Three Ways to Talk to People Living with Alzheimer’s | ALZinfo.org

Three Ways to Talk to People Living with Alzheimer’s | ALZinfo.org             

My husband is not my soul mate. | The Art in Life

My husband is not my soul mate. | The Art in LifeI wouldn’t want to imagine life without James. I enjoy being with him more than anyone else in this world. I love him more than I ever thought you could love someone, and I miss him whenever I am not with him. I wouldn’t want to married to anyone else other than James, which is good, because I plan on being married to him forever, and he has to die first.

But I reject the entire premise of soul mates.                                               I thought this interesting reading and a unique perspective.

Reflections: Trying God's Patience

Nothing compels me more than reflecting on past experiences, hence unearthing life's lessons as the thought of getting older.  I have never looked at life in the same way after experiencing the short, emotional, and exhausting campaigns the Lord has sought to bring me through.

Perhaps the most challenging of life's lessons is that of cultivating PATIENCE.  I have been trying God's PATIENCE for some years now.  Why is PATIENCE so difficult at times?  Why is PATIENCE such a struggle?  Perhaps,it is, because, "All human beings are sinners and therefore selfish and annoying."  It remains so challenging because we have the tendency to see things from our point of view.  We each struggle with various levels of strengths and weaknesses.  Little do others know how hard we work at being PATIENT or do we?

Many of my adventures in life have involved opportunities to grow in PATIENCE, cultivating submissive attitudes to God's will, often to minister in unique ways.  Not that I have arrived because I have not.  God is still working on me and perhaps getting older is meant to be some of our last efforts at demonstrating PATIENCE as we go through the process of decline of age, creating opportunities for exercising the PATIENCE of all.

Nothing exercises PATIENCE more than entering Dementia and Alzheimer's World,both for the afflicted and those who care for them.

PATIENCE is a willingness to watch God's purposes unfolding with a sense of wonder and awe rather than foreboding dread.  The Scriptures allow us to marvel at the patience of God.  "The PATIENCE of God waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark."    120 years!

"Relevance of PATIENCE permits us to deal more effectually with the unevenness of life's experiences...clearly, without PATIENCE we learn less in life."

There are poignant and frequent reminders to exercise PATIENCE through out life.  I find myself having PATIENCE with some people and some situations, but not all.  Many times, I have been placed in difficult predicaments or forced to deal with what seems like "impossible" situations.  Each nuisance-long wait-trials-every mosquito bite-sitting in traffic-body aches, in life are exercises in PATIENCE.

Concerted efforts at exercising PATIENCE is relatively inconsequential, short-term situations gradually develop the strength to remain PATIENT in the most stressful and enduring environments.

So CHERISH PATIENCE as a major step in understanding and appreciating the process of cultivating it.   Scriptures reveal to us that when we display PATIENCE in our lives, we are really a reflection of Christ.  

PATIENCE is evidence of God's presence in us.  My greatest lessons in PATIENCE come from three major sources, my involvement in care giving, daily nuisances, and discomforts of home life.    RjS

Mirror Pond,  "Rome was not built in a day."

Seven Ways to Pray for Your Heart - Desiring God

Seven Ways to Pray for Your Heart - Desiring God

Delight: Whatever it takes, Lord, give me delight in you as the greatest treasure of my heart.

“Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4). “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21)

Desires: Whatever it takes, Lord, align the desires of my heart with yours.

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:9–10)

Dependence: Whatever it takes, Lord, increase my awareness of my dependence on you in everything so that I will live continually by faith.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

Discernment: Whatever it takes, Lord, teach me to discern good from evil through the rigorous exercise of constant practice.

“But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” (Hebrews 5:14)

Desperation: Whatever it takes, Lord, keep me desperate for you because I tend to wander when I stop feeling my need for you.

“Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word.” (Psalm 119:67)

Discipline: Whatever it takes, Lord, discipline me for my good that I may share your holiness and bear the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

“He disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” (Hebrews 12:10–11)

Diligence: Whatever it takes, Lord, increase my resolve to do your will with all diligence.

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:15–16)

These are just suggestions. The Lord may lead you to pray in other ways. But however he teaches us, whatever means we find helpful, may God cause us all to grow in faith until we pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17) and never lose heart (Luke 18:1).

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Recent posts from Jon Bloom:

• Lay Aside the Weight of “Not Feeling Like It”
• Lay Aside the Weight of Self-Preoccupation
• Lay Aside the Weight of Sluggishness

Topic: Prayer  

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CALLED TO WALK

  Our Gentle Man, 

  I have been blessed to be a helper/care giver to perhaps one of the most mystifying of all my experiences. 

  A tearful thought came to mind, that we have all been called to “Walk in a manner with which we have been called.”  Eph.4:1

    A sobering thought, that each of us, have been “called” to serve God through a journey not always by choice.

 Our LOVED ONES are WALKING in a manner that God has chosen for them , perhaps to serve us in ways to strengthen our relationship with Him or to draw others into His Kingdom.

 “WALKING” is common every day living. We take it for granted until circumstances come about that make it difficult or uncomfortable.   Difficult because the message from the brain has not reached the feet, discomfort because of pain, or any other reason.

  We are also admonished to “Walk with patience.”  

       This is a view from our Gentle Man if he could talk for one minute:

  I will whisk you around the block,

 stopping randomly to watch or look at something of interest,

 or perhaps pick up a twig or pick at a piece of moss.

  I will twirl anything for you, perhaps a large maple leaf by the stem.

  I will hold onto your arm or hold tightly, that’s how I know for sure, you are there.

   I will remain a mystery to you for words will not come.

  I will let my eyes tell with perhaps an occasional random word.

  I will willingly eat most anything, specially ice cream.

  I love the feel of most things. 

  With a twinkle in my eye, I am keeping you all on your toes.

 I  am WALKING IN THE MANNER, God has chosen for me. 

  I would not have chosen it but for the fact that it WAS CHOSEN for me. 

  It was you also whose calling to Care Give may not have been your choice of calling

 but here we all our serving, telling our story for His Glory. 

"Walk before the Lord, in a way that is pleasing to Him.  Gen.17:1

"For we are sojourners and transients before you, As were all our fathers; Our days on earth are as a shadow." I Chron.29:15

The appearance of the world around you depends on what you lay your eyes on.  One of Gary's random stops to take in his environment.

"Lord, you have established peace for us; all that we have accomplished you have done for us." Isaiah 26:12

"We walk by Faith and not by sight."

take-walk-with-turtle-pause-for-moment CLICK HERE

LOVED ONES FOR HIS GLORY

Capturing the frustrations & struggles of the moment