This past Saturday on August 30th, we welcomed our 3rd child into the world. Noah Dean Buckley joined the dynamic duo and turned it into the three amigos. It should be fun. However, we were not sure how Fayth and Stephen were going to act. Fayth, our oldest daughter with Down syndrome, was not very welcoming to her first brother, Stephen, 18 months ago. When Stephen was born, she ignored … [Read more...]
Family Life with Autism: Welcome to the Cincinnati Zoo
I’m jolted from sleep when the heat-seeking-body-missile of my 24-year-old son lands next to me on the bed. I pry open sleep-encrusted eyes to encounter Joel’s face, two inches from my own. He grins, giving me an up-close view of his smile crinkles, just like his dad’s; little fans on either side of his baby blues. “Zoo today!” he crows. “Zoo, zoo, zoo, Cincinnati zoo, zoo, zoo!” Like many … [Read more...]
One Holy Moment in a Messy Christmas Season
It's Christmas Eve. We've rushed, we've cooked, we've purchased. We worry that we haven't bought enough, or worry that we've bought too much. We tiptoe through difficult family gatherings and we miss those who are not with us this year. We compare our scantily decorated homes with the house next door. We yearn to make everyone happy... and doubt that we can pull it off. We try our best to keep … [Read more...]
Christmas Laughter!
One of the character traits I especially value is the quality of honesty. So, I'm going to tell you the truth: my blog posting deadline crept up on me. Truly it did. After five straight weeks of illness at our house, followed by a restful week of vacation (Thank You Lord!), I'm back in the saddle at work again. Then it hit me: "Great Scot! I have a blog posting due!" So, rather than faking it, in … [Read more...]
Joy to the World
I grew up in a Southern Baptist church. My father was a pastor and we were blessed to be raised in the faith from our birth. There are many things I love about Southern Baptist life. And there are some things that are just funny memories. Like always singing the 1st, 2nd and final stanza of various hymns. Always. And so, I will never forget being in church on Christmas eve a few years … [Read more...]
One New Habit That has Entirely Changed My Life
I've added one small habit to my day that has entirely changed my life. Seriously. No, it isn't jumping out of bed to do the latest 5 minute exercise fad. It isn't chugging down a veggie-packed juice recipe or learning to use the latest productivity app. Amazingly, it's so easy that I am asking myself why I didn't start doing this simple thing long ago. But how can one small thing—something … [Read more...]