Why we're here...

Love and marriage are the greatest adventures in life, and they point they way to our relationship with the Almighty.

We're honored to be a member of the Christian Marriage Bloggers Association...click on their logo to visit them.

undefined

Wednesday, December 27, 2017

Monday, December 25, 2017

Your Dying Spouse 435 - Caregiving's Light {#adventphoto2017}

In being the caregiver for God Incarnate, Mary carried the Light of the World in her arms.

And so do you, as you care for your dying husband or wife. You are caring for someone made in God's image, someone for whom He sent His son to die.

In all the mess, in all the querulousness, in all the fatigue and frustration...you're doing something holy.

You will get tired and impatient; you will sometimes ask why.

No matter. mary got impatient; Jesus asked Why, and that His cup pass Him by.

It doesn't matter all that much how you do it. It matters that you do it.

And with that, Advent for Careegivers comes to a close. I'm profoundly grateful for your taing the time to read this, and comment. I didn't thin.sometimes, that I'd make it through to the end.

Well,  din't.

WE DID.

Music from Kari Jobe, with We Are.



Today's keyword for Advent-Photo-A-Day is light.


Previous posts in this series are

December 4 - A Caregiving Home
December 6 - A Caregiver's Vision
December 8 - A Caregiver's Renewal
December 12 - A Table In The Presence
December 14 - Into The Mystery
December 16 - A Caregiver's Open Arms
December 19 - Caregiving's Release
December 21 - Caregiving's Gift
December 23 - A Caregiver's Wonderings

Please pardon my slow response to comments. I'm doing my best, and your comments are really precious to me.

I'm really not doing well at all.

Thanks to Carol Ashby, Blessed Are The Pure Of Heart is back on Kindle, and will be available in paperback in a few days!

Friends are everything. I couldn't have done it.

I have another blog, "Starting The Day With Grace". The focus is a grace quote from someone you might not expect (like, say Mick Jagger) and a short commentary. I hope you'll join me.




Marley update... been moved to a sanctuary, and Bay County will revise their 'dangerous dog' codes.

WE MADE A DIFFERENCE!

And marley has a Facebook page! Please drop by to see how happy he is today.


If you can, please do leave a comment. I am trying to answer all, and I am failing, but please know this - I read and treasure each one.

Below are my recent releases on Kindle -please excuse their presence in the body of the blog. I haven't the energy to get them up as 'buttons' in the sidebar. You can click on the covers to go to the Amazon links.






Sunday, December 24, 2017

Your Dying Spouse 434 - Caregiving's Impatient Love {#adventphoto2017}

I wonder if Mary sometimes found Jesus hard to love.

Maybe not hard to love, exactly, but exasperating...like the time He stayed behind in Jerusalem, hanging out at the Temple.

And they looked everywhere for Him.

No less love, but I suspect more than a bit of impatience.

Caregiving's like that. A patient can get on your last frayed nerve...but the love doesn't stop.

The patience for the patient, at that moment, might!

Music from Jars Of Clay, with Love Came Down At Christmas.



Today's keyword for Advent-Photo-A-Day is love.


Previous posts in this series are

December 4 - A Caregiving Home
December 6 - A Caregiver's Vision
December 8 - A Caregiver's Renewal
December 12 - A Table In The Presence
December 14 - Into The Mystery
December 16 - A Caregiver's Open Arms
December 19 - Caregiving's Release
December 21 - Caregiving's Gift

Please pardon my slow response to comments. I'm doing my best, and your comments are really precious to me.

I'm really not doing well at all.

Thanks to Carol Ashby, Blessed Are The Pure Of Heart is back on Kindle, and will be available in paperback in a few days!

Friends are everything. I couldn't have done it.

I have another blog, "Starting The Day With Grace". The focus is a grace quote from someone you might not expect (like, say Mick Jagger) and a short commentary. I hope you'll join me.




Marley update... been moved to a sanctuary, and Bay County will revise their 'dangerous dog' codes.

WE MADE A DIFFERENCE!

And marley has a Facebook page! Please drop by to see how happy he is today.


If you can, please do leave a comment. I am trying to answer all, and I am failing, but please know this - I read and treasure each one.

Below are my recent releases on Kindle -please excuse their presence in the body of the blog. I haven't the energy to get them up as 'buttons' in the sidebar. You can click on the covers to go to the Amazon links.






Saturday, December 23, 2017

Your Dying Spouse 433 - A Caregiver's Wonderings {#adventphoto2017}

Did Mary wonder about what was in store for her, and for her child?

She knew the outline, of course, but did she wonder about the specifics?

Of course she did. She was human, after all. But wondering was, in the end, futile, because it only took away from today.

Same for the caregiver. You can read the prognosis for your husband or wife, and imagine the mileposts of illness that must be passed.

But that's buying heartache ahead of time.

Musical accompaniment is I Wonder As I Wander, from The Cambridge Singers.



Today's keyword for Advent-Photo-A-Day is wonder.


Previous posts in this series are

December 4 - A Caregiving Home
December 6 - A Caregiver's Vision
December 8 - A Caregiver's Renewal
December 12 - A Table In The Presence
December 14 - Into The Mystery
December 16 - A Caregiver's Open Arms
December 19 - Caregiving's Release
December 21 - Caregiving's Gift

Please pardon my slow response to comments. I'm doing my best, and your comments are really precious to me.

I'm really not doing well at all.

Thanks to Carol Ashby, Blessed Are The Pure Of Heart is back on Kindle, and will be available in paperback in a few days!

Friends are everything. I couldn't have done it.

I have another blog, "Starting The Day With Grace". The focus is a grace quote from someone you might not expect (like, say Mick Jagger) and a short commentary. I hope you'll join me.




Marley update... been moved to a sanctuary, and Bay County will revise their 'dangerous dog' codes.

WE MADE A DIFFERENCE!

And marley has a Facebook page! Please drop by to see how happy he is today.


If you can, please do leave a comment. I am trying to answer all, and I am failing, but please know this - I read and treasure each one.

Below are my recent releases on Kindle -please excuse their presence in the body of the blog. I haven't the energy to get them up as 'buttons' in the sidebar. You can click on the covers to go to the Amazon links.






Friday, December 22, 2017

Your Dying Spouse 432 - Caregiver, Remember Your Purpose {#adventphoto2017}

Raising a child isn't easy. Even if He is God.

I wonder, how many times did Mary feel like crying with frustration when Jesus acted...well, like a baby?

And each time she had to catch hold of herself, and remember...this is no ordinary baby. This is God Himself.

Did she then hear a little voice that said, "Yeah, but you'd have to catch and hold your patience for an ordinary child, as well? For is not every child made in My Image?"

Good thoughts for the caregiver, because dealing with a patient can be incredibly draining and frustrating. As the patient, I know...I don't try to be awful, but from the standpoint of 'being efficiently cared for', I often am.

And Barbara has to grit her teeth and remember..."you do it for the least of these, and you do it for Me."

Music from Harry Belafonte, with Mary's Boy Child.




Today's keyword for Advent-Photo-A-Day is remember.


Previous posts in this series are

December 4 - A Caregiving Home
December 6 - A Caregiver's Vision
December 8 - A Caregiver's Renewal
December 12 - A Table In The Presence
December 14 - Into The Mystery
December 16 - A Caregiver's Open Arms
December 19Caregiving's Release
December 21 - Caregiving's Gift

Please pardon my slow response to comments. I'm doing my best, and your comments are really precious to me.

I'm really not doing well at all.

Thanks to Carol Ashby, Blessed Are The Pure Of Heart is back on Kindle, and will be available in paperback in a few days!

Friends are everything. I couldn't have done it.

I have another blog, "Starting The Day With Grace". The focus is a grace quote from someone you might not expect (like, say Mick Jagger) and a short commentary. I hope you'll join me.




Marley update... been moved to a sanctuary, and Bay County will revise their 'dangerous dog' codes.

WE MADE A DIFFERENCE!

And marley has a Facebook page! Please drop by to see how happy he is today.


If you can, please do leave a comment. I am trying to answer all, and I am failing, but please know this - I read and treasure each one.

Below are my recent releases on Kindle -please excuse their presence in the body of the blog. I haven't the energy to get them up as 'buttons' in the sidebar. You can click on the covers to go to the Amazon links.