I have a confession: I’ve been struggling during my worship service lately. If that sounds strange, please let me explain … From a very early age, I have known that I was created to worship the Lord through song. I knew as a child in elementary school, singing with the children’s choir during church services. In 7th grade, I sang my first church solo. I can clearly remember standing … [Read more...]
Loud and Proud {Guest Post}
Read below for a guest post from Stef McKeever. We are a loud family. When we show up people know it. There is no hiding us. A day in our life may include yelling, "BobGoblin!" (from Nickelodeon's Wallykazam) with the 4 year old and "GOOOOOAAAAALLLL!" during the 2014 FIFA World Cup soccer games with the almost 20 year old. I've even been trying to teach my teenage son with special needs, Evan, … [Read more...]
Special Needs, Special Community
When the young woman flashed me a friendly smile and asked, “How are you?” my involuntary shrug and the words “I’ve been better,” tumbled out before I could stop myself. I could have sworn I meant to offer her the obligatory “Fine,” followed by my typical Sunday greeting smile. My veneer, however, had worn too thin to hide the stress of another morning battle with my son with autism, the young man … [Read more...]
The Power of Laughter: A Story about Holiday Worship Services, an Autistic Son… and Angry Birds
This Sunday, Christian families will take their children to an Easter worship service. Many families will be traveling with plans to visit a church home that is not their own. Other families struggle to find a place where their special needs children are welcomed. Visiting an unfamiliar church, particularly on a holiday, can put a family dealing with autism over the edge. That's why I'm … [Read more...]
The Dirty Job of Special Needs Parenting
“Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.” (John 13:14, NIV) “Bloody noses are just a nuisance,” the hematologist proclaimed. I melted into tears and frustrated anger as we stood there in the exam room, sleep deprived and disheveled, lacking a desperately needed shower. “YOU live with this and see how much of a nuisance this is!” I cried … [Read more...]