Are you a Shepherd?
Sometimes at the nursing home, after we finish up our little church gathering, a resident will come up to me and say, “I liked your sermon.” Immediately, after saying thank you, I say, “Oh, but it wasn’t a sermon. As a woman, I am not a preacher or a pastor. We just read the Bible…
Honestly, It’s Just Too Depressing
In 2019, there was a study released that detailed the reasons why people do not go to visit their loved ones in a nursing home. The top reason given was that their job or work hours prevented them from doing so. And the number two reason? It’s too depressing. That’s right, 40% of very honest…
The Only New Year’s Resolution You Need
When I was homeschooling my kids during their elementary school years, a key part of our day was our read-aloud time. I read so many great books to them, including biographies of inspirational people. For a time we read about several missionaries, and there was one that really stuck with me–George Mueller. He was born…
When You’re Ready to Give Up
I’m going to be painfully honest– I was totally ready to throw in the towel with our nonprofit. I wasn’t going to stop serving nursing home residents personally, I was just going to put the organization on the back burner for a while. Our family has undergone a lot of personal stress this year, and…
Outside the Walls
We’ve built walls of convenience, busyness, pleasure, and comfort for ourselves, but we’ve called them walls of safety and care for the frail and vulnerable elderly. We push them outside our walls and behind the locked doors of the nursing home.
Living in Exile
A few weeks ago, with the help of some wonderfully talented volunteers, I led a Vacation Bible School for our friends in the nursing home. This was something we first tried last summer, and it was such a huge success that I couldn’t wait to do it again this year. So for three afternoons in…