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20 Things I Know Now, That I Wish I Knew Then (The Special Needs Parent-Ninja Arts)
From time to time I get asked, “Do you have any advice for a Special Needs Parent?” It’s usually from someone freshly reeling from their child’s diagnosis, or a friend who wants to be supportive. BLESS THEM. To which I say (or think), Ohboyohboyboy! (and start mentally salivating.) I devoted this blog on Special Needs parenting to discuss exactly that: The...
read moreI’ll Never Hear, “I Love You, Mommy” (Lies The Devil Tells)
As the mother of a non-verbal child with autism, I know lots of other mom-friends of children who don’t speak. We seldom discuss it. But, oh, how we all long to hear, “I love you, Mommy.” For my son, it took years of intensive speech and behavioral therapy before he could even identify me as Mommy: He paired my laminated picture with the word on a flash card. I’ll take it. One night, I...
read moreFatherhood, Hijacked | When Life Doesn’t Go According to Plan
In the world of Special Needs parenting, moms usually get all the press. Mom dukes it out at IEP’s. Moms rule the blogosphere. Moms march on Capitol Hill. And all those classical depictions of the Madonna? (The Virgin, not Like a Virgin) Nary a father to be seen. What about Dad? Where is he? What happened to him? Fatherhood, Hijacked This is how the birth of Jesus...
read more“What About My Child?!” Amidst Grads, Gowns & Grief, A Different Story Unfolds
Ah, the merry month of June! A joyous and hectic season. Flurrying about between graduations and gowns, gifts and weddings. “What’s next? Which college? What city? Which company?” Their graduations and gowns; their shiny gifts and weddings. I smile to suppress the slight rankle of bittersweet. For within these hallowed months, the ghost of my Idealized Child...
read moreMary: How is this “Blessed and Highly Favored”?!
In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting...
read moreWaiting through fear and grief, “Do not be afraid!”
“Your child has autism. He’ll need at least 40 hours of intensive therapy a week. He may not learn to speak, function or live independently. He’ll likely not go to college, marry, or have his own family. You’ll have to abort your plans and rearrange your lives to care for him full-time. His prognosis? Unknown. You’ll just have to wait and see.” In...
read moreFaith Through Disappointment – Part 4: Get in the WORD
In Part one of the series, “Faith Through Disappointment,” I introduced the “Four Gets” in my journey to wholeness. The first was to Get REAL. Be honest with yourself and with God about your grief and anger. Part two, was Get HELP. In your struggle, don’t shrivel from self-imposed martyrdom. Permit yourself a White Flag Moment. Part three, was Get...
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 moreFaith Through Disappointment – Part 2: GET HELP
In the previous post, I began a four-part series, “Faith through Disappointment.” Of the Four Gets, the first was to Get REAL (giving ourselves permission to grieve or get angry.) The series continues with the second Get: Get HELP. ************************************************************** 2) GET HELP – Be willing to receive/ask for help Asking for help...
read moreFaith through Disappointment – Part 1: ALCF Women’s Conference 2013
On October 5, 2013, I had the privilege of speaking at my church, Abundant Life Christian Fellowship in Mountain View, CA. It was an honor to be part of the teaching team for the annual Women’s Conference, composed of keynote Dr. Gloria White-Hammond, and five fellow workshop speakers: Each uniquely gifted and passionate about seeing women healed and made whole. For the 2013 theme of...
read moreUnbroken Faith
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