Daily Devotions for Caregivers

Ever have those times where it just all caves in on you all at once? Emotions run away from you while you get sucked into the huge black hole of the circumstance? (maybe it's just me!) Faith begins to wane and it seems like there isn't a big enough shovel to dig yourself out....ever been there?  What's the worse part of it all is how quickly the enemy can come in and start throwing stones of condemnation at us while we are down. He tries to make us think that we are faithless because we haven't been able to change the circumstance. The next step he takes us on through the course of logic is hopelessness ..like it's never going to be better or different...and we fall deeper and deeper into the emotional despair. Then he quickly picks up more labeled stones to try to get us convinced that we are not worth God's effort...he attacks our self esteem...until it seems there's not even enough strength to cry out!  And then the most amazing thing happens - as qu...

Ever just have a day (or series of days) where it's like you're walking around in a fog; it can be so dense you almost feel like you have to remind yourself to breathe? Those are the days where we just function to take care of our loved ones. It doesn't have to be the result of anything specific that happened...just a process that seems to recur every so often because of the day to day life of caregi ving.  After being in the caregiver's fog for a few days it just sort of lifts, doesn't it? And sometimes it is the smallest action on the part of another that causes it to go away: a simple phone card, a note in the mail - it doesn't take much for the fog to descend, but it doesn't take much for it to drift away either! And the funny thing is that it is just gone and the song in our heart returns...no warning either way - the song is gone, there's the fog, the fog is gone, there's the song! (you really aren't crazy ! - it's the caregiver'...

Sometimes (not all times) life can seem so barren, dry and unfruitful! It's can be difficult to see past our own four walls. If we are not careful we can focus on our own situations so much we fail to see that there is a world of hurting people out there . And yet all of us share His same promises for provision, peace and comfort. Perhaps it's because of how we used to measure fruitfulness. Many have measured fruitfulness by church activities. But I have never seen a plant get up and go somewhere else to produce fruit, they produce right where they are planted. And we are to be planted in Him. That is where we will produce fruit. The fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 2:20) and notice that all the fruit produced although easily observed - is not tangible. Our fruit comes from His indwelling - not from the things we do! Be assured that He will work in you to produce His fruit -  Isaiah 51:3 says this: The Lord will comfort Israel again and make her deserts blossom. Her barren...

I love the raw honesty of some Psalms. And Psalm 13 is just that; the psalmist David is just pure and honest with his feelings before God. I had a friend one time who couldn't understand how I could express my frustrations with God to God. I had two points to make about it: One - He already knows; and two He is big enough to handle it! And this raw transparency is what I find in Psalm 13. It seems that David vacillates between total frustration with the situations in his life and his pure trust of the Lord. Did you ever feel that way? One moment I find myself singing all the woe is me  songs and the very next rejoicing in His faithfulness!  David begins Psalm 13 by sharing his overwhelming feelings of abandonment by God. Of course that's one of those forbidden topics in the church...but it is  a real feeling sometimes. But we, just like David, will work our way through it and find faith once again. In the final verses of the psalm David is resting in the lovingkindne...

Do you ever ask tons of questions? There's not really an expectancy of an answer on some of them,is there? I can usually get past all the questions but then sometimes they pop up so quick I can't even think about a real answer. There are tons of whys ...at least for me. My mind gets foggy after awhile and I know He is not really going to rain down answers or miracles. Knowing that He can totally heal - but He doesn't - has been one of the most frustrating parts of my journey as a caregiver.  Once the questions start it is easy to get sucked under by all the surrounding emotions. (of course that doesn't take much most days anyway! l ol) And as I am looking for some of the answers in the Word - or just an answer I always come back to the same thing. I cannot not believe in Him.  There's something in the core of my being that screams out There is a God! And even though there are no substantial answers to my many questions I can grab hold of Hebrews 11:6 - Withou...

Josiah has always been an intriguing OT character to me. He became king as such an early age and then the Bible says he did what was right in the sight of the Lord. (2 Kings22) It also says in the NLT that he followed the example of his ancestor David. He did not turn aside from doing what was right. The young man vehemently followed God's law as it was revealed to him. And in chapter 23 this young king read the entire Book of the Covenant  to the people. And then he (in his place of authority) renewed the covenant in the Lord's presence. Can you imagine if any nation's leader would actually take the time to read the entire covenant to the people of the land? I will admit that we are only talking about Genesis to Deuteronomy. But even that would be amazing. And then to have such leaders who would stand and say This is our covenant with the Lord and we will keep our end of it and serve Him alone. ...sorry for the skepticism but it is a nice dream...  Let's just ...

Don't you just love the conversations that you have with people who act like they know it all? Usually the conversation doesn't get very far because the who know it all can't see past their limited knowledge to hold a true challenging conversation!  Well, as I was studying this morning this short passage jumped out at me for a couple of reasons. It's actually in the context of Paul's instructions about eating meat that is sacrificed to idols. And then it seems he takes a little rabbit trail when he says the words in these three verses:   Now let's talk about food that has been sacrificed to idols You think that everyone should agree with your perfect knowledge. While knowledge may make us feel important, it is love that really builds up the church  Anyone who claims to know all the answers really doesn't know very much.  But t he person who loves God is the one God knows and cares for .   (1 Corinthians 8:1-3 NLT) I found the first part about the kn...