Five Year Old Me

When I was five and one-half-years old, my father was committed to a psychiatric hospital 50 miles away from my home. Mom was left alone to care for five little children; my oldest brother was 7, I was the oldest girl, and the youngest three were in diapers (3, 2 and 8 months old).

Mom did not know how to drive. Although she was a Registered Nurse, there was no place to work within twenty to thirty miles of our little town of 900. In later years I asked Mom how she got through those chaotic times. Half-jokingly she said, "I was planning to have a nervous breakdown, but he beat me to it."

Three Psalms to Inspire Gratitude

Gratitude is so good for our hearts. It reminds us to look past today's temporary troubles to see the big picture of God's everlasting care and concern. It reminds us that life is not as dark as it sometimes feels. It heals our wounds and protects us from bitterness. It reminds us of God's faithfulness in the past, which gives us confidence as we look to the future.