Abiding Hearts Blog

Honor widows who are true widows, 1 Timothy 5:3

11/22/2022

We met Ms.Judy Brownson in 2015 and she quickly became our "Mamma Judy" and "Ju-Ju" to our children. We had the immense joy and privilege of living life with this sweet lady for 6 1/2 years. We laughed together, sang together, and cried together. Every single week we studied God's word together, prayed together and grew in faith together. We had the joy of meeting and helping her manage many of her healthcare needs, taking her to Dr appointments, picking up Rx for her, cooking with and for her, cleaning her home and doing laundry with her, planting flowers for her, making her home environment safer and more handicap friendly. We had the privilege of seeing a true Biblical example of a widow who was faithfully persistent in prayer and who had her hope fixed on God (Like 18 and 1 Timothy 5). Judy was a prayer warrior, a lover of Jesus, and a lover of people. Despite being widowed for nearly 10 years, home-bound, living with many complicated health issues, and being wheelchair bound 95% of the time, Ms. Judy had the biggest heart of gratitude and optimism. She ALWAYS had something to be thankful for and she ALWAYS saw the cup as half full. She reflected the compassionate heart of Jesus and always sought for ways that she could help neighbors and friends, though she herself lived with significant needs. Ms. Judy truly became a mamma to us. She nurtured us, encouraged us, exhorted us, and set a Christ like example for us. She cared for us, prayed for us, held us, called to check on us, sat at the door waiting for us and then sat at that same door with tears streaming down her face when it was time for us to leave after visiting with her. Ms. Judy is one of the greatest blessings in our lives. We had the joy and privilege of sharing 6 1/2 years with her, and then the bitter sweet honor of holding her hand and singing her into the presence of Jesus. Not a day goes by that we don't miss her smile, her laugh, her prayers and her hugs. Our faces can not help but erupt into a huge smile every time she crosses our mind and we ponder what all she may be doing and saying to Jesus at any given moment.

Judith Anne Brownson, July 18, 1942-May 3, 2022 (obituary posted on dignitymemorial.com)

September 2021: great loss, great need and GREAT HOPE

10/12/2022

He who sows generously will also reap generously. Each one should give thoughtfully and with purpose just as he has decided in his heart to give. God loves a cheerful giver. God is able to make all grace come in abundance to you, so that you will always have everything you need, and also have an abundance for good works and acts of charity. He who provides seed for the sower and bread for food will provide and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness shown in acts of goodness, kindness, and love. When we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God.
(scripture paraphrase from the Amplified and NLT versions of 2 Corinthians 9: 6-15)

As we wrap up the 6th year of ministry we face great loss, great need and great Hope. We have journeyed with so many precious friends over the last 6 years and we have lost 4 of them in the last 6 months. Please visit our ministry blog at www.abidingheartshomecare.com to see their beautiful faces and read their amazing stories. The loss, the pain, the grief, the exhaustion are real and heavy. However, we knew that this would be a part of the journey in healthcare ministry and it is SO WORTH IT!!! God has affirmed eternal ramifications beyond measure in so many ways and the love that we have shared in Christ with others is an eternal irrevocable reward and treasure. Therefore, with Christ as our Anchor, Sustainer, Guide and Defender we anticipate with GREAT HOPE all that He will do in the next season of ministry.

At this present time we have a great need. This ministry is supported by the generosity of many who give sacrificially. This ministry has been sustained by long term care insurance policies or private financial resources that some patients have to privately pay for care. The other patients we serve receive care strictly through donations and careful budgeting of private payer compensations. We intentionally limit the number of private paying patients we serve so we can serve more patients who do not have family or financial resources. Thus, our financial needs are based on our patients’ ability to pay for the care we provide. Three of the four patients we recently lost were private payers. Therefore, at this time we have more patients who need donation help than those who do not. We will continue to serve those without family or resources and we need your help to do that. We will remain faithful in prayer and are confident that the Lord will once again send the financial support needed to sustain this ministry. We ask you to partner with us in prayer and monthly financial donations.

1. Please pray that God will lead us to find the people we need to help and that He will send people to help us.
2. Pray for us to abide in God’s word, trust Him completely & serve faithfully
3. Pray for the people we serve to see God’s love and be drawn to Him
4. Pray regarding a scholarship grant we are applying for through the American Nurses Association in collaboration with another like minded healthcare professional

in Christ-
Randy, Courtney & Abiding Hearts Volunteers

AmazonSmile Charity Lists offer an easy way for supporters to donate to Abiding Hearts Home Care Inc...Support us with your AmazonSmile spending

In Honor of Our Precious Patt

4/26/2021

After Patt’s traumatic fall I thought and prayed a lot about the words I could share that would glorify God and honor His work in and through Patt’s life. What words would best describe this beautiful friend He brought into my life? Humble, Loving, Joyful, Full of Zeal, Kind and Gentle, Silly and Sassy and a bit stubborn at times, Forgiving, a Fighter, a Prayer Warrior, Patience, Endurance and Sincerity. The first passage of scripture the Lord brought to my mind is from Romans 12 “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction and faithful in prayer.”
This passage describes Patt. God used her as a beacon of light in the midst of a dark world. One day before Patt fell, she finished writing her testimony and Cathy typed it for her. Now Patt had always told us that many years ago she had written her testimony, but had been unable to find it, and she often commented on wishing that she could find it. The day before Patt’s Celebration of Life service, we unexpectedly received that original testimony in the mail from Patt’s sister in Nebraska. She found it packed away in a box somewhere.
The Friday evening after Patt had fallen on Wednesday I was crying at the reality that we would soon say goodbye for now, and laughing at some sweet memories of Patt. A silly memory came to my mind: About 3 months ago Patt started talking about wanting to find herself a husband. In jest we talked about this and suggested that perhaps a cat or a dog would suffice, and in all seriousness we warned her that there are crazy people in this world and that she was not to go looking on Facebook for a husband. In the midst of laughing at this memory, something profound pressed upon my heart. I heard these words, “her Bridegroom awaits.” My mind immediately went to a passage in Revelation 19:6-8 “Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him the glory!For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given to her to wear.” The One who planned and numbered every one of her days; the One who left his throne in heaven and gave Himself for her is Jesus, the Bridegroom, The Lamb of God. Revelation 22:4 tells us that she now sees Him face to face. Her life and her story have really just begun as described in these words from the last chapter of the last book in The Chronicles of Narnia written by CS Lewis: “the things that began to happen after that were so great and beautiful that I cannot write them. And, for us this is the end of all the stories…..but for them it was only the beginning of the real story. All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and the title page; now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on Earth has read; which goes on forever; in which every chapter is better than the one before.”
God’s faithfulness and love were undeniable in Patt’s life, and her faith in Him prevailed as you will clearly see when you read both of her testimonies which I have included below.

With eternal thankfulness to God for Patt’s life and witness,
Courtney

Patt's First Testimony written in 1997:

Patt's 2nd Testimony written 24 years after the 1st one:

February 3, 1959-April 15, 2021
~Patricia "Patt"Murphree~
Our Sister Forever in Christ

Ministry Amidst COVID in 2020

4/25/2021

Committed to discipleship and getting creative with outreach so that those we love won’t feel forgotten and alone in the pandemic

Abiding in Christ and Persevering with Committed Hearts to care for the spiritual, physical and emotional needs of widows, elderly and chronically ill individuals
A global pandemic, sickness and death, civil unrest, natural disasters and brokenness everywhere, but God remains faithful and in control amidst the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and strife of this year. This truth has spurred our hearts onward in an unwavering commitment to serve and minister to those most vulnerable among us. Things all around us are different. Uncertainties and unknowns abound. But, God! His steadfast love, grace and faithfulness remain rock solid. Abiding Hearts Ministry has contended in the faith to make this truth resound among those whose hearts Christ has entrusted to us. We have remained devoted and committed throughout every single week this year to serving, loving, embracing and caring for our widowed, elderly and chronically ill friends, even when COVID-19 restrictions mandate tele-care and socially distanced visits.

Easter cookies made by one of our board member’s family this year encouraged all of us with the truth that the tomb is still empty, Jesus is still on the throne and we can still praise Him and rejoice in Him even now! Especially Now!!!

Grace for the Widow

11/16/2019

"Let your light shine before others that they may see your good deeds and praise your father in heaven." AND, "The world will know that you are Mine by the way you love one another."

11/15/2019

This kind, loving and generous man welcomed us into his home and his family almost 5 years ago. His time here on earth came to an end a few months ago and we now have the privilege of continuing to take care of his widow. Moments after his passing we got to see the fruition of Matthew 5:16 and John 13:35 has his family expressed in astonishing words that they had seen the very presence of God in our love towards them, and that they had never seen such a love before-that is must be God! And, indeed it was! To Christ be all the glory and thanks for our time with this precious friend.

Living, Serving and Celebrating Life Together

11/15/2019

We are so thankful for our brothers and sisters in Christ who faithfully serve with us day in and day out! Ms. J has been a part of our Abiding Hearts family for going on 5 years now! Praise GOD!!!

90 Years Blessed and Loved

11/15/2019

Precious memories of our last year together. This beautiful lady was a shining example of Christs' love, gentleness, kindness, patience, sincerity, and grace. Our 4 1/2 years with her will always be one of the greatest treasures of our hearts. We praise God for her, her life and our time with her!

Genuine Christ-like sacrificial love, Tabouli and Camels

6/10/2018

Our heart is to visit the widowed and elderly in their distress. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: “to look after (or to visit) orphans and widows in their distress” (James 1:27). The Lord has given us the incredible privilege of looking after many precious souls over the last several years; and, as many of you know we have said goodbye (for now) to 4 of them in recent months. Most recently, we held hands with Ms. N and her family and literally sang her into the presence of Jesus where at once her faith became her sight and cancer was no more! Some of the last sweet words we heard her say were “Jesus, come get me.”
Ms. N and her sister grew up in Jerusalem and taught us so many fascinating things about Jewish Christian tradition, how to make tabouli and they even taught us a few words in Arabic- Habibi means sweetheart! Ms. N had been a widow for many years and never had any children of her own, however she served as a matriarch figure for many, especially her niece and nephew. At their request, Abiding Hearts came alongside Ms. N’s widowed sister to help care for her in a battle against cancer. They showed us and taught us so much about sacrificial love, family unity and commitment. We watched week after week for 2 long years as Ms. N’s widowed sister left her life in another state and gave all that she had to serving her older sister. It was beautiful, humbling, challenging and priceless-a true display of the self sacrificing love of Christ! Ms. N and her family became a part of our forever family and we have been blessed by them!
Ms. N loved to talk about Jerusalem and Ramallah, the village that she grew up in. She loved to collect camels and said that they reminded her of when the wise men traveled far on camels in search of the One True King. Ms. N gave us one of her special camels to remind us that although the wise men traveled far seeking Jesus, Jesus traveled even further when He left His throne in heaven in pursuit of us. The wise men crossed the desert to find Jesus; but, Jesus crossed the supernatural cosmos and entered the darkest realm of Sheol to find and rescue us!

Leigh Cunningham faithfully served Ms. N and her sister alongside us week after week. We would appreciate you reading about Abiding Hearts Ministry from her perspective:
I had a wonderful experience serving with Abiding Hearts Ministry. It all started with a little extra time. I had heard Courtney and Randy talking about their ministry and thought it sounded wonderful. I was really blessed by their desire to care for widows in our community. At first, I just decided that I could help when they expressed a need for meals to share with the widows they were serving. After a while of doing that, I realized I had extra time in my week that I wanted to use to be helpful in other ways. I talked to Courtney and Randy and before long I was planning to go with them to meet a couple of ladies that they were serving. I showed up with them one day with a plan to clean the bathroom while they tended to the widows. I walked in to meet two sweet sisters and little did I really know the blessings that lay ahead of me. The plan was for me to help serve them by cleaning and helping them with shopping. Serving them proved to be so much more. I was blessed to get to know these two beautiful women. Ms. T was there helping to care for her sister, Ms. N, as she was battling cancer. It was a blessing to see how much care she put into helping her sister get everything she needed. She would fix her favorite meals and special smoothies to boost her health. Occasionally, I would help Ms. T cook. She made a number of dishes that they had eaten while growing up in Jerusalem. She taught me to make Za’tar. Ms. T did all of this while often suffering with her own health issues. When Ms. T was sick, Ms. N would do her best to care for her. They truly cared for one another. When Ms. T had to go home to Jacksonville for a short trip was when I really got to spend some time getting to know Ms. N. She shared so many stories of what it was like to grow up in Jerusalem. She told me all about her mother and father and all of her brothers and sisters. I learned how she came to the United States and some of her life here. Ms. N even taught me a little Arabic. The pinnacle of my Arabic lessons was watching the inauguration with her in Arabic. I can honestly say I never expected to do that. Unfortunately, Ms. N’s health began to fail and it was obvious that the end was near. Ms. T continued to work so hard to make sure that her sister was comfortable and had everything she needed. It was so encouraging to me to see her love for her sister in action. I genuinely witnessed sacrifice for love. We prayed and tried to encourage them through Ms. N’s final days. Looking back on it now, I know how privileged I was to get to know these ladies and be a part of this journey with them. We prayed and encouraged one another. I saw highs and lows and saw the Spirit at work in all of it. It was very sad to lose Ms. N, but what a joy it will be to be reunited some day in the presence of Jesus. Ms. T has returned to Jacksonville, but there is a deep and lasting bond there. These women are family now.

By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you LOVE one another John 13:35

12/27/2017

By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you LOVE one another

Mrs. Carolyn
May 1, 1931 - August 28, 2017

My choice to be a stay-at-home mom has meant that I have been volunteering almost all of my adult life. When my girls were in preschool I taught Sunday School and AWANA classes. When they were in elementary school I volunteered in the library and was team mom for soccer and softball. High school meant PTF and marching band. Then last year I found myself with my girls mostly grown and some extra time on my hands. I was a nurse for 6 years and was praying for an opportunity to do something health care related. Abiding Hearts answered that prayer. When I contacted Courtney, she connected me with an elderly couple who had significant needs. Mrs. Carolyn had recently become bedridden and Mr. George, at age 91, was doing his best to care for his beloved wife and keep up with the chores. These two quickly found a special place in my heart. I would go to their house thinking I was ministering to them and leave feeling so blessed. Their love for each other and the Lord was inspirational, and they always thanked me for coming. When we prayed together, I would ask how I could pray for them. They always asked me to pray for others in their life even though they had needs of their own.
Then in the summer we could see signs that Mrs. Carolyn’s body was beginning to shut down. She passed away in August. After a brief time away to let the family heal, I resumed my visits with Mr. George. He tells me that I brighten his day, but it’s truly he who brightens mine. His faith in God and love for others hasn’t wavered a bit. And he still has the little glass angel hanging over his bed that I brought to Mrs. Carolyn before she died. She used to say that I was her angel, but now it reminds Mr. George and I that she is singing with the angels in heaven and waiting for the time when he and she will be together again.

~Testimony of Cathy~

<<Previous

Abiding Hearts Ministry Blog

Honor widows who are true widows, 1 Timothy 5:3

Judith Anne Brownson, July 18, 1942-May 3, 2022 (obituary posted on dignitymemorial.com)

September 2021: great loss, great need and GREAT HOPE

In Honor of Our Precious Patt

Patt's First Testimony written in 1997:

February 3, 1959-April 15, 2021
~Patricia "Patt"Murphree~
Our Sister Forever in Christ

Ministry Amidst COVID in 2020

Grace for the Widow

"Let your light shine before others that they may see your good deeds and praise your father in heaven." AND, "The world will know that you are Mine by the way you love one another."

Living, Serving and Celebrating Life Together

90 Years Blessed and Loved

Genuine Christ-like sacrificial love, Tabouli and Camels

By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you LOVE one another John 13:35

Author

Archives

Categories

Abiding Hearts Ministry Blog

Judith Anne Brownson, July 18, 1942-May 3, 2022 (obituary posted on dignitymemorial.com)

Patt's First Testimony written in 1997:

February 3, 1959-April 15, 2021~Patricia "Patt"Murphree~Our Sister Forever in Christ

Author

Archives

Categories

February 3, 1959-April 15, 2021
~Patricia "Patt"Murphree~
Our Sister Forever in Christ