Disability/Special Needs
Hope Renewed—Disability Through a God Lens
Your daughter has Velo-cardio Facial Syndrome (VCFS). The report was in. Our daughter had a lifelong disability. I held onto the words as the unusual gift they were: dreaded relief. Finally, what we’d been waiting two years for: a reason for Rachel’s global delays. In some ways it was a sentence. Almost a pronouncement of…
Essential Parts of the Orchestra [you and me]
They dance delicately in the breeze, brilliant yellow, snowy white. Leafy greens dare to be declared less lovely. Bees flit from blossom to blossom. An array of distinct splendors woven together into a tapestry of beauty. Each quite unique, different in the core of their being, but in concert, they sing a glorious chorus. Who…
Delightfully Unique: It Applies to All of Us
We are all created delightfully unique. During a conversation with a dear lady from church last night, I was transported back in time to when my daughter was little. It allowed me to reflect on how I’ve changed in those years, maturing in my understanding of how Jesus sees us. While the early years of…
Unveiled
Smiling faces light up the stadium. Genuine I’m-having-the-time-of-my-life smiles not fake I’ll-smile-because-I-should kind. Nearly every participant displays such a grin. Laughter and squeals of delight intermix with “Good job!” “Nice try!” and “You can do it!” I am welcomed into the world of Special Olympics and real people! And the weight of a difficult week…
He Will Show Up!
Kindred spirits. Shared experiences. Cleansing moments. A God who will show up. Friday and Saturday I attended a Parents as Presenters (PasP) Workshop. This year I was attending as an alumnus and was helping coach and mentor attendees as they learned to present their stories of raising a child/children with disabilities. I long looked forward…
Tending His Garden
To most, it’s just a bed of weeds. To some, a waste of time. To others, a distraction from more important obligations. To me, though, “Pooh Garden” is sacred. For this is where I have pastured all of my hopes and dreams for Rachel. Sown with love. Watered with tears. Cultivated with tender smiles and…
Taking the Next Step
Such a little thing but with great meaning … and Rachel did it! For more than a week we have been preparing—Lori (Rachel’s school paraprofessional) and me. We’ve been preparing for a presentation Rachel would be giving to her entire class. The kicker was that in the five years she’s had her communication device, my…
Releasing
Daniel, our firstborn, is a high school senior! Wow, does that trigger conflicting feelings. Intermingled with the excitement for what God has in store for him, is an acute sense of loss as I anticipate how our family will change with him living many hours away at college. As I reflect on his life, pictures…
Speak Up!
This past Tuesday, I attended a meeting with all of the staff that will be working with Rachel this year. That included six general education teachers, her special education teacher, three state education agency personnel, the principal, counselor, her one-to-one paraprofessional, and another paraprofessional that will be working with her at times. The reason for…
The Race for Life Begins
If you have ever experienced the birth of a baby, you know what an incredible event that is! It is truly amazing, a miracle of the greatest magnitude, when 23 chromosomes from a father join with 23 chromosomes from a mother to form a unique, new biologic entity (embryo) that has a gender and is…
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Hello, I'm Julie, an imperfect wife and mother of four. Life in this broken world is not always easy. Yet, joy can be found in each day through the grace and mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ.
I find it's easy for our day's blessings to get lost in its happenings. But God's "mercies never end" (Lamentations 3:22) and His "grace is sufficient" (2 Corinthians 12:9).
May the posts and pages on this site offer you a measure of peace and encouragement.
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