It may be too early to mention this, because it’s not “for sure”, but I am greatly encouraged in this development.
As many of you know, when Forrest was a baby, Lee & I were told that we are not allowed to talk to him about God, because both Emily & Ryan were atheists. (Well, Emily refers to herself on Facebook as a Pantheist, but she is pretty much an atheist, I think.) So we have trusted God to make a way, to open the doors for us to talk to Forrest about Him.
I try not to think about it too much, because the fact that my four & a half year old grandson doesn’t really know about God just kills me inside.
But…we have slipped in little things here & there. Lee, especially, has gotten bolder about saying things to Forrest, like “God loves you” & such. The other day, Lee asked him “Who loves you?” & Forrest replied “You love me & God loves me.” However, he doesn’t really know Who God is. I have figured that if the current situation continues, we will have more latitude to talk about our faith to him when he is older & asking questions (like why we go to church). But my heart would love to see him saved while he is still young.
Anyway, I keep seeing posts on the “Stafford Bulletin Board” Facebook group about the local Catholic school, St. Edward’s. I have heard that it is an excellent school, but there would be, of course, “religion classes”. Last time I saw a post about it, I said to God that it would be so cool if Emily could send Forrest to St. Edward’s School.
Yesterday, Emily told me she is looking seriously at sending Forrest to St. Edward’s. My heart practically leapt within me! Amazingly enough, Ryan, who had been very hostile to religion, but is now saying he has “found God” (may it truly be so), is on board with the idea.
Emily & Ryan have an appointment to tour the school on Monday.
I realize St. Edward’s is a Catholic school, not what we would call a “Christian school”, but to us, it could be a way for Forrest to learn the basics, without Lee & I overstepping our bounds as grandparents.
How wonderful of God to make a way where there seems to be no way! (And even if they decided against St. Edward’s, I will still believe & hold on to this.) Please pray God’s will be done in this. Thank you.
My friend Carol is talking today with someone from free Legal Aid about the situation at her new assisted living place in Hollywood where the staff is not allowing residents to leave the premises unless on a formal “trip” with them.
This kind of rule has never been in place at any of Carol’s other places and she’s feeling almost imprisoned. She likes to walk and is very independent. She said she walks to and from the patio, which is all that’s permitted, but that’s getting old. The rule seems to have been made after something happened to one of the residents after he went out, but things can happen anywhere … You don’t make a whole policy for everyone based on one incident.
If they somehow do have the legal right to keep residents locked in like that (I suspect it’s not), Carol will have to look for another place. I’d hate living like that and I think it’s really wrong they’re enforcing something like that.
She said it was a fairly recent rule, she thinks, and that the other residents complained at first but then just gave up. But I think Carol’s among the highest functioning people there and it’s making her stir-crazy to be stuck 24/7 in that place. She’s only been there for about 6 weeks. And the neighborhood, in my estimation, is nice, much nicer than her former one in East L.A. where she had complete freedom to come and go.
She likes going to the local library, Starbucks, or just walking (she uses a walker but has always been a power walker of sorts — she sometimes overdoes it and pays the price with sore legs the next day, however). She also has taken the bus places (including to church Sunday mornings) if it’s too far to walk. But mentally, spiritually and physically she needs to be able to GO, to have a life outside the boundaries of “the home.” And I think that should be her right.
This isn’t a convalescent home, it’s an assisting living/low-income retirement place where people are generally ambulatory and able to do most things for themselves. Meals & laundry services are provided but little else.
The other places she’s lived were completely open with allowing people to come and go as they chose during the day (I’m sure there was an evening curfew, though i’d dropped Carol off after dark plenty of times when we went out for holiday services, etc.). The only rule was that residents were asked to self-sign in and out (she said that wasn’t even enforced rigidly).
Anyway, pray for a good (and peaceful) resolution that will allow residents more freedom without causing problems with staff — and, if not, that Carol might be able to find another place that’s more suitable.
Forgot to mention that although Emily couldn’t afford the tuition right now, she can get a scholarship for Forrest. They have plenty of those available for low-income parents.
We have a large facility that houses the mentally ill in the town where I work and I remember issues about their freedom to come and go during the day have come up in years past for stories I’ve written (and, yes, they do have that freedom, they can’t be “locked in just because” … even though, yes, they are vulnerable and somewhat at risk out there on the city streets; but so is everyone).
It just sounds like someone has overreacted to something where Carol is staying, unless there’s more information we/I don’t have.
If legal aid can’t help resolve it, I may call over to the place myself and ask to speak to the social worker to get some clarification and see if at least some compromise can’t be worked out.
I just got into an ugly argument with someone. I am not a fighter. I do not like confrontation and will do almost anything to avoid it. I was finally backed into a corner and had enough. Now my stomach is in knots. I do not like this.
Legal Aid took Carol’s info and will have someone get back to her within 3-4 business days. But …. Her phone will be turned off after this weekend as there was a gap somehow in what she paid in advance to keep it turned on for the month, so I’m going to go see her tomorrow and see if we can get that paid up through the next week at least — she should get her checks by then and will be able to pay for June. I don’t like her being without a cell phone for that long & especially if the legal aid people are going to be calling her back.
I have a friend, Kim, who had bleeding from her belly button this morning. She was very anemic and was given several pints of blood. A mass was discovered in her abdomen. She has yet to have a biopsy. Please pray for her, her children and her parents. Her parents have already lost 3 of their children.
I could use prayers that I not contract Lyme Disease, or, if I do, that antibiotics will wipe it out, as they did the first time I had it. I found an embedded deer tick (tiny as a poppy seed) in the back of my leg yesterday that I estimate was in about 30 hours before we got it out. If a disease-carrying tick is removed within 24 hours, usually nothing is transmitted (it is thought). After that, the chances are greater. Most of the ticks around here are disease carriers.
(I found another embedded tick in the same leg today, but that one was barely in, and not engorged–and even smaller than the one yesterday–so I’m not concerned with that one. It must have embedded shortly before I found it.)
Thanks for prayers. Praying also for all the needs mentioned here today and on the prayer threads I missed while away this last week, week-and-a-half.
Wandering Views 
It may be too early to mention this, because it’s not “for sure”, but I am greatly encouraged in this development.
As many of you know, when Forrest was a baby, Lee & I were told that we are not allowed to talk to him about God, because both Emily & Ryan were atheists. (Well, Emily refers to herself on Facebook as a Pantheist, but she is pretty much an atheist, I think.) So we have trusted God to make a way, to open the doors for us to talk to Forrest about Him.
I try not to think about it too much, because the fact that my four & a half year old grandson doesn’t really know about God just kills me inside.
But…we have slipped in little things here & there. Lee, especially, has gotten bolder about saying things to Forrest, like “God loves you” & such. The other day, Lee asked him “Who loves you?” & Forrest replied “You love me & God loves me.” However, he doesn’t really know Who God is. I have figured that if the current situation continues, we will have more latitude to talk about our faith to him when he is older & asking questions (like why we go to church). But my heart would love to see him saved while he is still young.
Anyway, I keep seeing posts on the “Stafford Bulletin Board” Facebook group about the local Catholic school, St. Edward’s. I have heard that it is an excellent school, but there would be, of course, “religion classes”. Last time I saw a post about it, I said to God that it would be so cool if Emily could send Forrest to St. Edward’s School.
Yesterday, Emily told me she is looking seriously at sending Forrest to St. Edward’s. My heart practically leapt within me! Amazingly enough, Ryan, who had been very hostile to religion, but is now saying he has “found God” (may it truly be so), is on board with the idea.
Emily & Ryan have an appointment to tour the school on Monday.
I realize St. Edward’s is a Catholic school, not what we would call a “Christian school”, but to us, it could be a way for Forrest to learn the basics, without Lee & I overstepping our bounds as grandparents.
How wonderful of God to make a way where there seems to be no way! (And even if they decided against St. Edward’s, I will still believe & hold on to this.) Please pray God’s will be done in this. Thank you.
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My friend Carol is talking today with someone from free Legal Aid about the situation at her new assisted living place in Hollywood where the staff is not allowing residents to leave the premises unless on a formal “trip” with them.
This kind of rule has never been in place at any of Carol’s other places and she’s feeling almost imprisoned. She likes to walk and is very independent. She said she walks to and from the patio, which is all that’s permitted, but that’s getting old. The rule seems to have been made after something happened to one of the residents after he went out, but things can happen anywhere … You don’t make a whole policy for everyone based on one incident.
If they somehow do have the legal right to keep residents locked in like that (I suspect it’s not), Carol will have to look for another place. I’d hate living like that and I think it’s really wrong they’re enforcing something like that.
She said it was a fairly recent rule, she thinks, and that the other residents complained at first but then just gave up. But I think Carol’s among the highest functioning people there and it’s making her stir-crazy to be stuck 24/7 in that place. She’s only been there for about 6 weeks. And the neighborhood, in my estimation, is nice, much nicer than her former one in East L.A. where she had complete freedom to come and go.
She likes going to the local library, Starbucks, or just walking (she uses a walker but has always been a power walker of sorts — she sometimes overdoes it and pays the price with sore legs the next day, however). She also has taken the bus places (including to church Sunday mornings) if it’s too far to walk. But mentally, spiritually and physically she needs to be able to GO, to have a life outside the boundaries of “the home.” And I think that should be her right.
This isn’t a convalescent home, it’s an assisting living/low-income retirement place where people are generally ambulatory and able to do most things for themselves. Meals & laundry services are provided but little else.
The other places she’s lived were completely open with allowing people to come and go as they chose during the day (I’m sure there was an evening curfew, though i’d dropped Carol off after dark plenty of times when we went out for holiday services, etc.). The only rule was that residents were asked to self-sign in and out (she said that wasn’t even enforced rigidly).
Anyway, pray for a good (and peaceful) resolution that will allow residents more freedom without causing problems with staff — and, if not, that Carol might be able to find another place that’s more suitable.
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Forgot to mention that although Emily couldn’t afford the tuition right now, she can get a scholarship for Forrest. They have plenty of those available for low-income parents.
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We have a large facility that houses the mentally ill in the town where I work and I remember issues about their freedom to come and go during the day have come up in years past for stories I’ve written (and, yes, they do have that freedom, they can’t be “locked in just because” … even though, yes, they are vulnerable and somewhat at risk out there on the city streets; but so is everyone).
It just sounds like someone has overreacted to something where Carol is staying, unless there’s more information we/I don’t have.
If legal aid can’t help resolve it, I may call over to the place myself and ask to speak to the social worker to get some clarification and see if at least some compromise can’t be worked out.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I just got into an ugly argument with someone. I am not a fighter. I do not like confrontation and will do almost anything to avoid it. I was finally backed into a corner and had enough. Now my stomach is in knots. I do not like this.
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Sorry Kim, I hate those things too. 😦
Legal Aid took Carol’s info and will have someone get back to her within 3-4 business days. But …. Her phone will be turned off after this weekend as there was a gap somehow in what she paid in advance to keep it turned on for the month, so I’m going to go see her tomorrow and see if we can get that paid up through the next week at least — she should get her checks by then and will be able to pay for June. I don’t like her being without a cell phone for that long & especially if the legal aid people are going to be calling her back.
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I have a friend, Kim, who had bleeding from her belly button this morning. She was very anemic and was given several pints of blood. A mass was discovered in her abdomen. She has yet to have a biopsy. Please pray for her, her children and her parents. Her parents have already lost 3 of their children.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Praying for all the above, as always.
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I could use prayers that I not contract Lyme Disease, or, if I do, that antibiotics will wipe it out, as they did the first time I had it. I found an embedded deer tick (tiny as a poppy seed) in the back of my leg yesterday that I estimate was in about 30 hours before we got it out. If a disease-carrying tick is removed within 24 hours, usually nothing is transmitted (it is thought). After that, the chances are greater. Most of the ticks around here are disease carriers.
(I found another embedded tick in the same leg today, but that one was barely in, and not engorged–and even smaller than the one yesterday–so I’m not concerned with that one. It must have embedded shortly before I found it.)
Thanks for prayers. Praying also for all the needs mentioned here today and on the prayer threads I missed while away this last week, week-and-a-half.
LikeLiked by 6 people