Daily Devotions for Caregivers

  This morning, I found myself in Psalm 118. I was actually headed to Psalm 119. I know it's the longest chapter in the Bible, but man is it rich! But before I could get to it, my eyes fell on the column before. I read verse 15 of Psalm 118 which says this: The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tents of the righteous. I paused to think about this for a little bit and focused on three words: rejoicing, salvation, and righteous. It just kind of makes sense that rejoicing and salvation belong in the tents of the righteous.  But I backed up a few verses and found out that the writer just stated that the enemy had surrounded him. Verses 10 through 13 painted a rather dire picture with a glimpse of faith and light. The psalmist says  all nations surrounded me - but in the name of the Lord I will destroy them. They surrounded me , yes they surrounded me ; but in the name of the Lord I will destroy them. They surrounded me like bees ... Talk about feeling pressed on ever...

 Is it just me or does it seem like each day gives way to millions of thoughts? They aren't all bad - and that's a good thing, right? It just seems sometimes that there are so many things that happen over the course of 24 hours. My mind sometimes races from one thought to the next. Sometimes, it's dangerous. lol - Sometimes, it's calming.  Last night, for instance, my son had a mild asthma attack. My mind and emotions went a million directions all at one time as I packed Chris' tube feeding supplies and my coffee pot with coffee pods. (The two essentials for hospital stays!) He was able to kick it, and soon settled into a good night's sleep.  I wish I could say that I'm in a place where those seemingly little things don't trip me up or send me off the emotional cliff. Maybe you've got it all together, but I'll gladly admit my lack. I wish I had it all together - whatever "it" is. But I do not. What I do know, though, is that each time m...

  Sometimes, it's the smallest things that make the biggest impact. There's no doubt that our days are tough, even though we chose this walk. Of course, I didn't choose for my son to have a wreck, but I did choose to care for him at home. My aunt, I cared for but I had to have the help of a facility. No matter what our circumstances are, it's still no easy road. But sometimes, there are these tiny little happenings that make it "all better" if only for a moment. This morning, I went out and looked at my little $12 flowers. I smile each morning as I pull off the dried blooms and look for all the new ones. There is something so refreshing about it, that I can't explain it. Growth and beauty change the way they look each day. I have to wonder if God tends to us the same way.  Don't you think He looks on and enjoys our progress as we grow in trusting Him? He waters His garden and cares for the things He sees blooming in our lives. Maybe it's faith. May...

I have a bunch of indoor plants, and with spring came a new burst of outdoor plants. They are on my front patio. One of the plants is a pepper plant. Over the last few days, I noticed a new bloom. I was so excited! This morning as I was out tending my plants, I noticed the bloom was dying, and there is another bloom! I looked at the dying flower with a little sadness, since I'd enjoyed its brief burst of color. But then I had this thought if the flower is dying - that means a habanero pepper is coming! My short sadness turned into elation as I realized I will get some fruit for my labor. I just stood and stared at the two flowers. One brand new this morning and the other fading away. As I looked at the two blooms, I wondered how many times we grieve over things we perceive as dying - when it's something God has designed to bring fruit? caregivers often live with lots of grief. We can sense huge losses every single day. Many of us live with what is called "living grief....

 I'm starting to wonder what it's like to work an 8-hour shift - then just go home. lol. Many caregivers work an outside job plus caring for their loved ones. For others, their "8-hour job" is  caring for their loved ones. But in today's world, it seems like just a far-off dream. But occasionally, I let my mind wander about what it would be like to just go to work - then come home. I vaguely remember something about it, but it seems so far away. A caregiver's day is usually full of all sorts of stuff. Many of you, like myself, work online while caring for your loved ones. But it is certainly a juggling act most days. Trying to get everything done for my son plus keeping my clients happy is a huge chore. Additionally, I need to eat right (I plan his  meals, right?), get adequate amounts of sleep, and drink enough water. Oh, and don't forget to get at least 20-30 minutes of exercise each day. We need 15-20 minutes of sunshine too... I'm tired and overwhe...

In yesterday's post , I talked about how God is not scared of our circumstances. Well, this morning, I awakened a bit later than I planned after an up and down night. (I know you know about those nights...) All the things I need to get done today started running through my mind. I have an urgent project that must be completed today, a meeting with a new client (yay for more work!) at 9 this morning, my regular daily devotions, and beautiful grandchildren I'll watch for a couple of hours. Did I even mention all the regular caregiving duties in there? lol My mind seemed chaotic as I grabbed my first cup of coffee and my laptop to get started working on the urgent project. While I was working, my mind was running through the day's planned activities. I told Chris he'd get to sleep in a little later since I have a meeting at the time I normally get him up. I started adjusting all my tasks last night actually because I knew this morning would be hectic. As I turned my though...

I got up early this morning and had my private devotions, then worked on my latest devotional, "Peace Out! It's in the Bible!" Hopefully, I'll get it done and released in the next couple of weeks. As I was working through some of the scripture passages, I began to realize all the things that have been lingering on my heart. There's a lot, really. Lots of questions. Lots of thoughts. Lots of wonderings. Lots of doubts, and a few fears mixed in here and there. To put it mildly, I was overwhelmed with lots of "what-ifs." Following my own devotionals, I started listing them to God. It felt like I was handing Him each and every one. I handed Him all the good stuff, bad stuff, funny stuff, hard stuff, questionable stuff, and more. I didn't realize how much I'd been packaging "stuff" up in my heart. Then, I followed my own advice and just let His peace take over the reign of my heart. I felt so much better. The whole process got me to thinking...