On the Way: Short Stories and Biblical Reflections on Caring for a Loved One in Hospice

Are you caring for a loved one who is dying? Are you wondering about the appropriateness of hospice? Are you curious about how another family got through this unique time? Are you seeking spiritual comfort as you are "on the way" in the dying process with someone you love? If any of this sounds like you, then this book is for you.

This inspiring and engaging collection of true stories and Biblical reflections offers a glimpse into one family's experience of caring for their loved one who was dying. Caregiving can quickly become overwhelming. Even with the help of professional hospice caregivers and other family and friends, this journey will stretch you emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually in every direction.

Facing a life-limiting diagnosis with someone you love often causes people to wonder where God is in all that is happening to and around them.  Questions like "Do the promises of God apply to me?" or "Why isn't God healing my loved one?" can linger in the thoughts of those accompanying their loved one who is dying.

Through these short stories and Biblical reflections, you'll experience caregiving through the lens of another family, be strengthened for your own caregiving journey, gain a sense of peace in challenging time, and find comfort in the assurance of God's presence and love in the tender moments of caregiving.

Pam Northrup is a hospice chaplain and a graduate of Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary. Ordained in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) in 2006, Pam has served as pastor at Our Saviour Lutheran Church, Southern Pines, NC; St. Mark by the Sea Lutheran Church, Palm Coast, FL; and St. Philip Lutheran Church, Raleigh, NC. As a trained Stephen Leader, she has prepared countless lay people to serve as Stephen Ministers who provide confidential Christian caregiving to people in need. Her passion in ministry is journeying with people as they face the ups and downs of life. She sees the movement from life, through death, to eternal life as the holiest moment in a person's life. She finds joy in spending time with friends and family, especially her grandchildren. She enjoys playing board games, assembling puzzles, making music, coloring, and making art collages. Pam is an outstanding preacher, gifted teacher, compassionate listener, and skilled facilitator. She is proud to identify herself as an Army Brat. She believes that this experience, her vocation as a parent, and her work as a special education teacher, Girl Scout professional, adult educator, and pastor influence the way she makes sense of God's presence in the world. Pam lives in Knightdale, NC with her husband, Bob, and their two dogs. You can read a collection of her sermons and blog posts and learn more about her at www.onthewayliving.org. Contact her at pam@onthewayliving.org if you'd like to talk about speaking and teaching opportunities.