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He Doesn't Blink

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 Life is not fair. Caregiving is not fair. As time goes on, it can feel even less fair. It can seem like life cheated us out of plans, hopes, dreams, and our lives with our loved ones. I wonder if this is how Jakob felt.  Laban was a cheater; he did not play fair. Jakob was introduced to Laban's deception from the start. He made an agreement to marry Laban's daughter, Rachel. Jakob was sooooo in love with Rachel. But after the wedding was consummated and the veil removed, Jakob discovered that the love of his life, the woman he agreed to work 7 years for, had been withheld by Laban. He had just married Leah, Rachel's older sister. Talk about the old switcheroo... smh.  Laban had tricked Jakob, and he required another 7 years of service in exchange for his daughter Rachel. Jakob loved her so much he overlooked Laban's cheating, lies, and deceptive lifestyle.  Jakob struck up another deal with Laban years later. Jakob wanted to leave; Laban wanted him to stay because h...
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1.5 Million All-Time Views - That's Worth Celebrating

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 I cannot believe we hit 1.5 million all-time views!!  I'm thankful for every reader, every email, every comment - you guys are awesome! Thank you for taking this journey with us and for always being there. You are such an encouragement as we navigate the waters of caregiving together.  Together we've tackled the hard topics, stuff no one wants to talk about, aloneness, grief, sadness, overwhelm.. and the list goes on. But we've also talked about the God who is always faithful. The One who doesn't abandon when life gets ugly and complicated. We've redefined faith. Tightened our grip on God and His word. We've refused to give up and strengthened our determination to keep putting one foot in front of the other. Much appreciation for every single one of you - let's hit 2 million, whatd'ya say? Will you join me? :-) As always...thanks for reading! Jeanie .
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Who's Hiding?

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 The other day, I fasted. Hadn't done a whole day in years! Lol. I lived. As a way to kick off the fast, I read Isaiah 58. I've always called it the "fasting chapter." But I was surprised when I found it isn't about fasting at all. Lol. (I'll be posting on my main ministry blog about it sometime this week. You can catch that blog on my ministry website Dove's Fire Ministries .) Besides my discovery that I'd been wrong all these years (lol), I found a phrase that grabbed my attention.  Isaiah is explaining that fasting is really not effective if you're not doing the works.  Of course, works don't save us. But works are a natural by-product of a heart and life fully given to God. (Check out James2) In verses 6 and 7, Isaiah is listing things that needed to be changed in the lives of those who wanted to live holy and truly "fast."  It's a good list, really. Free those wrongly imprisoned Stop oppressing those who work for you Treat wo...
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Finding the Path

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  Most caregiving days are hard, period. Others are just more difficult to navigate than others. In verse 19 of Psalm 77 (yes, I'm still there! lol), it says God's path was in the sea. Asaph is referring to the Children of Israel, of course. They've just come out of Egypt. God has freed them from the clutches of slavery. It didn't take long for them to find themselves in another fix - right in the middle of God's great deliverance. There they stand, on the banks of the Red Sea after watching first-hand all of God's miracles. To make matters worse, Pharaoh's army is pressing in behind. But God told Moses to go forward. Why? Because He had already placed His path in the Red Sea.  That means that before He said Let there be light, He had laid the path for their escape.  The path was there in their scariest moment and had been waiting there all along. God didn't have to figure out what to do once they arrived on the banks of the Red Sea. He had it planned al...
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Shifting Atmosphere

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 Are you sure there are only 24 hours in every day? Some days feel like they drag on forever! And for caregivers, it's not due to being bored and having nothing to do! Lol. Sometimes there are so many things demanding our attention that the day slips away before we know it. At the end of these days, it's easy to feel like we failed, with so much left undone. But we can only do so much in the 24 hours a day gives us, right? Some days, it's easy to see God's hand at work. Other days, the social isolation, loneliness, or overwhelm blinds us to what He is doing. But just because we don't see or feel  God at work in the moment doesn't mean He's not up to something. In fact, I truly believe that He made a pathway for us for each day long before it ever arrives. And of course, I have a scripture for it! :-) Take a quick read of Psalm 77. It's a passage I've returned to many times. It's written by Asaph, and he, like David, knows how to honestly pour his...
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Hold My Hand

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 I have fond memories of slipping my hand into my daddy's hand. Maybe he was guiding me as we crossed the road, or he didn't want me to get lost in a crowded space. My hand in his felt like the safest place on earth. And it was. Such a simple gesture to bring about great peace and make me feel safe and secure. That's the image that came to mind as I read on from Psalm 37:23, which we talked about in yesterday's devotion for caregivers. Jehovah Shammah - the One who is always there, always in our "here" takes it a step further. In verse 23, we read that He delights in being in and being present for all the details of our lives and days. In verse 24, the psalmist helps us realize that just because God is present, it doesn't mean we are perfect or that we'll never fail. I'm pretty sure I fail daily. :-) Verse 24 gives us some comfort, though. It says when they stumble - when who stumbles? The ones He is delighted to be with - US! Even when we stumble,...
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Every Detail?

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 There are lots of things caregivers don't talk about. You know the nitty-gritty details of daily living. It's okay - we don't necessarily want to talk about those details, and others don't really want to hear about them. It's better if they don't know! Lol. But can I just say that God doesn't miss a thing? I was reminded of this while reading in Psalm 37 this morning. Verse 23 says that the Lord directs our steps . I know this is true - but there are days I have some questions for Him. Oh, I'll keep following Him, of course. But I do wonder how and why my steps led me here. No time to stop, though, gotta keep walking. The next part of verse 23 says that He delights  in every detail  of our lives. (NLT) Really? I'm pretty sure that when David penned this Psalm, he wasn't thinking along the lines of caregiving. Although, there was the time he took in Jonathan's son, Miphibosheth, and provided his care for the rest of his life. But this psalm s...
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