SHARE YOUR WORLD FEB. 10TH 2024

February 10, 2024 / joseph elon lillie / 13 Comments

I am choosing SHARE YOUR WORLD as my community participation blog this week. SHARE YOUR WORLD is hosted by Pensitivity101. Check out that blog and the other contributors by clicking on the link above when you are done reading my answers to the challenge.

What is the first thing you think of when you hear the word “cuddly”? I think of puppies or kittens.
2. Would you like to own an exotic pet? If so, what? I would not like to own an exotic pet. Exotic sounds like a lot of work. I currently have two dogs and they are more than enough work. I think when they pass from this earth I may be done with pets for a bit.
3. If you were suddenly gifted £1000/$1000, what would you do with it? I would probably save it for a vacation somewhere. I don’t think I will be taking any kind of a vacation until after Mom passes, but by then I think I will need a vacation. I have been looking at VRBO a lot lately. Which one do you like?

4. Do you wear slippers at home? It is cold here in New England and keeping the floors warm is near impossible. So yes we all wear slippers, in fact I have one of my pairs on now.

Gratitude: I am grateful for the VNA Hospice that has begun to help us care for Mom this week. Everyone has been so kind.

I HAVE A CONFESSION TO MAKE

February 8, 2024 / joseph elon lillie / 2 Comments

One of the things I heard in prayer during the 21 days of fasting and prayer, that our church just completed at the end of January, was that I need to prepare in prayer. Part of that prayer preparation is going to be times of family prayer, I think.

I have a confession to make. I am pretty good at private devotion. I am even good at prioritizing corporate prayer with the church body. The area I have always struggled with is in calling my family to consistent times of prayer.

Praying as a family for emergencies… I can do that….but I feel like this preparation is going to be more than just the joining of hands through a time of trouble. I feel like God is calling us at this season to consecrate our family through regular prayer times.

In the past I have always struggled with saying yes to so many things that the yes to family prayer got pushed into the back ground. I do guess that is a common failing of young men, but I am no longer a young man. I need to stop living a young man’s mistakes.

It sounds like my family is game for this. So we have chosen a time and we begin this week!

THE HOSPICE PROCESS AND GOD WINKS

February 6, 2024 / joseph elon lillie / 6 Comments

This week’s big “project” at The Vicarage has been setting up hospice for my mother. At last week’s Telehealth appointment with Mom’s primary care doctor she felt we needed an evaluation to see if hospice was in order.

So this week we have had: Two telephone consults, two visits with a nurse, a visit with a social worker and a visit with a home health aid.

It seems to be a God wink thing that is going on. What’s God wink you ask?

God wink (plural God winks) An event or personal experience, often identified as coincidence, so astonishing that it is seen as a sign of divine intervention, especially when perceived as the answer to a prayer.

Here are the God winks we have seen this week:The doctor in charge of the program is actually the doctor mom worked with about twenty years ago when she was nursing at a local clinic; The social worker that came to our house I know personally through other hospice situations I have been involved in; And the home health aid I have known for years as her whole family has been a part of our church throughout the years.

It seems like God is working already to comfort us in all our grief! I love these God winks.

SHARE YOUR WORLD FEB. 3RD 2024

February 3, 2024 / joseph elon lillie / 8 Comments

OH MY GOSH! IT IS SHARE YOUR WORLD!!!

Back when I was writing four blogs a day (another life), Share Your World was one of the favorite challenges I participated in. This year I have made a goal to start blogging daily and my plan is that once a week at least I will participate in a community challenge. I am so glad that PENSITIVITY101 has taken up this challenge!

When you have finished reading my answers please check out the rest of the community responding to the challenge.

THIS WEEK’S QUESTIONS:

1. Who is your oldest living relative (aunt, grandparent etc)? My mother is now my oldest living relative. She is heading towards her 88th birthday.

2. How often do you visit them or is distance a factor? I live with Mom. At least that is the way it started. Several years ago I found myself in need of a place. She graciously provided me with that place. As she has aged she has needed more and more help. My sister and I took over the mortgage of the house several years ago and Mom’s care.Now I guess it is appropriate to say Mom lives with me. Mom just signed for hospice care and we are doing that from our home now.

3. Have any of your family lived to be 100? No. most of my family dies before 90.
4. Would you like to celebrate your 100th birthday? I think I will celebrate it, but it will probably be in Heaven.

AN IMPORTANT MEETING

January 30, 2024 / joseph elon lillie / 6 Comments

Yesterday we had my mother’s yearly physical appointment with her doctor.

Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels.com

Mom hasn’t been able to leave the house for the last two years. We have moved everything to a Telehealth program specializing in chronic health concerns, called Ibis Health. I track Mom’s meds and her vitals entering them in on a tablet and the Ibis nurse regularly contacts us with check ins and suggestions.

During the appointment yesterday it was decided that Mom is ready for the next step of care.Her weakness and pain levels along with her lowering blood pressure and poor circulation in her feet indicate that things are changing yet again. Brenda and I will be meeting with the palliative care nurse Thursday or Friday to discuss what comes next. We are preparing to help Mom finish her course well.

HAVE YOU WALKED THROUGH THE DYING PROCESS WITH A LOVED ONE? WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS YOU DID TO HELP THEM?

A WEEK OUT SICK

January 26, 2024 / joseph elon lillie / 2 Comments

It has been a week at The Vicarage. I came down with a cold that stole my voice after Sunday service and I have been out of commission for most of the week.I feel OK but there is a clog on my throat that sets me to coughing if I talk to much and then I end up without a voice for several hours. I haven’t been able to sing all week. I have a funeral tomorrow. Believe me when I say, I am praying deeply into that one.

Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Pexels.com

Mom has had a lot of muscle and join pain this week and she has been sleeping a lot. It is good to have Brenda home as she has been doing a lot of the heavy lifting with Mom during my illness. Mom needs someone to walk with her anywhere she goes now because her legs are so weak and she cannot get up under her own power even when she is at her strongest.

Life hasn’t stopped at The Vicarage in spite of my illness.Brenda has had time this week to meet with a couple of supporters and she is going out to lunch today with our cousin, Dan. Amanda and Joe have kept up their regular work schedules and Kristine found out yesterday that she has landed a part time job starting in the next couple of weeks. So we will be talking over the next few days about what Sevy care is going to look like.

Melanie and James have been working and getting the girls to doctors appointment and eye appointments. Lela got her new glasses and they look great!

James had to cover for me at Boy’s Group on Tuesday. One of our other youth workers, Troy, stepped in to help him. I appreciate my son-in-law so much!

Life goes on and the family goes on. I am amazed at how fast the changes and the growth come.

WHAT IS CHANGING IN YOUR WORLD?

TODAY I WILL MAKE IT COUNT

January 20, 2024 / joseph elon lillie / Leave a comment

I heard from one of you that my blog which got posted at 12:01 A.M. today did not count as writing for yesterday, even though most of it was written before the stroke of midnight. Well, I am not going to let that happen again. It is 4:48 P.M. and I am finishing up my writing for the day. This one will “count” as being written today!

Actually today I managed a lot of writing. I finished up the last devotional thoughts for our churches annual 21 days of fasting and prayer. They are ready to be printed off in hard copy form tomorrow morning.

Our theme this year for the 21 days was, “PREPARE” and as we finish up our time of prayer I am asking the Lord to show me what our first steps are to do the work of preparing our church for what lies ahead. I am also asking God to show me what I need to do to prepare myself personally.

I don’t have all the answers yet. This one thing I know, I want what we do as a church to make a difference. I want what I do as a human being and as a Christian pastor to make a difference. I don’t want to show up only to find I am too late to do any good. I want this moment in time, this year, to…count.

Tired…. but Still Cute

January 19, 2024January 20, 2024 / joseph elon lillie / Leave a comment

My Grandson’s newest game. I call it “Toddler Trainwreck”

It is 11:52 P.M. I was asleep. I had given up on the day and this post among other things. I was tired, so I retired to my recliner (the place I am currently spending most nights to watch over Mom). I was actually sleeping pretty good and then I heard mom trying to rise to get to the bathroom.

I am glad she did. I am glad she needed the help to the bathroom. It gave me the push I needed to finish the day. So I plugged in the Mom’s medical pad and logged in her final meds for the day which I had neglected to do at supper time, and now I am finishing up this blog. I feel accomplished…and cute… just like my grandson playing his new game of “toddler train wreck”.

I am playing train wreck with the end of the day. Does it qualify if this blog about yesterday is actually posted at 12:01 A.M. today? I think it should.

2024 DAY 12… THREE DAYS SINCE

January 12, 2024 / joseph elon lillie / Leave a comment

It has been three days since I have written here. In my defense, I have produced two daily devotional videos, and I have written six meditations for our 21 days of prayer and fasting.

So I have been doing a lot of writing…and other stuff.

Brenda flew in on Wednesday. She is home to help us care for Mom. It was a long drive into the airport and an even longer trip home.

She sat with Mom on Thursday while I dropped off Kristine at her babysitting job and got my much needed haircut.

Mom can’t be left alone now. It is really nice to have the extra hands especially now that the interviews are starting to roll in for Kristine.

Photo by Edmond Dantu00e8s on Pexels.com

I have also been doing some pastoral care for sick parishioners. Phone calls, visitation and what not.

Today was given to more writing and a trip to the Verizon store to reactivate Brenda’s American cell phone and then to Walmart for supplies for all of our weekend activities.

It does mean I did not get my music planned out for Monday or my class prepped. Oh well, there’s always tomorrow.

2024 DAY 7… HAPPY BUSY

January 7, 2024 / joseph elon lillie / Leave a comment

“HAPPINESS IS A STATE OF ACTIVITY.”-ROSE LANE, THE WISDOM OF ALPACAS

If that is true then we, at The Vicarage, must surely be among the happiest people on Earth. Yesterday was Abigail’s 3rd birthday.

Joe and Kristine went house-hunting.

Amanda had a meeting of her cohort of women ministers.

Meanwhile I watched Sevy.

When Amanda got home, she and I bounced back and forth between keeping an eye on Sevy in the playroom and cleaning the front office in preparation for Brenda’s arrival on Wednesday.

Mom’s health has reached a place where we are beginning to need the extra hands (even with everyone residence). So Brenda is coming home on a quasi-leave of absence/ fund raising tour.

Sunday morning has begun as most Sundays do with a few hours of prayer in preparation for the on-line service. Then morning chores: shoveling snow, setting up pills for the week, walking and feeding the dogs, making the coffee and getting Mom up and ready to meet the day.

The air pressure has set off Mom’s arthritis so it is a Motrin and Aspercreme morning ( the type of day that is becoming most common for her recently). She seems to be settling in well now, though the pain was bad enough to bring tears first thing this morning.

Amanda is setting up for her children’s on-line meeting at 9. I am getting ready for the morning service at 10. Joe is doing pre-approval paperwork for a home loan and Kristine is out cleaning off the cars from the five inches we got last night.

So… happiness…activity. I am pretty happy, but I would say it’s not just any activity that makes me feel that way but activity that builds family…activity that makes a difference.

Notes From the Vicarage

A minister's family living in a micro forest garden

family