Rolla Presbyterian Manor
Grace, Mercy, and Forgiveness By Allen Teal, Chaplain MARCH 2021
Retired librarian enjoyed passing on her love for reading Dawna Womack inspired a new generation of readers as a librarian at Mark Twain Elementary School in Rolla.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy” (Matthew 5:7, NIV). The quality of mercy is not strained. It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest: It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.
—William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice
“I enjoyed reading as a child, and I always tried to find ways to help other kids share that same love for reading as I had,” she said. Her success stories are the children who developed an affection for literature on their visits to her library. “Getting kids interested in reading was my favorite part of the job,” she said. Dawna, who is a resident of Rolla Presbyterian Manor’s Tranquility House, is originally from Dawna Womack Cassville, Mo., near the southwest corner of the state. She studied at Drury University and the University of Colorado. For the first part of her career, she taught business education. After she and her husband welcomed their first child, the couple agreed that Dawna would work at home and raise their family until their children were school aged. But when she was ready to return to the classroom, there were no openings for bookkeeping and typing teachers. “They were offering librarian positions, so I decided to do that instead,” she said. It proved to be a fortuitous career move for Dawna, who found nothing to dislike about working in the library. Dawna joined the Presbyterian Manor community 13 years ago. Her lifelong love of reading endures, and she still enjoys immersing herself in fiction and mysteries. Every day, Dawna reads from her personal library in her room in Tranquility House. u
Grace, mercy, and forgiveness are different aspects of the same idea. All imply the need for judgement while demonstrating a reduction in the penalty. The Bible interweaves these concepts to build a cohesive plan of salvation. As Christians, we need to receive grace, mercy, and forgiveness, and we must have the willingness to grant them to others. Grace Wrong actions deserve a penalty. Grace manifests itself when the penalty is suspended, but not eliminated. Compare this to someone who receives a second chance: It brings an opportunity to improve behavior. The errors have moved to a holding area for future evaluation. You may receive a grace period to repay a debt, but the debt remains owed until paid. Spiritually, when God allows people to sin without repenting, he extends them grace. Grace is Chaplain – continued on page 2
Rolla Presbyterian Manor | A PMMA COMMUNITY
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Rolla Presbyterian Manor’s Art is Ageless® call for entries underway All artists age 65 and older are invited to participate in the annual Art is Ageless® juried exhibit and competition at Rolla Presbyterian Manor April 26–29.
time to drop-off works of art.
The Art is Ageless® program encourages Rolla Presbyterian Manor residents and other area seniors to express their creativity Entries of artistic works will be through its annual competition, as accepted from any area artist who is 65 well as art classes, musical and years of age or older to exhibit and/or dramatic events, educational compete for an opportunity to be opportunities and current events featured in the 2022 Art is Ageless discussions throughout the year. calendar.
Local competition winners will join winners from 14 other PMMA (Presbyterian Manors of MidAmerica) communities to be judged at the system wide level. Entry forms and information can be obtained by contacting Joelle Freeland at 573-364-7336 or lfreeland@pmma.org, or accessed online at ArtIsAgeless.org. u
The exhibit will continue the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the PMMA (Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America) program, celebrated with the 2021 Art is Ageless calendar. Due to the uncertainty created by COVID-19, Rolla Presbyterian Manor plans to hold its event virtually for friends of the program on the community’s Facebook page, Facebook.com/RollaPresbyterian Manor, and to announce winners during a Facebook Live event. Works will be on exhibit at the community for residents only. Artists may choose to enter works for exhibit only. For the competition, the artist must have been 65 at the time of creation and have completed the work in the past five years (since January 2016). There are nine categories, as well as designations of amateur or professional. Works to be entered for judging need to be at Presbyterian Manor by 4 p.m. April 21. Contact Joelle Freeland at 573-364-7336 or lfreeland@pmma.org to arrange a
Chaplain – continued from page 1 neither permanent nor automatic. Mercy Men and women create situations that become impossible for them to repair. Mercy recognizes this impossibility and shifts the penalty. An old story tells of a judge who after passing sentence on a friend, removed his robe, stepped down from the bench, and paid his friend’s fine. We display mercy when we choose not to assign blame for others’ wrongdoing. God expresses his love and mercy toward
us with his offer to assign the penalty for our sin to Jesus, His son. Forgiveness Unlike grace and mercy, forgiveness eliminates debt and does not delay or transfer it. Forgiven debt no longer exists. The Bible shows the relationship between grace, mercy and forgiveness when it says, “For I will be merciful and gracious toward their wickedness, and I will remember their sins no more” (Hebrews 8:12, AMP). u
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Community Matters 573-364-7336 ◆ Fax: 573-364-7495 1200 Homelife Plaza Rolla, MO 65401-2595 RollaPresbyterianManor.org
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COMMUNITY MATTERS | March 2021
is published monthly for residents and friends of Rolla Presbyterian Manor by Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America, Inc., a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization.
To submit or suggest articles: lfreeland@PMMA.org Ann Caudill, executive director Joelle Freeland, marketing director
OUR MISSION: To provide quality senior services guided by Christian values.
PEOPLE GIVING TO PEOPLE
An update on how gifts are changing lives in PMMA communities
IN HER LIFETIME A donor's story
Recently, a longtime friend of PMMA, we’ll call her Agnes, was concerned about burdening her sister with financial decisions and responsibilities when she passes. In order to eliminate the burden for her sister, Agnes wanted to get all of her affairs in order now, but also wanted to accomplish her wishes of helping others. After sharing her thoughts with her advisor and visiting with PMMA’s regional development director, Patti Christen, Agnes was able to spare her sister the task and put her gift to work now.
Agnes made a gift from her donor advised fund for the benefit of the Good Samaritan Program - a program she has supported and appreciated for more than 30 years. She wanted to see the gift in action while she was living. Thanks to Agnes, so many residents have the assurance of the PMMA mission of quality senior services guided by Christian values.
“I’m so thankful for the blessings I have received in my lifetime. It’s my obligation to share it with others. And, I’m so glad my sister doesn’t have to worry about this when I die,” said Agnes, 84. (not her real name to ensure her anonymity)
Spring 2021
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BETTER TO GIVE THAN TO RECEIVE by Barbara J. Braa, CTFA, MBA
“It is better to give than to receive.” Why does this old saying still ring true? Isn’t it because the gift giver takes pleasure in seeing their gift in action? That pleasure may cause a donor to give too much. Sometimes donors give too little, cheating themselves out of the pleasure of giving because they fear running out of money and don’t know their true capacity to give or their giving options.
In the old days, frugal folks made gifts from items at hand, like a quilt from fabric scraps or a dress from flour sacks. Today, a knowledgeable, trusted advisor can help you develop a gift giving budget and help you explore alternative methods for your charitable giving. You may find your ability to give during life may be more than you think! Barbara J. Braa, CTFA, MBA
If you were taught to never touch your invested assets you may be surprised to learn there are strategies to help maximize your donations by using those investments. For example, a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) is a tax-advantaged way for those over 70
½ to
donate IRA dollars directly to charity and avoid taxation on the IRA withdrawal. Or, you might benefit from donating appreciated non-retirement assets, like stocks and mutual funds and when you transfer those assets directly to a charity, neither you nor the charity pay capital gains taxes on the appreciation.
Seeking advice on a charitable budget and/or utilizing one of the strategies above may help you increase your gift giving ability and your pleasure in seeing your donations in action. Plus, if you budget your donations correctly, you won’t need to revert to giving or wearing a flour sack dress or shirt!
The information in this article is not presented as personal financial or legal advice and should not be relied upon as a substitute for obtaining advice specific to your situation. Please seek advice from a trusted financial, tax or legal advisor. Barbara J. Braa, CTFA, MBA is a Vice President & Relationship Officer with Central Trust Company in Lawrence, Kansas. Contact Barbara at 785-865-1065 or Barbara.Braa@centralbank.net.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: 316-685-1100
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DEVELOPMENT@PMMA.ORG
Just Ask – 10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer’s Alzheimer’s and other dementias cause memory, thinking, and behavior changes that interfere with daily living. Alzheimer’s, a degenerative brain disease, is the most common form of dementia. However, dementia is not a specific disease, but rather a term that describes a group of symptoms related to memory and cognitive function. Join Rolla Presbyterian Manor for 10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer’s, a free virtual event, at 3 p.m. March 17 to learn about common warning signs of Alzheimer’s and what symptoms to look for in yourself and others, as well as tips to approach someone who is experiencing changes in their memory, the benefit of early detection and diagnosis, and more. Register online for 10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer’s, at RollaPresbyterianManor.org/ events-activities. When you click the registration link, you will be redirected to the Alzheimer’s Association website to complete the registration process. If this is your first time to RSVP for an Alzheimer’s Association event, the registration link on the Alzheimer’s site will prompt you to register with their site. Once you’ve completed this one-time site registration, you will be able to reserve your spot for this event, and future events, by logging in. Once your registration is processed, you will receive a unique link to the event with instructions for joining the webinar.
The event is one in a series of webinars exploring Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias and some of the most important topics of concern to caregivers and those who are experiencing the disease. From February to November, we’ll explore a different topic each month through virtual presentations led by the Alzheimer’s Association of Greater Missouri.
communication strategies, understanding and responding to dementia-related behaviors and more. Check out a list of future events, by visiting RollaPresbyterianManor.org/events -activities.
The series is part of Rolla Presbyterian Manor’s Just Ask lifelong learning program, featuring topics and speakers of interest to seniors and their adult children. Future topics include effective
If you have questions about memory care services or attending virtual webinar using your phone or device, please call Joelle Freeland at 573364-7336 and she will do her best to assist. u
Here is a complete list of upcoming dates and topics: 3 p.m. March 17: 3 p.m. April 21:
10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer’s Healthy Living for Your Brain and Body: Tips from the Latest Research 3 p.m. May 19: Effective Communication Strategies 3 p.m. June 16: Legal and Financial Planning for Alzheimer’s Disease 3 p.m. July 21: Understanding and Responding to Dementia-Related Behavior 3 p.m. August 18: Dementia Conversations – Driving, Doctor Visits, Legal & Financial Planning 3 p.m. September 15: Living with Alzheimer’s: For Caregivers – Early Stage 3 p.m. October 20: Living with Alzheimer’s: For Caregivers – Late Stage November: Alzheimer’s Awareness Month – a special recognition event to be announced For more information or to register for an upcoming event, visit RollaPresbyterianManor.org/events-activities. If you have questions about memory care services or attending a virtual webinar using your phone or device, please call Joelle Freeland at 573-364-7336 for assistance.
Rolla Presbyterian Manor | A PMMA COMMUNITY
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1200 Homelife Plaza Rolla, MO 65401-2595 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
COVID-19 updates continue Get the latest updates on visitation status, ongoing safety measures and PMMA’s response to COVID-19 on your community website at RollaPresbyterianManor.org/covid-19. Visitation status is updated weekly on Mondays and as needed as our COVID status changes. You can also send a message to any resident with the Art is Ageless® e-greeting cards. Find a link on the COVID-19 update page. Vaccine distribution has begun in our community. Every person who receives the vaccine will strengthen the protection for all residents, staff and the community at-large. PMMA strongly encourages our families, employees and residents to carefully consider obtaining a vaccine for themselves as well as their loved ones. u
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COMMUNITY MATTERS | March 2021