Caregiving tasks

I found these statistics at caregiver.org
They have many more if you're interested.
On average, caregivers spend:

• 13 days each month on tasks such as shopping, food preparation, housekeeping, laundry, transportation, and giving medication;
• 6 days per month on feeding, dressing, grooming, walking, bathing, and assistance toileting;
• 13 hours per month researching care services or information on disease, coordinating physician visits or managing financial matters. [Gallup-Healthways. (2011). Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index.]
• Of family caregivers who provide complex chronic care:
• 46% perform medical and nursing tasks;
• More than 96% provide help with activities of daily living (ADLs) such as personal hygiene, dressing and undressing, getting in and out of bed, or instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) such as taking prescribed medications, shopping for groceries, transportation, or using technology, or both. [AARP and United Health Hospital Fund. (2012). Home Alone: Family Caregivers Providing Complex Chronic Care.]
• On average, caregivers perform 1.7 of 6 ADLs, most commonly getting in and out of beds and chairs (43%). [National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP. (2015). Caregiving in the U.S.]
• On average, caregivers perform 4.2 of 7 IADLs, most commonly transportation (78%), grocery or other shopping (76%), and housework (72%). [National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP. (2015). Caregiving in the U.S.]
• 57% of caregivers report that they do not have a choice about performing clinical tasks, and that this lack of choice is self-imposed.
• 43% feel that these tasks are their personal responsibility because no one else can do it or because insurance will not pay for a professional caregiver.
• 12% report that they are pressured to perform these tasks by the care receiver.
• 8% report that they are pressured to perform these tasks by another family member. [AARP and United Health Hospital Fund. (2012). Home Alone: Family Caregivers Providing Complex Chronic Care.]
• Caregivers report holding significant decision-making authority regarding the following:
• Monitoring of the care recipient’s condition and adjusting care (66%);
• Communicating with healthcare professionals on behalf of the care recipient (63%);
• Acting as an advocate for the care recipient with care providers, community services, or government agencies (50%). [National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP. (2015). Caregiving in the U.S.]

As you can see, being a caregiver is a fulltime job, only it isn't just 8:00-5:00 Monday through Friday. It's accidents and falls and spills in the middle of the night. It's dealing with a medical emergency on a Sunday morning. It's coordinating transportation and doctor's appointments and tracking medicine and cooking and cleaning. It's exhausting and too much for one person to handle. So, if you know someone who's a caregiver, please reach out and offer them help or a reprieve, and please pray for them daily.

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:11-18 NIV

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Please join me this week in praying for a caregiver. They need our prayers as much (if not more) than those they are caring for. Pray for them to have strength and patience. Pray for assistance for them if you can't be there to help. If the caregiver is you, pray to your Father for help and guidance and whatever your needs may be.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

To die unto one's self

My dad fell and broke his hip on December 23, 2018. He had surgery on the 24th, then a short stay in the hospital before being transported to a rehab facility. There, he went through physical and occupational therapy but spent most of his time in bed. He's always been a picky eater, but the food at the facility was horrible and so we couldn't really blame him for not eating. He got weaker and weaker. Since he wasn't showing improvement, they told us there was a possibility that the insurance company might send him home, so one day he mustered all of his strength and took several steps for the physical therapist, 38 to be exact, and we thought this would show them that he was trying so he could stay there and continue to get help.
     The facility wasn't perfect; there were only one nurse and one PCT per wing per shift which wasn't nearly enough, so my mom, brother, and I took care of my dad at least as much as the staff did while he was there. But, at least if there was an emergency, we felt confident he would be cared for. About a week after his miraculous 38 step demonstration, the insurance company deemed him well enough to go home. We appealed it but having found out about it late on a Thursday, for a scheduled discharge on a Saturday, we only had one day to try to persuade them. It didn't work. So he was sent home on a Saturday and we weren't prepared. We didn't have enough time to get set up for his return home. There was no Saturday or Sunday delivery for a portable toilet, wheelchair, or hospital bed.  Fortunately, he had a walker. The faceless, non-human, inhumane insurance company, who never saw my dad, had no idea of our situation or how ill-equipped we were to take care of my dad at home. Like so many others, we would have to figure it out for ourselves and learn from our mistakes. When my late husband was discharged from the hospital for the last time, it was kind of the same situation. We were given some companies to contact for this or that but what we really needed was training since we were taking on the roles of nurse, physical therapist, occupational therapist, bath aide, patient care tech, and transporter.
I wrote another post about caregivers and what you can do to help them last year:

Pray for a caregiver.

     The caregivers that I know of give 150% of themselves to their charge. They are showing everyone around them what it means to be an image-bearer of Christ. To die unto one's self, and give willingly to the comfort of one who can't take care of themselves is to live a Christ-like life. It is a painfully, difficult cross to bear, but one that makes a difference in the life of a loved one.

Shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

1 Peter 5:2-4 ESV

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Please join me this week in praying for a caregiver. They need our prayers as much (if not more) than those they are caring for. Pray for them to have strength and patience. Pray for assistance for them if you can't be there to help. If the caregiver is you, pray to your Father for help and guidance and whatever your needs may be.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

Say it loud

Jesus prayed. He taught us how to pray and what to say.
     A quick google search tells us that the word "prayer" is used in the King James Bible 132 times.
There are several interesting tidbits of information about prayer at this website I found: The Gospel Coalition. It's a really quick read. I hope you'll check it out. Having a few pieces of data like this can come in handy as a conversation starter with a non-believer. Even those who don't believe are interested in statistics to a degree. (Aren't they? I am, so I just naturally assume everyone is).
     As for praying, we're told it's a private thing. I look at it as my conversation with God. I talk to Him as my Father, and I try really hard to listen for His answers. I also try to accept His answers and not bargain for the answer I want. Sometimes I'm afraid of an answer and therefore try to withdraw my question, but it's already out there and God knows that I know it, and that deep down, I really do want His answer.
     Since I've spent so much of my prayer life praying quietly within my head, when asked to say a prayer out loud, I was scared to death. Especially since when other people pray for a group, they always seem to have the right words, and don't stutter, and use jargon that I was unfamiliar with.  Their prayers almost sounded "professional" or at the very least, rehearsed (but they weren't). Once, a Pastor asked me if I wanted to pray or I wanted him to pray for us. I told him that my prayers don't sound like his and the elders' and he said that was okay.  He told me to just say what was on my mind. I was too nervous to do that, but I really appreciated the encouragement and to find out that I hadn't been doing it "wrong" that whole time.
     At another church, I felt compelled to say a prayer for the group, but I kept my mouth shut due to nervousness. Later, when I was alone with God, I asked myself, "what's the worse thing that could happen?" I might say something wrong and someone would laugh? So what?! I kept talking and praying about it so that the next time an opportunity came up (okay, to be honest, it was more like the third time an opportunity came up) I just started praying out loud. And you know what? Nothing catastrophic happened! The sky didn't fall; the earth didn't swallow me up. I finished the prayer and everyone left and a few people thanked me, even.
     Later, I had the thought, Satan can't hear what's in our heads, so he doesn't always know when I'm talking about him. If we want him to hear, we have to pray out loud even when we're praying in private. I want to be a prayer warrior. I want Satan to know that I'm onto him and that I'm not going to put up with his demoralizing, doubt-inducing tricks anymore.

     

     Everything takes practice before we're comfortable doing that thing that makes us nervous. I may hem and haw, or even stutter. I may not make sense. I may not even speak in complete sentences, but God knows what I'm trying to say in all circumstances, and the more I pray, the more comfortable I'll be praying aloud and the more comfortable I am, the more I'll pray. So, it's a win-win situation.

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Matthew 6:5-8 NIV

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Please join me this week in praying for a life of prayer. God wants His children to come to Him with our needs, with praise, with thanksgiving. He wants us to be unceasing in our prayers. Talk to Him. He's always there for us.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

Diving in

I downloaded this image from the YouVersion app and saved it to my phone as my lock screen wallpaper. People see it and comment which gives me an "in" to start a conversation. One person even said, "pray for me."
     I still consider myself fairly new at sharing my faith especially face to face with people I don't know. I pray for help with this, for courage, direction and even for the words to say. But, since God knows me and knows that fear and lack of confidence hold me back, He allows me some tools to make light of the work until I get my sea-legs, so to speak.
     Speaking of tools, I'm starting out the New Year with these three books:

Women of the Word, How to study the bible with both our hearts and our minds by Jen Wilkin, 2014, Published by Crossway.
Prayer Journal For Women, 52 week scripture, devotional, & guided prayer journal by Shannon Roberts, 2019, Published by Paige Tate & Co.
Jacob's Walk, A week-by-week devotional journey in faith by James Dickey, 2019.

    So far, I'm on week 1 of the Prayer Journal (a gift from a dear friend) and of Jacob's Walk, but haven't started on Women of the Word, yet. My goal is to study these resources for the entire year, week by week, and see how God uses them to teach me and guide me. I'm guessing He will even intertwine the studies of both so they complement each other and help me with whatever I'm going through, or studying, or praying about that week.
For example, in the Prayer Journal, the lesson is centered around James 1:19

My brothers and sisters, take note of this:

Everyone should be

quick to listen,

slow to speak and

slow to become angry.

and Psalm 145:8

The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.

     Jacob's Walk is about turning a new leaf and focuses on Phillippians 3:13-14

But one thing I do, 

forgetting those things which are behind, and 

reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 

I press forward the goal for the prize 

of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

     I see all of this as a reminder to focus on the future. My theme for this new year is "Faith and Devotion" which means constantly reminding myself to let things go, to be a better image-bearer for Christ. I'm still working on my New Year's blogpost so the whole "theme" thing may not make sense until you read that post.

     Lastly, in the back of the Prayer Journal is a section for "Answered Prayers". I've intentionally blurred the pages so you can't read the names, just see how many there are after only two days. There's a date requested column and a date answered column. The highlighted line is a prayer answered already (praising God!).

 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.

John 15:7 NKJV

Pray for EVERYTHING.

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Please join me this week in praying for a life of prayer. God wants His children to come to Him with our needs, with praise, with thanksgiving. He wants us to be unceasing in our prayers. Talk to Him. He's always there for us.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

In Jesus' name

Do you know why we say, "In Jesus name, I pray" and "Amen" at the end of our prayers?
For a long time, I didn't know why people said, "In Jesus' name I pray." I wondered should I be praying to Jesus or to God or to the Holy Spirit? Then, I began my journey through the entire bible and when I got the book of John, I finally understood. John quotes Jesus telling us to pray in His name three different times and, John is sharing this with us in three consecutive chapters (not that they had chapters and verses back then). You could've knocked me over with a feather when I realized what Jesus was saying. Basically, in all three locations, He's saying 'pray like this and the Father will answer your prayer.'

As for "amen", we say it at the end of a prayer to mean "so be it."

And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

John 14:13 NIV

 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.

John 15:16 NIV

In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.

John 16:23 NIV

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Please join me this week in praying for a life of prayer. God wants His children to come to Him with our needs, with praise, with thanksgiving. He wants us to be unceasing in our prayers. Talk to Him. He's always there for us.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

The Lord's Prayer

I grew up memorizing the King James Version of several verses, including the Lord's Prayer. I remember when I got my first New Kings James Bible thinking how wonderful it was to have a Bible I could understand, but now whenever I read something in the KJV it doesn't seem as difficult as it did back then.
     Now, with all of the resources out there, I enjoy comparing different Bible versions, even going back to the Geneva Bible from 1599:

After this manner therefore pray ye, 

Our father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done even in earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation, 

but deliver us from evil: 

for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.

Matthew 6:9-13 GNV

Jesus gave this prayer as an example of how we're to pray. 

• Address our Father as Father, for we have an intimate relationship with Him.
• Praise Him.
• Give recognition that whatever we ask that we seek His will above our own want.
• Ask for daily needs.
• Ask for forgiveness for sin.
• Help us to not sin, for He never gives us more trials than we can handle.
• Help us to not let Satan manipulate us.
• Praise God.

These are my thoughts on prayer based on what I've read from different commentaries, simplified and paraphrased. I encourage you to research it to understand better how we're to pray. It's not just a list of wants; it's recognizing our Father, His power and glory. It's giving thanks and praise. It's maintaining that intimate relationship with Him, staying in touch, checking in with Him every day.

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Please join me this week in praying for a life of prayer. God wants His children to come to Him with our needs, with praise, with thanksgiving. He wants us to be unceasing in our prayers. Talk to Him. He's always there for us.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

The Spirit intercedes

Likewise, the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. 

For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, 

but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us 

with groanings which cannot be uttered.

Romans 8:26 NKJV

Happy New Year!

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Please join me this week in praying for a life of prayer. God wants His children to come to Him with our needs, with praise, with thanksgiving. He wants us to be unceasing in our prayers. Talk to Him. He's always there for us.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power