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!

Speaking "through your heart"

The other night as I put my daughter to bed, she shared with me some of the events of her day. At age eleven, I am always excited when she decides to share because this age has brought with it her need to keep some secrets from me - like crushes, girl-talk, basically social issues - but that night she wanted to share. She told me that as she had been playing with someone that day she became frustrated with his behavior. The child was a good deal younger than her and was obviously struggling with wanting to be the center of attention. How he got that attention- by doing good things or bad- didn't seem to matter to him.

"I told him, through my heart," SA said, "that he was being mean and that he needed to share and not be ugly to me and his sister."

"Through her heart", I thought. What an interesting concept. She filtered what she had said through her heart so that it wouldn't sting and so that it would come from love rather than frustration and anger. I absolutely loved her choice of words! She was also spot on with her thinking. If we would all just filter our thoughts and actions "through our heart" before acting on them, this world would be a much better place.



I have often found that children offer profound thoughts. This seems to come from their innocence and the purity of their intentions. God's intentions for the children of this world are far more than we might expect, and this especially includes children who face life challenges. So many times in the bible we come to verses that illustrate this fact.

But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”
Matthew 19:14

 
Earlier the same day that my daughter shared her thoughts with me, I received an email from a friend. A blog was attached. It shared the journey of Christian man named John Knight who works for John Piper. Knight has a disabled son who, although 18 years old, operates at the intellectual level of an 18 month old. Despite his son's disabilities, the young man loves to sing praises to the Lord. This sometimes happens in grocery stores and public settings where others will hear him. John shares that when his son sings he is acting as a spiritual warrior against Satan and glorifying God. Although John's son is not what this world would call "strong", he is strongly valuable to God! Here is what John shared:

Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger. (Psalm 8:2)

John states: So if this is the case, and I believe it is, my weak and disabled son — with all his limitations — is part of God’s plan to still the enemy and the avenger. And that makes him an effective warrior against a vile and spiritually violent enemy, equipped by God to do what those who are strong and proud cannot do, no matter their physical or intellectual giftings. (Reference to 1 Corinthians 1:27-29)
John's son sings "through his heart" to a world who needs to hear God's love and he quiets the enemy by sharing this Love.



For Bobby, another child I will be writing about in the future, spoken word is not necessarily his gift, but his actions speak much louder than words. Bobby has autism and his verbal abilities are limited. Despite these limitations, Bobby still finds ways to effectively express himself. As he interacts with the world, Bobby has the viewpoint that everyone is his friend. His father, Doug, shares that when Bobby experiences kindness from people or simply feels a need to express his love for them, he shares his emotions freely by giving them a huge bear hug. His most recent recipient was the "cookie lady" at Publix. These gestures of physical kindess are received unexpectedly and, usually, very warmly by others who recognize that, "through his heart", Bobby is sharing the pure love of our Creator.

These are just a few examples of how God shows His glory through our special children. From them and others, I have learned that we should never underestimate His ability to use us in ways that we least expect.



18th century Woodcutting showing Christ healing the disabled.

In John 9 we learn of a boy who was born blind. Assuming that his afflictions were the result of sin, the disciples asked Jesus, "Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus' answer was this: “You’re asking the wrong question. You’re looking for someone to blame. There is no such cause-effect here. Look instead for what God can do” (The Message).

Isn't it just like us to want to blame someone for our perceived weaknesses? Instead, Jesus tells us to stop right there - there is no one to blame! Instead, let's look at what God can do with what the world calls weak! Infinitely more than we might ask or think (Ephesians 3:20). God can turn our pain into pleasure, our trials into triumph, and our struggles into strengths. Only He can take our weaknesses and, "through His heart," turn them into something truly beautiful and lovely, allowing those we would least expect to bring the gift of glory to Him.

Perspective

I am not a morning person. No, REALLY, I'm not (ask my husband!). So one morning a couple of weeks ago, when the cat came traipsing over me with her plaintive "meow" 45 minutes before my alarm was supposed to go off, I was irritated. Angel had not gotten the memo. See, Sara Ashley had been sick the day before and I knew she wasn't going to school that morning so I (gleefully) set my alarm clock for 45 minutes later than I usually get up. But, obviously, I forgot to tell the cat.
As I laid there trying to get in the extra sleep time, Angel continued her march, back and forth over me and my husband, meowing and crying for her breakfast along the way. And I was really, really starting to get mad when I remembered this cartoon:

Instead of getting mad, I began to smile, the corners of my mouth turning up instinctively. And as the mind often does, my thoughts began to wander from one thing to the next when I realized, with awe, that God had given my cat Angel an internal time clock that was better than my digital one. "Wake up!" She cried. "I'm hungry!" So I swung my legs over the side of the bed, grinned and started my day.

Life continually gives us these jarring "wake up" moments. And like my situation that morning, it is up to us to choose how we will react to them. We can choose anger. We can choose grief and fear. We can get lost in these choices and walk around bitter and mad. While it is not wrong to have these emotions, to be consumed with them is also not the way to live our lives. When we are suffering with the weight of life, taking these emotions to God can help us find His comfort and love. This comforting can come through our circumstances or it can come in spite of our circumstances. However we find it, we are blessed by Him.

Taking our pain to God for His love and comfort allows us to reach a level of perspective that we never would have found without Him. This changed perspective has become very clear to me through my continuing journey of life with kids who experience life challenges. God has blessed me by connecting me with some incredible people. One of them is a lady who has a beautiful gift with words. Her name is Karen and her daughter is eight years old and has autism. I haven't had the pleasure of meeting Karen in person yet, but I feel like I know her heart from what she has shared with me on her blog, www.kcouchpoetry.blogspot.com. Please take a moment and visit it when you can.

Karen has given me permission to share one of her poems on this blog. It is called Perspective and it reminds us of God's love and promises for us in our circumstances through His Word. He is present in our trials and our triumphs. He is our comforter and our strength. I know that this poem will resonate with all of you.

Perhaps what you read will capture the way you have been feeling too. Please feel free to share your thoughts. I'd love to hear about how you express yourself when faced with trials. We all have them! Or maybe you have a blessing or thought you want to share, something God has placed on your heart.

I continue to thank God for placing me on this journey. Through these last few weeks I have found such peace and happiness in knowing that there are parents out there who, despite the REAL pain and grief of their circumstances, can truly see His blessings moving in their lives. That these parents want to share, support and encourage one another is a gift from Him.

Karen's poem:

Perspective

I wrote this as a response to this mornings meltdown before school...

autism makes me cry.

The Lord remembers my tears and comforts me.

autism brings a communication barrier to relationship.

The Father shed His own Son's blood so we might have no barrier to relationship with Him.

autism brings language misunderstandings.

The Lord's words bring wisdom, understanding, and clarity.

autism is a challenge within our family.

The Lord uses it to refine our love for one another.

autism wants relationship based on self.

The Lord wants relationship based on His words.

autism is present in our family for a reason.

Only the Lord knows the reasons for allowing a family to struggle. His ways are higher.

autism seems to overshadow so many areas in my life.

The Lord is sovereign over every detail in the universe.

autism is oblivious to social language opinions.

The Lord uses this for uninhibited belief and worship.

autism is not evidence of an imperfectly made person, rather,

the Lord convicts an imperfect person's heart of a sinful response to it. 

autism can make ordinary moments of perfect connection rare, but so joyous!

How much more does the Lord desire to perfectly connect with his own children through His word?

autism amazes me with it's effect on our lives.

The Love that comes from the Jesus Christ affects us indescribably more.

autism still makes me cry.

The Lord keeps on remembering my tears... and comforts me.

Bedford's March Dinner & Auction- A Life Changing Experience!



Recently, I had the honor of once again attending The Bedford School March Dinner and Auction. This inspiring evening is held annually at our daughter's school for children with learning differences. It was our fifth year attending and, as always, I was not disappointed.
The theme for this year's event was "Bedford... A Lifechanging Experience."
True to the theme, this school is a life-changing experience for so many kids. These kids come in after struggling in mainstream school environments and they are transformed. Through the instruction, nurturing and teaching of organizational and academic skills the school turns out students who are confident, prepared and academically ready to go back into a mainstream environment. Honestly, I don't know what we would have done without this school. Sara Ashley has been there since the first grade and is now in the fifth. When she started at the school she had just failed to meet the requirements necessary to matriculate from kindergarten to first grade. This despite the fact that she had been in some type of academic environment from the age of three and despite the fact that she had an IEP for kindergarten and received speech services for her expressive language disability during school and after school through a tutor. Rob and I were at our wit's ends trying to figure out how to teach Sara Ashley. This school provided the answers. I consider it a TREMENDOUS unexpected gift from God.

Each year the evening starts with a silent auction. The halls are lined with donated items and opportunities for people to mingle and give their highest bids.

As the bidding ends everyone moves into the gymnasium which has been transformed into a twinkling wonderland. This year I had the honor of designing the table decor. In keeping with the "life changing" theme, I chose to use butterflies as the central decoration. On paper lanterns, we glued hundreds of patterned butterflies. These lanterns were illuminated and placed on each table, surrounded by scrabble chips and votives. It took many, many hands to make these centerpieces and I am grateful for the way it turned out. It was beautiful!

A special thanks to Kim Burgess, who coordinated the entire event from the decor and auction items to the delicious dinner provided by Contemporary Catering. 

My favorite part of this evening is hearing the student testimonial. Each year a former student shares his or her life experiences and how Bedford has played a part in their success. This year Bradley Eisenberg was the alumni speaker.



I was overjoyed to hear of Bradley's successes since leaving the school. Despite his profound learning differences, Bradley is a college graduate and is now doing an internship with Disney. He has also been chosen by Disney as an intern representative for others hoping to enter their program. After his internship with Disney is completed, he hopes to be offered a full time job with the company. He has also returned to work at Bedford's summer camp, Squirrel Hollow, for the last few years serving as PE instructor.

When kids go to Bedford, their experiences there are usually so profound and nurturing that they never truly leave the school. It is not unusual for me to hear that one of Sara Ashley's teachers is a former student of the school or that an alum has come to visit for the day and share their successes with their former teachers and the current students.

Bradley credits Bedford, which he attended from first through eighth grade, for preparing him to make the strides he has been able to attain. He also thanks his parents for their intuitiveness in recognizing his challenges and making the necessary arrangements to help him. It was a joy to see Bradley speak so highly of the school and his teachers and I felt a certain peace in knowing that our daughter was following in his footsteps.

Another special part of the evening was my opportunity to give the "Make Things Happen" speech. This speech is given in order to raise money for Bedford's Scholarship program.

It's no secret that private school is expensive. But when you have a child who is challenged by learning differences, private school is sometimes the best opportunity to give them the tools they need to succeed. The speech I gave outlined our experiences with our daughter, Sara Ashley, and urged parents and guests of the dinner to contribute to Bedford's scholarship fund. I feel strongly that it's important to give so that those who could not otherwise afford the school can also receive this life-changing opportunity. This school has helped our daughter so very much, I was honored to help in this way.



Rob and I also took this chance to surprise Dr. Box, the founder and director of the school, with a special gift ~a flag flown over the Georgia State Capitol in honor of The Bedford School. This special momento and certificate were given to us by our friend and neighbor, State Representative Lynn Smith, when we attended and spoke at the Georgia School Choice Rally in January of this year. 



Dr. Box is a true visionary. A dyslexic learner herself, she founded the school in 1985 after teaching under Dr. Charles Shedd and then pioneering a special education program at Woodward Academy where she taught for fourteen years. The opening of The Bedford School was the culmination of her life-long dream to help other students overcome the issues that she shares. My heart is continuously thankful for the opportunities and direction Dr. Box has provided to my child and other children with learning difference. She and her school are a tremendous blessing!

The mission of The Bedford School is to maximize the potential of students with learning differences and develop foundations for success.