"Some people without brains do a lot of talking, don't they?"  The Scarecrow
         Ok, I know what you are going to say…  "Yes, the Scarecrow is right.  I have a coworker who talks all of the time and he shows little signs of brain activity."
    Do you  have a person in your world who has no brains but talks all of the time?  Don't say a word….
 Well I have worked with several teams of people and each group had its own kooky makeup.  Some love hate relationships others who attempted to make the day shorter by making things very interesting for each other in special ways.  The teams that I worked with in the office environments all had at least on person who could be the perfect example of this quote.  

      I can remember working with my great friends at Kaiser years ago with a group of people who loathed a young guy (who was pretty silly too).  They hated the guy so much that the day he called in and quit from the office, they actually threw an all out office party.   This was after I had worked with them for about a month.  I remember thinking, "They wanted him to quit so much that they are using his quitting as an incentive to have a good time."  The two girls who instigated the whole thing were of the less brainy but chatty, chatty club.  
      Hey, let's face it… some people do not think before they talk and this is just the way they have gotten along in life.   Some have found that most people are not listening to them anyway so, what they say always makes sense to them.  With little feedback.  That's tough.
     
     If you are familiar with the movie, The Wizard of Oz, you will remember that the Scarecrow was pretty smart to be functioning with no brain.  I remember in the office where I worked,  I would think sometimes, maybe she was just born in the wrong age or she's from a strange land.  Lord, they just may need a do over in life.   If you are a chatty chatty person please don't take this too personal we all need a little grace.  Grace is an important gift to be ready to  give and to learn to accept.   Let's just hope you don't wear out your friend's grace button!!!!!

       If you have given a no brainy person a pass lately, good for you, the serious thinkers need someone to balance out their square peg and round hole approach to life.  We all must remember that each person in our lives has a gift to offer the world of friends that she has.  It is great to find out the gift that a less brainy person has and then celebrate with them in their accomplishments.   We all need that type of support and affirmation in life and can benefit from the closest of friends advancing in life.   Hey I bet those two young ladies who I worked in that office are doing just fine now.
     
        Even though the Scarecrow didn't think he was smart enough, his new found friends did not kick him aside. They accepted him as a fellow friend on a journey to greater understanding in life.  You will also remember that Dorothy and the other two characters would not have gotten too far without the Scarecrow's way of thinking outside the box.   The folks without a brain can be a great companion in many ways…
     When you need to think way outside of the proverbial box, they will help since they don't think straight.
     When you need some comedy relief they are always able to help out.
     When someone is taking things too seriously, less brainys are great to lighten the atmosphere.
 
So, Just remember that although some people who talk too much and have little brain activity are sometimes annoying, they will help you to know when to press the grace button for them.  They will bring the comedy in even when they do not know it.

     And they will help you have a better and more productive prayer life because you will have to pray to take them as a serious friend at times.  But continue to be their friend, you're gonna need them too.

What is the Annual Care Giver Retreat

The ACGR is a retreat specifically conducted for the care of those who care for other people in their profession.
     The retreat could be applicable to Teachers, Social Workers, Counselors, Ministers and others who deliver life on life care to other people.  The purpose of the retreat is to offer time to refresh the spirit and reconnect with the true self.  This is done by engaging in the task of affirming yourself much like the caregiver affirms the life of the person that they care for each day.

    The ACGR registration fee is $25 per participant please bring cash for your payment.
   
      Attending the ACGR is a very refreshing event and should be utilized for each person attending.
Coming to the retreat it would be a good idea to:
     1- Dress warm - it is usually cool in the mornings even when we enter the gardens it is still chilly.

     2- Wear rubber bottom shoes that do not slip easy.

     3- Take your time driving out to Dunaway Gardens- It is nestled out in the corner of Newnan so don't be in a hurry to get here.

     4- Bring a positive attitude about your time of relaxing.

     5- Be ready to connect with someone who does work very similar to your own.

     6- If you take allergy medicine, bring it with you. You will be among nature and the Georgia Pollen can be a great challenge.
   
Most people who come to the retreat leave so refreshed that they get together with other participants and go to Newnan to each lunch and some catch a movie.  You can treat yourself to a whole day of relaxing and refreshing.  Chaplain Cutter recommends that you bring a good friend who does the same type of work so that when you leave the gardens you both can hangout together.  Your registration to the retreat pays for you to stay in the gardens for the day so feel free to roam after the retreat is over.

     We are arranging a light breakfast with juice and coffee so bring your favorite cup, like I do.

 Below are some ground rules for the retreat sessions.
• Group members will never be forced to talk, but are encouraged to do so.

• Group members agree to respect the other group members and keep things said within the session confidential. Personal information is not to be used outside of the group. (Exception: if you are a danger to yourself or others.)

• Group members agree not to judge or correct other group members. Everyone is at a different place on his or her journey.

• Group members understand that he or she is free to ask questions and to express feelings, thoughts, concerns, anger, fears and successes.   When emotions are expressed please offer your presence, your patience, your pause and then your support.

• Group members agree to allow time for everyone to comment and share.  Instances of silence during discussion time will be viewed as "okay" because it allows everyone time to think before answering.    

 Group members are encouraged to hug due to the touch deprived society that we experience each day.  Real Hugs are encouraged for All!!!


• Group members understand that this is a spiritual program and at times will give Biblical references to support participants reflections.

Knowing these things will help you have a productive time for your retreat experience.

General info:
Dunaway Gardens, is a well manicured garden tucked in the corner of Newnan, Ga.   You will be surrounded by nature and have time to take for reconnecting with your mind and body and spirit.
The Retreat will take place on Fri. May 27  from 8:00 am- 1:30pm, breakfast will be served.  The attendance fee for access to the gardens and Retreat is $25.00.  Register by May 20    (call Chaplain Cutter (770-969-8354).

Participants will meet at Dunaway Gardens: 3218 Roscoe Rd., Newnan, Ga. 30263
Please call Chaplain Horace Cutter for any questions or concerns.  678-763-1871

Directions to Dunaway Gardens :  
*From I-85 take exit 47 Bullsboro Dr. (Hwy 34) in Newnan.
*Drive toward Newnan about ¼ mi, make right on 34 by-pass.
*Continue on 34 by-pass (3mi.) to Hwy 70  (Roscoe Rd). make right & Drive apprx. 5. 5 miles.
*Dunaway Gardens will be on the Left.              
Stay tuned for more information on the ACGR

ACGR past refreshing, fun, relaxing and renewal

The ACGR Connect

There was a quote from the story of the Wizard of Oz, "Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore."  Dorothy

     It took a tornado to lift the house up into the air and see all of the people that she had recently interacted with in order for Dorothy to realize that she was not in Kansas anymore.  There comes a time sometimes several times in the life of a care giver that they realize that they are not in Kansas anymore.  And I don't mean the great state of Kansas, I am referring to the familiarity of which we are prone to settle into when caring for a person in need.  The needs change, the medicine changes, the daily tasks change, THE DIAGNOSIS CHANGES!!
     These are the types of changes that can really get you to thinking, "Who up there doesn't love me."
 Well, I am here to let you know that, it is because He loves you that you are the one who has been chosen to care.  Your love for the person you care for is essential to their comfort and sanity and helpful to your own life fulfillment.  Remember that as a care giver, you find some purpose of your life in caring for others. This is important!!  The patient on the floor, that husband of the patient who is completely out of his element in the hospital, that social worker or chaplain looking for ways to comfort a family, all need your help. You have been called to guide them through this ordeal or hold their hand while you both see this chapter in the family's life being played out.   You have the heart for this and that is why you are here.
      Care giving is not for someone who wants to checkout in life but for a person who is willing to love with all they have so that the fulfillment of the soul is nurtured and set free to do that special task in this time of your own life, the season for caring and learning to love more and to do what you have been created to do.  Yes, you will go through times where Kansas is where you would love to be because you enjoyed the simple life but there is more to care giving than that!!!
      Don't let a tornado have to happen so that you can find out that you are not in Kansas anymore.

The Annual Care Giver Retreat at Dunaway Gardens, Newnan, GA

ACGR
    

   The Annual Care Giver Retreat 
   This year's theme is, "There's No Place Like Home"... Yes from the epic tale 'The Wizard of Oz' 
   We will be reflecting on the idea that home is that place of refuge where people tend to go when things get tough, when stress is high and when life gets challenging.  We all like to think that home is that place where we have our own little corner where we can be who we really are and will never be judged for it.  

The ACGR will be held on May 27th on location Dunaway Gardens, among the natural fragrance of flowers and lovely landscape.  The Annual Care Giver Retreat is specifically for Professional Care Givers. 
      Dunaway Gardens, is a well manicured garden tucked in the corner of Newnan, Ga.   You will be surrounded by nature and have time to take for reconnecting with your mind and body and spirit. 

     

Participants will meet at Dunaway Gardens:

3218 Roscoe Rd., Newnan, Ga. 30263

Please call Chaplain Horace Cutter for any questions or concerns.  678-763-1871

Directions to Dunaway Gardens       

*From I-85 take exit 47 Bullsboro Dr. (Hwy 34) in Newnan.

*Drive toward Newnan about ¼ mi, make right on 34 by-pass.

*Continue on 34 by-pass (3mi.) to Hwy 70  (Roscoe Rd). make right & Drive apprx. 5. 5 miles. 

*Dunaway Gardens will be on the Left. 

Respecting the Sanctity of Time

 For thus said the LORD GOD, the Holy One of Israel,  "In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength,"  But you were unwilling...  Isaiah 30:15

Making friends with Time
     The soul knows that there is and eternal time, and the soul is constantly growing in the eternal Time.   Sri Chimnoy  offers his thoughts on time and how we relate to it.  He also states, "Earthbound Time is broken up into fragments: one minute, two minutes, three minutes.  We feel that we are constantly fighting against time in order to accomplish the things that we have to do." 
    Do you feel this way?  The holiday season will put you into a rush very quickly.  with all of the programs and pageants, and plays it is hard to keep up with what will happen from week to week.  Take time this season to step back and enjoy the time that you have.  As you attend a show or look at a pageant allow for the sanctity of time, allow time to offer you space to enjoy the moment. 
        The prophet Isaiah had this right.  When reflecting upon life you find that you have added something to your life.  when rushed from one event to another you find that you resent meeting the event and wish you had never made the appointment. 
        Allow for God to work on your behalf.  To make the best of the time that you have.  You will see the difference and enjoy what you were missing.