Local Voices

Are you a caregiver? Do you feel isolated, frustrated, sad, resentful, angry, or guilty? Do you feel as if no one understands what you're going through or that others aren't pulling their weight? Do you believe that you can't express your true thoughts and feelings to others for fear of being judged? I get it!

I was one of the primary caregivers for my mother, who had Alzheimer's and vascular dementia. During the course of our journey, I learned that the only people who could really relate were those who had similar experiences... but I didn't even feel safe sharing my feelings with fellow caregivers. I didn't want people to think less of me because of my thoughts and feelings. I had no outlet...until God stepped in.

I was led to begin keeping a journal, which I had never successfully done before. I hated revisiting thoughts and feelings by writing them down and resisted with everything within me. But God didn't let me rest until I began to do what He was directing me to do. Once I obeyed, what was initially a chore became a lifeline.

My journal became my trusted friend. I could write things in my journal that I wouldn't dream of verbalizing to anyone else, and I did so without guilt. My journal soothed and comforted me and I believe that whenever caregivers have information that would benefit others, they must share. That's why I created "Caregiver to Caregiver, a Scripture-Focused, Guided Reflection Journal." This is a fifty-two-week journal that was designed with you in mind, from one caregiver to another.

I want to not only encourage you to journal,l but also to share with you the beloved scriptures that sustained me and practical tips including; self-care, preparing to become a caregiver, alternative care settings, hospice care, and more, that I'm hoping will be helpful for you. I have also included guided reflections for those who have trouble getting started.

All caregiving journeys are unique, but there are some commonalities. We all need support. We all have a desire to feel appreciated. We all need a safe space to express ourselves. We all have a responsibility to reach out our hands to lift someone else up. I pray that this journal is the hand that you need.

May God bless you. I thank you for all you do.

Bryce Blooms has found himself in the children's hospital again, checked-in for yet another short, albeit routine, stint for an unknown and nagging ailment. But when an odd stranger begins wandering the hospital hallways, Bryce and his friends discover they are at the center of an interdimensional hunt and are more than just human; they are Chosen. As the Grim and the hunters of Endland battle at the hospital for the right to claim the Chosen children as their own, the boys are transported to the Realm of Endland, where they quickly discover there are far more than just two sides seeking their abilities. Squabbling wizards, arrogant kings, amusing exiles, and mythical monsters all are vying for control of the young Chosen as well. With the help of an enigmatic hermit, Bryce and his friends look to establish a New Order, one set on bringing balance to the Realm and combating the dark and mysterious forces of the Grim. Should they fail, not only will Endland be ensnared in the shadow of the Grim King, but so too will the rest of the interdimensional space beyond, including Earth and those they left behind.

A story about the ties that bind us, Close-Up explores what makes, drives, complicates, and undermines our most important relationships.

In this artful, expansive novel, we follow five protagonists--Jacob, Martin, Caroline, Jeanie, and Jill--through love, marriage, parenthood, and the romance of friendship as they struggle to make sense of themselves and each other and of what makes for good art, good magic, and a good life. What follows is a story only Michelle Herman could write: one of missed connections and old grievances, of loneliness and longing, of rifts and reconciliations and redemption. Close-Up depicts the fraught entanglements of the relationships we're born into and those we choose--carefully or with abandon--with the precision and nuance that has characterized her work over the last thirty years.