(Read to the end of the post to find out how to win a copy of Jeff's new book, No More Peanut Butter Sandwiches). For eighteen nights in a row I had walked down the street to the willow tree by the side of the creek. For eighteen nights I had raged at God, shouted at God, and questioned whether he even existed. For eighteen days in a row I had cried. God had defied my plans, dreams, … [Read more...]
future hopes vs. present realities
She's the youngest of our six children, but sometimes I feel like I'm a new mom when it comes to parenting her well. Last month I wrote about her surgery and the hopes around related outcomes: less muscle tightness, the potential for independent mobility, and possible improvements in speech and fine motor skills. I wrote about being brave, as I sent my 21-pound preschooler to the OR. I wrote … [Read more...]
Who Do You Say You Are?
Each day, we have choices to make. One choice—one that you make each day—can drastically affect your life in astounding ways. Choose one option and you will live an abundant life unshaken by the circumstances around you. Choose the other option and you will live a reactive life, unstable and swayed by the opinions of others. The question we face each day is this: Who do you say you are? Are … [Read more...]
I’m being brave tomorrow.
My baby girl is having a major surgery tomorrow. Which means I'm being brave tomorrow. You see, bravery isn't bravado. It isn't arrogance. It isn't some evolved sort of inner strength that is only for a select few of us. True bravery is looking fear in the face and stepping forward anyway. This sort of bravery requires faith. Actually, I'd say it requires faiths, more than one. I … [Read more...]
My Daughter’s Disability Is Not a Tragedy
My daughter was zooming through the toy aisles at Wal-Mart with her walker, I was chasing her and asking her to stop or else there would be no Lala Loopsie. Actually, she had more of a run-run-glide thing going on. One of the workers was standing on a ladder arranging shelves and noticed, I was sure he was going to ask her to stop running, but instead, he looked down at me and said, “I am so so … [Read more...]
praying through the start of the school year
Last year, I took pictures of my oldest daughter and shared a couple tidbits with the teacher as I dropped her off, but that was it. Our biggest concerns were if her best friend would be in her class (she was) and what she would wear on the first day of school (a frilly leopard print skirt with a kitty graphic tee, of course). This year was different. In the past year, our first son … [Read more...]