Rooted Hearts

  These are the hands of a women who walked in Faith through life. She raised 7 children and cared for her husband and her home. In the end her mind was taken by dementia. I had the privilege of knowing her in the final episode of her life. An unexpected feeling sprouted in my heart for knowing her, although she would never know me.  Irene's Memory By; Teri Carlson     She quickly brushed her thinning hair from her face as I entered the room. Seemingly unaware of my presence, I bent over to meet her eyes and introduced myself. Her blank stare told the story of an interrupted life. Irene suffered from advanced dementia. The lucencey of her days were now a memory. I had just finished my Hospice training and she was my first patient. When I had taken on the idea of volunteering for Hospice, I had hoped to be helping cancer patients transition to the end of life. My mother had incredible Hospice volunteers, and in some small way I wanted to give back. But Hospi...

  So much in life we take for granted. See how a simple trip to the grocery store had a profound impact on me, counteracting my sense of balance forever. Be Still, and Know     I had sunk into the seat of my car, nearly breathless , I could barely focus. The feeling had fallen over me slowly as I walked the aisles of our local grocery store. A very large store there are a myriad of choices for any one item. Like a kaleidoscope turning, this simple trip to the store had left me anxious and overwhelmed. But, simply put, it wasn’t just the variety of items that were carried there, it was the thoughts that occupied my mind as I did my shopping.    It is no surprise to anyone reading this how the cost of living has skyrocketed. You can no longer buy a roast to have on Sunday without paying between $20-$30.  I began to wonder how people that live a marginalized life are able to cope with the reality of feeding their families. My heart melted into a puddle of em...

  There is a fine line between comfort and catastrophe.   My husband and I became keenly aware of this less than 6 months ago as the home we were about to buy had the deal implode before us. We lost tens of thousands of dollars, and every sense of security we held dear. But God had bigger plans for us as we trudged forward with the help of family and friends.  House Is Not A Home     I recently had the opportunity to contemplate this seemingly contradictory statement. Really, what is the difference.  When you look up synonyms for house This is what appears;      home,   place of residence,   homestead,   lodging place,   a roof over one's head,   habitation,   residence,   dwelling,   dwelling place,   abode   The very first synonym that appears is home. But simply put, A house is not a home. A house is mortar and beams. An inanimate object, a noun. A home, however, is filled with the...