Article about Alzheimer’s Book

KENS5 TV reporter James Munoz wrote an excellent article about Help! What Do I Do Now?: Caring for Your Loved One with Alzheimer’s.

You can read the article on the KENS5 website: Local author releases guide for those affected by Alzheimer’s Disease.

You can order the book from Amazon.com or in bulk from the publisher.

As you know if you read my interview with author Nancy Nicholson, LBSW, Nancy is my sister and I edited and published the book.

Thanks to November 2010 Commenters

Thank you to the 128 commenters who left 177 comments in November. Your comments extended the conversation and added value and interest, and I enjoyed replying to every one of them. Every month when I post thanks to commenters, I get questions about how I compile this list. I have explained my system in detail in Compiling Thanks to Commenters.
Top Contributor (9 comments)
Christopher  Roberts		Christopher Roberts
Major Contributors (4-5 comments)
Jenny		Software Business Partners
Vinish Parikh		Let’s Learn Finance
Mike		Free Fiction Books
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Bluestocking		The Bluestocking Guide
Carla		Personal Writer
Christopher  Roberts		Christopher Roberts’ Philosophy Blog
Claire		Starapplet.com
Dave		First Class Hampers
Dawn Colclasure		Dawn Colclasure Blog
Matt		Good Christmas Gifts
Mike		Show Me Jobs
Rodney		New Home Steps
Significant Contributors (2 comments)
Christopher  Roberts		Christopher Robert’s Technology Blog
Dominique		4 Walls and a View
JadeDragon		JadeDragon’s Innovative Passive Income
Jason		Infrared Heaters
Jason		Wear Palettes
Jen		All Say Auto Transport
Joy		Maximum Slim
Kevin		Perpendicularity
Paula Jo		Clean Star Home and Garden World
Sensei Matt Klein		Fun affordable self defense karate for kids, 10/17
Sophia		Cool Glow
wrack		Smith Monitoring
Important Contributors
Abi	Kindle Review
Alberto	5 Minute Membership Sites
Alex	Wedding Videography Singapore
Alvaro Castio	enterprise rental car locations
Andrew	Best Bread Maker
Angela	Rocor Kantoo
Angela Ward	Tattos of Angels
Anne	Shih Tzu Dog Training
Annie	I Believe This
Aretha	Faxless Payday Loan
Arragon	Stop Tinnitus
Arvind Singh	Law Is Greek
Barbara Ling	Barbara Ling, Virtual Coach
Barry	abc gatwick
Brian H.	AnyTime Teas
Brian H.	Buy Blenders from the Blender Guy
Britt Phillips	DVD Training Video
brittany	Christine Foster Photography
Buchi Palem	Confessions of a Manchester United Fan
Calvin	Mycasa
Carry Anne	Public Schools
Catalin	Calor
Charleen Larson	Best of Fiverr
Chris	Lin & Jirsa Wedding Photography
ChrisCD	Jumbo CD Investments
Cristain	Dating Tips for Men
Csrol	Web Design Expert
Daryl	Philips AirFryer
Dave	Wheeled Luggage
David	Timberline Estates Sandpoint
Dawn	Inspirational Motivational Quotes
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Dr. Stewart	Charles Stewart, Cosmetic Surgery
Dylan	Stock Orange
Emma	Queen’s Valley School
Eva	Indian SEO Company
Fred	Internet Business
Frederik Trovatten	Adwords Uddanelsen
George	Law Office of Ledger & Associates
Gruvix	Gruvix.com
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Helen Ginger	Straight from Hel
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lyn	richibrown
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Maggie	Geek Hosting
Marc	Karriere, Geld und Lifestyle
Marcel	Mava Webdesign
Margaret	Sweetheart Diapers & More
Mari Ann	The Mari Method
Mark Hodson	101 Holidays
Martin	The Gutter Guys
Michelle	Tenant Direct
Miss Kim	Miss Kim Dance
Moris	DocRaptor
Nurul Azis	Nurul Azis
Olivia Lin	Lin & Jirsa Wedding Photography
Olivia Lin	SLR Lounge
purva	Indian Diabetics
Ramona	High Heels Shoes
Roger	Spiderman Games
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rosa	n/a
Ryan	Fan’s Edge
Sarah	Adiamor Diamonds & Fine Jewelry
Somu	QA Guild
Steve	Gold Curtains
Steve	Jewellry Holder
Steve	Red Toaster
Steve	Rotary Airer
Steve	Sitegrinder 3 Review
Steve	Turbo Trainers
Susan	Hotel Scheveningen
Tim	JMX Bamboo
Tom	American Money Solutions
Tom	Tomos Crowle
Travis	Cordless Strimmer
Vanessa	Miami Glamour Properties
Vicky	Boniti

Wishing You a Blessed Christmas

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.

(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)

And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)

To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

Luke 2:1-20

ALMIGHTY God, who hast given us thy only-begotten Son to take our nature upon him, and as at this time to be born of a pure virgin; Grant that we being regenerate, and made thy children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by thy Holy Spirit; through the same our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Spirit ever, one God, world without end. Amen.

Scripture for Christmas Eve 2010

Luke 2:15-20

15When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
16So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Lord, You revealed the birth of the Savior of the world to simple shepherds in the fields, unlearned and unsophisticated men rather than the learned and elite. They recognized the magnitude of what they saw and went about praising and glorifying You. Make our hearts like the hearts of those simple shepherds. Wipe away the sophistication and cynicism and touch our spirits so we praise and glorify You above all. In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.

Scripture for the Fourth Thursday in Advent 2010

Luke 2:8-14

8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ[a] the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14″Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

Lord, as the angels declared on the night of our Savior’s birth, we sing glory to God on high. We rejoice in the wonder of this magnificent moment in history but even more in the wonder of the Second Coming, when we will stand before Jesus. Prepare our hearts and spirits so we are ready for that great day and give You glory forever and ever. Amen.

Memories of Christmas Giving

I have many wonderful memories of Christmas with my family—with my parents and siblings when I was growing up and with my husband and extended family in adulthood.

But I also have wonderful memories of Christmas events with complete strangers—Christmases that reminded me of the true reason for the celebration. Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. He came so that we might have life and have it abundantly. He came to show the love of God—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. I have been blessed to have had several occasions at Christmas when I could share that love with others.

I wrote about Christmas memories a couple of years ago.  One of my favorites is the first year a group of women business owners gave a party for mothers and their children who were in transition from the Battered Women’s Shelter. We had originally offered to give a party or provide gifts for women and children in the Shelter, but staff told us the Shelter received much support from the community at Christmas. However, nothing was being done for a group of women who were in a new transition program. We agreed to give a party and gifts for these twelve women and their children (a total of about twenty children). 

The families had stayed at the Shelter for weeks or months until the women found jobs and moved into their own apartments. This was their first Christmas without the husband and father, and although the man had been abusive, being apart from their father during the holidays was difficult and stressful for many of the children. The women were struggling to support and care for their children on their own for the first time.  Although the Shelter staff explained all this to us, we didn’t fully comprehend the situation.

We got a list of names and ages of the children and members of the businesswomen’s group bought two or three gifts for each child. We gave the mothers gift certificates to a discount store, and we packaged up some food for each family.

About six of us went to a church in the neighborhood of the Battered Women’s Shelter to host the party. One of our members had played Santa in the past and owned a Santa suit, so she offered to be Santa at the party. As I was leaving the office to go to the party, I had a sudden inspiration. I pulled my Polaroid camera out of my desk and took it with me. I didn’t have any film, so after we assembled at the meeting place and loaded everything into a couple of cars, “Santa” and I made a trip to a nearby drugstore to buy film.

Kids came running from all directions to follow Santa through the store. After we bought enough film to take several pictures of each child, we headed down to the church.  The room was already filled with women and children—we learned they had to arrive early because buses didn’t run very often in that area, and if they had waited for the next bus, they would have missed most of the party.  

We served refreshments, and although the children and their mothers were shy, they seemed to enjoy the cookies and punch. Then Santa got in position for gift distribution and photo-taking. All the kids hung back—they didn’t seem to want to go up to Santa to get their presents and have their pictures taken. I walked around the perimeter of the room, encouraging the kids to go see Santa. They all nodded politely, but no one said or did anything.

Finally, one of the women, asked in a low voice, “How much does it cost?”

It had never occurred to me that they were afraid they had to pay, but their only experience of pictures with Santa was at the malls, and they could never afford to have their kids’ pictures taken. When I told them it was free, the kids lined up quickly with big grins on their face.

Then one of the mothers asked me, “Would you take a picture of me with my kids? I’ve never had a picture of all of us together.”

I could hardly see through the tears glistening in my eyes and could barely answer through the lump in my throat. “Of course, I’ll be glad to take your picture.” Looking through the camera lens to take the photos, I saw some of the biggest smiles I’ve ever seen in my life. And I can’t begin to describe the joy  on each mother’s faces when the Polaroid picture developed and she saw the first photo ever taken of her with her children.  

The kids clutched their big bags of gifts and the mothers held tightly to their own bags. No one made a move to open the gifts, so I encouraged the family nearest me to open their gifts.

“Oh, no!” the mother said. “They’re saving their presents so they will have gifts to open on Christmas Day.”

Can you imagine any child you know joyfully saving a gift for a couple of weeks, thrilled they would have a present to open on Christmas morning?

The other ladies and I looked at each other in amazement. We thought we were making Christmas a little brighter for these families. Instead, we were giving them the only Christmas they would have.

I know the party and the gifts meant a lot to those families, but the experience was as meaningful to me as it was to them. We have so many blessings, and we take them so much for granted. Those of us putting on the party were so naive that we never imagined that party and those gifts would be Christmas for the families who attended. We never imagined that a simple Polaroid picture would mean so much to a mother.

The photos weren’t even planned—by the women putting on the party, at least. They were planned by God, and I know the Holy Spirit prompted me to reach for that camera when I had no thought of doing so. I am so grateful for this experience.

The women business owners put on a party for women in transition from the Battered Women’s Shelter for a number of years after that until the group disbanded. By the second year, there were dozens of mothers and nearly a hundred children. After a few years, there were several hundred children. We always took Polaroid pictures of the children and of the family groups, and we always expected to see the mothers and their children lugging their packages to the bus stop after the party.

That first party, though, will always be a very special Christmas memory.

photo credit: wlashbrook

Scripture for the Fourth Wednesday in Advent 2010

Luke 2:1-7

1In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2(This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3And everyone went to his own town to register.
4So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Lord, thank You for the gift of Jesus, Your Son, who came as a babe in a manger, born so He could die for my sins on the cross. Thank You for the gift of salvation. Lead me in Your ways so I live in accordance with the marvelous gift of salvation. In the name of Jesus Christ, who came as a babe and died as a sacrifice and rose as a Savior. Amen.

Scripture for the Fourth Tuesday in Advent 2010

John 1:1-5

1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning.
3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

Lord, the Light of Jesus is shining, but our dark world doesn’t understand it. Open our eyes to see Your Light and our hearts to understand it and to reflect it to a dark world. In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Review: It’s Murder, My Son

It’s Murder, My Son
Lauren Carr
Paperback, 286 pages, published by CreateSpace, June 23, 2010, $14.99
Kindle edition, Published by Lauren Carr, June 23, 2010, $4.99
Fiction: Mystery

Mac Farraday suddenly finds himself the heir to the estate of a rich and famous mother he never knew. He trades in his life as a homicide detective for a life of leisure in his new home, his late mother’s mansion. However, he is immediately drawn into the mystery of the recent murder of the woman who lived in the house next door.

I don’t get excited about zillionaire protagonists–I’d rather read about more believeable  characters. However, I’m sure Mac’s sudden rise to riches will appeal to many readers. There is an interesting assortment of other characters, including a dog that’s almost human.

The mystery is very complex and kept me guessing all the way through the book. Anyone who enjoys a good mystery will want to try to solve this puzzle.

Disclosure: I received an electronic copy of the book from the author. I have not accepted any compensation for this review and made no commitment to give a favorable review. The link to Amazon.com is an affiliate link.

Scripture for the Fourth Monday in Advent 2010

Zephaniah 3:14-17

14 Sing, O Daughter of Zion;
shout aloud, O Israel!
Be glad and rejoice with all your heart,
O Daughter of Jerusalem!
15 The LORD has taken away your punishment,
he has turned back your enemy.
The LORD, the King of Israel, is with you;
never again will you fear any harm.
16 On that day they will say to Jerusalem,
“Do not fear, O Zion;
do not let your hands hang limp.
17 The LORD your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing.

Thank You, Lord, for taking away our punishment and saving us—for taking delight in us and quieting us with Your love, for rejoicing over us with singing. We praise You and sing to You in joy, glad and rejoicing in heart. In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.

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