We cannot deceive God. Twice in the Acts God is called “the Heartknower” (Acts 1:24; 15:8). But we can deceive ourselves. Here are four differences between deceit and honesty in our hearts. One, a deceitful heart doesn’t know its sin because it doesn’t want to know. But an honest heart is saying, “Bring it on.” Two, a deceitful heart notices how well a sermon applies to someone else. But an honest heart is too concerned about itself to judge another. Three, a deceitful heart, when it isn’t growing, blames its inertia on hardship or its church or even on God himself. But an honest heart says, “It’s my fault. I need to get in gear.” Four, a deceitful heart delays response. It says, “I’ll get around to it, even soon. But I can’t right now.” An honest heart puts God first. Delayed obedience is a way of saying, “I’m setting the terms. I am Lord.” But an honest heart says, “Lord, whatever you want – right now.” An honest heart says, with the old hymn, 'The dearest idol I have known, whate’er that idol be, help me to tear it from Thy throne and worship only Thee.'
Ray Ortlund

Groups

Forum Navigation
You need to log in to create posts and topics.

Update of Family Crisis

Avatar
Forum Archives
2,181 Posts
#1 · June 4, 2005, 1:35 am

Posted by: wrather <wrather@...>

Dear Friends,
 
Over the past several weeks as I have shared I have been having to deal with a difficult family crisis. My father had been trying to take care of my mother who is an invalid at home by having caregivers 24 hours a day. My mother has had a mental illness all of her life and during the last 14 years she has believed that she had Parkinson's. She was actually under hospice care for about 4 years but finally it became clear to them that she was not terminal in the sense of a normal terminal patient. My mother did go to a neurologist who told her that she did not have Parkinson's but she then went went to another doctor who began to treat her for this disease which she wanted to have. Since my Father also believed my mother had Parkinson's there was nothing to be done to stop her treatment. During her two week stay in the hospital for evaluation they took her off of all Parkinson medication and she is doing better and I expect to see additional improvement.
 
The cost for their care and for household costs should be no more than $7,000 per month. However, in a little over 4 months beginning the first of January 2005 more than $100,000 went out of my parent's bank accounts. The caregivers were taking advantage of them financially and also providing very poor care. It finally reached a point with only $262 left in their bank account that someone at the bank reported the situation to Adult Protective Services.

My parents were sent to a psychiatric wing of the local hospital for two weeks of evaluation. My mother was sent to a nursing home on Thursday and my Dad has returned home but will require much attention from me and others.

I am concerned that the people who took advantage of my parents will not be prosecuted and will go on to take advantage of others. The primary caregiver who moved into my parents home and took over everything was: Catarina R. Arrelanes aka Catarina Ramirez Arrelanes; Catalinia Arrelanes; Catarina Hernandez; Catarina Sandoval; Catarina Ramirez. She is about 58 years old.

Her son Fernando Hernandez age 36 was also involved and has been in prison in Texas for various offenses and is believed to be living at Hammon, Oklahoma now.

When Catarina left she loaded up everything that she could of value including two lawn mowers, and two vaccum sweepers. They charged telephone calls to AT&T of $300 to $600 per month for many months. They charged items to my Dad's Discover card such as $224 in tattoo equipment. They called 900 numbers and watched ugly movies on Direct TV pay per view. In a 5 week period Catarina received direct payments of $11,400 and wanted $2200 more. There was also $12,000 in cash that went out of my Dad's account during that same 5 week period which I believe also went to the caregiver and her family.

Please pray that Chris Kelly the assistant District Attorney in Washita County at Cordell, Oklahoma will do his job and do something about this situation so others will not have to go through this.

 
Because of the draining of my parent's bank account it will now be difficult to provide the care they both need. I have met with someone trained in Elder Law and he thinks he can help us with the nursing home costs of about $3,000 per month.
 
My Dad lives 43 miles away from me and my mother is at a nursing home 22 miles away from me and 20 something miles from my Dad. So I will be driving to my Dad's every day to check on him, pick him up and take him to visit my mother at the nursing home and then taking him back home and then returning home from there.
 
God has been guiding me through this crisis and to those people who are able to help including the right nursing home and the Elder Law attorney. Thursday was one of the worst days of my life as I saw my mother go to the nursing home and I took my Dad with me to see the attorney in Oklahoma City. (My Dad is 82 years old and has begun having mini-strokes and one larger stroke in January which contributed to the caregivers being able to take advantage of them financially.) I have learned some very hard lessons from all of this and now have much more empathy for those who care for their elderly parents. I also believe that all of this is helping to repair the relationship between my sister and myself. So, even in the midst of trying circumstances there is much to praise and thank God for including all of those who have prayed and moved the hand of God in our lives.  Thank you!!
 
With His Love,
 
Ed Wrather

  --  To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: burningbushhtml-unsubscribe@welovegod.org

Click for thumbs down.0Click for thumbs up.0