I remember so vividly Alec's difficult toddler days. My son had less than a handful of words. The days were a series of one tantrum after another. I was a stressed-out mother on the brink of a personal meltdown of my own. Oh, yes, I remember those days. I loved my son desperately, but hadn't a clue how to help him. I obsessively scoured every piece of advice I could find from any expert … [Read more...]
What You Do Today Matters
His voice was a whisper, “What’s up? ” “Not much dude, why are you whispering?” I whispered back. In a guilty voice, the 35-year old father explained to me that he was calling from a closet. He was hiding from his five-year-old son, who was hunting for his favorite Sesame Street DVD. His son, on the autism spectrum, had a tendency to play the same small video segment over…and over…and … [Read more...]
The Power of Encouragement
"I bought more candy-grams, Mom," Alec says with a big smile as we drive home from school just two days before Valentine's Day. "Alec, you already bought twelve candy-grams," I frown. "Do you really need more?" Alec's school was selling the candy-grams as a fundraiser for the holiday. For twenty-five cents you could send a single hard candy with a note of friendship. This particular … [Read more...]
Parenting
“I know God won't give me anything I can't handle. I just wish he didn't trust me so much.” Mother Teresa … [Read more...]
Used Not Useless
A few months ago I had lunch with a friend. The waitress guided us to a booth by a window. John collapsed onto the bench seat. Outside, the skies were turning dark. Clouds threatened to bring a mid-day rain. John leads a Life Group in our church. He’s a deacon and someone who’s also actively involved in an outreach ministry. John’s also a father to a bright-eyed, curly-haired little girl on … [Read more...]
Where Angels Dare to Tread
At times, angels come in the form of men. And sometimes, as happened last Sunday, God sends a man in the form of an angel. When my family decided to go on a missions trip to inner city Chicago (now awarded the unenviable and tragic title of deadliest city in the United States), it went against all reason. It also went against my mid-life hormones flooding me with joy one minute and tearful dread … [Read more...]