A Person's A Person, No Matter "What"

A Person's A Person, No Matter "What"

Wednesday, January 15, 2025

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Image: book cover, "Horton Hears A Who!" by Dr. Seuss January 15, 2025

     "Sanctity of Human Life Sunday" will be celebrated in many churches on January 19 this year. The event was a response to the Roe v. Wade decision January 22, 1973, which legalized abortion nation-wide in the United States. The Supreme Court decision was revisited and overturned June 24, 2022. However, the need to recognize that each individual is made in the image of God, and to to protect the most vulnerable, is still a challenge.

     Theodore Geisel, AKA "Dr. Seuss," published the book, "Horton Hears A Who!" in 1954, well before Roe v. Wade. However, the theme of the story, "A person's a person, no matter how small," applies to the pro-life cause. In the book, Horton hears a small voice emanating from a dust speck. He believes that there are tiny people living there, worthy of protection. Others, who see and hear nothing, deride Horton and actually try to destroy the speck. But, Horton perseveres, stating, "A person's a person, no matter how small." In the end, he is able to show that the tiny "Who People" really do exist, and those who previously bullied him now join in protecting the tiny population.

     Unborn babies are not the only ones who need advocacy. A woman who views her pregnancy as a crisis also needs help. A person's a person, no matter if we agree with them or not. A person's a person, even if they are not physically complete or strong. A person's a person, no matter if they have mental limitations, or their memory is fading, or they have mental illness. Being a caregiver for the whole person: heart, soul, mind, strength, is difficult. From time to time, we need reminders to recognize the Divine Image in each person, and encouragement to continue the caregiving journey. Our Father God esteems each person as precious, both the one in need, and the caregiver. 

And let us not be weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. Galatians 6:9

Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world. James 1:27 

"And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." Mark 12:30-31 NKJV

My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! Psalm 139: 15-17 NKJV

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Resolution: Get Organized!

Resolution: Get Organized!

Wednesday, January 8, 2025

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Image: 10 Top Resolutions from Kenwoodnews.org

RESOLUTION: GET ORGANIZED! By Gail K. Kachnycz on 1 January 2025

     Did you think about New Year Resolutions as 2025 began? "Get Organized" is one of the top ten resolutions. However, a vague notion rarely translates into action. The topic of this post is one that is often avoided: End-of-Life Planning. Our lives are busy, especially if we are caring for others. Writing a Will, documenting instructions for a Medical Proxy, or pre-planning a funeral are the last things we want to do. But, if we make time and invest the effort when we are not in a crisis situation, things will be easier "when the time comes." 

     My mother passed away unexpectedly due to injuries sustained in a car crash. I was both her Medical Proxy and her Executrix. She was just about to begin a vacation trip, so she had shown me her will and other important papers. However, the document I had was only a carbon copy of the will. The original was filed in New Jersey, and my mother had moved to Pennsylvania. To make matters worse, the law firm in New Jersey had closed. According to the courts in Philadelphia, my mother had died "intestate," that is, without a will. I could use the copy of the will as an indication of her wishes, but it took extra time and effort to divide the estate as she wanted, rather than just equal portions to each of her children as the court would have done. This illustrates the need to review and update the information on a regular basis. New Year Resolution time might be a good reminder.

     I see three topics related to End-of-Life planning, but there may be more. One is being a Medical Proxy (which is different from Power of Attorney, POA). Another is preparing for a death and funeral on a practical level. Last is settling the estate. The legal term is probating the will. Today's post will give resources for organizing the estate (finances and property). 

      On April 10, 2024 Jean Kirkley was featured as the CEO/Facilitator of Boomers R Heroes. One of the resources on her website is the "Blue Suitcase Drill." Kathy & Charles Sutton share their story and give information on how to set up instructions for the family to follow. Here is the link:

Blue Suitcase Drill

     A commercial product is Nokbox, that is, "Next Of Kin" Box. A filing system which lists every aspect of settling the estate is offered with various options: "Lite," "Fireproof Box," etc. I have not used this yet myself, but it includes information that I would not have thought of to address. This might be good if you know you are a procrastinator, or organization is not your strong suite.

https://www.thenokbox.com/

     As always, I hope this is helpful.

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Subscriber Update, Happy New Year!

Subscriber Update, Happy New Year!

Thursday, January 2, 2025

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 HAPPY NEW YEAR 2025 to subscribers and readers of A Map Through The Valley.

     New posts will resume next week. However, I wanted to take the opportunity before then to get some housekeeping done and update the Subscriber list. Please take a look at the email that notified you of this blog post. You should see one of two logos at the end of the email.

If you see the logo from INTUIT with the cute little chimp in the cap, you are on my current subscriber list and do not need to do anything.

If you see the logo from "follow.it" that means you were one of the first subscribers when the blog went live in Fall 2023. Thanks for being an eager beaver and supporting me early on. However, I am no longer using "follow.it" for my subscriber contact list. I discovered that their service attached annoying adds to the email and blog post. Some of the adds were actually not in alignment with my mission statement. What should you do?

     1. You should "unsubscribe" from the "follow.it" email service. In their disclaimer statement, there is a sentence, "To unsubscribe from the feed, click here." Click the link in your email to unsubscribe.

     2. You will need to subscribe to the blog again. There are two ways to do this:

A. Go to the home page of the blog and subscribe using the current "subscribe" feature which is Intuit/Mailchimp.

OR

B. Send me an email or use the Contact feature on the home page, include your email, and I will manually add you to the Intuit/Mailchimp Subscriber List.

    As a newbie blogger, I got started on the wrong foot and needed to backtrack and start over. I apologize for any confusion. Thank you for your patience. Especially for those who need to change to the Mailchimp subscriber service, thank you for making that effort. We can all start the New Year together. Blessings! Gail K.  

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CHRISTMAS BREAK

CHRISTMAS BREAK

Wednesday, December 18, 2024

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Image: Red Poinsettia 7 December 2024; Gail K. Kachnycz

CHRISTMAS BREAK 

Merry Christmas to all subscribers and readers of A Map Through The Valley! Christmas Day and New Year's Day both fall on Wednesdays this time. I am taking a Christmas Break from publishing on the blog until after the first of the year. Meanwhile, I will share Christmas Carols that I hope will direct your focus toward the birth of our Savior during Advent. These same carols were shared in December 2023, but the traditions of the season are familiar and welcome. Enjoy.

You can search for the full carols, with all stanzas, which are rich in references to scriptures that prophesy the coming of the Messiah or describe the events surrounding His birth. Those who are particularly savvy will be able to download and play the songs.

Theme #1: HOPE

12/03 That Beautiful Name

12/04 O Come, O Come Emmanuel**

12/05 Once in David’s Royal City

12/06 Angels from the Realms of Glory**

12/07 Go, Tell It on the Mountain!

 

Theme #2: PEACE

12/08 O Holy Night

12/09 O Little Town of Bethlehem**

12/10 It Came Upon a Midnight Clear***

12/11What Child Is This?

12/12 Away in a Manger

 

Theme #3 JOY

12/13 God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen

12/14 O Come, All Ye Faithful

12/15 Hark, the Herald Angels Sing***

12/16 Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee

12/17 Joy to the World!***

12/18 Children, Go Where I send Thee

 

Theme #4 LOVE

12/19 We Three Kings

12/20 The First Noel

12/21 While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks**

12/22 Angels We Have Heard on High

12/23 Silent Night, Holy Night**

 

** The story behind this Carol is described in the book

101 Hymn Stories, by Kenneth W. Osbeck, Kregel Publications Copyright 1982, 2012

*** The story behind this Carol is described in the book

101 More Hymn Stories, by Kenneth W. Osbeck, Kregel Publications Copyright 1985, 2013 

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FIRST CHRISTMAS IN HEAVEN

FIRST CHRISTMAS IN HEAVEN

Wednesday, December 11, 2024

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Image: Geo-graphics Letterhead

MY FIRST CHRISTMAS IN HEAVEN          Shared by Gail K. Kachnycz 18 December 2024

     Twenty-five years ago, my mother passed away on December 7, only a few weeks before Christmas. At that time, a friend (J. Lynne for those of you who know her) sent me a poem, "My First Christmas in Heaven." It ministered to me at the time, and over the years, I have sent it to people who had experienced the death of a loved one. Perhaps someone you cared for was taken home by the Lord this year. I hope this poem with minister to you.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 2 Corinthians 1: 3-4

     If you would like a copy, reply to me by text or use the email that notified you about this post. I will send you an email with an attachment suitable to print.

     I pray that during Advent, you will experience Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love.

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CHRISTMAS IN ... DECEMBER!

CHRISTMAS IN ... DECEMBER!

Wednesday, December 4, 2024

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Image: Charlie Brown Christmas; Apple TV+ Accessed 12/2/2024

CHRISTMAS IN. . .DECEMBER!          By Gail K. Kachnycz 2 December 2024

     Back in July, Christmas seemed ages away. Now, it is only three weeks away! Hopefully, like Charlie Brown, we can look past the commercial aspects and find traditions that are meaningful for us. Use the strategies from the post, Christmas in July, to reduce stress. In that post, I explained that Christmas music and some of the special programs, like A Charlie Brown Christmas, are seasonal activities I enjoy. Here's how to find my favorite movies and music:

A Charlie Brown Christmas: 

Apple TV+ FREE on Saturday 12/14/24 and Sunday 12/15/24

or, stream free using a free trial period offer

It's A Wonderful Life:

E! Sunday, December 8 at 11 AM, 2 PM, 5 PM, and 8 PM

NBC Broadcast on Tuesday, December 24 at 7 PM (I plan to record it)

WHYY has two Christmas concerts on Sunday 12/22/24

12 noon Classic Christmas with the Bach Festival Society: Joyful Sounds

2 PM Christmas at Westminster: An Evening of Readings and Carols

WHYY has other Christmas themed programming, check the TV schedule (choose "week")

Scroll down to find "Here's how to find WHYY-TV" streaming, Comcast, FiOS, and other options

WHYY TV Schedule

  

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HAPPY THANKSGIVING

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Tuesday, November 26, 2024

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Image: Fall Foliage 2024 by Gail K. Kachnycz

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

By Gail K. Kachnycz on 23 November 2024 

     There is a difference between being thankful, and giving thanks.

     In recent years, cultivating an “attitude of gratitude” has been recognized as a positive thing to do. Research backs this up: Linda A. Baker, a Clinical Therapist, noted the following in Princeton Health News: The practice of gratitude encourages new, positive pathways in the brain. Dopamine and Serotonin are released, two chemicals in the brain that promote feelings of pleasure, happiness, and overall well-being. “Practicing gratitude encourages us to be aware of our automatic thoughts and core beliefs and purposefully reflect on what is good and valuable.”(1)

     Long before gratitude was “a thing,” the Apostle Paul advised the Philippian believers:

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, think about these things. As for the things you have learned and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:8-9 NASB 2020

     Science demonstrates the Biblical truth of these verses. Gratitude improves psychological well-being, promotes a better mood, increases self-esteem, and enhances resilience. With these benefits, it is no surprise that relationships improve. There are even physical results such as better sleep and boosted immune function (2).

     It was around Thanksgiving 2018 that the cardiologist Mike was seeing at the time told him that all treatment options had been exhausted, and hospice was recommended. I began the practice of journaling then to provide an outlet for my emotions and to deal with this prognosis. At some point, I began to end each entry with either a written prayer or a list of three things I was thankful for. I figured there had to be at least three things that would come to mind. It was helpful to have a format, so I started with the phrase, “Grateful For: (1)…(2)…(3)”

     However, as I reflected on the upcoming holiday this year, it impressed me that it is “Thanksgiving.” There is a difference between having a general sense of gratitude, and giving thanks. We give something to someone. In the case of Thanksgiving, especially for people of faith, we give thanks to God. For me, this means my journal entry will no longer use the phrase “Grateful For,” but instead, “Thank You, God, For:” Psalm 107 captures the intent and essence of our Thanksgiving holiday:

Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!

Let the redeemed of the LORD say so,

whom he has redeemed from trouble and gathered in from the lands,

from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south. Psalm 107:1-3 ESV

God bless you as you gather and give thanks to the LORD.

1. Reference accessed 11/23/2024: https://www.princetonhcs.org/about-princeton-health/news-and-information/news/can-gratitude-increase-quality-of-life 

2. Reference accessed 11/23/2024: https://positivepsychology.com/benefits-gratitude-research-questions/

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