CAREGIVER DIARIES: IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS

It's been a long week and an even longer day.

You're exhausted. 

You decide that a nice, hot cup of tea is in your future.

You're on yet another errand, and see that Miss Gloria Jackson's yard sale is still going on, and she makes THE best pound cake. 

You couldn't stop earlier, but you make a point to stop, this time. 

As you walk across the grass and approach her, she smiles, and is genuinely glad to see you. 

She stands up, and hugs you in that loving way that makes you miss your own grandmother, and says, "Come on in. I believe I have some more in the house. I cut them in half."

Miss Gloria seems to be taking those stairs much easier than you are. 

You make a mental note to keep moving so that when you're her age, you can take the stairs easily, too.

 

She looks on her kitchen counter and finds the cake. You get the last, golden, neatly wrapped halves she hadn't promised to take to church tomorrow.  

 

This may mean nothing to you, but doggone-it, it made my day. 

Sometimes, it seems that things are waiting just for you, just to make you smile.

#JesusLovesMe  

#ItsTheLittleThings  

#DoesntTakeMuchToMakeMeHappy

#grateful

GOING BY THE BOOK: MEDICINE AT SCHOOL

 

I searched and read the Asthma and Allergy Foundation's  RESCUE website with interest. EVERY school system should have a program like it. I also read The National Association of School Nurses position brief which began,

"It is the position of the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) that schools should stock Albuterol for emergency use by the registered professional school nurse (hereinafter referred to as school nurse) for students with symptoms of respiratory distress as specified in the standing order or protocol. To optimize student health, safety and learning, a school nurse should be present in every school, all day, every day to assure appropriate and timely assessment and treatment."
 

If only the recommendation of the NASN was the rule and not the exception. I suffered with Asthma as a child. Fortunately I outgrew it, but I still remember the terror of waking up at night not being able to catch my breath, banging on my bedroom wall, and being relieved to see my mother rush in with my inhaler. I remember lying in a hospital bed and frantically kicking at the plastic oxygen tent that seemed to be taking my breath away, as opposed to helping me breathe. I remember not being able to run for long periods of time in gym class. 
 

Several friends have asthma, and they keep their inhalers close. You hate to see anyone suffering, particularly when there is an immediate remedy. What I heard this afternoon during a phone call from a parent of an asthmatic child shocked and saddened me. What seemed like a common sense situation became so unnecessarily complicated and cruelly prolonged. When it comes to asthma and school children, adults can't afford to play games or politics.

So...

A child in your new class, who is known by adults at the school to have asthma, suffers an attack in your classroom. You:

1. give him or her a pass, and send him or her alone and wheezing to the office of the new school nurse.

So...

You're the new school nurse. A child suffering from an asthma attack shows up at your office door. You:

1. Search for health services forms and interrogate the wheezing student who is trying to tell you who has his albuterol (since the student can't carry it on his or her person).

2. Phone the child's parent to scold them for not updating the child's medical forms for the current school year, and continue to withhold the Albuterol.

3. Learn that a staff member has been authorized by the parent to administer the child's Albuterol but you don't ALLOW him or her to do it either.

4. Phone the parent again and ask if he or she wants you to call 911 or not, and if so, inform them that it will COST them (as if the child isn't worth the cost of an ambulance ride to the ER).

5. Tell the parent he or she must leave his or her place of employment, and drive over an hour to come to the school to administer the Albuterol him or herself.

6. Cop an attitude when the frustrated parent arrives, watch as the child successfully administers the medication, and then give the parent forms (to completed by the child's pediatrician)-- so that the next time the child shows up at your office door, you won't hesitate to help.

It's the third day of school. The child missed morning classes, and suffered not because there was an earthquake, fire or flood; not because the Albuterol was not there; not because no one knew how to administer it, not because some alien spacecraft disabled all of the phones, but because THE BOOK says the child can't, the parent's authorized agent can't, and the nurse WON'T administer medication unless forms have been updated.

Only thinking of the child and ignorant of procedures, I had two questions. "WHY DID NO ONE CALL 911???", AND "WHY WAS THE CHILD'S ALBUTEROL NOT IN THE CLASSROOM?????

The school year has only just begun. I'm an old mother, and don't have a dog in this hunt, but what I heard today made me angry, and prompted me to ask a third question: "WHAT'S WRONG WITH PEOPLE??? What would it have taken to just give the poor child the medicine? Why insist that the parent leave their place of employment to do what at least THREE people on the premises could have done IMMEDIATELY? 
I know. I know. 
Regulations. 
Liability. 
Priorities. 
Protocol. 
Procedures.
The sad part is that the child won't be thinking about forms, or who did or didn't fill them out. The child will be wondering why the adults all around him or her are content to let him or her suffer.

So...Prince George's County Parents, if your child takes medication, PLEASE make sure ALL consent and authorization forms are updated no matter what arrangements you made LAST YEAR. I know forms can be a pain, repetitive, seemingly unnecessary, and time consuming. You may think you've completed them already. You may not even KNOW about them, but if your child has even the SLIGHTEST medical issue, find out what your rights AND responsibilities are ASAP.
Today's ridiculousness proved that people will allow your child to suffer, delay helping, and blame it on your negligence. Stay on top of things this school year. Be an advocate. Make those appointments and visit your child's school when you can. 

You may have authorized the librarian to administer your child's medication because last year there WAS no nurse at your child's school. Maybe you're friends with the gym teacher, or the cafeteria lady, or the Art teacher and don't mind them attending to your child, but someone else, like the new school nurse, (who, unlike your child, wasn't there last year when you gave a trusted adult employee written permission to administer your child's meds), might have a huge problem with that.

Have common sense and compassion been replaced by stiff-necked insensitivity and indifference? Children should NEVER suffer because adults don't think, are fearful, or are just as thick as a brick!!! A child could have died, and all over forms? Is there no database of returning students that the nurse could have referred to? Was the form filled out in SY 2016-17 THAT obsolete? Or... how about the words of the parent, the parent's authorized agent, AND the child? Did that not matter either? 

Parents, in a litigious climate, where people are hesitant to do the right thing because something might actually go right, make sure you have followed EVERY line in the school handbook where your child is concerned. Check those book bags and backpacks for notices. Visit the school website. Return forms on time, and completed in full. What happened LAST school year may not apply THIS school year. What Miss So-and-So let slide LAST year may not fly THIS year. Don't assume there is wiggle room where policies are concerned.
Your child's life and health may depend on it.

FRIDAY THOUGHTS: THAT'S MY BABY

I celebrate my daughter today. 

Every birthday is a milestone; a reminder of how blessed I am. Thank you, God.

I remember the first time I looked into her beautiful face. I wanted a daughter. Somehow, I knew the baby I carried was female. When the doctor announced, "It's a girl", I replied, "I know".

This morning, I remembered the ride from the hospital. I looked out of the car window, as we traveled down North Capitol Street, and wondered what kind of a world I'd brought her into. Protecting, guiding, and covering her was all I thought about. I was never a fighter, but I knew I would fight for her.  

I dreamed of what she would become. Most of all I just wanted her to be safe, secure, free, and happy. 

My cousin Frannie was right. She was the little kid who'd rather read, or be read to, than go out to play. All of that reading and being read to, served her well.

She has exceeded my expectations in so many ways. I admire her strength, wisdom, and independence. She's responsible and thoughtful--and taller than I am. 

I love her to life, and I love her life. She's free. 

Just seeing her puts a smile on my face. I'm grateful for all that she has taught and is still teaching me.
I guess it's no surprise that I'm proud of her--and I like her. She's the kind of person you'd want as a friend.
Happy Birthday, dear Lisa. 
#phenomenalwoman

THURSDAY THOUGHTS: READ A BOOK DAY

You are your child's first teacher. If he or she sees you reading--and enjoying it--imagine what an incentive that would be! 
Be a part of your child's success, this school year. Don't visit your past failures or challenges upon them. Just because you were lousy at Math word problems, doesn't mean your child will be. 

Tell them they can learn. Encourage and help your child to read, as well as comprehend. 

Be an advocate, not a hindrance. 

Whether it's your favorite book or magazine, the back of the cereal box at breakfast, the newspaper, road signs, street signs, online remediation websites suggested by your child's teacher, or the instruction manual for a game or appliance, let your child see that you are a reader...and Reading can be fun.

DEW REFRESHMENT CALL- THURSDAY, AUGUST 24: TRY THE SPIRIT BY THE SPIRIT?

I like the Message bible translation of Job 28:12-19:

“But where, oh where, will they find Wisdom? Where does Insight hide? Mortals don’t have a clue, haven’t the slightest idea where to look. Earth’s depths say, ‘It’s not here’; ocean deeps echo, ‘Never heard of it.’ It can’t be bought with the finest gold; no amount of silver can get it. Even famous Ophir gold can’t buy it, not even diamonds and sapphires. Neither gold, nor emeralds are comparable; extravagant jewelry can’t touch it. Pearl necklaces and ruby bracelets—why bother? None of this is even a down payment on Wisdom! Pile gold and African diamonds as high as you will, they can’t hold a candle to Wisdom."

We need wisdom today to discern truth-- whether from well-meaning improvisation or outright lies.

James 1:5 says “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.”

Proverbs 8:12 says, “I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence; I possess knowledge and discretion.”

Proverbs 9:10 says “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

So many people fail to take God’s inspired word seriously. The Bible says “Make fun of wisdom, and you will never find it. But if you have understanding, knowledge comes easily.”

There’s nothing like the current political climate to send Americans to their knees, back to church, and back to the Word of God.  Curious and anxious people all over the world want and seek truth. They seek teachers, professors, experts, scholars, and spiritual types to help them make sense out of life. And many people take advantage of the vulnerability and gullibility of truth seekers. So many people are overrun with messages from conferences, workshops, weekly studies and convocations that they can begin their own religious libraries.  If something sounds good, and aligns with what they want to think or believe, many people are sold, drink the Kool-aid, repeat whatever the heard as fact (just because someone famous said it), and don’t even bother to see if what they heard lines up with the word of God. 

2 Timothy 4:3offers a sobering look at today's spiritual climate. 
"...For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear."

A clear indication of the validity of any religious experience or exercise isn’t whether you cried, ran, shouted, foamed at the mouth, hit the floor, spoke in tongues, or plunked down a heave offering while a preacher was speaking. The validity and authenticity of a religious experience lies in the manner in which it affects your view of the Word of God. Does it draw you to it, or cause you to doubt, question, add, subtract, water it down or abandon it altogether?

When you hear a sermon, speech, teaching, song, poem, or affirmation, does it confirm the Word of God, or cause you to smirk and scratch your head? 

People have said it forever (just like they've said "absent from the body, present with the Lord" and "God helps those who help themselves") but The Bible does not say "try the spirit by the spirit". This is not an emotional test. It is not a denominational test. It is not a superficial test based on fashion or form. It is not a man-made test based on opinion or philosophies. We don’t have the capacity or authority to create this kind of test. That’s God’s domain. It’s HIS word that provides all of the criteria we need to know whether what we hear and experience is of God. All we have to ask is  “What does the Word say?” 

In the often used passage about tithing, Micah 3:10, God himself says “prove me”. In other words, test me, conduct an experiment if you will—do your part, carry out your duties, and see if I will not faithfully reward your adherence to my Word! God isn’t afraid, or offended! It's not a game or a trick. He is confident about the truth of what he says! He’s not worried about his people verifying what he says! He knows it’s right! He wants us to be right and wise concerning his promises! 

Matthew 13:54 tells us that when Jesus began teaching the people in the synagogue in his own home town, they were amazed. Some even asked, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?”  Had they recognized who he was; had they received him as the Messiah, they wouldn’t have had to ask. His very existence; the trajectory of his life fulfilled the Law that they all were taught and knew, and yet they still were skeptical of him and rejected him!

How do we behave when we have religious experiences, hear people expound on the word of God, or hear people introduce new ideas and doctrines? Do we know enough of the Word ourselves to discern whether a speaker, and his or her words echo the heart of God?  When we are lonely, weak, disappointed, anxious, afraid, desperate, troubled, or confused, it is easy to be emotionally moved by a fiery sermon, a personal testimony, or seeming miracle, but just like the local news we hear, we have an obligation to fact check what we hear before we apply it to our lives, adopt it as truth, or share it. 

Everyone cannot pray for you, lay hands on you, or speak into your life. It is imperative that you know the word of God for yourself! It's wonderful when others pray for you, but why do you discount the effectiveness of your own prayer? God is available to you, too. He wants to hear you from you, too! 

The Bible says “All Scripture is God-breathed; is given by inspiration of God and is useful, is profitable for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work.” These days with technology, even if you can't read, you can still hear the word of God. Even if you have difficulty with the language of the King James Version of the Bible, there are translations in practically every known language. 

Proverbs admonishes us to “Make our ears attentive to wisdom, Incline our hearts to understanding”.

“How CAN we hear without a preacher and how CAN he preach except he be sent? By whom? By God! Unfortunately, many see the pulpit as a side gig, are NOT led by the Holy spirit, send themselves, mishandle the Word of God, and deceive many!

The Lord himself told the prophet Jeremiah,"The prophets are prophesying falsehood in My name. I have neither sent them nor commanded them nor spoken to them; they are prophesying to you a false vision, divination, futility and the deception of their own minds”.

How can people who are eager for the word of God be protected? What recourse do they have? Do not believe everyone who claims to speak with the authority of God!

Matthew 7:15 says, “Beware of false prophets”!

1 Thessalonians 5:20-21 says “Do not treat prophecies with contempt, but test all things. Hold fast to what is good.”

Fact checking; searching for yourself doesn’t mean you don’t love or have confidence in your leader! It means you are obedient to the word of God!

Galatians 3:4 says, “Let me put this question to you: How did your new life begin? Was it by working your heads off to please God? Or was it by responding to God’s Message to you? Are you going to continue this craziness? For only crazy people would think they could complete by their own efforts what was begun by God. If you weren’t smart enough or strong enough to begin it, how do you suppose you could perfect it? Did you go through this whole painful learning process for nothing? It is not yet a total loss, but it certainly will be if you keep this up!”

And what was IT? Trying to be redeemed by anything other than the blood of the Lamb. Putting your faith in anything other than the finished work of Christ on Calvary. Expecting to be blessed by diluting or modifying the Word of God.

Anyone who preaches anything contrary to the word of God while calling him or herself a servant of God is in error. 1 John 4:1-2 is clear—“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you will know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God.” 

Jeremiah warned the people of his day, "For from the least of them even to the greatest of them, Everyone is greedy for gain, And from the prophet even to the priest Everyone deals falsely”. 

EVERYONE?

Wow.

I can’t say it enough, you have to pray for wisdom and understanding and cultivate a relationship with God for yourself! Leadership, and mentoring are great concepts, but never check your brain at the door. Know who and what you are emulating, parroting, or following. Never be afraid to question, to read and study and search. The Word of God is your measuring stick. It is your proof. It is your primary source.

Any religious teaching that is birthed without regard for the Word of God should be viewed as shady. Not a single discerning believer, who actually studies the Word, will receive shady, opportunistic, manipulative fluff as Gospel! It doesn’t matter how much you were moved by what you heard, or how "good" service was! Sometimes we are fed empty foolishness and fanfare as opposed to substance and truth, and go away thinking we’ve “had church”. What did you HEAR? Cliches and catchy rhyming phrases? Unintelligible hooping and hollering? Public dissing and targeting of people in the congregation couched in a sermon? Empty promises? Pleas for cash wrapped up in oppressive, scary mandates, predictions, and regulations because somebody forgot to pay the church electric bill? WHAT DID YOU HEAR? Was it THE Bible? Unless you can identify book, chapter and verse, consider whatever you heard a nice fairy tale, and put it on the shelf with the rest of the fiction.  You might as well have skipped "church" and gone to the movies.

There is nothing new under the Sun!

Watch out for puffed up, title-driven people who equate themselves and their credentials with the apostles and leaders of the early church. Watch out for people who spew self-chosen ideals, rules, and doctrines that sound great, but don’t emanate from God. Ignorance of the Word is one thing. That can be fixed. People can be taught. Outright, purposeful mangling of the Word for one’s own selfish or ambitious purposes is another. THE only way to deal with a con, liar or someone who mishandles the word of God is from a distance! Don’t argue or debate, or get frustrated with them. Don’t waste your time or energy trying to sway him or her. When someone is bent on lying, they can’t serve you anything other than deception and confusion. You can pray that they get their minds right, but don’t let them influence yours. It’s not like there’s only two Bibles in the world and they're under lock, chain and key. Bibles are EVERYWHERE! READ!!!!!! Ask for wisdom! READ FOR YOURSELF!!! Your soul is at stake, and anyone who misleads people using the Word of God should be very afraid!

Jesus said, “If you continue in My word, you are truly My disciples. Then you will KNOW the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

The Spirit of Truth seals the promises of God within the hearts of believers, helps us conform to the image of Christ, indwells believers—literally takes up residence,  intercedes on our behalf, it leads, reveals, commands, guides, directs, appoints,  communicates, testifies, and doesn’t speak of itself. It doesn’t embellish! Even THE Spirit defers to, and speaks ONLY the unadulterated, unvarnished, un-fooled-around-with will and way of God. 

It is imperative that those who profess to speak for God do the same.

Be wise.

Stick to the script.

#DEW4U

#JUSTKEEPGOING

"NEWNESS OF LIFE" DEW REFRESHMENT CALL- THURSDAY AUGUST 17

Scholar and theologian Matthew Henry asked, “What can be a stronger motive against sin, than the love of Christ? Shall we sin against so much goodness, and such love?”

In Paul’s letter to the Romans, 6:1-4 he asked, “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace might increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin, still live in it? Or, do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore, we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that, as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.”  

Jewish leaders of his day were appalled, and demanded that the apostle Paul explain himself! They wanted to know if his philosophy of being saved by God’s grace, as opposed to merely following of the Law of Moses, was tantamount to a pass to living a sinful life. They wanted to know if the Jesus he preached about encouraged followers to live any old kind of way, so that more and more grace could be extended toward them.  

Paul was clear that the response to God’s grace was certainly not to live as wildly as possible.  He asked, “Should we continue in sin so that grace can abound?” Paul’s emphatic answer was “God forbid!” The thought of taking advantage of God’s grace isn’t a welcomed one in the mind of one to whom great love has been demonstrated. The characteristic that marks the life of someone who professes Christ is not defiant and rebellious, but obedient and compliant.  God's faithful promises to us are much more powerful and effective at annihilating sin, than our fickle promises to God. Matthew Henry wrote, “Sin may struggle in a real believer, and create him a great deal of trouble, but it shall not have dominion; it may vex him, but it shall not rule over him”

So many believe it is impossible for human beings to change; impossible to let go of words, actions, and behaviors that are not pleasing to the Lord, and that’s simply not true. The Bible says that we can do all things through Christ. Just the thought of that should give us great strength, hope and assurance.

For anyone who has experienced the love of God and his grace, it is impossible not to acknowledge what needs to change. We know what needs to go altogether, and make a conscious decision to turn from deliberately offending God. The answer to Paul’s question, “shall we who died to sin continue live in it” is “No way!

Those who are “baptized into Christ Jesus” by pledging allegiance to him, having faith in him, and accepting him as Lord of our lives are forever linked not only with him, but with His death and resurrection. Basking in wrongdoing is no longer an option. We are symbolically and spiritually “buried” with Christ and then “resurrected”-- raised with him, to “walk in newness of life”

I like this definition of the word “new”: “already existing, but seen, experienced or acquired for the first time.” No matter how old we are; no matter how old our mistakes are, in Christ we can start again! Perhaps for us, every day is a new opportunity for a do-over, but we have to remember that it is the finished work of Christ that matters most. He did the work. We don’t have to add or embellish just take advantage of the help God offers and the grace he has freely given.

We have a new lease on life when we embrace God's promises. We love God, his word, his promises, his commandments and gratefully acknowledge that we are conformed to His image. We are new creatures, and have new hearts, minds, conversation, standards, goals, views, presents and futures.  

Baptism is a powerful sacrament. It is also a visible indication of a person’s desire to experience new life. By the same baptism which publicly ushers us into Christ’s death, we are also ushered into his burial.  To leave a deceased body unburied is the height of humiliation. It was necessary and fitting for Jesus after "dying for our sins according to the Scriptures, to descend into hell. It was the final, humiliating part of the plan of salvation. It was the last link to the life he gave for all mankind, and so we, by virtue of being "buried with Him by our baptism into His death," also disassociate ourselves from our own, old, unredeemed, sinful state.

If our old nature, our old state, now dead and buried with Christ, was completely sinful, the new nature requires a holy life. Each time we have even the slightest inclination to return to anything that threatened separation from God; anything that we know was wrong, caused us pain, stress, grief, and shame, we make a mockery of being alive with Christ to newness of life.

Baptism teaches the necessity of dying to sin; dying to ungodly and unholy lives, and of rising to walk with God in newness of life. The “old” man, is crucified with Christ. Even in a broken, wounded state, it still struggles for attention, control and fights for life, but anything that is not pleasing to our holy God has got to go. We have grace. We have faith. We live for Christ and experience great joy as we serve him. The Bible says “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things are passed away, and all things are become new”. Notice those two verbs in the same sentence—“are” and “become”.  Is it possible to be something, and begin to be something at the same time? Yes! Being and becoming new creations in Christ—that’s our desire. It is ongoing, and it looks good on us!

Father, we thank you that you didn’t just abandon us; give up on us and leave us without the will to want to be and do better.  We thank you for the gift and opportunity to be new creations in Christ. Thank you that all things are become new. Thank you for loving us enough to forgive, and for the capacity to be conformed to your image. Thank you for knowing all about us, and still wanting fellowship with us.  Thank you for reminding us in your word that we are no longer under law, but under grace. Thank you for the assurance that we can bear temptation. Thank you for loving, saving, redeeming and having compassion toward us.  Like David we ask you to “Establish our footsteps in Your word” . Help us to never, ever take your grace for granted. We thank you for your presence, guidance, wisdom and faithfulness, and your promise to never leave or forsake us as we walk in newness of life.

Amen.