Shamrock Newsletter Spring 2015

Community of Christ
SHAMROCK
Senior Health & Advocacy Ministries
SPRING NEWSLETTER 2015
Denise Leichter, RN/Senior Health & Advocacy Minister
Southern California Mission Center
TEL: (310) 403-9973 z EMAIL: Denise@CofChrist-psi.org
Finding Balance For What Matters Most
By Denise Leichter, SHAMROCK Ministries
T
he definition of balance is to keep or put (something) in a
steady position so that it does not fall. I do spend a
considerable amount of time assessing and communicating
about physical balance issues with our seniors and their families and
making recommendations. It’s the journey of balancing life that
has some of the most difficult choices and intimate conversations,
and speaking for myself . . . it is hard work, and a work in process.
The top issues that I recognize within our SHAMROCK community are
finances, health changes and choices, and best environment for safety and
socialization. Every conversation includes the feelings and reality of the struggle
to keep faith ahead of fear.
Whether it’s your personal, congregational or world church finances that
beset your mind with anxiety, we are all called upon to look at “our true capacity
to give” and stewardship to save. Each choice has a consequence for our families, communities,
passions and world. One conversation that happens around a lot of tables is projecting the cost of
healthcare, life expectancy, and caregiving needs for self or extended family that will require major
juggling to keep finances balanced.
Personal health can change after years of subtle lifestyle choices, normal aging, or change in a
flash through disease or accidents. I have just finished reading, and recommend, Dr. Atul Gawande’s
Being Mortal–Medicine and What Matters in the End. It is a book filled with research, stories and
wisdom that are both amazing and disturbing about care choices. It reinforces for me to continue to
listen harder to the life stories, values and choices that people want with diminishing body, mind and
spirit health.
The journalist, David Brooks, asks this provocative question: Should you live for your resume . .
. or your eulogy? If you asked someone 20-50 years old, you probably will get one answer, and when
you are conversing with a 60+ person you might get a long pause of pondering and a potentially
different answer, or prompt a new journey of reflection.
When I listen to people talk about “what has mattered most” it has to do with early visions and
values and re-interpreting memories that have or can make a difference in this world. We reflect on
friends and family—not fortunes, and everyone wants to talk about fears, forgiveness and faith.
-Continued on page 2
-Finding Balance, continued from page 1
The scriptures give us guidance for finding balance and reinforcing our faith for the journey as
recorded in 2 Timothy 1:7, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and
of a sound mind.” And, in Isaiah 41:13, “For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto
thee, Fear not; I will help thee.”
We have been called to be “prophetic people” and embrace hope in the midst of questions or losses,
and we will find greater blessings not in time or task management, but in boundary management for
“what matters most.”
New House . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $23,450
Average Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9,400
New Car . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3,450
Minimum Wage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2.10
Movie Ticket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1.55
Gasoline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 cents/gallon
Postage Stamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 cents
Sugar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 cents/5 lbs
Milk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 cents/gallon
Coffee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1.90/pound
Eggs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 cents/dozen
Bread . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 cents
NAME
The SHAMROCK newsletter is
published quarterly by the Senior
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Health and Advocacy Ministries, a
PHONE __________________________________________________________________________________________________ ministry of Community of Christ.
EMAIL ___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Newsletter submissions for the next
PLEASE ACCEPT MY DONATION TO HELP SUPPORT SHAMROCK MINISTRIES issue should be sent to the editor by
 Use Where Needed Most  Use for Newsletter  Use for PawsAbilities July 1, 2015.
EDITOR/AUTHOR . . . . Denise Leichter
Make check or money order payable to COMMUNITY OF CHRIST
Denise@CofChrist-psi.org
Contributions are tax deductible.
17125 Hart Street
MAIL TO: Denise Leichter, 17125 Hart Street, Lake Balboa, CA 91406
Lake Balboa, CA 91406
PHONE: 310‐403‐9973
EMAIL: Denise@CofChrist‐psi.org
DESIGN/LAYOUT . . . . . . . . Jean David
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
ADDRESS ________________________________________________________________________________________________
-2-
JESUS: THE SERVANT
How to Win by Losing
T
he heart of Jesus’ teaching was the Sermon on the
Mount (Matthew 5-7), together with his parables, many
of which are about losing and then finding (the lost son,
the lost coin, the lost sheep). All of these teachings, and
Jesus’ lived example, call us to win by losing, which is so
countercultural and so paradoxical that Jesus finally had to
Jesus Washing Peter’s Feet
live it himself to show us it could be true.
(1852-56/detail)
The Sermon on the Mount begins with the so-called Eight
Ford Madox Brown
Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12). Read them from the perspective
of how they describe Jesus as the suffering servant:
How happy are the poor in spirit; theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Meister Eckhart, OP, (1260-1328) said that to be poor in spirit is to “know nothing, want nothing,
and have nothing.” That sounds a lot like Buddhism! And this is Jesus’ opening line.
Happy the gentle: they shall have the earth for their heritage.
This is so contrary to our love of power, certitude, and control. Who of us really believes this?
Could you ever build an empire or even an institution with this kind of naïveté?
Happy those who mourn: they shall be comforted.
We now know that grief is a privileged portal into soul work and transformation.
Happy those who hunger and thirst for what is right: they shall be satisfied.
Happy are the merciful: they shall have mercy shown them.
There is a perfect correlation between how we give and what we can receive. Consider this for
the rest of your life.
Happy the pure in heart; they shall see God.
Happy the peacemakers; they shall be called children of God.
Happy those who are persecuted in the cause of right:
theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:3-10)
Each of these invitations, for that is what they are, are concerned about vulnerable and outpouring
relationship, which is necessary for the second half of life, in the same way that the Ten
Commandments serve for ego-identity in the first half of life. The Beatitudes are descriptions of a
mature human person much more than prescriptions for other-worldly salvation. They offer something
astoundingly new to human consciousness, which is a lifestyle based on vulnerability, mutuality,
service—and thus a willingness to be usable for God, history, healing, and one another.
-Richard Rohr’s Daily Meditation
COMMENT FROM DENISE:
I love the statement that The Beatitudes are descriptions of a mature human person which brings a
lifestyle based on vulnerability, mutuality and service USABLE for God, history, healing, and one another.
At our last LCM workshop we came home with a crystal rock that says “Who will you Invite?” As
it sits on my desk; I am reminded to boldly invite people into community with us, and invite them to
listen and share stories of wisdom that have come from living with the scriptures and Gods promises.
With gratitude we acknowledge the blessings that come from lifelong discipleship and transformation!
-3-
Winter Reunion
By Denise Leichter, SHAMROCK Ministries
I
t was a special opportunity to be at the Winter Reunion in Phoenix
for a few days. The local and visiting leaders did a great job! There
were so many wonderful people in attendance that have lived in
California, from the Historic Bus Tour with me last year, and those that
gathered from numerous states.
It was nice to share in honoring
Dave and Dustee Heinz as they retire
and move to Florida to be close to their
son as they look forward to new
opportunities to serve.
The ministry that Lachlan Mackay
and John Wight provided was powerful
storytelling, testifying and encouraging.
I participated in the Health and
Wholeness class done by Kathy
Robinson, and gave generously to the
Retirement recognition of fundraising for SPEC Youth.
Central Phoenix
Dave and Dustee Heinz. SHAMROCK Ministries was part of
Congregation Sanctuary.
the table fellowship time, and one on
one conversations. Norma McDermid hosted me in her home, and we got to spend our evenings
together talking about the caretaker and grief journey and self-care for the years ahead. I even got time
to go to the Franciscan Renewal Center on Monday night to take a Tai Chi class with the instructor
that we are eagerly awaiting to return to Santa Barbara this spring.
It was two and a half days of emptying and filling my vessel for body, mind and spirit healings. I
plan to go back next year, and hope many more of you will attend.
At 77
by Barrie Shephard
Growing old
is not like growing
more like slowing, undergoing
long agoing, touch-and-going
and foregoing, knowing
that what lies ahead
will certainly
need grace.
-4-
St. Patrick’s Day Celebration
W
e had another BIG crowd for our St. Patrick’s Day Celebration. We had the best of Irish Food
done by Sally, and absolutely amazing entertainment by Patrick Bell.
Patrick had us laughing, awed by the magic, and tears flowed with some of the Irish ballads. The
L’Arche Wavecrest home residents, leaders and family joined us for added blessings of the day. Cathy
Acton from L’Arche sang in the worship, and they loved this outing and making new friends. It is
great fun to share as an intergenerational community.
After this special event, many of us went to the Mission Center Conference which called for the
discussion of distribution of the Costa Mesa church funds upon sale. SHAMROCK Ministries is very
grateful to have been part of the distribution of funds. Added blessings for this sustainable ministry
will be made possible with the $93,000 gift.
-5-
Where Is Denise?
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APRIL
Staff Meeting with Apostle Ron Harmon
La Casa de Maria Continuing Education Day–Islam
Puerto Vallarta Vacation
Santa Barbara Clergy and Holocaust Memorial Service
Community Facilitator “Get it Done Today” Five Wishes
LCM Workshop, Buckhorn
Latter-day Seekers Program
Happy Valley Seniors Retreat, Guest Minister
MAY
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28 .
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Girls Day Out, Hemet
Speak in Hemet and Home Visiting
Buckhorn Camp Work Day
Care & Share, Creekview in Orange–making the circle wider!
Staff Meeting
Santa Barbara Clergy and “A Year without War” Lecture
SHAMROCK Event, Science Center
Speak in Simi Valley and Home Visiting
Staff Collaboration Day…gearing up for Reunion
JUNE
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28 .
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Staff Meeting
SHAMROCK Event, Anaheim
La Casa de Maria Continuing Education–The Power of Grace
Beebe Moving Sale, facilitated by SHAMROCK
Oregon Youth Caravan in Santa Barbara
Nobel Peace Prize lecture with Malala in Santa Barbara
Speak in Ventura with Home Visiting
-6-
Birthday Celebration
There is always a nice gathering at the Hemet-San Jacinto Prayer and
Testimony service on Wednesdays at 3:00PM.
After the service on January 28th, we celebrated Irene Klugman’s
92nd birthday. Joann Nichol provided yummy cupcakes and
Sue Fear was the designated driver to bring Irene.
I was able to take Irene home and spend time with her planning and praying
for her forward journey. “God as Refuge” brought many faithful testimonies.
Gardena Hosts Birthday
O
nce again the generosity of the Gardena Congregation was a wonderful
surprise for Casey Forgy on her 94th birthday. Ed, her husband, and their
in-home caregiver Gloria, coordinated the event with Loretta and Humpo. We all
agreed that a luncheon with great food, yummy cake, flowers, dear friends,
storytelling and laughing made a great day for all. We are planning on doing it
again next year!
Casey with Jim Stevens.
Casey with Kay Wade.
Casey with Loretta and Humpo.
Five Wishes
D
ubbed “the living will with a heart and soul,” Five Wishes meets the legal
requirements in 42 states and has helped literally millions of people plan for
and receive the kind of care they want. Five Wishes is unique among all other
advance directives and living wills because it is user-friendly and easy to complete.
If you want help completing Five Wishes, or need to review any current
Advance Directives you have; please contact Denise or Lori for a personal
appointment, or to set-up a congregational meeting. It’s the best gift ever that you
can give to yourself and your family.
Denise Leichter, 310-403-9973
Lori Orendorff, 949-302-7459
EMAIL: ShamrockLori@CofChrist-psi.org
EMAIL: Denise@CofChrist-psi.org
-7-
Seven Natural Wonders of the World
V
arious lists of the Wonders of the World have been compiled from antiquity to the present day, to
catalogue the world's most spectacular natural wonders. The number seven was chosen because
the Greeks believed it represented perfection and plenty. This list was compiled by CNN.
1. Mount Everest, Asia
2. The Grand Canyon, North America
3. The Northern Lights, Europe
4. The Harbor at Rio de Janeiro, South America
5. The Great Barrier Reef, Australia
6. Paricutin, North America
7. Victoria Falls, Zambia, Africa
-8-
2015 Seven Wonders of the World
S
even Wonders of the World capture the fancies of travellers and historians alike. Built at different
points in time, at different places, the new seven wonders of the world are the materializations of
some great dreams, some great skills and some great labor; each being a masterpiece in itself.
1. Great Wall of China, China
2. Christ the Redeemer Statue Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
3. Machu Picchu, Peru
4. Petra, Jordan
5. The Roman Coliseum Rome, Italy
6. Taj Mahal Agra, India
7. Great pyramid Giza, Egypt
What wonders have you seen?
-9-
Did You Know . . .
 The parrots that we see fly over the Pasadena area and Temple City Congregation
are believed to have originally come from escaping a pet store fire in the 1960s.
 When the Lyndon B Johnson family moved into the White House they had
two beagles named HIM & HERS.
 Barbie turned 53 in March . . . still looking good!
 Cinderella was released in 1950. It was Walt Disney's first full length, animated feature film in eight
years. The film received three Academy Award nominations.
 A dime has 118 ridges around the edge.
 A cat has 32 muscles in each ear.
 A crocodile cannot stick out its tongue.
 A dragonfly has a life span of 24 hours.
 A “jiffy” is an actual unit of time for l/l00th of a second.
 A snail can sleep for three years.
 Al Capone’s business card said he was a used furniture dealer.
 All 50 states are listed across the top of the Lincoln Memorial on the back of the $S bill.
 An ostrich’s eye is bigger than its brain.
 Butterflies taste with their feet.
 In the last 4,000 years, no new animals have been domesticated.
 Leonardo Da Vinci invented the scissors.
 No word in the English language rhymes with month, orange, silver, or purple.
 On a Canadian two dollar bill, the flag flying over the Parliament building is an American flag.
 Our eyes are always-the same size from birth, but our nose and ears never stop growing.
 Peanuts are one of the ingredients of dynamite.
 Rubber bands last longer when refrigerated.
 “Stewardesses” is the longest word typed with only the left hand; lollipop” with your right.
 The Bible does not say there were three wise men; it only says there were three gifts.
 The cruise liner, QE2, moves only six inches for each gallon of diesel that it burns.
 The microwave was invented after a researcher walked by a radar tube and a chocolate bar melted
in his pocket.
 The winter of 1932 was so cold that Niagara Falls froze completely solid.
 There are 293 ways to make change for a dollar.
 Tigers have striped skin, not just striped fur.
 Your stomach has to produce a new layer of mucus every two weeks; otherwise it will digest itself.
-10-
Abuela Denise
By Denise Leichter
I
apologize to the many people who have called and written about the
newsletter . . . “It’s late!” And, I am happy it brings you such joy to
read and hold me accountable, but I have a good excuse and her name
is Sofia Mckaela O’Neil Navarro.
Even though “Grandparents Day” started in 1978 and is not
celebrated until the first Sunday after Labor Day, mine came on the
28th of March in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. April was a blur with the
many and diverse Holy Week celebrations and services, meetings,
pastoral care visits and a great retreat at Happy Valley, but my six days
in Puerto Vallarta and each day since waiting for pictures, texts and
stories has kept me a bit off deadline for this publication. This blessing
has also brought a sister (3) and brother (4) into our lives which has
put the message and vision of Joy, Hope, Love and Peace on the top
of my list of daily prayers for a new and fourth generation.
I have been richly blessed to travel extensively in my life, and have seen some of God’s most
glorious creation in lands of great diversity of beauty, through many colors–cultures–languages and
economics. In my “Five Wishes” folder for end of life planning and celebrating, I have a favorite hymn
that I want sung as a reflection of my beliefs, and earnest desire for peace for all people. “This is My
Song” is in our new hymnal #389.
This is my song, O God of all the nations,
a song of peace for lands afar and mine.
My land is home, the country where my heart is;
a land of hopes, of dreams, of grand design;
but other hearts in other lands are beating
with hopes and dreams as true and high as mine.
My country’s skies are bluer than the ocean,
and sunlight beams on cloverleaf and pine.
But other lands have sunlight too, and clover,
and skies are everywhere as blue as mine.
Oh, hear my prayers, thou God of all the nations,
a song of peace for their land and for mine. Amen.
As I prepared to bless Sofia being held by her parents; I thought of another hymn written by Geoff
Spencer, “The vision of a life to be, the joy and hope of every race, the priceless gift of God we see reflected
in each infant’s face.” Later in that day as I held her; the children’s song came to mind . . “I am a Promise,
I am a Possibility, I am a Promise with a capital P; I am a little bitty bundle of Potentiality.”
I have been blessed to have parents that believed in and promoted my possibilities, I have seen
my sons grow into men with amazing potential, and I now have grandchildren that I want to have
every possibility to live in Peace with a capital P.
There are educational articles provided in this newsletter about Mother’s Day and Father’s Day
and we celebrate Children’s Day in June also, but I have a new heart this year for the “Mother’s Day
Proclamation” written in 1870 by Julia Ward Howe (author of “Battle Hymn of the Republic”), a call
to action that asked mothers to unite in promoting world peace . . . “Let us then solemnly take counsel
with each other as to the means whereby the great human family can live in peace.”
-11-
STATISTICS DON’T LIE!
HOW TO STAY SAFE IN THE WORLD TODAY
Where is the Safest Place?
1. Avoid riding in automobiles
because they are responsible for
20% of all fatal accidents.
2. Do not stay home because 17% of all accidents occur in the home.
3. Avoid walking on streets or sidewalks
because 14% of all accidents occur to pedestrians.
4. Avoid traveling by air, rail, or water because 16%
of all accidents involve these forms of transportation.
5. Of the remaining 33%, 32% of all deaths occur in Hospitals.
So, above all else, avoid hospitals.
But . . . you will be pleased to learn that only .001% of all deaths occur in worship services
in church, and these are usually related to previous physical disorders. Therefore, logic
tells us that the safest place for you to be at any given point in time is at Church!
And . . . Bible study is safe, too! The percentage of deaths during Bible study is even less.
So, attend church, and read your Bible
It Will Save Your Life!
Under same
management for
over
2,000 years
D
oug Smith is on his deathbed and knows the end is near. His nurse, his wife, his daughter and
two sons, are with him. He asks for 2 witnesses to be present and a camcorder be in place to
record his last wishes, and when all is ready he begins to speak:
My son, "Bernie, I want you to take the Mayfair houses. Daughter Sybil, you take the apartments
over in the east end. My son, Jamie, I want you to take the offices over in the City Centre. And to
Sarah, my dear wife, please take all the residential buildings on the banks of the river."
The nurse and witnesses are blown away as they did not realize his extensive
holdings, and as Doug slips away, the nurse says, "Mrs. Smith, your husband must
have been such a hard-working man to have accumulated all this property".
Sarah replies, "Property? . . . He had a paper route!"
-12-
Sierra Pacific Seniors Retreat
L
ori and Bob Orendorff came up with Letha Escobedo to the Happy Valley campgrounds in Santa
Cruz and joined thirty other wonderful people for the Sierra Pacific Mission Centers first annual
gathering for seniors. They were very clear they didn’t want to retreat, so we planned an event to “Walk
and Talk with God as we Age.” Terry Read joined us and met people in the mission center where he
is interim Mission Center President. Denise and Ila June offered a special prayer of blessing for him.
Ila June Brunner facilitated a team that worked long and hard on this event. Denise Leichter was
the guest minister, and she arranged for the Lighthouse Bank vice president to come and talk about
fiduciary issues, scams and frauds. A representative from AAA talked about driver safety classes,
insurance discounts, travel options and discounts. The hospitality of those present to the local guests
who didn’t know about Community of Christ, or the campgrounds, was a noteworthy blessing.
Ken Anderson challenged us to review our auto and homeowner policies yearly, to make a virtual
camera tour of our household belongings, and keep a record of the cost and purchase dates of our
belongings. Store these records away from your home in case you need to make an insurance claim.
Roger Cook talked about “end of life” issues and the POLST form that should be reviewed and
signed by your doctor. Ila June told how we could talk about our lives through oral and written story
telling. Denise taught several SHAMROCK classes on senior safety at home, if and when a move should
be considered, the Five Wishes, assessing our home
Denise,
congregations for safety and comfort of seniors, and how to
May God’s grace be upon this shawl
be intentional about giving and receiving senior ministries.
to comfort, enfold and embrace you.
May this mantle be a safe haven . . .
Free time allowed for walks, crafts for the Children’s
Peace Pavilion in Fremont, naps, and reminiscing with A sacred place of security and well being . . .
Sustaining and embracing
friends. Don and Arlene Winslow presided over the closing
in good times or difficult ones.
worship and Denise was presented with a beautiful hand
May this shawl wrap you
in the warmth of the Good Spirit,
knitted shawl in SHAMROCK green and beaded jewelry
enliven and inspire your ministry,
created by Health Ed Connect workers in Africa.
and keep you in peace, hope, joy and God’s love.
The campgrounds are beautiful, the food yummy and
Blessings be yours! Marcia
plentiful, and the fellowship of the seniors was a blessing
to all. Plans are being made for the second annual gathering and SHAMROCK Ministries was honored
to provide a foundation for this desired gathering for those with wisdom and profound discipleship.
-13-
A Testimony
By Letha Escobedo, Welcome Home Congregation
Y
ou know you are a member of Community of Christ when you’re at a Senior Adult Rendezvous
at the Happy Valley Conference Center in the Sierra Pacific Mission Center, and you’re from
Southern California Mission Center and you meet a couple from the Sacramento Congregation, Gerald
and Phyllis Lacy, who met and married in San Diego and know Don and Sue Wiley. Then you meet Ila
June (Coon) Brunner and Stanley Hunt who went to Graceland with your brother and sister in 1951-53.
This is when you know you are family, a member of Community of Christ.
In two of our three days we learned about the needs of growing older . . . driving is the first to go,
information from AAA, Scams, Fraud, Banking Wisdom, Insurance Claims and End of Life Planning.
In three hours of free time I met with 15 people. I helped make 200 flags for a peace pavilion, learned
to play dominos and made three pieces of jewelry for myself and grandkids. I made friends with Sandy
and Dorothy who had lost their husband years earlier and they counseled me on what to watch out for
in the years to come when meeting someone new. Because of their experiences I now have new
thoughts to go by.
We are always grateful to Denise’s ministry and can’t wait to see what she has in store for us next.
-14-
Care and Share
T
he SHAMROCK Orange “Care and Share” group made
a caravan to San Diego to visit a special and very loved
lady, Vivian Gunsolley. Three cars arrived for a picnic lunch
provided by Vivian, and we had a “Care and Share” circle in
her home with lots of hugs before we left.
When I die, I want my last
words to be,
“I left a million dollars
under the . . .”
Children are the
Rainbow of Life
Grandchildren are the
Pot of Gold
One of the gifts
Abeula Denise
received for
baby Sofia.
-15-
Once Upon a Time . . .
-16-
MISSION INITIATIVE: DEVELOP DISCIPLES TO SERVE
MARIETTA HODGES WALKER
M
arietta’s life began in 1834 when church members, including her
parents, were giving generously toward the building of the
Kirtland Temple. Marietta did not have the opportunity to enjoy the
newly built temple for long as the family left the security of a familiar
life in Ohio to answer the call to gather to northern Missouri and
eventually Nauvoo, Illinois.
Throughout her young adult years, Marietta lived in several states
while pursuing a higher education. She attended the Austin School for
Girls and later Oxford College for Women in Oxford, Ohio in 1859. In
1860, she served as the principal of the San Antonio Female College in
San Antonio, Texas. Following her husband’s death, Marietta settled in
Sandwich, Illinois, to be close to family. She also reconnected with an
old childhood friend, Joseph Smith III, and learned of his involvement
in the Reorganization.
Over the next sixty years, Marietta was
No person has
immersed in the life of the church. She was a Today, Marietta Walker is
done more for the relentless believer in education for youth and affectionately honored as
adults, often promoting her ideas while editing the “Mother of Graceland
University.”
development of and writing for several church publications.
Marietta’s educational background allowed her
the work of the a unique opportunity to serve others as a writer and educator.
In 1869, Marietta worked as an assistant editor of Zion’s Hope, our
Reorganization church’s first paper for children. Zion’s Hope was filled with stories, poems,
puzzles, and lesson material that emphasized moral and spiritual lessons for
children. By 1887, she was managing editor of Zion’s Hope and starting a new
than has
publication for older youth known as Autumn Leaves. Marietta’s goal for
Marietta Walker. Autumn Leaves was to prepare the church’s youth for adult life and
responsibility. The publication was later renamed Vision and continued
–Frederick M. Smith educating young persons until 1929.
In addition to her work with youth, Marietta founded the “Mother’s Home Column” a popular
column in the Saints’ Herald. Although originally intended for females, Marietta’s column soon became
a popular column for both genders. “Mother’s Home Column” provided counsel, encouraged healthy
diets, clean homes, and invited discussion on all issues related to the church.
In 1866, Joseph Smith III employed Marietta, then a young widow, and Mark Forscutt as scribes
to take the document fragments of the Inspired Version of the Bible (compiled by Joseph Smith, Jr.
prior to his death in 1944), and assemble a coherent printer’s copy. This task
was completed in early 1967 and the Bibles were first printed in late 1967.
In 1895, Marietta’s vision of higher education for all became a reality
with her donation of the first 20 acres of Iowa farmland for the
establishment of Graceland College. Walker Hall, a women’s dormitory,
was named after her.
-17-
Heteronyms
by Whitey Von Nieda
H
eteronyms are words that are spelled the same but are pronounced differently
and have different meanings. Example: Polish and polish.
Find the correct heteronyms for the bold words in each sentence.
1. When I plant seeds, the mamma pig digs them up and eats them.
______________
2. Please pardon me, I have no alibi for being late.
______________
3. The trash men will decline the order to pick up trash daily.
______________
4. Grandma sulked when Grandpa rode the motorized scooter.
______________
5. The coach didn’t question the referee’s call during the game.
______________
6. The farm didn’t yield as much fruit this year.
______________
7. When I improve my fast ball, I’ll pitch a flawless game.
______________
8. The doctor coiled the bandage around the gash on my arm.
______________
9. When a husband and a wife split up, they usually go their individual ways.
______________
10 I found out about math from an erudite professor.
______________
11. I’ll send my job summary when I restart my job search.
______________
12. He would bend over after the arrow left the sling.
______________
13. A crooked promoter continues to abscond with the receipts from the show.
______________
14. Drug ill use cannot be an excuse to mistreat an animal
______________
15. A 60-second gap was all he had to find the tiny screw.
______________
16. The wind could lash the tent where the smorgasbord is set up.
______________
17. You need to comfort the kids if you break the TV cabinet.
______________
18. To spellbind a lady at her own front door raises hope.
______________
19. He was satisfied with the message of the letter.
______________
20. During the love feast, people sat with mouths wide open.
______________
–www.anewdaymagazine.com 55 Copyright © 2014 Gary Grimm & Associates
1. Sow
2. Excuse
3. Refuse
4. Moped
5. Contest
6. Produce
7. Perfect
8. Wound
9. Separate
10. Learned
11. Resume
12. Bow
13. Proceeds
14. Abuse
15. Minute
HETERONYM ANSWERS
-18-
16. Buffet
17. Console
18. Entrance
19. Content
20. Agape
Julia Howe Inspired Mother’s Day Observances
Julia Ward Howe, 1819-1910, an abolitionist, social activist, poet, and writer
of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” asked for a “Mother’s Day for Peace” on
June 2 every year. This is her Mother’s Day Proclamation:
“Arise, then, women of this day! Arise, all women who have hearts,
Whether our baptism be of water or of tears! Say firmly: We will not have great
questions decided by irrelevant agencies. Our husbands shall not come to us,
reeking with carnage, for caresses and applause. Our sons shall not be taken from
us to unlearn all that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and
patience. We, women of one country, will be too tender of those of another country,
to allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs. From the bosom of the devastated earth a voice goes
up with our own. It says: Disarm, disarm! The sword of murder is not the balance of justice. Blood
does not wipe out dishonor, nor violence vindicate possession. As men have often forsaken the plough
and the anvil at the summons of war, let women now leave all that may be left of home for a great and
earnest day of council.
“Let them meet first, as women, to bewail and commemorate the dead. Let them then solemnly
take counsel with each other as to the means whereby the great human family can live in peace, man
as the brother of man, each bearing after his own kind the sacred impress, not of Caesar, but of God.
In the name of womanhood and humanity, I earnestly ask that a general congress of women,
without limit of nationality, be appointed and held at some place deemed most convenient, and at the
earliest period consistent with its objects, to promote the alliance of the different nationalities, the
amicable settlement of international questions, the great and general interests of peace.”
Two Mothers Remembered
I had two Mothers - two Mothers I claim
Two different people, yet with the same name.
Two separate women, diverse by design,
But I loved them both because they were mine.
The first was the Mother who carried me here,
Gave birth and nurtured and launched my career.
She was the one whose features I bear,
Complete with the facial expressions I wear.
She gave her love, which follows me yet,
Along with the examples in life she set.
As I got older, she somehow younger grew,
And we’d laugh as just Mothers and daughters do.
But then came the time that her mind clouded so,
And I sensed that the Mother I knew would soon go.
So quickly she changed and turned into the other,
A stranger who dressed in the clothes of my Mother.
Oh, she looked the same, at least at arm’s length,
But now she was the child and I was her strength.
We’d come full circle, we women three,
My Mother the first, the second and me.
And if my own children should come to a day,
When a new Mother comes and the old goes away,
I’d ask of them nothing that I didn’t do.
Love both of your Mothers as both loved you. -by Joann Snow Duncanson
-19-
Mother’s Day
C
elebrations of mothers and motherhood can be traced back to the ancient Greeks
and Romans, who held festivals in honor of the mother goddesses Rhea and
Cybele, but the clearest modern precedent for Mother’s Day is the early Christian
festival known as “Mothering Sunday.” Once a major tradition in the United
Kingdom and parts of Europe, this celebration fell on the fourth Sunday in Lent
and was originally seen as a time when the faithful would return to their “mother
church. Over time the Mothering Sunday tradition shifted into a more secular holiday,
and children would present their mothers with flowers and other tokens of appreciation.
This custom eventually faded in popularity before merging with the American Mother’s
Day in the 1930s and 1940s.
The roots of the modern American Mother’s Day date back to the 19th century. In the years before
the Civil War (1861-65), Ann Reeves Jarvis of West Virginia helped start “Mothers’ Day Work Clubs”
to teach local women how to properly care for their children. These clubs later became a unifying force
in a region of the country still divided over the Civil War. In 1868 Jarvis organized “Mothers’ Friendship
Day,” at which mothers gathered with former Union and Confederate soldiers to promote reconciliation.
Another precursor to Mother’s Day came from the abolitionist and suffragette Julia Ward Howe.
In 1873 Howe campaigned for a “Mother’s Peace Day” to be celebrated every June 2. Other early
Mother’s Day pioneers include Juliet Calhoun Blakely, a temperance activist who inspired a local
Mother’s Day in Albion, Michigan, in the 1870s. The duo of Mary Towles-Sasseen and Frank Hering,
meanwhile, both worked to organize a Mothers’ Day in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Some
have even called Hering “the father of Mothers’ Day.”
The official Mother’s Day holiday arose in the 1900s as a result of the efforts of Anna Jarvis, daughter
of Ann Reeves Jarvis. Following her mother’s 1905 death, Anna Jarvis conceived of Mother’s Day as a
way of honoring the sacrifices mothers made for their children. After gaining financial backing from a
Philadelphia department store owner named John Wanamaker, in May 1908 she organized the first official
Mother’s Day celebration at a Methodist church in Grafton, West Virginia. That same day also saw
thousands of people attend a Mother’s Day event at one of Wanamaker’s retail stores in Philadelphia.
Following the success of her first Mother’s Day, Jarvis—who remained unmarried and childless
her whole life—resolved to see her holiday added to the national calendar. Arguing that American
holidays were biased toward male achievements, she started a massive letter writing campaign to
newspapers and prominent politicians urging the adoption of a special day honoring motherhood. By
1912 many states, towns and churches had adopted Mother’s Day as an annual holiday, and Jarvis had
established the Mother’s Day International Association to help promote her cause. Her persistence
paid off in 1914 when President Woodrow Wilson signed a measure officially establishing the second
Sunday in May as Mother’s Day.
Anna Jarvis had originally conceived of Mother’s Day as a day of personal celebration between
mothers and families. Her version of the day involved wearing a white carnation as a badge and visiting
one’s mother or attending church services. Mother’s Day continues to be celebrated by presenting
mothers and other women with gifts and flowers, and it has become one of the biggest holidays for
consumer spending. There is typically a 37% increase in telephone calls on Mother’s Day, and it’s the
busiest day of the year for phone calls.
-20-
Father’s Day
O
n July 19, 1910, the governor of the state of Washington
proclaimed the nation’s first “Father’s Day.” However, it was
not until 1972, 58 years after President Woodrow Wilson made
Mother’s Day official, that the day became a nationwide holiday in
the United States.
The campaign to celebrate the nation’s fathers did not meet
with the same enthusiasm–perhaps because, as one florist
explained, “fathers haven’t the same sentimental appeal that mothers have.” On July 5, 1908, a West
Virginia church sponsored the nation’s first event explicitly in honor of fathers, a Sunday sermon in
memory of the 362 men who had died in the previous December’s explosions at the Fairmont Coal
Company mines in Monongah, but it was a one-time commemoration and not an annual holiday. The
next year, a Spokane, Washington woman named Sonora Smart Dodd, one of
There are
six children raised by a widower, tried to establish an official equivalent to
Mother’s Day for male parents. She went to local churches, the YMCA,
more than
shopkeepers and government officials to drum up support for her idea, and
70 million fathers she was successful: Washington State celebrated the nation’s first statewide
Father’s Day on July 19, 1910. Slowly, the holiday spread. In 1916, President
in the
Wilson honored the day by using telegraph signals to unfurl a flag in Spokane
when he pressed a button in Washington, D.C. In 1924, President Calvin
United States. Coolidge urged state governments to observe Father’s Day. However, many
men continued to disdain the day. As one historian writes, they “scoffed at the holiday’s sentimental
attempts to domesticate manliness with flowers and gift-giving, or they derided the proliferation of
such holidays as a commercial gimmick to sell more products–often paid for by the father himself.”
During the 1920s and 1930s, a movement arose to scrap Mother’s Day and Father’s Day altogether
in favor of a single holiday, Parents’ Day. Every year on Mother’s Day, pro-Parents’ Day groups rallied
in New York City’s Central Park–a public reminder, said Parents’ Day activist and radio performer Robert
Spere, “that both parents should be loved and respected together.” Paradoxically, however, the Depression
derailed this effort to combine and de-commercialize the holidays. Struggling retailers and advertisers
redoubled their efforts to make Father’s Day a “second Christmas” for men, promoting goods such as
neckties, hats, socks, pipes and tobacco, golf clubs and other sporting goods, and greeting cards. When
World War II began, advertisers began to argue that celebrating Father’s Day was a way to honor
American troops and support the war effort. By the end of the war, Father’s Day was a national institution.
In 1972, in the middle of a hard- That’s odd . . . my neck
fought presidential re-election campaign, suddenly feels better!
Richard Nixon signed a proclamation
making Father’s Day a federal holiday at
last. Today, economists estimate that
Americans spend more than $1 billion
each year on Father’s Day gifts, with
many calls home to dad…collect!
-21-
A
woman is cooking eggs in the kitchen when her husband comes running in. Immediately,
he sees the eggs and gasps in horror. "Be careful! CAREFUL! Put in some more butter!
Oh, my GOSH!" The wife, startled at her husband's violent reaction, dashes to
the fridge to get some butter. "You're cooking too many at once. TOO MANY!
Turn them! TURN THEM NOW!"
The wife, concerned by the status of her husband's mental state, forgets
about the butter and goes running to the eggs.
"WE NEED BUTTER! They're going to stick! CAREFUL! You NEVER listen to me when you're cooking!
Never! Turn them quickly! Oh not that quickly, don't you know how to cook? Are you insane? Turn the
EGGS!"
At this point, the wife starts crying, since she has no idea what to do. She gasps, "What is WRONG
with you? I know how to cook eggs." The husband simply smiles and replies, "I just wanted to show you
what it feels like while I'm driving with you in the car," and leaves.
I really think that tossing
and turning at night
should be considered
as Exercise!
I think more about running away
now than I did as a kid. But by
the time I put my teeth in, my
glasses on and find my key, I
forget why I’m going.
Pillsbury Doughboy
T
he Pillsbury Doughboy died yesterday in Minneapolis of a yeast infection and
traumatic complications from repeated pokes in the belly. He was 71.
Doughboy was buried in a lightly greased coffin. Dozens of celebrities turned out
to pay their respects, including Mrs. Butterworth, Hungry Jack, the California Raisins,
Betty Crocker, the Hostess Twinkies, and Captain Crunch. The gravesite was piled
high with flours.
Aunt Jemima delivered the eulogy and lovingly described Doughboy as
a man who never knew how much he was kneaded.
Born and bread in Minnesota, Doughboy rose quickly in show business,
but his later life was filled with turnovers. He was not regarded as a very smart
cookie, wasting much of his dough on half-baked schemes.
Despite being a little flaky at times, he still was a crusty old man and served as a
positive roll model for millions.
Doughboy is survived by his wife, Play Dough, three children: John Dough, Jane Dough, and
Dosey Dough, plus they had one in the oven. He is also survived by his elderly father, Pop Tart.
The funeral was held at 3:50 for about 20 min.
-22-
The Grandson Scam
By Betty Orendorff
I
was having in-home physical therapy sessions
when the phone rang, but decided to take the call.
I answered, and the caller said “Hi, Grandma.” He
then began to tell me that he was in a bit of a bind—
“Hello, Grandma?”
he had gotten into a fender bender on the freeway
and that “they” had detected a little alcohol on his
breath. He didn’t know where he was, but he really
needed my help and asked that I call a gentleman
whose name and phone number he gave me.
He told me that he had borrowed a friend’s
truck (he had wrecked his car a few weeks earlier).
I asked how much did he think it was going to cost
to clear this up. My “grandson” (and it did sound
like one of my grandsons) told me he wasn’t sure but probably around $4,000.00. He asked me to not
tell anyone else about this, and that he couldn’t be reached on his cell.
I told him that after I finished my physical therapy I would try to help but I would have to tell his
mom and together we would decide what to do and then we hung up. All of this sounded a bit odd to
me, but I don’t know how all of these things work. After we hung up I continued on with my physical
therapy, anxious the whole time about this situation. Something just didn’t feel right but, I was also
very concerned about my grandson.
A little later I called the phone number given to me. I got a voice mail message stating that it was
a Public Defenders Office, so I proceeded to leave my name, phone number and the name of my
grandson whom I was calling about to reference the call.
I then called my daughter and told her the whole story, and she said she had just spoken to her
son, but would call his wife just to double check as he does work at night sometimes. We hung up, she
called his wife who confirmed that he had been home all night and was there now.
My real grandson told me to call the Police Department immediately, which I did. After a few
calls with the Police Department and the FBI; who informed me to share this story with my senior
community where I live and also with my church, I felt the matter had been concluded.
The next morning I received a call from the “public defender” who wanted to discuss the matter
about my grandson. I informed him that the Police and FBI were now handling this. The line went dead.
As I look back , there were many red flags—I was the one who mentioned jail, I was the one who
mentioned money, I was the one who called him by name.
I definitely was a bit shook-up, but happy that I was smart enough to phone a family member to
verify the story. The FBI told me that it’s wise for families to have a Safe/Family word in case of
emergencies, and if the caller does not know it then hang up immediately.
-Continued on page 24
Don’t worry about old age; it doesn’t last that long!
-23-
-Grandson Scam, continued from page 23
Comments from Lori Orendorff
I was attending the Sierra Pacific Senior Retreat when this happened, and could not believe that
this had happened in my own family. I had just attended a presentation on scams at the retreat and this
was one of them.
In the scam example, the grandmother was to go to the bank to get the money, and the public defender
would meet her at her house. But, grandmother was to leave her house unlocked just in case the public
defender arrived before grandmother returned from the bank. You would trust a lawyer – right?
Bank tellers have been trained in these scams and know what to look for, so when the grandmother
was asked why she was withdrawing so much money, she told the bank manager that her grandson
had been in an accident and the money was for the public defender. The bank manager immediately
called the police who sent police units to the grandmother’s house and to the bank. When the police
arrived at her house, it had been cleaned out. And, I can only imagine what would have happened if
the grandmother had returned home while the thieves were still there.
PROTECT YOURSELF! Create a Safe/Family word system as suggested by the FBI. Hang-up the
phone if anything sounds remotely suspicious, or get their phone number to call them back—then
check with a family member or trusted friend. Anyone who is in jail will “Call Collect.”
If you are ever unsure if it’s a scam, call Adult Protective Services at 800-451-5155 or your local
Police Department – Economic Crimes Division.
Be aware and keep safe,- SHAMROCK Friends!
Historic Sites Bus Tour
OCTOBER 19-NOVEMBER 1, 2015
TOUR HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:
Join Barbara Walden and Peter Smith on a 14-day tour as
they explore the diverse people and experiences within the
Community of Christ story.Witness the many ways we have
practiced "Unity in Diversity" and "Worth of All persons"
throughout our 185 year history.
Kirtland Temple & Spiritual Formation Center  Sacred Grove & Hill Cumorah
Church History Sites in Nauvoo, Plano, and Lamoni
Women's Rights National Historic Park  National Underground Railroad Freedom Center
Gettysburg Battlefield  Colonial Williamsburg  Thomas Jefferson's Monticello
Washington, DC museums, memorials, and monuments
 Fellowship with six Community of Christ congregations, experience inspiring worship, engaging
classes, see glorious fall foliage, and so much more!
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
Barbara Walden TEL: 440-477-9562
EMAIL: BWalden@HistoricSitesFoundation.org
Robert Mell TEL: 562-498-5865
EMAIL: BobRose77@verizon.net
www.HistoricSitesFoundation.org
-24-
Girls Day Out Proclaimed a Success
By Andi Henderson
L
aughter, hugging and sharing highlighted the one-day event, “Girls Day Out” held in San JacintoHemet. Approximately 30 women attended the Community of Christ where Denise Leichter arranged
the day of activities. This mini Women’s Retreat allows women who may have difficulty with altitude,
mobility challenges, and long drives to participate in the camaraderie of fellowship with other women.
The activities began with a reunion of old friends and the meeting of new friends in the main
dining building. Shortly after, the women adjourned to the sanctuary to watch a movie.
“The Letter Writer” is a film about finding your God-given gifts and using them to help others.
This gave meaning to the young woman in the film who had lost her focus and found life unfair and
meaningless. After a brief discussion of the film and its application to our lives, the women returned
to the dining hall for a delicious, catered Mexican-food (Cinco de Mayo) lunch.
The day continued with a request to be a “letter writer.” Group consensus was that Donna Robbins
and Arlene Pike exemplified this ministry, and they were honored with flowers. There were several springrelated craft activities including the decorating of lace hats and flower arranging into May Day baskets.
The flowers and extra food were donated to women in the area who deserved to know that other
women were thinking of them and cared.
The successful day concluded at three o’clock after a brief worship and everyone began
their drives home—rested, relaxed and with goody bags to remember the pleasant day.
-25-
Celebrate Aging
By Regina Brett, of the Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio
In 2001, Regina Brett wrote down these life lessons the night before her 45th birthday after being
diagnosed with breast cancer.
1. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.
21. Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to
wear purple.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
22. The most important sex organ is the brain.
3. Life is too short – enjoy it.
4. Your job won’t take care of you when you are 23. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
sick. Your friends and family will.
24. Frame every so-called disaster with these
words “In five years, will this matter?”
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don’t have to win every argument. Stay 25. Always choose life.
true to yourself.
26. Forgive but don’t forget.
7. Cry with someone. It’s more healing than 27. What other people think of you is none of your
crying alone.
business.
8. Save for retirement starting with your first pay 28. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
check.
29. However good or bad a situation is, it will
9. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is
change.
futile.
30. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else
10. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw
does.
up the present.
31. Believe in miracles.
11. It’s OK to let your children see you cry.
32. Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most
12. Don’t compare your life to others. You have
of it now.
no idea what their journey is all about.
33. Growing old beats the alternative — dying
13. If a relationship has to be a secret, you
young.
shouldn’t be in it...
34. Your children get only one childhood.
14 Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
35. All that truly matters in the end is that you
15. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful. Clutter
loved.
weighs you down in many ways.
36. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting
16. Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make
everywhere.
you stronger.
37. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw
17. It’s never too late to be happy. But it’s all up
everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.
to you and no one else.
38. Envy is a waste of time. Accept what you
18. When it comes to going after what you love in
already have not what you need.
life, don’t take no for an answer.
39. The best is yet to come...
19. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the 40. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and
fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special
show up.
occasion. Today is special.
41. Yield.
20. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
42. Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.
-26-
Community of Christ SHAMROCK Ministries
Mickey and Minnie’s Spring Fling
Anaheim Congregation
827 S. Walnut St., Anaheim, CA. 92802
10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Cost: $15 Per Person
Includes lunch
Please join us for a fun filled day of:
Education
Food
Entertainment
Stayed Tuned, Mouseketeers . . .
The Official Event Line-up is coming!
“Here age relives fond memories of the past,
and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future”
~ Walt Disney
SPRING FLING REGISTRATION
RSVP by June 1
Name(s) ________________________________________________________________________________________________
Phone _____________________________________________
ADDRESS _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
EMAIL _________________________________________________________________________________________ CONGREGATION _______________________________________________
 Dietary Restrictions/Allergies/Special Diets? Request: ___________________________________________________________________________________
 No. of Adults ______ x $15 = Total Due $__________
 Enclose check for full amount, payable to Community of Christ
 CEPA funds are available with application and Pastor's approval
MAIL CHECK & REGISTRATION TO: Denise Leichter, 17125 Hart Street, Lake Balboa, CA 91406
EMAIL: Denise@CofChrist‐psi.org
z
PHONE: 310‐403‐9973
SHAMROCK MINISTRIES
17125 Hart St., Lake Balboa, CA 91406
Happy Springtime
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
March 9, 2015
Mrs. Charlotte Margaret Cheney
Orange, California
Dear Charlotte:
Happy 91st birthday! We are delighted to send our belated best
wishes on this special occasion.
Your generation has witnessed what our Nation can achieve
when we join together in pursuit of a brighter tomorrow. We trust you
take pride in all you have accomplished, and in the ways you have
touched the lives of those around you.
Again, happy birthday. May the coming year be filled with joy.
Sincerely,
-28-