I want to share something a little personal with all of you. I am beginning preparations for a medical mission to Mindanao, Philippines in June 2027, and this will be the first medical mission I’m helping coordinate. And if I’m being truthful, I’m nervous. Actually I’m downright scared. There are so many people to care for, so many details to coordinate, and so much responsibility that comes with trying to serve a community well. The medical team, medications, supplies, travel, logistics, funding, partnerships—it can feel overwhelming when I think about everything that has to come together. Maybe some of you understand that feeling. As caregivers, we often step into situations because someone needs us—not because we feel completely prepared. We carry responsibility, worry about the people depending on us, and sometimes wonder whether we have enough strength, time, or resources to do what needs to be done. That is a little of what I’m feeling right now. But I also believe there is something powerful about a community coming together around a shared purpose. So today, I’m not asking for anything other than your prayers. Please pray for wisdom as we plan. Pray for the right people to come alongside us. Pray that the medications, supplies, resources, and funding we need will be provided. Pray for protection over everyone who will serve. And most importantly, pray for the children, families, and communities we will have the privilege of caring for. My prayer is simple: God, help us serve well. Help us love people well. And help us remember why we said yes in the first place. This mission may be happening thousands of miles away, but the heart behind it is something we understand deeply in this community: Caring for another human being matters. ❤️ If you’ll keep this mission in your prayers over the months ahead, leave a 🙏🏽 below. And please share—what can our community pray for you about today?

❤️ Depression and Caregiving: We Must Care for the Mind Too When someone you love has cancer, caregiving can become your entire world. You wake up thinking about medications. You go to sleep listening for movement. You worry about the next scan. The next treatment. The next bill. The next symptom. And somewhere in the middle of caring for everyone else, you can begin to disappear. Depression in a cancer caregiver is not something we should ignore or simply tell someone to “push through.” There are practical, evidence-based things we can do to help. And some of them can begin today. ❤️ Every Care Plan Should Protect Three Things ❤️ The patient’s dignity 🛡️ The patient’s health and safety 💪 The caregiver’s physical AND emotional health You cannot separate emotional health from caregiving. Depression can affect: • Sleep • Energy • Concentration • Memory • Motivation • Relationships • Physical health • Ability to make decisions • Ability to provide safe care Caring for the caregiver is part of caring for the patient. 🔄 Depression Can Create a Withdrawal Cycle Depression often whispers: “Stay in bed.” “Don't call anybody.” “Nothing will help.” “I don't feel like doing anything.” So we withdraw. We stop doing things we once enjoyed. We stop seeing people. We stop exercising. We stop going outside. And the less rewarding activity we have in our lives, the worse we may feel. Then depression tells us to withdraw even more. We have to interrupt that cycle. 🎯 Behavioral Activation: ACTION BEFORE MOTIVATION One of the most practical and well-supported approaches is called behavioral activation. The idea is beautifully simple: Don't wait until you feel motivated to act. Act—and allow motivation and mood to follow. Research in caregivers has found meaningful reductions in depressive symptoms with behavioral activation. This does not mean pretending to be happy. It means deliberately putting small pieces of life back into your day. 📝 Step 1: Track What Affects Your Mood For several days, make a simple note of:

I am proud to announce that our first class (see the Classroom Section) is live. The class is based on the fundamental principles of family caregivers. There are eight principles with each having its own module. In addition to the modules, family caregiver members can download a worksheet which is in Word format. Once we have members signing up for the class, chat sessions will be formed that will be aligned with the days and times the members can attend the respective sessions. In addition to the above class, work is being done on additional classes. If anyone has any classes they would like to see us have in our Community, please let me know. In addition to the above class, a number of our members have posted information. In this regard, I would like to thank Dr. Elven Smith, Rae Llasos, and Rev. Dr. Gregory Johnson. To all of you, thank you for helping to make our community a success. In a few short wees, our observability ranking within the self-improvement category has dropped from 4,500 to 2,407 - an amazing drop of 2,093. In this regard, I have noticed an increased improvement in Skool advertising our Community on Facebook, and LinkedIn. The goal is to have the community within the top 10 in the Self-Improvement Category, and to achieve this goal before then end of 2026!!!!!

A Framework Derived from Ray Dalio’s Concept of Principles Abstract of Framework Family caregiving constitutes a recurring and structurally demanding experience characterized by constant demand coupled with limited control. Drawing upon Ray Dalio’s conception of principles as fundamental truths that enable consistent, effective responses to recurring situations, this framework articulates eight evidence-based principles for family caregivers. These principles—systematic self-assessment, non-negotiable self-care, structured education and skills training, adaptive problem-solving, deliberate construction of support networks, collaborative person- and family-centered practice, realistic boundary-setting, and multicomponent longitudinally sustained support—are derived from systematic reviews, consensus reports, and national guidelines, including the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (2016) and subsequent syntheses. Each principle targets either the demand side of the caregiving equation, the control side, or both, thereby converting reactive overload into more intentional and sustainable practice. The CareCFA Community on Skool is presented as a living peer-support environment designed to operationalize these principles through structured onboarding, cultural norms of self-care, skill-sharing, continuous peer networks, and explicit attention to boundary-setting and long-term sustainability. Collectively, the principles and their community application offer caregivers a practical classification system for navigating the caregiving “blizzard,” restoring measurable agency where possible, and reducing the experience of unremitting demand. Continued dissemination of such evidence-informed approaches remains essential as demographic pressures intensify both the prevalence and intensity of family caregiving responsibilities. If you are interested in applying these eight Principles into your life, you are encouraged to visit our Classroom section and take the course. The course contains exercises for each of the Principles as well as a Worksheet that you can use during the course. The Worksheet is in Word format. Please note, in order to take the course you must be signed-in as a member. The course can be taken during the 7-Day Trial Period. Thank you.

“A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.” — Proverbs 11:25 I read this verse and immediately thought about caregivers. Because refreshing others is what caregivers do. We give our time. We give our energy. We give our patience. We give our strength. And many times, we give even when we feel like there isn’t much left to give. Caregiving often happens in the small, unseen moments. The late-night check-in. The meal prepared. The medication remembered. The appointment made. The hand held. The prayer whispered when nobody else is listening. The world may not always see those moments. But God does. And I love that this verse doesn’t end with what we give. It also speaks about what comes back: “Whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.” Maybe that’s something we need to remember as caregivers. You deserve moments of refreshing, too. Sometimes refreshing looks like rest. Sometimes it’s sitting outside with a cup of coffee. Sometimes it’s prayer. A walk. A conversation with someone who understands. Or simply hearing the words: “I see you. How can I help?” And maybe that’s one of the greatest things we can become for each other in this community. Not another place where caregivers are expected to give… But a place where caregivers can receive. A place to be encouraged. A place to breathe. A place to share the hard days without pretending. A place where someone else helps carry the weight for a little while. So today, my prayer for every caregiver here is simple: May the hands that care for others also be cared for. May the heart that encourages others also be encouraged. May the person who spends so much time refreshing others finally experience some refreshing of their own. ❤️ Now I’d love to hear from you: What refreshes YOU when caregiving has taken a lot out of you? And maybe an even more important question… How can we refresh one another in this community this week?