Fort Scott Community Matters - July 2022

Fort Scott Presbyterian Village

JULY 2022

Editor’s Note: In a nod to our Presbyterian heritage, we regularly feature a column from a PMMA® chaplain in our newsletter. This month’s column comes from Greg Schmidt, chaplain at Newton Presbyterian Manor®

Chaplain’s Corner The County Fair is for all ages Remember what fun it was when you were a kid going to the fair? The carnival rides, the cotton candy, the animals, the exhibits and all the friends you were there with? Imagine if you could still feel the fun of it all as an adult. Well, we’ve got news for you – you can!

It’s true that 4H clubs are indeed filled with youth members and many entries are of children with the projects they’ve been working on all year. However, Open Class exhibits allow people of all ages the Ruth Bahr shows off her tatting chance to be involved in the county fair work. and continue to show your talents of all ages.

Ruth Bahr and many of our Presbyterian Village seniors work on projects all year, which can be entered in the Open Class exhibits. Kick up your heels this July and get involved in the county fair again from July 16 to 23. It’s so much fun!

Have fun entering your homemade cookies baked in your private apartment, the quilt you made over the snowy winter, the cross-stitch project you made for a new baby in the family, the vegetables or flowers you grew in the back garden at the Village, or the photo you took on your latest travel. And just getting out at the fair around all your friends is a gift worth experiencing! The sights, sounds and smells of the county County Fair – continued on page 3

By Greg Schmidt

July is here…and so is the heat! And what’s the best way to “beat the heat?”

Look for a vacation spot that offers a cooler climate, right?!

Greg Schmidt

When I was a kid—and into my young adulthood—my favorite getaway trip was to church camp in the Rockies. Over the years, I progressed from camper to camp counselor to camp director, and in the latter position, I introduced the Mennonite Brethren church camp world to Noah’s Ark Whitewater Rafting Co.! That added a few “ice cold” stories to all the others!

But what happens when you cannot “escape the heat” of life’s daily battles? How does one find ways to rest or relax in place? You may not like my answer. I believe every one of us desperately needs to allow our hearts and minds to find comfort by taking us away in our thoughts to a place where we’ve experienced the love, grace, forgiveness and peace from God and (Christian) friends

Escape the heat – continued on page 2

Get the latest on visitation and COVID-19 at our campus at FortScottPresbyterianVillage.org/covid-19.

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Escape the heat – continued from page 1 that have always been there for us.

It is never good to stay forever pinned down to our inevitable problems. We must be able to escape. Mental respite is a must!

I’m simply suggesting we ask God to let our minds take us to places we otherwise cannot go. I accomplish that by beginning where Jesus did—in prayer. When we ask God to help us recall those places, people, and moments when we perceived life as less troubled, less complicated, less corrupted by pain or disease or situations that caused us fear or panic, we discover peace.

Our prayer should then shift to a state of productive meditation, staying in that personal place and allowing God to “heal” my body, spirit, and soul to the degree that my burden or worry is temporarily suspended. Just as our physical body needs at least four hours of deep sleep before it can even begin to be restored and re-energized, our hearts and souls need sustained rest as well. A break from being bombarded by the challenges of everyday life, especially when those challenges include dealing with death and dying realities.

“As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for You, O God.” The Psalmist is figuratively describing an internal need—a “thirsting after”—the One he believes will replenish his innermost needs. He doesn’t imagine a sip; he wants to drink deep. To do that will take time. It doesn’t happen on the fly or instantaneously.

Why would he make that request?

Because life is pinning him down.

He’s needy. He’s stressed out.

Because the pursuit of those people and situations that set out to do harm or destroy him are bearing down on him. Because sustained rest is the only thing that will restore his life and vision.

The image of a deer so at peace with her surroundings that she can stop and without fear, lower her head to the stream to take a long, needed drink, in complete peace, is inspirational to the Psalmist. So, he sets in place in a cave and meditates on what it would be like if he too, like the deer, could drink deep from the cool, refreshing resources of all that God has to offer.

We desperately need rest, especially when we’re facing “life and death.”

Why? So that we have the resources and strength to fight life’s battles.

Each of our Manors and communities, as well as our Heart & Soul Hospices are about finding rest for our patients and their families. And we get that needed rest when we choose to live and enjoy every moment God gives us rather than giving in to the pain, frustration, and discouragement that disease and discomfort naturally bring.

So, right where you are, ask God to allow your heart and mind to travel to your vacation spot, your resting place. Not only do you need it, you also deserve it! And unlike making a booking with Noah’s Ark Whitewater Rafting Co., it won’t cost you a thing! u

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Community Matters 620-223-5550 u Fax: 620-223-7800 2401 S. Horton Fort Scott, KS 66701 FortScottPresbyterianVillage.org

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COMMUNITY MATTERS | July 2022

is published monthly for residents and friends of Fort Scott Presbyterian Village

by Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America, Inc., a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization.

To submit or suggest articles: gnance@pmma.org Ginger Nance, executive director

OUR MISSION: To provide quality senior services guided by Christian values.

Spend Your summer on vacation with us A respite stay can be a time of rest and recuperation for many during a time when many home health agencies are turning away new customers due to lack of staffing.

Instead of worrying about what to do in this situation, Presbyterian Village has the perfect answer: Spend your summer on vacation with a respite stay with us, free from all the worries you have at home!

A respite stay can be a time to relieve you from the burdens facing you at home such as summer mowing, weed eating, house maintenance, air conditioning repairs, not to mention the physical limitations you may have with daily tasks such as cooking, cleaning and other daily living tasks that have become so difficult to manage.

Give yourself permission to take a vacation from all the worry. Come check out our beautifully appointed apartment that could be ready for you to step into for a

summer of relaxation.

Today, you may spend a large part of your day trying to do things that have become so hard at home. It may take you most of the day to simply get yourself up and going for the day. Trying to figure out what to do for a meal, or trying to do a load of laundry, much less running the vacuum or changing your linens, may all be tasks that have become next to impossible for you.

Tomorrow can be so much better and different for you.

Stop the madness and let us do the hard things! Let go of the constant struggle that leaves you exhausted by the end of the day. Instead, spend your evening out by the blooming flower garden and enjoy a summer ice tea overlooking the pond with a good book, or chatting with friends.

It's really that easy to just let go of the hard things and let us take that on, leaving you with energy to do the

things you love to do that you've been missing out on. Let us BBQ for you and just relax instead of worrying about all the hard things in your life. Spend your summer in a private luxurious apartment, designed with you in mind. Make the decision to go on vacation with us for the summer!

Call for a reservation appointment and an assessment today at (620) 223-5550, or email gnance@pmma.org. u

County Fair – continued from page 1 fair can bring back wonderful memories of times forgotten.

Residents, staff and family members are encouraged to enter your items in the Open Class exhibits, which is held on Monday, July 18th from 2-6pm at the Myers Building at the Bourbon County Fair.

Contact Angela Carpenter, Life Enrichment Coordinator, (620) 223-5550, acarpenter@pmma.org , if you would like some help in getting your items entered. She will be taking residents out to the fair for lunch, to get their items entered, to see the exhibits and to view the photo history of the Bourbon County Fair that will be on display this year. Join us in the fun this July and let’s make memories together! u

Come and enjoy a respite stay with us.

Fort Scott Presbyterian Village | A PMMA COMMUNITY

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2401 S. Horton Fort Scott, KS 66701 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

A few things you probably didn’t know about Independence Day It’s almost July 4th and before you gobble down a hotdog and take in some fireworks, we thought we would share some little-known Independence Day facts that you can use to amaze your family and friends.

First, the Declaration of Independence was not signed on July 4, 1776.

Shocking, right?

Actually, July 4 was the day that Congress approved the first draft of the Declaration of Independence, which was written by Thomas Jefferson and edited by John Adams and Benjamin Franklin. It wasn’t until August 2, 1776 that the document was actually signed.

Next, we all know about John Hancock’s famous, well …

John Hancock. But did you know he was actually the first of the 56 delegates to sign the document?

And how was the first anniversary of Independence Day celebrated? The Virginia Gazette described the celebration in Philadelphia this way: “The evening was closed with the ringing of bells, and at night there was a grand exhibition of fireworks, which began and concluded with thirteen rockets on the

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COMMUNITY MATTERS | July 2022

commons, and the city was beautifully illuminated. Everything was conducted with the greatest order and decorum, and the face of joy and gladness was universal.”

Here are a few more little-known facts thanks to Almanac.com.

• Congress officially declared July 4th a federal holiday in 1870, but it wasn’t until 1938 until federal employees could take the day off.

• On the back of the Declaration of Independence, the words “Original Declaration of Independence dated 4th July 1776” is written upside down.

• Both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson—signers of the Declaration of Independence who later went on to become president—died on its 50th anniversary.

• According to the weather diary of Thomas Jefferson, the weather on July 4, 1776 was cloudy and 76 degrees. u