Daily Devotions for Caregivers

I KNOW I'm Not Alone - Why do I Feel That Way?

Do you ever feel alone? Caregiving has a way of isolating you and sometimes even in a crowd you can feel alone. Since I've become my son's aide, I feel more alone than ever. I know I am on the phone with people or in zoom meetings almost every day. But I still feel so very alone.

I remind myself that God is with me - a truth I hold on to. But it's so hard to not feel totally alone when you make all the decisions, do all the caregiving tasks, and can't find sitters for big events you really don't want to miss. I know that He said He'd be with me to the end. He also said He'd never leave or forsake us, but since God doesn't wear skin, it can feel like He's a million miles away from my day-to-day reality, no matter how much my heart holds to the truth that He is near.

Ah! The age-old battle between the mind and the spirit.

I started mentally walking through some Bible stories to find a character who may have felt very alone, yet God was with him. I landed on David. There he stood facing a giant, a foe of epic proportions like none other he'd ever faced. It was just him and Goliath. Was David alone? Nope. But certainly, he must have felt that way, right?

Saul tried to give David his armor and wasn't confident in sending "the kid" out to the battlefield. David had been talking among the ranks and asking soldiers what the prize was for defeating the giant. He didn't seem to ever think about any other scenarios - other than victory. His own brother tried to belittle him by asking where are those few little sheep you are supposed to be taking care of? This brother surely had seen Samuel anoint David as king, but refused to accept it and instead tried to make sure David knew he was the least, the youngest, the most unimportant piece in life's puzzle. So even though David had all of Saul's army present and "behind" him, he faced Goliath all alone. And that's where God showed up.

David must have looked and felt so small standing there in front of Goliath. He was likely shorter than the giant's staff. But David had told Saul that God had delivered him from the lion and the bear and he had no doubt God would deliver him from the giant too. So there stood little David all alone. Facing the giant and an army of frightened soldiers behind him - but not with him. But he trusted God and prevailed.

I propose today that even though we may feel sandwiched between a giant and our past God is with us on that field. We may hear the naysayers. We may not have any physical help. But God is showing up for us again and again. As caregivers, we face more than just one giant every single day. As a matter of fact, sometimes the smallest parts of life become huge giants because of our situations. But we can face them all in the name of the Lord.

Today, I will remind myself that I am not alone - no matter how alone I feel. I will tell myself to grab hold of those proverbial bootstraps and give it one more go. My thoughts will be directed toward the truth that God is with us - we never face the giants alone. I know I can trust Him to empower me to take them out one by one. So, I will trust Him with the giants of today. Will you join me?

________________________________________________________

31 Days in Psalm 31 devotional book cover

Check out my bookstores. I have eBook devotionals, Bible study guides, poetry, and more in my Dove's Fire Ministries bookstore. My Amazon bookshelf has a couple of those in print or on Kindle. My devotional 31 Days in Psalm 31 is all about seeking God from the cave! Check it out!

Under is Not All Bad

When we think of being under something it's usually in a bad connotation. We feel under the weather or we are under a heavy burden. But this weekend, I discovered that being under isn't all bad! We had some bad storms roll through. The tornadic activity was nowhere near me but in the same county. Since there was a tornado warning in the county, the tornado sirens were blaring. I ran outside to see if I could capture a photo of anything interesting from this side.

What I found was a huge feeder cloud looming overhead. I snapped a photo but it just did not compare. I took several photos and came back to the house to look at them. They seemed to lack something. It took me a few minutes to figure out what was missing. A picture just couldn't capture the feeling of being under that huge cloud formation.

Of course, my mind went to the scriptures. Psalm 91 talks about hiding under the shadow of the Almighty. In Psalm 57, the psalmist declares he will stay under the shadow of God's protection until the calamities were passed. Until we get under His protective wings, we just won't get it!

What good is a refuge if we don't run to it? What good is a fortress if we don't hunker down for protection? God is our refuge - He is our strength - but we must hide in Him and run to Him first. Until we get under Him - we won't have a sense of His protection, power, majesty, and strength.

Today, I will purposefully hide my heart in His. I'll seek His protection, peace, and comfort. I'll remind myself that I need to let Him carry me when I feel like I cannot take one more step. I'll remind myself that it's okay (and preferred) to run to Him before I find myself in overwhelm mode. He's right there waiting for us - will you join me?

__________________________________________________

Check out my bookstores. I have eBook devotionals, Bible study guides, poetry, and more in my Dove's Fire Ministries bookstore. My Amazon bookshelf has a couple of those in print or on Kindle.

Download Poems for Caregivers for free!

Not Forgotten

It's so easy to feel insignificant, ignored, and shoved to the side of life. People don't always mean to be mean, but they often don't know what to do with "us." lol. Simple things become complicated. Like, which Sunday School class do I belong in? Should I go with Chris? Leave him alone in a class and try to find my own? Or do I even try to go since it'll be such a mess? Let's not even talk about trying to find a way to use a public restroom. Do I take my adult son with me to the women's or do I go to the men's? (That's a no.)

For caregivers, simple daily tasks can become quite difficult. Others just don't understand and so it can be easy to begin to feel less-than and insignificant. These are some of the thoughts I let my mind wander down this morning after reading John 4 again. This chapter contains the familiar story of the Woman at the Well. We don't even know her name.

We know very little about her past, except that she's been married five times and now she's living with a man. We know nothing of her future. Yet, Jesus went way out of His way to meet with her at the well that day. He met with a woman (strike one), in Samaria (strike two). And He even told her straight up that He was the Messiah. wow. She wasn't going to slay a giant, survive a burning fiery furnace, or get out of a lion's den. There's no glowing superhuman story. Just a woman at a well. Insignificant? Yet worth His time.

The earth is in the Milky Way Galaxy. But it's only one of many galaxies out there. We can easily feel so insignificant just as humans on this sole little planet swirling around with 8 other planets, lots of stars, moons, and the sun. But to think there are numerous other galaxies makes us seem less significant in the grand scheme of things. Yet - Jesus left His peace HERE. (John 14:27) God loves US. God walks through time with us - He shared His peace, love, wisdom, and strength with us. He came for US.

Today, I will remind myself that I am surrounded by His greatness. In my small existence, God lives big in me. Though the world often makes me feel insignificant and alone, God cares. I'll remind myself that He watches over me, He wants to be with me, and He hears my smaller-than-a-pea-sized prayer. He catches MY tears and knows what caused each one to fall into His hand. I believe with that thought- I can trust Him with one more day. Will you join me?

_____________________________________________________________

Full Of It

This morning during my private devotions, I started studying 1 John to prepare for an upcoming live Zoom Bible study I'm hosting. (Let me know if you'd like a link to join!) I John is very connected to the gospel of John and I found myself reading the first chapter of this gospel over and over. It amazes me and pretty much blows my mind how God has orchestrated all this. Before He said, "Let there be light" He had already done everything. He'd already prepared the way for us to get back to Him, even before the fall happened in time. Jesus was crucified and raised to sit on the throne. Our sins were already forgiven before we ever even committed them. (We just need to accept His forgiveness.)

So I'm reading through John chapter one with my mouth wide open in awe! My mind is running around crazy just thinking about all the wonderous works of God. The Word of God - His very breath become flesh and walked among man for a brief 33 years. In verse 14, it says He become human (NLT), lived on earth with us, and that He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. That can also be translated to grace and truth.

Does it not just blow your mind that God cares? He is eternal and time is such a small piece of eternity - yet that's where He chooses to meet us and walk with us. He's so much more than a "little-g" god. He desires intimacy with us. He wants to walk with us, to be with us. And when He is welcomed into our lives and He comes - He brings all He is with Him. Truth, forgiveness, light, understanding, comfort, peace, and of course - love. That just blows my mind.

It's amazing that He wants to walk through time with mankind, isn't it? But He's not limited to time like we are because eternity exists in Him. Time is but a small piece of eternity. Yet this eternal God of comfort, God of peace, God of grace, mercy, and truth - wants to be with us. And for mankind - that's great. But for the caregiver it's monumental. Because so many people don't want to be with us. No-fault - no blame - they don't know what to do with us. But God does.

He knows how to comfort us in ways beyond our understanding. He knows how to hold us, give us peace, and soothe us with His song. If we listen. Can you hear Him? Most of the time I can - unless caregiving gets too hectic! But He's always singing. Always comforting. Always pouring out His love on us.

Today, I will purposefully quiet my heart and listen for His song. I'll lean in a little closer to hear His heart as I tone down the crazy thoughts running through my heart and mind. I will purposefully look for His grace at work in my life today. And I will embrace His heart of comfort in the midst of the pain and grief that often accompanies caregiving. Will you join me?

_____________________________________________________________

Check out my bookstores. I have eBook devotionals, Bible study guides, poetry, and more in my Dove's Fire Ministries bookstore. My Amazon bookshelf has a couple of those in print or on Kindle.

Stating the Obvious

I came across this scripture this morning and it just jumped out at me. Joshua 13:1 says this Now Joshua was old, advanced in years. And the Lord said to him: you are old, advanced in years, and there remains very much land yet to be possessed. (NASB) That scripture has always seemed so funny to me, but today - I got it.

The obvious is that Joshua is old, advanced in years. I get that! I always thought it was funny that God then said the same thing to him. Joshua - you're old. LOL. Wasn't God just stating the obvious? That's not really the most important part although it is key. God went on to tell the old man that there was still a lot to do - much land to possess. Surely Joshua found that encouraging!

For a few minutes, I rolled this seemingly insignificant verse around in my head. I had tons of questions. Why did God need to remind Joshua that he was getting so old? We've talked a lot about "exclusionary statements" on this blog. I think God is giving Joshua a heads up. He is stating the obvious argument that might pop up in Josh's head. Dude, you're old. But then He continues with the promise - and there is still a lot of land to possess. Joshua was not excluded from the promised land because he was old.

God knew.

Just like God knew that Joshua was getting older, but still had so many promises to live out - He knows we are caregivers. If He was addressing us, He might say - You are a caregiver, you are overwhelmed and overloaded - but I still have many promises to fulfill in your life. It seems to be sort of the opposite of an exclusionary statement, doesn't it? God's saying- I understand who you are, where you are, and what you are doing - but there's still some promises to go claim!

Man, I found that encouraging today. After many rough days and nights life tends to dig at all His promises. Our questions turn to things like Is He still there? Does He still know me? Does He see? Does He hear? But His statement to Joshua let him know - and lets us know - He still hears and sees, but He still has a plan.

Today, I am going to guard my thoughts. I'll remind myself that God not only sees and hears- but He understands too. But He still won't take back even one of His promises to those who believe whether we are old - or caregivers - or both! I'll thank Him for His grace, patience, goodness, and faithfulness to us as caregivers and trust Him for one more day - will you join me?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

31 Days devotional book, on tablet and on phone

Check out all my published eBooks on Dove's Fire Ministries Bookstore. I also have a few of the devotionals and study guides in print or on Kindle and Amazon store. (New stuff coming soon to both!)

Starting a Caregiving Support Business? Here’s What to Do

Image from Unsplash

The senior care industry is booming. In fact, Business Insider reports that as the Baby Boomer population ages, the market for senior caregiving is expected to grow by 21% by 2050. To account for this trend, many individuals are choosing to go into the family senior caregiving business. And by accounting for this new growth, you can make headway into this space as well… by providing support and services to the increased number of senior caregivers! Want to learn more? Let’s break it all down below.

Identifying Your Business Niche

According to Big Frame, having a business niche makes it easier to become well-known in your industry and reduces competition while targeting audiences. Since you’ll be serving senior family caregivers, you already have a well-defined niche. But think about going more granular into the topic. What age demographics will your professionals belong to? What about their income and asset levels? Do lots of research about these particulars, so you can market your product or services to better serve them. For example, you might find that what would be most helpful in this space would be appointment technology that automates daily functions, tasks, and more. Or perhaps, your research shows that going into the human resources side of things would be more beneficial, as there is a need for temp workers in the caregiving industry. Doing this research well in advance will help you choose which services to offer and how you can do so.

Marketing Your Business

We all know the benefits of business marketing. You’ll see increased web traffic, more clicks, sales, and many other trackable metrics. Managing your web presence will be essential for this. You’ll need a unified website and social channels to present your brand. While doing so, don’t forget old-school marketing techniques that have stood the test of time. These include strategies like networking to get the word out or launching collaborations to increase reach.

In addition, don’t forget to design essential marketing collaterals like a logo and business card. For example, a well-designed logo goes a long way in creating a solid first impression and helping you stand out amongst your competition. And designing an excellent logo doesn’t mean you have to shell out thousands of dollars for professional design services! Instead, you can make your own company logo by using an online tool that will allow you to create an appealing and creative logo. Then, you can combine the logo with a quick image resizer that allows you to adjust the size of your logo images for whatever you need, be it social media or business cards.

Finding Clients

Finding the first few clients is going to be your biggest hurdle. But once you get the ball rolling, you’ll find the referrals streaming in and customers increasing without much effort. Here are some (low-cost) ideas to start attracting customers:

● Targeted ad placements on social media (specify all the audience parameters to ensure your ad reaches the right target professionals or demographic).

● Place notices on bulletin boards of like-minded businesses. A caregiving facility or recruitment agency could be an excellent place to do this.

● Let all your networks, including friends and family, know about your new venture. You never know who may have the right connections or advice to help you along your way!

If you’ve always wanted to start your own business, the caregiver support space is an excellent place to start. And since this market is expected to be worth $1.7 trillion by 2028, there is lots of opportunity for growth and expansion.

Go-To Scriptures

I was visiting with a lady from Alaska yesterday. She was telling me about a ministry she helps with and she said they had a main scripture. It made me wonder if I needed one. I thought about what she'd said for some time, but couldn't settle on a single scripture that I would call my "life scripture." You know? My favorite passages change from day to day. Sometimes, it's from moment to moment!

I can say I have a lot of go-to scriptures. We talk about a lot of them here. Psalm 46:1 - God is my refuge and strength - a very present help in time of trouble. I go to that one a lot. But I have held onto Psalm 57:1 for years and declared that I will stay under His shadow and shelter until calamities are past. On any given day I may meditate on any number of verses I've read in my devotions or just a random one that comes to mind. Since His word is alive - and it's in us - you just never know which one may pop up!

Maybe that's why it's so important to hide His word in our hearts. When we need it - Holy Spirit will help us recall it. My students used to ask me to pray for them before their big tests. I always asked if they had studied. If they said no - I told them to pray that they will recall what they studied would be a waste of time. lol. It's true - if we put scriptures in, then God has something to work with. He'll help us remember the things we've read.

I have some go-to scriptures on peace. Some on His goodness. A few verses I run to when I need comfort. And then I have a whole lot of them on trusting Him in the storms of life. Maybe it's because I live in a storm. (smile) So I have a lot of go-to scriptures, but not just one I can say - this is my verse. "My verse" changes with the winds of the day. I grab whatever passage is going to help me make it through the day with my faith intact. Can you identify?

With all that being said, I love scripture. I love His word. I love the way it changes me and helps me shape my perspective to be more like His. It's like a one-stop-shop - there's a little bit of everything in there. We find comfort, peace, joy, direction, wisdom, grace, mercy, and the list goes on.

Today, I will remind myself of the power of His word and I'll allow it to work in my life today. As I meditate on His word today, I'll thank Him for His word's power to change me and I'll let His word shape my day. Will you join me?

If you enjoy these devotionals, I have others! I've expanded my bookstore on Amazon. My devotionals are available in Kindle or print format. The new Bible study guides are now available on Kindle and in print! Check out my growing bookstore: My Bookshelf

I also recently opened my own bookstore. I'm presently filling it up with my books - check out the ones I have available in eBook format. You can download them and read them on your phone! Dove's Fire Ministries Bookstore.