For those of you with a son or daughter who requires 24-hour care, you know exactly what I'm going to talk about. It is something that those outside of this demographic take for granted. It is something called "privacy". We have very little of it in our world given all of the caregivers in Ben’s world. Without question, these important team members have helped to lighten our load and give Ben a … [Read more...]
The Making of Us
What could have been our undoing has actually become the making of us, our family. It's God's hand in piecing together a family that only he could have woven together. We aren't polished, fancy-pants or hardly anything special from the outside. In fact, we can be fairly obnoxious and messy. And that's on a good day. We walked in the door close to midnight after prom night. Evan had … [Read more...]
All About Me
Years ago I was attempting to review the Sunday morning sermon with a younger Evan. It came down to one point. That our lives should be all about Jesus. I said to Evan, "Who's it all about?" His answer? "EVAN!" Yes. Most of our days are all about Evan. But in all honesty I don't want them to be about Evan or even Jesus. I want them to be all about ME. Recently, the bible verse 1 Corinthians … [Read more...]
Transformation!
A Meditation on Psalm 130 When the bottom falls out from under my feet I shout Help, God! I grab onto your life-preserver Word and you respond, not with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation but with cellular transformation. Metamorphosis, Body/mind/spirit revolution. Every day I fall, call your name, recall your Word. You scoop me up, remind … [Read more...]
Giving and Taking Away
If you can watch your child slip into the pseudo-coma of anesthesia and not get teary-eyed, you are a better parent than me. Because my face immediately started leaking. This MRI was a long time coming. For four years, my son has complained of right leg pain. After no longer tolerating the “growing pains” explanation of our doctor, (or Jesse’s nocturnal wailings that “my leg hurts!”), … [Read more...]
The Privilege of Freedom
Max galloped across the quarter-mile field toward the Old North Bridge, one hand holding imaginary reigns and the other hand holding the failing elastic in his shorts. “I’m Paul Revere!” he shouted as he passed by other less enthusiastic visitors. Max loves everything about the Revolutionary War. He loves the facts, dates, soldiers, and he might even go for a pair of wool knickers if they came … [Read more...]