TEN RULES FOR SPECIAL ADULTS TO LIVE BY Or—One Wrong Makes Ten Rights
I was just finishing writing a list of things on the Special Adult (Adults with Learning Disabilities) classroom white board when I realized I had been using a “permanent marker” instead of an erasable pen. This new “permanent” list of conduct guidelines has turned out to be a weekly blessing to our Sunday School class of Special Adults. Ranging in age from 22 to 49, our students are pretty typical of adults with learning disabilities. Each Sunday morning we take a few minutes to review the list of things that will guide us through the week.
1. Don’t worship things like money and your personal stuff. 2. Don’t make fake Gods to worship. 3. Don’t use God as a curse word. 4. Make Sunday a special day for God. 5. Honor your Mom and Dad. 6. Don’t kill people. 7. Don’t do sex until married. 8. Don’t steal stuff that belongs to others. 9. Don’t tell lies. 10. Don’t want stuff that belongs to others. Sound like the ten commandments. Well it should because it is a Grandpa Dick paraphrase for Adults with learning disabilities. We all can use this list as a brush up on the way we should be acting as Christians. And by the way, you don’t have to have a learning disability to be “special”. Grandpa Dick
MOTHER, PLEASE COME LIVE WITH US
Bev and I have a dilemma that is as inevitable as taxes. Our Mothers are both at the point where they almost need help to exist, but neither wants to come live with us. Bev’s Mom Flo is 87 years old and lives in her home in the Long Beach area. Although her aging home is in good condition, it is a burden for her to keep up. She is losing her near term memory, and has a bad knee that hinders her mobility. My Mom Ruth is 85 and lives in an apartment complex in Upland. She is still mentally sharp, but is recovering from a recent heart attack, and suffers from arthritis, especially in her back and arms. Both Mom’s have driver’s licenses but neither should be driving. They can still fix their meals, and take care of some daily tasks, but love it when the “Kids” come to visit, cook, and do chores. Both have taken falls recently, and thankfully, x-rays showed only bruises. Neither of these lovely ladies wants to burden us with their care.
Many of our friends have been through this, and the advice is flowing in. Some say we need to make tough decisions to force changes. Others say to wait until something happens that will make change inevitable. We have collected information on care homes, live-in nurses, and have discussed this situation with our siblings and children. We have asked God for guidance.
What does the Bible say about care for the elderly? In 1st Timothy, a Widow’s family is charged with her care, and the Church’s elders (Deacons) have the responsibility for Widows if they have no family. In Deuteronomy we are encouraged to make sure “The Widows shall eat and be satisfied”, and that we should include them and others in our feasts and celebrations. And in James, we are told to visit and bring peace to them. Sounds like we are doing some of the right things. We need to bear as best we can, health situations that we cannot change.
Would you pray for us as we go through this difficult time helping our Mothers. And give us the wisdom to lead our children to see what is best to do, because before you know it, they will face similar decisions to provide us with the same loving care. Grandpa Dick
I'M IN THE WEDDING (sing to the tune of "I'm in the Money" Yipee, Hooray, Jumpin' willickers, Way to go, Zipadeedooda, Hubba hubba, Oh you kid, Great, Fantastic, Super, Yeehaa, Really cool-man....... Casey asked me to be in her wedding. Yes !, I'm actually "IN". I've been bugging Casey about singing, carrying the ring, doing anything. It's everyone's dream to be in this "Wedding of the Year" at our church. (L.D. Parks even asked if he could be flower girl.) Because I have connections to both sides of this deal, she finally relented. Casey Hill will wed Chet Johns on December 21st. Mark it on your calendar. Bev and I have known the Hills since we came to Bakersfield in 1979, and we married into the family in 1985. (Joy to Kurt). 1979 was also the year I began to work with Chet's dad, Larry, at Chevron. Larry and I were in middle management and he has gone on to be a real big shot at Chevron. I'm coming out of retirement to be an usher at his son's wedding- Casey is the kind of girl every father wants his son to find. If I'd had a son, she'd been the one for him. Casey was the darling of the youth department. Then all of the sudden one day she was a lovely young adult. She has built a career out of being a computer graphics expert. She darts around town in a snazzy, bright red sporty getabout, planning and organizing, much like her mother Gail, and she is a high achiever like her dad David, the all time best Toyota salesman in the country. When Casey asks for help, with those big smiling eyes and the fluttering long eyelashes, you can't say no, and she can really get things accomplished. In her spare time, she has been helping the church with publications like this newsletter, the graphics for the sanctuary overhead and other artsy computer generated accomplishments. She also helps out in Adult Choir and the Youth Department. Everything she touches comes out beautiful. To find out why Casey is so special, just look at her Granddad, the patriarch of the Hill clan, P.D. Hill. What is easy to see is that God has blessed him with a special family. His wife is special, their boys are special and their grandkids are special." Casey has been an outstanding example for our children and grandchildren to follow. We pray that God continues to bless her and Chet as together they enter a new chapter of their lives. Grandpa Dick
