Image: Lyric Video on You Tube; God Is In This Story
This video was sent to me by a friend who is in one of the prayer circles that pray for Mike. I think he intended it as an encouragement for our long-term challenges, but it arrived at a time when I needed a reminder of God's faithfulness for a specific situation I was experiencing that day.
May this encourage you today and as you continue your journey of care-giving.
RECIPE: CUCUMBER BLUEBERRY FETA SALAD
Shared 8/21/2024 by Gail K. Kachnycz
Summer is time for many gatherings: Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day. Families often plan reunions during this time as well. My husband Mike decides whether or not to attend an event according to the weather or how he is feeling at the last minute. So, I am often the one who represents our family at the gathering. I look for a dish to bring that is easy to prepare and transport. During the summer, I also want it to be stable in warm weather while it is set out to be served. Cucumber Blueberry Feta Salad fills the bill, and takes advantage of seasonal ingredients. I happen to grown mint on my front porch, so that was an easy addition. I prepare the cucumbers and rinse the blueberries at home, then assemble the salad just before serving. I could not find the dressing specified in the recipe, so just used a vinaigrette I had on hand, and got rave reviews. Enjoy!
SUPPORTING DECISIONS
By Gail K. Kachnycz on 20 March 2024
During chronic illness, so many aspects of life are out of the control of the affected individual. It is important to support the decisions made by your loved one, since that allows control in some areas. Supporting a decision could be as simple as providing choices for the day’s apparel, meal options, or activities. However, things can become more difficult when the choice has a larger impact on life; for example: how to spend money, where to live, or end of life plans.
In our situation, it is very important to Mike to manage all aspects of his medical care. He arranges for prescription renewals, refills, and picking up the medications. He makes his own medical appointments. A high priority is selecting medical providers who listen and collaborate in his care. Mike is a medical “zebra,” that is, someone who does not have typical symptoms or respond to the usual medical treatments. He has unusual side effects to medications. He needs doctors who are creative and think outside the box, rather than those who limit interventions only to the standard treatment protocols.
Sometimes it is difficult for me, as I watch appointments be delayed because Mike is requesting a 30 minute session instead of the standard 15 minute slot. He would prefer to travel to see a doctor who has left a practice and moved farther from us, rather than just accept another provider at the office nearby. His complicated medical history and atypical reactions to drugs means it is important to him to stay with a provider who knows him, rather than explain everything to someone new.
Unless the consequence of the decision is dangerous, try to support decisions of your loved one, even if they are not the choices you would make. Sometimes it means the result will be “good” rather than “best.” However, making his or her own decision is a positive action in itself. It will give a sense of control and acknowledge what is important to your loved one. It can be frustrating, but recognizing the positive effect of making choices helps shift the focus from the immediate situation to the long term benefit.
It doesn’t hurt
to suggest an option. How the idea is introduced can increase the appeal. For
example, using the phrase, “What would you think of [X]?” rather than saying,
“Why don’t you do [X]?” which might be interpreted as a challenging statement.
Once you ask what they would think of an idea, really listen as they express
their thoughts. There may be a reason for their choice that you did not
realize. From that point, you can either agree with them, or suggest an
alternative. Once again, use non-threatening language such as, “What if we do
[X]?” or again, “What would you think of [X]?”
Sometimes the choice will seem totally illogical to you. Once, Mike hung a mirror on the wall over a stairwell. As a nurse, I had seen the deep slashes caused by broken glass doors and mirrors. I asked him to remove it. He argued with me, showing me how securely the mirror was fastened. I replied that in a house of boys, something could be thrown that would break the mirror, shattering it even if it did not fall. I remained steadfast in my belief that a mirror over a stairwell was just a guillotine waiting to happen. Seeing that he would not convince me otherwise, he removed the mirror, even though he thought my fears were unfounded. Supporting decisions, even when you may not understand the thought behind it, goes a long way in showing your loved one that you respect and value them. Say “yes” whenever you can.
Bible verses on relationships/communication:
Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility consider one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Philippians 2:3-4 NASB2020
A gentle answer turns
away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger.
The tongue of the wise
makes knowledge pleasant, But the mouth of fools spouts foolishness.
A soothing tongue is a
tree of life, But perversion in it crushes the spirit.
Proverbs 15:1-2, 4 NASB2020
Children, obey your
parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord.
Fathers, do not
antagonize your children, so that they will not become discouraged.
Colossians 3: 20-21 NASB2020
HEROES IN HOUSTON (July 24 is the 55th anniversary of man landing on the moon)
By Gail K. Kachnycz January 13, 2022
As a child
growing up, I followed the Apollo Space Program with interest. The timeline of
the program, 1961 through 1972, roughly coincided with my school years. I
vividly remember myself, as a young first grader, sitting on the floor of the
multipurpose room in my school as the whole student body assembled to watch the
launch of a manned space rocket. As I grew older, the Apollo program advanced,
growing ever closer to the goal of placing a man on the moon.
I also remember July 24, 1969, waiting not so patiently for Neil Armstrong to step out of the Lunar Module [LM] onto the moon’s surface. In all, there were 17 Apollo missions. The one that impressed me the most was the one that never landed a man on the moon: Apollo 13.
The flight of
Apollo 13 in 1970 was uneventful until 10:08 PM EST on April 13, when Jack
Swigert, and then Jim Lovell, spoke the now famous words, “Houston, we’ve had a
problem.” Damaged insulation on wiring in an oxygen tank ignited during a
routine stirring of the tank, causing an explosion which emptied the oxygen
from that tank. Without sufficient oxygen in the Command Module, the astronauts
relocated to the LM to conserve what resources remained. The moon mission was
scrubbed and the focus became bringing the astronauts safely back to
earth. It seemed that the whole
world watched and waited, hoping to see the men return.
In Houston, Mission Control was working around the clock, tasked with finding solutions to a myriad of problems. The LM was not intended to support three men for four days, and rising carbon dioxide levels could suffocate them. The carbon dioxide scrubbers from the Command Module were incompatible with the scrubbers in the LM, but the ground crew developed a way to adapt and combine the systems, using only materials that were on board the spacecraft. The flight pattern was altered to use the gravity of the moon to provide momentum and “slingshot” the spacecraft back to earth. Careful corrections or “burns” of the rocket engines had to be calculated to position the spacecraft at the proper angle for safe entry through the earth’s atmosphere. Too sharp an angle, and the capsule might burn up. Too shallow, and it might “bounce off,” hurling the spaceship to outer space, beyond hope of returning.
At the time, I was a high schooler, and was following all the news reports of the mission. I understood to some degree the grave danger the astronauts were facing. However several weeks before, we had celebrated Easter, the Holy Day which proclaims that the power of death has been overcome. It was the first Easter that I personally trusted the Savior to pay the price for my sins and restore me to my Heavenly Father. I couldn’t believe that Jesus would die to redeem mankind, and then allow three men to careen off into space. God had a purpose for mankind, that purpose was on earth, and He would bring those three astronauts back to earth. I prayed for them with the hope of that conviction.
On April 17, 1970, millions watched the televised splashdown of the Apollo 13 capsule. The world breathed a sigh of relief as the three men, fellow humans and brothers to us all, were plucked from the Pacific and brought to safety. The faces of Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert, and Fred Haise were on the front pages of every newspaper. But, I think they would be the first to agree that the ground crew at Mission Control were just as heroic: they faced a situation where failure was not an option, and delivered success. Apollo 13 demonstrated the dedication and determination the ground crew brought to every mission.
As a care-giver, recognize that you need a "ground crew," not only for prayer, but for practical help. Share your practical needs with others, and you will find people willing to lend a hand, some occasionally and others who will support you regularly. When Apollo 13 realized they needed help, they reported it immediately and the Ground Crew went into action.