Our Book Published: Everything is Going to Be All Right
Blessings of God’s Perfect Timing
Feb 01, 2026
I was holding my wife Nell’s hand when she took her last breath after more than a decade of battling Alzheimer’s. Peace in her heart all the way through to the end. She now knows peace and joy beyond our mere human understanding, healed, smiling, and laughing in heaven.
About a year ago, while listening to Christian music in her room at the nursing home from my iPad, I turned to Nell to say, “Isn’t it going to be amazing when we see Jesus face-to-face.” She smiled, leaned forward to look directly into my eyes, confidently declaring, “Everything is going to be all right.”
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Crystal clear. In a season of aphasia when words are garbled and incoherent, Nell assured me. She comforted me with confident contentment. Jesus assured us both. I replied, “Yes, it is. We follow Jesus. Praise be to God.” God gave me the book title, introduction, ending, and theme.
God’s timing is amazing. I often had to learn to give praise in hindsight. More and more, I recognize blessings in the present and give thanks as I surrender and trust in His love. I prayed for many years for strength to trust in His timing when He calls her home. She had been bedbound for two years. Swallowing problems led to switching to pureed food and losing weight drastically. We long ago decided that feeding tubes were not a desired answer with a fatal disease.
I prayed that if it was His will, I thought the time had come for God to bring her home to heaven. Yet another blessing answering prayer. Not what I wanted, but what we needed. All is well with our souls, but I am going to miss holding her hand and seeing her smile.
Before I got the call from the nursing home, I hit send for final approvals for our book. That evening, our book was published. Praise be to God. It was His timing that brought us together in marriage 33 years ago and blessed us with a son and grandson. His rod and staff guided us along the journey through Alzheimer’s, closer to Him, molding our hearts and leading us closer to Jesus.
David shared wisdom of faith and trust in His guidance in Psalm 23.
He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. (Psalm 23:3-4)
With spiritual eyes open, I have learned to live in gratitude for blessings each day, fostering strength to trust in His love and surrender to His will. This is what walking by faith not by sight looks like in the middle of an ordinary, exhausting week.
‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares Yahweh, ‘plans for peace and not for calamity, to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11)
Our book, “Everything is Going to Be All Right: A Faith Journey Through Alzheimer’s,” is a Christian memoir about love, suffering, truth, and perseverance through Alzheimer’s as a caregiver. I could see blessings of God working in our lives as I cared for Nell. I could see how we were being led closer to Jesus, to trust Him to help us carry the burdens each day. I pray that sharing the story can help other caregivers and all those facing trials in life see Jesus at work in our lives, and to give God the glory of helping us navigate through the storms of life. If you are searching for faith-based grief support, I hope our story offers a starting point.
Both lifelong Methodists and Nell, the granddaughter of a renowned pastor and president of Southern Methodist University, were led on a faith journey closer to Jesus after the Methodist Church left us, shunning God’s Word to embrace the sinful culture of the world. We were drawn to the Church of Christ, a New Testament Church led by Christ and founded on Biblical authority. His Word is truth. Truth sets us free.
Blinding storms of worry with waves of fear and sorrow drown caregivers who believe burdens are ours alone. Writing this book between nursing home visits, my plan was to care for Nell at home. Choosing faith over fear became a daily decision, not a one-time choice.
Drained of all strength as her abilities rapidly vanished, pleading prayers led me to know that the nursing home was His answer. Blessed to learn that it is not our human strength and determination that carries us through the storm. We surrender in love. Jesus invites us to share the burden. Blessings guide each day with divine strength and peace.
Jesus has overcome the world, even the relentlessly terrifying disease of Alzheimer’s. He works all things for good. When we walk in the light, we learn contentment in all things, trusting our Creator.
“In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 1:6–7)
The first version of our book concluded with these thoughts as I looked forward to visiting the nursing home and holding her hand. Sometimes, while sharing the Gospel in a Bible study with other patients. Most times in her room listening to classic church hymns while her roommate Rosetta sang along.
Peter reminds us that by providing care to those we love, we are trusting God through the attacks of demons slinging fiery darts and reminding us of unrelenting sorrow and loss. Attacks attempt to lead us to question God’s presence, promises, and love.
And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. (1 Peter 5:10)
Nell’s smile gives new birth to peace in my soul each day and reminds me to trust that peace and joy await caregivers and all suffering from Alzheimer’s when we see Jesus face-to-face. Her laugh leads me to trust that joy is unfolding in the sorrow. The caress of her hand holding mine fosters trust in His grace and love. In the loving hands of God, everything will be all right. Everything is all right.
Now this is in the past tense. Yet everything continues to be all right. I will continue to cherish memories and trust in God, surrendering to His will and seeking His guidance to walk in the light. I continue to follow Jesus and look forward to seeing Him face-to-face and Nell smiling and laughing in heaven.