Take My Hand Again

MORE Hope of Glory!

March 24, 2022 by Nancy 22 Comments

I’m excited to announce to my blog subscribers first that Volume Two of The Hope of Glory, A Devotional Guide for Older Adults, is set to release on March 29 from Ironstream Media. Most books have a back story, and this book’s story goes back a long way.

When I was finishing up The Hope of Glory, Volume One, in 2013 for a 2014 release date, I was dismayed to discover that I had two lessons in the book on the theme of grace. You may know that each of the 57 lessons in the book (one a week plus five for special holidays) was written to be used in a class of residents at an assisted living facility. Since I wrote a new lesson prior to my class each week, it wasn’t until I was compiling the final manuscript that I discovered the duplication. Not only did I need to come up with one more lesson, I didn’t know what I would do with the extra “grace!”

“That’s OK,” I heard the Lord reassure me. “You can use it in Volume Two.”

“Volume Two!” I exclaimed. “Give me a break. I don’t even have this volume off to the publisher and You’re telling me I’m going to be writing Volume Two?” Yep. That was the message.

Since I was in the habit of writing one lesson a week I just kept going and soon had fifteen lessons written for the second book. (Plus the new one I had to write for Volume One of course!) But then I felt led in a different direction.

During the time my mom and my mom-in-law spent in assisted living we learned a great deal about what to do and what not to do to help them navigate this new and sometimes scary season of life. After they passed away, I was left with knowledge I no longer needed. Yet I kept running in to friends who were currently facing how to care for aging parents, and I knew there were many more Baby Boomers sailing in to these uncharted waters daily. I collected research, interviewed caregivers, recorded our memories, and the result was the book Take My Hand Again, A Faith-based Guide for Helping Aging Parents, published by Kregel Publications in 2015.

After all the new book excitement died down (Oprah never did call), I knew I needed to get back to writing weekly lessons for The Hope of Glory but a bit of laziness set in. On weeks that I had the time and felt the inspiration, I would write a new lesson. Other weeks it was just easier to pick up my well-worn copy of The Hope of Glory and use one of those lessons. Besides, I was volunteering at a different facility then so they were all new to those folks!

Fast forward to the pandemic lock-down of 2020—two years ago this month. Out of excuses and still feeling the nudging of the Holy Spirit to finish what was started so long ago, I set up a dedicated writing schedule and completed the manuscript. But then I had to run the publishing gauntlet once again. The wonderful agent I had for Take My Hand Again had retired, and the publisher of The Hope of Glory, Volume One, was purchased by another publisher. Believing in the Divine Agent I still had, into the fray I went and finally received a contract from the new publisher, Ironstream Media, in March of 2021.

Many famous authors write two books a year, following successful formulas their readers have come to expect. I admire them, but I’m not them. Rather I’m grateful for, and content with, the assignments I’ve been given by God, and for the ability to bring them to completion in His way and in His time.

If you’d like to celebrate the launch of this latest joint venture with me, I’d love to have you on my Book Launch Team! All you have to do is agree to spread the word about The Hope of Glory to those who need it most: to anyone who is a senior, works with seniors, or cares for them. This could include at a care facility near you, at your church, on social media, in your small group Bible study, to a neighbor over the back fence, your hairdresser, etc. I’ll send out easy-to-share posts and quotes to the team. Just say, “I’m in!” in the comments section below. (Whether you’re willing to share a little or a lot!)

Let me know how you shared about the book during the month of April and I will enter your name in a drawing for a free book and a $50 gift card to COSAS Phoenix, my stepdaughter Julie’s wonderful collection of colorful imports supporting Mexican vendors. My cat, Annie, will draw the winning name on May 2!

Thank you for reading and for being the wind in my sails! I so appreciate those of you who encouraged me to complete the assignment God gave me. To God be the glory.

Who Comes to Book Signings?

January 28, 2019 by Nancy 18 Comments

Unless you are John Grisham or on trial for murdering your spouse with a dull spoon, the answer to the title question is “not many people at all.” Only a few times in my twenty plus years as an author have I had actual lines forming to obtain my signature, and then only when I’ve had a chance to speak first. But regardless, I packed up my low expectations and gratefully accepted an invitation to have a signing at the Barnes & Noble in Pueblo, CO, recently.

Was it a wasted afternoon? Not at all. How encouraging it was to walk in and see two of my titles, Take My Hand Again and The Hope of Glory, all piled up and waiting on a cloth-covered table by the door. Friendly employees offered a comfortable chair and any assistance I needed. Then I sat expectantly.

I did think most visitors to my table would be human, but was delighted when the first one to show any interest at all was a young golden doodle. She didn’t want to read the books, but didn’t chew on any either, so that was good. I loved seeing her pink bows.

At one point in the afternoon I thought I should check to see if someone had posted a sign on the front of the table reading, “Leave your best advice here.” First a gentleman stopped to peruse my books, then looked at me and asked, “Are you a Christian lady?” “Yes, I am,” I replied. “Well, do you know what EGO stands for?” he asked. “Edging God Out. We all have the power of the Holy Spirit in us but we don’t always tap into it because of our egos.” I agreed with him and he wandered off.

Next I was approached by a woman who also took the time to look at both books before offering, “Life’s a journey. We shouldn’t focus too much on the past or we’ll miss the present and the future.” Good advice, that.

The two visitors I enjoyed the most, however, were two older ladies who wandered by looking for a place to sit while their families shopped. I was happy to stand for a while, and they were happy to sit and visit.

The first woman, Faith, had owned an independent bookstore in Pueblo for years before retiring in her eighties. She cheerfully predicted a swing back to a preference for hard cover books, and her parting advice was that whatever our political persuasions, we should all write Congress hand-written letters—“the only ones that make a difference!”

And then there was the guest that made the whole afternoon worthwhile. Sadie accepted my offer of the chair as soon as she entered the store with her husband, daughter and son-in-law. “I don’t know why,” she said, “but when you turn 90 things just start going to pot. My feet hurt and I can’t shop like I used to.” Over the 30 minutes or so she kept me company, we shared details of our lives. She told me she was born in the US but raised in Mexico, returning to Pueblo in the Seventies. She and her husband of 72 years have 10 children, 30 grandchildren, and wait for it, 94 great and great-great grandchildren! I sheepishly told her that my first great grandchild was due any day.

Sharing that she couldn’t read my books due to macular degeneration, Sadie said, “I accept whatever the good Lord sends, but sometimes it makes me sad.” It made me sad, too.

While Sadie was sitting in my author chair, a young woman and her family entered the store. “Grandma!” she exclaimed. “What are you doing here?” Sadie rose to give hugs punctuated with kisses on both cheeks to the girl, her husband, and her son. They went off to shop. Sadie sat down, turned to me and said, “I know that’s one of my granddaughters, but I can’t remember her name.” Understandable. When Sadie’s daughter came to reclaim her, she cleared up the confusion. I got a Sadie hug, we said our goodbyes, and they left.

I did sell two books to other shoppers that afternoon, but driving home I realized that the Lord hadn’t sent me there to sell books, just to remember why I wrote books for the elderly and those who care for them in the first place. It was an afternoon well spent…and a success in that not a single person asked me if I knew where the bathroom was.

Stairway to Heaven

July 26, 2018 by Nancy 16 Comments

I’ve climbed the beautiful, spiral staircase at the assisted living community where I volunteer many times without thinking of it as the stairway to heaven. But for some reason, today as I climbed from the first floor with its lovely entryway, library and dining room, to the second floor with the activity room where we have The Hope of Glory Bible study, that’s exactly what came to mind.

Maybe my long-term memory was activated by being in the presence of those older than I who cherish this intact part of their brains, and I was reminded of the prom theme we had my junior year in high school. Two by two couples lined up for the coveted prom photo. Girls in long satin dresses boasting wrist corsages leaned in to boys in brown suits sporting their father’s ties. Behind each couple was the backdrop the prom committee painted on butcher paper of a long spiral staircase. Glittery letters at the top read, “Stairway to Heaven.”

Of course, our idea of heaven in the Sixties was a really hot date and getting to stay out later than usual to go to the after parties, or the less sanctioned parties held on the banks of a Tennessee lake. Gratefully, it’s not this temporal, somewhat carnal, concept of heaven that I show up to talk about to the assisted living residents. Rather it’s the gospel truth that we won’t have to climb the 21 steps I counted today to get to heaven, or even take the optional elevator! It’s the message that there’s only one step needed, belief in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

Most of the residents at this facility, lovely as it is, are there because they need help of some kind—either due to physical impairment or loss of mental acuity. Although they don’t dwell on this fact, the blessed among them realize that their next destination is heaven. Together we explore how this late season of life in which they find themselves is still life, and that God has a purpose for them as long as they have breath. Then they will enjoy eternal life with Him!

It could be because I’ve been to two memorial services within a week that I’m reflecting on heaven now. Both were for women who lived long, full lives, leaving behind memories of stories told, quilts made, meals served, grandchildren cherished, and husbands adored. Hearing about their lives, and their strong Christian faith shared through generations, makes every remaining minute of my life seem more valuable to me somehow—more primed with possibility. They ran their races well, leaving me with a longing to make any time I have left count for something—especially for those things that are small in the eyes of the world, but large in the eyes of heaven.

In my book, Take My Hand Again, I talk about how hard it was to say goodbye to the assisted living residents I came to love through our time in Bible study, and today I was reminded that I’m still vulnerable to that kind of heartache. And I’m not alone. I just finished the engaging book A Dog Walks into a Nursing Home by Sue Halpern, who also grew fond of the residents she took her dog, Pransky, to visit each week. The author recalls standing at a distance at the graveside service of a friend and resident named Fran because she had the lovable labradoodle with her. She stood amazed as she saw all the people who gathered to honor the woman she and Pransky had only come to know and love in her last years. They had no idea how many lives Fran’s had touched, they only knew she had touched theirs.

Love hurts, but it’s always worth it. And there’s this stairway to heaven, where the loss and pain of aging is no more! There we will celebrate together all the love we’ve received, and all the love we’ve given away.

The Hope of Glory, A Devotional Guide for Older Adults, and Take My Hand Again, A Faith-based Guide for Helping Older Parents, are both available on Amazon.com.

Valuable Resources on Aging

November 17, 2015 by Nancy 3 Comments

Enhancing the lives of older adults and those who care for them.

Dear friends, I honestly don’t expect to become rich and famous from these two books, but I know from feedback I’ve gotten from those who have used them that they meet definite needs. Therefore I’m trying to do everything I can to get the word out about their availability. If you know anyone caring for an older adult, or working in eldercare or care giving, please share this blog post with them. Thanks so very much.

THE HOPE OF GLORY is a devotional guide for older adults that brings a message of eternal hope as it reminds seniors who they are in God’s eyes: not old and useless, but men and women created in His image who still have a life to live and a story to tell. The 57 time-tested, interactive devotions (5 are for special holidays) are designed for:
» Seniors 65 and over.
» Group classes in Assisted Living or Skilled Nursing Communities, Senior Centers, and Church Sunday Schools.
» Meaningful one-to-one visits with older adults.

Published by Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas, 2014. 294 pages. Winner of an Illumination Book Award for Excellence in Christian Publishing. Available in print or electronic form from Amazon.com, Barnesandnoble.com.

TAKE MY HAND AGAIN is a faith-based guide for helping aging parents. The change in roles when adult children must begin caring for their aging parents is confusing and daunting. Those who wish they had a good friend or neighbor who traveled this path before them will find this companion guide especially helpful. Take My Hand Again includes an overview of common care options and questions to ask—of professionals, of prospective care facilities, and of the aging adults themselves. Readers will find much-needed hope and encouragement from real-life stories sprinkled with humor and relevant Scripture that give valuable insight into the challenges of the aging process. This book provides practical help for every step of the caregiving journey. Assisted living facilities find it helpful to give a copy to each family that comes to them for help.

Published by Kregel Publications, 2015. 224 pages. Available in bookstores or online at Amazon.com or Barnesandnoble.com.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Nancy Parker Brummett is the author of six books. Her writing and speaking ministries now focus on older adults and those who care for them. Nancy journeyed with her mother and mother-in-law through their adventures in aging and holds a professional certificate in gerontology. The Hope of Glory is a collection of lessons she wrote while volunteering to lead a devotional hour in assisted living. Take My Hand Again is based on her personal experiences, interviews with others in caregiving roles, and relevant research. For more information on Nancy’s life and work, or to schedule her to speak, visit her website at www.nancyparkerbrummett.com or find her on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.