I was reading through my Twitter Micro-Blog and noticed a friend commenting on how many people use the word pray without really doing it . I think that holds true in the real world as well as the virtual world, don’t you? So often people will say, “I’ll pray for you,” then they never do. I know I used to be guilty of that on a regular basis. Not on purpose. I would just plum forget.

Then I heard a pastor speak on this very topic. He suggested that when someone asks you to pray, or when you are talking to someone and you tell them you will pray – DO IT RIGHT THEN . Wow! Such a simple concept and yet it had never occurred to me up to that point. In sharing this concept with others, I’ve discovered I’m not alone there.

I immediately decided that I would do that, to the best of my ability. Even when I was in my 30’s I didn’t claim to have the best memory in the world. As a member of the Baby Boomer generation, I am now in my 50s and my memory is not any better. In fact, with all the input I get from grandkids, aging parents, cell phones, text messages, internet info, and iPod, it’s probably a whole lot worse. But that’s OK.

Now when I am talking to someone and they tell me about an issue, I tell them I will pray and I do it right then ! Sometimes I do it in my head. Shhh, don’t tell, but sometimes I even send up a quick prayer while they are still talking. Sometimes, I ask if it’s ok if I pray for them right then and there. I’ve gotten a few shocked looks, but rarely get turned down. And I get a lot of thank yous!

As God brings them to my mind, I try to pray again several times . But by praying for them right away, I know I’ve prayed and I know God is awesome and is working in their lives as well as mine . So I rest content on His promises NOT my faulty memory. As a caregiver , that’s a wonderful thing. As you well know, we are subject to plenty of interruptions so we need that.

So there you have it. One important secret to praying for others is to just do it. Right then, right when you think of it, and again as God brings it to mind. It’s a joy to watch God work in and through us and our prayers, I can promise you that.

My grandkids and I are still working on the Fruit of the Spirit that is called LOVE. We’ve continued memorizing the Fruit of the Spirit verse and we’ve done a lot of talking about love. God’s love for us and our love for each other.

As I was praying about God’s love this morning, He reminded me of the passage in 1 Corinthians that talks about love:

Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous;

love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly;

it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered,

does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;

bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails…But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Isn’t that a wonderful prescription for caregiving? It doesn’t matter whether you are taking care of an aging parent, an adorable but precocious grandkid, or for that matter, dealing with a sweet but but occasionally recalcitrant spouse. Perhaps it’s a cute but capricious teen? How about a boss or coworker who sometimes makes you want to scream. Let’s face it, no one is perfect. And as caregivers, we sometimes see our loved ones in worse moods than anyone else because they don’t feel well. Focusing on and following God’s prescription to love them no matter what really does make a difference.

It’s not enough, though, to read this once, think how nice it is and promptly forget it. I have it posted in my bathroom and pray through a different verse from it each day. Over the last few years. I must have prayed through it more than one hundred times. You’d think I’d have it totally memorized, but my brain just doesn’t work that way anymore. The Holy Spirit does though. It astounds me how often I will be in the midst of a difficult situation, start feeling a little hot around the collar, and all of a sudden one of the verses from this passage pops into my brain. I wish I could tell you how perfect I am at following it all the time. I’m not. I’m learning, though. Step by step and prayer by prayer. It really does help me though. And when I’m working with the grandkids and teaching them, it’s awesome to see God using it there as well.

It’s time for me to reprint my copy as the shower humidity has crinkled my old one up. If I were really on top of things, I’d grab a roll of clear plastic contact paper, encase a printout of the verses in that, and hang it up. Then it would stay much nicer, much longer. I’d add some pretty pictures too. Simple works for me, though. How about you? If simple is good, just join me by printing out the verses as is and hanging it where you’ll see it often. For fancier, copy them into Word or another program and have a blast. If you’d like to share your handiwork, we’d love to see it.

Have a blessed day!

P.S. Don’t forget to sign up for SandwichINK’s free email newsletter (see sign-up box over to the right) , delivering daily articles and, sometimes some extra tid-bits of interest, exclusively for newsletter readers. When you do, head straight to SandwichINK’s very first contest – scroll to the bottom and let us know you signed up for the email and you’ll get a free entry to win a WalkerWonder, a lovely banner for a walker/rollater which would make a great gift for an aging parent or grandparent.

A dark cloud of gloom seemed to hover over me as I was driving along the freeway. Busy praying for so many beloveds who were hurting, I didn’t pay much attention to my surroundings, other than to drive carefully. From cancer to flu to job loss to caregiving and eldercare problems to a myriad of other issues, my thoughts were weighing me down heavily.

As I kept praying and driving, I happened to look straight up and the sight took my breath away. Huge billowy clouds, bigger than the norm, and piled up like a bunch of pillows on a giant comforter of blue wafted before me. It was awesome and powerful in its intensity and immediately reminded me that God was there, He was in control, He will be returning soon in power and great glory! All of a sudden, all my concerns were put into proper perspective. Yes, they need prayer. Yes, they need to be dealt with. But we never have to deal with them alone. Our God is always there for us.

I wonder if this is what David was thinking about when he wrote in Psalm 121:

¹ I lift up my eyes to the hills—
where does my help come from?

² My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

³ He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;

⁴ indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

⁵ The LORD watches over you—
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;

⁶ the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.

⁷ The LORD will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;

⁸ the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.

Conficker Virus continues to confuse, bemuse, and just plain irritate computer experts, while pretty much ignoring the masses at the moment. Wasn’t that a tongue twister? I thought it would be a good idea to follow up Monday’s warning (which disappeared into the morass of the internet when my site was "hacked." But the primary link is in this article as well) with an update on what’s happening with the Conficker worm as part of the Current Events Meme.

As you may already realize, the internet is running normally. Does that mean Conficker was a non-event? Sadly, no, but the good news is that it isn’t doing a whole lot, at the moment. According to PCMag.com , experts are continuing to monitor its activities but “so far Conficker is laying low.” Per Neil J. Rubenking, most of us are unlikely to be hit. But his article is an excellent resource, in addition to the Windows Secrets article I wrote about Monday.

It appears that a good test on whether you have it is to go to Windows updates. If you can do that, and make sure you are all caught up on the latest updates, you are probably fine. If you cannot open Windows update, then you may be infected, in which case you would need to follow the advice in both of these articles. Either way, I would suggest that you print them out and file them, as well as bookmarking them. Even if you are fine, you may later discover that an elderly parent, adult kid, grandkid, or other friend or family member turns up infected. You’ll be glad you saved the information and they will be too.

Hopefully this will continue to be a non-current event but it’s always nice to have easy access to excellent resources like these. One other step we should all be taking in dealing with this possible problem is to pray. In fact, that should really be first on the list. “ First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.” 1 Timothy 2:1-2  With God on our side, and inspirational Bible verses to encourage us, we can be at peace no matter what's happening on the internet!

What is a Blog Meme? I found a lot of definitions for this, most using $5 words. Basically it boils down to several blogs writing about the same theme, each on their own site. Then they all link to one home site, so if you enjoy the article at one site, you can easily pop around to see articles on the same theme at other sites. Most places listed the pronunciation as rhyming with theme, which makes sense. A meme on the same theme.  Look at that, I’m a poet, and don’t know it. Oh my, can you tell I’ve been watching grandkids all day!

Well, to help me back into the world of grown-ups, I’ve decided to give an interesting Meme a try. Julie Arduini, who has a blog called The Surrendered Scribe , hosts the “Current Events Wrap Up Meme.” Participants write about one or more current events from the week along with comments. I have to tell you, there are teachers all over who are fainting at the thought that I would enjoy this. (See teachers, don’t give up. There’s hope for those recalcitrant students yet!) As you might guess, I will be looking for news items that impact those of us in the Sandwich Generation. So join me for a new adventure in the world of news:

The one news topic that has really caught my eye this week was an article in WorldNetDaily by David Wilkerson, about a possible attack on New York. If you haven’t heard about it, you can read it at WorldNetDaily . Basically, he writes of  experiencing a vision “of fires raging through New York City. It will engulf the whole megaplex, including areas of New Jersey and Connecticut. Major cities all across America will experience riots and blazing fires – such as we saw in Watts, Los Angeles, years ago," he explains. "There will be riots and fires in cities worldwide…” He goes on to recommend that readers purchase enough supplies to last a month.

I have spent a lot of time thinking and praying about this over the past week. I do believe the gift of prophecy still exists but that not all who think they have it do. I personally value David Wilkerson’s ministry highly and know that he had a major impact on my spiritual growth when I was a new Christian decades ago through his book, “The Cross and The Switchblade.” His ministry, Teen Challenge, continues to minister to many over the years and I still hear wonderful comments on the positive impact it has had for so many who were freed from their addiction to drugs.

He has made predictions in the past. Some would appear to have been validated by events that followed, others were not.

How should we react to this? What should we say to our elderly parents if they hear about it and are scared. What should our response be when our adult children email us and ask, “What’s up with this? Isn’t this the guy whose book you had me read years ago.”

My first reaction was fear. My second reaction was much better – pray. My third reaction was to research, pray, and think. I finally realized I don’t know how true or not this prophecy is nor  do I know what the next few weeks or months will bring.

I do, however, know several things:

I know that God is sovereign. “The LORD has established His throne in the heavens, And His sovereignty rules over all.” Ps. 103:19

I know that God is more powerful than any enemy – flesh or spirit. “Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.” 1 John 4:4

I know that God wants us to be strong in Him, not fearful. “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9

I know that God loves us!  “By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” 1 John 4:9-10

I know that, as a child of God, I don’t even need to fear death. “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:21

I know that God wants us to pray at all times. “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

I know that God tells us to pray  or all men.  “I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.” 1 Timothy 2:1-2

So I will counsel myself, my elderly parents, my kids, my friends, my neighbors, and you, my dear readers, to keep our eyes fixed on God, to trust Him, to pray for our nation for we certainly need it, to pray for protection for all of us all across the world. And if disaster strikes, which people have been predicting for years, I will know that God is still in control and praise Him for being there with us through it all as He has so many times in the past. And if disaster does not strike, I will praise God, keep praying, and wonder if He allowed Pastor Wilkerson’s vision/article to cause us to pray.

Yesterday, I wrote about the importance of flexibility for all of us in the Sandwich Generation, along with the importance of asking. Asking for help, asking for options, asking for whatever it is that is necessary in our current situation.

While that is indeed vital, there are times when there is no one to ask. A few years ago, I was visiting out-of-state and helping dear ones cope with a nasty cold, my mom was home alone and expecting my return in a couple of days, and one of my beloved seniors in yet a third state was hospitalized. I’m telling you, for an hour or so, it was like I could feel the stress just building up inside me. I felt like a pressure-cooker waiting to explode. I wanted to be in each of the three places to help but that was impossible. In that situation, there was only one thing I could do. Of course, it was also the best thing I could do and I did it. I prayed. I emailed and called others and asked them to pray as well. As we prayed, we watched as God worked the whole situation out. He provided a neighbor to help the senior citizen, the family I was visiting finally started getting better, and a day or so later, I was able to head home to help my mom. I did this all with God’s peace that passes all understanding covering my heart and my mind.

It is so vital for us to remember that when we are God’s children, we are never alone. We are always blessed with the flexibility and power that God provides us through His gift of prayer. We need to remember to start our asking by taking our requests to Him in prayer.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Three names that many people know well, even some who haven’t read a Bible in years. If you don’t recognize their names, you might recognize this phrase – the three men in the fiery furnace! Their story is told in the book of Daniel, which I am currently studying over a several month period. These three Hebrews, who had been living in captivity in Babylon, refused to worship King Nebuchadnezzar. They chose instead to stay strong and faithful to the one true God. As a result, Nebuchadnezzar not only threw them into the fiery furnace, he ordered his workers to add fuel to the flame to make it hotter. It was so hot that the people who threw these three young men into the furnace died from the outer heat. But Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego went into the furnace, keeping their eyes fixed firmly on their God, with these words on their lips: “If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up." Now that’s courage and faith. But it didn’t happen right then. It came after years of praying, spending time in God’s Word, and walking with God.

Caregiving is not a fiery furnace, literally. But figuratively, it can sometimes seem like it. When you are already under the pile taking care of a sick family member, the bills are piling up, you’ve hit the maximum for insurance coverage, and then your elderly parent develops a terminal disease, you may well feel like the flames are being stoked. When your elderly mother recovered from cancer, only to have it recur two months after your father collapsed and died from a stroke, you feel those flames beating down on you. When your elderly parent, who was somewhat forgetful, moves in with you, and they develop Alzheimer’s Disease, including Sundowning, which causes them to become more confused, irritable, and upset later in the afternoon or evening, just as your husband and children are arriving home for the day, you can feel those flames jumping all around.

Hopefully, for most of us, caregiving is not usually that difficult or intense. But each of those stories I’ve written has happened to people I love, and I know how hard it can be. Even when life is not that difficult, the daily frustrations, irritations, extra work, higher bills, personality conflicts, etc. can often add up to create a sense of being in that furnace. What is the solution?

I can’t tell you how to leave the furnace. That may not be an option for a long time, if ever. I can, however, encourage you with the same words I constantly use to encourage myself, that with God by our side, with Jesus as our Savior, we are never alone in that furnace.

“Nebuchadnezzar the king was astounded…”Was it not three men we cast bound into the midst of the fire?…Look! I see four men loosed and walking about in the midst of the fire without harm, and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods!"  (Daniel 3:24-25) Whether that fourth man was an angel or a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus Christ, it was proof positive that they were not alone in that furnace and the same is true for us. I take great comfort in Isaiah 43:1b-3a. “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine! When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you. For I am the LORD your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior.”

My goal is to join with the writer of Hebrews, and “fix my thoughts on Jesus,” day after day, minute by minute. Knowing He is right there with me is what keeps me going forward even when those flames do inch closer. I seek to “rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and in everything give thanks,” along with Paul who wrote those words in 1 Thessalonians 5:6-8. And as I am praying for my friends, my family, myself, please know that I am also praying regularly for each of you reading these words, just as friends and family are praying regularly for me. Yet another way we know we are not alone in this furnace. I pray for God’s peace to surround you today and every day, and for you to truly be aware of His presence and power in your life in the midst of any fiery trial you may be experiencing, now or in the future.

Here are a few new links to resources of interest to caregivers:

An excellent and extensive list of resources for eldercare caregivers – http://www.lawrenceyerkes.com/html/rmx-article-eldercare-elder-caregiver-resources.htm

Great travel resources for those with special needs. Among other things, it offers a state by state guide to hotels with accessible rooms, attractions that accomodate special needs, availability of medical equipment rental, and more for locations in America and for other countries – http://access-able.com/dbase/index.cfm . They also have a lot more interesting travel information of interest to those with disabilities and their caregivers at http://access-able.com/graphical_index.html .

This is such a sweet story with a great message. A picture of joy in the midst of sorrow – something we as caregivers are intimately acquainted with – http://www.thylacineslair.com/MindRetreat/CabRide.htm

The power of prayer – a great encouragement! Many caregivers want to do so much for the Lord and they do, right in their own home through caregiving. But it’s exciting to be reminded that through prayer, we can also reach out to our neighbors, our country, and even our world! While you’re at his site, you might also want to take a look at his posting on unequal love which includes a nice point about caregivers, including those in the Sandwich Generation. http://belight.typepad.com/light_the_darkness/2008/11/an-unequal-exchange.html

David Solie, an expert in the field of geriatric care and a caregiver himself, has an excellent website with valuable resource links. His article on helping his mother remain at home as long as possible, while dealing with the emotions that entailed, was very interesting and encouraging – http://www.dsolie.com/blog/?p=73

These are, indeed, tough times. And tough times call for tough measures. One group has made an important, and sometimes difficult, commitment to pray daily for one minute each night at the same time – 9 pm Eastern, 8 pm Central, 7 pm Mountain, and 6 pm Pacific. They’re encouraging everyone they know to join them. They’re asking each one they encourage to do the same. This started in 2007 and is growing through email, websites, and other means.

2 Chronicles 7:14 says if My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

I encourage each of you to set your alarm clocks, set your cell alarm clocks, set a reminder on your Outlook, or however else you can remind yourselves, and stop each night at the time above that matches your time zone. Stop and join me and many others as we  pray for the safety of the United States , our troops, our citizens, for peace in the world, for wisdom and courage for our leaders, for the up-coming election and its results, that the Bible will remain the basis for the laws governing our land and that Christianity will grow in the U.S.

Please pass this onto anyone who you think will want to join us. God Bless You!!!

What is your favorite season? Mine is Autumn. It officially starts tomorrow and I can’t wait! I love the cool crisp days and nights. I love the crunchy leaves. I love the sights and sounds and fun times. I love decorating for Harvest Time. I loved it as a newlywed. I loved it when my kids were young. And I love it as a Baby Boomer Generation caregiver. I just plain love Autumn.

I am thrilled that my grandkids all love it as well! Sharing our traditions with them and learning the new traditions they have started is all part of the heritage we are creating for our families.

When my children were young, we collected leaves and put them around the house while singing fall songs together. These were songs I had made up and set to Christmas song tunes.

Some of that has changed – we don’t usually bring the leaves into the house anymore (I have developed allergies). But we love to crunch in them outside and watch as the wind swirls them around for a lovely “Autumn Ballet.” I love to share that imagery with my long-distance grandkids as we enjoy talking about the leaves dancing outside.

When we are discussing our “Autumn Ballet,” it is a great time to talk about God. It provides a powerful picture of Him and how He works in our lives. We may not be able to see the wind, but we see it ruffling the leaves in the trees, carrying them around in the air and skittering them around on the ground. We may not be able to see God, but we see His power at work in our lives when we pray and He answers, when we see Him protect us from an accident on the freeway, and when we read His Word and see it apply directly to our lives.

It’s fun finding autumn pictures for all the grandkids to enjoy coloring and decorating. I keep a close watch on Target’s $1 bin and the local Dollar stores for fun projects for Autumn, Thanksgiving, and harvest time. Last year Target had turkey sticker projects, autumn picture frames to decorate, and Pin the Tail on the Turkey games. Needless to say, I scooped up plenty for all my grandkids. We can incorporate them in their home schooling program, as well as just having fun. These are memories we can all share and enjoy, right now and as they grow older.

Here are some Autumn Coloring Pages Fun for you to share with your grandkids. On a PC, you can right click on each picture, select COPY. Then open a program such as Word and select EDIT, PASTE. You can change the size by selecting the picture, press on the CTRL key with your left hand while pressing the left mouse key, and dragging. This will increase the size proportionally.