If you are seeking God, and there’s something you don’t quite understand, don’t simply walk away. Instead, get in the boat with Jesus, and you’ll have nothing to fear!
 
This was the advice Chris Carrillo shared with a terrific crowd of residents and their families who gathered for the October Christian Music Hour at Care-age of Brookfield. If you have a few minutes to spare, why not listen to his message, based on the events recorded in Mark 4 and 5? You will be blessed!   ​

Want to hear more from Chris? You'll find some of his very best messages on our Messages from Chris Carrillo page. 

(If you're reading this via email, please click on the headline above and you’ll be taken to the original post, complete with the audio.)

"Aging is not lost youth but a new stage of opportunity and strength." -- Betty Friedan

Oh my, here's another thing that good ol’ Betty got wrong. She apparently expressed this profoundly misleading idea without ever having visited a nursing home, and before she fell into great old age herself and died on her 85th birthday.  

Betty, you see, was not only the author of The Feminine Mystique, the book that kicked off modern feminism by purporting to liberate womankind from serving others instead of self. She was also a diehard agnostic and a signer of the Humanist Manifesto II--that influential 1973 declaration featuring an absolute rejection of any sort of God and enthusiastic promotion of unlimited abortion “rights.”
 
Bottom line: Betty was one of the many who have, over the centuries, approached old age in angry denial of eternal life.
 
Talk about a “grave error.”
 
Because if the Bible is correct – and it is, even though so many prefer to deny it – then there’s an eternity awaiting each of us when we leave these earthly bodies behind. And anyone going there without benefit of Jesus Christ is destined to live unhappily everafter. 
 
What those who share Betty's ideas fail to understand is that Jesus is the only true source of women’s liberation – and men’s, for that matter. 
 
What they also miss is the fact that aging is a stark reminder that God’s patience with us will ultimately run out, that we will not be occupying these earthly bodies forever, and that we’d best do some serious research into eternity while we are still capable of doing so.
 
If you have aging loved ones whose spiritual states looks more like Betty’s than the born-again Christian’s, please don’t wait another day. Introduce them to Jesus Christ and the plan of salvation detailed in the Bible. And then beg them to repent and place their trust in Him to have paid the penalty for their sin, in full, on the cross.
 
Those who take your advice will be eternally grateful. Those who don’t – well, at least they will have been warned. 

Two of my favorite people in the world -- Chris Carrillo and Dorothy Hendrix -- after the September 2018 Christian Music Hour at Care-age of Brookfield.  

Volunteering at a nursing home is not for everyone. But oh, if you are among those the Lord is calling for this ministry, you will be rewarded a thousand times over for every second you put into it.
 
Exhibit A: See the photo above.
 
On the left is my friend Chris Carrillo, a computer expert by day, and a preacher extraordinaire on weekends. He’s the Lord’s faithful servant who brings a wonderful, biblical message to the residents of Care-age of Brookfield every month – a message that invariably exhorts and encourages everyone within earshot, but especially the residents for whom he has tailored his insights. (For a sampling, visit our Messages from Chris Carrillo page.)    
 
On the right is my dear sister in Christ Dorothy Hendrix, who hails from Alabama. Dorothy is giving me a real education in Southern Belle Speak. (For the first couple months I knew her, when she told me that her son had “carried” her to the doctor or out to eat, I pictured him literally picking her up and toting her to the day’s destination. It took me quite a while to figure out that, to a Southern Belle, “carried” means “took” or “brought.”) Always ready to greet you with an encouraging word and a smile as bright as the sun, Dorothy makes your heart grin every time you see her.
 
Chris and Dorothy are just two of the absolutely terrific people I’ve gotten to know at Care-age over the years. I have a digital folder filled with photos of many of them, and one of my favorite ways to spend a spare hour or two is to look through those shots, reminiscing about the times we shared on this earth and anticipating all those joyful reunions “beyond the sunset.”
 
I know beyond any doubt that the Lord has called me to this ministry; it’s the only explanation I can think of for the sheer joy I feel every time I set foot in this facility.
 
Do you think He might be doing the same for you?  
                                                                  
If this brief glimpse into nursing-home volunteerism moves you at all, perhaps there are some equally amazing folks in your future. Check out some of the possibilities here. If any of these ideas appeal to you, or if you have some thoughts of your own on the subject, I do hope you’ll consider calling the Activities Director at a nearby nursing home to see how you might be a blessing to those who live there.     

First Impressions, Lasting Effect:
DIY Projects that Can Sell a Home Quickly
​

By June Duncan

If your parents are ready to downsize, chances are that they’re having a hard time managing their home and need to move as soon as possible. The faster you can get their home in shape and ready to sell, the better for all concerned. Fortunately, there are many steps you can take to grab the attention of potential home buyers and help your parents’ home sell quickly. With banks showing a continued reluctance to lend, competition can be very tight as buyers try to strike a compromise between the home of their dreams and one they can afford. The more you can do to make a strong initial impression, the better your chances of winning over a motivated buyer.

Maintain the clean
As soon as it’s decided to put your parents’ house on the market, give the entire place a deep cleaning, and be careful to keep it that way by cleaning thoroughly on a regular basis. You’ll need the tools necessary to keep the whole place spick and span, including a solid, quality vacuum cleaner with high-suction capability, and consider using microfiber wash cloths capable of getting up the worst grime and dust behind appliances and furniture, and keeping hardwood floors gleaming.

An engaging entryway
If it’s true you only have one chance to make a good first impression, you should place particular emphasis on the front entryway. A blase entryway makes it that much more difficult to win over a buyer once they’re inside, so spend some time and thought on creating a welcoming entrance. Keep any plantings well-trimmed and the area around the door weeded so as not to give the impression of neglect or seediness. If your house numbers are looking faded and worn, replace them with shiny, reflective numbers, and consider repainting or replacing your front door if it’s seen better days - an attractive front door will give buyers a positive initial impression they’ll carry with them as they move throughout the house. Once they’re inside, visitors shouldn’t see any shoes, jackets, keys or pieces of mail lying around.
 
Kitchen cabinets
Along with the bathroom, the kitchen is one of the most important rooms and is always of interest to buyers. With kitchen cabinets being such a dominant feature, it’s important to make sure they’re attractive and well-surfaced, so consider removing all drawers, doors and fixtures, cleaning each surface, deglazing with liquid sand and cleaning each surface once more, then repainting with the color of your choice. It’s an easy and inexpensive way to really make your kitchen pop.

Baseboards
Chances are that your parents’ baseboards have taken a pounding over the years, especially if they’ve been exposed to kids and pets. Fortunately, they can be repaired on a DIY basis fairly easily. Patch all holes, cracks or dents with wood filler, sand them, and repaint or refinish. If baseboards have separated from the wall, simply add caulk at the top where the trim meets the wall. Make sure all nails are flush with the face of the trim board using a nail punch.

Clean out the closets
Rest assured that attentive buyers will check into every nook and cranny of your parents’ home, which means closets and drawers too. A clean, well-organized closet is a sign of a truly well-cared-for house and will impress even the most discriminating buyer, so take the time to declutter each closet, getting rid of everything you can, and carefully organize what’s left behind. This will also help buyers see that your parents’ house has ample closet space, a very important point for anyone looking for a new home.

Appliances
If your appliances are showing their age, consider replacing knobs (easily done with a pair of needle-nose pliers) and any other fixtures that might help spruce them up. Make sure the facings of your oven, refrigerator, and microwave are sparkling clean.
​
A first impression is rarely more important than when you’re trying to sell a home. Focus on the front entryway to your parents’ home and keep the exterior area around the front door trim and well-kept. Before you invest a lot of money into your preparations, bear in mind that most staging tasks can be taken care of relatively easily and inexpensively.
 
About the Author
 
June Duncan is the co-creator of Rise Up for Caregivers, which offers support for family members and friends who have taken on the responsibility of caring for their loved ones. She is author of the upcoming book, The Complete Guide to Caregiving: A Daily Companion for New Senior Caregivers.