Have you ever felt overlooked? Ignored? Unseen? I think we've all experienced on some level. One time, several years ago, my son and I visited a "church" close to our home. We were literally ignored. Not one person spoke to us, even though they walked right past us. I chose to laugh it off. But when I got a really nice form  letter from the pastor saying how nice it was for us to visit, I countered back. He wasn't there that morning, anyway. I explained that we wouldn't be coming back because we were ignored. I got some canned answer about their key people  being out of town on mission trips and such. I was actually relieved. Yep. I felt like I got to see the real heart of the church, not the mask they present. Needless to say, I was very disappointed and never have we gone back. But sometimes, rejection isn't so obvious.  Yesterday alone, we had two such circumstances. Both were very minor in nature, but went off like bombshells in my soul.  Firstly, the nu...

  Have you ever had one of those days it feels like life smashed you in the face? ( Who am I talking to - of course you have!) Things can go crazy so quickly that they leave our heads spinning.We live on the proverbial edge of "insanity" - and we might move in if it wasn't for God's grace! My thoughts started running down this lane when I read Psalm 118:11. David says, you pushed me violently  that I might fall, but the Lord  helped me. Life can push us hard sometimes. Many times, it can feel violent. Sometimes, becoming a caregiver or being thrust into it quickly with no advanced warning can be a violent shift in our lives. With my aunt, I saw it coming because of the relatively slow decline. My son, on the other hand, came out of nowhere on a perfectly normal day. A wreck. A phone call. A flight with no return. And here we are. Life can push violently, and we've all experienced it on one level or another. It brings a tiny bit of comfort to know David felt this, ...

 I've been working on part two of my Command Your Morning  devotional. This one is focused solely on Psalm 119. This psalm is a great read! It's long, but it's rich. I have worked through the first couple of sections, but then I hit verses 25 to 32. It seems to shift a bit, while still focused on the Word. This psalm is all about trusting the word, longing for the word, needing the word, following the word, and clinging to it. But it seems that in verse 25, the psalmist lets his emotions out a bit. He says, My soul clings to the dust. (NKJV) In the NLT, it is translated this way: I lie in the dust, completely discouraged. In verse 28, he says, I weep with grief. Well, that got my attention. Of course, David is baring his soul and seeking God's word for healing and direction. Why? Because David learned that when life gets harder, overwhelming, and difficult, it's time to lean in to the word for comfort, direction, and wholeness. He is totally vulnerable in his need f...

One of the things I love about the Psalms is the open, real, raw honesty. I grew up being told that we can never question God. EVER . As I've grown in a relationship with Him, I've learned that's simply not true. No conversation is complete without a question or two, right? The first psalm that helped me reshape my thinking was Psalm 13. I was in the dark night of the soul (Oswald Chambers). Caregiving was getting to me, and it was early on in the journey. As a part of worship teams, I'd even sung this Psalm. How long, O Lord, will You look the other way? What's that? A question! A serious one for God, translated: Do you see me in my pain? Not only is it an open, honest, and real question, it's a pointed one, a question needing an answer or a glance in our direction. God does not hate questions. In fact, He started the question game in the garden. Adam, where are you? Now, God knew where Adam was. This wasn't a positional question. It was a relational  one. ...

  Caregivers can deal with losses on a lot of different levels. We may experience the loss of our loved ones who are not who they used to be, but are still with us. (Living grief) Another huge loss we may have to deal with is the loss of our BC (before caregiving) lives. Loss comes in so many different packages depending on the particulars of our circumstances and the condition of our loved ones. The sense of loss can be so deep, so complex, and so gripping that it's difficult to navigate. We all deal with it in different ways. I got myself in a financial bind early on because I was trying to deal with the emotions of loss in unhealthy ways. Once I realized I was buying things, literally whatever I wanted, to try and fill the hole left in my life and heart, I was able to reel it in and start digging out! Sometimes, it takes a while to realize that is what is going on in our emotions, because no one has ever talked about it. We don't always have words to describe the depth of lo...

 Over the last week, something amazing happened! This blog Daily Devotions for Caregivers hit a million views!! How about that! Some say it's bots, some say it's nots.. lol I don't know, but I know the views have consistently gotten more over the last few weeks and months. It didn't happen overnight, so I am leaning toward at least most real views! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING!! I feel bad sometimes since I don't post as regularly as I want to, but life can get hectic and out of control quickly, as you know. But I truly appreciate you all hanging out with me some mornings. My heart is to encourage caregivers and remind us all that we didn't lose one thing that God provides us in His Kingdom when we became caregivers. I know you've heard it a million times now (wink), but there are no exemptions for caregivers. Not one promise in the Word of God adds, except for caregivers. I'm so thankful that we can still experience His peace, even after our worlds hav...

 Seasons change. Every year it's the same. The seasons stay in order as God designed. There are rainy times and dry times, and a mix in between. Caregiving has its similarities. We have hard times (not that all caregiving isn't hard!), and times when things may not be perfect, but at least they are a little bit better. Sometimes, it seems like God sends just what we need, and it's usually in the driest times for our souls. Maybe it's a phone call from an old friend we haven't connected with in a long time. For me, it might be a new client or an offering to help pay for printing costs for Pakistani Bible study guides. But eventually the rain will come on our dry and weary souls. It may not last forever, and it might not last long at all, but it will come. In Psalm 68:9, David says that God sends a plentiful rain, He restores and confirms His heritage when it is dry and weary. (amp.) I heard a phrase in a song written by Dennis Jernigan that stuck with me. Basically, ...