Believing caregivers, how do I reconcile that scripture says to put others before me whereas the secular world says put me first?

LL- I too have an odd schedule. Makes some days harder than others, I can relate. Hope you can get back into your routine and get rested up.
HKPL

Dearest Smeshque: The reality is that I don't do mornings if at all possible. My husband used to work nights so we still keep a late schedule. To change my circadian pattern for two days in a row was hard. Thank you dear smeshque for your comforting words yet again.  You are an angel.  There should be more people like you. xoxoxo 

DDDuck: I, too, have to play catch up because I may appear to write as a young woman but the reality is that I am 71 years old.
I bestow many blessings on you DDDuck.

“Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.”
Romans 12:14

tumb- You are right when pleasing God is our purpose daily, and we walk with HIM, life is more bearable.

LL-Always a blessing received when you write. So sorry they made your daughter cry, that was not nice at all. I do hope you get some rest and wake refreshed in the morning and that your consult goes well. Much love and prayers, Dear Llama(HUGS)


DD-I am so glad you will be visiting the verses, they are great nutrition for our spirit. I like to say soul food. I am glad you are on a new path and I will keep you in my prayers, that you receive the guidance you seek. You are very correct, there is no one on this earth that has the power to say who is going to hell. We have only one judge. I do hope you can find a biblical church that you may receive love and support in your path. May God bless you DD in your journey, love and prayers.(HUGS)

I have been of line a while and catching up. Smesh, Llama, I am wrote down all the scripture and passages and will read them. Chronicles, Deuteronomy and Pslams. I have been a witness to God's power over and over. It brings tears to my eyes how thing come to be revealed and worked out and the way its done is often amazing.

Gershen, I totally agree with you about not haveing to be in an acutal church to talk to God. I have been to some Churches that are what they preach. Havent found any lately.

Zipster, I understand your frustration. but the words about going to hell and the absence of certain religious type people is not from God. You know when he speaks. Those type of words are to confuse and control you. there is not one person on this earth who had the power to dictate who goes to hell. I am not well read as far a the bible is concerned but I am very spiritual in my heart and soul. that is just meaness. Stay strong and focused on God. I hope and pray you son finds his path. The path changes sometimes in life and at least he is aware that he needs to find his way. I wont go on and on but would like to say I am on a new path and continually pray for guidance and help and protection. I try to stay in prayer in one way or another.

Smeshque: And what a wonderful scripture verse that is!

Smeshque: Thank you for telling me that you hugged your mom for me. Sorry but I must eat a light dinner and get to bed.

Dearest smeshque: Oh, thank you so much again for all of your inspirational and kind words. Yes, they do need a new, valid security guard! Even the doctor gave me kudos for saving the day. Yes, I avoid situations where my sisters-in-law will be there. One time my married daughter was so hurt by them because they gave her as a gift a photo of themselves and if that wasn't tasteless enough, it was in a $4 K Mart frame. She drove the hour and 20 minutes to her home in tears. They had also given me the same photo. Thank you for informing your friends about the Mary & Martha products. And thanks for the heartfelt words about my friend. She lost her first baby due to pre-eclampsia and almost her own life. The next baby was a high risk, but a successful birth. I must wrap things up fast because I will have to get to bed early tonight as I'm arising super early for a dental implant consult.

When it comes to your aging parents, taking care of them is a blessing and an opportunity to earn paradise. When your life goal is to earn God's blessing and reward life would be much more easier to bear.

LL- sounds like they need new security guard. When God chooses us to handle a situation, or "save the day" for a moment you get to be a super hero. :)
That is so unkind of the sil's. I am glad you avoid situations like that, as I hate to think of you being hurt by unkind and ungrateful people.
I do love the M&M products, its hard to narrow down choices. They are good gifts for others as well.
Will be praying for your friend expecting #2. I do hope all goes well. And I will tell others I know about the M&M products. I hope they do well.
I will give my Mom a hug, she loves hugs. I will tell her it is from you.That will bring her joy.
Joy and peace to you my dear friend.

“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:”
Philippians 1:6

Dearest smeshque: As a matter of fact, the staff of the retinologist said "That security guard is worthless!" I am always so overjoyed when God chooses me to avert or handle any situation!
It does mean the world to me when you say that I help you....more than you'll ever know! So thank you 100 fold! And yes, social skills are taught when a person is in their growing years, though I don't enjoy events where I'm talked about as soon as I've left or the fact that at my special number birthday event, I see a social media photo of them saying "sister time" and it doesn't include me only because I'm just a sister-in-law. As a result, I stay away from further events that could be deemed hurtful. You're so right. Just because a person steps in a house of worship or claims to be a Christian, they may be fooling only themselves.
Those Mary & Martha products are all faith-based. I loved so many of them, making 3 orders, 2 of which were large. My two friends who are reps of the company are so Godly-one is expecting baby #2 at high risk any day now!
Much love back to you, dear smeshque and hug that dear mom of yours!

LL- imagine if you had not been there, would the security guard have even done anything? I so glad you were put there to stop something that could have been a big disaster.
Your inlaws have reason to be a little messed up it sounds like. What a negative environment to say the least for them to grow up in, that would mess up anyone. There are people who call themselves Christians, but do not have Christlikeness at all. To me they are just wearing a label. Because humility, compassion, and mercy go hand in hand with Christianity.
If it means anything, you help me everyday more than you know. So keep aspiring my dear llama
I am going to have to check out these products now. :)
Much love to you dear friend.
Be steadfast and unmoveable

smeshque: After almost 4 decades of knowing my husband's family, I am used to their self-serving ways; although many of the 6 claim to be Christians. However, they were raised by quite dysfunctional parents-mentally ill mom who used a wire brush on one's blemished face and placed disliked food atop their heads and an alcoholic and jokester father. I didn't let it bother me-I immediately ordered even MORE of the Mary&Martha.com products!!
Oh, thank you for your sweet, Godly compliments. My aspiration for each day that God gives me on this earth is to help others.
I'm so sorry that your dad is no longer with you.
I still think of the potential fire outside my retionologist's office that I averted.

LL- thank you for your kind words and prayers. I am blessed that you are in this world. I know prayers are being heard. I am sorry for your husbands familys unkindness to you. That is just not right.I think her response was not a very kind one. But, just don't let it get to you. Some people are just like that, and I know you are not. Don't let ungrateful people discourage your gifting train. :)
I do not have my Dad anymore, I lost him almost a year and a half ago now. We just had started doing the chicks that way for him when he was here, he loved birds, so much.
Thank you again LL.
May God continue to bless you as you have need.

Smeshque: You are indeed fortunate to have your dad. I lost my dad when I was barely 20 years of age. His anniversary of his death, Good Friday was recent.

Dearest Smeshque: Oh, I do hope that God has heard my and your prayers to ease your load and burden. God wants all of it. He never gives a person more than they can handle, else they break. Oh, thank you so much for saying that I have a kind heart. Some of my husband's family tend to be self serving people and will and have been unkind to me. I was delighted to have found a Christian products site that 2 of my friends are selling. So I bought a lot of the products as gifts for our niece's wedding. I tell her mother this yesterday and get a response that was just emojis. I don't have time for acrimony.
Those scripture verses are so touching. I can picture you with your mom as such loving and loved women. I know the hardships, but dear smeshque--hold onto every bit of it.
Much love,
Llama 👩👴

Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
1 Corinthians 13:4

I was thinking about this verse today. How it says Love suffers long. Long-suffering is the ability to endure in giving love, even when we may feel alone, hurt, or frustrated.

What I was thinking is how that sometimes we also suffer( To feel or bear what is painful, disagreeable or distressing, either to the body or mind),because we love.
So it is so fitting a description of love, to be long suffering and sometimes in loving we will suffer long.

John 14:6
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

“The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.”
Proverbs 18:10

Thank you my dear sweet LL.
You are such a kind hearted lady.
Hope things are going well for you these days.
Much love and prayers.
Thank you LL for the verses as well. I love them. They remind me of 1 Chronicles 28:20 which helped me through some difficult times in life. I have written it on my living room wall and framed it. I read it everyday. And my Dad read it everyday.

I was thinking today about the struggle I have sometimes with poatience. Although my patience has gotten better, praise be to God, I still have moments when it hurts so bad, I just want to cry.
the last couple of days, I have had this struggle, I try very hard not to let my Mom see, I am struggling, so I remove myself for a few minutes, to pray, cry and regroup.
Today as I was taking a moment, I went to the greenhouse. As I was walking back to the house, I was thinking. It is a blessing when things are tough, and we feel we cannot continue another minute. A blessing because, when times are rough, we truly appreciate it when they are not. At least for me.
Laboring in love is the hardest labor we will ever do.

For you smeshque: Praying for you. And thank you!
Deuteronomy 3:22
"Do not be afraid of them; the LORD your God himself will fight for you."

Deuteronomy 31:7-8
"Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the Lord swore to their ancestors to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance.

The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."

Rosses and Llama, it was a big blessing.

Today was a rather difficult day for me. But the Lord has brought me through. I just try and keep in mind that everything I do is for the Lord. Much love to you all and may God's grace pour out upon you, with whatever your needs may be.

“And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;”
Colossians 3:23

Rosses: Hope you had a very blessed Easter as well and thank you-we did!

smeshque: What a wonderful thing that your husband gave his first sermon! God bless you both! Yes, my husband and I had a wonderful dinner out.

Oh Smeshque, that sounds like quite a wonderful Easter gift for your family. To see how the renewing power of the love of God works its “magic” in a person’s heart, as it has in your husband. Very happy for you, that is truly a good reason to rejoice and feel proud for him!

And hope you LLama and everyone else on this thread had a truly blessed Easter!

Had a nice service today. I am also so proud, because my husband gave his very first sermon this evening. Oh it was amazing to watch the work that the Lord has been doing in him. He is really grown spiritually and it was such a blessing to witness that.
Hope you and hubby enjoyed dinner.

Smeshque: Oh, isn't that ironic about our moms! Yes, hubby and I had a nice dinner out and hope you've had a blessed Resurrection Day as well.

LL- My Mom is a sugar coater also.
Thank you and you have a blessed Easter also.
Much love and prayers.

Smeshque: Well, thank you for that compliment and in some ways, mom and I were/are alike. How we differed, though, is the fact that mom sugar-coated everything. If there's something wrong with me, I will tell the doctor, but she wouldn't!
Oh, what beautiful scripture verse you shared tonight-it is very lovely. Have a blessed Easter🐰🐣🐤