Review of Jan Karon's Audiobook "To Be Where You Are"

Another Winner!

To Be Where You Are (Penguin Random House Audio. 2017)
by Jan Karon

John McDonough does the narration on this new novel from Jan Karon. I was so delighted to go back to beloved Mitford. This time we get more of Dooley's story. With scenes from the "point of view" of almost every Mitford character, diehard enthusiasts like me will be in seventh heaven.  John McDonough "is" Father Tim. I couldn't associate any other narrator with this wonderful character.

Bibliotherapy aspects: Adoption, infertility, aging, family, faith.

Do yourself a huge favor and purchase the audiobook now! I purchased mine through audible.com as a download. This book is also available in multiple formats.

Honoring our Aging Parents by Laura Frantz

Laura Frantz

Aging Gracefully

When I was a little girl, I memorized the Scriptures that told children to obey their parents (Ephesians 6:1: Children, obey your parents in the Lord for this is right.) Now I think more often of the 5^th commandment in Deuteronomy: Honor thy father and mother that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. The emphasis for younger children is to “obey” their parents while the focus for adult children is to “honor” their parents.

Recently my mom and step-dad decided to move from Kentucky to Washington State to be closer to me and my family. Since leaving their Kentucky home, several things have happened which have made it hard for them to adjust to a long-distance move. My step-dad was diagnosed with dementia soon after they arrived as well as having a history of heart disease, the latter which has required numerous surgeries and hospitalizations the last 20 years. And my mom, though more able-bodied, is aging quickly and struggling with arthritis and fulltime care-giving.

Now that I live so much more closely to them, I’m struck by the things that makes aging challenging. Roles are often reversed as adult children become the caretakers and fixers and helpers and comforters of parents. People often become more childlike as they grow older. They need help with basic needs, they lose and break things, are unable to do things and require help. They can be fearful and emotional like children. Impulse control lessens and they can strike out like children and say things they wouldn’t otherwise. Challenging, yes!

The Lord knew all this would happen as we are His creation. That’s where the concept of “honoring your parents” becomes so interesting to me. What does this look like? For me, it involves praying daily for wisdom and finding ways to honor them and make them feel loved and respected. It means never belittling their concerns or making light of their struggles. It means responding with patience when I’m interrupted or have to repeat myself or try to hunt for that lost item again or repeat a task with them that has been done many times before. It means loving them no matter what with a Christ-like love, much as they did for me when I was little and needed them.

I love what Charles Wesley said about honoring parents below:

Honor thy father and mother - Hast thou not been irreverent or undutiful to either? Hast thou not slighted their advice? Hast thou cheerfully obeyed all their lawful commands? Hast thou loved and honored their persons? Supplied their wants, and concealed their infirmities? Hast thou wrestled for them with God in prayer?

THREE GIVEAWAYS This week!!!:  Leave a comment and your email to be entered in this week’s contest.  Drawing will be late Saturday.  Your choice of Laura’s books, choice of format*. Void where prohibited by law. *International winners will only receive the book in ebook format not as a paperback.

Are you caring for aging parents? Have you in the past? Can you share how you handled this very special season?

Overcoming for Christians - Aging, Illness, and Alzheimer's

Rita Gerlach week has come to an end.  We greatly enjoyed having this colonial Christian author with us. Rita shared about her father having Alzheimer's Disease at the end of his life. Her mother is in frail health now and in decline which has resulted in many decisions and changes for Rita and her extended family. From my own perspective - it is just so hard going through all that, such a heavy emotional (and sometimes physical) toll.


Rita is going through what many of us have either faced with our own parents, are going through now, or may in the future.  Some of our readers would love to have this as a concern - they lost their parents at a young age. My mother became more confused and forgetful in her last year of life but she had Type II diabetes and then had pancreatic cancer. It wasn't clear if those conditions were causing some of the memory issues, but probably so. My dear aunt is in a nursing home because of her AD, after her husband kept her at home for years (she was in good health then).  I have been blessed to get to visit with her twice in the past few years when we drove through Ohio. And I used to see my wonderful Great-Aunt Alkie, who was really more a grandmother (both of mine died long before I was born, when my parents were young). She was in nursing home care for a long time with Alzheimer's.  She always maintained her essential sweet spirit and she loved seeing my daughter, who she might have thought was me.  The hardest visit for me was the last one when she had no connection with me at all. The last thread was about to be broken. She left this earth shortly after that.


The medications for managing Alzheimer's Disease have improved in the last decade in that they seem to slow the progress early on.  It is so frustrating to see loved ones slipping further and further away from you, like a slow death. And every day seems precious. But that in and of itself is stressful because then there is no sense of normalcy in everyday activity, if you are always "on" because of your parent with AD. 


One comfort for the Christian is the knowledge that her/his parent will be perfectly healed in heaven.  As we all will be. We thank you Lord for that!


Here is Rita's link to Memory Bridge, which she recommends as an excellent site with videos about handling communication with those suffering from Alzheimer's Disease. 


Giveaway winner will be announced here on Sunday after 1:00 pm EST.   LINDA!!! You are the winner!!!