My wonderful wife Linda went home to be with her Lord on May 23, 2023. After her death, I wrote two concluding editions of “Walking Victoriously through the “Long Goodbye,” and determined that I would discontinue blogging; however, a single troubling question continued to be at the forefront of my thinking: “How do I (alone) continue the legacy that Linda and I developed in nearly sixty years of marriage?” Prayerfully pursuing an answer to that question inspired me to launch “Living Victoriously after the “Long Goodbye,”
In this new blog, which first posted in April 2024, I shared thoughts common to all who lose a beloved spouse: Do I want to live? If so, can I make it through the pain? What will my new life look like? Can I make a meaningful contribution to my family, my church, and the larger whole of society? As I did in the past, I expressed my thoughts “warts and all.”
The 27 postings that were published in this series are now archived and available for viewing.
Expanding My Focus
On June 4, 2023, sincerely believing that I would not continue blogging, I posted the final installment of Walking Victoriously Through the ‘Long Goodbye’ and looked forward to discovering God’s future plans for my life. However, after taking time to recover from the impending surgeries that I was facing, I realized that a single troubling…
Three Great Lessons
In less than three weeks, Linda will have been with her Lord for three years; thankfully, I am now facing the future with increasing hope and confidence. In searching for ways to put my feelings into words, I have repeatedly returned to a blog which I originally posted under a different title on May 1,…
Resurrection Sunday
In recent years, I have become increasingly aware that my focus must move far beyond a singular day. Rather, the resurrection of Christ was a seismic event; it is the centerpiece of all human history. If Christ had not come forth from the grave, our faith would be in vain, and Christianity would be just…
Abundantly Alive
On August 28, 2022, three days before our fifty-ninth wedding anniversary, in my post, “Celebrating Abundant Life,” I noted: “Recently, a new appreciation of this milestone has captured my attention. It cannot be understood apart from Jesus’ clearly drawn distinction between two opposing realities: The thief’s purpose is to steal, kill and destroy. My purpose…
2026 (part 2)
Yesterday, as I stood at my bedroom window and watched the snow come down, my mind traveled back to a class that I had taken in my freshman year at Lee College (now Lee University). Still in my teens and less than two years after recommitting my life to Christ, God used the most influential…
2026
Prior to Alzheimer’s, Linda and I always looked forward to the beginning of each new year as an opportunity to set meaningful goals. Anticipating the future greatly reduced the uncertainty and stress associated with daily living. All of that changed when this horrible disease became an unwelcome part of our world. For many years, I…
Effective Communication
On September 4, 2022, in the 110th post of Walking Victoriously through the “Long Goodbye,” I outlined a plan for communication that many caregivers found helpful. Therefore, with caregivers now facing the added stress of the Christmas Season, I have chosen to reprint it, with minimal change, as the 21st post of Living Victoriously after…
A Profile in Faithful Ministry
After Linda’s death on May 23, 2023, I wrote two concluding editions of Walking Victoriously through the “Long Goodbye” and determined that I was through with writing blogs. A little less than a year later, the Lord impressed upon my heart that I had made an important decision without consulting Him. Therefore, I repented and…
Remembering A Champion – One Year Later
This blog was originally published on October 6, 2024. With the exception of updates related to time, no other changes have been made. On September 29, 2024, after a long battle with cancer, Larry Carpenter went home to be with his Lord. At a time when boundless egos, exaggerated statements of accomplishments, and padded resumes…
Overflowing Blessings
If Linda were still with me, last Sunday we would have celebrated our sixty-second wedding anniversary. Instead, I was alone. Unable to go to church because of debilitating pain in my back, I was very vulnerable to “stinking thinking.” Having been down that road before and knowing the outcome, I chose to take another path…
Designed for Relationship
A few days ago, I had the opportunity to observe the interactions of a family having a meal in a local restaurant. At first glance, nothing seemed different from what has unfortunately become the norm: Parents, preoccupied with last minute details regarding work and frantically attempting to respond to all unanswered emails; children, entertaining themselves…
Dislocation and Relocation
Longtime readers of my blogs have discovered that my life, like theirs, seldom reflects the utopian ideals of freedom from despair, discouragement, and suffering that we might once have believed would accompany our walk with God. In my early twenties, a tumultuous introduction to the Psalms exacerbated my discomfort, which I tried to solve by…
Looking Back
Linda has now been gone from this earth for two years and nine days. Therefore, I have had ample time to reflect on the storms, as well as the seasons of calm, associated with our journey into the “Long Goodbye.” As I continue to work through the pain associated with her departure, I find it…
Immeasurably More!
With all the negativity permeating our daily lives and screaming to be heard, do you sometimes feel overwhelmed – that the tasks before you require more energy than you have? Perhaps, the joy surrounding Easter Sunday provided a brief respite from the storm; however, two weeks later the joy has diminished, and all those pressures…
My Faith Journey
On June 4, 2023, twelve days after my precious wife Linda went home to be with her Lord, in the final installment of Walking Victoriously Through the “Long Goodbye,” I noted, “At the forefront of my thinking is a simple question: How do I (alone) continue the legacy that we (together) have developed in nearly…
Biblical Happiness
Recently, for the first time in nearly two years, I had the opportunity to be with all of my great-grandchildren at the same time. In the picture accompanying today’s blog, my granddaughter Cory is holding our newest addition, a little girl who is scheduled to make her debut in two months. The obvious happiness etched…
The Passage of Time
My precious wife Linda went home to be with her Lord on May 23, 2023. The passage of time has uncovered a conundrum in my life. I desire to embrace God’s promises and plans for my future; however, the pain that I experienced during Linda’s long struggle with Alzheimer’s tends to tether me to the…
Exciting Opportunities Are Ahead!!
Considering that 2024 ended with palpable unrest, civil disobedience, and wars raging throughout the world and that in the USA, 2025 opened with two evil acts of terrorism on New Years Day, the title of today’s blog might seem to at best far-fetched or at worst delusional. If viewed as achievable through political processes, educational…
Celebrating Christmas
As I prepare to celebrate my second Christmas without Linda by my side, my thoughts, as I expressed them in Walking Victoriously Through the “Long Goodbye” on December 25, 2022, bring great joy to my heart. Therefore, I am reprinting them with no changes: Sixty years ago today, Linda was in Kentucky and I was…
EXPRESSING LOVE
Linda went home to be with her Lord seventeen months ago. Today, as I recuperate from total hip replacement, I find it uplifting to reflect on my thoughts, as I expressed them in Walking Victoriously Through the “Long Goodbye” on November 7, 2021: … I have spent hundreds of hours visiting my wife Linda, a…
Remembering A Champion
One week ago today, after a long battle with cancer, Larry Carpenter went home to be with his Lord. At a time when boundless egos, exaggerated statements of accomplishments, and padded resumes are acceptable, Larry was a breath of fresh air: He was humble, gracious, and steady and loved the Lord and his family with…
What Shall We Do?
Since the birth of our nation, imperfections have been evident; however, even a cursory glance at the present upheaval reveals that this time, something is different. Coarse, even vulgar, language is becoming increasingly acceptable. Polite disagreements have been replaced by cruel and bitter criticism. The sanctity of life has been re-defined by an ever-changing description…
Thus Far…
Throughout the Bible, God gives us stories. When properly understood, they reveal a plan for courageously facing the future. By looking at the past, we are able to successfully walk through whatever obstacles, known and unknown, lie ahead. In I Samuel 4-7, the capture and return of the ark of the Lord wonderfully illustrates this…
Appreciating Fellow Travelers
Living victoriously requires that we learn how to navigate through the disappointments, traumas, losses, and uncertainties of life. Such knowledge is not acquired quickly and necessitates that we share the journey with those whom we love and admire. Today, I want to express appreciation for two of my fellow travelers who have recently departed this…
Good Grief (part 2)
In my last blog, I noted that Good Grief is intensely personal, appreciates the past and accentuates the future, resists categorization, and focuses on eternity. Today, I would like to separate and expand the second component. Appreciates the Past Throughout the Bible, God gives us stories. When properly understood, they reveal a plan for…
Good Grief
At first glance, the title of this month’s blog appears to be oxymoronic. If you add emphasis –Good Grief! – the stage is set for feelings of despair, anger, or frustration. However, when seen through the lens of biblical truth, it is God’s plan for understanding and navigating through the disappointments, traumas, losses, and uncertainties…
What’s Next?
After my precious wife Linda went home to be with the Lord on May 23, 2023, in the final installment of Walking Victoriously Through the “Long Goodbye,”I noted, “At the forefront of my thinking is a simple question: How do I (alone) continue the legacy that we (together) have developed in nearly sixty years of…
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