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'Dear Friends' May 2013

Week of May 6, 2013
Prayer Requests 

Remembering Monica's Parents

Dear Friends:

     As many of you know, my wife Monica and I began the Friends of St. John the Caregiver in 2005. (And YourAgingParent.com is one of its programs.) Monica died of uterine cancer in January of this year, and last week her mother, Terry Faudree, passed away at the age of 92. Her husband Russ, Monica's dad, died at the age of 97 just two years ago next month.
     After Monica's death many people pointed out what a tremendous legacy from her the Friends of St. John the Caregiver is.
     And it is.
     But it's also a legacy from her parents. They were the ones who taught her what love, faith, family and service to others truly mean.
     I thank God for that.
     And for them.

- - -

        This week we're so pleased to welcome Ann Marie L. of Maryland, Barbara S. of Michigan, and Laura W. of Virginia as the newest members of the Friends of St. John the Caregiver. Please keep them and their intentions in your prayers. They have promised to pray for you and yours.
       And we
cordially invite you to join the Friends of St. John the Caregiver! (FSJC's programs include YourAgingParent.com and CatholicCaregivers.com.) You can find out more about becoming a member here.
       No meetings, no dues. All we ask is that you pray for caregivers and those receiving care. Our members include caregivers, care-receivers, and those who support both (including quite a few former caregivers).
       You can:

        sign up on-line here
       
        or call us toll-free at 1-800-392-JOHN (5646)
      
        or print and mail an application form.

       God bless you!

                                                  Bill

To contact us
To join FSJC
To make a donation
To view or make prayer requests
Materials order form
Past "Dear Friends" letters
"Among Friends" quarterly newsletter
 

Week of May 27, 2013
Prayer Requests 

'Do Whatever He Tells You'

Dear Friends:

     A colleague is working on a new book and asked a number of us to answer this question: "If you had 24 hours to to be a witness in the earthly life of Jesus what day would you choose?" What immediately popped into my head was the wedding feast at Cana (John 2:1-12). (I was surprised!)
     You probably know the story of Christ's first miracle. Mary, Jesus and some disciple are invited to a wedding where the host runs out of wine. Mary intervenes and Jesus turns water into wine.
     Her "intervention" includes letting Jesus know about the situation and telling the servants to do what he tells them to do. Which, certainly to their way of thinking, makes no sense. Or worse, puts them in jeopardy of getting into trouble with their boss. Even so, apparently trusting Mary, they follow her advice and do what Jesus tells them to do.
     At times, as a caregivers you're one of those servants and what Jesus is asking you to do seems  impossible. In so many ways. For so many reasons. It's Mary who continues to advise, "Accept this vocation and today, right now, just do this." This one task. This one visit to the doctor's office or pharmacy. This one meal or load of laundry.
     But there's another side, another request that's a part of caregiving, that you may more quickly and easily dismiss: take time, make time, for yourself.
     Those breaks, those periods of respite, are a vital  part in preventing exhaustion even though, at first glance, they may seem selfish if not impossible.
      Harder still, Jesus may be telling you to acknowledge that you need help from others and to get it.
      And, arguably hardest of all, it could be accepting the fact that the time has come to look into placing your loved one in an assisted-living facility or nursing home.

- - -

        Again this week we cordially invite you to join the Friends of St. John the Caregiver! (FSJC's programs include YourAgingParent.com and CatholicCaregivers.com.) You can find out more about becoming a member here.
       No meetings, no dues. All we ask is that you pray for caregivers and those receiving care. Our members include caregivers, care-receivers, and those who support both (including quite a few former caregivers).
       You can:

        sign up on-line here
       
        or call us toll-free at 1-800-392-JOHN (5646)
      
        or print and mail an application form.

       God bless you!

                                                  Bill

To contact us
To join FSJC
To make a donation
To view or make prayer requests
Materials order form
Past "Dear Friends" letters
"Among Friends" quarterly newsletter

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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