Sunday, April 3, 2011

NEW BOOK FOR ALL WHO LOVE AND MINISTER TO SENIORS!

REVIEW BY OUR LONGTIME FRIEND AND FREQUENT GUEST BLOGGER

Such a simple truth; such a profound thing I was learning: Jesus in me will do it all. He will take the insults and the pain. I need only to turn to Him immediately, and release it to Him. How often He would prove this to me from then on. Jesus will field it; He will run interference between the dark place of my thoughts and me. This is all new to me. One step at a time, Lord, one step at a time.” – Kathleen Beard, Into The Mist: Journey Into Dementia, Pg. 22
Notably, this book review has a bias. Kathleen Beard has become a good friend. There’s a strong sense of God’s presence when one is around her, and recently she’s become quite an influence in my life. When I agreed to review the book I hoped the writing would sustain itself because I don’t give bad reviews to friends. It is well written. Into The Mist: Journey Into Dementia brought me to the brink of tears.
I didn’t know what to expect as I sat down to read a book that I couldn’t relate to on a personal level (none of my family members ever had Dementia or Alzheimer’s). Instead, I discovered a book that becomes a love story between Kathy and Jesus. It’s a story about struggling to hold onto faith in the storm of intense trial. She writes transparently of her struggles with her husband, John. She takes pieces of her personal journal written during the time of John’s onset with Dementia and fills in the blanks. Kathleen weaves world events into some chapters to help create a sense of time and place. Her love of Israel becomes apparent, and the deeper you get into the book the more you see how God has been working a plan in her life all along.
Throughout history, many great servants of God ended up feeling they failed in their calling; they are despondent, because they haven’t experienced the promise God made to them. All they can see is failure. And now they’re crushed, wounded in spirit. They think, Lord, has all this been in vain? Did I hear the wrong voice? Have I been deceived? Has my mission ended up in ruins? Capturing what my own heart was crying, Wilkerson goes on to encourage the saints who find themselves in this precipice of faltering faith, reminding us that it is the devil lying to us, telling us that all we’ve done is in vain, that we’ll never see the fulfillment of expectations.” (Pg. 40)
God kept sending encouragement to Kathy in the form of Bible verses, during prayer and other truly amazing events that will help bring God out of the box that we put Him in into a reality that we can embrace. Her faith grows through each challenge as she slowly learns to trust Jesus even when she doesn’t understand all the whys. Scripture liberally laces each chapter. Each chapter becomes a Bible Study all it’s own with references from Oswald Chambers, David Wilkerson, and Mike Wells. She refers to Dementia as a second person indwelling a person.
Jesus, you have brought down this house of cards. It is all lying here in a rubble. You have begun a good work here, a work the enemy would dearly love to destroy before it ever gets off the ground. You allowed me to see how much I still need you to do it all. There is yet more to tear down of all these things. Please finish what You have begun for Your names sake. Amen.” (Journal Entry 10/05; pg. 27)
In walking in her footsteps, I couldn’t help but wonder how I would feel should I ever have to experience this and I can’t imagine it. I can’t even think about it. In reading of her experiences, it brings to mind how awful and wonderful it is to pray to die to self. To the poignant end, she lifts us up and through her actions shows God’s glory. I put the book aside and thought about how amazing this woman is and how lucky our church is to have her in its congregation to disciple and minister to others.
*An open house book signing is on April 9 from 12 pm to 2 pm in the Revive Coffee Bar (First Baptist Church of Prescott, AZ , Cortez Street entrance). Kathy encourages you to pre-order beforehand and bring the book to the book signing. You can also order a book at that time. Limited books will be on hand to buy right away. If you are from FBC Prescott, please bring a dessert or appetizer to share. If you are not, you don’t need to bring anything. Her website is http://intothemistbook.com/. Here you can get involved in discussions and read her blogs. She encourages any struggling with these issues to feel free to get invo
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5 comments:

Ed Evans said...

Bernie, this is such a gift. My mother lived with Alzheimers the last five years of her life, a difficult time for all. I learned to live with her believing I was her brother who was killed in WWII, buried in Belgium. I offer a prayer of blessing for this lady who so openly shares regarding a subject many find so difficult to both deal with and talk about. Thank you for this.

The Bernie Lutchman Blog said...

Bless you my brother! You and I are around a lot of seniors so we are quite familiar with this. It's wonderful to minister to them almost weekly because you know their spirit is picking up on the message, even if their body language does not so indicate!

kathleen Beard said...

Thank you Nikki and Bernie for offering my book as a post. This book is a love offering to God--thanking Him for the privilege of caretaking for my husband who had dementia--it is a love offering to those caretakers who are at the end of themselves and have no where to go but to Jesus. It is a love offering to those who have dementia and live in a world none of us can enter. Kathy Beard www.intothemistbook.com

The Bernie Lutchman Blog said...

It is my honor and pleasure, Kathleen!! You have a heart of pure gold!! You can see how my brother PHOTO8069 reacted to your book in the comment above!

Thank you for doing this and for bringing Jesus directly to our seniors. You were wonderful caring for your husband as well!!
Bernie

kathleen beard said...

For Photo8069, this is one reason I wrote the book, for all of those who face these daunting circumstances and wonder how in the world they are going to survive it. My husband always knew exactly who I was but was mad at me, and I think he died mad at me. You just continue to love them anyway, but it doesn't hurt any less. Thanks for sharing. You can share your experiences on my blog www.intothemistbook.com/blog unde dementia news. I am hoping people will find a place there to share their experiences and how God ministered to them in it.