Daily Devotions for Caregivers

Life can bring with it many afflictions - sometimes life just hurts.  And it doesn't need any help from unexpected tragedies or sickness - it's just painful. It is really up to us how we choose to respond to pain life deals out. And don't you hate it when someone tells you it's a character building  experience? What experience is not  a character builder? In each circumstance we face we are staring down a choice - how are we going to handle this ? Are we going to fall apart? Run crying to a friend? Give up and quit? Shut down our emotions? You may list anything else here that is your MO (Mode of Operation)! I'm not saying that these are right - or wrong - just typical responses when we don't know how to deal with situations. But no matter what - eventually we have to work through it and live. Caregivers are no different. We don't get a separate instruction manual than the rest of the world! Our choices are the same as everyone else's and our decisions ...

Do you ever find yourself comparing your life to others? It can be pretty easy to get caught up in comparing our situations to those of other caregivers. And in this world of social media craziness it can be even easier to look through status updates and see what the rest of the world  is up to. If I'm not careful, a brief look through Facebook updates can plunge me into depression because I see what the rest of the world is getting to do today while I am trapped in my home. I see my friends are at the gym, grabbing a Starbucks coffee, shopping at the mall or attending a concert. These are daily, or at least common activities for many people. But for the caregiver they are not plausible or possible in many cases. It can be easy to fall into the trap of comparing our lives with others whether they are caregivers or not, but it's not wise. Paul even warned the Corinthians about comparing themselves among themselves.  (2 Corinthians 10:12) He told them that it was "fo...

Please forgive me for being so lax on doing this devotional. I needed help myself for a few weeks. I know you are most likely very familiar with what I call the "caregiver's fog." It can sweep you up and suck you down and leave you in a state of nothingness for days on end. It can fry your emotions and leave you scratching your head barely making it through each grueling day beneath its pressure.But alas...I am finally emerging. I will try to do a better job at keeping my head above and completing this task. My purpose really is to encourage but quite honestly I just have not had it in me! But I'm back now!!  I think what helped me start the difficult dig out of the hole was the other day someone made mention of a particular scripture and I began talking about it. I was so stirred up it got me to thinking about it and many others on the topic. One thing I have tried to do is to begin to read the scriptures without my old religious thinking...it's very difficult ...

I know all the true caregivers out there no exactly what I mean by the caregiver's fog. It usually descends slowly and overcomes you until you cannot find a way out. But you're already suffocating before you realize how bad it is. Well, that's where I have been. I hate it when I do not get on here to do a devotion - but there are days I just can't find one and I am not going to throw some empty words out here --that helps no one~!  Sometimes, crawling out is as easy as opening up the Bible and letting His word wash it all away. But then there are those times when opening the Word actually adds frustration. You see the miracles He performed and wonder why you didn't get one. Or read scriptures about His great deliverance from Egypt and just scratch your head... sometimes I really cannot see for the fog.  But every time He comes through. I don't really know what His big fog-blow-awayer looks like... but it can come in the form of a phone call or card from a ...

Holidays can be more stressful than "regular" days. I'm not sure why but it seems they can many times add some additional stress value to the day! And sometimes it can be that it's just another day for the caregiver and that's what the stress is about. It can be for many reasons and in various areas of life that stress comes at a time that is supposed to e beneficial for families...but for the caregiver it can be just one more thing... Today is a good day to work on directing our thoughts. We will no doubt spend some of the day in reflections about motherhood or our own mothers. And there can be some wonderful thoughts and memories stored away! But because of the delicate condition of our emotions it can end up with adverse effects. So after thinking and appreciating motherhood take your thoughts back to Philippians 4:8. Paul told the Philippians to think about the good stuff! He said to keep our minds on what is pure and lovely. The easiest way to do this is...

I know  I sort of left that hanging there...but it's from Psalm 119:50. The entire verse says something like This is my comfort in my affliction - that Your word has quickened me! I love that verse. I am really glad it didn't read finally, after the battle was over Your word gave me life... Even though God did not keep the trouble from happening - He didn't stop the affliction from occurring, but in it   His word brought life. And that is a comforting thought to me. Here we are in some of life's toughest situations yet His word still brings encouragement and life. And to me that is very comforting! I always thought it was sort of odd when Jesus was telling Peter that he was going to be sifted like wheat , that He didn't tell him - but I will make it pass quickly; or I won't let it happen at all! But rather, Jesus told Peter that he was going to go through and that He would pray for him that his faith wouldn't fail. I was always like, sheesh, why not ...