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2014 In Review | Why I’ve Been Away

Jan 2, 2015 | Categories: Faith Rehab (Mad at God), Humor, Letting go, letting God, and Uncategorized. Tags: anxiety, Faith Rehab, fear, humor, Special Needs Ministry, and surrendering control.

Gracious Blog Readers, I know. I’ve been away. It’s been over six months since I last wrote a post. Thank you, though, for sticking around to see this one. It’s been a hard year. One that whooped me to the likes I haven’t experienced since Autism D-Day ten years ago. No incidents of death, disease or dismemberment. And certainly...

How Superheroes Decompress: Respites & Shawarma (A Tribute to Volunteers)

May 20, 2014 | Categories: "How Can I Help?", How to help, Humor, Joni and Friends, Ministry and kidmin leaders, Mommy Martyrdom, Parent Support, Special Needs Ministry, and Uncategorized. Tags: control freak, Fun that works, How Can I Help?, how to help, humor, Joni and Friends, Ministry and Kidmin leaders, One Body, and Special Needs Ministry.

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...

On Motherhood, Meals & Mayhem | Mother’s Day 2014

May 6, 2014 | Categories: Loser Mommy Moments, Mommy Martyrdom, No, You're Not The Only One..., and Uncategorized. Tags: Asian, control freak, humor, motherhood, mothers day, and Parenting.

Breakfast of Chumpions One winter morning in 1988, I ran out the door on my way to school. I was late, per usual, so I skipped breakfast. High school seniors are too cool for breakfast anyway. My mother wasn’t having it. She chased me out to my car in her pajamas, and pressed a half-eaten SKOR bar and Coke into my hand. “Must eat something!” she insisted. A Coke and a candy...

Why This Special Needs Tiger Mama Bear Didn’t Intervene

Nov 12, 2013 | Categories: Don't Diss Disability (DissAbility), Humor, Letting go, letting God, and Uncategorized. Tags: Asian, control freak, humor, surrendering control, and Why?!.

There are helicopter parents, then there are Special Needs parent stealth bombers. How this Asian Special Needs Tiger Mama Bear (I know. That’s a lot of mixed metaphors) nearly became a weapon of mass destruction and ravaged a playground when her cub got threatened. Why I didn’t intervene. ******************************************** It was a classic Special Needs Mama Bear...

Goldeluxe & The Three “Must Bears” of Special Needs Ministry

Oct 8, 2013 | Categories: How to help, Humor, Joni and Friends, Ministry and kidmin leaders, Parent Support, Special Needs Ministry, and Uncategorized. Tags: humor, JAF, Joni and Friends, local resources, and SpNMin.

A tribute to special needs ministry champions who honor our families with “Gold-deluxe” service. I’ve been each of these three “Must Bears” at some point. Supporting complex families like ours can be a delicate, sensitive and prickly endeavor. Thank you for your calling, passion and dedication to serve where many others dare not tread. ...

31 Crazy Things Special Needs Ministry Leaders Never Say

Sep 17, 2013 | Categories: Don't Diss Disability (DissAbility), Humor, Inclusion, Ministry and kidmin leaders, Special Needs Ministry, and Uncategorized. Tags: 31 Flavors of Crazy, humor, JAF, Joni and Friends, Ministry and Kidmin leaders, SpNMin, and The Inclusive Church.

Inspired by this recent humorous post by Dale Hudson of Relevant Children’s Ministry, here are: 31 Flavors of Crazy: Things Said By No Special Needs Ministry Leader, Ever “Special Needs”? Whatev. Just throw him in. It’ll be fine. Please, no more volunteers. Go serve 1:1 on the parking team or something. I’ve got a great idea: STROBE...