I was not a fan of Billy Graham as a child. My dislike had nothing to do with him or his message. Rather, it had everything to do with the disruption his televised crusades brought to our family's TV viewing schedule. Mom, a school teacher who wanted her kids to be active readers and not passive consumers, controlled how much television we watched at our house. However, she granted Dad control of … [Read more...]
She Opened Her Door
“How many doors will suddenly close as we go down the hall today?” “How many stares will we get along the way?” “What if he stops to squeal, make his loud noises, or stomp his feet so forcefully every few steps?” “Oh God, please let us make it out of the building today without any hurtful incidents.” Our son’s Comprehensive Development Classroom was at the very end of what I was convinced was … [Read more...]
Guarding Closely Who Defines Our Children
All day long my enemies insult me. Those who ridicule me use my name as a curse. ~ Psalm 102:8, NOG ~ In the book THE HELP, set in early 1960's Jackson, Mississippi, a housekeeper named Aibileen carries out a subtext in the story line by supplying her homely charge, Mae Mobley, with the love she is so sadly lacking from her own mother. Each day, Aibileen rocks the young girl, counteracting … [Read more...]
Revisiting Grief
So, you’re going along with life, enjoying the “normal” that we all sometimes crave, and suddenly it bites you in the rear. Grief. That sorrow for things passed, melancholy caused by an empty space in your heart. True, we all face that mourning when we first realize something is wrong, or our child is first diagnosed, or when an injury changes our child’s life forever. In those times of … [Read more...]
Angels Unaware
“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” Hebrews 13:2 Have you ever met someone and felt an instant bond? That’s what happened the day I met Katie. We both were new to Oxford, Ohio, a sleepy little college town in southwest Ohio. My husband and I, along with our son, Joel (who has autism), had been worshipping at the Oxford Vineyard … [Read more...]