Earlier this morning, I was talking to a friend who's been caring for her mom for the last few years. We were talking about the overwhelm of caregiving. I said, "There's a special armor for caregivers!" I know there is an extra measure of grace for us. There just has to be.  Paul wasn't a caregiver like us, but he did have a lot on his plate, caring for the early church. In fact, it's in 2 Corinthians 11 where he mentions it. He's giving a list of things God has brought him through; maybe he's encouraging himself a little like David did. He's listing shipwrecks, beatings, traveling miles and miles, and more.  Then in verse 28, he says, then besides all this , I have the daily burden of how the churches are getting along. (NLT) Sounds like a caregiver to me. Personally, as I'm running through my list of the day, the needs, the situations, there is almost always an emphatic, PLUS ... But as Paul is going through his experiences, he wraps it all ...

 One of my favorite passages is in Lamentations 3. We talk a lot about how God's mercies are new every morning. Now, God doesn't have a morning, so He must push that refresh button just for our mornings!  As I was looking at this passage last week, I backed up a bit and camped in a verse or two before that one. The NLT says, The thought of my suffering and moelessness is bitter beyond words. (V.19) Have you ever been in that spot? Those times when the living grief, or loss, has eaten up both your emotions and your words? I call those times, sit, drink coffee, stare at the wall times.  But the writer didn't stop there. He goes on to say, I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss. Boy, can I relate to that. There are days when my memories are nice and friendly, other days they rip at my heart and I struggle with my emotions. It's a little bit comforting to know that God used this writer and he felt these same types of emotions without judgment or conde...

Do you ever just feel empty? You know, those days when there doesn't seem to be any strength to dig deeper and make the day happen? I think as caregivers, we all face those times. And sometimes, there are seasons of empty feelings. Whether they come sporadically or they camp for a while, feeling empty emotionally, drained physically, and overwhelmed mentally can be hard to deal with. In the first few verses of 2 Kings 4, we find the story of a widow. Her husband had been in the School of the Prophets, possibly mentored by Elisha. After he passed, she found herself overcome with debt. In that day, family members could be taken as slaves to work off debts.  She had just lost her husband and was most likely still grieving the loss. Now, they are threatening to take her sons as slaves to pay off the father's debt. She came to the prophet, Elisha, for help. He answered her with a simple, seemingly unrelated question. What do you have in the house? Her first response tells us a lot a...

Caring for someone else—whether it’s a parent, partner, child, or friend—can feel like stepping into a new identity overnight. New caregivers are people who have recently taken on regular responsibility for another person’s health, safety, or daily needs, often with little preparation. The role is meaningful, but it can also be draining in quiet, cumulative ways. That’s why self-care isn’t optional here; it’s foundational. A quick grounding moment before we go further Caring well starts with staying well. Small, repeatable actions can protect your energy, steady your emotions, and help you feel like yourself again—not just “the caregiver.” Why self-care feels hard (and why it matters anyway) Problem: New caregivers often put their own needs last. Time shrinks. Guilt grows. Rest feels indulgent. Solution: Redefine self-care as maintenance , not luxury. It’s how you keep showing up without burning out. Result: More patience, clearer thinking, and a steadier emotional basel...

 Sometimes, it's the simplest things that can mean the most. For caregivers, it may be when someone acknowledges the struggle in our journey. Maybe it's a simple phone call from an old friend, it doesn't even have to be very long! One memory comes to mind as I sit writing this.  It was Mother's Day, and I had just been up to see my mom, who had dementia. On the way home, I decided that Chris and I would stop by a lake for some time in nature. I felt so swallowed up by life in that moment. I'd spent time with my mom, which was, as you know, so difficult when they are not really who they used to be. Then it was just Chris and me.  I was lonely. I was hurting. It's difficult to be caught between two generations. One disappearning before my very eyes and the other needing full-time care. But as I was pushing Chris' chair up the hill to the lake overview, a kind stranger was leaving. We nodded as we passed each other on the trail. Then, he stopped. He turned arou...

  Okay, so I'm a math and science nerd. I taught middle school math and did the coursework for a minor in math, just for fun. It's been a lifelong love relationship. I say that to warn you that I am super curious about science and math topics. I am a casual student of quantum theories, too. (Very casual. lol)  String theory is the supposition that the universe is made up of a series of minuscule vibrating strings. They connect throughout the universe. But I have a different string theory. It came about this week as i was standing in the kitchen. I thought, I can get on my (paid) work projects after I finish this. But then, I realized I had another loose end that needed to be tied off before I could get to “real” work.  No sooner did I have that thought than it led to  just one more thing  that had to be done. I realized mentally, I'd just planned the entire afternoon, with no time left for actual paid work. This is a daily exercise, I'm finding. Lol. ...