fire up those engines!  March forward!

I got up to talk and I shared with the congregation I was nervous and scared and God stepped in and I was no longer nervous or scared.   It seems that many times when I think I can’t do it, I will see one of the cough drop wrappers and I know that God helped me again.

Here are more for you:

Fire up those engines! 

March forward!

Don’t wait to get started! 

Hi-five yourself!

Be unstoppable!

Push on!

Let’s hear your battle cry.

Power through!

Bet on yourself!

Put a little strut in it.

Don’t waste a precious minute!

Don’t give up on yourself!    

Take charge and mean it!

Conquer today!

Dust off and get up!

Be resilient!

It’s yours for the taking!

Get back in the game!

Tough is your middle name.

Flex your “can do” muscles!

Elicit a “wow” today!

Get through it!

Seize the day!

Put your game face on!

Turn “can do” into “can did!”

I like all of them.  I have my own one comes from :  http://www.alz.co.uk/icaniwill I Can, I Will!    

I said  ”A Can  I Will and I added on I Did!        I Did by God’s will, not mine!   Today, God helped me to fnish this blog.   

Thank You, Halls!

Thank You All

Thank You, Lord my God 

Thank You All

Feb  17^th

I am a member of the Community of Christ.  This denomination has churches around the World.  My congregation is in Midland, MI.  We have many in Michigan:  over 90 & a few in Canada in our area. Our Michigan President and their staff will organize classes or groups for congregations, camps, or other groups. On Friday evening I went to Flint, Mi for classes. Our group is called: S. A. L.T.   It means:  Studies in Advanced Leadership Training.  

We got to the church, I signed in, found a place to sit, class started and I sat and listened, once I did talk and most of the time I was quiet.  When I am in group it is hard to hear what is being said, if I try to talk my brain will not go fast enough to get a word out.  And I can start to write and I can’t go fast enough.  So, I just set down, put my hands down, listened and watch.  I didn’t speak much.  Went to the house, we ate and went to bed.

Feb 18^th                                                                                                                                                                               Saturday morning ,  I didn’t fell well.  When we got to the church I didn’t tell anyone that I was not well.  Instead I would say to the people:  Hi, how are you, they would say, I am ok or doing well and they would say to me:  how are you.  I said, doing all right. I lied.  I walked away and looked for a place to be alone as I started to cry.  I found the sanctuary and sat on a step under the picture of Jesus and cried with Him.  Why am I crying? I want to be here.  I want to go home.   I needed to go home.  I did not know why or how I was sick.  I did not know why I was crying and I just wanted to go home.

 I was on my knees asking God what was going on with me.  Was it my disease playing with my brain?  

I did go home.  During the night I had a dream. It was really weird. It was filled with people in my house, some out of the house, family, neighbors, dogs and friends. I was having a great time.  People were helping, some were crying, some were funny and more.  I did not care that people thought I was crazy and some people said thank you.  It was fun.  I was happy.   I woke up and realized that was a dream. Wow.  Went back to sleep and went right back in to the dream.  When it was time to get up Butch woke me up and asked me: were you talking to yourself or talking on your cell phone.  I told him, I think I was talking out loud to the people in my dream.  So this morning I was back on my knees, asking God:  What was that all about?  So, I started to think.  And, I think I got it.    It is more than being sick.  On Saturday, we went to the church for the class and I was talking back and forth to people:  Hi, how are you, doing good, knowing that I am not good.                   

Why:  I had all the books I needed for the class.  I didn’t read them, could not understand so many of words. When I want to talk I can’t get my brain to go faster to get my words out of my mouth.  It was easier to not talk yet I wanted to share with the group.

Did I want to cry, did I want to go home.  NO!  I want to be normal just as everyone else is.  On Monday, I stopped at the Alzheimer’s Association and I talked to Laura about a program for Wednesday.  Then I shared with her what happened about my crying.  Told her I broke down, she asked me how I was feeling and I said: much better.  Then said: We call it a Break Out.  Meaning that you have been holding back and it had to come out.   I need to stand up and to step up for People with Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease.  I am very happy when I am up and about. 

I fill really good doing things in my life and I hope to help others when I can. I want to go out to those that have Dementia.  Now there are different types of Dementia, mine is:   Alzheimer’s  Disease.   I know that God is always with us.  As long as we can walk, talk, love and pray to help to get through hard times.  Share our stories of our lives now and in the past.  Talk about family, school, marriage, kids, work and loss in our lives.  Get outside when you can.  Walk, drive, call someone and ask if they want to get out also and go to the show, groceries, church or get your hair different or not.  Look up, look around.  Read the newspapers, books, magazine:  food, TV, places out of town or fly some where you want to go by yourself or take someone with you.   

My thinking for now, when I cry I will let it out until it stops, and then say:  Thank You God, where do you want me to go now.

Thank you all for your kindness, love and time, your hugs and your prayers.

Good Morning Today

I know it is a good day because I am alive and want to share with you information from Senior Services (Midland County Council on Aging) in Midland, Michigan. 

I volunteer at “Seasons 2,” where I water their plants.  Right now, the plants I water are inside of the building.  When Spring starts, I will help outside, also.  I haven’t planted seeds at “Seasons 2.”  For additional information about “Seasons” and the Adult Day Services they offer: 

http://www.seniorservicesmidland.org/index_files/AdultDayServices.htm

Today I am sharing something I received from Emily Harwood, Activity Specialist,

Seasons Adult Service. 

                                     

Responding to Behaviors:  Anxiety & Aggression

  

Hello volunteers! Once again, it’s that time for the monthly volunteer training tip. This month, I will highlight successful tips for responding to an individual who may be experiencing increased anxiety or aggression.

It’s important to remember that no two people experience Alzheimer’s disease in the same way. In some cases, Alzheimer's disease and related dementias can cause a person to act in different and unpredictable ways. These types of reactions can lead to misunderstanding, frustration and tension, particularly between the person with dementia and the caregiver.

Tips for Responding to Anxiety & Aggression:

1.     Listen to the frustration

          Find out what may be causing the anxiety and try to understand.

2.     Rule out pain as a source of stress

          Pain can cause a person with dementia to act aggressively.

3.     Provide reassurance

          Use calming phrases. Let the individual know you care.

 4.     Focus on feelings, not facts

          Rather than focusing on specific details, consider the

          person's emotions. Look for the feelings behind the words or actions.

5.     Involve the person in activities

          Try using art, music, exercise or other activities to help engage

            the person so he or she can relax.

6.     Modify the environment

          Decrease noise and distractions, or relocate.

7.     Find outlets for energy

          The person may be looking for something to do.

         

8.     Don't get upset

          Be positive and reassuring. Speak slowly and use a soft tone.

GRATIDÃO


Olá!
Minha irmã me ligou Penny na outra noite e me perguntou: "O que está errado? Porque você não está trabalhando em um novo blog? Você prometeu que iria partilhar a sua para cima e para baixo vezes em seu blog "Penny também disse:".. Você precisa dizer a seus amigos por que eles não ouviram falar de você "Então, hoje, eu vou tentar compartilhar com vocês. Estou na minha cama escrevendo isso agora, sexta-feira 13, de 2012, mas não sei quando será concluído.

Na primeira parte do mês de Outubro eu estava me sentindo para baixo. Os passeios para Alzheimer eo Midland Diário artigo de jornal Notícias teve um monte de mim.Estou apenas percebendo que eu não sabia que estas tinham sido as razões para o meu tempo "para baixo". Falei com meu médico e disse a ele que eu acho que estou um pouco deprimido. Então, eu tenho uma nova med. Seria, pelo menos, seis semanas antes que ele realmente iria chutar polegadas eu sabia que eu precisava para voltar à pista para ir ao Brasil no final do mês.

Meu último blog foi firmes no Senhor em 08 de outubro. Tentei escrever um blog, mas eu não poderia começar o meu cérebro na pista. Eu estava focando em conseguir as coisas juntos por três semanas no Brasil, tais como a tomada de decisões sobre a roupa (que vai ser quente ou frio lá), bem como as coisas por escrito para ser compartilhado no Brasil (informações, histórias da minha vida com Deus, compartilhando o que Deus me falou sobre o perdão). Além disso, eu estava indo à igreja, reuniões, consultas médicas, o trabalho de casa: eu cansei! Vem a noite, não fale comigo: Eu só quero ver televisão, ler livros e jogar no computador. Além disso, eu estava achando que eu iria ficar doente de minha doença e não ser capaz de ir ao Brasil.

Finalmente no meu caminho para o Brasil, eu estava animado e preocupado ao mesmo tempo. Quando cheguei a Detroit, me encontrei com Tony Saraiva e ele me disse que foram atualizados para os assentos conforto e economia não tivemos que pagar por isso. Cool! Todo o tempo eu estava lá, tivemos muito trabalho para fazer.Então havia muito tempo para descansar. Eu estava otimista, feliz a maior parte do tempo. Houve momentos em que eu estava para baixo, mas bati com isso imediatamente. Wow, que a medicação funcionou. Obrigado. Deus!

Quando voltei para casa, eu estava cansado. Eu cai de volta na minha velha maneira de não querer fazer nada. Em nossa casa, Butch, eu e nosso cão tem um monte de risadas até por volta de 05:00 Então, não é tanto. Quando eu sair de casa, na maioria das vezes eu me sinto bem. Eu gosto de conversar com amigos, sair para comer com a família, ir à igreja, etc Quando as pessoas me perguntam como eu estou fazendo, vou dizer com um sorriso: "Estou bem" ou "Deus é tão bom para mim" ou "Deus me abençoou muito" e eu quero dizer isso. Exceto às vezes eu não. Eu minto! Eu não estou OK, eu não posso escrever para os meus amigos, conversar com minha família.Por quê? Isso me leva tanto tempo para chegar as minhas palavras para fora. Não consigo usar as letras para formar uma palavra sem ajuda. Este é o próximo blog que eu estou trabalhando para você e Deus. Foi uma hora e meia para escrever cerca de 20 sentenças. Isso me faz chorar.
Estou dando um tempo agora para que eu possa compartilhar o que significa para mim Gratidão e muitos outros.

Gratidão significa Obrigado.

Para trás em 1 de novembro de 2010, escrevi um blog chamado Lutando. Estou de volta lutando. Eu sei melhor. Tenho sido tão abençoado por Deus. Eu sei que Deus, Jesus eo Espírito Santo me ama, cuida de mim, caminha comigo, chora comigo, ri comigo e me ouve. Eu tenho família, os amigos que vai fazer a mesma coisa. Eu não estou sozinho. No entanto, eu me esquecer de pedir ajuda. Ou é o meu ego pensar que eu posso fazer isso sozinho? Talvez, eu não quero que outros saibam minha fraqueza.Ele me chateou no outro dia quando eu ficou confuso na minha própria casa. Eu sei que não sou perfeito, mas eu quero ser. Você sabe, é tempo de ser grato e sair do meu tempo piedade. OK, aqui vamos nós!
Deus, obrigado por estar comigo através do meu lutas com Doença de Alzheimer.Sim, eu sei que o meu cérebro está brincando comigo. Eu sabia que haveria mudanças no meu cérebro. Eu também tenho fé com você, Senhor. E, obrigado novamente por me amar.

Famílias e amigos, obrigado por seu apoio. Cada vez que me lembro de pedir ajuda, você está aqui. Eu não sou sempre bom quando você está tentando me ajudar.Quando estou com raiva de mim mesmo, às vezes eu tirá-lo de você. Por favor, me perdoe.

Todos os dias na minha vida está mudando, algumas boas, outras não e, hoje, em 18 de janeiro de 2012, em 7:20, é bom. O resto deste dia, não tenho idéia do que vai ser acontecer. Eu sei que Deus está comigo e eu sei que a minha família e amigos vão estar aqui quando eu preciso de ajuda.
Penny.
Obrigado por dar-me pontapés para que eu lembre que Deus me disse que eu ainda estou vivo, tenho coisas para fazer, então vamos lá.

  I Can! I Will! I Did!

Obrigado, Obrigado, Obrigado.

GRATITUDE

Hello! 

My sister Penny called me the other night and asked me:  “What is wrong?  Why are you not working on a new blog?  You promised that you would share your up and down times in your blog.”  Penny also said:  “You need to tell your friends why they have not heard from you.”  So today, I will try to share with you.  I am in my bed writing this now, Friday 13, 2012, but am not sure when it will be finished.

In the first part of October I was feeling down.  The Walks for Alzheimer’s and the Midland Daily News newspaper article took a lot out of me.  I am just realizing I didn’t know that these had been the reasons for my “down” time.  I talked to my doctor and told him that I think I am a little depressed. So, I got a new med.  It would be at least 6 weeks before it would really kick in.  I knew I needed to get back on track for going to Brasil later in the month.

My last blog was Stand Firm in the Lord on Oct 8. I tried to write a blog but I could not get my brain on track.    I was focusing on getting the things together for 3 weeks in Brasil such as making decisions about clothes (will it be hot or cold there), as well as writing things to be shared in Brasil (information, stories of my life with God, sharing what God told me about forgiveness).  In addition to this, I was going to church, meetings, doctor appointments, house work: I got tired!  Come night time, don’t talk to me: I just want to watch TV, read books and play games on the computer. Also, I was worrying that I would get sick from my disease and not be able to go to Brasil.

Finally on my way to Brasil, I was excited and worried at the same time.  When I got to Detroit, I met with Tony Saraiva and he told me that we were upgraded to the comfort economy seats and we did not have to pay for it.  Cool!   All the time I was there we had a lot of work to do.  Then there were lots of time to rest.  I was upbeat, happy most of the time.  There were times that I was down but snapped out of it right away.  Wow, that medication worked.  Thank you. God!

When I came home, I was tired.  I dropped back into my old way of not wanting to do anything. In our house, Butch, me and our dog have a lot of laughter until around 5:00 p.m. Then, there is not as much.  When I leave the house, most of the time I feel good.  I like to talk to friends, go out to eat with family, go to church, etc.  When people ask me how I am doing, I will  say with a smile:  “I am fine” or “God is so good to me” or “God has Blessed me so much” and I mean it.  Except sometimes I don’t.  I lie!  I am not OK, I can’t write to my friends, talk with my family.     Why? It takes me so long to get my words out.  I can’t use the letters to make a word without help. This is the next blog I am working on to you and God.  It has been one and a half hour to write about 20 sentences.  It makes me cry. 

I am taking a break now so I can share what Gratitude means to me and many others.

 

Gratitude means Thank You.

Back on Nov 1, 2010, I wrote a blog called Struggling.  I am back struggling.  I know better.  I have been so blessed by God.  I know God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit loves me, cares for me, walks with me, cries with me, laughs with me and listens to me.  I have family, friends that will do the same thing.  I am not alone.  Yet, I forget to call for help. Or is my ego thinking I can do it alone?  Maybe, I don’t want others to know my weakness. It upset me the other day when I became confused in my own home. I know I am not perfect but I want to be.   You know, it is time to be grateful and get out of my pity time.  OK, here we go!

God, thank you for being with me through my struggles with Alzheimer’s Disease.  Yes, I know that my brain is playing with me.  I knew there would be changes in my brain.  I also have faith with you, Lord.  And, thank you again for loving me.

Families and friends, thank you for your support.  Every time I remember to ask for help, you are here.  I am not always nice to you when you are trying to help me.  When I am angry at myself, I sometimes take it out on you. Please, forgive me.  

Every day in my life is changing, some good, some not and today, on January 18, 2012, at 7:20 a.m., it is good.  The rest of this day, I have no clue what will be happen.  I do know that God is with me and I know that my families and friends will be here when I need help.

Penny.

Thank You for kicking me so I remember that God told me that I am still alive, have things to do, so let’s go.

  I Can!  I Will!  I Did!

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You.

Presentes de Deus

Dom:1. algo dado para mostrar a amizade, carinho, apoio, etc; presente2. o ato, poder ou direito de dar3. uma habilidade natural; talento

Deus deu a todos os presentes através de nossas vidas e nessa época do ano é chamado de Natal. Estamos enviando e recebendo presentes de nossas famílias, amigos, chefes, etc Temos os presentes pelo correio, cartas, computador, telefone e face a face. Ficamos com livros, brinquedos, roupas, CDs, sobre e sobre. Deus nos dá presentes também.Acho que levei muito tempo em meus primeiros dias antes de me tornar ciente de que os presentes foram dados para me da minha família para aniversários, Natal, ou apenas porque queriam me dar um presente. Eu não sabia que Deus me deu presentes. Como eu cresci (ainda crescendo) eu descobri que Deus nos dá presentes.Aqui estão alguns dos presentes que mudou minha vida.

O primeiro foi quando eu soube que me trouxe à vida. O segundo foi quando eu descobri que Deus enviou um bebê para me salvar e seu nome é Jesus. A terceira é quando eu aprendi que Deus é Amor Incondicional. Sobre a minha vida, Deus iria me dar presentes. Havia tempos que eu não entendia o que o presente significava para mim ou eu não queria ter esse dom. Eu acredito que eu não era digno. "Eu não posso fazer isso!", Ou "Não me", foram as respostas típicas. E então, havia dons que mudou minha vida. Um exemplo recente é o dom que ele deu no dia que ele disse: Sara, você ainda estiver vivo, você tem coisas para fazer, vamos.

Deus tem presentes para nós. Para mim, Deus me deu o entendimento de que os presentes que são dados devem ser usados, e eles são para o nosso Ministério. A meu ver, Deus dá a todos os seus filhos um ministério no momento do nascimento e ele continua a dar-nos mais do que precisamos para crescer nesses ministérios.Todos terão seus dons partes quando Deus com eles. Todos nós temos dons diferentes e alguns são apenas para você ou alguma sobreposição. Eu não tenho idéia de todos os dons que Deus enviou ao redor do mundo. Eu vou tentar listar o que os presentes que poderia receber.

Presentes deuses:

Deus é um dom para nós

Jesus, o Espírito SantoGraça, bênçãos, misericórdia, perdão, Our Lives

Vontade de Deus, a nossa vontade, a nossa escolha

Bíblia: As pessoas que escreveram a Bíblia

Fruto: amor, alegria, paz, longanimidade, benignidade, bondade, fidelidade, mansidão, auto-controle

Nossa Família: Mãe, pai, irmã, irmão, filhos, tios, tias, avó, avô, sobrinha e sobrinho de 
Música, Dança, Sing Escritores, Song


Diversidade: Somos todos diferentes-Corpos, Brains, Cores, do Ministério

Dá: pastores, mentores, professores, igrejas, congregações

Dá: Ministério a todos os Filhos de Deus desde o nascimento

Dá: Risos, sorrisos, felicidade Fun,

Dá: Palavras, Livros, Mensagem Sermon, no papel, nos dedos, nas paredes, em telas



Nós podemos e vamos usar os nossos dons dada por Deus para compartilhar com os outros.

Deus nos deu: João 3: 16

Porque Deus amou o mundo de tal maneira que deu Seu Filho unigênito, para que todo aquele que nele crê não pereça, mas tenha a vida eterna.

God’s Gifts

          

Gift: 

1.     something given to show friendship, affection, support, etc.; present

2.     the act, power, or right of giving

3.     a natural ability; talent

God has given gifts all through our lives and at this time of the year it is called Christmas.  We are sending and receiving gifts from our families, friends, bosses, etc.   We get the gifts by mail, cards, phone, computer and face to face.  We get books, toys, clothes, CDs, on and on.  God gives us gifts too. 

I think it took me a long time in my early days before I became aware that gifts were given to me from my family for birthdays, Christmas, or just because they wanted to give me a gift.    I did not know that God gave me gifts.  As I grew up (still growing up) I found that God gives us gifts.  Here are some of the gifts that changed my life.                                                          

The first one was when I learned that brought me to life.  The second was when I found out that God sent a baby to save me and his name is Jesus.  The third is when I learned that God is Unconditional Love.  Over my life, God would give me gifts.  There were times I did not understand what the gift meant to me or I did not want to have that gift.  I would believe that I was not worthy.  “I can’t do this!”, or “No not me,” were typical responses.  And then, there were gifts that changed my life.  A recent example is the gift he gave the day he said:  Sara, you are still alive, you have things to do, let’s go.  

God has gifts for us.   For me, God gave me the understanding that the gifts that are given are to be used, and they are for our Ministry.  As I see it, God gives all of his children a ministry at birth and he continues  to give us more of what we need to grow in those ministries.  Everyone will have their gifts when God shares with them.  We all have different gifts and some are just for you or some overlap.    I have no clue of all the gifts that God sent out around the world.   I am going to try to list what gifts we might receive.

Gods Gifts:

God is a gift to us

Jesus, Holy Spirit

Grace, Blessings, Mercy, Forgiveness, Our Lives

God’s Will, Our Will, Our Choice

Bible:  The persons who wrote the Bible

Fruit:   Love, Joy, Peace, Longsuffering, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self Control

Our Families: Mother, Father, Sister, Brother, Children, Aunts, Uncles, Grandmother, Grandfather, Niece, and Nephews Music, Dance, Sing, Song Writers

Diversity:  We all are different—Bodies, Brains, Colors, Ministry,

Gives: Pastors, Mentors, Teachers, Churches, Congregations

Gives:  Ministry to all of God’s Children from birth

Gives:  Laughter, Smiles, Happiness, Fun

Gives:  Words, Books, Message, Sermon, On Paper, On Fingers, On Walls, On Screens

We can and we will use our given gifts from God to share to others.

God has given us: John 3: 16

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.