Caregiving with Grit and Grace
100 Days of Hope and Encouragement

Hello friend!🌻

I have a beautiful book to share and give away today, entitled Caregiving with Grit and Grace: 100 Days of Hope and Encouragement by Jessica Ronne.

I am just in awe of this sweet Author’s heart. Growing up, Jessica was the eldest of 12 children and she cared for her siblings throughout childhood. After becoming a mother herself, she learned her second child, Lucas, suffered a stroke while in her uterus and would require full time care the rest of his life.

Three short years later, Jessica’s husband Jason was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor at the age of thirty. Jessica lovingly took care of him until his death in August 2010 at which point she bacame a widow with four young children.

My heart was overcome by Jessica’s story, I can’t begin to imagine the overwhelm. A year after Jason’s passing, God brought a kind Widower named Ryan into her life who would love Lucas as his own son. They married and she became a mother to his three grieving children, too. Ryan encouraged Jessica to write this devotional … and she did!

I love how the Lord impressed upon Jessica’s heart this beautiful calling of advocating for and ministering hope and encouragement to all those who are full time care givers. The author is very honest in her writing, sharing her struggles, her frustrations, her pain and the questions she wrestles with. But most of all, Jessica’s unwavering hope, love and faith in her Good Shepherd shines bright from cover to cover.

This book imparts hope to not give up in this hard and holy calling. The author admonishes the reader to keep looking up and to keep trusting God even when He is silent and we don’t know what He is up to. The reader will feel seen, understood and fiercely loved by a God who is our ultimate Caregiver.

In every book review, I like to include the table of contents so you can get a sneak peek behind the cover. This devotional book contains 100 days of short devo readings each morning, so this table of contents is long (bear with me). The Author provides a focus Bible Verse each day and then heart felt encouragement in an easy to read, friendly and conversational way.

Here is the author’s beautiful table of contents …

WINTER …

1. Our Lord’s Presence
2. Sufficient Grace
3. Anger leads to Harm
4. Work as Worship
5. Find Freedom
6. Don’t Complain
7. Choose Yes
8. Lie Down in Peace
9. Release Anxiety
10. Hope in Jesus
11. Trade Worries for Joy
12. It is Finished
13. Multiply My Needs
14. Holy Work
15. A Servant for Christ
16. More Valuable than a Sparrow
17. All My Heart
18. Mountaintop Moments
19. Desire versus Duty
20. Simple Self Care
21. Surrender to His Will
22. The Lord is My Shepherd
23. Ministry in a Foreign Land
24. Accept Comfort
25. Remain in Me

SPRING …

26. Fix Your Gaze
27. Take Root in Your Journey
28. Care is Communal
29. God Will Provide
30. Good Gifts
31. A Ministry of Care
32. Mundane Obedience
33. Pursue Their Hearts
34. The Lord’s Prayer
35. Doing What Works
36. Find Your Community
37. Plans or Purpose
38. In Remambrance of Me
39. Trust Only God
40. Finding Beauty
41. Prayer Changes Circumstances
42. Image Bearers
43. Come Out of Hiding
44. Glory to God
45. Discernement
46. The Gift of Caregiving
47. Teamwork
48. Fresh Joy
49. Blessed Are You
50. In All Things Give Thanks

SUMMER …

51. New Mercies
52. Fruit
53. You Did it for Me
54. He Will Not Forsake You
55. Surrender
56. Giving and Receiving Care
57. Papa’s Delight
58. Believe
59. Restraint
60. Love Your Enemies
61. Live for the Lord
62. Release Stress
63. Wait
64. I Am Here
65. Reframe Your Mindset
66. The Greatest Love
67. Blessed
68. Fear Not
69. All Things for Good
70. Give Us This Day
71. Reveal Your Glory
72. Resurrection
73. Strength for Hard Times
74. Into the Ark
75. Pruning for Rest

FALL …

76. Alone with our Father
77. A Surrendered Hallelujah
78. Line in the Present
79. Strong Refuge
80. God of all Comfort
81. Out of the Hour
82. Camping Before Crossing
83. No Condemnation
84. Sacrifice
85. Confirmation
86. Boldly Ask
87. Things Not Yet Seen
88. Seven Times
89. Obedience
90. Help from the Holy Spirit
91. Belly of a Whale
92. Hidden Blessings
93. Small and Inward
94. The Anointing
95. He is Willing
96. Releasing our Loved Ones
97. Redemption
98. Made for Eternity
99. For I Know
100. Hold One
A Blessing for Caregiver

Jessica writes “With each of these trying experiences, I felt a seasonal rhythm. The winter season represented the death of a dream or the hard truth of a diagnosis. Once I accepted my new reality, winter ushered into spring, bringing with it a lightness as I learned to find joy once again. Summer would follow, often hot and heavy, reflecting the growing intensity of treatments no longer working or caregiving demands becoming more time consuming and exhausting. Fall represent finality, be it through death, remission or resolution.”

This devotional will help you:

• Reframe your challenges
• Embrace God’s ever-present faithfulness
• Be more present with your loved ones
• Draw strength from the fellowship of others who suffer and are strengthened by God

GIVEAWAY TIME …

The Blythe Daniel Literary Agency has generously provided for one of our readers to receive a copy of this brand new book. It’s easy to enter! Just comment below with your thoughts about this book review or mention who this lovely book would be a gift for if your name is drawn, for you or a beloved friend or family member.🩷

This giveaway will run for one week (instead of two) because of the Holiday Season. One name will be randomly drawn on Dec 16th and we will reach out to the winner via the email address used to comment. 

I’m so excited, I already know two beautiful servant hearted, Care-Giver friends who will be receiving a copy of this beautiful new devotional in their stocking this year. This book will be a sweet blessing …

Live Loved Today,

Caregiving with Grit and Grace – Book Review and Giveaway @ freshgracefortoday.com

Are you ready to receive Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior?
Please CLICK HERE and I will be honored to pray with you.

Photo Credit: Jessica Ronne, Deposit Photos

Jessica Ronne is an author, speaker, podcast host of Coffee with Caregivers, and associate producer of the UNSEEN documentary and caregiving advocate. Founder and executive director of The Lucas Project, a nonprofit dedicated to serving parent caregivers with recognition, respite and resources.

Jessica and her husband, Ryan live in Michigan with their eight children, including their son Lucas, who has profound disabilities. Her story of beauty from ashes is detailed in her memoir, Sunlight Burning at Midnight. She can be found at https://www.jessplusthemess.com/. Jessica’s most recent books include Blended with Grit and Grace and Lovin’ with Grit and Grace.