Susan Haffner shared with us some wonderful prayers at our last meeting, August 22nd.  Below are copies of the prayers as well as the website from which they came.

 

http://www.catholicherald.com/stories/The-beautitudes_and_a_prayer-for-caregivers,26621

Beatitudes for Caregivers

Blessed are those who sleep poorly because they’re worried about their loved one or because their loved one wakes in the middle of the night and needs help, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn because their loved one, though still alive, is slipping away because of dementia, for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek who force themselves to speak up and speak out to make sure their loved one receives the help he or she needs, for they will inherit the land.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for answers to why this is happening to their loved one and how much longer it will go on, for they will be satisfied.

Blessed are those who show mercy, kindness and compassion to their loved one, for they will be shown mercy, kindness and compassion.

Blessed are those who keep clean a loved one who is physically or mentally unable to keep himself or herself clean, for they will see God.

Blessed are those who help their loved one find moments of peace, for they will be called children of God.

Blessed are those who are misunderstood, not appreciated and taken for granted in their role as caregiver, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you whose caregiving efforts are unjustly criticized — or who are falsely accused of not caring about others — because of your love for your care-receiver and your love for God, who has asked you to help his beloved son or daughter.

Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.

A Caregiver’s Prayer

Heavenly Father, help me better understand and believe I can do what you ask me to do.

Forgive me for the times, even now, when I question your judgment.

As I go about the many daily tasks of caregiving, give me energy.

As I watch my loved one oh-so-slowly walk across the room, give me strength.

As I answer his/her repeated question just one more time, give me patience.

As I look for solutions to whatever is the most recent concern, give me wisdom.

As I reminisce with him/her about the “good old days,” give me a moment of laughter.

As I get to know my loved one in a new way, seeing both his or her strength and frailty, give me joy.

As I sit beside my loved one’s bed waiting for his or her pain medication to take effect, give me comfort.

Lighten my burden, answer my prayer, and give me the strength to do what so often seems impossible. Give me a quiet place to rest when I need it and a quieting of my anxieties when I’m there.

Change my attitude from a tired, frustrated and angry caregiver to the loving and compassionate one I want to be.

Remain my constant companion as I face the challenges of caregiving, and when my job is through and it’s time for me to let go, help me remember that he or she is leaving my loving arms to enter your eternal embrace. Amen.

Dodds and his late wife, Monica, were the founders of the Friends of St. John the Caregiver (fsjc.org). Bill is the editor of My Daily Visitor magazine and his latest novels are Pope Bob and The World’s Funniest Atheist.

We had another wonderful meeting this past Monday.  Martine Siegel from the Archdiocese of Louisville provided great tips and information regarding “Communication Skills for Healthy Relationships.”  It was such a privilege to have Martine speak to us and give us her insights on this topic.  With her background as a Counselor and Victim Assistance Coordinator, she has wonderful ideas on how to better communicate with our loved ones, friends, and co-workers.  In addition, she also provided suggestions on how to better handle poor communication from others, so as to not lose our cool and say something we may later regret.  A great big thanks goes out to Martine for coming to speak to our group and to all the ladies who put the meeting together and provided refreshments!

Our next SIS meeting is scheduled for May 18th at 7:00PM.  We will be having a May Procession, like we did last year. Ladies who plan to attend are invited to bring a cut flower (or an artificial one if you prefer) to place near the statue of Our Lady.

If you would like to volunteer to provide refreshments, please fill out the form on the Refreshments page on this website, contact Sheila King, or notify the leadership team by posting on the SIS Facebook page.

Go SIS!

We had another lovely SIS meeting this past Monday!  There were several craft activities to choose from (some are shown below), ranging from simple to a little more complex.  Everyone seemed to have a great time.  Following our craft time, we gave our prayer intentions and praises as a group, then enjoyed the wonderful autumn treats our refreshment volunteers brought.

Our next meeting will be on November 17th at 7:00PM.  More information regarding this meeting coming soon.

 

On Monday, we had another wonderful and educational meeting.  Sue Brodfehrer, the Director of the Family Ministries Office, presented “Love Languages in your Family.”  She discussed the five languages of love:

1. Words of Affirmation
2. Quality Time
3. Receiving Gifts
4. Acts of Service
5. Physical Touch

The members of the SIS group present at the meeting took an individual “Love Languages Personal Profile” to help determine their primary love language.  Due to copyright provisions, we cannot attach this profile to our website.  However, to receive a copy, please email us at stasistersinspirit@gmail.com and we can forward a copy to you.  You can take the test yourself, or give it to someone else (i.e. your husband, friend, child, etc).

Our next meeting is scheduled for Monday, October 20th.  It will be a “Craft, Puzzle, and Prayer” night.  For those who choose to do so can work on holiday crafts.  Other options will be to work on puzzles and other fun activities.  Children who would normally go to childcare during the meeting can attend this meeting to participate.  More information to follow in future updates.

We had a wonderful meeting on Monday. Debbie Minton presented “Celebrate What’s Right With the World” by Dewitt Jones. It is a wonderful film! It helps you look at the world in a wonderful way to help you celebrate, and see, what is good. If you missed it or if you just want to share it or see it again, it can be viewed at http://www.trainingabc.com/celebrate-whats-right-with-the-world.

After we viewed the film, we discussed the following questions in small groups, then with the whole group:

1. What changes do we see happening in our parish?
2. What abundances do we have and how can we use them to enhance our lives?
3. What possibilities are there to celebrate?
4. What changes are happening our own life?
5. What needs fixing?  How can we use our positive energy to change things?
6. How do we become our best for ourselves, our parish community, and our world?