Rest... and Relaxation...

Last Friday I had planned to upload photos from various stages of my son David's life. He's had numerous challenges in life - these pictures show him having fun, making faces, working hard, and goofing off - all through the stages of his life. Things didn't go exactly according to plan... but I did get started on the scanning process, and those photos will appear on the blog EVENTUALLY. : )

However, THIS WEEK is time for resting... for Mom and Dad, and also for David. He is attending camp for adults with special needs at a wonderful site in Alabama. You can check on the web for photos of the camp and campers this week on their website... Camp ASCCA. What a great group of campers, counselors and staff!!! Thanks, Camp ASCCA, for the fun the campers will experience, and for the respite for parents and families.

"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest."

Matthew 11:28

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DAVID TURNS 25 TODAY!!!

It seems impossible. My youngest son is turning 25 … TODAY!

There are lots of reasons I could give for this feeling of impossibility, and many people would instantly identify. However, not so many people would guess correctly the main reason for my feeling this way. You see, on my birthday twenty-three years ago, my husband and I were told that David had less than a year to live. He had been diagnosed with a terminal disease. Nothing in life has been as painful as that moment.

But … David is turning twenty-five today!! YES ! I’m writing today to outwardly proclaim what I’ve been proclaiming inside for the past 23 years: PRAISE GOD for willing that there be a life for this young man, David Allison! His life has changed mine.

I hope you will PRAISE GOD with me for the impact that he and his life have had upon others: our family, our church family, our friends, his friends, and his doctors and teachers. There isn’t anyone who has known David, really known him, who won’t recognize this delighted grin in his pictures below…

So, because the earlier diagnosis was actually incorrect, as discovered by an outstanding doctor (his very own pediatrician from birth)... David has lived to celebrate many birthdays, and TODAY is his 25th!

Praise God for people who do the very best they can at their job… every day! One day, one little “no-longer-significant” blood test provided the information that gave my son his life back. Someone took their responsibility seriously! May we all learn from this, and put everything we have into everything we do. Daily. Someone’s life may depend upon it!

And what a life it has been!! YES, filled with ups and downs! Whose life isn’t? YES, costly in the financial sense. Whose life isn’t? But what a life he has had – fitting in fun whenever he could… garnering pet names for himself, such as Davey-Wavey, Pretzel-Man, Seabiscuit, and now the grown up “Uncle Dave”.

TOMORROW, I'll post his story in pictures - as a part of our celebration!

SO… WILL YOU CELEBRATE DAVID’S 25th WITH US??

In asking you to join in our celebration, please remember that David doesn't need any gifts for his birthday. He doesn’t really want them . He isn’t into THINGS… unless they are chocolate or music - he is only interested in experiencing those, not stockpiling them!

Instead… to those of you who DO know David, or who know OF David, or who have grown to LOVE David… maybe you'd consider contributing a token amount to just one of the following groups, programs, ministries, churches, or facilities. They ALL do an outstanding, remarkable, and NECESSARY job of helping those who need a little help (or a lot!). It'd be great to know that some of these people and organizations would be receiving needed funds to carry on their work with and for people with special needs. David would love that!

How about donating, perhaps 25 dollars (or 25 cents!), to an organization or group that is working to help families and individuals who have special needs? Take a look below at the ones which have directly impacted David’s life.

SPIRITUAL Opportunities…
*Special Connections Ministry at Briarwood Presbyterian Church, in Birmingham, AL
... David’s current church friends - providing Sunday School class, friendship, and activities
*The JOY Ministry at Graceview Baptist Church, in Northwest Houston (Tomball, TX)
... David’s church friends, TX - provided him Sunday School, Bible Study, and a Christian Day Hab experience (prior to 2006)
* Sylvania Church, in Tyler TX
... David’s first experience of acceptance and accommodations in a church class … please give in honor of Dona Stone, his first teacher - she welcomed him with open arms!

EDUCATIONAL and CONTINUING EDUCATIONAL Opportunities…
*LINCPoint, by UCP-Birmingham – providing a wonderful set of programs - including the Day Habilitation Program which David currently attends weekdays
*St. Louis School - Wayne D. Boshears Center for Exceptional Programs -giving children with special needs a sense of independence and freedom within appropriate educational settings, and providing therapies and so much more for children with severe disabilities and special needs. (David attended 1992-2000)

RECREATION Opportunities
*Camp CAMP, in TEXAS (David is an 11-year veteran “special” CAMP-er!)
*Camp ASCAA, in ALABAMA (David attends for the first year this year!)
*Special Olympics bowling team – “The JOY Angels “from Graceview Baptist Church

MEDICAL Support and Opportunities…
PLEASE support the Children’s Hospitals…
in TX, AL, or ANY Children’s Hospital near you!

*UT-HSC, Univ. Texas Health Science Center - Houston, TX … provided research benefits, hospitals, and healthcare to David… 2000-2006.
*UAB Clinics and Hospital - Birmingham, AL … providing research benefits, hospital and healthcare to David… beginning 2006.

Thank you for your generosity!
And whatever you decide to do,

Please... tell them,
“David sent me”!

(Replies and comments are welcome. REPLIES to emails containing this information should be sent to: DavidAllison.turns25@yahoo.com COMMENTS to the blog will be monitored, but WILL show up later! : ) Please do not add more than one comment! )

Sunday, and Rest

Rest is underrated. These past few weeks as I recovered from surgery on my toe, I found that rest is not a luxury; it is indeed a necessity which I have all too frequently ignored. I am not talking about mere sleeping (which is actually another necessity for life that I've taken way too lightly and far too often). What I am talking about is sheer REST. Rest is to relax, to take respite, to take a break or to STOP. Do we know how to do this in American culture today? I don't think some of us allow for this thing which the Lord says is necessary!

As a parent of a son with special needs, I often use the excuse that I simply do not have the time for resting. I get caught up in the long list of things "yet to be done". Everyone knows what I am talking about here. We all fall into this trap. The fact of the matter is that REST is more necessary than the items on the to-do list or the daily routine list for our child with special needs. The Bible tells us to rest on the Lord, to lean on Him, and to stop… or take a break. Moreover, it is explained to us that we must rest even during the busiest and most vital work weeks of our lives!

"Six days you shall labor, but on the seventh day you shall rest; even during the plowing season and harvest you must rest." Exodus 34:21

Sunday is the day I have chosen for resting. Prior to my recent surgery I haven't actually done much resting routinely… instead I have struggled with the things like my to-do list, and my son's unpredictable needs, and the rush of trying to get everything done on the weekend. While recuperating in my bed for two weeks, I have been impressed to WORK more at RESTING. Sounds like an oxymoron doesn't it? It is not. Resting is actually something you do, as opposed to something that happens to you as you sit doing nothing.

Resting is trusting in the Lord and the Lord's plan for your life. That takes action! Resting is laying aside the things that you DO, and choosing to separate yourself from those things (and those lists of things!) and meditating on (or thinking about) the ways of God. That takes concerted action! Resting is releasing yourself from the driven pace, and relaxing. That takes a change of action. Resting is putting aside YOUR OWN agenda for HIS. That takes self-control… and that's action!

As Sunday arrives this week, think about putting aside your to-do list… think about RESTING, in Him.

"'Sabbath' means rest, and the meaning of the word gives a hint as to the true way to observe the day. God rested after creation, and ordained the Sabbath as a rest for man."
- D.L. MOODY, Weighed and Wanting