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Dementia - Seeing through a glass darkly....

For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.  ~1Corinthians 13.12 KJV ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I came across this article by Dr. Barry York written in 2014 and posted at Gentle Reformation , which I never read until today. If you have a parent/spouse/friend etc. with dementia and you aren't certain of their salvation, please read this. I think you will find it encouraging. It gives me great hope as my father suffered from dementia before his death earlier this year and who assured me he had asked the Lord for forgiveness while being ill. Salvation in a Dementia Ward Walking down the long hospital hallway, I approached the room in the emergency area where they had told me she would be found. As I came near the door, I found a security guard sitting there. He looked at me with sympathy as I identified myself and, with a warning and sad shaking of his head, gave me permission to enter.

Encouragement for today: "He blesseth the habitation of the just" - C.H. Spurgeon

  That house is most blest in which the master and mistress are God-fearing people; but a son or daughter or even a servant may bring a blessing on a whole household. The LORD often preserves, prospers, and provides for a family for the sake of one or two in it, who are "just" persons in His esteem, because His grace has made them so. - C.H. Spurgeon From Today's Daily Checkbook : Home Blessings "He blesseth the habitation of the just" — Proverbs 3:33 He fears the LORD, and therefore he comes under the divine protection even as to the roof which covers himself and his family.  His home is an abode of love, a school of holy training, and a place of heavenly light. In it there is a family altar where the name of the LORD is daily had in reverence. Therefore the LORD blesses his habitation.  It may be a humble cottage or a lordly mansion; but the LORD's blessing comes because of the character of the inhabitant and not because of the size of the dwelling.  That

IN HONOR OF MEMORIAL DAY: WILLIAM HENRY SOMERS - A YOUNG WWI SOLDIER'S STORY

William Henry Somers By Angela Somers-Wittman My grandfather entered the Army at the young age of 23 years. He had been born in Tuckerman, Arkansas in 1894 and spent his childhood on the family farm in Stringtown, Butler County, Missouri. He was the oldest child of Henry Francis and Cotna Lisbeth (Cole) Somers. One can only imagine the feelings of excitement mixed with loneliness for family and loved ones he felt as he left his small hometown for military service in Europe. But Grandfather was already a man, one who had matured at a young age when his father was killed in a work accident. He knew how to shoot, hunt for food and possessed a good amount of common sense. He was used to rough conditions and hard work from the years spent on the family farm. Little did he know when he joined the Army and was sent to the frontline of the conflict in Europe that those skills would prove to be valuable and help save his life. After being deployed to France with the US Armed For

The Trial of Alzheimer's Disease

By Angela Wittman My father who suffers from Parkinson's and Alzheimer's Disease has been living with us since mid August of 2018. Our lives have a "new" normal and I hope that sharing my experiences with others in our position will benefit or at least help them to not feel alone while dealing with this disease. First of all, let me lay some background for the reader: My father is 83 years old and lost his wife last summer. I'm not certain when he first began exhibiting symptoms of Alzheimer's as we were estranged for many years. I suspect that he had been hiding it and that might be partly why he pushed me away. Our estrangement began when he would make excuses why I should not visit (he and his wife lived approximately 3 hours away from my home.) The excuses would vary from the timing was bad as he and his wife would be out of town to they didn't have room for visitors. I knew there was a history of Alzheimer's Disease in our family, but I

New mercies everyday while caring for an elderly parent

By Angela Wittman The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. - Lamentations 3:22, 23 ESV Dear Friends, It's been almost 2 months since my last post regarding my father and his illness with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Diseases.  In that post I expressed my trust in the Sovereignty of the Lord, which hasn't changed. But what has changed is Dad has come to live with me. Here is an update on our situation: Shortly after Dad's birthday, (July 28th), I began to realize that he wasn't content at the nursing home. This was partly due to new residents who were much more progressed in Alzheimer's Disease than dad and who would wander into rooms (including Dad's), often half dressed and completely disoriented. I also saw the rapid decline of some of the residents and I became alarmed that this would happen to dad unless I put him in a different environment. The

Trusting Dad's Care to the Sovereignty of the LORD

Dear Friends, My last post regarding my father mentioned that his 83rd birthday was only 9 days away. Today is July 25th and his birthday is now just a few days away. How quickly one's health can change in a matter of days, especially for the elderly! Last Saturday and yesterday I noticed that Dad's Parkinson's and Alzheimer's Disease symptoms are more pronounced - his hands tremble more and his memory appears dimmer. He can't remember if he was in the Air Force during the Korean or Vietnam wars. He has also lost his appetite; just a week ago he would munch through a package of cookies within days - now they sit almost untouched. Then yesterday he stated he had lost the desire to go out to a restaurant with family for his 83rd Birthday celebration. He doesn't appear well and I'm concerned; when questioned about his health, Dad says he feels fine and isn't in any pain. There is a doctor on staff at the nursing facility and the nurses are wat

The LORD's mercy and grace shown toward a father and daughter

8 The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. 9 The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works. 10 All thy works shall praise thee, O Lord; and thy saints shall bless thee. Psalm 145 (KJV)  Dear Friends, It has been approximately 6 weeks since my last blog post and I am happy to report the good Lord has been at work in our family and my father's current situation. Father is currently living in a nursing home that is staffed with competent, caring and compassionate souls. After Peggy's death, the staff and some of the patients reached out to Dad with sympathy and understanding. Dad appears to be content there, though I know it is hard for him to give up his independence. I try to visit at least twice a week (it is a 45 minute drive from my home) and supply him with easy to read books, cookies, muffins and family pictures. The family pictures and articles from our family history blog seem to help h

Love, Divorce, Broken Families and Trusting in the Sovereignty of the Lord

Dad. mother, Terry, Kenny and me. Late 1950's. Dear Friends, It's been a month since I last wrote a blog post here and I hope to fill you in on what has been happening, as well as request your prayers for us. What many of you do not know is I've been estranged from my father for almost a year, and it has been a terribly depressing time for me and my family with much worry and grief.  My father is 82 years-old with Parkinson's Disease and Alzheimer's Disease. How did our estrangement happen? Let me tell you our story with the hope you'll pray for us and possibly avoid such trouble in your lives, too. My parents met and fell madly in love in the mid 1950's. Dad was a handsome airman in the United States Air Force and mom was a captivating beauty living in a town near the base where Dad was stationed. My father had a brief marriage to a childhood sweetheart in his hometown who he divorced; I believe mom was under the impression that Dad was single

Sin, Divorce and the Consequences

Little did I know that the evening after writing this blog post the news of  Missouri Governor Eric Greiten's adultery  would come to light. What a shame he has brought upon his marriage, wife, children, family, friends and citizens of Missouri. Please don't be deceived by the term "affair" - adultery is not pretty or benign - it destroys marriages, trust between family members and the lives of innocent spouses and children. The actions of Gov. Greiten was not a romantic fling - it was that of perverted, unnatural, abusive sexual gratification. He probably needs counseling and should immediately step down in an attempt to show remorse and protect his family. May the good Lord give the people of Missouri wisdom in how to deal with this matter and the strength to reject evil and stand for righteousness. In Lord Jesus Name, I pray, amen. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1 Now when Jesus had finished these sayings, he went away from Galilee and entered the region of Judea beyond

Aiming for Godly Growth in 2018

Dear Friends, There is much busyness in the life of today's women, but if you are a Christian, you will have a desire to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord. Here are some recently written articles by other authors I think you'll find valuable. I pray you'll make time to read and reflect upon the godly advice and wisdom shared in each one. The first article is  On Being a Christian Woman in the Year of Our Lord, 2018   written by Abigail Dodds and posted at her blog Hope and Stay . Abigail writes about the hunger of Christian women for sound teaching in today's churches, which is right and good, but also warns of some pitfalls and how to avoid them. Here are some valuable excerpts from her article: Here’s my summary: Biblically-conservative Christian women are eager to have visible, biblically-conservative leadership by women in their churches and eager to learn from gifted, female Bible teachers whether locally or nationally. Secondly, women with

For Mother's Day 2016: 'In Honor of my Mother: Marsha Lawson Somers (1929 - 1995)'

Marsha Lillian (Lawson) Somers A woman of fierce family loyalty. Date of Birth: March 26, 1929 Father: Ace Levi Lawson (Feb. 1894 - Sept. 1972) Mother: Ester Anna Stone (Jan. 1908 - Dec. 1998) Marriage to Jesse C. Somers: March 26, 1957 Mother went to be with the Lord on New Year's Eve, (December 31, 1995) after a brief battle (approximately 6 months) with cancer. She was buried at Millers Chapel in Pettis County, Missouri, on January 5, 1996 during a soft snowfall which was mother's favorite seasonal event. (I can remember being ill in bed as a young child and mother taking a laundry basket outside to catch some snowflakes to bring into me; we both loved the soft snow so much.) Mom's Baby Picture Mother and me June 1958 Mom and Dad 1975 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God b

New Life for a Sinner

By Angela Wittman Chris and Matt - my boys. Love, Mom This winter season is proving to be a time of reflection and while I understand the need to occasionally take stock of one's life and review the past, the time spent before I became a follower of Christ holds regret. As a mother I fondly remember my sons as little boys who would pick their mommy dandelions and proclaim they wanted to marry someone like me. But, even those memories are tinged with regret as I didn't raise my sons in church, nor did I teach them about Jesus Christ. So, for me the past is bittersweet and yet, I see the good Lord's grace and care of me and my loved ones even when I did not know Him. I can remember wanting to pray, but not knowing how to or if the Lord would hear my prayers. I had been baptized as a teenager, but fell away from the church and didn't understand how I could be forgiven of my sins. I thought I needed to "clean myself up" before I could even attend church, much less

My Mother: A Woman of Strength, Beauty and Morality

By Angela Wittman My mother, Marsha Somers, in the mid 1970's I've been thinking about the values I was taught as a child and the example my mother set before me who passed away from an aggressive form of cancer 21 years ago. I think the lessons she tried to impart were based upon her Christian upbringing, and while she had strayed from the church, she didn't stray too far from Christian morals. If there is any wisdom mom would want to impart to her granddaughters, great-granddaughters and nieces, it would be to seek the Lord first in your life and then pattern your life after women in the Bible and other authentic Christian women found throughout history. So, while mom wasn't perfect, (she had a famous Scottish temper), she did find peace, love and forgiveness at the cross of Christ before her death. I still marvel at the change that came over her as her heart softened and her mind was renewed with the Word of God. I also remember how accepting she was when we found ou

Reflections on Patriarchy and Homeschool Movements

By Angela Wittman Dear friends,  While it is a new year and a time for reflection, here are my thoughts on the patriarchy and homeschool movements.  I wasn't part of the movement as Providence didn't allow me to go that way, but I had many friends who were part of it and I often grieved that my family wasn't as "perfect" as I thought theirs appeared to be. You see, I became a Christian as an adult (approximately 22 years ago) and was not raised in a Christian home.  My mother had been badly abused by her first husband, a youth minister, and was bitter toward the church. My father still laughs as he tells the story of taking me to church as a child on Easter; the pastor asked him if we attended church regularly, to which I replied "Yes sir! We go every Easter!"  My parents then separated when I was 9 years old, got back together, had a stormy relationship and then finally divorced when I was grown. Yet, through the grace of God, I had some knowledge of Hi

Removal of Confederate Flags and Monuments: Straining at Gnats?

By Angela Wittman Image from Wikipedia "Our Heroes and Our Flags 1896" by Southern Lithograph Co., New York  Regular readers of this blog will know that I've been researching my father's family heritage and periodically post my findings at the Somers Family Heritage blog. What you might not know is I discovered my 4th, 3rd and possibly 2nd Great Grandfathers were slave holders. As one who has firmly and consistently denounced any form of racism this information rocked me to the core. In fact, I was so dismayed at the revelation, I almost stopped researching my family tree because I wasn't prepared for the historical truth of my ancestry. You see, I was always taught that my grandfather hid his Native American heritage due to the persecution of the Cherokee. Grandpa was a "half-breed" and looked down upon by others for something he had no control over - his race. It never occurred to me he might have been the grandson of a slave holder. So, after confidi

Cultivating Character Through Family Stories

By Angela Wittman For my dear friend Dee Galyon who recently reminded me the importance of keeping our loved ones memories alive and my dad who patiently cultivated a love of family history in me. My soon to be 80 year-old father called me yesterday and while his reason was to relay some family news, he soon began reminiscing about his years in the Air Force and travels to England and Scotland while in the service. And even though I was right in the middle of preparing dinner, I didn't mind the call or the stories. You see, I love my dad and my earliest memories are of him telling me family stories. I cannot help but think that the stories of my grandfather and his family helped shape my character. My grandfather was the "black sheep" of his family due to a tragic divorce between his parents and the circumstances of his father's accidental death. My grandfather blamed his mother, (a strong, independent woman), for both the divorce and death of his dad. So, while Gran