"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him."

I really like this scripture. I may have listed this one before;
but, it's worth repeating!

Sometimes when we're going through difficulties, we begin to
lose hope. Therefore we need to hang onto uplifting scriptures.
And pray lots!

Don't you just love the way The Book of John starts?

"Before anything else existed, there was Christ, with God. He has always been alive and is himself God. He created everything there is--nothing exists that he didn't make? Eternal life is in him, and this life gives light to all mankind."

Here's another goodie: Hebrews 11:6 "You can never please God without faith, without depending on him. Anyone who wants to come to God must believe that there is a God and that he rewards those who sincerely look for him."

I know there are others on here who read The Bible. What scripture keeps your boat afloat?

How come I'm talkin' to myself????? Gonna get an inferiority
complex; scriptures are fun to examine, don't cha know.

Thank Anne327. I was looking for uplifting scripture to hold on to, for I'm struggling emotionally right now. I've folks close to me, whose lives are fading; I know others are facing this type situation, too. I believe in God 'n Heaven but it's oh so hard to lose loved ones. Any words of wisdom out there?

Philippians 4:8 (New International Version)

8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things

Di,
Good advice. It's pure wisdom: Think about what is right with the world, rather than dwell on what is wrong. I had forgotten about this scripture. Thank you so much for bringing it back to the forefront of my thoughts! Prayers and blessings...

Anne,
I don't know how you find something to like in some situations.
Am facing a couple circumstances where it's difficult to find
the silver lining. But I guess we just keep lookin'!

Anne, does the agency know he gets drunk while you're there? I'm surprised they allow you to go if her's drunk. That's a bit scary.

Loooking for the good in everything takes practice. I've gotten so much better at it through the years.

My all-time favorite is:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all ways acknowledge him and he will direct your paths. Proverbs 3: 5-6.

Yes ma'am! That is wisdom right there: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." There is
so much in this life that I don't understand, it scares me!

I am trying to train my thoughts so that I focus on the good in life and downplay the bad. And I know that will take practice.
I was doing okay until everything went awry. It is easy to be
upbeat when life goes along smoothly. But when most everybody you love is in an awful fix, trying to keep a song in your heart and a smile on your face is a whole different ballgame.

This is pathetic. He's only making matters worse. Is there another person from the agency there with him at night?

Anne327,
I know you are right. I try to keep upbeat and do, most of
the time. I know depression can completely unglue life, so I
police myself not to go too far in the pits. Good luck
with sir drinksalot!

I believe those doing caregiver work need to give themselves a break. There is only so much one can do for another person before going over the edge of depression. Especially if the one you're caring for isn't able to think clesarly and acts accordingly. Ladies, comments please.

Jabber...sometimes there's just no rhyme or reason to the sad things in our life. No matter what we wish for or want we're going to have to face disappointment and loss of someone. I'm going through a really tough time at the moment and I've found that talking to people who really care is most important. They provide me with optimism and soft, kind words of support. I have found that I can carry a lot for a long time and then I just break down and cry and cry and cry...I have so many thoughts that run through my head...injustice, unfairness, resentment...negative things that creep in. But, then a friend with say something that shifts my feelings of sorrow and I begin to push away the negative and move towards the positive. Not an easy thing to do when I'm really hurt or sad. I guess I come to the conclusion that I can't change things/someone/situations and resolve myself to stop beating myself up for that. I'm not sure what your situation is but I hope that you have someone who you can share the bare to the bones feelings with and get a sympathic and supportive response. We all need that. I hope things get better for you...I don't really have a scripture but I guess it would be 'in the beginning'...every day is a new beginning...a chance to start over.

Dee,
Thank you. I recently loss someone very close to me. She was
my sounding board; for, I'm dealing with another very difficult situation, and we were all friends. A group of us gals went out
to lunch together. It reminds me of the "Valley of the Dolls"
scenario. One died. One is in the nursing home. Another got
cancer. Another betrayed everyone. And I'm left to work out the
hurt and bring healing wherever I can. It helps to have this site, where I can ask for and get understanding. Thank you for caring, Dee.
And I pray everything works out for you! Blessings,

Dee, sorry to hear you are struggling with anything, but you are so right - it's life. Having a sounding board is vital, especially when it's someone who is compassionate and caring. I'm glad you have that in your life and pray it remains there forever. That's why it's important that we keep making new friends.

jabber,wow, what a lot of changes going on with you and your girlfriends. Are you still able to gether thre troops for lunch, or have you all pretty much gone your own ways?

Dad never complains - never. But on a rare occasion, he'll say, "It's hell to get old." I think it's hell enough to witness. I can't imagine being in their shoes. God help us all.

Jabber...you are more than welcome...and I continue to hope that you remain strong and steadfast through all this. You will always have us.

Thank you Dotsie...I'm sending you a PM.

Your dad is amazing...cherish him and love him and give him a big hug for me...

Dee & Dotsie,
You gals and this site mean the world to me. My friend in the
nursing home still needs prayers. I went to see her yesterday.
We played a few games of Scrabble. But every couple of minutes
she breaks out in tears. I feel so sorry for her. She's heartbroken and unable to find a solution to the fix she's in.
I don't know how to help her because I don't have any legal clout to change her situation. So I pray for her. I go to lunch
with my SIL now and again. But she's very busy managing her
brother's estate and her own finances. I'm fine. I'll make a
new beginning and pray for those in stress! Prayers and blessings,

Dear Dee and Jabber:
I am sorry you are going through difficult times with those you love. I pray you find reassurance and comfort in knowing we care and pray for one another. This site is a blessing to many, if not all of us. We come, share, get encouragement and help in any way we can...

One scripture that helps me in difficult times is Hebrews 12:2-We must keep our eyes on Jesus, who leads us and makes our faith complete. This keeps me focused on the One who can help and turn difficulties into blessings.

Songbird,
I love your name. And thank you for the scripture awareness and
the encouragement.

Dotsie,
My original group of girlfriends have pretty much died out,
no pun intended. But Groovy is just around the corner and
she is a fun person. We don't like the same things but still
get along well. She doesn't understand the boomer site and
I don't understand the facebook concept. She likes different
food than I do, but the gal is a cool chic. She's a volunteer
fire person; she works long hours at her daughter's pie company.
Still, we find time to spend together. My cousin's daughter
and sons are great people. God is good. And I'll stay above the
fray as best I can. There are lots of gals on here, including
you, who help me keep my chin up!

Prayers and blessings,