When Tension is a GIFT
None of us is a stranger to tension. There is joy amidst sorrow. There is appreciation amidst desperation. There are certain riches in this life and our relationships because of the hardships we endure. Still, we try to flee from suffering and cling to comfort zones.
Explore encouragement and perspective with a look back at truth, on today’s blog (a refresher from October 2011).
How to Catch Up with Friends Without Sounding Like a Broken Record
Anyone who has lived through prolonged suffering will understand that it can be hard to navigate “catching up with friends.”
Today’s blog draws from my own personal experience and from hearing the experiences of so many other caregivers over the years. I think you’ll find resonance, encouragement, and practical ideas here about how to share conversation with others in a way that is satisfying for you, edifying to others, and honoring to God.
We’ve Got the Tools, Let’s Hold the Faith!
There is a truly astounding amount of information stored out there in the immense information aggregation we know as “the internet.” With a little persistence, one can not only get a pretty good idea of what is wrong with a 2001 Impala when the temperature gauge does not move off the lower bound of its measuring range, but also a list of any necessary tools or parts needed as well as step-by-step instructions for making the repair. All that is left is to decide whether one can or wants to handle the job.
It’s pretty simple, really. Even for me.
On today’s blog, find out how Larry discovered that the availability of information is not the problem when it comes to functioning well in life and relationships.
Reassurance for the Caregiving Roller Coaster Ride
On the blog today, our guest Sarah Kelsey shares how some volatile circumstances in her home were met with unexpected peace. Sarah’s son has autism and summer has been long for her family.
While on a walk near her home, Sarah came upon a dead swallow under the shade of a tree. He was lying serenely on his back with his feathers tucked beneath him. She thought about how beautiful and fragile-looking the bird seemed amid all the vitality around her. And it seemed the dead bird was forgotten.
Check out the blog to be encouraged and inspired by Sarah’s very personal but resonating experience for parents facing the roller coaster of days in the throes of caregiving.
Back to School Prayer for Your Special Child and Family
As parents everywhere are helping children back to school, parents of children with disabilities or other special needs experience their own mix of emotions. God sees. He cares. He is with us and for us. Let’s pray together for our children, ourselves, and our families.
I see my child’s excitement — frustrations and fears too — in going back to school. Help me to celebrate that excitement with my child. Help me to show generous empathy and encouragement. Show me opportunities to reassure my precious child that even when I am not there to help, You are always with them. Your power, presence, and love are all they need. You will hold them in peace while they are learning, playing, exploring, riding buses, and making friends.
Crumbled Cookies Brought Heaven’s Truth
One fall day in 2011, I sat in the car watching my two oldest sons practice football. As I sat there in that moment of solitude, munching on chocolate chip cookies, I laid my accusations, questions and grief at the feet of Jesus. I asked God for some sort of direction regarding why some children are born “broken “ by worldly standards.
Having eaten all of the cookies, only broken crumbles remained. Kelley sensed the quiet voice of God speaking to her soul, bringing a peace she hadn’t known before.
Again today, guest blogger Kelley Cagles shares an encouraging poem.
What Is Your Main Thing?
“The storm may be around you, but it doesn’t have to be in you.” —Kris Vallotton
What if there was one sentence that helped anchor and calm us when our child’s disability is threatening to steal our joy?
On today’s blog, we’re looking at how anxieties and overwhelm can be deeply attached to goals we did not even know we had. And we’re exploring godly goals families can lean into for focus and peace about what matters most in the grand scheme of life.
Freedom from Caregiver Stress Wounds
Life at the Jamieson house is the usual mixed bag of chaos, challenge, and delight. In many ways, our family is not all that different from many other caregiving families in the summer. We are wrestling between the joys of extra family time and moments when stress triggers problematic communication.
Since I am hearing from so many other families about how relationships are experiencing extra strain lately, I decided to face the issue head on in my post today.
Check out today’s blog for a life-changing tool toward healing in your relationships.
A Closet for New Possibilities
“I’ve been purging and re-organizing a large closet filled with things for Carly, our daughter with disabilities. A very helpful dinner conversation with one of Carly’s friends helped me recognize some unhelpful things I was believing and identify some helpful truths. That conversation got me unstuck and helped me push back stubborn fears about discarding something I might later regret.”
On today’s blog, Lisa is sharing five truths that helped her unpack the history in her closet. We pray it will be helpful in some way for you too.
A Caregiver’s Prayer for Rest
There have been times when my daughter’s needs have become very scary or intense for me as her caregiver. I have felt like I’m survival mode. When she has suffered from seizures, I become fearful. When she hasn’t slept much for days or weeks, I have been overwhelmed and emotional in sleep deprivation. I have wanted to run away from my life. Sometimes I do, in a way. When there is support staff available in the morning, I have pushed the snooze so many times trying to push off a new day with its incessant battles. I tend to hide in my bedroom at any opportunity to escape the demands that will arise as soon as Carly sees me. I avoid the kitchen when I can’t face the need to puree one more meal. I run emotionally when I feel like I am suffocating in my life.
These are the confessions of a caregiver.
On today’s blog, Lisa shares a poignant, personal peek into one of her prayer journals. On this particular day, she explored a reflection with God on 1 Kings 19.
Our prayer is that other caregivers may be inspired to find their own way to fresh soul connection and rest with our Savior.
