The Good News

Reflecting over the last three months, it's hard for me to believe how much has happened. In March, God layed a desire on my heart to somehow help other parents who have children, like my own, who live with life challenges. The "help" He called me to would be in the form of a book. As most of you know, this started the process of writing the book tentatively titled "Unexpected Gifts, God's Blessings for and through Children Facing Life Challenges."

So far, I have interviewed nine families and spoken to countless others, in fact I can't seem to keep up with the people who would like to share their stories with me and for that I apologize. I want to hear all of them! I have also spoken to two groups, written five chapters, have completed a book proposal, have had author business cards printed and am writing endorsement letter requests. I have spoken with two self publishers and am planning to attend an American Christian Writers Association Mentoring workshop in July where I will be mentored by the editor for Wesleyan Publishing and will meet other writers from across the nation. I am excited!! Needless to say, I am also overwhelmed by God's loving and guiding Hands in this process. I certainly know that I am not capable of doing this on my own. I pray that God's blessings are on this book. He knows that parents of kids facing life challenges need love and support, HIS love and support.

A few Saturdays ago I went with friends to hear Babbie Mason and Jessica LaGrone speak at Roswell United Methodist Church. They shared with us their newest bible studies. Babbie spoke about Embraced by God and also used her wonderful musical talent to bring us to our feet in praise. Jessica shared an intriguing study called Namesake, When God Re-Writes Your Story. I enjoyed hearing her talk about Jacob and how God changed his name and his character. Both women were excellent speakers and inspired me further in the writing of my book. They also confirmed the calling that I have received as each quoted bible scripture that has spoken very loudly to me over the last few months. The verses were quoted as their "favorites" and are as follows:

Psalm 139:14
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

Ephesians 3:20
Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.

These verses speak volumes to me everyday as I encounter parents who share their stories with me. They speak to me about each of our own possibilities to glorify God. They speak to me of the lengths and depths of God's love for us. And they tell me that the path to fulfillment exists only through Him. Despite what others may perceive as our limitations, despite what we may even see as our limitations, God is always able to do more. Remember this as you rise each day to face the world. God is good!

Faith Sharing Part II

But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:8

In Bill Hybel's book, Just Walk Across the Room, Hybel gives great recommendations on how to approach people when sharing your faith. One of the most important suggestions he makes is to have your own "before-and-after" story. This story is the faith story of our lives; how we fit into God's greater story.

As Hybel shares, "When people grasp the magnificent truth that the gospel has direct implications for the meaning of their stories, all sorts of light bulbs flicker to life:

I can be found like the lost son.
I can be cared for by a Good Shepherd too.
My deepest needs- like the widow's - can actually be met.
I can receive abundant life just by exhibiting the tiniest amount of faith.
It's really true: anyone can get healed, renewed, transformed, and thrust into abundant life."

I am now working on my "story". In the Christian book world, it is called my 2-minute sales pitch of God's purpose for the book I am writing. In the "real world" it's called sharing your faith in hopes of leading others to Christ, or that other word that I used to hate so much- EVANGELISM. It has taken years for me to remove the negative connotations I have personally connected with that word. Sunday mornings of hearing preachers shout and rant about how I was going to hell if I didn't accept Christ into my heart turned my ability to receive God's love into an impenetrable brick wall. But boy does God have a sense of humor! After finally understanding God's love for me (not just His wrath), I am now the chair of the Evangelism committee at my church. Who would've ever dreamed He would lead me down this path?!?

Hybel lists four criticisms for the stories Christians often tell when sharing their faith and I believe that many of my reasons for hating the word "evangelism" in the past stem from these four reasons. They are as follows:
1. Long-windedness- your story really needs to be kept at three minutes. After that, you simply lose your audience.
2. Fuzziness- your story needs to be simple with a clear plot line that conveys the heartbeat of your faith journey. A confusing story is a sure way to leave seekers scratching their heads.
3. Religionese- verbiage needs to be such that those who are not believers understand and appreciate the words used. In the past, before I had experienced God's love, religionese was just an irritating platitude to me.
4. Superiority- pious remarks and haughty assumptions that show a lack of caring for others will never win others over for Christ. Don't talk down to people. Share and, more importantly, LISTEN.
And here's one I'd like to add:
5. Pressure tactics- pressing and threatening someone with the threat of eternal damnation is NOT the way to share a loving God with them. If your story does not lead them to Christ, consider it a seed planted. Only God can turn someones heart to Him. We are simply sharing His love in hopes that others will accept and find it too.

I want to encourage anyone who desires to lead others to Christ to work on their own stories too. And next time someone opens up to you by asking why you are so excited about your own faith or how you manage to live your life with peace and joy, rather than a constant state of anxiety or worry, tell them as simply as possible what was going on before you met Christ and what has been going on since you began following Him. I know in my own life, the differences are incredible and I pray that they are both inward and outward. Inwardly, I know that God has changed me, refined me, humbled me and loved me, enabling me to live with the peace of knowing that His love is always there for me. Outwardly- well, I'm still working on that, but I pray that my actions are speaking much louder now than my words ever did before finding Him.

Faith Sharing Part I



And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”
Isaiah 6:8

We had just finished Sara Ashley's first horseback riding lesson with a new instructor and I wanted to let her select a new book for summer reading, so we went to visit our local Barnes & Noble. That's where I found her, parked comfortably in a wooden chair that she had pulled up to the "Young Readers 7-12" section of the book store. On the ground next to her sat a basket full of her already selected books, and she continued to peruse the shelves looking for more. As I walked the aisle, she kindly asked me if she was in my way. Her age and obvious difficulty with mobility seemed to have her pinned to her chosen spot where she was able to reach both left and right for multiple titles.

"No, your just fine. Thank you, " I replied.
Sara Ashley and I continued our search. Me pulling books off of the shelf and reading the backs, looking for Newberry Awards and interesting plots. Her looking at the cover photograph or illustration and for pictures of horses. It is always a challenge to find the "right" book for her, not wanting to select something too difficult that will deter her from reading, but also not wanting to select something so easy that she doesn't learn or relate to it.

"Have you heard about the summer reading club for kids?" she asked me.
"No, thanks for sharing, " I replied, and she passed me a flier. On it were listed free books that could be earned by reading ten books over the summer. The free books were divided by grade and gave me a good idea of some suggestions for my daughter.

I began pulling the suggested reading from the shelf when she engaged in more conversation.
"I'm looking for my granddaughter. She likes dragons and fantasy. Does this look like something your daughter would like?" and she handed me the book.
Sara Ashley is not a dragon kind of girl but I gladly accepted the book and thanked her. It was then that I lamented to her that I had a hard time finding just the right book for my daughter, although I didn't go into details.
"Well, I do too," she agreed. "My granddaughter has a learning disability."

Really??? Wow! Of all the people I could have run into that day, God sent me to this kind lady who shared her story with me about her "granddaughter." As it turns out, this ten year old isn't really her granddaughter at all, but is the child of a friend who is down on her luck."Nana", as this woman is affectionately called, has taken in this young girl and is raising her as her own. Nana is a retired school teacher and media specialist doing the best she can to help her "granddaughter" navigate the school system and get what she needs in order to maximize her potential. As we lamented about the challenges involved, I looked for just the right moment to share how God was helping me and others through this often painful and frustrating process.

My heart urged me to share with her how God was working in my life and my daughter's life to show His love and glory. Regretfully, although we talked for about 15 minutes, I never found what I thought was the right opportunity to tell her this. Although I'm sorry that this opportunity didn't seem to present itself, I still know that by simply slowing down enough to have this conversation, we were both blessed in the process.

The following Sunday in church our pastor's sermon was on "Storytelling." He encouraged us to step out in faith and share with others who are hurting our own personal stories of God's love in our lives. After all, His love is not limited. It is for everyone. Of course, this reminded me of my time at Barnes & Noble earlier in the week and my missed opportunity. How many more opportunities have I missed over the years? How many do I miss every week? God puts us in situations to minister to others, and to share His love. I don't want to have to live with regret next time I am faced with this opportunity.

How can we step out of our comfort zones and share our faith effectively? God has done so much in my life that I often find myself wanting to shout it from the mountain tops. But, knowing how I would've reacted to that type of "evangelism" in the past, I don't want to scare away others who are still on the fence about their faith in God. Be sure to read Faith Sharing Part II on Thursday to learn how God can effectively use each of us to share His love.

A Life Perspective

The past few weeks have brought the busyness of the Spring season. My interior design work had a surge with three deadlines culminating the same week and, of course, the end of the school year activities are in full swing! I relish this time of year because of the changing season, blue, sunny skies and the chance to watch the kids celebrate their school year successes. However, I must admit that I have had little time to write and I feel a bit disconnected from the book and stories that God has shared with me through so many wonderful parents and others who work with and love children experiencing life challenges. As the school year comes to an end, I hope to be able to remain focused and make more progress with my writing and sharing with others. The last few months have shown me the importance of continuing this journey. God is asking, He's got a plan, and I am determined to stay focused on His assigned task. When I am immersed in this "work" I experience so much JOY...why would I want to leave that undone?

As you have probably noticed, my posts about kids who face life challenges have all come from a parent's perspective. Most of the kids I have written about are still under the age of 13 and are either not fully aware of their differences or are not yet able to fully reflect on how their challenges affect their lives. However, today I want to share with you a post from a precious young woman. In her own words she shares how dyslexia has affected her life. Her story is honest and raw and you will be touched as she shares the pain and joy she has experienced.

Rachel is 22 years old now but I have known her from the time she was born. She is the daughter of David, our Minister of Music and JoAn, one of the Associate Pastors at my church. Watching Rachel grow up, I saw a shy and quiet girl who participated in the music programs at the church. What I didn't know was the struggles she was going through and the battles she was fighting. After reading her story, it is helping me as a parent and I am humbled by her determination and faith walk. God has and continues to help her through her challenges; a constant and loving source of hope and courage for her. I am thankful for her faithfulness to Him and her ability to be grateful through her circumstances. Currently, Rachel is working as an intern for Rick Bonfim Ministries. Her work for RBM includes designing/updating their website (www.latterain.com), travelling to Brazil to Rick's Mission in Niteroi, and doing whatever else they ask of her.



Here is her story:

My name is Rachel Kinrade and I am 22 years old. I was diagnosed with Dyslexia when I was in Elementary school in second grade. It has definitely not been the easiest road, but with the help of God and my family I have learned to move on and get passed the diagnosis. (And live with it you can say) I can say now that it was quite a struggle! I attended public school from elementary school all the way through high school. I was in special education classes from second grade through fourth grade. When I got through fourth grade the teachers decided to take me out of special eduation, so I could be a “normal” fifth grader to get me ready for middle school.

From a very young age I struggled with school. I never was a good test taker, I didn’t have any friends, I was always the shy or quiet girl who would never say a word in school. And by a word, I mean a word! I would NEVER say anything in school, I was very very shy. The teachers noticed that I didn’t do well on test at all and that I was struggling and not comprehending a lot of material. My mom was a elementary school music teacher at the time and that’s when they decided for me to get tested for some type of learning disability. I went through a series of long and hard test, kind of like a standardize test if you will. I remember that day very well and everything about it. It was definitely traumatizing as a 7 year old. I was a very mature kid I did very well in school and just didn’t do well on test. I was too young to know what was going on, but now looking back at it having dyslexia and being defined as a child with a learning disability really hurt me growing up. Not being in an environment that understood was hard. I grew up holding back and keeping a lot of my feelings and even emotions inside. I didn’t ever express myself. I ended up not knowing how to act around other kids, because I wasn’t around them in the classroom. Felt very alone growing up and like I had no friends. I was so confused. Of course now looking back I see how much I have grown so much in this process, as a person and how it has helped me become who I am today.

I had many accomplishments throughout middle and high school. I learned how to cope with my dyslexia. My mom would talk to each of my teachers every year before the term started. Some would make accommodations and some would not. Some would be the best teachers and help me and some would be very rude about it. I got used to those…But I did the best I could and would work extra hard. I would spend three to four times longer working on assignments and homework as “normal” kids. No one understood while I was getting special treatment in classes and no one seemed to understand. But did that stop me? No! When working on homework and school work I would get extremely frustrated and angry at myself. I would get mad at myself, because I would not understand my work, I wouldn’t remember how to do the math problem, or I couldn’t comprehend a story I read. I would think to myself often, “Why are you like this? Why can’t you do this work by yourself like normal kids”, Why do you always need help?”

I got all A’s and B’s all through middle and high school. And I even graduated with honors from high school in 2009. I surprised my parents the night of graduation! I found out graduation morning that I reached my goal of graduating with honors. That tells you what someone can do if they put their mind to it.

Another big mile stone for me was graduating from the Art Institute of Atlanta in December of 2011. I graduated with my Associates degree in Culinary Arts degree with concentration in baking and pastry. I could not have gotten through without my family and me walking in Faith and Trust with God on my side.

I am not saying it was easy, but I am saying it is possible. Everything is possible with God. God has been my main supporter in all of this and my learning process. I was longing for a relationship with Him from a very young age even growing up in church. I leaned on Him even if I did not know what that meant. My parents also supported me. They would spend hours with me every night working through my homework with me and helping me. They believed in me like no one else! They were the best! Kids so much lean on there parents for support and help. All the kid wants is to be “normal” and feel important. That’s what my parents did for me. They always cared for me and wanted the best for me. They wanted to help in anyway possible. I know it was tough for my mom. It was hard for her to find common ground in fighting for me, doing everything she could and then deciding when it was a good time for me to jump out on my own. But she did great! 

I currently am an intern at a Mission organization in Athens, Ga. (Rick Bonfim Ministries) I absolutely love it and know that this is my call from God on my life. He has brought me through many hard times and that has brought me closer to Him. God has definitely brought me through this hard struggle of being a child and young-adult with dyslexia. He helped me realize that I did not have to go by Rachel who has dyslexia. I was Rachel, I was my own person and I didn’t have to be identified by dyslexia. Dyslexia does not identify who I am! I pray that my words encourage you and give you hope! God bless you! I will leave you with my favorite scripture that I turn to everyday and that helped me more then ever through this whole process:

Philippians 4:13 (NIV) “I can do ALL things through Christ who gives me strength!”

When asked what gifts Rachel feels God has given her to help her surpass her challenges, she shares that music, faith perseverence, compassion, caring and a servant's heart are a few. Here are her thoughts:

Gifts that surpass the challenges: 

1. I would have to say Music has helped me surpass the challenges. Having music and being in band in middle and high school and choir through church helped me cope with my learning disability. Music to this day helps me express myself and who I am as a person. If I didn't have music I don't know where I would be in life! 

2. Faith: Something that I've learned over the years is to have faith! I keep having to remember that we just have to walk in Faith and Trust! But mostly having faith can help you get through any situation! Remember: You just have to have faith the size of mustard seed! 

3. Perseverance: I learned to take each second, minute, hour, day at a time. I couldn't get through without doing this. But I did worry a lot growing up. and without looking at it this way, I would have NEVER gotten through and done things that I did. 

4. I feel as if God has blessed me with many gifts, but I would say the ones that mean the most to me are compassion, caring, and servant heart. I care SO very much for other people. That is who I am and how God created me to be. 

I am immensly grateful to Rachel for sharing her story with me and all of you. It takes courage to share and be transparent. I am also thankful to learn from Rachel. Although this journey began as an opportunity for me to share our story and how I see God working in it, I am finding that God has many plans beyond that. He is teaching me so much through others, how they have responded to their situation and what He has done in their lives. I have a lot to learn and am blessed with some great people to learn from!

 

Emery Claire

Recently I had the unique opportunity to spend several quiet and uninterrupted hours with a friend in Christ. We were working at a spiritual retreat and were both in the chapel at the same time waiting for another friend to complete a task.
Over that same weekend I had been in the chapel two times earlier for the same reason but with different people and, admittedly, I was a little tired of sitting and waiting. I was soon to find out that God had BIG reasons for me to be spending more time there.

Sophia is a few years wiser than me and as we sat and talked we realized we had much in common. Her son also has dyslexia. She shared with me his struggles while growing up, how they handled them and sympathized with the concerns I have for our daughter. However, she also gave me much hope and reassurance as she told me of his job as an insurance agent and the successes he has had in his life. Despite his learning difficulties, he is doing more than fine. He is doing great!

But this was not the only story we were meant to share that day. You see, Sophia's daughter had recently given birth to their grandchild, a precious little girl named Emery Claire. She was born with Down Syndrome. As any grandparent and parent will admit, the birth of a child with a chromosomal condition is not what they would have planned. Sophia shared the pain of learning that her grandchild would have Ds and the grief she suffered for the life her grandchild would have led. However, she also shared that through the birth of Emery Claire she has found great joy. This little girl is the apple of her eye, giving her a new perspective on life and God's purposes for all of us.

Emery Claire

God works in ways that none of us can understand. However, over the last few years I have come to realize He provides for us exactly what we need if we will simply trust Him and follow His lead. Through a myriad of circumstances, He put me and Sophia together that day to share our pain and struggles, but also our victories and our joys. Most importantly, He reminded us that although His ways are not our ways, they are infinitely better than anything our humanness could ever even imagine.

Isaiah 55:8-11

For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts.

For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven

and do not return there but water the earth,

making it bring forth and sprout,

giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,

so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;

it shall not return empty,

but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,

and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

Note: Look for more information about Emery Claire and Sophia in the upcoming book "Unexpected Gifts."