When it’s okay to be anti
Fear of Dying
Are you afraid of death?
Why should dying scare a professing Christian?
In my father’s house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. John 14:12 “I’m afraid to die.” I’ve heard this comment from more than one older person. And all are professing Christians. What is going on? Christians have an abiding belief…
Growing up is not a piece of cake – Life lessons learned with age
Our friends at Landmark Living have posted another informative and insightful article on aging…. Everyone faces challenges which you have to be prepared for. Problems are there to make you stronger but only if you let them! Dealing with challenges helps you become a stronger person. Whether you are young or old, the issues below…
Boundaries…What Boundaries?
When Mike and I first talked about moving in with my mom after her stroke, my sister in law gave us some advice. “Talk to a counselor. You need to make sure all of you understand boundaries.” At the time, I thought she was making something out of nothing. I could handle Mom and her…
The Shadow
Mim has been a member of the same church for over forty years. She’s served on the Women’s Ministry Council, sung in the choir, worked in the nursery, and is a prayer warrior. She’s adored by everyone who knows her. Now in her late eighties, Mim had a stroke. Her daughter flew up from Southern…
Caring for an aging loved one
Have you ever flipped through old photos? Many times I don’t recognize the people whose picture I captured years ago. People pass in and out of our lives. We move. We change jobs or churches. We no longer have common interests. Sometimes a death occurs. With the result that a photo taken years ago no…
Dementia and obsessions
“Mom, why do you have an entire shelf of plastic take-home containers?” “I might need them someday.” My mother’s answer is the same no matter what I ask. Plastic Cool Whip containers, empty sour cream tubs, tiny lidded bowls that once contained sauce. Old towels, empty coffee cans, and plastic bags of every size and…
A New Season of Caregiving – Part 2
First world problem – I have too much stuff. Too many shoes, way too many clothes, and things in my linen closet I haven’t touched in years. What to do? Purge. Repeat. Purge again. Mike and I are going from a three-bedroom, 2 ½ bath home to one very small bedroom in my mother’s townhome.…
A New Season of Caregiving – Part 1
“What would you think about moving in with Mom?” my husband asked one recent evening. Before the last syllable died in the ensuing silence, I was already shaking my head from side to side. “No. Nope. No way.” There would be bloodshed. Not mine. A few weeks later, he brought it up again. My 93-year-old…