Disability

Growing Older With Jesus

/ pastorpete51 / 1 Comment

I am grateful to my friend Robert Keller for his guest post today. Recently as he was recovering from a medical incident he spent three weeks in a long term care setting. That experience put him in the same kind of situation I see every week as I visit in facilities around our community. It is easy to forget that residents in long term care are no different than any of us on the outside. But God remembers! Here is my good friend’s perspective on growing older and learning to lean more and more on the Lord.

Robert Keller

 

As we grow older, we become painfully aware of our increasing physical limitations.  Although outwardly there is a slow decline which results in restricted activity, inwardly the Spirit of God is carrying on an amazing process of revitalization and transformation that results in an ever-increasing freedom unlike anything we experienced in our youth.

wp-1580987971304.jpg

It gets harder and harder to make out what friends are saying to us in a noisy restaurant, but our hearts hear the Shepherd’s voice more clearly than ever. We find that our legs cannot carry us as far or as fast as they used to, yet our walk with the Lord is strong and steady and it leaves us energized instead of exhausted. Our minds are now slow to process new information, but through the Holy Spirit, we are gaining a progressively deeper understanding of the truths found in God’s word. We do not see as well as we once did, but spiritually, our eyes have grown keener and we clearly see the hand of God moving in marvelous ways. Life in this world may become increasingly difficult as our bodies wear out, yet our hearts are filled with peace, hope and joy because

As we focus on the glory of the Lord, we are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. (2 Cor 3:18)

Lessons Learned in The Alzheimer’s World

/ pastorpete51 / Leave a comment

With Alzheimer’s awareness walks scheduled in a few weeks I wanted to share some hope with those who have loved ones in the struggling with memory loss. One thing I have noticed from having spent some twenty plus years bringing music in to those places is the pain and heartache of family members.

The residents often no longer realize what is happening to them but their family’s hopelessness becomes so great that they visit only rarely and then go home feeling guilty. “What’s the use?” they ask when Mom or Dad no longer remember their name.

Here are some words of hope which John Wesley once said, “Do all the good you can With all the means you can In all the ways you can”

“Do all the good you can” but do NOT worry about what you can’t do. That is God’s work alone. If you can get them to smile you have already moved a small mountain!

“By all the means you can” You know your loved better than anyone. Think of the simplest pleasure you could give them. A chocolate bar or a coffee from their favorite diner may be the best medication they will receive all day!

“In all the ways you can” You have your own emotional and physical limits. If you can give only 1 or 2 days a week to visiting God knows. God asks us each to give our all but your all doesn’t mean neglecting the rest of your family or yourself. Jesus multiplied 5 loaves and 2 fish to feed 5,000. He will use what we can give and make it be enough to meet your loved one’s needs. God bless you as you do your best in this time of their life.

Alzheimer’s awareness events are in October and November. If you would like to participate there may be a walk near you. In our area, West Pasco County Florida is holding theirs on October 19th and Tampa on November 2nd. If you cannot walk or donate please remember to pray. God bless you. Remember God never asks us to give what we do not have but He does love a cheerful giver!

New Book on Care Ministry

/ pastorpete51 / Leave a comment

“I gained a whole new appreciation for what new beginnings meant when my wife and I chose to retire last year. Our lives had radically changed direction the year before when Nancy had survived major cancer surgery; which was followed by six chemotherapy treatments over nine months. Then as summer rolled around while she was getting her strength back, things seemed to come into place for us to move to Florida.

At first we eagerly raced ahead towards what seemed an exciting though uncertain future. Driving away from chilly, rainy Pennsylvania, we both felt like shouting, “Wahoo we’re going to Florida! No more ice! No more snow!

1551464227068 

No more dark colorless months of barren and cold landscapes!!” But somewhere in the middle of making new friends, finding new doctors and settling into a new church we realized that the challenge of beginning again was much bigger than we thought it would be.

For me, one vital part of starting over for me was to begin to volunteer in a nursing home ministry…” (From New Beginnings in Care Ministry)

New Beginings

It’s been quite a while since I released anything new on Nursing Home Ministry. The book “New Beginnings in Care Ministry” is a reflection of my coming to see a wider view of Long Term Care ministry in my own ministry restart. Care ministry looks beyond simply the traditional nursing home setting into the lives and needs of special needs children, residents in special needs assisted living as well as those in memory care. If your life has been touched by long term care, through a family member, your job or as a volunteer this collection of stories and insights with lots of photos are just for you. It is my prayer they will both be a practical as well as a spiritual be a blessing in your own personal journey. This is available in both softcover and E-book formats through Amazon.

New Beginnings in Care Ministry