Caregivers Devotional

It has occurred to me over the 30 plus years of nursing home ministry how few good resources there are for those in what I have come to call the “Long Term Care Community”. That long term care community includes all of us who are family members, residents, staff or volunteers at a nursing home, assisted living facility or large group home. We share a common culture and set of difficulties and challenges that are unique. One part of that community that has been getting a little more press over the last couple of years are those who are commonly called caregivers. But who is a caregiver? Is it the nurse who oversees the ward? Is it the family member who cares for their mom or dad at home or visits regularly at a nursing home? In a small way almost all of us are caregivers including the resident who encourages and prays for their room mate.

Grace for the Road is a small devotional reader dedicated to the hundreds of nursing home residents for whom I have had the honor of singing, praying for and becoming friends with over the years. Together we; along with our families and the staff who work in long term care facilities form a community. We share a common bond and a unique way of seeing the world. Our great hope is that Jesus understands our weaknesses our cares and even our fears. He was not ashamed to call us brothers and sisters and best of all He bows down to listen to our whispered prayers.  Grace for the Road image

These 31 daily readings are messages of the love that God offers to each and every one of us. If we will simply reach out to touch the hem of His garment He promises to give us grace for the road that we travel with Him. Available today in standard, large print or e-book formats.

Grace for the Road – Paperback

Grace for the Road – Large Print Edition

New Year – New Horizons

After a couple of weeks away with time to enjoy Christmas and New Year with the other half I am officially back to writing for 2020. Thank you to all of you who have followed, read and commented over the past year. It is a real encouragement knowing some of the things God has brought me through have been a help to others. 2020 will be a different in that I will be posting only once a week except for around the holidays. I will also be posting once a week on New Beginnings about Nursing Home outreach. I am thankful that a small group of volunteers is beginning to network with me through our local church to help with the outreach in the North Tampa area. If you or someone you know is interested you can check out the weekly posts over at New Beginnings

None of what has been happening would be possible without the help, prayers and support of many people. Last year my resolution was to pray more honestly. In 2020 my desire is to pray more intensely since the time is growing short and only by God’s power can anything be accomplished of eternal worth. God bless you and may you walk closely with Jesus this week.

 

Always Pray

When our eyes first open and the sun peeks in

We can thank the Lord as our day begins

Or when storms close in and darken the sky

We run to find shelter at our Jesus’ side

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If the corn is ripe or if the fields are dead

We can still thank God for our daily bread

And when we sin and fall under guilt and shame

He forgives if we ask Him in His holy name

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Photo by Ivan J. Long on Pexels.com

After we’ve run as far as we can

He renews our strength when we pray to Him

When we stand up strong or when we fall down

If we’ll pray to the end He has promised a crown

It’s not by our wisdom that this battle is won

Nor by our strength that the race must be run

He gives when we ask and when we seek we will find

If we’ll pray and not faint to our life’s finish line!

And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint                   Luke 18:1

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Nursing Home Outreach

This is a short video that our church filmed recently highlighting the opportunity and need for nursing home outreach. For those of you who have followed by blog for a while you know that my passion has been to reach into Long Term Care homes around our community. Ministering to the needs of residents is about more than simply singing a few songs or showing up on the holidays. Serving the needs of those in long term care means also reaching the community around them, including family members, staff and other volunteers. My prayer is that you will hear God’s call to give time, energy, prayer and resources in this New Year ahead to make a difference in the lives of those in the Long Term Care Community.