The world rushes by you—a flurry of last minute shoppers—pushing, stressing to get it all done. You look around and see the harsh florescent lights, thick mall crowds and crammed parking lots. You listen and hear tinny, overplayed Christmas songs, car horns, and toddlers crying. This is not your idea of a Merry Christmas. Have you lost your holiday spirit? If so, take a Christmas … [Read more...]
Autism and Church – It’s a Good Thing!
Autism and church. Not always a fun combination. Even though our little Vineyard church family is as laid-back and accepting as they come, I came close to losing my cool in front of them last Sunday. It took every ounce of energy I had to keep from screaming or bursting into noisy tears. Can you relate? I knew church would be difficult that day, because Joel is in the middle of a major … [Read more...]
Hope at 3am
Dear friend, I started to write you a charming little story and was halfway through...when Tuesday night hit. Let me just say that most of our days and nights are good. Not easy, but good. For the past two months, however, Tuesday nights have been different. It’s as if autism grabs hold of our lives like a 1950’s sci-fi flick, the one with the pretty little plant that … [Read more...]
Confounding the Wise: Alix Generous’ Beautiful Mind
Read below for a guest post from Ron Sandison. "But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong." - 1 Corinthians 1:27 "For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea." - Habakkuk 2:14 The childhood of Alix Generous was clouded by misdiagnoses and dark depression. … [Read more...]
Invisible Diagnoses and the God Who Sees
Most times, when faced with a writing project, I’ll fold up the laptop’s screen and breathe in, ready to unpeel a new word and lay it flat. Most times, I am excited, knowing that we’ll discover things together, you and me. Other times, I will share with you something that slashes me sideways and leaves my mother’s heart bleeding. That is when the writing hurts. Today, every keystroke burns a … [Read more...]
Gratitude: God’s Secret Pathway to Protection
Here we go again, you might say, another lesson on gratitude. Strangely, though, despite that many times I've studied the topic, there's something I've been missing: There's a powerful connection between gratitude and powerful living. See, I've been listening to my conversations lately, and the words I hear myself speaking are not pleasant. Complaints. Impatience. Annoyance. Worldly … [Read more...]