You probably already know this, but the best way for your family to transform into psychos is to try to get them to church on time. And, when you're like us, raising kids with any kinds of special needs, the last 5 minutes before departure for church is the perfect time for your 10 year old to soil herself, deny it, and require United Nations-level negotiating skills to get her out of her beloved … [Read more...]
tripping over the “I don’t know”s in special needs parenting
Lately I've been peppered with questions I can't answer. From a friend: "Will she walk on her own?" From a fellow parent at our school: "Will she be able to come here too?" From a leader at our church: "How will this next therapy or surgery help?" From myself: "Will we be able to afford everything she needs?" From our babysitter: "Will she be able to talk more soon?" I … [Read more...]
Special Needs Sleepovers {and God’s Outrageous Grace}
I don't have to tell anyone here that our special kids miss milestones their age peers take for granted. It's a fact of the lives we lead. There are diapers in 6th grade (or longer), learning to read years after they "should" (which means maybe never), and tantrums until only-God-knows when (we haven't hit the endpoint yet!) My hopes for something as superfluous as a slumber party for my 11 … [Read more...]
Four Women I Would Like to Thank on January 22
Next week (January 22) is National Sanctity of Human Life Day, which happens to fall on the 41st anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the monumental supreme court case legalizing abortion. For some Christians this is just a week set aside on the calendar when the church recognizes the atrocity of abortion. The pastor preaches from Psalm 139 while citing a myriad of numbers and statistics. The congregation … [Read more...]
How I’m getting my instincts back (and you can too).
"Mom?" asked my sixth grade daughter on the way home from school, "Isn't it true you should always trust your instincts?" I stifled a laugh, trying not to let the Diet Coke in my mouth shoot through my nose. Three responses sprung simultaneously to mind: Should you have gone with your instinct to hit your little sister yesterday? Or did that end badly for you? Should you go with your … [Read more...]
Who Else Wants Their Joy Back?
What does joy mean to you? And how do you know if you've got it? These are questions a fresh wave of challenges with my 10-year-old have pressed on my mind. As I wrestle to have more joy in the struggles---and to recognize it when it's there---I'm finding it's different than I used to think. For me, joy is relief. It's cool grace over a searing heart. It's letting go of heavy burdens. And it's … [Read more...]