by jphilo | Mar 2, 2015 | Book Updates
Since the beginning of December, I feel like I’ve been juggling knives.
Sharp knives.
Recently honed to a razor’s edge.
And all because I was plunked into the role of primary caregiver for the first time in a long time.
Though I was caring for an aging parent–first in our home, then transitioning her to assisted living, and now advocating for her with insurance companies, with a little break thrown in caring for a toddler grandchild when a new baby came along–the experience was a reminder of what parents of kids with special needs live with day by day.
Parents of kids with special needs are constantly juggling knives that
gouge finances,
skewer free time,
turn any attempts into creating a routine into chopped liver,
and shred caregiving paperwork into teeny, tiny bits.
A New Caregiver’s Notebook Give Away
My caregiving duties are easing up, but if you’re the parent of a child with special needs or caring for an aging parent, your duties are as demanding as ever. That’s why Different Dream is giving away a copy my The Caregiver’s Notebook. Why? Because the notebook I filled out for Mom was a way to sheath the mess of knives I was juggling. And it sheathed them better than I ever imagined it would while writing the notebook. Especially after my Caregiver’s Notebook epic fail, which tells the story of why I now carry Mom’s copy with me to e-v-e-r-y appointment she has.
To enter the contest, visit Gravel Road’s sister site, DifferentDream.com.
by jphilo | Feb 9, 2015 | Book Updates
Do you remember a blog announcement way back in July of 2013 about Every Child Welcome, the book Katie Wetherbee and I were writing about special needs ministry? The one about Kregel Publications offering us a contract? Well, we are happy to announce that Kregel is releasing the book on April 27, 2015.
The Skinny on Every Child Welcome
So here’s the pre-publication skinny on what’s happening behind the scenes:
- Katie and I first met in 2010 at a special needs ministry conference in Des Moines, IA. Little did we know that first meeting would lead to co-authoring a book.
- The book has a new and improved subtitle…drum roll please…Every Child Welcome: A Ministry Handbook for Including Kids with Special Needs
- Even thought Katie and I just sent the final, final proofs to the editor this past Friday, February 6, 2015…
- …Every Child Welcome is already available for pre-order on Amazon
- Also, here’s a slightly blurry clip from Kregel’s spring catalog describing some of the book’s features in case the type in the pictures above is a little too small to see.
The rest of this post can be read at Gravel Road’s sister site, DifferentDream.com.
by jphilo | Oct 20, 2014 | Book Updates
Yes, The Caregiver’s Notebook has arrived here on the gravel road. The official release date is November 1, 2014, but this post gives a sneak peek at what’s inside. You’ll see why the notebook can be used by parents of kids with special needs, adult children caring for aging parents, and those caring for adults with disabilities or special needs. Even healthy adults like the Man of Steel and I are compiling our own notebooks, so our affairs are in order just in case something happens to one of us.
Sound good? Then here’s a look inside the notebook. If you read to the very end, you’ll also learn how to enter the give away for a free copy.
The Inside Scoop on The Caregiver’s Notebook
The tour begins with a close up of the front cover.
Next, the table of contents…there’s a corresponding tab for each section.
Each section begins with a excerpt from caregiver’s devotionals by Discovery House Publisher authors Shelly Beach, Wendy Wallace, or me. The one pictured below is by Wendy.
Tabbed pages make it easy to flip to the different sections…
…followed by instructions on how to use each section.
Every section contains forms that make collecting and recording your loved one’s information as easy as possible. This form is for emergency information.
Some how-to sections also have completed sample pages to you can see exactly how to fill them out.
The notebook has a blank three year calendar for caregivers to fill in and use to keep track of a loved one’s appointments and activities. Each monthly two page spread has room for notes on the side, too.
At the end of the notebook there’s a pocket page where you can tuck all the business cards, information sheets, and test results received at your loved one’s appointment. That way you can find and file them once you’re back home.
Finally, because it’s hard for the back cover to watch the front cover get all the attention, here’s a lovely shot of the lowly backside.
The Caregiver’s Notebook Give Away
If you like what’s inside The Caregiver’s Notebook, you’re invited enter a drawing to win a free copy. Just leave a comment in the box below about how you will use the notebook. The contest ends at midnight on October 31, 2014, so leave your comment before then. The winner will be chosen and contacted on November 1.
by jphilo | Aug 18, 2014 | Book Updates
The November 1, 2014 release date for The Caregiver’s Notebook is getting closer by the day. I’m getting so excited about introducing you to this new baby which has been gestating for almost a year. Today you get the publishing industry’s equivalent of an ultrasound image of a yet-to-be-born-baby. It’s a prepublication interview that ran on the More To Life (MTL) blog not too long ago. If you’re excited about the arrival of this sweet thing, you’re invited to leave a comment in the box below!
How would you describe your writing in general to someone who hasn’t read any of your books?
My books provide spiritual encouragement and practical resources for caregivers.
What inspired you to write The Caregiver’s Notebook: An Organizational Tool and Support to Help You Care for Others?
I flirted with the idea off and on after receiving feedback from readers about the Different Dream books I’d written for parents of kids with special needs. Then, the Discovery House Publishers (DHP) editor of the second book emailed. She said several of her colleagues were caring for elderly parents or ill spouses. They’d been talking about how helpful it would be to have a spiritually-oriented notebook to organize vital information they could take to appointments and leave with others who sometimes cared for their loved ones. The idea intrigued her. So she emailed to ask if I would consider writing a proposal for such a notebook. I jumped at the chance!
How would you describe this book to someone in a 30 second blurb?
The Caregiver’s Notebook is a portable planner/organizer for those caring for children with special needs, adults with disabilities, and aging parents. It can also be used by healthy adults to organize their medical, insurance, and legal information. It’s small enough to take to appointments and detailed enough to passed between all the caregivers working with a loved one. The notebook also offers devotional excerpts, prayer guides, and a Bible reading plan to meet the spiritual needs of caregivers.
The rest of this interview can be found at MLTMagazine.com.
by jphilo | Jul 7, 2014 | Book Updates
Today’s post is one of those cases where the picture’s worth a thousand words. The picture above comes from the Discovery House 2014 Fall Trade Catalog, which was in our mailbox on July 3. It’s arrival started our Independence Day weekend…and the promotional chatter about my latest book with a bang!
I won’t rehash what’s in the The Caregiver’s Notebook. You can read that for yourself in the not quite thousand words that accompany the picture above. If you like what you read and think others will too, pass the information along to your favorite local book store.
As the copy says, the notebook comes out until November, just in time to be the perfect gift for caregivers. It’s also a good gift for the 50+ crowd and those who wants to gather medical and legal materials in one place, so they and their loved ones can easily access it in case it’s needed.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must engage in some serious celebrating.
Happy Dance! Happy Dance! Happy Dance! Happy Dance! Happy Dance! Happy Dance!
by jphilo | Mar 24, 2014 | Book Updates
Though I usually try to avoid cross pollination between DifferentDream,com, my blog for parents of kids with special needs, and this blog, today’s post is an exception. Because I can’t wait until there’s a day open in the DifferentDream schedule to show off the cover of The Caregiver’s Notebook.
Several months ago, the editor at Discovery House Publishers emailed an image of the cover, and I loved it. But it had to stay under wraps until the copyright was secured. That happened last week, when the editor gave the okay to take it to school for show and tell share it via social media.
So here I am, showing off the cover for the world to see. And telling everyone that this three year caregiver’s planner and organizer is slated for release by Discovery House in November of 2014 and will retail for $24.99. It’s flexible design means it can be used by those caring for aging loved ones, children and adults with special needs, and those caring for anyone with medical conditions, too.
More details will be forthcoming in the months before the release date. But for now, would you play along and leave a comment about how sweet the new baby is? This mama is mighty proud!
