Bringing the Good to Light
In order to see God in all things, you must first learn to see the good in all things. No matter your journey, there is always good to be found.
Meet Janie
Janie likes to say her passionate personality and Kansas roots prepared the perfect canvas for her insightful writings. “If anyone is inspired by anything I have to say, it is only because God put tools in my hands. And perhaps the blessed gift of the unending wisdom of my mother and grandmother.” The values of her childhood, commonsense standards of farm life, the faith-filled Midwest community where she was raised and an environment of responsibility all attribute to her positive outlook and fighting spirit.
“Adversity is inescapable, but perspective is acquired. The reach for understanding comes from a will to rise above conditions. When your actions are motivated by love, that is following God’s will.”
Fighters and survivors are familiar with U-turns and detours. So it’s not surprising single motherhood resulted in a successful real estate career and her return to the Catholic faith. The eighteen year union with her late husband, Frank Carney, yielded eight years of bliss before the role of ‘caretaker’ replaced that of ‘spouse’.
Yet in spite of the heartache, she says caring for him as he battled Alzheimer’s disease was the greatest lesson in unconditional love one can have. Going deep with God’s love allowed her to experience heartfelt joy where others presume agony. “To feel joy without pain and pain without joy is to never fully realize either one.”
“It is no coincidence our stories connect us. Sharing them opens the dialog of the heart, the first step to recognizing the bonds we have with one another. Recognizing those ties help us find our way from the dark into the light.”
Although she writes of a multitude of subjects, her speaking engagements focus on respecting life and the value of the last chapters. As she states clearly, “God knows His plan and the purpose of every moment of our existence. My job is to give hope to the living, so we understand the significance of our roles to share the weight of the cross for the dying.”
Who is Janie Carney?