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How can you help?

9/6/2023

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Years ago, a creation-science lecturer was asked how he knew that God had called him to be a speaker on this subject. “I didn’t know,” he said, shrugging. “I just could see what needed to be done, and I did it.”
 
It seems to me that this is exactly how the Lord often works: He makes a need obvious to one of His servants, and soon enough “seeing” becomes “doing.”
 
Here are a few pressing needs I’ve observed at the nursing home where I hang out. See anything that might turn into a personal calling for you?
 
Personal shopper: Not many nursing-home residents are able to get out and shop for necessities or niceties. And few are able to access online stores themselves. If you enjoy shopping, and if there’s a way to get reimbursed for your expenditures via, for instance, a petty cash fund, perhaps you could become a personal shopper for as many residents as you have time to serve.
 
Even though it’s not my thing, I actually do some shopping for one of my resident friends—virtually all of it online. She has all of her marbles (and then some), as well as the ability to get me reimbursed quickly and easily, so it works out very well for both of us.
 
But how cool would it be for someone who loves to shop, and is a good money manager, to offer this service on a volunteer basis? On any given day your shopping basket might contain items from cosmetics to batteries, slippers to magnifying glasses, stationery to gifts for grandkids—whatever needs have become impossible for your elderly friends to meet under their own power.  
 
In-room gardener: Some residents receive wonderful indoor plants that they appreciate greatly, but are unable to care for themselves. Perhaps you could help those plants thrive, going from room to room each week to tend to them and, while you’re at it, having nice conversations with their owners.
 
Simply check the labels that are normally tucked into the soil for basic care instructions, and follow them to the letter. Or, to make your service even more personal, look up each variety on the internet, and print out any especially interesting information you may find—information about things like ideal fertilization schedules, repotting requirements, or the natural habitats of particularly exotic plants. Then share the details with their owners.                 
 
This service may require a minor investment on your part. For instance, I occasionally bring in distilled water and specialized fertilizer for one woman’s treasured orchid. But the costs are normally minimal, and if necessary, you could ask to be reimbursed.
 
Feed the birds: Some nursing homes allow you to set up and tend to feeders outside first-floor residents’ windows.  Might that task be up your alley? If so, your efforts will be highly appreciated.
 
Feeders and seed are not cheap; nor is the suet so beloved by woodpeckers in our part of the country.  So unless you’re able to underwrite the costs personally, you’ll need to discuss funding this project with your Activities Director. 
 
But if the finances can be worked out along with who-does-what details such as feeder setup, cleaning and procuring the food, you’ll be providing these residents with hour after hour of pleasure all year long. And you can make the experience even more enjoyable for them by researching the species that frequent their feeders, or by bringing in bird-watching books that you’ve picked up at the library or thrift stores.  
 
Organizer: For any number of reasons, not all nursing-home residents are neatniks. But you could help one or more of them become and remain organized via periodic drawer-cleaning, closet-freshening and gleaning of important items from stacks of otherwise disposable papers and magazines.
 
As you proceed, you might find additional ways to serve a given resident—for instance, taking special clothing items home for hand-washing, ironing, or mending. And perhaps you could fetch a few file folders from the front office to create a potentially permanent fix for important papers.  
 
Become a scribe: Some nursing-home residents love to correspond with old friends and family members. Yet as we age, our handwriting can become practically illegible, and even handling paper, envelopes and stamps can become a real challenge.
 
Maybe you could help with this task, by writing out cards and letters for a few residents, preparing the envelopes and making sure that they get mailed.
                                                                                
I spent nearly four years doing this for a woman with Parkinson’s disease. In her case, we created rough first drafts and then polished the words until she was satisfied. Finally, I’d write our final draft on handsome stationery; I kept her well-stocked by shopping the sales at high-style discount stores.
 
Another woman with an enormous number of friends, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren simply wanted to remember everyone’s birthday with greeting cards. For her, I found a month-by-month pocket folder and inexpensive packets of birthday cards at a local dollar store. Together, we organized it all so that at the end of each month, we could prepare the next month’s cards, complete with addresses, stamps and mailing dates noted on sticky notes; she then kept them on her bedside table for mailing on the appointed days.
 
What needs do you see? I’ve barely scratched the surface with these suggestions. Other valued services might include reading Scripture to the blind or making monthly runs to your local library for avid readers. If you start visiting nursing-home residents, you’ll no doubt spot many other ways you could be a blessing to each one.
 
Of course, any such services would need to be cleared ahead of time. In fact, that would be a good place to start, broaching your ideas to the Activities Director you report to.
 
Do you have other suggestions to share? If so, please let me know via this contact form or by emailing me at kitty@everlastingplace.com.
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"Forever, immortal"

6/20/2023

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​Among my favorite novels are those written by Anne Parrish, my mother’s second favorite author when she was a young woman. Parrish was most famous for her children’s books, having been a three-time runner up for the Newbery Medal. But she also wrote some wonderful novels for adults, featuring characters from the somewhat noble to the extraordinarily flawed.
 
Her finest story may be The Perennial Bachelor, set in the 19th century and published in 1925. (To give you an idea of how popular she was, its first printing was in June of 1925; my copy, from its seventh printing, was published in September of that same year.)
 
I’m only guessing, since it can be difficult to find reviews of books written almost a century ago. But I have to think that one reason for Parrish’s popularity was her insight into the human heart. For instance, here’s a passage from The Perennial Bachelor – a description of the impoverished heroine’s visit to the house she’d lived in all her life, now owned and newly remodeled by a wealthy family:

  • “No matter what changes they made, Maggie thought, she could keep The Maples unchanged in her heart. When her home had been hers, she had never been able to hold it – the leaves fell, sunsets faded, darkness drank up the river, everything changed and passed like flowing water. But now that she had lost it, it was hers forever, immortal.” 

This is certainly true of places that have been dear to us; I personally spend a great deal of time remembering, room by room, the house I grew up in, as well as the homes of my little friends.  
 
But it’s true, too, of our loved ones, and especially as we lose them to age and death. The longer these loved ones live, the less we are able to hold them, and the more painful it becomes to watch them deteriorate physically, mentally and emotionally. We may perhaps be able to relieve one source of misery today, but it will only be replaced by others tomorrow. And along the way, we become so preoccupied with the dying that we lose our beloved, often long before he or she draws that final breath.
 
Ah, but then: Death not only frees our loved one from this decay; it frees us from the anguish of good-bye and into our fondest memories. To paraphrase Parrish, “Now that I have lost her, she is mine forever, immortal.”
 
Of course, when this process involves followers of Jesus Christ, death is merely a temporary separation that will culminate in blissful reunion and eternal joy. And those wonderful memories provide exquisite comfort in the interim; surely that was by His design.
 
Not so for the thoughtful unbeliever. He must realize early on that nothing can be his forevermore. And surely that must turn even the loveliest memories bitter.
 
Fortunately, there’s good news for all: As long as we have breath, it’s not too late to receive the free gift of eternal life. You can do it today; and so can your loved ones. And then you can truly belong to each other “forever, immortal.” 

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Will Great Grandma be homeless?

5/3/2023

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In this day of 24x7 news coverage, why are we so ill-informed about the things that matter? In particular, why are we clueless about the consequences of governmental policies that affect the most vulnerable Americans?
 
Consider, for example, the ongoing chatter about “Medicare for all.” Sounds great, doesn’t it? So what if so-and-so said that Medicare is headed for bankruptcy just a few years down the road? The government can just print more money, right? Modern Monetary Theory says that'll work just fine.
 
After all, if our most revered politicians aren’t worried about it, why should we be?
 
Here’s the short answer: Because there are unintended consequences to every policy the government implements. And each one can have a devastating impact on certain groups of people.
 
We're seeing the tip of the iceberg here in Wisconsin over the last decade, as nursing home after nursing home has closed its doors. The primary reason? Annual losses of $5 to $7 million in Medicaid reimbursements, exacerbated by Obama-era reimbursement changes.  
 
“Though the shortfalls have been occurring for years,” Skilled Nursing News reported a few years back, “the stress accelerated in 2016 with the implementation of the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement Model (CJR), which shifted reimbursements for common hip and knee replacements to a bundled payment model that the hospital, doctors, and post-acute providers must share.”
 
Bottom line: In a drive to save money, the feds made some changes that will continue to shutter skilled-nursing facilities that have been home to scores of elderly Americans. 
 
How many residents have already been, or will soon be, rendered at least temporarily homeless by this scheme?
 
Beats me. But it does make you wonder what else our bureaucrats have up their sleeves. If "Medicare for all" ever becomes a reality, will even more elderly people pay the price?  
 
Wouldn't you think that some enterprising journalists would investigate the unintended consequences of such policies and help us become more informed voters? Granted, it’s complicated stuff, but I guarantee that there are still some supply-side economists around who could have predicted this particular outcome. And maybe they would care to comment on some of the other issues being so hotly debated today—issues that will impact how we care for our most defenseless populations in the years to come.
 
Is that expecting too much of modern journalists? Could be. And it’s further complicated by the fact that each state comes up with its own Medicaid reimbursements rules.
 
Still, if we’re concerned about who’s going to be taking care of Great Grandma in her twilight years—indeed, who’s going to be taking care of us down the road—we’d best start paying attention today. And we’d best vote for candidates who appear to have both a grasp of real-world economics and a concern for the elderly.    ​
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Longing for Heaven?

1/23/2023

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“Every joy on earth—including the joy of reunion--
is an inkling, a whisper of greater joy.”

--Randy Alcorn, Heaven, page 241
Some years ago, we devoted a portion of our weekly nursing-home Bible study to reading and discussing the highlights of Randy Alcorn’s book Heaven.  
 
It took us over six months to finish this wonderful study, but it was worth every moment. Relying primarily on the Bible itself but also introducing the thoughts of dozens of theologians, Alcorn greatly expanded our thinking about our eternal destination. And I think it’s safe to say that it made almost all of us even more excited about heading Home once and for all.
 
Among this fine book’s many important points:

  • We can know today that we’re going to spend eternity in heaven. “We need never fear that God will find a skeleton in our closet and say, ‘If I’d known you did that, I wouldn’t have let you into Heaven.’  Every sin is washed away by the blood of Christ. Moreover, God is all-knowing. He has seen us at our worst and still loves us. No sin is bigger than the Savior.” (page 35)

  • Eternity will be just as physical as our world is today, minus the corruption. “Will the Eden we long for return? Will it be occupied by familiar, tangible, physical features and fully embodied people? The Bible clearly answers yes.” (page 81)

  • We’re homesick now—but one glorious day, that will end. “We have never known a world without sin, suffering and death. Yet we yearn for such a life and such a world. When we see a roaring waterfall, beautiful flowers, a wild animal in its native habitat, or the joy in the eyes of our pets when they see us, we sense that this world is—or at least was meant to be—our home.” (page 81)

  • We keep trying, and failing, to cure this homesickness with earthly remedies. “Nothing is more often misdiagnosed than our homesickness for Heaven. We think that what we want is sex, drugs, alcohol, a new job, a raise, a doctorate, a spouse, a large-screen television, a new car, a cabin in the woods, a condo in Hawaii. What we really want is the person we were made for, Jesus, and the place we were made for, Heaven. Nothing less can satisfy us.” (page 166)

  • Our relationships will continue. “God doesn’t abandon His purposes; He extends and fulfills them. Friendships begun on Earth will continue in Heaven, getting richer than ever.” (page 357)

  • Animals—quite possibly including our pets—will join us there. “Something better remains after death for these poor creatures,” said 18th century theologian and evangelist John Wesley. “[T]hese, likewise, shall one day be delivered from this bondage of corruption, and shall then receive ample amends for all their present sufferings.” (page 400)

  • Heaven will never be boring. “There will always be more to see when we look at God, because His infinite character can never be exhausted. We could—and will—spend countless millennia exploring the depths of God’s being and be no closer to seeing it all than when we first started. This is the magnificence of God and the wonder of Heaven.” (page 179)

  • It’s all made possible for us by receiving God's free gift of eternal life. “Make the conscious decision to accept Christ’s sacrificial death on your behalf. When you choose to accept Christ and surrender control of your life to him, you can be certain that your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.” (page 36)
 
I think my favorite quote in this meaty, quote-laden book is this one, from 19th century missionary to Burma Adoniram Judson: “When Christ calls me Home,” Judson said, “I shall go with the gladness of a boy bounding away from school."
 
Do you remember the bliss of being dismissed from a grade-school classroom on the last day of the school year, with a whole summer stretching out endlessly before you? I sure do. It was quite possibly the greatest joy I have ever experienced, being free of all the fears and anxieties and other problems that start to haunt us as we begin growing up.
 
And I think Judson was absolutely correct: This is precisely what it’s going to feel like when we get that final divine summons.
 
Only this time, summer will never end. 
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Is dementia the ultimate blessing?

12/6/2022

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For some reason, sleep eluded me last night. My thoughts were flooded non-stop with memories of all the dementia sufferers I've known over the decades at the nursing home I visit every week. Yet in some cases, "sufferers" is a misnomer; many of them have been happy enough, remembering only their distant pasts--for example, expecting Mama to pick them up at any moment, or Daddy to take them for a nice long walk after church.

So who are these people now? Are we the sum total of our pasts? And if so, are these people left without much of an identity, beyond their fleeting memories of early childhood? A troubling thought!

But then it occurred to me that this is not always the case. Because those who are Christian have an indestructible, eternal identity in Jesus Christ, no matter how deep their dementia may be.

I considered the theological implications of being a believer in such a childlike state -- having no list of past good works to offer, and no thoughts of being a decent person deserving of anything, least of all heaven. In short, having nothing to bring to the salvation table.

That thought stopped me in my tracks: they are like the most humble of little children. And what did Jesus say in Matthew 18, after calling a child to Himself? "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."

So! Perhaps Christian dementia patients are most blessed of all, doing nothing but trusting and looking forward to little things in this life, while being counted among Jesus' greatest in the next. 

And the best news of all: Even if individual dementia patients have not yet received Jesus as their Savior, it's not too late. Hearing is allegedly the last or our senses to go, and the Holy Spirit is capable of reaching any soul--even those who are beyond the reach of human appeals.

Is there a dementia patient in your life who would be delighted to hear about Jesus and the gospel? Don't wait another day to share the good news with him or her!
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Relentless regrets

9/15/2022

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For most of my Christian life, I’ve hung my head in shame over many things I have thought, said and done in the past. And it seems that the older I get, the more time I have to dwell on them--not a good thing!

Most of these shameful things are from my years as a feminist atheist, but I have to admit to a cringe-worthy episode or two since then – including the day a decade ago when I totally lost my temper over something that would have been easy to justify before I knew Jesus, but was definitely unacceptable in one who professed to follow Him.
 
I know the Bible instructs us repeatedly not to dwell on the past. For instance, as the prophet Isaiah quoted the Lord in chapter 18 of his book, “"Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it?”  And in the New Testament, Jesus is quoted as saying “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:62)
 
Alas, I’ve been unable to leave some of these things behind, instead repenting repeatedly over them. After all, we can’t erase the impact of hurtful thoughts, words and deeds; our victims may forgive us, but they won’t forget. How could they?
 
But then, on a recent Saturday afternoon, I had an epiphany. It’s probably obvious to most of you, dear readers, but I’ll bet one or two of you spend more than a little time beating yourselves up for the transgressions of the past.  Maybe you’ve even popped a pill or two or downed a shot or three in an effort to silence your nagging conscience.
 
Here’s what happened. I was in my garden slaughtering Japanese beetles and singing snatches of favorite old hymns, when a favorite of my late friend Ruth H. came up on my mental juke box: “Whiter than snow, whiter than snow, now wash me and I shall be whiter than snow.”
 
I stopped dead in my tracks: Whiter than snow?
 
I knew that the phrase came from a psalm, but couldn’t remember which one. I raced inside to look it up in my NKJV.
 
And there it was, nestled in the first ten verses of Psalm 51, which was written by King David after the prophet Nathan confronted him for his disastrous sin with Bathsheba:
 
Have mercy upon me, O God,
According to Your lovingkindness;
According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
Blot out my transgressions. 
 
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin. 
 
For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me. 
 
Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight –
That You may be found just when You speak,
And blameless when You judge.
 
Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
And in sin my mother conceived me. 
 
Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts,
And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.
 
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 
 
Make me hear joy and gladness,
That the bones You have broken may rejoice. 
 
Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities. 
 
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me. 
 
And there it was: a poignant reminder that Christ died not to bury, nor cover, nor white wash, the sins of the world.  
 
He died to wash them away!
 
It’s a recurrent theme throughout the Bible – perhaps most notably in this oft-cited line from the apostle John’s first epistle: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)
 
And just think of the result. As David wrote in Psalm 103:
 
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;
As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
 
As far as the east is from the west – why, wouldn’t that be infinity?  
 
I had read these passages time and time again – apparently, without taking them to heart. But now, thanks to a precious old hymn written in the 19th century by Irish immigrant and postal clerk James L. Nicholson, I was set free at last from these relentless regrets.
 
“Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” (John 8:36)
 
Hallelujah! 
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The old who know too much

7/22/2022

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Do our minds seem to wear down as we age only because we know too much?
 
That’s what at least some research seems to say: Our brains become increasingly sluggish not because they’re deteriorating, but because we’re packing ‘em so full of experience and information.
 
So said authors Wayne D. Gray and Thomas Hills almost a decade ago in an article entitled “Does Cognition Deteriorate With Age or Is It Enhanced by Experience?” -- a review, apparently, of a landmark book entitled The Myth of Cognitive Decline.
 
At least I think that’s what Gray and Hills are saying when they claim that “our poorer memory for names as we age, over the last several decades at least, is a result of the massive cultural proliferation of novel names alongside the increasing number of names experienced over a lifetime.”
 
Right. We forget Mary’s name because of the proliferation of Kukulas and Thiagos and Zelias. 
 
“Pretty much any cognitive theory with which we are familiar would have to predict that the more things you have in memory the longer will be your search time,” write Gray and Hills. They quote Myth: “’In information theoretic terms…. a measure of processing speed that ignores information load is meaningless.’”
 
Is that kind of like our Pastor Joe says, that all the information is still there in our brains – it’s just that the librarians in charge of retrieving it are slowing down? (To which I would add: These librarians store all this information in First In, First Out [FIFO] order, rather than Last In, First Out [LIFO] order, which is why we can remember what we were doing on July 4, 1959, but don’t have a clue what we had for lunch yesterday.)
 
This fuzzy old brain of mine may be too information-packed to adequately decode ultra-smart academic language like this:
 
“Many things covary as we grow up and grow older,” they write, “and, just as in the nature versus nurture debate over childhood development, a rush to judgment obscures and confuses the search for mechanisms and for the achievement of scientific, as well as personal, understanding of the changes that we all pass through.” 
 
I think that means something along the lines of this: “Old people are encyclopedic in their knowledge rather than deteriorating mentally – so let’s not judge or disrespect them or toss them aside because they don’t seem to be as smart as we younger folks. Really, they’re practically geniuses.”
 
But you know what? These thoroughly educated researchers are missing the point. We are not valuable because of what we know. We are valuable because we are the Creator’s handiwork, because He loved us enough to die for us, and because He has commanded us to love others as we love ourselves and to care for widows in their affliction. 

Of course, such commands will only be embraced by His children – that is, the born-again who have repented and trusted in Jesus. So perhaps it’s no surprise that, in an attempt to make us act godly without bringing God into the picture, we see the world’s experts building elaborate Rube Goldberg patches and workarounds  for issues that are only problematic for those on the wrong side of the narrow gate.

Here's the truth: As the 2nd law of thermodynamics predicts, our aging brains are wearing out. But that does not decrease our value one iota in the eyes of our Creator. And His are the only eyes that matter.
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In some cases, our final friends are the best of all

7/6/2022

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Over the years, I've heard many elderly women worry aloud that they'll never again have friends like those of their younger years. And indeed, sometimes that's the case. But oh, there are some wonderful exceptions--friendships that develop among those who share themselves with complete honesty because they are no longer constrained by pride, and because they have in common the only thing that really matters in this life: the Lord God Himself. This is the sort of friendship the protagonist of The Song of Sadie Sparrow enjoyed in her last days on this earth. Here's a sneak preview:
           
Five days later, Eva slipped quietly into eternity. She had died of “natural causes,” Nurse Char told Sadie, whispering this bit of knowledge as if she’d revealed some top-secret information that would certainly lead to a law suit by Eva’s family if they found out that Char had spilled the beans. As if Eva’s four daughters, now residing in upscale towns in Washington and Vermont and upstate New York, would give a second thought to anything connected with their mother.
           
Eva had, in fact, died just as she had lived since the year she turned fifty: alone. That’s when her girls had left home, she had told Sadie, all within one calendar year, heading off to the coasts to find husbands for themselves and raise children of their own. It was the same year that Eva’s husband, a venerated English professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, had left her for a pretty young student whose passion for nineteenth century British literature matched his own.
           
Eva had been awarded their house in the subsequent divorce—a big old stucco bungalow just north of the university, she’d told Sadie. It had lots of crown molding and built-ins and plenty of charm. But apparently that charm was lost on her girls, because they’d rarely visited even before being tied down by their families. So Eva had given herself wholeheartedly to volunteering at and through her church, zeroing in on hospice work early on in a show of solidarity with others whose lives were also ending. It was, in fact, a fellow hospice volunteer who had helped her find and settle into The Hickories once not even a walker could see her safely about the house.
           
Sadie spent much of the day following Eva’s death recalling the conversations they had had about this life, with all its joys and sorrows and disappointments. Somehow sharing those things—especially the disappointments—made everything feel all right again. That was just life, they had agreed time and time again, and a good thing because they were citizens of a better country, an eternal home, and if things had been wonderful on earth they might have resisted going there.
           
“Friends will be there I have loved long ago,” Sadie warbled. “Joy like a river around me will flow!”
           
As long as she was able to focus on these things, she felt strangely peaceful about this loss. Oh, of course she’d miss Eva. Beulah and Eva would probably prove to be her last real friends on this earth. It was just too difficult to find true soulmates in a nursing home, where so many residents were slipping into either dementia or complete self-centeredness, with every personality flaw magnified many times over.  
           
“Just to be there and to look on His face,” she sang out with gusto, “will through the ages be glory for me!”
           
Knowing that Eva would never suffer again was such a comfort. And Sadie no longer had to worry about being the one to go off into paradise first, leaving poor Eva abandoned once again.
           
All in all, it should have been a satisfying resolution to her friend’s life story, with Sadie simply feeling honored to have spent its finale with her.

--From The Song of Sadie Sparrow, pages 293-294

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Still trusting in diet and doctors?

6/14/2022

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Some years ago, a dear friend posted a link to a fascinating little article, potentially eye-opening for anyone who's trusting in diet and doctors for long life -- an article extolling the virtues of the foods our great-great-great-great grandparents ate. 

This lifespan issue has intrigued me for years. Every now and then, I spend some time looking up online mini-biographies of famous ancients, and have been interested to note that many of them lived well into their 80s. I've seen nary a mention of this being unusual -- not even a "ripe old age" comment.

The author of this article explains in very simple terms why the numbers seem to support the "miracle of modern medicine" myth; it's simply another example of lying with statistics.

Once again, we are reminded that it's the Lord who determines our individual lifespans. "And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them" (Psalm 139). 

Whether we die of cancer or heart disease, childbirth or infection, we're going to die at precisely the moment He has ordained for us; the only important question is where we will be spending eternity. Thanks be to God, that's one thing we can control, simply by repenting and trusting in Christ.  
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Quit worrying!

4/28/2022

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If the statistics can be believed, they’re pretty shocking: 18% of U.S. adults reportedly suffer from anxiety disorders – including “general anxiety disorder,” characterized by persistent, excessive, and unrealistic worry about everyday things.
 
I suppose that’s understandable for secularists of all stripes, given the sad state of today’s world. But it really shouldn’t be an issue for those who profess to be followers of Jesus Christ. After all, He has commanded us not to fret 365 times in the pages of the Bible; shouldn’t we obey Him?
 
It's true that, now and then, I find myself back on my pre-salvation worry treadmill. But the Holy Spirit has given me a new line of thinking to pursue – one that almost invariably sends my fears packing.  Perhaps you’ll find it helpful.
 
Whenever I find myself worrying about a particular trial, I talk to God about the situation, casting my care upon Him because He cares for me (1 Peter 5:7). I then meditate on a few simple truths:  

  1. God is sovereign over His entire creation – including every last cell in my body and every circumstance I face. He understands my situation perfectly. And He has everything under complete control, ready to serve His good and perfect purposes.
  2. He has promised to make all things work together for good to all who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28) – and that would include me. I have seen this happen time and time again in my own life, and in the lives of Christian friends. It helps to review some of these remarkable events from His point of view, and to remember how disastrous they seemed initially from our limited human perspective.
  3. I can’t know what blessing He has in store for me through this trial; I can be sure He does, however. So I ask Him not to remove the trial but for His will to be accomplished through it. And I try very hard to mean it every time.
  4. He has already told me how to handle such fears, and I need only recall His instructions. Philippians 4:6-7 is often a great place to start: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
  5. He has also shown me the big picture of His lifelong care for me, especially via Psalm 23. I love to think through every word and phrase of this beloved little chapter, drawing on the insights provided by the late Phillip Keller in his precious book, A Shepherd Looks at the 23rd Psalm.  
 
I have yet to emerge from this meditation without feeling great spiritual refreshment – and welcome freedom from whatever was worrying me in the first place.
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    Kitty
    Foth-Regner

    I'm a follower of Jesus Christ, a freelance copywriter, a nursing-home volunteer, and the author of books both in-process and published -- including
    Heaven Without Her.

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