Lillie Ammann's Blog, page 78

Devotion for the First Sunday in Advent

Isaiah 9:2-6 (NASB)

2 The people who walk in darkness

Will see a great light;

Those who live in a dark land,

The light will shine on them.

3 You shall multiply the nation,

You shall increase their gladness;

They will be glad in Your presence

As with the gladness of harvest,

As men rejoice when they divide the spoil.

4 For You shall break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders,

The rod of their oppressor, as at the battle of Midian.

5 For every boot of the booted warrior in the battle tumult,

And cloak rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire.

6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;

And the government will rest on His shoulders;

And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

Look around us, and we appear to be surrounded by light. Buildings are flooded with bright fluorescents, most streets are well-lit, lights shine from televisions and all sorts of electronic devices. Yet we are really living in darkness, surrounded by the blackness of sin and evil. Jesus is the Light that shines in the darkness and overcomes it. He is the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, and Prince of Peace. Maranatha, Lord! Come quickly.

Heavenly Father, we thank You for sending Jesus to shine in the darkness of the world, and we are looking for the day He will return again in glory. Prepare our hearts to be ready for His coming. In His Holy name. Amen.

Happy Thanksgiving!

May you recognize and appreciate all God’s blessings.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Image on preview: © Depositphotos.com/belchonok

International Day of the Bible

Today is the International Day of the Bible, when Christians are encouraged to post their favorite Bible verse on social media with the hashtag #BibleCelebration.

I’ve posted recently about my Bible reading/sharing plan. There are so many wonderful verses that I love.

But my favorite is easy to pick: Romans 8:28: 

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

So many times in my life when something happened that I thought was terrible, such as my stroke at age forty-five, God has turned it around for good. If I hadn’t had the stroke, I would never have sold my business and become a writer. That is a dramatic example, but God has turned so many things to good in my life.

I didn’t realize how significant this verse is to me until I started editing the devotional book I’m working on. While I used a number of Scriptures for the ninety devotionals, Romans 8:28 appears repeatedly.

What’s your favorite Bible verse? Share it on social media today with the hashtag #BibleCelebration.

Writing Life Stories in November

November is Family Stories Month and National Life Writing Month. 

I remember as a young child my grandfather telling stories about his days as a cowboy. On holidays when the big extended family gathered to celebrate, he regaled us with his exploits.

No one ever bothered to write the stories down. Grandpa was always telling his stories. While we loved to hear them, neither adults or children thought ahead to the time he would be gone–and his stories with him.

I encourage everyone to write their life story. There are many ways you can tell your story:

a personal memoir, such as George’s Rendezvous with Destiny , by World War II vet George Vakey; or Base Jumping , by a man who grew up as a military brat; or My Life Story: Adventures of the Great Dane , by a man from Denmark who spent his life in the merchant marine and the United States military
a personal journal, such as Journal: Intimate Writings of a Relationship with God , by a devout Christian, or a book about how something specific affected your life, such  No! Not Again!, by a mother who has experienced the death of two of her children
a family history or a fictionalized family history, such as The Westward Sagas, by genealogy/family history enthusiast David Bowles
a collection of anecdotes, such as the book I wrote about my husband Jack
a unique combination of memoir and family letters and poems, such as Some Monument to Last, by TV journalist James (Munoz) Doughty
a video interview of the oldest family member or a photo collection with descriptions of who are in the photos and what they are doing
a recipe book, such as the project I’m working on now for a family who has fond recollections of many happy family meals; you could even add special memories with each recipe

You don’t have to publish your memories for the world to read. With digital printing today, you can print 50 or 100 copies for family and friends and never make the book available to the general public. Or you can simply print out a few copies on your computer.

My mother wrote what she called her “little stories” as she remembered something from her life. The stories were completely random in order–she might write about an experience from her childhood then a memory from her later years. I typed up the stories and added photos. Each Christmas, we printed copies for my siblings and me to add to the three-ring binder Mom had given us to start the project. Even the grandkids looked forward to Grandma’s stories each Christmas.

My mother-in-law dictated her stories into a tape recorder. I typed them and added photos, printed the documents, and inserted the pages into three-ring binders to distribute to family members.

Those memories are so precious today, years after their deaths. Reading those stories reminds us of those special women we love so much and of things we never thought we’d forget–but have forgotten.

This month is a wonderful time to start your family story or life writing project. If you’re spending Thanksgiving with family, share favorite memories and ask someone to write them down.

You’ll find help to write your memoir or family history in my short ebook–Preserving Memories: How to Write a Family History. 

Unless you and/or your family are famous or infamous, the general public isn’t likely to be interested in your story. However, your family members in this generation and generations to come will love remembering or learning about you and your family.

I Love to Write Day

Do you love to write? If so, be sure to write something today–I Love to Write Day. It’s a time to enjoy writing–a letter, the Great American Novel, a journal, a poem, or .

Whether you’re a professional writer or someone who writes for pleasure, enjoy doing something you love today–writing!

Adoption, Diabetes, and Military Families

November is a busy month. I have and will recognize some of the events individually, but I’m combining three important causes that are recognized this month.

National Adoption Month : This year the focus is on adoption of older youth. Most people want a baby, but older children need families, too. Our son was eleven when we adopted him. I can tell you adopting an older child is not easy. Although every child waiting for a family is unique, many older children have been abused, rejected, and shuffled from foster home to foster home or institution. Building trust and love takes time and effort. But it’s not easy parenting your own biological child, either. Being a parent isn’t easy–but it’s worth it.
National Diabetes Month : Diabetes is important to my family: my mother died of complications of diabetes, and her mother and all her siblings also suffered from diabetes. Jack had diabetes and required daily insulin shots; he also had Alzheimer’s and that condition made managing his diabetes more challenging. I have diabetes myself, but in the last couple of years, I have worked very hard to eat a healthy diet, and my diabetes is under much better control with less medication. Several of my good friends also suffer from diabetes, so you can see why I’m recognizing a month dedicated to raising awareness of this condition.
Military Families Appreciation Month : While I’m not in a military family, I want to honor those families who are the wind beneath the wings of our military members. We sometimes overlook the sacrifices they make–moving often, being separated from their loved ones and worrying about them when they are deployed to a war zone, and a lot of stress that most of us don’t have to deal with. I learned a lot about the life of military families when I edited the book Base Jumping: The Vagabond Life of a Military Brat. Author William Willis tells about the sacrifices, but he also writes about the close bond that develops between military families and the other benefits he enjoyed as a military brat. Though there are benefits, we still need to recognize and honor our military families for all they do.

Image: © Depositphotos.com/klenger

Veterans Day 2015

ALMIGHTY God, our heavenly Father, in whose hands are the living and the dead; We give thee thanks for all those thy servants who have served in the military of our country. Grant to them thy mercy, blessings, and the light of thy presence, that the good work which thou hast begun in them may be perfected; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord. Amen. (adapted from 1928 Book of Common Prayer)

 

Enjoy this video tribute to all who have served.

Image: © Depositphotos.com/Aleksandrsb

International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church

The International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church is observed on November 1st and November 8th.

Lord God Almighty, we come to You on behalf of our persecuted brothers and sisters around the world. Let them feel Your love and mercy and grace. Give them strength to withstand persecution and courage to tell others about You in the face of danger. Give them hope, knowing that no matter what happens to them in this world, they are destined for eternity with You. Provide for their needs, especially access to Your Word. When their families reject them, surround them with new Christian families who will love and support them. Empower them by Your Holy Spirit to love You more than they fear persecution. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Image: © Depositphotos.com/monkeybusiness

National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month and National Family Caregivers Month

November is National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month and National Family Caregivers Month.

My first exposure to Alzheimer’s disease occurred in the late 1980s. My father, a very strong, intelligent, and independent man, started having episodes of confusion, memory loss, and changed behavior. When he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, none of us had ever heard of the disease before, but we quickly learned. Along with my sisters and my mother, I was a caregiver for my father until he required more medical care than could be provided at home.

Two decades later, my husband was diagnosed with the same devastating disease, and I again became a caregiver. Even though I thought I knew a lot about Alzheimer’s, I had more to learn.

My sister was so impacted by caregiving for my father than she returned to school for a degree in social work. She was a blessing to me during Jack’s illness, encouraging me as well as giving help and practical advice. Nancy, a social worker in a nursing home, is a certified dementia practitioner and the author of an excellent guide for caregivers: Help! What Do I Do Now? Caring for Your Loved One with Alzheimer’s.

She says, “When you’ve met one Alzheimer’s patient, you’ve met one Alzheimer’s patient.”  Each patient is unique–while there are common symptoms, no two individuals have the same symptoms or behave in the same way.

Unlike the time of my father’s diagnosis, most people today have heard of Alzheimer’s and probably know people with the disease. The symptom of memory loss is well-known. Not everyone knows, however, that the problems extend far beyond memory. One of the most difficult issues to deal with is personality change. Often patients exhibit behaviors that are difficult to handle and seem irrational.

I recommend that you put a little effort into learning about Alzheimer’s so if you encounter it in someone you love, you won’t be as shocked and ignorant as my family was when the doctor told us Daddy had Alzheimer’s.

You can begin your search right here on this blog. Results from a search for “Alzheimer’s” will lead you to posts I’ve written, many of which have links to excellent resources about the disease.

 

National Authors Day

November 1 is National Authors Day, a day to honor American authors.

If, like me, you love to read, let you favorite authors know how much pleasure they have brought you. Thank them privately in a note or publicly on social media. Show your appreciation by buying their latest books.

You can find some great books by some wonderful authors on my book page. You can see more of my favorite authors by checking out my five-star reviews on Goodreads.

Starting a book is easy; reaching “the end” is not. If you appreciate the talent and hard work that produces the books you enjoy, let the authors know.

Image: © Depositphotos.com/pio3