Hope for the Caregiver

How do you help anchor someone with a lifetime of abnormal circumstances to normalcy? How do you help yourself do so?  I recently discussed this on the show - as well as provided a few insights into the extraordinary person that is my wife, Gracie. 

From the national broadcast 10/15/2022.  Keeping it light is a must for caregivers and in the first block, I share a few recent things that made me laugh along the way. Gracie, of course, rolls her eyes at me - but she would still admit the humor of it all. (Not to be outdone, btw, Gracie can give it out better than most and she's a force of nature!)  In the second block, we talk about the importa...

In America, the "coin of the realm" is the dollar. Metaphorically, in Washington DC, the currency - the coin of the realm - is power. In LA, it's fame - but what is the coin of the realm in God's economy? What has value to God - and how does it relate to us as family caregivers?  www.hopeforthecaregiver.com 

While in Ghana with our prosthetic limb outreach,  Standing With Hope , Gracie and I visited a church in the port city of Tema. Following the service, I met a tall, impressive man wearing a flowing white traditional costume with gold trim. With a thick English/Ghanian accent, I heard him introduce himself as "…de King,' Amos." Never meeting a king, I felt a bit tongue-tied and stammered, "Sir, I a...

Sometimes, we're faced with such difficult circumstances - and it's hard to know how to respond. A woman asked Gracie and me what to do when her son chose to be transgendered - and was angry with her for keeping pictures of him as a boy in her home. I discuss a couple of these in my recent broadcast (9/17/2022)

My friend Susanne White joined the program to discuss her new book: Self-Care for Caregivers.  From Susanne's site www.caregiverwarrior.com  "As one Caregiver Warrior to another, I offer advice, helpful tips, and strategies based on the experience, strength, and hope I found while surviving my own caregiving journey. It has become my mission to share my stories and the things I learned about being...

Tom and Amanda Dwyer called the program to discuss their new documentary about a caregiving family titled "UNSEEN."  https://www.facebook.com/caregiverdoc   https://www.instagram.com/caregiverdoc/ About the "Unseen" Documentary www.caregiverdoc.com   The film follows Jess and Ryan Ronne, a blended family with 8 children, including Lucas, who has profound disabilities requiring total care. Their si...

Fly the Plane. Work the Problem Several pilots I know express a standard command often given to less experienced pilots. "Fly the plane, work the problem." The context involves pilots who fixate on a problem like a storm, console light, or other issues. Riveting one's eyes on a single point to the exclusion of the bigger picture can quickly result in disastrous outcomes – especially when piloting...

Dr. Betsy McCaughey chairs the Committee to Reduce Infection Deaths - and she joined the program to share their work and ways for patients (and their caregivers) to reduce their risk of contracting infections while in the hospital, assisted care, rehab, or other institutional care facilities.  With Gracie's medical history spanning nearly 40 years and containing more than 80 operations, we've lost...

You ever struggle to hold your tongue while answering questions at the doctor's office? Gracie's been treated by more than 100 physicians - and we've had our share of exasperating and hilarious moments. In this episode from the broadcast, I share one that fits both categories!  Then I follow it up with the 3 P's to use when dealing with physicians.  For more, visit www.hopeforthecaregiver.com

If caregivers mapped out a decision tree for our daily lives, it would look like a forest. Each day we're faced with numerous choices – and most seem filled with unpleasant outcomes. Sometimes the decisions before us have a paralyzing effect, and we don't know what to do next.   In those moments, we serve ourselves well to choose the next right thing as our action step. The big problems become mor...

I met Jon and Cindi Hampshire more than 40 years ago at Columbia Bible College (Now Columbia International University).  https://www.ciu.edu/   The Hampshires work for Wycliffe Bible Translators and have served the Democratic Republic of Congo for 30+ years. They didn't know it, but I based much of my outreach to caregivers on their model at Wycliffe Bible Translators. I invited them to the progra...

From Asia to Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and beyond, the global persecution of Christians becomes more ominous with every passing year. Author Lela Gilbert called the program to discuss her new book, Heroic Faith Hope Amid Global Persecution. The book's true stories of courage, persistence, and faithfulness offer inspiration and hope. Heroic Faith  also provides insights into the ideologies b...

Every caregiver - and I do mean EVERY caregiver will struggle with what I call the "3 I's."  We lose our independence , we become isolated, and we lose our identity .  During my ten years on the air, I've discussed these things often - and felt a refresher for myself was in order.  I go into further detail in my book Hope for the Caregiver.  www.hopeforthecaregiver.com/books   Please share this ep...

Before the famous altercation with Goliath, when David expressed anger at the blasphemous giant, one of his embarrassed older brothers camped at the battle scene furiously derided him. But King Saul heard about David, and astonishingly, the king allowed the teenager to fight Goliath. Saul even put his tunic and armor on him. Saul was a tall man, but David wasn't, and the king's armor didn't fit. S...

My longtime friend, Lynn Vander Woude Aho joined me from across the world in the South Pacific Kingdom of Tonga. She regularly listens to the program there and uses information from this program to help caregivers in Tonga.  As she shares her heart and passion for ministry and missions, I am confident you will be touched and inspired by Lynn's story

Known around the country as "The Christian Car Guy," Robbie Dilmore called the show and shared his caregiving experiences with his mother-in-law. As he and his wife continue to grow closer through this process, he credits their common adversary: His alcoholic and abusive mother-in-law.  Sharing how they cope and even thrive, Robbie then donned his "Christian Car Guy" hat to give great tips on incr...

In trauma, the clock is the adversary, but in caregiving, it's the calendar. While emergencies demand an immediate response, quick actions for caregivers often result in several battles on multiple fronts. Nothing stretches a caregiver too thin like rushing to a crisis- while already embroiled in one. "Oh, yes, my friend, you would have fought very bravely and died very quickly." - Don Diego to Al...

This question is often asked of me. Many think because they are a parent, then they're a caregiver. Nurses, CNAs, and other medical personnel - are family caregivers, right?  In this opening monologue from August 6, 2022, we discuss this issue. First and foremost, family caregivers don't receive a paycheck. Then, there are other significant differences.  www.hopeforthecaregiver.com    

A frustration point for many family caregivers lies in unmet expectations, hopes, and dreams. We often visualize what could be – but choices beyond our control are roadblocks. Ashamedly, I admit to trying to force solutions on more than one occasion – only to frustrate myself, my wife, and who knows how many others. Letting go of those hopes and expectations, however, can be painful. Over the last...

On our 1/22 broadcast, we discussed this hymn by Melody Green and what it means to us as family caregivers. 

Drawing upon nearly 50 years as a teaching pastor and 25+ years as a caregiver, Rob Morgan brings a wealth of understanding and experience to today's challenging issues. Following the death of his wife, Rob candidly shares his thoughts and experiences while anchoring himself and others in the Scripture.  Teaching on the book of Revelation, Rob recently authored THE 50 FINAL EVENTS IN WORLD HISTORY...

In the 1985 Western  Silverado , Sheriff John Langston (played by British actor John Cleese) obligingly led a posse after two brothers following the breakout of one from the town jail. While chasing the men (whose crimes were questionable), the posse rounded a bend to unexpected gunfire from one of the brothers' companions. As his deputy urged them to push on by yelling, "… they're almost out of o...

From our July 16, 2022 program.  Have you ever had someone say something strange, insensitive, or even weird to you - and a flood of responses immediately filled your mind?  Sometimes, we save ourselves from unnecessary drama when we "bite our tongues and learn to like the taste of blood!"  But it can torque our brain to do so ...doesn't it? Who knows, though - we may get a funny story out of it t...

After twice doing the Heimlich Maneuver on my wife, I knew there had to be a better way. I saw the Founder and CEO of LifeVac, Arthur Lih discussing his company's amazing product - and I invited him to call the program.  As is usually the case with a product like this, there's a moving story behind the invention. Take a listen to Arthur - and make sure to get a LIFEVAC device for your home TODAY! ...