A few years ago, in the summer of 2014, I had an extraordinary adventure of traveling to Ethiopia through Dubai to visit my daughter, Heidi, and her family.  Chris and Heidi have been missionaries since 1999, spending two terms in Zambia, three years in Sudan, when the country split, then some time in Kenya.  They followed up with another term in Ethiopia. 

We traveled to various places such as Axum where the Ark of the Covenant ‘supposedly is’ and to Lalibela where we explored 12 carved underground churches from the 12th century.  We were told not to touch the Ethiopian Rosetta Stone in Axum….but I did take pictures.

We also took a long donkey ride up to Asheten Maryam Monastery in the high hills.  What a trek.  Along the way we came to some sheep and of course I wanted to hold the baby lamb.

 

                                                          

 

It was such a joy to have time with the family and to see such sights.  I made quilts with Rissy, Braily and Caleb, my grandchildren, while I was with them.  Loved my precious time with them. 

I came home to my mother in a care facility.  For years she had known that I would take care of her.  So the time had come to begin her 24/7 caretaking.

It was not an easy process, having my mom keep asking when I was going to get her out of the facility and bring her home.  She never wanted to be there and I knew that, but my sisters had other ideas.

I took her home and spent my wheels managing her needs.  I cared for her as she asked me to.

For seventeen months, with dementia, sugar diabetes, congestive heart failure, another partial foot amputation…UTI’s, Warfarin levels and mini strokes.  Ordering meds, bathing, meals, Dr. appointments, ramp for wheelchair, stair lift, being called in the middle of the night and not having the support from my sisters, .who were dealing with their own emotions and life issues., I lived in another world…the Caretaker World.

Due to her foot surgery, I had to stretch her stub everyday.  With dementia her memory was not the best, but I decided that during the stretch we would say the 23rd Psalm together.  She did quite well!  Like a child she would give me this big huge grin when we came to the end and she would say, ‘”AND I SHALL DWELL IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD, FOREVER”!  In a childlike way, she was so proud of herself.

Caring for her was like holding that lamb in my arms.  She went home, to the House of the Lord, Forever, on December 8th, 2015….left me for Heaven….Good Choice, Mom! Heaven!

And now…after a bout of crying….I give thanks that He is holding her in His arms, just as the Lord Shepherd holds us in His arms.  Precious in His sight is the death of His saints.

So after caring for my mom and all that entails, my husband became Pastor of a church. It has been rather busy.  But I’m back.  Life goes on.  And so have my book plans.

Yes, the book is done and available!  You can find it on my website, www.lordshepherdsheepshed.com in the bookstore.  There is a connection to Amazon. If you purchase the book you will find a free MP3 download of the Musical, The Lord Shepherd and His Sheep Shed in the back of the book. The book story line is a poetic version of the Album.

 

May you have a very Joyful Thanksgiving!  And Remember…

A Thankful Man, is a Humble Man.!

For God Resists the proud, but gives Grace to the Humble. 

Oh how I want His Grace, the unmerited favor of God.

 

Thankful = Humble = Gift of God’s Grace

                  Delighted By Him!

                  Katrina Miller