Faith

Friends From Afar

Tonight was my prayer group meeting. We all saw each other yesterday at the funeral, but kept our regular meeting anyways. One of the ladies had moved to another state and had been joining our sessions via Zoom. It was good to see her in person again. Another woman came to the group for some […]

Reaching For Heaven

A friend of mine in my prayer group had been battling cancer. He started on Hospice Care 10 months ago. He was a very faithful man and I always enjoyed what he had to share in our sessions. While he was on the quiet side, I knew that when he spoke, his words would be […]

Fortitude

In a meditation that I listened to today, the statement that hit my heart was about prayer. “Do not pray for easy lives – pray to be stronger. Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers, pray for powers equal to your tasks.” This is, after all, what I should be praying for. Not […]

Stay With Me

I have been listening to a podcast based on a retreat by St. Ignatius. This morning I listened to a meditation based on the beginning of the Passion of Christ. The scripture passage Matthew 26:36-46 was the account of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus asked his apostles to stay awake while he prayed, […]

Knew My Struggles

It’s been a rough week. Yesterday I met with a counselor who has been helping me work through my challenges of caregiving and grieving. As I thought about my dad and as I do my best to care for my mom, there are many ways that I wish I could do better – be a […]

Many Reminders

As I was driving to an appointment this morning, I saw the moon setting behind the mountain. It was such a beautiful scene that was almost identical to what I saw 2 years ago when my dad entered Hospice Care in the hospital. The first morning I went to see him, I opened the blinds […]

Two Years

Today was the two year anniversary of my father’s death. I had been anticipating this day for several weeks now and wondering what it would be like for my mom. I set up to have my dad prayed for at the parish Mass this afternoon. While mom doesn’t always remember that my dad died, she […]

Grateful Response

I listened to a meditation today based on Matthew 26:6-10. It was about a woman who anointed Jesus with expensive oil while he was at dinner with several apostles and others. The meditation describes the woman as someone filled with gratitude and love for Jesus. It was suggested that her life was changed by Jesus, […]

Early Encounter

Yesterday I had an opportunity to share my story of going to Lourdes, healing, and personal faith. It reminded me of how much God loves me and cares for me, even when I doubt or struggle, or even turn away. I got choked up telling the story again, remembering the incredible spirituality of the place […]

God Morning

As my mom’s dementia progresses, I feel like I have to be prepared for anything. Last night was my turn to “sleep” in her room with her. Thankfully, my sister and I trade off every night. Too early this morning, she started yelling for my dad. She sat straight up and said something happened to […]