If You Don't Hate Christmas Yet...Guest Blogging Day

If anyone comes to me and does not hate their father and mother, 

wife and children, brothers and sisters

--yes, even their own life--

such a person cannot be my disciple. 

Luke 14:26 NIV

I know, I know...this doesn't SOUND like the start to a post about Christmas-but it's a message that God has been giving me repeatedly in the past week.

It READS as though it's a message of hate...

It READS as though it's contradictory to a commandment about honoring your father and mother...

What it really IS, however, is a statement about how much we have to GIVE UP in order to BE a Christ-follower.  

However much we love our family- We need to love God more.

However much we love our pets-  We need to love God more.

However much we love our job-  We need to love God more.

We need to love God MORE.

We need to love God MORE.

We need to love God MORE.

This is the repeated message that God is delivering to me this holiday season.  Whatever I love in my life, I must love God more.

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Why it's HUMANLY Impossible to be the Parent of a Child with Special Needs ~ Guest Blogging Day

"See now that I myself am he!

There is no god besides me. 

I put to death and I bring to life, 

I have wounded and I will heal,

and no one can deliver out of my hand."

Deuteronomy 32:39, NIV

I can't do this.

I wish I could run away.

I am FAILING at this.

I give up.

I have thought these thoughts before, and perhaps I may again, and it's only through the grace of God that I can get up each morning and muster the energy to make the coffee, shower, smile and go bravely into a brand new day.

I do this for my daughter, my husband and my God.

I do this because I KNOW for a FACT that I AM A WINNER...and I'm ONLY a winner because Jesus Christ died for me and conquered the grave.

BUT WAIT! Let's take a step back.

Why is my life so hard that I may have thought the thoughts that I listed above?

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SMART Goals for Salvation ~ Guest Blogging Day

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Therefore, there is now no condemnation for 

those who are in Christ Jesus. 

Romans 8:1 NIV

As parents of children with special needs, we will often become familiar with the acronyms for so many educational "catch-phrases" or fads. One that I've been looking at lately: SMART Goals. While the term is attributed to a 1980's business writer, it's often also used in education to teach students how to set goals, both short and long term.

Here's how SMART works. When you're setting a goal, you want it to be:

S: Specific
M: Measurable
A: Attainable
R: Relevant
T: Timely

Okay. This looks great when you're talking about a goal like finishing a paper for a class, or losing weight by a certain point in time. But, what about our biggest goal? What about that ultimate goal we know is waiting for us at the end of our life?

Heaven.

How do we set the right goals in order to get to Heaven? What do we need to do?

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The Top Four Phrases I Stole from Jesus ~ Guest Blogging Day

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As a parent of a child with special needs, I have found that many times I can relate so clearly to many of the emotions that Jesus experienced as he walked the earth in the form of a man.  

The fear, the pain, the rejection...so many things that you would never think GOD would experience; and yet, he did, so he CAN truly relate to us in many of our raw and brutal emotions.  

The following are my top four phrases which Christ himself uttered 2,000 years ago; long before I ever did.  And yet, it brings me so much comfort to know that "he gets it."

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What I Learned at the Water's Edge ~ Guest Blogging Day

Then behold, men brought on a bed a man who was paralyzed, whom they sought to bring in a lay before Him. And when they could not find how they might bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the housetop and let him down with his bed through the tiling into the midst before Jesus. When He saw their faith, He said to him, "Man, your sins are forgiven you."

Luke 5:18-20 NKJV

The Child: I shuffle along, kicking up the dry mountain dust, coating my tennis ball in a thick clay-like film. My white cane hits a gnarled tree root that rises up out of the ground. The cane is stuck in the root and its handle slams painfully into the my hip bone. I let out a groan and wince from the sudden jab of pain. I hear my mother inhale sharply in response to this, and know she is frustrated again by the surroundings and the difficulty we are both experiencing.
The Mother: I see my daughter tripping along the rock, rooted, dusty path down to the lakefront. Last night I was in tears in our cabin at camp. I was sweaty, sticky with bug repellant, and tired from the numerous trips to our cabin from the car full of our sleeping bags, pillows, baggage and more. I didn't have a daughter who could carry her own things, so I needed to carry both of our belongings myself.

I was hurt by the "looks" at my daughter from these new peers who did not know her. The looks communicated fear from some and pity from others. None of these felt good to my heart, and I heard the rush of fear rumbling through my head as I experienced a feeling of rejection that I had not known in several years.

Now, the next morning, we are trekking down to the lakefront ahead of the rush of kids in order to try to safely navigate the rocking, dusty, uncertain path straight down into...what? For what? I feel my daughter stumble and my shoulder burns with pain as I squeeze my right hand around her wrist and strain to help her stay on her feet. I take in a sharp breath to try to lessen the intensity of my pain and keep my eyes from tearing up.

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The Divine Call of Dignity ~ Guest Blogging Day

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When he arrived at the house of Jairus, he did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John and James, and the child’s father and mother. Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning for her. “Stop wailing,” Jesus said. “She is not dead but asleep.”

They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. But he took her by the hand and said, “My child, get up!” Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up. Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat. Her parents were astonished, but he ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened.

~ Luke 8:51-56, NIV ~

There is so much to the two stories captured in Luke 8: 40-56.  (I just listened to a sermon on this passage at church this past week, and was completely absorbed in the message.)  We learn about a woman being healed, and a girl being raised from the dead in this very short, concise part of scripture.   

But, these stories didn't speak to me because of the healing or the resurrection...they spoke to me because of what they reveal about the nature of God; that He places a priority on the DIGNITY of each individual, and that He takes into consideration the PLACE that people hold in society. 

HOW ARE WE VALUED IN SOCIETY? 

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Well...I Hadn't Planned on That...~Guest Blogging Day

To humans belong the plans of the heart,

but from the Lord comes the proper answer of the tongue.

All a person’s ways seem pure to them,

but motives are weighed by the Lord.

Commit to the Lord whatever you do,

and he will establish your plans.

Proverbs 16:1-3 NIV

Last year our daughter reveled in the glory of watching the K-Love Fan Awards on TV. We had streamed it through our Apple TV and it was a thrilling experience for her. Considering the fact that she doesn't even like watching MOVIES because they run so long, her staying put long enough to watch an award show for 3-4 hours was a miracle.


This year, we had planned to do the same thing. She had even suggested we use TV trays to eat dinner in the family room while we watched. We were ready for an "easy" night...
A.K.A. TV was going to entertain her, and I was likely going to fall asleep.
My husband, fortunately, realized a couple hours before show time that it was NOT going to be streaming live aside from on the radio station.

Uh-oh. 

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Summers on Owl Lake

Root beer barrels,

Grandpa cleaning fish,

Dancing in the laundry room,

Solid Gold and Hee-Haw.

Dinner at The Anchor Inn, 

Grandma leading devotions,

Swimming in our own lake,

Dallas and Charlies' Angels.

Cinnamon toast in the oven,

Pastor Tom playing flashlight tag,

Playing restaurant in the playhouse,

The Price is Right and The Great Space Coaster.

Ice Cream at the Fancy Freeze,

Annie playing piano at church,

Swinging on the squeaky tires,

The Love Boat and Little House.

Pudding or Push-up Pops,

The Liceas sleeping over,

Petting a white puppy dog named Boomer, 

Guiding Light and Days of our Lives.

Like sands through the hour-glass...

Written in response to TheWritePrompts

My Top 7 Bible Passages to Remember When it's IEP Time ~ Guest Blogging Day

There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under the heavens...

Ecclesiastes 3:1 NIV

It's time for our daughter to transition to middle school.  More so than moving from Wisconsin to Nevada, this transition is taxing on my mental state.  I mean, I'm a substitute teacher, and I SEE the difference between elementary and middle school every day!!!  So, the fact that God has me simmering on some very comforting verses at THIS particular time has been quite helpful and has kept me CLINGING TO his promises.

Here, in no particular order, are my favorite pieces of scripture to remind me of God's love and faithfulness during IEP season and times of transition...

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Saturday's Stuff

Wright Beach, Pacific Ocean

Peering through a lens I see saltwater sprays,
Vultures spread-winged and soaring, 
Diamonds dancing on the blue.

I pull back and see kites that won't fly,
But sand that does,
Artwork created for the water to wash away.

We drive in to the small, sea-side town,
A treasure in a small store off the turn,
And, as always, today is a good day for some taffy.

Through the finger-printed panes I see a sky,
It never meets the water,
But blurs into rippling waves and blue lines of static.

I missed the sunset because I was laughing,
But the sun will set tomorrow too,
And my stomach still aches from the laughter.

Not a dusty blue book on a shelf,
No papers strewn on a countertop,
No worries about who to be when the sun rises in the morning.

Written in response to The Write Prompts

Begin Again ~ Guest Blogging Day

But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him 

and was filled with compassion for him; 

he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

Luke 15:20 NIV

We hear the phrases often:

• It's time for a fresh start...
• It's never too late to begin again...
• Let's go back to the beginning...
• Can I get a do-over?

But, in this life, we are accustomed to TRUE, and REAL "fresh starts" as being few and far between. I mean, how many "fresh starts" do we REALLY get?

Think about it:

• You can retake a class for a better grade, but you still have to pay again.
• You can make bail and get out of jail, but it's probably still on your record.
• You can apologize to someone for a wrong thing you have done, but they will likely remember it and have a hard time rebuilding the trust that was lost.

I am a big fan of fresh starts.  I just re-dedicated myself to a more structured workout program.  I grew "lazy" a couple years ago and started to workout for 15 minutes rather than a half hour, and I was starting to really see the repercussions of that.  I was taking a lot of short-cuts in my workouts and not doing the hard moves in the right way.  I needed to get to a place where I was ready to BEGIN AGAIN.

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Breaking Free

the green dancing leaves

move back and forth in the wind

ready to break free.

Written in response to thewriteprompts.com Poetry Writing Prompt

While I was at the Funeral for My Old Dreams

it was spelled out in black and white...
there was a difference in her DNA...
this would not be a "normal" life for our first and only child...

our life was now a query and a question mark rather than an exclamation with a point.

while i was at the funeral for my old dreams,
jesus came and sheltered me
with loving eyes and gentle hands,
with peaceful breaths and merciful words.

while i was at the funeral for my old dreams,
i slowly realized the new,
dreams don't always come true,
but god's unfolding promises do.

while i was at the funeral for my old dreams,
i knew that he'd designed this beautiful journey,
it would not look like my plan,
my plan was now under the earth, and somehow that didn't hurt.

while i was at the funeral for my old dreams,
i began to smile...one day,
after a while,
i settled into today and suddenly we are miles away from the graveyard where we left the old dreams.

those old dreams do not fit us now anyway...

No One Can Understand You (Part 2) ~ Guest Blogging Day

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When he has brought out all his own, 

he goes on ahead of them, 

and his sheep follow him 

because they know his voice. 

John 10:4 NIV

Have you ever had the embarrassing experience of carrying on a telephone conversation with someone who you THOUGHT was someone else?

Perhaps it doesn't happen quite as much now with caller ID and the use of cellular phones, but there were many times that people would call our house when I was a teenager and mistake me for my sister or mother.

Our voices can get distorted, and there can be noise on the "line" which makes it difficult to tell one voice from another. 

Similarly, my daughter struggles with her speech, and has always had a speech delay. She was diagnosed with speech apraxia at five years old and developed a stutter as recently as 2012. When she was five and received her apraxia diagnosis, the test results showed that she was only understood by a naive listener 12% of the time. Can you imagine that? A five year old who goes through her day being MOSTLY misunderstood?

I still find that I will "translate" her statements to people if they don't know her well because even with years of speech therapy, her communication is something one has to grow accustomed to.

Where am I going with this? 

Continue reading on Comfort in the Midst of Chaos... 

No One Can Understand You (Part 1) ~ Guest Blogging Day

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My son, if you accept my words

and store up my commands within you,

turning your ear to wisdom

and applying your heart to understanding—

indeed, if you call out for insight

and cry aloud for understanding,

and if you look for it as for silver

and search for it as for hidden treasure,

then you will understand the fear of the Lord

and find the knowledge of God.

~ Proverbs 2:1-5, NIV ~

God has been working on a weakness of mine for a long, long time.

So has Satan. 

I would never have thought that my volunteering or using my “gifts” could become stumbling blocks for me, but, whoa, Nelly… did they ever!

Thankfully, a series of sermons, devotions, and passages from books I’ve been reading finally convinced me that I needed to make a change… 

A BIG CHANGE. 

Continue reading on Comfort in the Midst of Chaos... 

Pictures

Sometimes I stare at pictures on the wall and wonder how so much time could have passed so quickly.

I remember that family photo, taken when I was permed and eye-lined; with the coke-bottle glasses and "Life Goes On, Becca" frames.

I remember that trip to Arizona, and Dad all giddy taking close-ups of the cactus.

I remember when Mom went to Florida and came back having seen those ocean sunsets, and she framed one so we could see it too.

Pictures hang on the walls of the homes we inhabit.  

They tell our stories...

We hang the best photos on the walls of our homes...
We post the best photos on the walls of our Facebook...

And that's...OK...

as long as we remember that we ALL edit our photos both inside and out...

Written in response to Flower Print Wall image writing prompt. 

The Gift of Healing ~ A Gift for All? ~ Guest Blogging Day

When Jesus had called the Twelve together,

he gave them the power and authority to drive out all demons

and to cure diseases, 

and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God 

and to heal the sick... Luke 9:1-2 NIV

There it is. Jesus sending out his disciples to proclaim the Kingdom and to heal the sick.

This was not long after he had first chosen his disciples either. They were still pretty rough around the edges.

But, do WE still have the power to heal? Is that just an old "gift" from the days when Jesus was walking the earth and after his death and resurrection to try to garner more followers?I believe we DO still have the power to heal, and I believe we DO all get called to that privilege as disciples of Christ.

Call me a Jesus Freak...but, I do.Back in 2004, my daughter wasn't even 6 months old and she was lying on a table waiting for her second eye surgery. She has glaucoma, and it was roaring like a lion from the time she was just a newborn.

I had my journal with me that day and had started to "prayer journal" the minute the team took her back to put her under. Here is what I wrote:

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I Didn't Find What I was Looking For ~ Guest Blogging Day

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”  Luke 4:18-19 NIV

A couple of weeks ago this passage in Luke piqued my interest in a sermon at church.  It really struck me because, well, my daughter is blind. 

Now, I’ve read plenty of the stories about the blind being healed in scripture, and that has never bothered me.  I’ve never thought, “Why would God heal one blind person here and another here, but not my daughter?”  I already knew that the answer would be, “He has a different purpose for her, and that does not include being healed at this time.”  

But, this particular verse stood out to me as peculiar because it seemed like a type of mission statement for Jesus, yet it seemed quite limited to me in the use of the word BLIND.

Why not say he would heal lepers, raise the dead, and cast out demons?

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Gotta Be Flexible... Guest Blogging Day

Rejoice always, pray continually, 

give thanks in all circumstances; 

for this is God’s will for 

you in Christ Jesus. 

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV

If there's one thing I've learned about being the parent of a child with special needs, it's that I have to be flexible.  Sure, all parents require a  level of flexibility, but I think, especially when your child has an anxiety disorder, you need to be ready to make your current situation "work" to minimize the impact of stressful situations on your child. 

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