Jimmie Aaron Kepler's Blog: Jimmie Aaron Kepler, Ed.D., page 95

Anyone Ever Laugh When You Say You’re a Writer?

[image error]You Need a Real Job

Summoned to my high school guidance counselor’s office, I learned not everyone thinks being a writer is a good idea.  I still recall the meeting as if it were yesterday.

“Why can’t I be an author?” I asked. I wanted to be the next Kurt Vonnegut, Philip Roth, or Ray Bradbury. They were the best-selling authors of the day.

Her career choices for me came from the father role models on the popular television programs of the era. She wanted me to be the next Mike Brady (the architect dad on The Brady Bunch) or an aerospace engineer like Steven Douglas (My Three Sons).

“Jimmie, you’re a boy. You need a college degree in engineering, math, science, or accounting. You have to earn enough money to support your future wife and family. Forget your silly notion that a man can support himself by writing. It is okay to write for a hobby, but you will need a real job. With your grades you could even aspire to be a medical doctor or dentist,” she said.

I was heartbroken. Raised to believe I could do anything, now I wasn’t so sure.

Has anyone ever laughed at your vision of writing? Perhaps you have been told you lack life experience or you don’t stand a chance because everyone is writing now that they can simply self-publish on Amazon.

You may have feelings of doubt, thinking if only you had an MFA. If only your family and spouse supported you more. If you could quit your day job. Maybe you are in your sixties like me. You think it is too late. You say I am just too old. If only…

We all experience self-doubt. Friends and family do not always understand our passion.

Everyone faces such challenges. My faith as a Christian also helps me overcome such thoughts. Here are a few lessons I’ve learned.

Some people will never understand your passion for writing. Don’t bother trying to explain. Just let them watch as you write.

Read

Reading is necessary for writing. Not only is reading the fodder for writing, it is fun. It also helps me relax as well as grow.

Write

I know it sounds silly, but to become a writer you have to write. I have heard for years that it takes 10,000 hours to master something. 10,000 hours is five years worth of forty-hour weeks. Maybe that is why it takes ten years for so many to get that first traditional book deal. Do not be a want to be a writer. Write.

Edit

This includes proofreading, rewriting, and polishing. No one is perfect. Critique groups help as well as reputable professional editing services. Rewrite as needed.

Submit

To your surprise, someone may like and buy what you wrote.

Rejection

Being rejected is not personal. Your writing may be bad. It may be good, but just not meet the publisher’s or editor’s needs. You may have submitted to the wrong market or not followed the submission guidelines (both guarantee a rejection). Every writer gets rejections. The photo is a rejection I received from the New Yorker Magazine. I’ve been rejected by the best.

Acceptance

Selling a book or an article doesn’t guarantee success. Many times it means the real work is only beginning. Having your work accepted by a publisher feels good. It feels very good.

Writers’ Groups

Consider joining a writers’ group. I have belonged to three over the years. I have changed groups as I have changed. Some groups I have belonged to were for critique. Some have been to learn the business of writing. Some have been for the encouragement.

I know the thoughts I have shared are all items you have heard many times before. Sometimes a reminder is good.

We all have people like my old high school guidance counselor in our lives. Do not let their negative words keep you from writing. If you have the urge to write, write! It’s not too late.

The formula really is simple. It is read, write, edit, rewrite, submit, and repeat. If your writing is good enough and if what you write matches the publisher’s need, you just may see your story in print.

Photo Source: Pixabay

One Great Way To Write A Book Review

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Keeping Track of What You Read

Over twenty-five years ago I read Louis L’Amour’s book, “Education of a Wandering Man.” L’Amour kept a journal recording the books he read year by year.

About the same time, I attended a writer’s conference in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Christian author Dr. Calvin Miller was the featured speaker. He also mentioned keeping track of what you read. He suggested writing a one-page summary and your thoughts about the book. I thought L’Amour and Miller’s ideas were good. I added a twist of my own. Instead of just a summary, I wrote a brief book review.

An Editor Approached Me About Writing Book Reviews

In the late 1980s, a magazine editor approached me about writing book reviews. At the time, I was an associate pastor and Christian school principal at First Baptist Church in Jasper, Texas. I edited our church newsletter. In addition to writing a weekly column, I wrote and included reviews of Christian books from time to time. The book review became a popular feature. It significantly increased sales of the reviewed book at our local Christian bookstore. The magazine editor received my church newsletter and read my reviews. He asked me to write reviews for his publication. I started receiving review copies of books in the mail. Free books! For a reader like me, it was wonderful.

Kepler’s Military History Book Reviews

In 2003, I started Kepler’s Military History Book Reviews. Since then I have read and reviewed hundreds of military history or military historical fiction books, about 22 per year. The website was named a “100 Best Book Blogs for History Buffs” by OnlineSchool.org in 2009. I receive over 25 requests a month to read and review books. I accept very few of the requests.

What Do I Get Out of It?

First, I get the satisfaction of reading the book. I love reading and history. This is a great way to read new material and get review copies of the books.

Second, I share my love for history in general and military history specifically.

Third, I try to be a good finder in what I read. I will read the entire book. Sometimes it is a struggle, but I look for the good.  I do not say it is wonderful if it is tough to read, but I do not read looking for the bad.  I am blessed getting to review the books. A few times, I will not post a review, instead of giving a one-star review. Most authors prefer no review for a bad review.

In recent days, the newspapers and the Internet have had negative articles about some book reviews. Regarding any review, I have written on Kepler’s Military History Book Reviews; I received no payment. The only compensation was the book that I read. The publisher, author, publicists, or media groups sent it to me or I purchased it.

One Great Way to Write a Book Review 
Read the book.

I know; it seems obvious, but read the book! You might find out the author did a very good job. He or she probably invested one to four years of their lives in the book project, so read the book.  Do not even think about writing a review of something you only skimmed or only partially read. Reading the book is critical to a good review.

Know what you are reading.

If you don’t understand the book or subject area you are going to write about, you cannot write a good review. If you are reading a nonfiction book on a topic you know little about, make some effort to learn something about the topic. I write military history book reviews.  I have a formal background in history with a bachelor’s degree in the subject. My emphasis was in military history. I am widely read in history with a general background in all areas of English History and United States history. I am a serious student of US Military History.

Make notes about what you read.

You may want to make note of key phrase or sentences as you meet them. You can quote them in the review. As you read, ask yourself:

Who is telling the story? Is it in first person or third person?

What is the book’s genre? Narrative history, historical fiction, memoir?

What about the style of writing? Is the author a good storyteller? Is it serious scholarship with footnote after footnote? Is the style conversational or is it full of big words that need a dictionary at your side? Does it paint a word picture in your mind? When was it written? Was there a ghostwriter or co-author?

Does the book touch your heart and mind? Does it move you to an emotional or volitional climax about the topic?

Keep track of the story-line or chronology of the book. It will help you when reading long, complicated works.

Know the author and his or her works.

When you finished gathering the information, and you have enough notes, then you are ready to write the article.

Start with an introduction. The way you start will depend on your target audience. Consider beginning with a paragraph that describes your first impression of the work, or an interesting story that you had experienced through the book, or a more technical introduction where you briefly state the author, title, publisher, and any other information about the book you see pertinently.  I like to ask a thought-provoking question. An example is “Have you ever wondered what it would be like being a marine in Iraq?” It gets the reader thinking. Give a brief history of the author with some relevant information such as earlier works and awards.

Cover the structure of the book without giving away the plot or ending.

Explain your opinion of the book and give a summary of the review.

Finish by recommending the book. State who would benefit and enjoy the book, using general terms (students, veterans, seniors).

I like to tell the reader where and how they can get the book.

Include your full name in the end with the date of the review. On my book review site, I allow feedback. I have had a few authors contact and challenge me. I have had some authors point out grammar or spelling errors I have made in the review.

An example of the most frequent comment is in the words of David Laskin of the University of Washington. He wrote, “The Long Way Home: An American Journey from Ellis Island to the Great War.” He thanked me for reading the book. He said concerning my review that he had no doubt I had read the book. By the way, the book was amazing.

Originally Publication: Author Culture

Publication URL: http://authorculture.blogspot.com/2014/10/one-great-way-to-write-book-review.html

Date Retrieved: July 31, 2018

Original Publication Date: Monday, October 6, 2014

Photo Source: Pixabay

Hope for the Caregiver – Chapter Five

[image error]My late wife, Benita Kepler. The photo was taken after she had been diagnosed with two cancers, both Stage 4.
Your Attitude is Important

Learning to care for a loved one with a chronic illness includes discovering how to laugh. Our attitude is crucial when caring for a person with a chronic disease. Our view is also contagious, infectious.

The cheerfulness of mind does good like a medicine for the body. Our attitude contributes to the restoration or preservation of bodily health and vigor. Medical science tells us the red blood cells, most white blood cells, and platelets are produced in the bone marrow, the soft fatty tissue inside bone cavities. A poor spirit/attitude ‘drieth the bones’ and remember it is the bones which produce the needed cells.

We can learn a lot if we read our Bible.

My Story

Anyone who ever saw or knew my late wife Benita in her last three to five years would almost always comment on her smile. Her attitude would match the smile.

The July before she passed away the next April was one of the few times when I saw her spirit nearly broken. She shared with me a visit she had with the dermatologist. The young dermatologist told Miss Benita she was surprised she was continuing to work her day job. 

The physician stood facing my wife, looking her directly in the eyes. She had placed a hand on each of my wife’s shoulders to make sure she had her attention. She commented, “We, that is me and the rest of your medical team (the managing oncologist, surgical oncologist, primary care physician, gastroenterologist and the radiologist are all concerned that you don’t understand that you have Stage 4 Melanoma Cancer and Stage 4 Neuroendocrine Carcinoid. One of the other of these cancers is going to kill you. They are incurable.”

Benita told me that upset her said she took the lady doctor’s hands off her shoulders and told her. “I know I have cancer. I know without Providential intervention they will kill me. I am not just going to sit on my couch in my living room and wait to die. I work because I need the medical insurance and because when I work, I don’t think about cancer.”

“That had to be tough to hear,” I replied.

“Don’t patronize me. You know it was hard to hear even when I knew it.”

I nodded.

She added, “I told her that God had my days numbered. I was going to smile and keep my trust in God. It was my hope in Jesus that allowed me to smile, to have hope, and keep going.”

She hugged me and then thanked me for supporting her approach to handling the illness.

She lived about eighteen months longer than the doctor’s original projection of life expectancy. I am sure attitude added to both the quality of her life and the length of her life.

The Bible Says

Proverbs 17:22 (KJV),  “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.

The Meaning Of The Bible Verse

The attitude of the sick person is crucial when dealing with a chronic illness. Their cheerfulness of mind does good like a medicine for the body. Their mental approach contributes to the restoration or preservation of bodily health and vigor. Their outlook gives them hope. As caregivers, our attitude is equally critical. The one we’re caring for with catch our state of mind. Caregivers need more than a positive attitude. We need the joy of the Lord in our heart.

Pray Using the Bible Verse

Heavenly Father, help us to enjoy the funny things that happen in life. Let our joyful attitude be caught by our loved one and other family members.
Lord Jesus, help us to take life one day at a time. Allow us the ability to enjoy today instead of worrying about tomorrow.
Almighty God, help our family and friends to not dwell on the seriousness of the illness, but rather help us to live life to the fullest as we know You hold the future of the loved one we are caring for and our future.

Applying the Verse to Receive God’s Hope for the Caregiver

How’s your attitude? Being down is normal. Allow the joy of the Lord to fill your heart and lift your mood.
How’s your outlook? Remember, that in the Lord’s strength you can care for your loved one.
How do you get a merry heart? You get one by knowing Christ as Savior. You get one by spending time in reading the Bible, being in fellowship with Christians, and you just ask the Lord through prayer to make your heart merry. For the Believer in Jesus Christ there is the ultimate destination of heaven and being with Jesus. That knowledge alone should fill your heart with joy.

Kepler’s Aphorism #3 – One Page a Day

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Kepler’s Aphorism #3 – One Page a Day

The average page has 250 words.
If you write 1 page a day 5 days a week you will end the week with 5 pages or 1,250 words written in one week.
If you do one page a day, 5 days a week for 52 weeks you’ll end the year with 65,000 words.
If you write 250 words a day (one page) every day for 1 year you end up with 91,250 words.
Somewhere between the two numbers are enough words if you are telling a story to have the first draft of a book.
To write a book put your bottom in a chair, write one page a day, and you’ll finish the first draft by this time next year.

Photo Source: Pixabay

The Writer’s Life: A Question of Balance

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A Question of Balance

Balancing your day job with your passion for writing and reading is hard. The day job is important. You need a regular paycheck and insurance for survival.

So unless you’re a Dean Koontz with a spouse who is willing to give you five years to make it with her working full-time to support you or you have enough wealth, savings, or other sources of income, you need a day job.

Having a Life is Important

You need to manage your time to keep yourself fiscally, spiritually and physically fit. You need a sound body and a sound mind as you write. You need time for a spouse or whoever your relationship is with.

Your spouse isn’t going to cook, clean, and give sex on demand to you while you hibernate in your office researching, reading, and writing. You have to invest time in your relationship(s).

Let’s face it, there are days when you are too tired or exhausted to write. There are other days where all you feel like is reading. The reading recharges your energy and is fodder for future writing.

You Need to Write Regularly

Notice I used the word regularly, not daily.

Why not daily? Because you will have some days you cannot write. If you are trying daily and miss a day you will feel guilty and may give up. If you just write one page a day for 25 out of 30 days in a month that is a 300-page book in just one year!

You Can Do It

You can find the time to write if it’s your passion. You can find the balance to do it. Go for it!

Photo Source: Pixabay

Meet the Poets: Carl Sandburg – 1919 and 1951 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry, 1940 Pulitzer Prize for History

[image error]“I make it clear why I write as I do and why other poets write as they do. After hundreds of experiments, I decided to go my own way in style and see what would happen.” – Carl Sandburg

Carl Sandburg (January 6, 1878 – July 22, 1967) was an American writer and editor, best known for his poetry. He received three Pulitzer Prizes: two for his poetry and another for his history, a biography of Abraham Lincoln.

Sandburg was almost unknown to the literary world when, in 1914, a group of his poems appeared in the nationally circulated Poetry magazine.

Two years later his book Chicago Poems was published, and the thirty-eight-year-old author found himself on the brink of a career that would bring him international acclaim.

Sandburg published another volume of poems, Cornhuskers, in 1918, and wrote a searching analysis of the 1919 Chicago race riots.

More poetry followed, along with Rootabaga Stories (1922), a book of fanciful children’s tales. That book prompted Sandburg’s publisher, Alfred Harcourt, to suggest a biography of Abraham Lincoln for children. Sandburg researched and wrote for three years, producing not a children’s book, but a two-volume biography for adults. His Abraham Lincoln: The Prairie Years, published in 1926, was Sandburg’s first financial success.

With the financial success, he moved to a new home on the Michigan dunes and devoted the next several years to completing four more volumes, Abraham Lincoln: The War Years, for which he won the Pulitzer Prize in 1940.

Sandburg continued his prolific writing, publishing more poems, a novel, Remembrance Rock, a second volume of folk songs, and an autobiography, Always the Young Strangers.

In 1945 the Sandburg family moved with their herd of prize-winning goats and thousands of books to Flat Rock, North Carolina.

Sandburg’s Complete Poems won him a second Pulitzer Prize in 1951. Sandburg died at his North Carolina home July 22, 1967. His ashes were returned, as he had requested, to his Galesburg birthplace. In the small Carl Sandburg Park behind the house, his ashes were placed beneath Remembrance Rock, a red granite boulder. Ten years later the ashes of his wife were placed there.

Source:  Pulitzer Awards 1919, Pulitzer Awards 1940, and Pulitzer Awards 1951

For more on Carl Sandburg see: http://carl-sandburg.com/biography.htm

Poem: Gone Electric

Gone Electric

Our music choice was known as folk

We all laughed at a knock-knock joke

Acoustic was our favorite sound

In D.C. The Beatles played in the round

We cried when JFK was killed that day

And why the war we asked LBJ

Newport Folk Festival was going strong

And Bob Dylan wrote our favorite song

On TV we got Lost in Space

And Ryan O’Neil was on Payton Place

Way back in ’65 the words were Supreme

And played the greatest lyricist ever seen

The times were a changing because of him

Sara Lownds never went to the gym

Just gave him three sons and a little girl

Some before, some after the tour that rocked the world

His acoustic half sounded the same

The electric half critics called a shame

As his music changed the world

Shouts of Judas started to swirl

They hated him at the Royal Albert Hall

And some were glad when he took that fall

Others thought after his motorcycle accident

That his life and career were spent.

Eight years before he toured again

Wouldn’t let the critic boss him with their pen

And his music never really would change

Though his voice now shows age’s strain

To the arenas, we still all come

And he sings never chewing gum

Just Like a Woman, Mr. Tambourine Man and Desolation Row

And singing Like a Rolling Stone, he closes the show.

© 2011 by Jimmie A. Kepler

One Great Way to Discipline Yourself for Success

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Below is a little guide I put together. I call it “One Great Way to Discipline Yourself for Success.”

1. You must master your moods.

Proverbs 25:8 – Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control.

2. You must watch your words.

Proverbs 13: 3 – He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin.

3. You must restrain your actions.

Proverbs 19:11 – A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense.

4. You must stick to your schedule.

Ephesians 5:15-16 – Be very careful, then, how you live — not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.

5. You must manage your money.

Proverbs 21:20 – The wise person saves for the future, but the foolish man spends whatever he gets.

6. You must maintain your health.

I Thessalonians 4:4 – Each of you should learn to control his own body, keeping it pure and treating it with respect …

The above Bible verses offer a Bible-based, common sense approach to success.

Photo Source: Pixaby

Ten Thoughts to Encourage Others

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Ten Thoughts to Encourage Others:

Over the years I have noticed people who have the ability and skill to do a task or assignment often lack the confidence to tackle the job before them. If they are a writer, they may fear to put words on paper. If an analyst, they may hesitate or question themselves before solving a problem or recommending a solution.

I have found that a little encouragement helps them achieve their goals and do their job. Here are ten thoughts on how I encourage others.

1. Show a Sincere Interest in the Person.

Listen to what they are saying.
When they are talking, look at them not your smartphone.
Be interested in what is happening in their life, the challenge(s) they are facing.
Let them know you care.

2. Acknowledge What’s Important. 

When you acknowledge what’s important to others, you offer a form of verification and support about who they are and what they’re doing.
A proper technique I use is merely to restate their question or challenge and then allow them to talk it through.
Follow-up and ask how it’s going, are they making progress.
Do not share similar circumstances you have lived through or had a friend or family member survive. It’s about them, not you!

3. Say “Congratulations.”

These magical “Words of Encouragement” at the right time can make all the difference between a person “keeping going” and “giving up.”
Congratulate them on a job or task well done. This may be as simple as their meeting a deadline.
A “Post-It” note or email congratulatory word has fantastic results.
Give a person the credit they’ve earned. Do not claim it for yourself.

4. Be There. 

Sometimes the “ministry of your presence” is all they need.
Just being there for them is encouraging.
Many times all they need is a listening ear to talk through the issue or task.
Let them know “you have there back.” Many times these simple acts share hope.

5. Say “Thank You.”

Saying thank you is a common courtesy.
It is good manners.
People like a little reward for hard work.
A simple thank you will make others aware that you know what they have done worthwhile and find it meaningful to you.

6. Return the Favor.

If someone does something sweet for you, an excellent way to show your appreciation is merely to return the favor.
It will both shock and encourage them.
I can be as simple as bring them a coffee or offering to help them with their next project or routine tasks when they are overloaded. You might take their “on-call” where they can have a weekend break instead of swapping weekends with them.
Note: don’t ever do something expecting someone to return the favor for you.

7. Answer With Something Unexpected. 

I have a phrase I have used for years … love them from where they are to where they need to be!
Even when others let me down or they know I know they “dropped the ball” I don’t tell them so, I usually pick the ball up for them.
If something went wrong, help them focus on the solution instead of assigning blame.
It is incredible the long-term results this can have in encouraging someone.

8. Be a “Good Finder.”

A “good finder” is a person who looks for the good, not the bad in a person or a situation.
An example would be if a person is always late to meetings, but makes in on time to your meeting instead of saying “About time you attended a meeting on time” say “I really appreciate the extra effort you made to get here on time” without any reference to their usual tardiness.
A good finder affirms their coworkers or friends.
People will gravitate toward you where you’re a “good finder” as you’ll become someone who makes others feel good.

9. Smile.

Have you ever experienced the magic of a simple smile?
Have you ever noticed how when you smile at someone they smile back?
Share an encouraging smile.
Smiling will transform your own attitude as well.

10. Offer to Lend a Hand. 

You can offer to lend a hand.
Sometimes a person feels like the weight of the world is on their shoulders and no one cares.
Show them you really care. You can be there.
If a person gives me an excessive workload, I usually ask them if there is anything else I can do for them when I finish the job. I do not complain about the amount of work.

What are some ways you encourage friends or coworkers? These techniques also work with your spouse or partner. Please share your suggestions in the comments.

Photo Source: Pixaby

Hope for the Caregiver – Chapter Four

[image error]God’s Grace is Enough

How in the world am I ever going to care for my loved one? I can’t do this. I don’t know how. I don’t have the physical strength to help them to lift them in and out of bed. How will I ever get them on and off a potty chair? I’ll never keep the prescriptions straight. How will I ever give my loved one the right medications at the right time? There are so many prescriptions. What do I do when they don’t want to eat or drink?

Caring for a loved one with a chronic illness isn’t easy. You may be the only caregiver. You may have family help. If they offer, please consider accepting the help. You might have your church or Bible study class giving some assistance where you can go to the grocery store or just have a few hours for yourself.

Part of your education in caring for a loved one with a chronic illness is learning that God’s grace is enough. 

The Bible Says

2 Corinthians 12:9 (KJV), “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

My Story

My wife had surgery within a week of her initial diagnosis of Melanoma Cancer. I was mentally prepared to provide her with world-class care and unconditional love. It was almost like I had put on my superhero uniform and was singlehandedly going to do it all.

While she was still in the hospital it was easy. I cared for her every need and the nurses and surgeon came in from time to time to check on her. This is a breeze, I thought. 

I brought her home. There was a challenge in getting her from the car to the bedroom. I wasn’t as easy as I had envisioned.

My Bible fellowship class brought in a few meals to help. I was so thankful for their assistance. They also provided several restaurant gift cards for food. The gifts cards were a challenge. They required me to be gone from the house which meant I was leaving my sweet wife alone as I drove to the Subway or another restaurant to get the food. 

On one trip I was greeted by a severe thunderstorm that pounded me, flooded the roadway, and contributed to a significant automobile accident that had the road blocked for over an hour. I was stuck. I tried calling my wife but her telephone was turned on vibrate where it wouldn’t disturb her rest. I had visions of her crying out needing help and no one responding.

By the time I returned home, I was soaking wet from the rain and exasperated from the delay. My thoughts were of the worst proved unfounded. However, the storm and accident had my wife having lunch almost two hours late. 

I discovered a hard lesson. I learned to be smart in using what God has provided. Going forward I wouldn’t go out for food during periods where my wife was recovering from surgery or treatments unless I had someone to sit with my wife.

My wife’s sisters offered to come from out of state to help. At first, I thought, I don’t need them. I can handle this. They need to wait until she is sicker and she requires more care. I was afraid they didn’t think I could care for their sister.

My oldest son was a voice of reason. He suggested to me that I welcome my sisters-in-law. He pointed out I was already tired. He was sure I could use the help where I maintained energy and strength for the extended challenge ahead. Besides, he said, the sisters needed each other. He added that God might even be prompting them to come.

I agreed. My wife’s sisters came. God’s grace and provision were sufficient for the challenge. 

I learned lessons then that prepared me for thirty months later when we needed all hands on deck to walk through the valley of her last five months before she ultimate passed away.

God’s grace is sufficient. He may provide you with the strength you need for a specific task. He may send the family to you to help. He may have meals delivered to meet your needs. Regardless of how He does it, God’s grace is sufficient.

The Meaning Of The Bible Verse

Suffering uncovers your heart’s weaknesses so that Christ is your strength.

Pray Using The Bible Verse

Heavenly Father, help us to cry out to You in our weakness and claim Your promise that Your grace is sufficient for us, for Your power is made perfect in weakness. 
Thank you, Lord, for providing your sufficient grace. 
Teach us how to boast all the more gladly of our weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon us. We don’t understand how but trust in you for our strength to be made perfect in weakness.

Applying the Verse to Receive God’s Hope for the Caregiver

Have you asked God to give you Grace for today? What challenges are you facing today? Have you turned it over to God? Turn it over to God now. Dear Lord, today I am facing [enter challenges here]. I ask for Your help.
Have you prayed for the power of Christ to rest upon you?  If not, ask Him now.
You need to acknowledge your weakness and pray for God’s sufficiency.  Are you trusting God to help you and then willing to accept the help He offers?

Photo Source: Pixaby