Peter Rosenberger: Welcome to the program. I am Peter Rosenberger, and I am America's Caregiver. Glad to be with you. Hope for the caregiver dot com. I may be the only person, certainly the last decade, who has taken Johnny Eareckson tada on a horseback trail ride. And, every now and then I'll get on the horse here in Montana and I'll FaceTime her and I'll turn the camera around so she can see between the horse's ears. We've gone over all kinds of cattle trail went up beautiful views, and we crossed a creek or so time, or two. And, we've had a good time with that. and she got a lot of commentary that she didn't probably ask for. We've been friends for many, many years. And, most people know her as author and painter and the founder of Joni and Friends and a tireless advocate for Christian ministry to the disability community. I know her as somebody who consistently points me to Christ and has traveled with me through some very difficult times with Gracie's through some tough times. And so I'm glad, she's here with me today. Her new book is called Keeping Faith when life hurts. 100 devotions for hard Days. And, so, Johnny, welcome to the program. And we don't have to saddle up today, if, if that's okay.
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: Oh, oh, oh. I love it whenever. Peter. I love it whenever I get to ride a horse with you. And, and, I don't know, you've. You've shown me moose on your property and new, newborn foals, maybe, I
>> Peter Rosenberger: can't remember, but calves, calves, we've got. We've got it all out here.
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: Amazing.
>> Peter Rosenberger: And, and I'm.
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: I'm just grateful that you always think of me. I mean, I'm paralyzed in a wheelchair and so, little.
>> Peter Rosenberger: But you've been on a Montana trail ride.
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: I have. I have that.
>> Peter Rosenberger: And we've promised that when we get to heaven, we're going to do that. There's going to be quite a few of us on that trail ride. Oh, and, I'll probably be riding that horse from the Little Rascals that had the big swayback. I don't know if you remember that or not, but that's what you are.
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: Irrepressible. Nobody can stop you.
>> Peter Rosenberger: Well, and many should. I'm glad you're here. I love the book. And, thank you for sending me a copy of this. And of course, I love the source material from it. Pearls of great price. A lot of that. The title, though. One, Hundred Devotions for Hard Days on the subtitle there. And I thought, when have you not had a hard day? That's my first question to you, Johnny. When have you not had a hard day?
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: I. I don't know. I. I am always, in pain, it seems. I know. I. I guess I don't have a hard day when. When I'm at a. Like a five or six. That's. That's kind of a Not having a hard day. If I'm. My pain is at a five or six level. That's a pretty good. That's pretty good.
You marked it the 59th anniversary of your diving accident recently
>> Peter Rosenberger: Just recently you celebrated. You didn't celebrate. You marked it the 59th anniversary of your diving accident. And. And that's my birthday. And so we always connect back and forth on that day. And I can't help but think. And I'm not meaning to say that you're older than me. I would never say that. But, Your Social Security number is one. But I didn't want. I didn't say that, Johnny. I didn't say that.
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: But.
>> Peter Rosenberger: But I was four years old when you got hurt. And I was thinking about that on my birthday. I don't remember my fourth birthday. I'm sure my parents did a cake and with my brothers and. And it was, you know, meaningful and all that kind of thing. But a couple hundred miles to the north of us, something very different was happening at the Chesapeake Bay there.
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: And.
>> Peter Rosenberger: And I. I always stop and think about that and think about what that day must have been like for you. What is suffering teaching you? And, what are. What, more importantly, what is the Holy Spirit teaching you through suffering now as you go through almost 60 years that you didn't know at year five, 25, 40 and 50?
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: You know, first, I've got to say, I can't. I. Our souls must be, timeless. I mean, there must be something about us on the inside that really has the mark of eternity. Because I just. It feels like, I don't know, a few minutes gone by yet. When people recount to me certain incidents or, things happening or events. It seems so far away, so long ago. But, my life has just gone by so quickly. And I look back on that day and, you know, I'm gonna. We're gonna argue about this because I do celebrate it, I think, because, God took what I thought was the ruin of my life, breaking my neck. And it became, the most useful, most, meaningful, purposeful, and I dare say, strangely wonderful thing in my Life in that it's being used by him to, reach a lot of people, disabilities, and places like Mozambique and Madagascar and Thailand and Uganda and other places. It's Peru. And I just. I stand in awe. I really do. And I'm not saying that it's easy. None of this is easy. It's just. It's, It's so hard every day. But I. I'm. I'm just grateful, Peter. I really am. and I'm grateful for the way that God has used you and Gracie. My goodness. The national nationally syndicated radio program helping other people, other caregivers. And one of them is my husband. He'll. He likes your book. My husband Ken really thinks a lot of your book. in fact, he has recommended it to a couple of people who are struggling with caregiving. and I. I just think that's wonderful, Peter, the testimony that you and Gracie had.
>> Peter Rosenberger: When Ken wrote the forward to one of my books, his first sentence really struck me. He says, do we really need a book for caregivers and kids? Said, yeah, we do. And I thought. And I imitate Ken sometimes because he's talked about when he would pick you up and. And move you, and he would always go, hey, you know. And make all these. And I do that with Gracie when I'm helping her sit down or think I'm going. And she always apprec. That, no, she doesn't. But it's, you know. But you and Ken have been married now, 44 years. Four years. Our 44. Our 40th anniversary is next year, so.
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: Congratulations.
>> Peter Rosenberger: Well, thank you.
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: Next.
Peter Rosenberger is caring for a loved one with a severe disability
>> Peter Rosenberger: not next year, Next week. Next. Well, hold on. Dear Diary, make sure you remember this. But 40 years and, you know, we cover a lot of ground when you're. When you're dealing with disabilities, of the levels that you and Gracie deal with in. In these kinds of times. And do you. You run into people who are not believers, who are suffering? I. I run into people who. All the time who are dealing with things, not necessarily down the road as far as we are with. With Gracie.
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: And, I.
>> Peter Rosenberger: Because I haven't seen many unbelievers through this. Do you ever. You ever ask them, how do you do this without Christ?
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: there's a lot of depression. I don't know. A lot of depression. I dare say, suicide. I know that, I keep watch on, suicide statistics and the breakdowns of those statistics. And it's amazing how many people suffer a stroke or get a, ah, diagnosis of als and, and they're ready to move to the state of California where the courts have just adjusted the definition for quote terminal illness to quote unbearable suffering. So if anybody's going through unbearable suffering and they can just come to the state of California and I think
>> Peter Rosenberger: going to the state of California would qualify as unbearable suffering. But that's a different conversation. I look at the same statistics but differently because there's a rise of murder suicides among ah, caregiving couples because one person is taking care. I just saw this in the news just, just this week. Taking care of a loved one with a severe disability. And then that caregiver gets a bad diagnosis. and this is what's happening. And so I see these things and I look at the despair level that people have.
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: And my own husband, he'll be 80 this year and we were just talking about this earlier this week that as he, I know enters his 80s and I'm going to be 77. we need more help. Ken simply cannot do the sorts of things that he's doing for me right now. And we both have been praying about it. We both need to start checking around and seeing you know, might there, where are some sources where we can get a little extra help. And this just goes to show. I'm Jon Eareckson. Tada. But I still have trouble finding caregivers. I still have trouble finding help and I go to a great church but people are busy, people are afraid of, let's say that you know, the extra commitment.
>> Peter Rosenberger: We are talking with Joni Eareckson. Tada. And you can see the entire video interview I had with her at my substack caregiver.substack.com this is Peter Rosenberger. This is Hope for the Caregiver. We're going to be right back.
A generous monthly gift will help sustain American Family Radio
Hello, I'm Peter Rosenberger. Did you know that this show is listener supported? Without people like you this show would not exist. That's why we need you. A generous monthly gift of any amount will help sustain American Family Radio, specifically this show as we reach thousands of people each week with biblical truth. Please consider becoming a monthly financial partner today by visiting afr.netgive that's afr.net give
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: but he was like, you're not ready for another baby.
>> Peter Rosenberger: I was afraid, I was scared. Everybody wanted me to have an abortion.
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>> Joni Eareckson Tada: I'm going to keep my baby and I'm going to be a great mom.
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>> Bert Harper: Did you know that choosing to fear the Lord brings blessing? Our response to God greatly influences his response to us. Hello, I'm Sam Rohr with another stand in the gap minute. Proverbs 1:28 notes that some people called upon God but he wouldn't answer. Why not? Verse 29 reveals, because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord, they would have none of God's counsel. You see, these wise words should cause us to reflect on our own view of God. If we desire to experience his work in our lives, we must fear him and honor him on his terms. God's not a genie in a bottle who gives us wishes. He's our Creator and Savior. When we humble ourselves and follow his ways, we find a heavenly Father who longs to bless our lives. So let's choose to fear the Lord and receive his blessings today. Discover more@american pastorsnetwork.net.
Peter Rosenberger says caregiving is the next national crisis
>> Peter Rosenberger: Welcome back to Hope for the Caregiver. This is Peter Rosenberger. Glad to be with you. Hopeforthecaregiver.com we're continuing my conversation with Joni Eareckson. Tada. You can see the entire video interview at my substack caregiver.substack.com but let's get back to the conversation I've had with Johnny.
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: So anyway, we're talking about that even now as Ken gets into his 80s. So.
>> Peter Rosenberger: Well, I'm only 35, but caregiving is hard on you, as you can tell. because look what it did to me. And no, I think about that with ken as he's 80. And Gracie told me the other night, she said, you know, you can't keep pushing yourself the way you push yourself. And I told her, I said, well, which activity do you want me to stop, Gracie? You know, because this is it. But, but I. That's what I think. I get out on a horse and just kind of decompress my brain a little bit.
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: Yeah, needs that. Right.
>> Peter Rosenberger: Well, if you can't use a real One just go to Walmart or something where they got those fake ones. You put a quarter in and sit there and pretend. But, but I, I it for me, that's the way I disconnect a little bit. But I don't get a day off. And that's to your point. I mean, what's a day off look like for Gracie? What for you, for Ken, for me, we don't get those. And so it is a bit of a challenge. And I think this is an opportunity for the church to step in in a profound way. But we got to educate them on what this looks like. And that, that everything doesn't have to be perfect, because I'm sure you've had plenty of caregivers that come in and they kind of freak out if they don't get everything perfect. But it doesn't have to be, does it?
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: Does it does not have to be. Although there was one caregiver, last year, she learned my routine to help while Ken had to be away for just a couple of days. And when he got back, she said, man, you guys, I don't think anybody realizes what y' all go through. I had no idea what you all go through. And I, and here I got the training and when I had to put it into practice, it's this, it's
>> Peter Rosenberger: not, not the first time I've heard that comment, that you don't people. I had no idea what you will go through. And, and that's okay. I understand it. And as I get older, I'm going to be having the same conversations. And that's one of the reasons I built the place I built here with our addition with Gracie. So it is much easier to take care of her because I know that I am getting older. But you know, here we are right
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: before we went on the air here, I was answering an email from, a friend back east. Her friend is the, mother of an aging adult child with a disability. her child is getting up to be 18, 19. And this friend is getting older and looking for, what a community living residential center. And of course we've got the names of lots of centers, but not enough to fill the need all across the United States. And certainly a lot of these centers are pretty expensive. So it's, it's. You've often said this, Peter, it is a crisis. It is the next national crisis. that's.
>> Peter Rosenberger: Well, the president said he was going to deal with that during his election in 2024. I'm holding him to it. But I have yet to see some things, so I'm going to have to have to make a call. We're going to have to call some. And so it's, somebody's gonna have to do something, but it's, it is something that, that needs to be done and we can train people, but in the meantime, I think that the church can, you know, health care traditionally came out of church. The church, I mean, absolutely. And, and I think it's one of those things that we can do and I think it's, it's not something you're doing just as an act of charity. I think it's doing an act of obedience and
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: Right. It can also be an expression of discipleship. I mean when you get caregivers coming out of a church, you get people who do this out of the, out of the idea, that, that God would expect us to serve. And normal Christian service is sacrificial service. But you also get people who take that service as an opportunity to create relationships, friendships, and before you know it, a real discipleship, can't but happen because you're, you're, you're relating to one another on the most intimate and personal level. And I think it's a chance to benefit each other in a relationship.
>> Peter Rosenberger: You will learn things about yourself, about life, about God. When you're taking care of somebody with incontinence that you will learn no other way.
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: Absolutely. And you could ask my husband about that. And that's that's one of those situations where for myself as a wife, I always feel, I always feel, oh, after 60 years you think I'd get used to that. But yeah, my incontinence is a, is a challenge that I just have to trust God that the people who assist me, especially my husband, isn't going to get blown away by the, the day to day routines that are just not fun.
>> Peter Rosenberger: No, they're not. And I have, I understand it, I live it, I do it. But what helps me as a caregiver, particularly as a caregiving husband, is when I consider what Christ did for me.
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: Yeah.
>> Peter Rosenberger: And he condescended a whole lot more than I ever have. And, and what it cost him. And, and, and the question is, while you're doing some of the more unpleasant tasks of caregiving, can you sing a hymn? And. Yeah, you can. You know how I know that?
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: Because I've done it. You've done it many, times.
>> Peter Rosenberger: you see, when you sing Holy, Holy, Holy while you're Doing some of the tasks that go on and being a caregiver. It'll change your theology a little bit.
>> Peter Rosenberger: Because it's not about, lord, get me out of this. It's about, Lord, I'm going to praise you in this. And it's all good. That's why I put the piano in our bedroom so that I could play for Gracie. She don't have to leave the bedroom so she could sing, because she's laying flat on her back like you have to so much of the day. She's not supposed to sit and, they don't really want her sitting very much. And so that way she can sing. And that's what I do.
You sing while you suffer? Yeah, well, I. I sing to the people who are helping me out
And you sing while you suffer?
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: Yeah, well, I. I sing to the people who are helping me out as well. God's gonna love you. You're so good to me. And he's happy with you for doing that. I mean, I'll just make up these silly little songs, you know. The Lord loves it when you put on my compression. Oh, to my toes. You think this is silly, but this is. What?
>> Peter Rosenberger: No, no, no. I think I'm gonna set that to music, Johnny. I think I'm gonna wr. A little more bluesy. My compression hose are tight. They're feeling just right. No, no, I won't do that for you, Johnny. But, you've lived with this long enough. I'm gonna throw. Throw a phrase out to you and see what you think.
Do you ever feel that yesterday's grace doesn't always feel sufficient for today
Do you ever get the feeling that yesterday's grace doesn't always feel sufficient for today?
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: I sure do. Because it's not really for sufficient for today. Yesterday's grace was used up. I mean, what the Bible tells us, that his grace is new every morning. His faithfulness, his mercies are new every morning. And I think that's why he must have said in the Gospel of Matthew, sufficient unto the day is the, other troubles that you have for the day. Don't carry yesterday's troubles over to today. Just concentrate about today. Don't worry about tomorrow. There's no grace yet for tomorrow. You know, it's not 12am yet. Starting a new day, you got grace for the day. And I'm surprised, Peter, how, with my own disability, and this is not necessarily from a caregiver perspective, but from my own disability, I'm just doing great one day, and then the next day my leg bag clamp, breaks, and I get urine on the carpet.
>> Peter Rosenberger: Wait a minute, wait a minute. Why do you have carpet? We rebuked all of our carpet. We cast it into the abyss. The only place I have carpet is here at the studio. All right, all right, I'll accept. We'll accept a rug. Carpet and disabilities do not go together.
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: Not go together. That's. You're absolutely right. Anyway, either. Or on somebody else's carpet or in the office at Johnny and Friends. That carpet and I. It happens. And. And, yeah, it's like all of a sudden I said, oh, no. And I just have to. I have to talk to my soul like David did in Psalm 42. Don't be downcast oh, my soul why are you so discouraged within me? Put your hope in God, your savior. He, like you said, he went through a lot more mess than. Than I am making right now on this wood floor.
>> Peter Rosenberger: You know, I, By the way, I did a bit with, Jeff Foxworthy many years ago on you might be a caregiver if. And one of the things we said on there, it started off with, if you have a professional carpet cleaner on retainer, you're probably a caregiver. So that's what. That's when my. My, My love hate relationship with rugs and carpet really reached its zenith. And, so I was determined not to do that again.
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: Peter, this is exactly why I wrote. I wrote that book.
>> Peter Rosenberger: Well, actually, the beginning of the book. You talk about this very thing in the beginning, this book. And I want. I want readers. When they get this book, I want them read it slow. Read the intro slow, because it gives you a picture into your life.
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: Yeah, it's not a pretty picture. It's, the picture of what it means and what it involves, what. What's required in getting me to bed at night. And, because of my lungs, there's just so much I have to go through. And, Yeah. Yeah, just a lot of stuff. And.
Peter Rosenberger talks with Ashley about caring for her husband during hospital stays
And when Ken leans down over the guardrail of my. I sleep in a hospital bed. When he leans down over the guardrail, my hospital bed, I've got so much wiring and tubing on my face. he has to find me, to kiss me good, tight, find my cheek at least. And he'll say, you got this. Oh, you got it. And I'll nod yes. And usually, like I think I wrote in the book, I will say, please pray that I make it. My faith doesn't fail, that. That, I won't have to wake him up. Because I hate waking my husband up. I mean, he does so much on my behalf. And even with the caregiving help that we do have, he still has a lot on his plate. And so I want to lighten that load as best I can. So often I'll just, you know, try to get myself back to sleep despite the pain, rather than call him.
>> Peter Rosenberger: And how do you call him, by the way? Because you don't have much oxygen and you got all kinds of stuff.
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: Monitor. We have a monitor between her and there have been nights when there might be somebody here helping and giving Ken a break. And the monitor to her room. she has turned the volume down too low and I have screamed, ashley. Ah, Ashley. And I could barely get it out. But, yeah, so before every. If there's anybody who's taking my husband's place at night and providing, me overnight care, I always say check the volume on your monitor because I can't call. I can't call very loud. Anyway.
>> Peter Rosenberger: I've fallen asleep before in the. Just stretched out in the guest room a time or two and woken up to Gracie screaming for me.
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: And I don't know.
>> Peter Rosenberger: Oh, it's a, But she's got, she's got some piercing lungs and a voice and, it's a bit jarring. you know, and that's, that's not uncommon for us. But, it is what it is. We are talking with Johnny Erickson. Tada. And you can see the entire video interview I had with her at my subset caregiver.substack.com this is Peter Rosenberger. This is Hope for the Caregiver. We'll be right back.
Peter Rosenberg Berger: Religion informs politics. Politics touches every aspect of our lives
Three hundred years ago, churches were on the decline in the Western world. But God was about to do something to alter the course of history. At the center of it was a man sold out for Jesus. I'm David Wolin inviting you to join me and special guest Dr. Thomas Kidd in a Haven Today series called Born Again, the Message of the Great Awakening.
>> : Haven Today, Weekday mornings at 4:30 Central on American Family Radio. Listen online at afr.net if we do
>> Peter Rosenberger: all of those other things but the gospel is not being proclaimed, we will continue to see the erosion of our nation from the inside. Religion informs politics. Politics touches every aspect of our lives. And as the scripture discusses that the Lord has made his people to be living epistles. What story are we a part of?
>> : Join Abraham Hamilton III on the Hamilton Corner, weekdays at 5pm Central on American Family Radio.
>> Peter Rosenberger: while in the emergency room with my wife as she was struggling with the Cove 19 virus herself, and I looked at her, I said, are you scared? And she said, a little bit. But I've been through worse.
>> : The certainty of mankind's history with uncertainty. An article by Peter Rosenberger.
>> Peter Rosenberger: And then as her fever was approaching almost 103, she started singing, in Christ alone I placed my trust and find my glory in the power of the cross. And that's how she has anchored herself in the certainty of Christ through her huge medical journey that has included 80 surgeries, both of her legs amputated, 100 doctors have treated, 12 hospitals, and now the COVID 19 virus. And so when we live with those concepts, uncertainties anchoring ourselves in Christ, in Christ alone, that's the only place we can run to where there is certainty.
>> : To read this article and more, visit afa.net thestand.
>> Peter Rosenberger: Welcome back to Hope for the Caregiver. This is Peter Rosenberg Berger. This is the program for you as a family caregiver. Hope for the caregiver.com had a wonderful opportunity to sit down with Johnny Eareckson tada. We're continuing on with that interview that I had with her. You can see the entire video interview at my substack caregiver.substack.com let's get back to my conversation with Johnny.
What does Christian hope look like to you, Joni Eareckson
This book that you've done in these devotions for hard days, because these are hard days. And one of the things that I've always cherished about you and your writing and what you do is that you don't write about suffering. You write in suffering. You are deep inside it. And you write about these things and it speaks with such clarity as you encounter other people. There are a lot of people that spend their time trying to get to get through this, and then we can get on with our lives. We got to get through this and we can do this. What does Christian hope look like to you, Joni Eareckson tada when the goal is not to get back to normal?
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: Well, Christian hope for me is what I believe the Bible says about it. It is that time when every single promise God has ever made will have its finality. The lame shall leap like deer. The tongues of those who cannot speak will shout for joy. Christian hope is that time where there'll be no more disease, no more Alzheimer's, no more spinal cord injury or muscular dystrophy or multiple sclerosis or none of that cancer, brain tumors, all of it will be behind us. And Peter, that's what keeps me going. I'm so excited about that day that is, I think, very close on our horizon that I just, yeah, I can put up with this. My affliction what do you know is light and momentary compared to the glory that waits beyond? And so I spend a lot of time looking at that glory and what, what it is and that weight of glory. I try and study up on it, memorize scriptures about it, think about it, because it helps me view my present day disability as light and momentary. If I don't know anything about biblical hope and what's lying ahead for us on the other side of eternity, then my affliction is not going to appear very light and momentary. So I think about heaven a lot. Not as an escape from my reality, but as a way of feeding it, feeds it, nourishes my biblical hope. And I tried to write about that in this book because I want people to, to be excited about what God has purchased for us through the blood of his own son.
>> Peter Rosenberger: You did write about it. You really covered this. Well, you know, you and I both, understand the meaning of a confessing church, of a creed, of a confessing. And when we are confess, confessing things, sometimes people think we're confessing and admitting to a crime. And that's the term they use for confessing. But in biblical confession, we're agreeing with what God has said, right? And when you are thinking on the things of heaven, you're agreeing with what he has already promised you. You're taking him at his word. Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus just to take him at his word. Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him as righteousness. And those are things that lift our eyes beyond urine bags. Absolutely caregiving things and disabilities and hard to breathe moments because we're taking Him m at his word, that there is more to this. It's difficult to do that. It is not an easy thing to do. And there is a point where you realize, okay, we're not going to get back to normal. But the promise is still there. And I was telling this to my mother. My mother's coming out here next week. She's almost 90 years old. She's pretty sporty. to mom, how are you doing? She said, well, I can't see too good, I can't hear too good, I can't walk too good, but I'm doing pretty good and she's pretty sporty. You say happy birthday to her one time for me.
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: Oh my goodness.
>> Peter Rosenberger: But she can't see very well. It occurred to me, and as I've shared this with her, the next face that she sees, will be Jesus. The next time you stand will be in the very presence of Jesus. the Next time Gracie feels grass under her feet will be in the presence of Jesus.
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: Yeah.
>> Peter Rosenberger: These are powerful things, aren't they?
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: They really are. And they are also for caregivers, not just for that loved one who has a disability.
1 Corinthians 15:58 is a great verse for caregivers
I think a great verse for caregivers since we've been talking about biblical hope. 1 Corinthians 15:58. My beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord. It might be caregiving, knowing, and this is the good part, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord. You know, when you do things for the Lord Jesus. I'm, emptying my wife's leg bag here and getting my hands full of urine. But I'm. I'm doing this because I love you, and you've given me a love for her, and I know my toil is not in vain. You're marking this down. You're making note of this. You will recompense me for this when I get to heaven. I don't mean to think of it as a transactional, canonical exchange. No, I'm just speaking that people need to know that when caregiving gets messy and painful, that God notices and it's going to be recognized that toil is going to be recognized in heaven. So be immovable, steadfast.
>> Peter Rosenberger: You know that hymn, Breathe on Me, Breath of God. And I would imagine that's pretty close to your heart, you know, but. But I love that line in there that I would love without us love and do what thou does do. And, I think about that a lot, and particularly when you're struggling to breathe. Breathe on me Breath of God. My mother had a lot of breathing issues when she's in the hospital, and Gracie sang to her in the icu, and you could hear her singing all the way down the hall. Breathe on me Breath. And nurses would lean forward. It causes the world to marvel when they see Christians worshiping in suffering. You've seen this your entire life before I let you get out here, talk about that. A little bit of the marvel that people see when they see rejoicing in the midst of this.
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: Well, it's so uncommon, it's so otherworldly. the world would say, you've got a right to complain. You've got a right to be angry. You've got a right to feel put upon. You know, that's what the world is telling so many caregivers, you know, their neighbors and saying, you know, but when you're a Christian and giving care, it's not natural. It's. You are supernatural. You live a supernatural life. And so you, you do things with his energy and the world looks on you and thinks, oh, my goodness, how great that lady's God must be to inspire such loyalty as she cares for her husband. That's what you want your neighbor to think. You want your neighbor to look at you and be amazed.
>> Peter Rosenberger: Scratch their heads a little bit.
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: Yeah. Like, what is this all about? I've got to know this lady's God. Her faith is extraordinary. I, never seen faith like that. I want to find out more about it. That's the way you want to whet people's appetite for heaven, for the gospel, just by being who you are to your next door neighbors who obviously know your situation. They probably know your husband, you know, had a stroke and it's not easy. They see the walker and they see the effort it takes to get in and out of the car. And a lot of people are watching through those windows.
>> Peter Rosenberger: They do watch. And, sadly, they've seen sometimes be at my worst as I do it. But I've had people come up over the years and Gracie's had them. And I'm sure you and I know you and Ken have where they say, oh, you're going to get crowns in heaven. And they say things like that, or you're going to get a mansion in heaven. When everybody says that, I'm like, well, who's going to clean it? That's the first thing my mind goes to. Who's going to clean this thing? But those things don't mean much to me. And I was studying in the Gospel of Mark, and you saw the story of the men who carried their friend who was paralyzed up, to Jesus, tore up the roof and got him down to Jesus. But as you unpack that, you realize they had to go get this guy. They heard about Jesus, they had to go get their friend, they had to schlep him across the. My last name is Rosenberger. I can say schlep. And they had to take him across town or wherever Jesus, how far away it was. They get there, they couldn't get there, so they had to haul him up the stairs. I have literally not only carried Gracie, I felt pick up your wheelchair and put it up on a platform. These are not small tasks. And then they had to dig a hole. Now I'm trying to imagine putting you through a hole in the roof. I mean, it's not a small hole. Not that you're a big person, but you've got A lot of gear going on. You got things. This is not a small thing that happened. And there's no record of him saying a word to these guys. He talked to the man. But I'm looking at those guys on the roof looking down the hole, and Jesus saw their faith. That's, all. That's all that says in scripture about that. And I thought, there are a lot of times I've gone up to a soldier and thank them for their service. But when their commanding officer, who has a chest full of medals, nods at them, that means more than any thank you for your service that I could ever give, because they have someone who truly knows what it cost them to do this. And you have a savior who.
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: It's not a matter of crowns, is it? It's not a matter of crowns.
>> Peter Rosenberger: It's just one nod.
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: It's a matter of Jesus. can imagine when the Lord looked up at those four folks, friends peering down through the hole, just to see his face, and what that must have communicated.
>> Peter Rosenberger: Just one nod from a savior who understands, who sees every night that you have struggled for breath, every urine bag, every hospital stay, every lonely time when you feel afraid or claustrophobic, and all those things he sees all that.
Are there truths about God that you now believe more deeply because he removed the wheelchair
And so my last question to you. Are there truths about God that you now believe more deeply because he did not remove the wheelchair?
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: I think of his mercy. You won't. I don't think anybody listening is, I can't believe they would understand this, but I. I feel so unworthy. I think my wheelchair has saved me. I don't know what I'd be doing if I were on my feet, but I know that I would not be as in love with Jesus, excited about him, singing to him. I wouldn't be having a ministry to, you know, people with disabilities and developing nations. I just know I wouldn't. I know me. I know that's not in me. And so I. I'm just grateful for his mercy because that wheelchair, 60 years ago, it rescued me from myself and my base and lower appetites. My. My. I don't know, just my wants and wishes, which were very earthy and. And not fixed on heaven. So I. I do thank God for the wheelchair. It's his mercy that rescued me. And I thank him every night. I really do. I said, oh, Jesus, you were so wise allowing that diving accident. Because now I just. I get it. I see. I can look back. I understand. That's, It's so wonderful. And his mercy just keeps. The more I look at the Cross. Peter, what, as you said earlier, what Christ sacrificed for me, the more the layers of Christ's heart just keep getting peeled away. And you look down deeper in that inner sanctum of sharing in his fellowship, of sufferings, of being united with him, what does it mean to be union with Christ? And he's just showing me so much more of his mercy. So, yeah, that would be it.
Peter Rosenberger: Are you tired, Joni Eareckson
>> Peter Rosenberger: Are you tired?
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: Yes, I am.
>> Peter Rosenberger: I had this conversation with Gracie the other day. It's a strange fraternity and sorority that Ken and I and you and Gracie are in, and others, but it's okay to sit down and say, you know, I'm tired for a moment and just say, I'm tired. Are you weary and heavy laden? And what does Scripture say about that?
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: Yeah. Come unto me, and I will give you rest. I love that verse. That's a great verse.
>> Peter Rosenberger: But, I wanted to ask you that because I know that when I looked at Gracie the other day and we. We had that conversation, she just. She's tired. Listen, Joni, I thank you so much for the time today, and, I know this is costly to you, so thank you so much for. For spending this, time, and I look forward to talking with you more. And I'll see you on the trail.
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: See you on the trail on FaceTime.
>> Peter Rosenberger: We'll see.
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: Bye bye. Bye.
>> Peter Rosenberger: Bye. You've been listening to my interview with Joni Eareckson. Tada. She's extraordinary, isn't she? An exceptional human being, and I am just grateful to know her. You can watch the entire video of my conversation with her at my substack caregiver, substack.uh.com. this is Peter Rosenberger. We'll be right back.
Standing With Hope helps provide prosthetic limbs to amputees in Africa
I'll never forget walking into the hospital room after Gracie had her second amputation. Both legs are gone now. And she looked at me. She said, I know what I'm going to do. And I was kind of startled. What are you going to do? She said, I'm going to help provide prosthetic limbs to my fellow amputees and tell them about Jesus. And I said, well, baby, can we get out of the hospital first? She never let it go. And for almost 20 years, we've been working out of Ghana, West Africa. We treat patients all over there from other countries that come there. We send supplies, we send teams, we sponsor patients. We work with a prison where inmates volunteer to disassemble used prosthetic limbs. M. So we can recycle the parts. All of this because Gracie trusted God with her heartache. We've got a huge shipment of supplies that is being loaded up right now to go out soon. Would you help us do it? Standingwithhope.com giving standingwithhope.com giving there's prosthetic feet, knees, pylons, sleeves, adapters, all kinds of connectors. All of these things we are sending over there so that people can walk. We're going to point them to Christ. Help us out.
>> : The enemy wants to destroy anything of God's, especially mankind who is made in God's image.
>> Peter Rosenberger: What would it be like if every person knew that they were created in
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: the image of God?
>> Peter Rosenberger: We're talking about people, people loved by the Father, people for whom Jesus died.
>> : We have to stand on God's truth.
>> Bert Harper: We hear in culture all the time.
>> Peter Rosenberger: We need to find ourselves.
>> Bert Harper: We need to go find our identity.
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: We are already defined.
>> Peter Rosenberger: We are known before the foundations of the world.
>> : In his image is a life changing film that has helped people break free from the grip of evil. It will take you through scripture to show the truth and its powerful testimonies will destroy Satan's attempts to pervert God's perfect design.
>> Peter Rosenberger: We now know with the genome of all of the DNA that there is no propensity to towards a genetic disposition to homosexual behavior.
>> : Watch it for the first time or again with someone who needs to see it anytime on AFA stream stream m.aca.net.
Peter Rosenberger talks about being a full time caregiver in Montana
>> Peter Rosenberger: Welcome back to Hope for the Caregiver. This is Peter Rosenberger. Glad to be with you. Hope for the the caregiver.com hope for the caregiver did you enjoy that conversation I had with Johnny? she, she's an exceptional human being. We had to stop that at the halfway mark because she had some challenges and and you know, and it was just one of those things that I'm just very grateful to know her and, and I see this remarkable courage. So if you want to watch and, and experience the entire video interview, you can go out to my substack caregiver.substack.com and I'll have the full interview on the podcast. It'll be just audio, but that'll be available tomorrow. should be on my podcast if I can get my crack staff. That would be me. So if I could get to it, I will do my best. I've got a lot of chores I'm getting ready to start doing here around the place. I got to go get some firewood. I know that it's hard to be thinking about that because everybody's been sweltering in the south but we start thinking about firewood in August out here in Montana. So I've got lots of things I got to do in podcast and radio shows and everything else, plus being a full time caregiver. But I'm going to try to be diligent. And I, did get in some good horseback riding this week. I did do that. We, we moved some cattle up to different part of the property and way up high. We're going to leave them there for probably, maybe, maybe six, seven, eight weeks up there. And they'll be very, very happy because there's lots of good green grass. So. But I enjoy getting out on the, on the horse and that's kind of my time to disconnect. And so anyway, that's neither here nor there, but I just enjoy that. That's, that's what I do for me. I don't know what you do for you, but I hope you find something you don't have to get out on a horse in Montana. That's just what I enjoy doing.
Amanda wrote a very kind note about what this program means to her
So anyway, I wanted to also just give a big shout out to Amanda. Thank you for writing this week and for the very, very kind note that you sent about what this program means to you. So thank you for that and I really do appreciate it very much. I never know quite, you know, who's listening. You know, that's, that's the nature of this particular medium of communication is that you, you put it out there. And when I'm doing this, if I have the blinds drawn, I can look outside. If I don't have the blinds drawn, I could see the corral where the horses are, or if I have the blinds drawn, then I will sit there and just basically look at a wall. And I never know, and I never know, who it's reaching or what the impact is of this program. And when I hear back from you, it is deeply meaningful. So thank you so much for that.
Standing with Hope helps rebuild prosthetics for the wounded and their caregivers
This week, Gracie and I celebrated our 40th anniversary. Forty years. And I, told Gracie, I said, I think we're going to go the distance. 40 years. It's hard to believe that we were just children when we got married. But we've also had another milestone this year and it'll be 15 years that we've been working with an outfit out of, Nashville, Corecivic, and they manage correctional facilities all over the country. And we partner with them as one of their faith based organizations to help disassemble and recycle the components from used prosthetic legs. They come in from all over the country. They go to one of their facilities. This one happens to be out west. And we just picked up all of that. We're assembling it right now to send over to West Africa, to Ghana, at the clinic. And we are. we just had a young man we just featured in our E letter this week named Kojo. And, he just got a Lake. He's 28 years old. He's an electrician. And he was on the street, walking down the street and a car hit him. He was not even in a car. He just got hit by a car. And it cost him his leg. And we put a leg on him, through Standing with Hope. And this is the ministry that Gracie envisioned after giving up both of her legs. And we've been doing this now for over 20 years. This shipment is going. It's got all kinds of prosthetic feet, pylons, knees, adapters, tube clamps, all that kind of stuff. Plus what they really needed was a lot of liners and sleeves. And a liner is, what you put is kind of like a gel liner, goes over a below knee amputee, and you put it over the amputated limb and it fits into the socket. And then there's a sleeve that holds it on as kind of what they call a suspension sleeve. And these are, these are in hot demand. And we can get them, and we work hard to get them. when people donate stuff like that, and sometimes I work with manufacturers to get bunches of them donated to us. we, we scour everything, and now we're shipping it over, but it's kind of expensive to do it. You want to help us? I would welcome the help. I mean, I'm not talking a couple hundred dollars. This thing is. These are thousands of dollars to ship these things because it's a big pallet and so forth. And so I'm not asking one person write that check. I'm just saying if you want to help, that's an immediate need. You can go out to standing with hope.com, steady with hope.com, which is the presenting sponsor of this program. And we have the two program outreaches. We put legs on people and we help family caregivers. That's it for the wounded and those who care for them. And it's Gracie and me. I mean, we, we envision this. We don't have this massive organization. We don't have this massive overhead. We do it very simply. And we've been working in West Africa now for over 20 years. And we've had just. It's been an incredibly meaningful time. You know, I was actually talking about this with a friend, and they were asking about Gracie and how she's doing, and, you know, they know how difficult her life is, and they were asking about, you know, her happiness. And I said, let me tell you about the happiness that Gracie lives in and, certainly with her grandchildren and being out here. She loves being out here and so forth. But the thing that brings her so much joy is the work that we do in Africa. And when she gets to go, she told me she's going back over there, and I'm like, I've already got an ice pack on my head thinking about it. But she said she's going. And so here we go. But in the meantime, the work continues. But she loves being able to do this. She loves being able to reach to her fellow amputees and do this. So. And so if you want to be a part of this, I would welcome the help of helping ship this very, large pallet of materials over there. They're waiting on it, and we could use the help with that. @standingwithhope.com giving you can sponsor the prosthetic Limb M Outreach, or you could sponsor this show, the Caregiver Outreach, Whatever's on your heart to do. But it would. I would. I would welcome the help.
Sam: We've been talking about theology and questions we ask as caregivers
Steadywithhope.com giving all right, let's get to our song, our, hymn that every caregiver ought to know. This is a little different. Okay. This is a course, but we've been talking about theology over the last couple of programs and the questions we ask as caregivers. Where is God? And so forth. You heard Joni's interview of her coming to grips with these things and what is meant to trust in Jesus with this. And I thought I would go to a chorus that I personally like a lot. Lanny Wolf wrote this, back in the. I think probably in the 70s, maybe the 80s. And. And I've always liked this. It's a very, very simple course, because when you ask, where is God? Where is God? Where is God? When. When Johnny dove off that dock, when Gracie slammed in that thing, you know, I would. Kojo lost his leg. He was just walking by the side of the road, and somebody hits him. And this is an issue that so many of us face. So let me go over to the caregiver keyboard here. So when you ask yourself, you know, where is God? And this is. This song means a lot to me. I just. I like to sing this Song Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place I can feel his mighty
>> Bert Harper: power
>> Peter Rosenberger: and his grace. I can hear the brush of angels wings I see glory on each face shooting Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place.
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: Sam.
>> Peter Rosenberger: It's just, simple chorus. I mean, I think it's a whole song. I just don't. I just do the course normally and they're just really simple chords in there. I could probably dress them up a little bit. I didn't do that. I didn't put any exotic chords in there. I thought, well, maybe we can just kind of tone it down a little bit. But it's a great tune. And walk around. Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place. Now that doesn't have to mean we have to be at a worship service, a formal congregation filled worship service. My question to you is, can you sing that in a hospital room? And I say to you, yes, you can. You know how I know that? Because we've done it. And I've seen Gracie just laying in a hospital bed, lift her hands up, IVs in her arm and everything else, singing. Surely the presence of, of the Lord is in this place. And she got nurses coming there. I've actually watched nurses try to do things to her while she's laying in the bed. And she's got her hands raised and they're trying to navigate with all of her tubes and, and wires and everything else. And they're working around her scene. And I've seen it happen. And, and you can, you can do this. You can do this in the middle of the night. You can do it in the worst of circumstances. You can. It's not easy. But you're not doing it on your own strength either. You're doing this. Remember when we talked about when I said with Johnny, a confessing church is one that confesses something. We are agreeing with God. We're agreeing with his word when we confess these things. And this is a confessing song. Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place. And I just love that text there, you know, and we recognize that where wherever two or three gathers, he's there, you know that he's not going to leave us, that his spirit is here and we can rest in that. So that's my hymn that every caregiver ought to know. It's not really a hymn, but I think you get the drift and I hope you like that one. everybody, I got so many letters last week about he will hold me fast. I'll have to do more stuff like that, too, so I will. So, anyway, listen.
Thank you for listening to Standing With Hope. Go to standingwithhope. com
That's our time for today. We're out of time. Thank you for taking the time today. To listen. Go to standingwithhope.com and you can get involved in what we're doing. And we'll see you next time.
Peter Rosenberger: Welcome to the program. I am Peter Rosenberger, and I am America's Caregiver. Glad to be with you. Hope for the caregiver dot com. I may be the only person, certainly the last decade, who has taken Johnny Eareckson tada on a horseback trail ride. And, every now and then I'll get on the horse here in Montana and I'll FaceTime her and I'll turn the camera around so she can see between the horse's ears. We've gone over all kinds of cattle trail went up beautiful views, and we crossed a creek or so time, or two. And, we've had a good time with that. and she got a lot of commentary that she didn't probably ask for. We've been friends for many, many years. And, most people know her as author and painter and the founder of Joni and Friends and a tireless advocate for Christian ministry to the disability community. I know her as somebody who consistently points me to Christ and has traveled with me through some very difficult times with Gracie's through some tough times. And so I'm glad, she's here with me today. Her new book is called Keeping Faith when life hurts. 100 devotions for hard Days. And, so, Johnny, welcome to the program. And we don't have to saddle up today, if, if that's okay.
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: Oh, oh, oh. I love it whenever. Peter. I love it whenever I get to ride a horse with you. And, and, I don't know, you've. You've shown me moose on your property and new, newborn foals, maybe, I
>> Peter Rosenberger: can't remember, but calves, calves, we've got. We've got it all out here.
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: Amazing.
>> Peter Rosenberger: And, and I'm.
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: I'm just grateful that you always think of me. I mean, I'm paralyzed in a wheelchair and so, little.
>> Peter Rosenberger: But you've been on a Montana trail ride.
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: I have. I have that.
>> Peter Rosenberger: And we've promised that when we get to heaven, we're going to do that. There's going to be quite a few of us on that trail ride. Oh, and, I'll probably be riding that horse from the Little Rascals that had the big swayback. I don't know if you remember that or not, but that's what you are.
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: Irrepressible. Nobody can stop you.
>> Peter Rosenberger: Well, and many should. I'm glad you're here. I love the book. And, thank you for sending me a copy of this. And of course, I love the source material from it. Pearls of great price. A lot of that. The title, though. One, Hundred Devotions for Hard Days on the subtitle there. And I thought, when have you not had a hard day? That's my first question to you, Johnny. When have you not had a hard day?
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: I. I don't know. I. I am always, in pain, it seems. I know. I. I guess I don't have a hard day when. When I'm at a. Like a five or six. That's. That's kind of a Not having a hard day. If I'm. My pain is at a five or six level. That's a pretty good. That's pretty good.
You marked it the 59th anniversary of your diving accident recently
>> Peter Rosenberger: Just recently you celebrated. You didn't celebrate. You marked it the 59th anniversary of your diving accident. And. And that's my birthday. And so we always connect back and forth on that day. And I can't help but think. And I'm not meaning to say that you're older than me. I would never say that. But, Your Social Security number is one. But I didn't want. I didn't say that, Johnny. I didn't say that.
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: But.
>> Peter Rosenberger: But I was four years old when you got hurt. And I was thinking about that on my birthday. I don't remember my fourth birthday. I'm sure my parents did a cake and with my brothers and. And it was, you know, meaningful and all that kind of thing. But a couple hundred miles to the north of us, something very different was happening at the Chesapeake Bay there.
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: And.
>> Peter Rosenberger: And I. I always stop and think about that and think about what that day must have been like for you. What is suffering teaching you? And, what are. What, more importantly, what is the Holy Spirit teaching you through suffering now as you go through almost 60 years that you didn't know at year five, 25, 40 and 50?
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: You know, first, I've got to say, I can't. I. Our souls must be, timeless. I mean, there must be something about us on the inside that really has the mark of eternity. Because I just. It feels like, I don't know, a few minutes gone by yet. When people recount to me certain incidents or, things happening or events. It seems so far away, so long ago. But, my life has just gone by so quickly. And I look back on that day and, you know, I'm gonna. We're gonna argue about this because I do celebrate it, I think, because, God took what I thought was the ruin of my life, breaking my neck. And it became, the most useful, most, meaningful, purposeful, and I dare say, strangely wonderful thing in my Life in that it's being used by him to, reach a lot of people, disabilities, and places like Mozambique and Madagascar and Thailand and Uganda and other places. It's Peru. And I just. I stand in awe. I really do. And I'm not saying that it's easy. None of this is easy. It's just. It's, It's so hard every day. But I. I'm. I'm just grateful, Peter. I really am. and I'm grateful for the way that God has used you and Gracie. My goodness. The national nationally syndicated radio program helping other people, other caregivers. And one of them is my husband. He'll. He likes your book. My husband Ken really thinks a lot of your book. in fact, he has recommended it to a couple of people who are struggling with caregiving. and I. I just think that's wonderful, Peter, the testimony that you and Gracie had.
>> Peter Rosenberger: When Ken wrote the forward to one of my books, his first sentence really struck me. He says, do we really need a book for caregivers and kids? Said, yeah, we do. And I thought. And I imitate Ken sometimes because he's talked about when he would pick you up and. And move you, and he would always go, hey, you know. And make all these. And I do that with Gracie when I'm helping her sit down or think I'm going. And she always apprec. That, no, she doesn't. But it's, you know. But you and Ken have been married now, 44 years. Four years. Our 44. Our 40th anniversary is next year, so.
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: Congratulations.
>> Peter Rosenberger: Well, thank you.
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: Next.
Peter Rosenberger is caring for a loved one with a severe disability
>> Peter Rosenberger: not next year, Next week. Next. Well, hold on. Dear Diary, make sure you remember this. But 40 years and, you know, we cover a lot of ground when you're. When you're dealing with disabilities, of the levels that you and Gracie deal with in. In these kinds of times. And do you. You run into people who are not believers, who are suffering? I. I run into people who. All the time who are dealing with things, not necessarily down the road as far as we are with. With Gracie.
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: And, I.
>> Peter Rosenberger: Because I haven't seen many unbelievers through this. Do you ever. You ever ask them, how do you do this without Christ?
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: there's a lot of depression. I don't know. A lot of depression. I dare say, suicide. I know that, I keep watch on, suicide statistics and the breakdowns of those statistics. And it's amazing how many people suffer a stroke or get a, ah, diagnosis of als and, and they're ready to move to the state of California where the courts have just adjusted the definition for quote terminal illness to quote unbearable suffering. So if anybody's going through unbearable suffering and they can just come to the state of California and I think
>> Peter Rosenberger: going to the state of California would qualify as unbearable suffering. But that's a different conversation. I look at the same statistics but differently because there's a rise of murder suicides among ah, caregiving couples because one person is taking care. I just saw this in the news just, just this week. Taking care of a loved one with a severe disability. And then that caregiver gets a bad diagnosis. and this is what's happening. And so I see these things and I look at the despair level that people have.
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: And my own husband, he'll be 80 this year and we were just talking about this earlier this week that as he, I know enters his 80s and I'm going to be 77. we need more help. Ken simply cannot do the sorts of things that he's doing for me right now. And we both have been praying about it. We both need to start checking around and seeing you know, might there, where are some sources where we can get a little extra help. And this just goes to show. I'm Jon Eareckson. Tada. But I still have trouble finding caregivers. I still have trouble finding help and I go to a great church but people are busy, people are afraid of, let's say that you know, the extra commitment.
>> Peter Rosenberger: We are talking with Joni Eareckson. Tada. And you can see the entire video interview I had with her at my substack caregiver.substack.com this is Peter Rosenberger. This is Hope for the Caregiver. We're going to be right back.
A generous monthly gift will help sustain American Family Radio
Hello, I'm Peter Rosenberger. Did you know that this show is listener supported? Without people like you this show would not exist. That's why we need you. A generous monthly gift of any amount will help sustain American Family Radio, specifically this show as we reach thousands of people each week with biblical truth. Please consider becoming a monthly financial partner today by visiting afr.netgive that's afr.net give
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: but he was like, you're not ready for another baby.
>> Peter Rosenberger: I was afraid, I was scared. Everybody wanted me to have an abortion.
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>> Joni Eareckson Tada: I'm going to keep my baby and I'm going to be a great mom.
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>> Bert Harper: Did you know that choosing to fear the Lord brings blessing? Our response to God greatly influences his response to us. Hello, I'm Sam Rohr with another stand in the gap minute. Proverbs 1:28 notes that some people called upon God but he wouldn't answer. Why not? Verse 29 reveals, because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord, they would have none of God's counsel. You see, these wise words should cause us to reflect on our own view of God. If we desire to experience his work in our lives, we must fear him and honor him on his terms. God's not a genie in a bottle who gives us wishes. He's our Creator and Savior. When we humble ourselves and follow his ways, we find a heavenly Father who longs to bless our lives. So let's choose to fear the Lord and receive his blessings today. Discover more@american pastorsnetwork.net.
Peter Rosenberger says caregiving is the next national crisis
>> Peter Rosenberger: Welcome back to Hope for the Caregiver. This is Peter Rosenberger. Glad to be with you. Hopeforthecaregiver.com we're continuing my conversation with Joni Eareckson. Tada. You can see the entire video interview at my substack caregiver.substack.com but let's get back to the conversation I've had with Johnny.
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: So anyway, we're talking about that even now as Ken gets into his 80s. So.
>> Peter Rosenberger: Well, I'm only 35, but caregiving is hard on you, as you can tell. because look what it did to me. And no, I think about that with ken as he's 80. And Gracie told me the other night, she said, you know, you can't keep pushing yourself the way you push yourself. And I told her, I said, well, which activity do you want me to stop, Gracie? You know, because this is it. But, but I. That's what I think. I get out on a horse and just kind of decompress my brain a little bit.
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: Yeah, needs that. Right.
>> Peter Rosenberger: Well, if you can't use a real One just go to Walmart or something where they got those fake ones. You put a quarter in and sit there and pretend. But, but I, I it for me, that's the way I disconnect a little bit. But I don't get a day off. And that's to your point. I mean, what's a day off look like for Gracie? What for you, for Ken, for me, we don't get those. And so it is a bit of a challenge. And I think this is an opportunity for the church to step in in a profound way. But we got to educate them on what this looks like. And that, that everything doesn't have to be perfect, because I'm sure you've had plenty of caregivers that come in and they kind of freak out if they don't get everything perfect. But it doesn't have to be, does it?
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: Does it does not have to be. Although there was one caregiver, last year, she learned my routine to help while Ken had to be away for just a couple of days. And when he got back, she said, man, you guys, I don't think anybody realizes what y' all go through. I had no idea what you all go through. And I, and here I got the training and when I had to put it into practice, it's this, it's
>> Peter Rosenberger: not, not the first time I've heard that comment, that you don't people. I had no idea what you will go through. And, and that's okay. I understand it. And as I get older, I'm going to be having the same conversations. And that's one of the reasons I built the place I built here with our addition with Gracie. So it is much easier to take care of her because I know that I am getting older. But you know, here we are right
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: before we went on the air here, I was answering an email from, a friend back east. Her friend is the, mother of an aging adult child with a disability. her child is getting up to be 18, 19. And this friend is getting older and looking for, what a community living residential center. And of course we've got the names of lots of centers, but not enough to fill the need all across the United States. And certainly a lot of these centers are pretty expensive. So it's, it's. You've often said this, Peter, it is a crisis. It is the next national crisis. that's.
>> Peter Rosenberger: Well, the president said he was going to deal with that during his election in 2024. I'm holding him to it. But I have yet to see some things, so I'm going to have to have to make a call. We're going to have to call some. And so it's, somebody's gonna have to do something, but it's, it is something that, that needs to be done and we can train people, but in the meantime, I think that the church can, you know, health care traditionally came out of church. The church, I mean, absolutely. And, and I think it's one of those things that we can do and I think it's, it's not something you're doing just as an act of charity. I think it's doing an act of obedience and
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: Right. It can also be an expression of discipleship. I mean when you get caregivers coming out of a church, you get people who do this out of the, out of the idea, that, that God would expect us to serve. And normal Christian service is sacrificial service. But you also get people who take that service as an opportunity to create relationships, friendships, and before you know it, a real discipleship, can't but happen because you're, you're, you're relating to one another on the most intimate and personal level. And I think it's a chance to benefit each other in a relationship.
>> Peter Rosenberger: You will learn things about yourself, about life, about God. When you're taking care of somebody with incontinence that you will learn no other way.
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: Absolutely. And you could ask my husband about that. And that's that's one of those situations where for myself as a wife, I always feel, I always feel, oh, after 60 years you think I'd get used to that. But yeah, my incontinence is a, is a challenge that I just have to trust God that the people who assist me, especially my husband, isn't going to get blown away by the, the day to day routines that are just not fun.
>> Peter Rosenberger: No, they're not. And I have, I understand it, I live it, I do it. But what helps me as a caregiver, particularly as a caregiving husband, is when I consider what Christ did for me.
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: Yeah.
>> Peter Rosenberger: And he condescended a whole lot more than I ever have. And, and what it cost him. And, and, and the question is, while you're doing some of the more unpleasant tasks of caregiving, can you sing a hymn? And. Yeah, you can. You know how I know that?
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: Because I've done it. You've done it many, times.
>> Peter Rosenberger: you see, when you sing Holy, Holy, Holy while you're Doing some of the tasks that go on and being a caregiver. It'll change your theology a little bit.
>> Peter Rosenberger: Because it's not about, lord, get me out of this. It's about, Lord, I'm going to praise you in this. And it's all good. That's why I put the piano in our bedroom so that I could play for Gracie. She don't have to leave the bedroom so she could sing, because she's laying flat on her back like you have to so much of the day. She's not supposed to sit and, they don't really want her sitting very much. And so that way she can sing. And that's what I do.
You sing while you suffer? Yeah, well, I. I sing to the people who are helping me out
And you sing while you suffer?
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: Yeah, well, I. I sing to the people who are helping me out as well. God's gonna love you. You're so good to me. And he's happy with you for doing that. I mean, I'll just make up these silly little songs, you know. The Lord loves it when you put on my compression. Oh, to my toes. You think this is silly, but this is. What?
>> Peter Rosenberger: No, no, no. I think I'm gonna set that to music, Johnny. I think I'm gonna wr. A little more bluesy. My compression hose are tight. They're feeling just right. No, no, I won't do that for you, Johnny. But, you've lived with this long enough. I'm gonna throw. Throw a phrase out to you and see what you think.
Do you ever feel that yesterday's grace doesn't always feel sufficient for today
Do you ever get the feeling that yesterday's grace doesn't always feel sufficient for today?
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: I sure do. Because it's not really for sufficient for today. Yesterday's grace was used up. I mean, what the Bible tells us, that his grace is new every morning. His faithfulness, his mercies are new every morning. And I think that's why he must have said in the Gospel of Matthew, sufficient unto the day is the, other troubles that you have for the day. Don't carry yesterday's troubles over to today. Just concentrate about today. Don't worry about tomorrow. There's no grace yet for tomorrow. You know, it's not 12am yet. Starting a new day, you got grace for the day. And I'm surprised, Peter, how, with my own disability, and this is not necessarily from a caregiver perspective, but from my own disability, I'm just doing great one day, and then the next day my leg bag clamp, breaks, and I get urine on the carpet.
>> Peter Rosenberger: Wait a minute, wait a minute. Why do you have carpet? We rebuked all of our carpet. We cast it into the abyss. The only place I have carpet is here at the studio. All right, all right, I'll accept. We'll accept a rug. Carpet and disabilities do not go together.
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: Not go together. That's. You're absolutely right. Anyway, either. Or on somebody else's carpet or in the office at Johnny and Friends. That carpet and I. It happens. And. And, yeah, it's like all of a sudden I said, oh, no. And I just have to. I have to talk to my soul like David did in Psalm 42. Don't be downcast oh, my soul why are you so discouraged within me? Put your hope in God, your savior. He, like you said, he went through a lot more mess than. Than I am making right now on this wood floor.
>> Peter Rosenberger: You know, I, By the way, I did a bit with, Jeff Foxworthy many years ago on you might be a caregiver if. And one of the things we said on there, it started off with, if you have a professional carpet cleaner on retainer, you're probably a caregiver. So that's what. That's when my. My, My love hate relationship with rugs and carpet really reached its zenith. And, so I was determined not to do that again.
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: Peter, this is exactly why I wrote. I wrote that book.
>> Peter Rosenberger: Well, actually, the beginning of the book. You talk about this very thing in the beginning, this book. And I want. I want readers. When they get this book, I want them read it slow. Read the intro slow, because it gives you a picture into your life.
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: Yeah, it's not a pretty picture. It's, the picture of what it means and what it involves, what. What's required in getting me to bed at night. And, because of my lungs, there's just so much I have to go through. And, Yeah. Yeah, just a lot of stuff. And.
Peter Rosenberger talks with Ashley about caring for her husband during hospital stays
And when Ken leans down over the guardrail of my. I sleep in a hospital bed. When he leans down over the guardrail, my hospital bed, I've got so much wiring and tubing on my face. he has to find me, to kiss me good, tight, find my cheek at least. And he'll say, you got this. Oh, you got it. And I'll nod yes. And usually, like I think I wrote in the book, I will say, please pray that I make it. My faith doesn't fail, that. That, I won't have to wake him up. Because I hate waking my husband up. I mean, he does so much on my behalf. And even with the caregiving help that we do have, he still has a lot on his plate. And so I want to lighten that load as best I can. So often I'll just, you know, try to get myself back to sleep despite the pain, rather than call him.
>> Peter Rosenberger: And how do you call him, by the way? Because you don't have much oxygen and you got all kinds of stuff.
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: Monitor. We have a monitor between her and there have been nights when there might be somebody here helping and giving Ken a break. And the monitor to her room. she has turned the volume down too low and I have screamed, ashley. Ah, Ashley. And I could barely get it out. But, yeah, so before every. If there's anybody who's taking my husband's place at night and providing, me overnight care, I always say check the volume on your monitor because I can't call. I can't call very loud. Anyway.
>> Peter Rosenberger: I've fallen asleep before in the. Just stretched out in the guest room a time or two and woken up to Gracie screaming for me.
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: And I don't know.
>> Peter Rosenberger: Oh, it's a, But she's got, she's got some piercing lungs and a voice and, it's a bit jarring. you know, and that's, that's not uncommon for us. But, it is what it is. We are talking with Johnny Erickson. Tada. And you can see the entire video interview I had with her at my subset caregiver.substack.com this is Peter Rosenberger. This is Hope for the Caregiver. We'll be right back.
Peter Rosenberg Berger: Religion informs politics. Politics touches every aspect of our lives
Three hundred years ago, churches were on the decline in the Western world. But God was about to do something to alter the course of history. At the center of it was a man sold out for Jesus. I'm David Wolin inviting you to join me and special guest Dr. Thomas Kidd in a Haven Today series called Born Again, the Message of the Great Awakening.
>> : Haven Today, Weekday mornings at 4:30 Central on American Family Radio. Listen online at afr.net if we do
>> Peter Rosenberger: all of those other things but the gospel is not being proclaimed, we will continue to see the erosion of our nation from the inside. Religion informs politics. Politics touches every aspect of our lives. And as the scripture discusses that the Lord has made his people to be living epistles. What story are we a part of?
>> : Join Abraham Hamilton III on the Hamilton Corner, weekdays at 5pm Central on American Family Radio.
>> Peter Rosenberger: while in the emergency room with my wife as she was struggling with the Cove 19 virus herself, and I looked at her, I said, are you scared? And she said, a little bit. But I've been through worse.
>> : The certainty of mankind's history with uncertainty. An article by Peter Rosenberger.
>> Peter Rosenberger: And then as her fever was approaching almost 103, she started singing, in Christ alone I placed my trust and find my glory in the power of the cross. And that's how she has anchored herself in the certainty of Christ through her huge medical journey that has included 80 surgeries, both of her legs amputated, 100 doctors have treated, 12 hospitals, and now the COVID 19 virus. And so when we live with those concepts, uncertainties anchoring ourselves in Christ, in Christ alone, that's the only place we can run to where there is certainty.
>> : To read this article and more, visit afa.net thestand.
>> Peter Rosenberger: Welcome back to Hope for the Caregiver. This is Peter Rosenberg Berger. This is the program for you as a family caregiver. Hope for the caregiver.com had a wonderful opportunity to sit down with Johnny Eareckson tada. We're continuing on with that interview that I had with her. You can see the entire video interview at my substack caregiver.substack.com let's get back to my conversation with Johnny.
What does Christian hope look like to you, Joni Eareckson
This book that you've done in these devotions for hard days, because these are hard days. And one of the things that I've always cherished about you and your writing and what you do is that you don't write about suffering. You write in suffering. You are deep inside it. And you write about these things and it speaks with such clarity as you encounter other people. There are a lot of people that spend their time trying to get to get through this, and then we can get on with our lives. We got to get through this and we can do this. What does Christian hope look like to you, Joni Eareckson tada when the goal is not to get back to normal?
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: Well, Christian hope for me is what I believe the Bible says about it. It is that time when every single promise God has ever made will have its finality. The lame shall leap like deer. The tongues of those who cannot speak will shout for joy. Christian hope is that time where there'll be no more disease, no more Alzheimer's, no more spinal cord injury or muscular dystrophy or multiple sclerosis or none of that cancer, brain tumors, all of it will be behind us. And Peter, that's what keeps me going. I'm so excited about that day that is, I think, very close on our horizon that I just, yeah, I can put up with this. My affliction what do you know is light and momentary compared to the glory that waits beyond? And so I spend a lot of time looking at that glory and what, what it is and that weight of glory. I try and study up on it, memorize scriptures about it, think about it, because it helps me view my present day disability as light and momentary. If I don't know anything about biblical hope and what's lying ahead for us on the other side of eternity, then my affliction is not going to appear very light and momentary. So I think about heaven a lot. Not as an escape from my reality, but as a way of feeding it, feeds it, nourishes my biblical hope. And I tried to write about that in this book because I want people to, to be excited about what God has purchased for us through the blood of his own son.
>> Peter Rosenberger: You did write about it. You really covered this. Well, you know, you and I both, understand the meaning of a confessing church, of a creed, of a confessing. And when we are confess, confessing things, sometimes people think we're confessing and admitting to a crime. And that's the term they use for confessing. But in biblical confession, we're agreeing with what God has said, right? And when you are thinking on the things of heaven, you're agreeing with what he has already promised you. You're taking him at his word. Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus just to take him at his word. Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him as righteousness. And those are things that lift our eyes beyond urine bags. Absolutely caregiving things and disabilities and hard to breathe moments because we're taking Him m at his word, that there is more to this. It's difficult to do that. It is not an easy thing to do. And there is a point where you realize, okay, we're not going to get back to normal. But the promise is still there. And I was telling this to my mother. My mother's coming out here next week. She's almost 90 years old. She's pretty sporty. to mom, how are you doing? She said, well, I can't see too good, I can't hear too good, I can't walk too good, but I'm doing pretty good and she's pretty sporty. You say happy birthday to her one time for me.
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: Oh my goodness.
>> Peter Rosenberger: But she can't see very well. It occurred to me, and as I've shared this with her, the next face that she sees, will be Jesus. The next time you stand will be in the very presence of Jesus. the Next time Gracie feels grass under her feet will be in the presence of Jesus.
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: Yeah.
>> Peter Rosenberger: These are powerful things, aren't they?
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: They really are. And they are also for caregivers, not just for that loved one who has a disability.
1 Corinthians 15:58 is a great verse for caregivers
I think a great verse for caregivers since we've been talking about biblical hope. 1 Corinthians 15:58. My beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord. It might be caregiving, knowing, and this is the good part, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord. You know, when you do things for the Lord Jesus. I'm, emptying my wife's leg bag here and getting my hands full of urine. But I'm. I'm doing this because I love you, and you've given me a love for her, and I know my toil is not in vain. You're marking this down. You're making note of this. You will recompense me for this when I get to heaven. I don't mean to think of it as a transactional, canonical exchange. No, I'm just speaking that people need to know that when caregiving gets messy and painful, that God notices and it's going to be recognized that toil is going to be recognized in heaven. So be immovable, steadfast.
>> Peter Rosenberger: You know that hymn, Breathe on Me, Breath of God. And I would imagine that's pretty close to your heart, you know, but. But I love that line in there that I would love without us love and do what thou does do. And, I think about that a lot, and particularly when you're struggling to breathe. Breathe on me Breath of God. My mother had a lot of breathing issues when she's in the hospital, and Gracie sang to her in the icu, and you could hear her singing all the way down the hall. Breathe on me Breath. And nurses would lean forward. It causes the world to marvel when they see Christians worshiping in suffering. You've seen this your entire life before I let you get out here, talk about that. A little bit of the marvel that people see when they see rejoicing in the midst of this.
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: Well, it's so uncommon, it's so otherworldly. the world would say, you've got a right to complain. You've got a right to be angry. You've got a right to feel put upon. You know, that's what the world is telling so many caregivers, you know, their neighbors and saying, you know, but when you're a Christian and giving care, it's not natural. It's. You are supernatural. You live a supernatural life. And so you, you do things with his energy and the world looks on you and thinks, oh, my goodness, how great that lady's God must be to inspire such loyalty as she cares for her husband. That's what you want your neighbor to think. You want your neighbor to look at you and be amazed.
>> Peter Rosenberger: Scratch their heads a little bit.
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: Yeah. Like, what is this all about? I've got to know this lady's God. Her faith is extraordinary. I, never seen faith like that. I want to find out more about it. That's the way you want to whet people's appetite for heaven, for the gospel, just by being who you are to your next door neighbors who obviously know your situation. They probably know your husband, you know, had a stroke and it's not easy. They see the walker and they see the effort it takes to get in and out of the car. And a lot of people are watching through those windows.
>> Peter Rosenberger: They do watch. And, sadly, they've seen sometimes be at my worst as I do it. But I've had people come up over the years and Gracie's had them. And I'm sure you and I know you and Ken have where they say, oh, you're going to get crowns in heaven. And they say things like that, or you're going to get a mansion in heaven. When everybody says that, I'm like, well, who's going to clean it? That's the first thing my mind goes to. Who's going to clean this thing? But those things don't mean much to me. And I was studying in the Gospel of Mark, and you saw the story of the men who carried their friend who was paralyzed up, to Jesus, tore up the roof and got him down to Jesus. But as you unpack that, you realize they had to go get this guy. They heard about Jesus, they had to go get their friend, they had to schlep him across the. My last name is Rosenberger. I can say schlep. And they had to take him across town or wherever Jesus, how far away it was. They get there, they couldn't get there, so they had to haul him up the stairs. I have literally not only carried Gracie, I felt pick up your wheelchair and put it up on a platform. These are not small tasks. And then they had to dig a hole. Now I'm trying to imagine putting you through a hole in the roof. I mean, it's not a small hole. Not that you're a big person, but you've got A lot of gear going on. You got things. This is not a small thing that happened. And there's no record of him saying a word to these guys. He talked to the man. But I'm looking at those guys on the roof looking down the hole, and Jesus saw their faith. That's, all. That's all that says in scripture about that. And I thought, there are a lot of times I've gone up to a soldier and thank them for their service. But when their commanding officer, who has a chest full of medals, nods at them, that means more than any thank you for your service that I could ever give, because they have someone who truly knows what it cost them to do this. And you have a savior who.
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: It's not a matter of crowns, is it? It's not a matter of crowns.
>> Peter Rosenberger: It's just one nod.
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: It's a matter of Jesus. can imagine when the Lord looked up at those four folks, friends peering down through the hole, just to see his face, and what that must have communicated.
>> Peter Rosenberger: Just one nod from a savior who understands, who sees every night that you have struggled for breath, every urine bag, every hospital stay, every lonely time when you feel afraid or claustrophobic, and all those things he sees all that.
Are there truths about God that you now believe more deeply because he removed the wheelchair
And so my last question to you. Are there truths about God that you now believe more deeply because he did not remove the wheelchair?
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: I think of his mercy. You won't. I don't think anybody listening is, I can't believe they would understand this, but I. I feel so unworthy. I think my wheelchair has saved me. I don't know what I'd be doing if I were on my feet, but I know that I would not be as in love with Jesus, excited about him, singing to him. I wouldn't be having a ministry to, you know, people with disabilities and developing nations. I just know I wouldn't. I know me. I know that's not in me. And so I. I'm just grateful for his mercy because that wheelchair, 60 years ago, it rescued me from myself and my base and lower appetites. My. My. I don't know, just my wants and wishes, which were very earthy and. And not fixed on heaven. So I. I do thank God for the wheelchair. It's his mercy that rescued me. And I thank him every night. I really do. I said, oh, Jesus, you were so wise allowing that diving accident. Because now I just. I get it. I see. I can look back. I understand. That's, It's so wonderful. And his mercy just keeps. The more I look at the Cross. Peter, what, as you said earlier, what Christ sacrificed for me, the more the layers of Christ's heart just keep getting peeled away. And you look down deeper in that inner sanctum of sharing in his fellowship, of sufferings, of being united with him, what does it mean to be union with Christ? And he's just showing me so much more of his mercy. So, yeah, that would be it.
Peter Rosenberger: Are you tired, Joni Eareckson
>> Peter Rosenberger: Are you tired?
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: Yes, I am.
>> Peter Rosenberger: I had this conversation with Gracie the other day. It's a strange fraternity and sorority that Ken and I and you and Gracie are in, and others, but it's okay to sit down and say, you know, I'm tired for a moment and just say, I'm tired. Are you weary and heavy laden? And what does Scripture say about that?
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: Yeah. Come unto me, and I will give you rest. I love that verse. That's a great verse.
>> Peter Rosenberger: But, I wanted to ask you that because I know that when I looked at Gracie the other day and we. We had that conversation, she just. She's tired. Listen, Joni, I thank you so much for the time today, and, I know this is costly to you, so thank you so much for. For spending this, time, and I look forward to talking with you more. And I'll see you on the trail.
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: See you on the trail on FaceTime.
>> Peter Rosenberger: We'll see.
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: Bye bye. Bye.
>> Peter Rosenberger: Bye. You've been listening to my interview with Joni Eareckson. Tada. She's extraordinary, isn't she? An exceptional human being, and I am just grateful to know her. You can watch the entire video of my conversation with her at my substack caregiver, substack.uh.com. this is Peter Rosenberger. We'll be right back.
Standing With Hope helps provide prosthetic limbs to amputees in Africa
I'll never forget walking into the hospital room after Gracie had her second amputation. Both legs are gone now. And she looked at me. She said, I know what I'm going to do. And I was kind of startled. What are you going to do? She said, I'm going to help provide prosthetic limbs to my fellow amputees and tell them about Jesus. And I said, well, baby, can we get out of the hospital first? She never let it go. And for almost 20 years, we've been working out of Ghana, West Africa. We treat patients all over there from other countries that come there. We send supplies, we send teams, we sponsor patients. We work with a prison where inmates volunteer to disassemble used prosthetic limbs. M. So we can recycle the parts. All of this because Gracie trusted God with her heartache. We've got a huge shipment of supplies that is being loaded up right now to go out soon. Would you help us do it? Standingwithhope.com giving standingwithhope.com giving there's prosthetic feet, knees, pylons, sleeves, adapters, all kinds of connectors. All of these things we are sending over there so that people can walk. We're going to point them to Christ. Help us out.
>> : The enemy wants to destroy anything of God's, especially mankind who is made in God's image.
>> Peter Rosenberger: What would it be like if every person knew that they were created in
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: the image of God?
>> Peter Rosenberger: We're talking about people, people loved by the Father, people for whom Jesus died.
>> : We have to stand on God's truth.
>> Bert Harper: We hear in culture all the time.
>> Peter Rosenberger: We need to find ourselves.
>> Bert Harper: We need to go find our identity.
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: We are already defined.
>> Peter Rosenberger: We are known before the foundations of the world.
>> : In his image is a life changing film that has helped people break free from the grip of evil. It will take you through scripture to show the truth and its powerful testimonies will destroy Satan's attempts to pervert God's perfect design.
>> Peter Rosenberger: We now know with the genome of all of the DNA that there is no propensity to towards a genetic disposition to homosexual behavior.
>> : Watch it for the first time or again with someone who needs to see it anytime on AFA stream stream m.aca.net.
Peter Rosenberger talks about being a full time caregiver in Montana
>> Peter Rosenberger: Welcome back to Hope for the Caregiver. This is Peter Rosenberger. Glad to be with you. Hope for the the caregiver.com hope for the caregiver did you enjoy that conversation I had with Johnny? she, she's an exceptional human being. We had to stop that at the halfway mark because she had some challenges and and you know, and it was just one of those things that I'm just very grateful to know her and, and I see this remarkable courage. So if you want to watch and, and experience the entire video interview, you can go out to my substack caregiver.substack.com and I'll have the full interview on the podcast. It'll be just audio, but that'll be available tomorrow. should be on my podcast if I can get my crack staff. That would be me. So if I could get to it, I will do my best. I've got a lot of chores I'm getting ready to start doing here around the place. I got to go get some firewood. I know that it's hard to be thinking about that because everybody's been sweltering in the south but we start thinking about firewood in August out here in Montana. So I've got lots of things I got to do in podcast and radio shows and everything else, plus being a full time caregiver. But I'm going to try to be diligent. And I, did get in some good horseback riding this week. I did do that. We, we moved some cattle up to different part of the property and way up high. We're going to leave them there for probably, maybe, maybe six, seven, eight weeks up there. And they'll be very, very happy because there's lots of good green grass. So. But I enjoy getting out on the, on the horse and that's kind of my time to disconnect. And so anyway, that's neither here nor there, but I just enjoy that. That's, that's what I do for me. I don't know what you do for you, but I hope you find something you don't have to get out on a horse in Montana. That's just what I enjoy doing.
Amanda wrote a very kind note about what this program means to her
So anyway, I wanted to also just give a big shout out to Amanda. Thank you for writing this week and for the very, very kind note that you sent about what this program means to you. So thank you for that and I really do appreciate it very much. I never know quite, you know, who's listening. You know, that's, that's the nature of this particular medium of communication is that you, you put it out there. And when I'm doing this, if I have the blinds drawn, I can look outside. If I don't have the blinds drawn, I could see the corral where the horses are, or if I have the blinds drawn, then I will sit there and just basically look at a wall. And I never know, and I never know, who it's reaching or what the impact is of this program. And when I hear back from you, it is deeply meaningful. So thank you so much for that.
Standing with Hope helps rebuild prosthetics for the wounded and their caregivers
This week, Gracie and I celebrated our 40th anniversary. Forty years. And I, told Gracie, I said, I think we're going to go the distance. 40 years. It's hard to believe that we were just children when we got married. But we've also had another milestone this year and it'll be 15 years that we've been working with an outfit out of, Nashville, Corecivic, and they manage correctional facilities all over the country. And we partner with them as one of their faith based organizations to help disassemble and recycle the components from used prosthetic legs. They come in from all over the country. They go to one of their facilities. This one happens to be out west. And we just picked up all of that. We're assembling it right now to send over to West Africa, to Ghana, at the clinic. And we are. we just had a young man we just featured in our E letter this week named Kojo. And, he just got a Lake. He's 28 years old. He's an electrician. And he was on the street, walking down the street and a car hit him. He was not even in a car. He just got hit by a car. And it cost him his leg. And we put a leg on him, through Standing with Hope. And this is the ministry that Gracie envisioned after giving up both of her legs. And we've been doing this now for over 20 years. This shipment is going. It's got all kinds of prosthetic feet, pylons, knees, adapters, tube clamps, all that kind of stuff. Plus what they really needed was a lot of liners and sleeves. And a liner is, what you put is kind of like a gel liner, goes over a below knee amputee, and you put it over the amputated limb and it fits into the socket. And then there's a sleeve that holds it on as kind of what they call a suspension sleeve. And these are, these are in hot demand. And we can get them, and we work hard to get them. when people donate stuff like that, and sometimes I work with manufacturers to get bunches of them donated to us. we, we scour everything, and now we're shipping it over, but it's kind of expensive to do it. You want to help us? I would welcome the help. I mean, I'm not talking a couple hundred dollars. This thing is. These are thousands of dollars to ship these things because it's a big pallet and so forth. And so I'm not asking one person write that check. I'm just saying if you want to help, that's an immediate need. You can go out to standing with hope.com, steady with hope.com, which is the presenting sponsor of this program. And we have the two program outreaches. We put legs on people and we help family caregivers. That's it for the wounded and those who care for them. And it's Gracie and me. I mean, we, we envision this. We don't have this massive organization. We don't have this massive overhead. We do it very simply. And we've been working in West Africa now for over 20 years. And we've had just. It's been an incredibly meaningful time. You know, I was actually talking about this with a friend, and they were asking about Gracie and how she's doing, and, you know, they know how difficult her life is, and they were asking about, you know, her happiness. And I said, let me tell you about the happiness that Gracie lives in and, certainly with her grandchildren and being out here. She loves being out here and so forth. But the thing that brings her so much joy is the work that we do in Africa. And when she gets to go, she told me she's going back over there, and I'm like, I've already got an ice pack on my head thinking about it. But she said she's going. And so here we go. But in the meantime, the work continues. But she loves being able to do this. She loves being able to reach to her fellow amputees and do this. So. And so if you want to be a part of this, I would welcome the help of helping ship this very, large pallet of materials over there. They're waiting on it, and we could use the help with that. @standingwithhope.com giving you can sponsor the prosthetic Limb M Outreach, or you could sponsor this show, the Caregiver Outreach, Whatever's on your heart to do. But it would. I would. I would welcome the help.
Sam: We've been talking about theology and questions we ask as caregivers
Steadywithhope.com giving all right, let's get to our song, our, hymn that every caregiver ought to know. This is a little different. Okay. This is a course, but we've been talking about theology over the last couple of programs and the questions we ask as caregivers. Where is God? And so forth. You heard Joni's interview of her coming to grips with these things and what is meant to trust in Jesus with this. And I thought I would go to a chorus that I personally like a lot. Lanny Wolf wrote this, back in the. I think probably in the 70s, maybe the 80s. And. And I've always liked this. It's a very, very simple course, because when you ask, where is God? Where is God? Where is God? When. When Johnny dove off that dock, when Gracie slammed in that thing, you know, I would. Kojo lost his leg. He was just walking by the side of the road, and somebody hits him. And this is an issue that so many of us face. So let me go over to the caregiver keyboard here. So when you ask yourself, you know, where is God? And this is. This song means a lot to me. I just. I like to sing this Song Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place I can feel his mighty
>> Bert Harper: power
>> Peter Rosenberger: and his grace. I can hear the brush of angels wings I see glory on each face shooting Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place.
>> Joni Eareckson Tada: Sam.
>> Peter Rosenberger: It's just, simple chorus. I mean, I think it's a whole song. I just don't. I just do the course normally and they're just really simple chords in there. I could probably dress them up a little bit. I didn't do that. I didn't put any exotic chords in there. I thought, well, maybe we can just kind of tone it down a little bit. But it's a great tune. And walk around. Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place. Now that doesn't have to mean we have to be at a worship service, a formal congregation filled worship service. My question to you is, can you sing that in a hospital room? And I say to you, yes, you can. You know how I know that? Because we've done it. And I've seen Gracie just laying in a hospital bed, lift her hands up, IVs in her arm and everything else, singing. Surely the presence of, of the Lord is in this place. And she got nurses coming there. I've actually watched nurses try to do things to her while she's laying in the bed. And she's got her hands raised and they're trying to navigate with all of her tubes and, and wires and everything else. And they're working around her scene. And I've seen it happen. And, and you can, you can do this. You can do this in the middle of the night. You can do it in the worst of circumstances. You can. It's not easy. But you're not doing it on your own strength either. You're doing this. Remember when we talked about when I said with Johnny, a confessing church is one that confesses something. We are agreeing with God. We're agreeing with his word when we confess these things. And this is a confessing song. Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place. And I just love that text there, you know, and we recognize that where wherever two or three gathers, he's there, you know that he's not going to leave us, that his spirit is here and we can rest in that. So that's my hymn that every caregiver ought to know. It's not really a hymn, but I think you get the drift and I hope you like that one. everybody, I got so many letters last week about he will hold me fast. I'll have to do more stuff like that, too, so I will. So, anyway, listen.
Thank you for listening to Standing With Hope. Go to standingwithhope. com
That's our time for today. We're out of time. Thank you for taking the time today. To listen. Go to standingwithhope.com and you can get involved in what we're doing. And we'll see you next time.
(00:00) Peter Rosenberger welcomes Johnny Eareckson tada to the program
(02:54) You marked it the 59th anniversary of your diving accident recently
(06:45) Peter Rosenberger is caring for a loved one with a severe disability
(10:00) A generous monthly gift will help sustain American Family Radio
(12:40) Peter Rosenberger says caregiving is the next national crisis
(19:13) You sing while you suffer? Yeah, well, I. I sing to the people who are helping me out
(20:02) Do you ever feel that yesterday's grace doesn't always feel sufficient for today
(23:05) Peter Rosenberger talks with Ashley about caring for her husband during hospital stays
(25:32) Peter Rosenberg Berger: Religion informs politics. Politics touches every aspect of our lives
(28:00) What does Christian hope look like to you, Joni Eareckson
(32:00) 1 Corinthians 15:58 is a great verse for caregivers
(37:19) Are there truths about God that you now believe more deeply because he removed the wheelchair
(39:15) Peter Rosenberger: Are you tired, Joni Eareckson
(40:31) Standing With Hope helps provide prosthetic limbs to amputees in Africa
(42:39) Peter Rosenberger talks about being a full time caregiver in Montana
(44:37) Amanda wrote a very kind note about what this program means to her
(45:27) Standing with Hope helps rebuild prosthetics for the wounded and their caregivers
(49:35) Sam: We've been talking about theology and questions we ask as caregivers
(54:23) Thank you for listening to Standing With Hope. Go to standingwithhope. com
(00:00) Peter Rosenberger welcomes Johnny Eareckson tada to the program
(02:54) You marked it the 59th anniversary of your diving accident recently
(06:45) Peter Rosenberger is caring for a loved one with a severe disability
(10:00) A generous monthly gift will help sustain American Family Radio
(12:40) Peter Rosenberger says caregiving is the next national crisis
(19:13) You sing while you suffer? Yeah, well, I. I sing to the people who are helping me out
(20:02) Do you ever feel that yesterday's grace doesn't always feel sufficient for today
(23:05) Peter Rosenberger talks with Ashley about caring for her husband during hospital stays
(25:32) Peter Rosenberg Berger: Religion informs politics. Politics touches every aspect of our lives
(28:00) What does Christian hope look like to you, Joni Eareckson
(32:00) 1 Corinthians 15:58 is a great verse for caregivers
(37:19) Are there truths about God that you now believe more deeply because he removed the wheelchair
(39:15) Peter Rosenberger: Are you tired, Joni Eareckson
(40:31) Standing With Hope helps provide prosthetic limbs to amputees in Africa
(42:39) Peter Rosenberger talks about being a full time caregiver in Montana
(44:37) Amanda wrote a very kind note about what this program means to her
(45:27) Standing with Hope helps rebuild prosthetics for the wounded and their caregivers
(49:35) Sam: We've been talking about theology and questions we ask as caregivers
(54:23) Thank you for listening to Standing With Hope. Go to standingwithhope. com
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