Richard L Morgan

With more than 6 million people in the United States living with Alzheimer's disease and more than 11 million Americans providing unpaid care for people with Alzheimer's or other dementias, addressing the concerns of these elders and their caregivers is a matter of increasing importance. Relying on their many years of experience in this area, gerontologist Jane Marie Thibault and Richard L. Morgan offer this book to provide a fresh, hopeful model of dealing with Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia. Caregivers have two basic needs: affirmation that their caregiving is not in vain and reassurance that the lives of those for whom they care are not without purpose. Care receivers need more than medical attention-they need tender care, involvement in the community, and a sense of connection with a loving God. When care receivers and caregivers are able to view their relationship as a mutual spiritual path, each plays a role in deepening the spiritual life of the other. Addressing topics such as communicating with and providing meaningful worship experiences for loved ones suffering from memory loss, Thibault and Morgan offer creative approaches to ensure care for both elders and caregivers. They also recommend ways churches can minister more effectively in this arena. In addition to being an excellent resource for individuals caring for loved ones, No Act of Love Is Ever Wasted is a helpful resource for counselors, support group leaders, pastors, and other professionals. Besides offering practical ways to help, this book serves as a reminder that every act of love brings positive transformation to the recipient, the giver, and the world.

""Compelling . . . a rare find . . . a very special gift. This book of growing older stories is must reading for all ages, especially older adults. Written in fascinating style, these stories can do more to combat ageism than any book I have read in recent years."" -- Miriam Dunson, former Associate for Older Adult Ministry, Presbyterian Church (USA) ""Most older people we have known may not have made the history books, but they have made the history--of our families, our churches, our communities, our nations. Richard Morgan teaches us to once again listen to the stories of our elders because they are our history, our real history. Morgan helps us see--through the stories and words of those best suited to offer useful answers, namely those who have already been there--that for Christians aging is an experience we do not have to confront alone."" -- Stephen Sapp, Dean of Religious Studies, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida ""As one highlight involved in recording life biographies of people of all ages, Autumn Wisdom has special meaning for preserving the stories of people in the third age of life. If we don't preserve these stories in some way, they are lost. As the ancient saying states, 'If we lose the stories of older people, we lose a library ' These are eighty-one stories of older people which will not be lost."" -- Beth Sanders, Director of Life Bio (www.lifebio.com) Richard L. Morgan is a retired minister and a writer residing in a retirement community in North Huntington, Pennsylvania. He continues his work of preserving the life stories of older people through interviewing them and recording their stories for their families. He is also the author of Remembering Your Story (2nd edition). His Web site is www.richardmorganauthor.com

Richard L. Morgan has produced a welcome resource for those of us who have been divorced and felt we were beyond the pale of the Christian community. It is true that Jesus speaks against divorce, but it is also true that some New Testament scholars believe he was speaking to protect the rights of the oppressed under ancient law -- the oppressed being women. On the other hand, divorce is a painful experience that impacts over half of those who married. It cannot be ignored by religious leaders (some of whom themselves may be divorced). If we believe in acknowledging sin without casting the sinner out, we need to find ways of healing in churches. I always reminded myself in giving sermons that if national statistics were right, half of my listeners had been impacted by divorce. -- Rev. Dr. John C. Morgan, minister, teacher, and author of 'Awakening the Soul'. Richard Lyon Morgan is a retired Presbyterian minister and pastoral counselor, now living at Redstone Highlands, North Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. In addition to his doctorate in church history, he has a master's degree in counseling from Wake Forest University. A former pastoral counselor with School of Pastoral Care, he has led divorce support groups and counseled many persons, yound and old, going through the process of divorce. Dr. Morgan is divorced and married again with ten grandchildren.

Remembering Your Story invites readers to connect their faith stories with others and with God's story as revealed in scripture. Morgan guides readers to deeper memories of God's presence in all portions of their lives. Individuals and small groups will find this book offers them blessings as they discover God's working throughout their journey. This revised edition of Morgan's work reflects his workshops, seminars, and conversations concerning spiritual autobiography. It also more intentionally focuses on faith stories. Morgan includes a chapter titled "Stories Connect Generations," which connects older and younger generations and encourages intergenerational ministries in the church.