Alzheimer's Support Ministry

Pastor: Rick McLean 818-909-5500 
What happened at our last meeting?
 
We were again blessed by a brief message of encouragement by Pastor Rick from Psalm 23.  We were left to ponder on OUR SHEPHERD'S 24/7 comfort care.  The Psalmist here clearly indicates God's timeless personal care.  The words in the present tense clearly point to peace,rest, and refreshment.  We have no lack of guidance, no lack of safety and protection, no lack of provisions and above all looking forward to an eternal home with a new body.           
"Show and Tell" time....Laurie brought along a video that her grandchildren made for Gary.  It is a slideshow with Music (hymns), Scripture, Photos (animals and nature).  It inspired her to make more for him.  It would be a great Christmas gift idea for your Loved One or for use in a Loved Ones program.
 



 

Resources


Our desire is that our Lord God be glorified through our lives in every way, including this newsletter.  The more people that know about what He is doing in/through/for us, the more He will be glorified.  It is not about us, it is about what the Lord IS doing. 
 
  • MEMBER RECOMMENDATION:   Last month, someone shared that they have had success with Cystex® Liquid Cranberry Complex for their Loved One.  Urinary Tract Infections can plague those with dementia.  Grace Community Church is not "endorsing" this product, but we are passing along the information.   It claimes to be a "safe, effective, and clinically-proven to help prevent urinary tract infections from recurring and provides powerful urinary tract protection in just one tablespoon daily - more than cranberry pills or cranberry juice!"
 
  • GOOD DEAL:  "Wear Comfortable Shoes" is a wonderful book for caregivers.  We reviewed it several months ago.  This "E book" is only $2.99 right now Amazon.  CLICK HERE FOR DEAL. 

a word from our Pastor...

SUFFERING ENHANCES FUTURE GLORY
God brings sufferings, trials, persecutions, and other kinds of adversity as vital events in our spiritual growth process. The following familiar verses in James 1:2–4 confirm this truth succinctly: “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” That refers primarily to our Christian pilgrimage on earth. But Peter bridges present suffering to future glory when he says that God, who has called us to glory, will “perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you” (1 Peter 5:10).

MacArthur, J. (1995). The Power of Suffering (pp. 141–142). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

CELEBRATE

  • This is the day that the Lord has made.
  • I will rejoice and be glad in it!
  • Celebrate life every day.
  • Praise as long as you have breath.
  • Yes, we only live once.
  • Use your life to praise THE ONE who hears your prayers.
  • Praise the Lord from whom all blessings flow!
  • Praise the GOD of heaven and earth.   
  • Use your life to give Him back the glory.  Anon.   
  • "CARE GIVING :  Just when you think you've got it all figured out ...IT CHANGES."  Anon. 
  • "They may not remember the details of an activity but through their mood and behavior we can observe that they are aware that they have had a joyous experience."  --Cathy Greenbat

From Joni & Friends Devotional

To New Heights
"You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself."       Exodus 19:4
 
The soul is like a bird,
shaken from its peaceful roost by the inclement
circumstances of life,
where windblown branches
and sudden gusts from darkening horizons
thrust it into weather that is wild and uncertain.
And sometimes, however hard we beat our wings,
we can't seem to overcome the elements galing against us.
We are thrashed about in the air,
windsheered and weary,
wondering if our cries for help are reaching God.
But then the tempest subsides,
for a while anyway,
and the updrafts of God's Spirit lift us to new heights,
above the wind, above the rain, above the earth.
And, for a moment,
we soar.
Ken Gire
 
If there's anything we need in a stormy trial, it's perspective. We need to see what birds see. When we catch the updrafts of God's Spirit and are lifted to new heights, trials look extraordinarily different.
 
When you soar, as on eagle's wings, you are gliding above the tempest, above the fray, above the rain and storms. From such heights, you can look down on your trials and actually have God's perspective. What is tossing you to and fro today? As our verse suggests, let God lift you to new heights, carrying and bringing you to Himself.  If I wait on You, Lord, You will renew my strength. You will help me to mount up on eagles' wings. Carry me, God... and bring me to Yourself today.
 
Gire, Ken, Between Heaven and Earth, HarperCollins, San Francisco, CA, 1997, Introduction Page

This month our theme is:

Next Meeting
Saturday, October 26, 2013

  • G-130 Room
  • 9:00am-9:30am > Breakfast & Fellowship
  • Care Givers fellowship
  • Loved Ones care in next room
Loved Ones program provided
  • 9:30am-10:00am > Film 
  • 10:00am-10:30am > Go for a walk around campus
  • 10:30am-11:00am > A time of worship

doughertyfam8@gmail.com 
818-370-7161
On Self Control...

 
  • SELF-CONTROL is the exercise of inner strength under the direction of sound judgement that enables us to do, think, and say the things that are pleasing to God.  (Jerry Bridges)
 
  • Discipline yourself to care for yourself...so you can serve...
    On an airplane, an oxygen mask descends in front of you. What do you do?

As we all know, the first rule is to put on your own oxygen mask before you assist anyone else. Only when we first help ourselves can we effectively help others. Caring for yourself is one of the most important - and one of the most often forgotten - things you can do as a caregiver. When your needs are taken care of, the person you care for will benefit, too.
Giving Attention to Prayer
(some suggested prayers)
  • "Help me today, Lord Jesus to rejoice in the confinements of my life.  Enable me to see my circumstances as boundaries You have erected to work within."  ----Joni Erickson Tada
  • You have said in Your Word, that he that ruleth his spirit is better than he that taketh a city.  And You said that he that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down and without wall.  Help me to rule my spirit, Lord.
  • Thank you Lord for the grace to endure the loses you have allowed in my life.
  • "Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy, That we may rejoice and be glad all our days!"  Ps.90:14


Dear God,
Your Word teaches that when we truly experience Your saving grace we find the power to say no to wasteful passions and to live SELF-CONTROLLED and productive lives. Lord, I need your help to overcome my laziness and self-deception. Teach me and change me, Lord. I want to become SELF-CONTROLLED. Today it seems that self-indulgence is the drug of choice on every corner, but I don't want my appetites to dominate my life! You promise to live powerfully through me so that I might love you and serve others. Lord, please, show me how to build the walls of SELF-CONTROL and restraint around my life. I relinquish my rebellious will, which robs me of the SELF-CONTROL You want me to choose.  Thank you for helping me today.
Amen   (From an Anon. blogger)
 
I pray Dear God that you will instill SELF-CONTROL in me that will help me grow in strength. I pray that you will help me rein in my passions, desires and emotions and make them subject to your Spirit. Please give me the SELF-DISCIPLINE I need to not complain about my circumstances.

***PLEASE FEEL FREE TO USE THE SUPPORT MINISTRY ROSTER TO PRAY FOR SPECIFIC LOVED ONES AND THEIR CARE GIVERS.  Barbara Annan has copies that she has available at ea. meeting.
 

Joy in the Journey

God's speaks about
Self Control


"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize?  So run that you may obtain it.   Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified." 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

 

 

"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people,  training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age..."Titus 2:11-12

"For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with
steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness,  and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love." 2 Peter 1:5-9


Two good reminders to keep our responses to our loved ones under the Lord's control... 

1. "This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger;"  James 1:19

2. "Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips."  Psalms 141:3

7 Principles of SELF-DISCIPLINE — John MacArthur


Practically speaking, how can a person develop SELF-DISCIPLINE in his or her life?
Here are some things that have helped me through the years:

1. Start Small. Start with your room. Clean it, then keep it clean. When something is out of place, train yourself to put it where it belongs. Then extend the DISCIPLINE of neatness to the rest of your home.

2. Be on time. That may not seem very spiritual, but it’s important. If you’re supposed to be somewhere at a specific time, be there on time. Develop the ability to DISCIPLINE your desires, activities, and demands so that you can arrive on time.
3. Do the hardest job first. When you do that, you will find it easier to do the simpler tasks.

4. Organize your life. Plan the use of your time; don’t just react to circumstances. Use a calendar and make a daily list of things you need to accomplish. If you don’t CONTROL your time, everything else will.

5. Accept correction. Correction helps make you more DISCIPLINED because it shows you what you need to avoid. Don’t avoid criticism; accept it gladly.

6. Practice SELF-DENIAL. Learn to say no to your feelings. Learn to do what you know to be right even if you don’t feel like doing it. Sometimes it’s even beneficial to DENY yourself things that are acceptable to have, like a doughnut in the morning or dessert after dinner. Exercising such SELF-RESTRANT helps you develop the habit of keeping other things UNDER CONTROL. CULTIVATING DISCIPLINE in the physical realm will help you become DISCIPLINED in your spiritual life.

7. Welcome responsibility. When you have an opportunity to do something that needs to be done, volunteer for it if you have talent in that area. Accepting responsibility can force you to organize yourself.

This article originally appeared at Grace to You.
Copyright © 2013 Grace Community Church, All rights reserved.