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How Superheroes Decompress: Respites & Shawarma (A Tribute to Volunteers)
Confessions of a Respite Groupie Hello. My name is Diane. And I am a self-professed Respite Groupie. If there’s a church respite event within a 45-minute radius of our home: We. Are. There. “Neither rain, nor sleet, nor dark of night…” Whatever, man. We are there. It’s the only event I’m ever on time for. It blows my mind that a group...
read moreHow Special Needs Ministry Benefits Volunteers & Churches | Meet Mr. Nick
In last week’s post, I shared about how Special Needs Ministries are needed to reach the 90% of special needs families who do not attend church. Most simply can’t. I also shared a few practical ways that extended –and spiritual– family can help. You can imagine how inclusive churches and special needs ministries bless special needs families like mine. And as a Special...
read moreFaith Through Disappointment – Part 3: GET PEOPLE
Four-part series, “Faith Through Disappointment” continues. Of the “Four Gets,” the first is to Get REAL: Giving ourselves permission to grieve or get angry. The second, is to Get HELP: Be willing to lean on others. We were not meant to carry our burdens alone. The third, is to Get PEOPLE: God provides help through people, whether they understand our...
read moreJoni Camp STM’s: Hall of Fame (Continued)
In two earlier posts, I summarized the wonders of Joni Camp, and featured a handful of the amazing STM’s. The series continues with more STM stories from our recent June 2013 Camp. None of these STM’s were conscious of being watched. They were focused on their Camper, immersed in just serving and loving them. But many of us couldn’t help but notice these extraordinary...
read moreJoni Camp STM’s (So Totally Mind-blowing)
In my previous post about Joni Camp, I mentioned the unique hallmark of JAF Family Retreat: the overwhelming love and dedication of the Short Term Missionaries (STM). In this post, I highlight just a few of these amazing servant-leaders. What’s an STM? An STM is a volunteer at the weeklong Family Retreats held by Joni and Friends. Each STM actually pays $400+...
read moreWho You Callin’ “Retarded”?
Ending The R-Word Let’s face it. Most typical kids think Special Ed kids are weird. I was once a kid, too, so I know how it is. I used to toss around The R-Word on the playground and locker room, just like everybody else. Then I grew up and had a kid with autism. Meanwhile, the world has generally maintained the same dismissive attitude. However, our family is blessed to live...
read moreUnbroken Faith

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