A Birthday Wish!

I give gratitude for the birthday wishes from friends I grew up with in the Fort from kindergarten through high school graduation. Family, friends, church congregations, team members, residents and the wonderful extended Seattle family and friends have been a joy today and always.

A birthday is how you celebrate a life and the life's impact on others. 

One of my long-term residents passed away when I walked into work this morning, which was a gift. It was a time to honor and to celebrate.

A friend and team member, Cheryl, has been going through chemo. I drove her home after work this evening. We stopped and had dinner at one of her hangouts and celebrated, not only me but her, too. Her courage outweighs a number of the daily moments which cloud individual perspectives.

As I blew out the candles on my birthday slice of pie, my wish is for healing and hope for all who are in need...whatever the need maybe. May the wishes continue throughout the year.

Make a wish...Give hope...Celebrate each other!

Today's Reflection:  "Hope gives us courage." - Job 11:18

Living the Dream "And the Walls Came Tumbling Down:" Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.and Dr. Ralph Abernathy

I originally wrote the below piece as a response to a theology school application: Theological Reflection: 12. Referring to at least one Theologian of Significance in your journey, reflect on the following: (1500 words, typed and double spaced) a) Select what you understand to be one of today’s most critical issues and reflect on it in terms of your own theological perspective.

Rev. Ralph Abernathy was Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s number two person in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, holding the official title of Secretary-Treasurer. Dr. Abernathy helped organized the Montgomery Bus Boycott, among other civil rights struggles. He was also the Pastor of the First Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama.

Rev. Abernathy said, “I'm sick and tired of black and white people of good intent giving aspirin to a society that is dying of a cancerous disease.”  I believe in many ways, people in the United States continue to give aspirin to our race issues.

The race issue became personal to me in the early 1980’s and continues to serve as a lens through which I view the world.

During my undergraduate years at Purdue, I directed a number of readers, interpreters and chamber theater productions.  In one production I met Tim, an AfricanAmerican student, who was an intelligent, beautifully spirited man.  One evening after rehearsal I offered to drive him home as the buses had stopped running at that hour.  On the way home he requested we stop by the drugstore.  I needed a few items too so I

readily agreed.  I was standing in front of Tim in line.  After I completed my transaction, I was stunned to hear the clerk insist on and then subsequently begin the process of searching Tim’s pockets before permitting him to checkout.  Although he must have been experiencing a sense of humiliation, Tim withstood this event and proceeded to checkout. I asked him to go out to the car to warm it up, informing him I needed to return a few items. 

I approached the clerk to address what had been an incredibly offensive experience.  The clerk tried to quell my reaction, insisting I go to the end of the line.  This was the first chance as an adult I had to address the face of explicit racism.  As a child many times I overheard racist phrases and terminology being used.  While I often cringed, in reality, there was little I could do.  In this moment, I had the opportunity to give voice to the inequity I had witnessed but had little power to change up till now.  A commotion ensued, prompting the manager to approach the counter.  He began asking the clerk to clarify the situation.  As the true nature of the circumstances became apparent, the manager apologized to me, stating the clerk was not following company policy and that he did not approve of this behavior.  I insisted on returning the items on principle and did not return to that store.

I was again reminded of Rev. Abernathy’s statement when I saw the movie, Crash.  Graham, one of the characters in the movie, made the following statement in the opening dialogue: “It's the sense of touch.  In any real city, you walk, you know?  You brush past people, people bump into you.  In L.A., nobody touches you. We're always behind this metal and glass.  I think we miss that touch so much, that we crash into each

other, just so we can feel something.”

Initially I did not understand these words.  It’s like at the end of a movie that makes you cry; you’re sad that it’s over, but you’re glad you had that moment that moved you deep inside. I was overwhelmed with emotions: anger, disgust, and most particularly, sadness. I pondered my visceral reaction to the movie and its lingering effects on me.  I came across a review film critic, Roger Ebert, had written about the movie that captured my own emotions.  He said (para-phrasing): “Crash shows the way we all leap to conclusions based on race -- yes, all of us, of all races, and however fair-minded we may try to be -- and we pay a price for that. If there is hope in the story, it comes because as the characters crash into one another, they learn things, mostly about themselves. Almost all of them are still alive at the end, and are better people because of what has happened to them. Not happier, not calmer, not even wiser, but better.”

Not many films have the possibility of making their audiences better people. I don't expect Crash to facilitate many miracles, but I believe anyone who exposes themselves to it will likely be moved to have more sympathy for people unlike themselves. The movie is full of hurt, coldness and cruelty, but is it not without hope. The people, superficially so different, share the city and learn that they share similar fears and hopes. Until several hundred years ago, most people on earth never saw anyone who looked different than they appeared. They were not racist; as far as they knew, there was only one race. You may have to look hard to see it, but Crash is a film about progress.

Hurricane Katrina served as a recent illustration of the prevalence of racism in America today.  While we would like to believe the days of overt racism I referred to with Tim in my days at Purdue are long past, Katrina serves to remind us of the thin layer of veneer that exists in America, most especially in areas stricken with poverty.  New Orleans had been listed as the number 2 most likely catastrophe for several years.  Year

after year, administration after administration, New Orleans was overlooked.  The poverty that was exposed by Katrina was in fact longstanding.  Within view of the most resplendent hotel rooms in the business district, sat the worst part of Ward 9, New Orleans’ most impoverished section.  These people have lived in conditions worst than those in third world countries for decades.  The remarks of former first lady Barbara

Bush’s when viewing the evacuees located temporarily at the Houston Astrodome a week after the hurricane are revealing, yet common: “They’re better off here.  They won’t want to return home if they stay here long.”  This attitude is all too prevalent in our country. Fox Newscaster, Bill O’Reilly stated that most of the people stranded on the roofs crying out for help wouldn’t have been stuck there had they “stayed in school”.  While these comments are personally offensive, they are all too familiar in today’s political climate. 

As we stand, more than 5-months after the storm, New Orleans remains mostly uninhabitable.  The building contracts are going to outsiders, mostly non-native, white-owned, large corporations, contrary to President Bush’s commitment. 

I am grateful my life has been enriched by people of all ethnic backgrounds.  This would not have been possible had I not been open to developing relationships with those different than me. 

Luke 10:29-37

But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him for dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.  So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 

But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity.  He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them.  Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.  The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.’ Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who dell into the hands of the robbers?”  He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

This parable is similar to Dr. Abernathy’s words about people of good intent providing insufficient medicine to society.  It brings to mind the many people who sat helpless on their rooftops during and after Katrina, while the rest of us watched from the comfort of our living rooms, trying in vain to grasp the enormity of the devastation.  How could this be taking place in our country we asked one another at our church’s Race

Relations Forum following the storm?  We knew news crews were able to come and go freely; how was it that those people were left stranded for days, with the adjoining communities refusing entrance into their parishes?  It was more than most of us could comprehend.  The race issue continues to be one which we grapple with and that I will remain committed to eradicating to the best of my ability.

Today's Reflection:  And let us not get tired of doing what is right, for after a while we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t get discouraged and give up. ~Galatians 6:9 

Answering The Call.

One of my independent living resident's came to my office. "I have been downsized from our house to move here. A life time of memories. My husband books and many belongings have been given away to family and friends. The remainder to the Goodwill. A lifetime he cannot remember since I moved him into the memory care unit. I want you to have this piece created by my friend, Joyce Roach, OP, who is a Sister and lives her life through her call."

How blessed are you

for you have remained

true to your calling

and have carried the torch

of light for all to see.

You are an

instrument of change,

a prophet of hope,

a catalyst for transformation!

Be glad and rejoice,

For you are the voice

Of a new creation

And you are the

new light of the word.

Have you answered the call? You are known by name.

Today's Reflection:  “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.” -Isaiah 43:1, ESV

Are You Being Called? Listen.

The first time I heard the hymn: Here I Am Lord by Dan Scutte, 1981 was during a Sunday Worship Service at United Christian Church. I pondered the words the congregation sang throughout the following week:

"I who make the stars of night,

I will make their dark-ness bright.
Who will bear my light to them?
Whom shall I send?

Here I am, Lord. It is I Lord.
I have heard you call-ing in the night.
I will go, Lord, where you lead me.
I will hold your peo-ple in my heart."

Are you being called?  Listen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcxOkht8w7c

Today's Reflection: Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I; send me!” - Isaiah 6:8 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Discovering Your Talent

Education is one way to discern talents. Another way is to quietly develop your interest and to see were it leads you. 

A long-time team member and friend, Michael appeared at my office door on morning. He presented me with a painting, “The Holy City of Juju.” I was surprised. I never knew Michael had this talent and developed it.

The detail…the color…the contemplation…the gift.

Discover you God give talents!

Today’s Reflection: “Like clouds and wind without rain is one who boasts of a gift never given. - Proverbs 25:14 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

You are a miracle. Believe.

Miracles surround us. Miracles can reach us through a sign if your eyes are open as well as your heart. And some believe miracles are divine.

I delight in reading messages – especially on Church signs.

How are miracles illustrated in the Bible? I believe there are 37-stories of Jesus and miracles, and the healing that occurred.

You are a miracle. Believe.

Today’s Reflection: Then Jesus said to him, Unless you see signs and miracles happen, you [people] never will believe (trust, have faith) at all.”  - John 4:48 Amplified Bible (AMP)

Giving & Receiving

My residents and staff asked me what they should give up for Lent last year. I encouraged them

not to give something up but to give something back. We made 238-hats for charity from Ash Wednesday through Easter Sunday.

I loomed 400-knitted hats for homeless project in 2014. As I stood waiting for the bus outside of a food kitchen the other evening, a man was wearing one of my hats.

What do you plan to give back, or as some would say…pay it forward in 2015?

Today's Reflection: Give, and it will be given to you: Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will men give unto you. For with the measure you use, it will be measured unto you.” Luke 6:38 Modern English Version (MEV)

A Magical Transformation

Transformation can occur knowingly or unknowingly as long as we are open to it. The mystery unfolds.

Six months before I moved to Seattle from Fort Wayne, Indiana in 1999, I wrote the poem A Magical Transformation, not knowing I was moving forward.

A Magical Transformation

Shielding myself within

            a hardened shell.

Breaking through the barrier

            while metamorphosed into a caterpillar.

Crawling down the pavement

            as cold as the unknown.

Bonding intimately

            with a milkweed.

Interweaving myself in silk

            hidden within my cocoon.

Creating a protective place

            to magically transform.

Shedding my skin

            as an explosion of color occur.

Drying my newly formed wings,

            as transparent as stained glass.

Nourishing myself with flower nectar

            to refuel my heart and rehash my past.

Reluctant to fly

            during the night.

Sheltering myself

            until the dark turns light.

Outstretching my wings

            for my ultimate flight.

Finding love, freedom and clarity

            through my continued journey of life.

I never in my wildest dreams thought I would move from Fort Wayne. I thought I would be a Hoosier all my life. I missed the good folks of Indiana. However, I can always go back home, again.

Transformation is possible. Let the mystery unfold.

Today’s Reflection: ^“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” - Romans 12:2 Modern English Version (MEV)

How do you begin your day?

How do you begin your day? Groggy? Going back to sleep? Afraid to put your feet on the  ground? Ready to rejoice? I read the Seattle Times online. I first scan the front page headlines. I then click on the "Entertainment" section with the comics. I read a couple of comic strips. One is “Luann” and the other is “Pickles.”

I was in elementary school when I watched my Grandma Shaffer read the newspaper. I noticed her read the comics. She said that it was a good way to begin each day. Even though I was not sure why it was a good way to begin each day, I started reading the comics that day.

I read “Pickles” on New Year's Day.

“Pickles” taught me not to make my story long, and to rejoice in the day!

Today’s Reflection: “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” – Psalm 118:24 (ESV)

Up, Up and Away

I remember the first time I heard the first time I heard the 5^th Dimension’s song, "Up, Up, and Away" performed. It was by the Concordia Lutheran High School choir in Fort Wayne, Indiana when I was a sixth grader. I imagined how it would feel to fly in a balloon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUQghiaG4cU

I had my chance to fly in a balloon with my neighbor, who lost his long-time partner to a heart attack a couple of months earlier. We departed in his convertible early in the morning for our sunrise flight. I was concerned about how to step into the basket with my stiff leg. The basket was turned on its side so I laid down on my side. As the balloon filled, the basket would raise to the position necessary for others to step in.

I decided the balloon ride would prepare me for a new chapter in my life, which has been slow traveling like the balloon ride. The sights were breathtaking. 

I celebrated with my neighbor his partner’s life. Then a couple asked me to renew their vows. I did

The pilot appeared concerned. There was no chase vehicle following us below. The balloon basket broke off and evergreen treetop as we descended into a housing addition with large yards and swimming pools. Wham! The basket hit the earth. The pilot along with the other passengers exited the basket. I was unable to step over. A man came from behind and lifted me out.

Each day is a series of new beginnings. How do you take the time to fly away and to see the beauty?

Today’s Reflection: "Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning." –Lamentations 3:23 New Living Translation (NLT)

Have a Dream for Your Life - Part 1 Joyce Meyer

I listen to others' messages, and contemplate how their words speak to and guide me on my journey. I turned on my television on a day off, and lo and behold there was a teacher and a preacher by the name of Joyce Meyer. 

I Goggled Joyce Meyer during the early morning darkness on New Year’s Eve, and I was led to her ministries website: http://www.joycemeyer.org/ and the homepage listed an article: "How to Give Life to Your Dreams." I clicked to read more, and this paragraph spoke to me: "Ecclesiastes 5:3 says, For a dream comes with much business and painful effort.… This is why many people abort their dreams before they reach full-term. God plants a seed (dream) in them and they become pregnant. But when they find out it will take effort, be costly and uncomfortable to complete their preparation for the birth, they decide it wasn't really God's will after all and go and do something else."

How many times are brick walls placed in front of us, and we do not break through the mortar so the wall tumbles down? (Please reference "Reflecting on Hopes and Dreams" from 2014 at http://livingstonesministriesrockon.blogspot.com/2015/01/reflecting-on-hopes-and-dreams-from-2014.html, and http://www.joycemeyer.org/articles/ea.aspx?article=how_to_give_life_to_your_godgiven_dreams.)

I navigated through the television broadcast. I listened to "Have a Dream for Your Life - Part 1" http://www.joycemeyer.org/BroadcastHome.aspx?video=Have_a_Dream_for_Your_Life_-_Part_1

Joyce Meyer's broadcast provided me with the nugget:  "Am I a finisher?"

Are you a finisher? Live Your Dream.

Today's Reflection: For a dream comes with much business and painful effort, and a fool’s voice with many words. - Ecclesiastes 5:3, Amplified Bible (AMP)

Are You Using Your Talents?

An Elder from a little church shared her excitement with me that she was the speaker for the tithe, and  the Sunday the passage was in the Lectionary from Matthew 25:14-30. It was about talents and riches shared. This scripture would help her to illustrate the church’s need to balance the upcoming 2015 budget. I was skeptical. My doubt came from how this story had resonated within my spiritual journey.

As I shared a message during the service offered in a retirement community on the same Sunday the Elder planned to offer her words of financial giving, I paused and looked around the room at the faces of senior, who had given a lifetime of gifts. I sat down my written out sermon and began with a question: “What are the talents or gifts you have shared in your lifetime? The answers were numerous. The next question was: “What gifts are you sharing with others now?” There was a silence. One resident felt her gifts had been given. There was no other purpose.

I encouraged a resident to reread the parable once more from the Amplified Bible as we sat with our eyes closed so the story would come to life.

¹⁴ For it is like a man who was about to take a long journey, and he called his servants together and entrusted them with his property.

¹⁵ To one he gave five talents [probably about $5,000], to another two, to another one—to each in proportion to his own personal ability. Then he departed and left the country.

¹⁶ He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he gained five talents more.

¹⁷ And likewise he who had received the two talents—he also gained two talents more.

¹⁸ But he who had received the one talent went and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

¹⁹ Now after a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.

²⁰ And he who had received the five talents came and brought him five more, saying, Master, you entrusted to me five talents; see, here I have gained five talents more.

²¹ His master said to him, Well done, you upright (honorable, admirable) and faithful servant! You have been faithful and trustworthy over a little; I will put you in charge of much. Enter into and share the joy (the delight, the blessedness) which your master enjoys.

²² And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, Master, you entrusted two talents to me; here I have gained two talents more.

²³ His master said to him, Well done, you upright (honorable, admirable) and faithful servant! You have been faithful and trustworthy over a little; I will put you in charge of much. Enter into and share the joy (the delight, the blessedness) which your master enjoys.

²⁴ He who had received one talent also came forward, saying, Master, I knew you to be a harsh and hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you had not winnowed [the grain].

²⁵ So I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is your own.

²⁶ But his master answered him, You wicked and lazy and idle servant! Did you indeed know that I reap where I have not sowed and gather [grain] where I have not winnowed?

²⁷ Then you should have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received what was my own with interest.

²⁸ So take the talent away from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents.

²⁹ For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will be furnished richly so that he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have will be taken away.

³⁰ And throw the good-for-nothing servant into the outer darkness; there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.

I do not usually carry my I-Phone with me during a service. It was in my jacket pocket. I turned it on and played the video of my cousin’s young daughter singing, “Hallelujah” for me in my Aunt’s kitchen during my trip to Indiana in May 2014. She is developing one of talents and sharing her gift with others.

Are you using your talents? Or are you hiding them?

Discover your talents, abilities or gifts…whatever the name you give them. Exercise them.

Today's Reflection: "For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will be furnished richly so that he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have will be taken away." - Matthew 25:29 (AMP)

Living Stones Rock On!

A couple, who lives in my organization’s independent living, volunteers by offering a ministry to their peers with dementia. She plays hymns on the piano. Her husband turns the music pages for the residents and encourages them to sing as I lead the hymn sing. Their son the Rev. Dr. Robert S. Paul wrote the below hymn, “Living Stones.”  

As I sang the words, I watched the transition within one resident. I talked with her daughter afterwards about the “Living Stones” hymn, and she said that her mother’s faith has never wavered. When this resident could read, she read the scripture from 1 Peter 2:5: “You come to him as living stones, a spiritual house that is being built into a holy priesthood. So offer spiritual sacrifices that God accepts through Jesus Christ.” – God’s Word Translation

Her mother also loved collecting rocks. I started carry rocks in my pocket. I give her a stone from my pocket as we sing "Living Stones." She is one my many living stones...my rock star.

Sometimes a shiny stone...Sometimes a rough one… Sometimes a stone that needs a home...Sometimes buiIding a foundation where a community grows and lives. There are living stones.

Living Stones

We are people, Living stones! Set on Christ, the corner-stone.
Growing together in His, molding us, making us one…Coming together, Living stones…
Mount up Walls and Soaring Tow’rs
Be a Cathedral filled with light, A house of God’s grace and Pow’r!
Build us up, Lord, In your House of Living Stones…
Build by the Spirit in the bond of love on Christ, the Chief Corner-Stone.

This is why the name “Living Stones Ministries Rock On.”

Build a foundation. Become a rock star. Or recognize a rock star and witness their story. Rock On!

Reflecting on Hopes and Dreams from 2014

I encourage you to  reflect on your hopes and your dreams from 2014. Did you have the opportunity to live them. How did your hope change throughout your year and change your dream?

I posted the below article: "My New Years Dream: Becoming a Reality" on December 27, 2013.

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a dream is: 4:a: a strongly desired goal or purpose. One of my assisted living residents recently reawakened my dream of earning my Nursing Home Administrator’s license through a simple conversation in my office and by facilitating my residents’ monthly book group.

I originally wrote the beginning of the story on my blog, Look Through My Eyes Ministries, titled My New Year's Dream: Living the Two M's, Ministry & Management on Wednesday, December 4, 2013, and my dream is gradually becoming a reality since this date. The original story is interspersed with the recent progression, and how the brick wall mortar is slowly dissolving.

My office was originally a small sitting room off the lobby area in our continuing care retirement community (CCRC) so imagine two chairs for residents their loved ones or team members to sit, and desk is in an L-shape with a bookshelf against the wall, forming a short, narrow isle.

One of my assisted living residents, named Jackie pushed her four-wheeled into my office, where I sat in my chair behind my desk. She faced the walker seat towards the bookshelf. As she reviewed the books, Jackie mentioned that the assisted living residents have a monthly book group as she removed a book with a DVD from its place.

“Julie, have you read The Last Lecture by Dr. Randy Pausch and watched the movie?” Before I could answer, Jackie continued, “You can show the movie on a Monday afternoon and then lead the book group on Tuesday morning.”

I learn from my residents by looking through their eyes and listening to their words. Their stories allow a time of reflection, provide a parable, and sometimes offer pause where a new chapter for my life begins through the conversations. After my residents discussed three themes from the book and DVD:  Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams, Brick Walls, and Enabling the Dreams of Others, I was taken back when another resident named Jackie asked, “Well, Julie, have you lived your dreams?”

I recognized at that moment the necessity to look through my eyes and contemplate my dreams. So, I did not answer the question. I deflected by questioning the group, “How can you still enable or have you enabled the dreams of others?”

As I mapped out where I have been and where my dreams are leading me, the overall focus has been serving and advocating for the senior population and others in need of health care and rehabilitation services.

A dream was in the making when a nursing home administrator, who believed in my abilities, hired me for my first position in a skilled nursing facility (SNF) as a Director of Marketing and Admissions.  I then joined a CCRC as their health center’s Activities Director, and I was one of the two staff that opened our organization’s newest CCRC’s licensed areas. The above-mentioned were small steps in realization of my dream.

I was offered three administrator-in-training (AIT) positions as the doors opened for the licensed care, and this had been a dream of mine since my first SNF position.  I turned down all three AIT positions without hesitation because I made a commitment to open the health center, assisted living, and memory care, and to serve our residents by providing quality care through activities of daily living. It has been a little more than 4-years since the opening of the Terraces, and there is organizational stability. So it is time for me to move forward with my dream.

I am presently seeking an AIT position; however, I have not located one. As Dr. Randy Pausch wrote, “…The Brick walls are there to stop the people who do not want it bad enough. They’re there to stop the other people…Brick walls are there for a reason. They give us a chance to show how badly we want something.”

How do I remove the brick wall and move forward? I have received acceptance into a National Association of Long Term Care Administrator Boards (NAB) approved online master’s degree in health care administration. I would prefer an AIT due to the cost and securing a funding source, and the training within a SNF setting would be invaluable because I would work within a team and serve residents and their families as I learn and live my dream.

I have taken the first step towards living my dream due to an unexpected gift that was presented to all team members, where I work as the Pastoral Care Director. I opened the envelope. A letter with a check was enclosed. The letter read:

December 12, 2013

Greetings!

The enclosed check is a gift from residents of both the Towers and the Terraces at Skyline at First Hill.

The gift is in appreciation for all you have done this year to make living at Skyline an extraordinary experience. Residents are grateful for your hard work, caring attitude and dedication to your job each day. We value and recognize your contribution to the quality of our lives here at Skyline.

The amount of your gift is based on the regular hours worked during the past year.

On behalf of ALL the residents of Skyline at First Hill, thank you for giving so generously of your time and talent. You are very important to our lives.

The Skyline Resident Association Executive Committee

and

The 2013 Skyline Appreciation Fund Committee

This gift has allowed me to register for my first class, beginning January 2, 2014. My textbooks are scheduled to arrive on Saturday, December 28, 2013.

The second step in living my dream is to share my cover letter with you.

December 27, 2013

To whom it may concern:

I am seeking an Administrator in Training (AIT) position, and I have enclosed my resume for your review and assistance.

My work in marketing, community relations, and admissions for a skilled nursing facility, sales and consumer education for durable medical equipment and providing services to seniors and those in need within hospitals and continuing care retirement community (CCRC) has provided a strong foundation. I am recognized for my enthusiasm, patience, motivation and compassion as well as leadership and team building abilities.

I believe in serving and advocating for the senior population and others in need of health care and rehabilitation services. Many times, caregivers and family members do not understand the services available to them to enhance the quality of life and provide activities of daily living for their loved ones. I have worked with others in different socioeconomic status and health conditions in meeting their physical, emotional, spiritual, intellectual, and social needs that is value added in the skilled nursing facilities. I understand the business aspect of creating community by providing outstanding customer service through serving others, which in turn builds census and generates financial stability for an organization.

My strong interest in an AIT position is based on my abilities and performance of working in various positions for the Presbyterian Retirement Communities Northwest, which have not been included on my resume: Interim Social Worker, Interim Admissions, Interim Activities Coordinator, Interim Move-In Coordinator, Marketing Tours, and Event Management to name more than a handful so we could successfully open our most recent CCRC, Skyline At First Hill and The Terraces At Skyline, which includes the licensed areas: Memory Care Unit, Assisted Living, and Health Center (SNF).

Please feel free to contact me at XXX-XXX-XXXX if you have questions or require additional information after reviewing my resume. I am open to relocation.

I would like to thank-you for your time and consideration, and I look forward to talking with you soon.

Sincerely,

Julie L. Shaffer

Enabling the dreams of others is a gift, and I encourage you to forward my dream to others. Perhaps they can help me remove the remaining brick wall. Or they will be inspired to enable a dream of a loved one or even a stranger. Or you will realize your dream for the New Year, and live it!

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