The Word "US"

Nothing says Christmas like a wonderful family in Asia, getting a water buffalo is like getting a form truck while working getting the stand of the market. A water buffalo opened and, more importantly, opens the door to talk about Jesus and nothing says Christmas better than that.

Join Truth Network in supporting gospel for Asia gift today@truthnetwork.com and click on the Christmas critter campaign and so more than 60 maybe maybe so. With this program, 89 8840 888-589-8840 part of program would love to have with this. I want to start off with a song of the season and see if you do not apply.

The whole thing because it's not really as a piece but most if you notice the caregiver keyboard looks a you know that once I know that once morning never actually played that would just sit at the piano that was some that would many times it acquires to see if you know that because it is a wonderful song that has a text that is extremely applicable to us as believers and assist caregivers and all you hear is to strengthen family care that is the sole purpose of this program is to strengthen the family caregiver anchoring us into the word of God and giving us something more than just our own reasoning in this proverb says lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct your path.

Well, if we lead our understanding. It gets us into quite a bit of trouble and we were all there. 888589 if you know that program if you hear me cough.

I've got a little bit of a some congested and so forth is not the only crime it's not the coven is just being around cats, dogs, horses and barn full of hay and so I've got a cough but here not try to grab it.

If I can.

I did actually getting to see the doctor this week and the applause of my wife fussed at me and I get Trying to shake it just wouldn't wouldn't turn you loose so I will apologize in advance for any costs that you hear what you doing for Christmas is a caregiver what's going on with you. How are you settling into this wilderness was going be different this year. This is a hard time a year for like caregivers and I get that. We feel this overriding sense of we gotta make it special for everybody else but what about you so I like to ask you put Christmas special for you so that you enjoy doing something that you like. Are you in a position where you're having to buy your own gift.

If so, we will want to get for yourself. This couple things we can do is caregivers. One of those things I wrote about this year ago in the Chicago Tribune and it was Christmas gifts that you can give to yourself as a character I'd like to throw out one to you this morning to see if this resonates with you and you Audi do you have some folks that is your disappointed that you are struggling with future bearing a grudge that you are resentful towards it and maybe maybe long time and maybe the love and caring for, but if so, would you be willing to write those things down. Everyone just writing that you have to write the offenses you you know just write the names down and then put your hand over that piece of paper or frittata and on the screen whatever just put your hand over that and prefer you do it on paper is for effective in prayer still got about this and more. I want to give myself a gift of releasing this so that I like to carry and then burn it.

Let go just burn doesn't mean that you can forget all these things does the meaning of those things, but it is a tangible way for you to save yourself between you and God. I don't want to carry this anymore. I talked to so many caregivers in particular this time of year where their frazzled there there draws grinding the teeth I've been to that place our member couple years ago this couple years ago it was several years back we will be lived in Nashville and I found myself at the grocery store. There are a lot of crowds that year. That particular year. We were coming to Montana for Christmas dressing on the boys decides to come to Montana for Christmas. Way back in the 90s, and we did it pretty much every year.

It was a way for us to detach from the craziness of traffic and everything else we would just get out here and it was just it was so healing force. It reminded me when I was brought up at Christmas time my family go up to North Carolina. There's a church camp that operate during the summertime of the letter, springs deserted and I have four brothers and sister and in that would take us out there and mom and and we'd all just stated big lots. I don't think anybody showered for the wish to look effective pretty, but I all I remember a great's themselves no quiet dad would rest mom would rest we play games with you know this big industrial kitchen that was everything was easy to clean, and it was a great time just to detach this particular time in Nashville.

I couldn't attach very well and been a rough year with hospitals and everything else that I myself grocery store and there crowds. The traffic was horrible and I literally said as I was grinding my teeth at the store. He does this to Christmas music over the speakers. They literally said hump hook so discouraged. I was so frustrated, given that way.

Have you ever said by, and that was it. That was one of the lower points of Christmas for me and how I wanted to push back against the and I recognize it. For many caregivers. We get to that place and I wanted to really do some things may be introduced for the first and share things that don't lead him to the depot of parts of us caregivers that we can hang on to. In the midst of this and asked why did this all when you understand the lyrics and that was from what it means it's going to get into the deep place that gives you something to hang onto is from Isaiah, and it's from one of the most famous pieces of music ever written in IIII when I when I went back and looked at to Christmas music to do and I love Christmas music. I do love playing in a little crisp Christmas on maybe might be a little different than I thought this was applied to where we are caregivers during those times you know that 888-589-8048 58 940 program. What stirs your self. This is the program you recorded latest figures from the CDC approximately 1 million Americans are injured annually as result of falling on ice and snow.

Peter Rosenberg is a caregiver for my wife more than 35 years. I understand the importance of helping someone with a mobility impairment get in and out of the home safely, particularly in inclement weather and that's why this winter. I'm using heat track their snow and ice melting mats that you just plug in and they provide you a safe walkway to your garage to your mailbox to your deck to your business.

Whatever the need heat track has a mat that will fit that need and make sure that you can get him safely during snow and ice. You don't have to plow you don't have to shovel and you don't have to worry about falling because you're walking on something that is safe and secure and dry this winter. Let's stay out of the emergency room. Let's make sure were safe. Go to heat track.com but in the coupon code caregiver for special discount Christmas time or anytime of the year heat track makes a great gift, go to heat track.com coupon code caregiver and formed books else is markable story speak in remarkable story. We gave the we get a great Christmas gift this year to a young bitty who we've been helping and working with Dell since 2015 and I'll be but I'll be put some pictures up about that later, she was 14 when she was hit by a car in Accra, Ghana, and it cost her her leg but she was still growing and she had a the protrusion from the end of her amputated limb about what they called osteophytes of pieces of bone and we could put a prosthesis on because you got this piece of bone so we worked with the teaching hospital there and across areas ethically boot teaching hospital and we sponsor the surgery. She's able to get that fixed that we put the leg on her arm ministry started standing with hope. This is great. She said after she give up both of her legs and we put this letter on her. She's been going to school or do anything else. But as she grows the limb needs to be updated or remade deputies go through a lot limb. Sometimes, and so centers. Mom reached out to be her name is Philomena and she's just a wonderful lady and said said look we got some challenges here. What we need to do and so we got in and Joseph Thompson is a process we worked with now for many many years over there and he did a great job in building her new socket leg and sent pictures of her. She's 18 now and in finishing high school and start college and just an amazing young lady a very tragic situation and it's one thing to to be disabled in America is nothing to be disabled in a developing country and the things that we take for granted here in the been able to get into schools and so forth. This is not there value is not there and but she is a remarkable young lady, very bright, capable young woman who now is able to get around even better. She's walking great live in life and this was happening through staying with hope and supply. Just you wait is the given keeps on walking. If you will be a part of that you request any with hope.today still at more about what we do what we do it and how are you doing word out to folks, this is this is the something that is extraordinary ministry that came out of very difficult challenges. Gracie went through. Still waiting for prosthetic limb recycling program.

We do as well.

So if you know somebody who was lost somebody that's in a PT they don't know what to do with prosthesis or kid. This outgrown it or whatever will take.

Please don't throw that away will take it because we could recycle most of the parts you can find that all stayed with… They are those of the limbs shipped to a prison in Arizona and they are inmate volunteered to disassemble the limbs and help us recycle the start so it's a great program that Gracie started and you can go take a look at it and see it standing without.com are talking about Christmas things you can do for yourself as a caregiver and yelled the resentment issue is is a big one because so many of us caregivers deal with that reality we become better seen it many times you're trying to please someone that can't be please let in reality a lot of times what Trinity was please a disease and were not called upon to please a disease. I can't count how many caregivers felt caregivers I've talked to who are trying to please an alcoholic parent who just as miserable and trying to engage with them as if they're normal or not you know it it's the date they are impaired in the same thing with Alzheimer's. The thinking with dementia.

It doesn't mean that there intentionally inflicting all this pain on you. They may be doing but when you didn't and impairment. There has to be some allowance for this on how not only with this, but how you deal with you dealing with you trekking with me because a lot of times we use.

We we are looking at the face and hearing the voice of someone we've known for a lifetime, but the the cognitive issues going on behind that face and voice are being forwarded by impairments.

In particular, alcoholism or addiction you going to serve yourself better by detaching from that to realize they are impaired and your job is not to make them happy particular here at Christmas time. You can do things that are meaningful but your expectations need to be measured by the amount of impairment you dealing with so if you got somebody was actively drinking. For example, understand that they're going to cling to alcohol more than the go to cling to you. That's what they do and until there is a place where they can reach for help and work of recovery program and be in. And not only deal with the impact of the addiction of the substance, but the underlying issues as well. It's going to forever color that 40 so for you to put yourself in a position where you're constantly at the mercy of impairment in your heart is being trampled on by the impairment is only going in poorly and it's okay to come to distance yourself. You not you, not rejecting the person you're not amputating the relationship but you have to detach from because they're going down a path you can't go down is unsustainable for you in here at Christmas time I seen more of this where the days are darker and shorter and the nights are very long and individuals just want to somehow dictate more or or and then when you have impairment like dementia and Alzheimer's and so forth. Sundowner's is a real thing and night times can be very difficult, then you're trying to have the joy of the season. These are the things that we as caregivers wrestled with it. So, okay, how do we deal with what we do with what we are we being disrespectful that the emotional burden that we put on ourselves to somehow honor our mother and father, but where were misappropriating this, you'll go back and look at both and aptly get off the ark. This is kind of an obscure story, but after they got off the ark even what happened you know basically planted a vineyard stick sometime in the vineyard had to grow in so that he ended up having grapes and the harps them and then he got a made one out on that he got drunk and passed out naked and he had three sons and one sons living there. He saw his dad sprawled out drunk make you laugh about. And when those brothers see only those brothers were horrified by this and so they grabbed a blanket and they walked in backwards to cover their father and mocking they didn't do anything to to promote his behavior, but they did mocking meter they just walked in backwards covered them up and then when Noah woke up and realized what happened. He was pretty talked about unit cursing the once and it was it was some picture of where some people are their family dynamics you not affix the six you'll have it in you to be able to fix someone else's dysfunction in that manner, you could honor them. You can do what is necessary to respect them, but you don't have to get in there and and fix them and and scold them any certain adult want to mock the heaven impairment. They have something dysfunctional going on and we as caregivers are involved in that and we want to protect them, but we also want to protect our own hearts as well to understand that you don't this this time of year. Please don't appease the disease. Okay, this could be a lot of sentimental demands are still below nostalgic demands as a buddy buzz in the start of what used to be United but there there's clearly a lot of things that you can feel guilty if you don't do it you should be doing and when you're in a situation where your caregiver when you deal with a chronic impairment that is just grinding on and on and on it okay for you to forge your own Christmas path on this. You don't have to be bound by the nostalgia by the Senate. Everything study done in just this way. As I said about Thanksgiving. Some people feel so burdened that they gotta make the dressing for the meal the way grandmother used but you know you can use TOFA okay. You don't have to do it in all those kinds of ways is okay because if the time you get to Christmas morning.

You can't open presents with clenched fist may say that again you cannot open presents cards with clenched fist. It's okay if you take a breather slow down let go. Some these things and not put this overpowering burden on yourself to somehow make the perfect courier not be what it's going to be.

The question is going to be just hacked off the whole time or the moral that's what I'd like to see change. Try to get to our phone was here a bit with her song for the day to get some this could apply caregiver 888589888 as a family with 888589 888-589-8840. What are you doing for you for Christmas this year for go to the phone last drill down one more thing possibly do for yourself. Maybe you have a loved one who can't do anything for you but will if they could and you have to pick out your own card for Christians pick up one that they would give you if they were able to if they were not in the city to three mail it to yourself that you still gotta and then put a gift card or a $10 bill in for yourself in a beautiful Christmas will morning you things that you can do for you not everything that you like but don't don't just accept that your your your desires. You want your niece is and is caregivers a human being are not important because they are and I'm going to give you this thought by the way, if you have a Christmas song you would like to hear that meaningful to you Christmas him.

As for to see if I can work again. I got a special assignment due the next segment because of an event that happened this week about this for you. The next segment, I think you will, but this song today that I'm doing to handle and it is from Messiah will most famous pieces ever or to and the text is from Isaiah 96 and that this was all all textile. If you do this with all the text from Messiah was compiled by adding Charles Jennings was a believer and he actually got a little bit perturbed with handle over this work, he was at odds with little that he thought some of what he can. He just didn't like it very thrown together whatever and is best you can you imagine having that conversation but this particular song piece from is just a beautiful piece for unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder and his name shall be called wonderful Counselor, mighty God, the everlasting father, the Prince of peace is a powerful text. This is that it is unassisted, massively wonderful piece using active patient Glenn search and listen to the whole thing if you want 101 word one word and that text.

The notice for unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given this a form to Mary born into a family or for unto one group of people born to us, we are grafted in us and that this means it the government shall be upon his shoulder get our government that he's establishing that's Russ the same sweet call, wonderful, counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting father, the Prince of peace.

All of that for us, for you and me as believers we are now grafted into that because faith in Christ so that we are not floundering out as a is a nomadic people are not in the midst of all the crazy on this country and in the world. As you can see the world is is not only shaking his fist at God's given the finger. Sorry, that's a little bit blunt but that's what happened, but this time of year. We remember this prophecy from Isaiah.

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and we had a we talked about this last week when I was taught about Hanukkah, but when when when the Angels all came out and saying it badly. When Jesus was born. They all appeared the great hosted all the shepherds turned what why is that significant. They didn't do that in the resurrection Angels with the within the host and combated into that wise we go back to Genesis 315 and he said God set up most simple summons will crest the serpent's head or bruises.

He elusive pressure. From the moment for me and then you had. They had two boys were born Canaanite and can kill will happen there and then Seth was born in the line kept coming along you had a guy named Enoch members Dorina said he walked with God and was not Enoch had a grandson grandsons live a long time.

The Lord told Enoch before he took them to said look I would destroy the earth which grandson is gone he will not die until that's fitted hat and live for very long time and he had a grandson grandsons that he was no in the you know got on the boat. As the years it is grandfather died at the ripe old age of 937. His name was Methuselah. But God promised you got them die until this writer have this amount for the world your live. Noah gets off the boat. We just know and they got me to come to know he said I'm not do this again Andre Crouch had a great soft heat. When the first live concert to resolve in Columbia South Carolina and undergone a thesis. God told Noah about the rainbow side. No more water, fire, next was that it was great so and then the promise went into a moon worshiper down in southern Iraq and white and maybe pulled mesenchymal. Your mom do the same to nations through Isaac and then Jake just kept going kept going. The cell little shepherd boy in the was anointed king in the throes never to depart from your house and it kept going until you get to this young girl in this backwater country of Israel part of the Roman Empire. At that point, you have a baby. Just how can this be Isadore about this whole spirit upon she had this child in the whole host of angels came out why because God said he was going to do it and he did it. He did what he promised. For unto us a child is born.

This was hundreds of years before Jesus.

When Isaiah wrote this unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder and his name shall be called wonderful Counselor, mighty God, the everlasting father, the Prince of peace unto us so we like those agency came out can all rejoice and sing the promises of God in the midst of the bleakness of our life, which it can be very bleak. Some of you are experiencing your first Christmas without a level I know you called up at the date.

Some of you are experienced first Christmas hospital this year or maybe separated levels in the hospital and you can't get to the some of you are experiencing first Christmas with a disability with Krejci there all types of different things, but it says right here in the text. For unto us a child is born, unto us if you would me a son is given, and the government should be the shoulders and his name shall be called wonderful Counselor, mighty God, the everlasting father and the Prince of peace.

Jesus said I came that you may have life and life more abundantly.

And yet he was saying this in the context of great sorrow and suffering and affliction switch to talk about. He's the Prince of peace heavily of peace. Look at all the confusion you can have peace right now, right this moment, so can that it seemed it's a mental shift of how we look at this things and how we do it what we were saying to ourselves every day. Are we just grinding her teeth just got to get through this. Do we even want to deal with Christmas or whatever. Is that what this is about so that we can go out and just come to get the Christmas spirit, watch a couple Hallmark movies and holidays that we were doing here nowhere commemorating something that is extraordinary that goes by being on anything going. Jesus wasn't born on December 25, we must be real, is that it's almost an appropriated holiday but is dated. We have chosen as believers to set aside to recognize that God did what he said he was due he promised something he delivered against all and if you look at this one that to invade this broken world with redemption that it strengthens our heart just a bit to recognize the same thing are challenges with our heart getting good work for unto us is welcome, but this is for you. Unequaled P3. Do you see hacking, but you know what, we have a God see and that's the whole point of everything were doing here today to try to encourage you to see that he does see you for unto us a child is born 888-589-8080 48 885-8984 him to do something promise to do the deed. Lockyer of the program this week. Just two days ago we lost a friend.

He had a stroke because several years back and then we moved to Montana were unable to see him I was a wonderful singer in the Nashville area studio cylinder and all kinds of things that he did just just extraordinary gifted man, but also amazing heart.

He and Gracie had a chance to perform several times together. A while back I wrote a song and I was contemplating some deeper truths and I heard a lot of people sing about.

You will go to heaven. This is what I want to be Christian about heaven, and the thought is that why would I commit to what Thomas did and said he saw Jesus after the direction G because I was about to believe it to Leslie's scholars and Jesus showed up and condescended something a look they look here I am in Thomas's reaction was my Lord and my God. And that was that was just his own thought and swept up wrote this song out about a man named Hank Martin who will be with us next week on the program because he's got a great Christmas so that you can love Hank government service altogether. Hank was the jingle Singer New York thing on commercial sofas will take about that next week, and Hank Chris need to spend best way to speak. They were scared Springs and he is just tremendous individual. So I asked Richard tomorrow.

He's working the board and asked him if he play this song in its entirety of Gracie and get singing the song that I wrote with Hank is called heaven stop the reasons the rich. If you going hit that for me.

I thought you might enjoy this.

I just want to do this is a tribute to a wonderful man with a wonderful voice who was now raining out that false and all eternity with Christ and his known skit and he is with the Lord renewing we miss very much hope you enjoyed that as well and I just remember they were in the senior ceiling. Gracie was on crutches and it was when the first time she's getting back in the studio. After some very difficult journeys.

They just they just just did a great job and I just looked so it was just a tree to do that with them. I hope you enjoyed that and these things that principles and things I hold onto that anchor me in this. I don't as I care for Gracie in my journey. It Christmas time and everything else I don't do this so I can just go to heaven. I have things to do here on this earth and heal you take care head when that time comes I have no doubt he said do not let your heart be troubled. I go to prepare a place for you and and I I get that. And so I have work to do now as I as I keep my mind focused on where I am right now and knowing that all the stuff that eternity Hubert and I can trust him on this because I know that did. He is able to do far beyond anything we can possibly imagine. And I hope that that you can hang on to that as well. During this night, I don't dismiss how difficult this journey can be for so many.

I really don't.

That's why I wanted to delete you something to hang onto changes that the line that Gracie sings in her there's a greater treasure for me that stirs my heart like nothing ever known. As you go through this time of year where sometimes it can be very very difficult during difficult. Remember that text.

For unto us a child is unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder, nothing we can and we can all look at what's going on. The political landscape of this country and around the world and we see people who refuse to recognize authority greater than state as part of the problem we have team. Lily said years ago and freshly tested what he said I am the state and that that's what tyrannical leaders do.

We are not qualified to carry those things, but there is one who is in the government shall be upon his shoulder because he is the wonderful counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, Prince of peace.

He is not us. So when I see political leaders basically establish themselves as the highest authority because their ideals versus the highest authority because the word of God. That's when we go down these past that are incredibly destructive in an painful but it's into this destructive painful world, but we have leaders who say you know I am science or I am the state Orion. This, to remember that we have the one who says I am that I and the government shall be upon his shoulders as you care for someone with impairments as you care for someone who was struggling.

Please remember, there is this is his key and the gates of hell. He said I'm never going to prevail against. As painful as this is for those of us are in Christ. This is close to him was noticed, hard message here at Christmas, I wanted you to hear something strengthen you today that is hope for the care