“So much will change,” they say, pointing to your swollen belly, nearly giddy with the kind of knowledge that only experience supplies. “Your life will never be the same!” I know, you think smugly. I’ve heard it, I’ve read it, it’s the mantra you mothers all repeat. But they’re right, of course. While things will change, many of those changes are expected: those that arise from the training of … [Read more...]
Share Your Resolution So You Get Help and God Gets Glory
"What's your New Year's Resolution?" It's that time again. Everyone is asking. Some of us ignore them. Some of us have different ones every year. And some of us, who shall remain nameless, have the same one lose weight year after year. In the last couple of years we really struggled with some behavior issues with our son, Evan. We had no choice but to become quite open about them. People were … [Read more...]
The Nature of Things
At 9:30 in the morning, the small swish of paper brushing across my bedroom’s wooden floor woke me. My husband Matt was at the Ravens game with some friends. There had been an early curtain call for the pre-game frivolity, so he’d been gone for some time. The night before had been a late one, and I’d overslept. Meaning, I was already frustrated. Unless there’s a nuclear winter and all the alarm … [Read more...]
Is He Missed?
Is he missed? When we can't attend the parties, the get-togethers, sporting events, or even church, is Evan missed? There are many times we are unable to attend so many events because we know they are just fuel to Evan's behavioral fire. They could send him out of control and may cause an unfortunate situation. They are usually very over-stimulating for him. Just being out of his normal routine … [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...]