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Llama.

You are so right. Caregivers certainly can’t do it all by themselves. Sometimes people burn out trying to do everything. I know that I did!

There were times I just couldn’t ask for help. I would have given anything for someone to offer help. It gets exhausting and depressing to continue asking for help only to hear excuses of why they can’t help.
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Yes, ASK for help when it is offered. All too often, one might turn away the help because of humankind, we think that we can do it all. We cannot. Ask the Lord for help and you shall receive.
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Patience for whom you’re caring, empathy, forgiveness and patience with yourself. Always let love overrule any other emotion.
—Betsy

They told me to start slow and not burn out soon into our journey. I was overwhelmed and determined, so I didn’t take that advice. Now I see clearly. Take time and enjoy the present. Recovery will come at its own pace.
—Yvette

Live for the day, don’t give too much thought to tomorrow, next week, next month or next year (you will only drive yourself crazy). You may have a “different” kind of life than what you are used to, but by understanding how to care for yourself and your loved one, it can be a wonderful life.
—Cory

It helps when you repeat yourself for the 10th time that you act like it’s the 1st. And when you can laugh about stuff, together especially, it will make your day better. 
—Ami

It’s okay to cry when you’re by yourself. It helps your soul.
—Jeannette

Remember that you have suffered a loss too, but the person for whom you care has truly suffered the most — and will continue to do so. I don’t diminish the caregiver effort, but I do ask that it is done with focus on the person who has the TBI — the one who struggles each day to maintain and make sense, who knows that he is not the same but yet he is the same. 
—Jody

Try not to take things that might be said out of frustration and fear personally.
—Shelly

Be patient with your loved one and with yourself.
Take time for yourself.
Ask for help and accept it when it is offered.
Take one day at a time.
It’s a marathon, not a sprint.

“For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”
John 3:17
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Send: So lovely. Ty.☆☆☆
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NHWM: Oh, my - exotic animals?! The circus used to make elephants and tigers work TO EXHAUSTION! The circus is no more as of recently. Here in Baltimore (no, I don't live in Baltimore city), we are part of the "triple crown" with The Preakness, which is very much regulated. I have never owned a dog, but I have a granddog, Daisy who just turned 13. I used to have another, but Buddy got bone cancer, sadly. I have never gone to The Preakness as I don't believe in gambling. It is an addictive behavior that one should never start . Your dog was very smart! We had 2 Purebred Ocicats. Our boy, Ozzie and our girl, Cleocatra were very smart and dog-like. They could fetch! Ozzie had a stroke June 4, 2019. He was 20 years, 5 months and 5 days of age! Our vet had a tree planted in his name! Drugging horses or having an elderly horse race is very wrong!! Cleocatra got lung cancer and didn't make it to her 13th birthday. Ozzie and Cleo had the same sire and were born on the same day.
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gmacon: God bless you for those years of caregiving. God says "Well done, my faithful child."
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Llama,

Yeah, well we all know what is behind the horse and dog races. The almighty dollar! Sickening, isn’t it? It’s all about the money they make. It’s gambling. They are in it for the big bucks! They don’t care about the animals.

Llama, you have spent time with the greys so you see how special they are. They are amazing dogs. Smart too! Isn’t it funny how dogs have an internal clock? My dog knew when my daughter would be coming home from school and he would stand in the foyer and wait for her to walk through the door. Isn’t that the sweetest thing? I never knew that I could love an animal as much as I loved him.

Oh, and here in New Orleans. We have a very old horse track. I think it may be the second oldest in the country. It’s been around a long time. Anyway, horses race. Some have been caught drugging the horses. Horrible. Now we have the exotic animals racing too! Just gets crazier and crazier, doesn’t it?

I often think of that old song, ‘God bless the beast and the children.’
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NHWM: What a real blessing that you've been involved in the Greyhound Pets of America! I have had the chance to see this group of beautiful dogs at least 8 to 10 times at various craft shows in Maryland. You must ask, of course, if you can pet these lovely dogs and I've had the chance to do so. What a great thing that you owned one! I believe it's cruel to think of greyhounds having to work in Florida!
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Llama,

Indeed they are. I will always miss my greyhound. I was truly blessed to have him as a part of my family. He was a sweetheart!

I’m forever grateful to Greyhound Pets of America. They are amazing to volunteer with. We have an incredible group of volunteers at our Louisiana chapter.
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Smeshque: Another marvelous ode! Ty!
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NHWM: Isn't that Greyhound Rescue Organization wonderful?
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As the caregiver of my husband for 43 years -- he was quadriplegic and confined to a wheelchair (he passed away two years ago, and I'm still mourning his loss)-- and now caregiver of my mother for the past 10 years (she is soon to be 95) -- I have struggled with what the Bible says and what the secular world says. I have come to the conclusion that I must stay with what the Lord says, because the secular world is selfish and always puts "me first". I have to rely on Scripture verses that remind me that "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me", that God is always with me, etc. I rely on the support of like-minded people, who know and believe that all of life involves sacrifice, for that is what loving someone is all about. That is not to say that I shouldn't take time for myself, like having lunch with a friend, going to a movie, quiet time reading a book, and definitely quiet time in prayer and talking to the God for grace and strength. Hope this is of some help to you.
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Thank you Smeshque!
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Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
That calls me from a world of care,
And bids me at my Father’s throne
Make all my wants and wishes known.
In seasons of distress and grief,
My soul has often found relief,
And oft escaped the tempter’s snare,
By thy return, sweet hour of prayer!

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
The joys I feel, the bliss I share,
Of those whose anxious spirits burn
With strong desires for thy return!
With such I hasten to the place
Where God my Savior shows His face,
And gladly take my station there,
And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
Thy wings shall my petition bear
To Him whose truth and faithfulness
Engage the waiting soul to bless.
And since He bids me seek His face,
Believe His Word and trust His grace,
I’ll cast on Him my every care,
And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
May I thy consolation share,
Till, from Mount Pisgah’s lofty height,
I view my home and take my flight.
This robe of flesh I’ll drop, and rise
To seize the everlasting prize,
And shout, while passing through the air,
“Farewell, farewell, sweet hour of prayer!”
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Thank you Send- And for you...

We cannot count our friends, nor say
How many praise us day by day.
Each one of us has friends that he
Has yet to meet and really know,
Who guard him, wheresoe'er they be,
From harm and slander's cruel blow.
They help to light our path with cheer,
Although they pass as strangers here.

These friends, unseen, unheard, unknown,
Our lasting gratitude should own.
They serve us in a thousand ways
Where we perhaps should friendless be;
They tell our worth and speak our praise
And for their service ask no fee;
They choose to be our friends, although
We have not learned to call them so.

We cannot guess how large the debt
We owe to friends we have not met.
We only know, from day to day,
That we discover here and there
How one has tried to smooth our way,
And ease our heavy load of care,
Then passed along and left behind
His friendly gift for us to find.


The Unknown Friends
by Edgar A. Guest
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Thank -you Send!
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Gershun,
For you:

“For I know the thoughts I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11.
“Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them!” Psalm 139:16-17.
“Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” Matthew 10:29-31
“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.” Romans 8:28-29.

“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” 1 Peter 2:9.
“Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will …” Ephesians 1:4-5.
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10.
“For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” 1 Timothy 2:3-4.
God will not forsake us.
“For the Lord will not cast off His people, nor will He forsake His inheritance.” Psalm 94:14.
“Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine.” Exodus 19:5.
“Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9.
“And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.” Deuteronomy 31:8.
“For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39.
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Smeshque:
For you...

You Say
by Lauren Daigle
I keep fighting voices in my mind that say I'm not enough
Every single lie that tells me I will never measure up
Am I more than just the sum of every high and every low
Remind me once again just who I am because I need to know
Ooh oh
You say I am loved when I can't feel a thing
You say I am strong when I think I am weak
And you say I am held when I am falling short
And when I don't belong, oh You say I am Yours
And I believe
Oh I believe
What You say of me
I believe
The only thing that matters now is everything You think of me
In You I find my worth, in You I find my identity
Ooh oh
You say I am loved when I can't feel a thing
You say I am strong when I think I am weak
And you say I am held when I am falling short
And when…
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Smeshque, Hahaha, yeah I only took one greyhound bus ride in my teens too like you and I fell asleep and almost missed my stop!

We adopted my Grey from a track in Florida. He was a champion and they tried to move him north to help train other dogs.

He didn’t like the snow and he refused to run in the cold weather. So they retired him. They will usually keep them up to five years when they are winners. They will race them 2 or 3 times a week. They are stacked up on top of each other in crates when not running. Isn’t that sad?

He was retired at 4 1/2 years. He lived until he was 13. He was a great dog. They are shy. They are couch potatoes. They are very gentle dogs, not clumsy or rambunctious at all.

He did sprint in my backyard and the dog park. He was lightening fast! Was fun to see him run in the backyard or dog park. They can run up to 45 miles per hour. He was 85 lbs. He was tall! But really thin. They are extremely lean. They don’t eat as much as other large dogs. It’s bad for them to be over fed.

He was a beautiful dog. He had a few scars and part of his ear was bitten off by another dog. Battle wounds from the track from getting in scuffles with other dogs. I didn’t see his scars. I just saw a beautiful, sweet, loving dog that God blessed our family with. He was happy with us. He showed us his love everyday. I really bonded with our dog. His name was Garrison.

They can’t live outside in the heat or cold. They are very thin and have short hair. I never kept any pet I had outside. I always wanted my pets in my home with me.

They are shutting down the tracks in Florida. I hope one day they will all close. They used to kill them after their career was over. Rescue groups began placing them for adoption. It’s interesting because the grey color is the most rare. We had the one that was referred to as fawn. He did look like a small deer.

They don’t breed for particular colors so they have a variety of colors, including brindle.

I volunteered with Greyhound Pets of America to help find homes for the dogs. I would bring him to the ‘meet and greet’ so people could see how wonderful their personalities are.

I loved volunteering with them. Every now and then I still see a few of the people I worked with. We do a holiday dinner at Christmas time at a restaurant and we catch up on each other’s dogs or former dogs. It’s fun.

Some people choose to foster the dogs. I thought about fostering but I know any dog that I fostered I probably would not be able to say goodbye to.
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I love to see the organization with Greyhound rescue dogs. I've seen them several times at craft shows. I believe these are dogs that used to have to race in states like Florida and know there is an organization that in some way assists the older Greyhounds.
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NHWM- I have not had much experience with greyhounds, except riding one once from Ca to Ok, when I was 17. :)
Do they make good pets? I bet they are very high energy.
Very glad to make you smile. :)
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Awwww, thanks smeshque.

You just made me smile so big remembering my beautiful greyhound 😊.
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Proverbs 30:31 
A greyhound; an he goat also; and a king, against whom there is no rising up.

A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel. Proverbs 12:10
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Smeshque,

My last dog was a greyhound. As you most likely know it is an extremely old bread. Cleopatra had a greyhound! They have a very interesting history and are the sweetest dogs in this world. I miss him and loved him dearly.

I think it’s cool that greyhounds are mentioned in the Bible. (Proverbs)

I believe all of God’s creatures are part of the ‘circle of life.’ All animals should be treated with dignity.

All our pets want is just to be loved by us and they deserve it.
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Ecclesiastes 3:21, is the only scripture I know of that speaks of the spirits of animals.
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Send, I was reading a book some time ago, can't remember the author or name, but the author talked about the question of whether our animals will be in heaven. It said something to the effect of, "No one knows for sure exactly what heaven will look like, but I believe that God loves us and loves to give us good things, and that it will be a place of beauty, and will have many of the things we love there too. Our Father knows our hearts, so wouldn't it be like him to have the animals that we love there too?" That's always stuck with me. If I know my kid loves a certain doll/toy that he/she carries with them all the time, I will go out of my way to make sure we take it along for the ride wherever we are going, even on vacation. I wouldn't doubt that God does the same for us :)
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As the Apostle Paul describes in Thessalonians, at some point in the future Jesus will come in the air, catch up the Church from the earth, and then return to heaven with the Church. This is known as the Rapture and it will be glorious. But what of our pets? Who will take care of our pets when we’re gone?

We try to be good stewards of our pets and other animals, given to us by God.
What will happen to our pets?
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Sometimes we have such a hard time accepting things. Since my care giving journey started, I have been feeling as if I am just hanging around. You know, just doing and being available for others. I have been really praying and studying about purpose. This I know that my purpose is to bring glory to Jesus. That means in whatever situation I am placed in, to in some way bring glory to HIM. For the longest time after beginning the caregiving season of my life, I have not really learned nor thought about living. Not that I mean living for myself or what have you, I mean just living, feeling each moment and always finding my joy in Jesus. It is as I just kind of put being alive on hold. Like, enjoyment, peace of mind, and any pursuit I once was chasing. However, my pursuits have definitely changed in that I am pursuing Jesus. But, I am only now figuring out, with much prayer and help from our Lord, that I need to live. I need to feel each moment and see that each moment is a blessing and gift from God. The more time HE gives me, the more time I have to learn and grow, in HIM. God has placed me in this season, HE has placed me in my location, and HE has made me to glorify HIM. I am going to make a plan. Because I am a list maker and a schedule maker and a planner.
I am making a plan, how to live. I begin my plan with planning to bring glory to Jesus in all I do. To make this season a new season. A season of joy in the Lord, of hope in Jesus, and loving the Lord God with all my heart, mind and soul, and growing in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
I will plan to stop and enjoy the beauty of God's wondrous creations, HE shows them to me everyday, only I do not stop and appreciate it as often as I should. I will plan to spend more time alone with my Lord. I will plan to pray more. I will plan to make my Mom smile everyday(I have gotten pretty good at this one, thank the Lord). I will plan to give God my firstfruits everyday.
In all my plan, if I can do these things better, I can then only be the best caregiver I can, with love, patience, gentleness, and humility.
So yeah that is my plan.



“For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:”
Colossians 1:16
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Smeshque: Another lovely ode. Thank you for posting.
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Praying for all my fellow caregivers in one of the hardest parts of life's journey, may we steadfastly walk this journey with Jesus, grace, humbleness, selflessness and Love. As we travel through this pilgrim land to our eternal abode.

The Beautiful Garden of Prayer

There is a garden where Jesus is waiting,
There is a place that is wondrously fair
For it glows with the light of His presence
Tis the beautiful garden of prayer,

O the beautiful garden
the beautiful garden of prayer
O the beautiful garden of prayer
There my Saviour awaits
and He opens the gates
To the beautiful garden of prayer.

There is a garden where Jesus is waiting
And I go with my burden and care
Just to learn from His lips words of comfort
In the beautiful garden of prayer

O the beautiful garden of prayer
There my Saviour awaits
and He opens the gates
To the beautiful garden of prayer.

There is a garden where Jesus is waiting
And he bids you to come meet Him there
Just to walk and to talk with my Saviour
In the beautiful garden of prayer
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