Saturday Storytelling...

It's 2011, already!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE !!!

We've been spending a lot of time on the road over the Christmas holidays.  I think everyone ought to log in a few hours on "roadtrips".  There are always some good conversations and some good arguments, just as there are good roads and bad roads along the way.

Special needs families can do the roadtripping too - it's just best to plan ahead and try and think of every contingency.  Now that sounds like something you just put on your to-do list for the trip... but in reality it is bigger than anything else with a checkbox beside it. 

Special needs parents will ask themselves a ton of questions about "what could possibly go wrong?", cover most of them by bringing along things or techniques to manage the possible difficulty, but there will be some things that just slip in with no advance warning... and no matter how experienced the parent is with the needs of the child.

Our last trip included travel through snowy weather which we don't usually see.  Snow came down, it blew around, and it stuck... to everything!  The roads weren't the biggest problem, the temperature was!  Brrrr!!   We were tucking everything we could find around our son with special needs, to keep him warm enough so we didn't have to run the heater on high and toast ourselves crispy!   The problem we didn't foresee was that if (did I say IF?) the son developed a leak in his protective-wear, all of these clothes and fleece items were going to get wet and need to be stored somewhere until we arrived safely at our destination... 

It all turned out okay, though.  We located a large black plastic trash can liner and used that for containing everything.   Never have I been so grateful for our family tradition of marking a black trash bag (filled with Christmas gifts ) with the silver-Sharpie words "NOT Trash!!" 

Meal Preparation Boxes

It turns out that our special needs family has special needs when it comes to mealtimes too. I've worked at keeping items "at-the-ready" for my special needs son for years... yet just recently began to get it together for the rest of us.

Check out Kathi's Oak Hill Homestead blog for more on what I'm doing to organize for success in the area of meal preparation.

"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed,
do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through him."

Colossians 3:17  (NIV)

Stomach virus hits our house...

The stomach bug hit our house this weekend - with great force. Some of us are just making it today, and others are doing better already, although in small measure. Being sick while caring for a special needs family member is a special kind of challenge. And I know I'm blessed to have a hubby who can and will fill in when I need him to.

In the worst of my illness, I was reminded that God cares for me and what I'm going through, even down to when I'm ill and what sort of illness I have, and the challenges my special child brings into this situation. I'm so thankful for having memorized scripture that God brings to my memory at just the right moment, as he did for me on Monday...



"But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows."
(Luke 12:7)

Monday Musings...

Today, I had the privilege of witnessing a "complete turnaround" by my son who'd been having symptoms of vertigo. It was amazingly quick, and was not totally expected, so truly filled my heart with joy! I am SO thankful that the dizzying symptoms have cleared up!

Last week and over the weekend, my son with special needs had been too dizzy to stand alone or to walk straight - even with my help. If he were still a 2-year-old or 5-year-old... it would have presented me with different challenges. But my son is a young adult and, at 3 inches taller than I am, presented me with some maneuverability issues.

I've dealt with his strong seizures and with his weaknesses, but this lack of self-balancing reaction was brand new to both of us. I had to learn quickly and also to act forcefully, which isn't my typical "MO". I'm sure that at times my son was probably confused about why this quiet and gentle mother of his had suddenly become so forceful and insistent that he do things HER way. It was not what he wanted, and not what he had come to expect of me... and definitely NOT fun for him.

My son was in trouble. It was dangerous for him to carry on in "business as usual" mode. Left alone he would fall, bump into walls, miss the chair at the breakfast table, and crash into furniture pieces. I know this because he is harder to manage than he appears to be... and these things happened in the last few days.

Actually my son David normally needs my help, but more from a distance... giving verbal and gentle physical inputs to help him carry on his regular day. Only occasionally do I have to swoop in and "rescue him" from some danger or disaster he is about to cause. These last few days were NOT some of his regular days! I was compelled to come to his rescue often, and even forcefully (when, and in ways, he would not choose). I did it because I love him, and accept my role as his caregiver.

So, the LORD has been speaking to me in the silence these last few days - about HIS love for ME. And even more... about His rescuing me, even when I don't feel I need rescuing... and even forcefully rescuing me, when I am totally unaware of the dangers surrounding me. The LORD used this experience with my son David's vertigo to show me that, although I readily agree and submit as DEPENDENT upon Him(the LORD), the truth of the matter is... I have absolutely NO IDEA just how dependent I really, seriously am. And I have no clear understanding, either, of the magnitude of His love or of the joy He feels for my "recoveries".


My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

"I lift up my eyes to the hills.

From where does my help come?

My help comes from the LORD,

Who made heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot be moved;

He who keeps you will not slumber.

Behold, He who keeps Israel

will neither slumber nor sleep.

The LORD is your keeper;

the LORD is your shade on your right hand.

The sun shall not strike you by day,

nor the moon by night.

The LORD will keep you from all evil;

He will keep your life.

The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in

from this time forth, and forevermore."

Psalm 121 ~ESV

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Monday Musings...

Mondays are often dreaded - but I usually enjoy them. I tell people that I like Mondays since they signal a new beginning. New beginnings are great motivators! Starting the day with a clean slate and increased energy (created by resting on the day before!) can lead to a wonderful and exciting day.

We sure had some excitement today! Our son David had a FLURRY of break-through seizures this morning while he was attending UCP-Birmingham's LINCPoint day hab program. This led to a trip to the ER, as his seizures continued one after the other. His break-through seizures occurred in the process of our neurologist's attempts to manage his many seizure medications.

People who have seizure disorders or epilepsy depend upon medications to increase the threshold at which their seizures occur. Everyone's threshold is different, and everyone's seizure disorder is different. Most neurologists aim to: achieve the least number of seizures ... using the least amount of medicine ...with the least amount of side effects, including loss of alertness or sedation.

This is the direction our neurologist was going when we were told to reduce a drug that turned out to be a necessity for our son. Balancing seizure medications is a very complicated task, especially when you factor in that every person's chemical makeup is different, and their reactions to changes in medications vary so drastically. The tenacity with which our son's personal seizure disorder "sticks in there" also makes the balancing of the goals of fewer seizures, least amount of drugs and side effects VERY difficult. It has always been this way for him, ever since the onset of seizures at 7.5 months of age.

David's seizures today were complex-partial, which is the typical presentation of seizures for him... one part of his body jerks rhythmically while he loses most of his consciousness. It's not pretty. Over the years he has had multiple types of seizures, and has had more seizures than we cared to keep a count of since they topped 3500 back in 1990. They occur MUCH less frequently nowadays, ever since the FDA gave approval in the early 90's for more drug studies in children with epilepsy. Without those "new" drugs, many of which included our son David in their drug studies, David's life would be an entirely different picture. We are SO THANKFUL that the pharmaceutical companies were given opportunity to prove that there were drugs that could help children with seizure disorders. And those same drugs were first made available to the adult population - one which David has now joined.

Life with a child with an intractable(uncontrollable) seizure disorder is never boring, but of course has its ups and downs. Today was definitely not boring... yet our son made it through the overwhelming challenges yet again. He is recovering. What a trooper!

Throughout his life, our son's experiences have pointed out the ways in which the rest of us are really the disabled ones. How many of us could constantly get up and face everyday peacefully and even cheerfully if we had these seizures to deal with? How many of us (who consider ourselves normal) could remain as calm toward those who make remarks or judgment calls toward us because of our differences? How many of us... the questions go on and on endlessly in my head. Whose accomplishments are the greatest - those of a person with much physical strength and mental power... or those with very much less? Can we really view ourselves as better because we can achieve more or "bigger" things... when persons with special needs put forth so very much energy in just achieving the taking of a breath, or the whisper of a word, or the completion of another difficult task. Are any us, deemed to be "normal", proving ourselves to be anything MORE than ... lazy, irresponsible, or ... disabled ?? I think we have a LOT to learn from those we label as disabled.

So today marks another chance for a new beginning. Let's begin today as one who is responsible, as one who is not lazy, as one who makes the most of every opportunity.

"From everyone who has been given much,
much will be required."

Luke 12:48 NAS

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Sunday... Resting and Reading...

Sundays at our house are for resting. We pare down our schedules, and cut out the work load and to-do lists. Not even our son with special needs requires a reminder. It's just what we do.

Attending church, napping, reading and quiet times together... these make up our Sundays.

Even in a restful day it is important to focus on one thing at a time. And today's one important thing is God's word to us, the Bible.

"Your word is a lamp that gives light wherever I walk. "

Psalm 119:105 (CEV)

Monday Musings...

You know how sometimes you get something stuck in your mind and it keeps going round and round... like the lyrics of a song, or the tune itself, or... the last rude thing someone said to you, or vice-versa? Well, this past week I've had a thought that keeps reappearing in my mind, and have finally decided to just deal with it. Sometimes the best way to handle a nagging thought is to just deal with it.

There's a saying from some in my collection of family and friends that goes like this,
"Be where you're at".
I've also heard this thought stated another way,
"Where ever you are, be there".

This thought has been relentless, lately... popping up at various times and in various situations. I have to admit that thinking about it leads me to the desire to make everything in every moment COUNT.

To BE WITH whom I'm with... to LISTEN to the person speaking... to LOOK at who is looking at me... to ENCOURAGE the one who came to me for encouragement... to APPLAUD the one who came deserving recognition or attention... to BE INVOLVED where I am at the moment... to PARTICIPATE in my surroundings. Sounds like a given, but it can be so easy to fall into the rut of "getting things done".

I'm now inclined to reserve the actions of THINKING (as in studying), READING, RECORDING MY THOUGHTS, PLANNING, and ANALYZING things... for those times when I'm alone in the place I have designed for doing these things.

I want to invest my time in the lives of other people when the opportunities arise. Instead of being or appearing preoccupied in the presence of others, I want to BE WITH those I'm with. I want to interact with them, and to encourage them, and to invest in their lives, and to enjoy communication with them.

I want to FOCUS on making an impact, investing my time, right where I am and with whom I am... particularly, and especially, when I want to be somewhere else. Did I just admit that I don't always want to be "where I am"? I think so! And I don't think I'm alone in this either.

A friend of mine brought up the subject today in reference to the fact that, as parents of children with special needs, we have the opportunities to go places and be with people that we never would have been able to go and to be - were it not for our children and their activities relating to their special needs. She's right. We, and our children, are given the opportunities to communicate with and to relate to people whom we (or our children) would never have had the opportunity to meet, otherwise. Rather than chance meetings, interruptions, or hurdles - these opportunities are found to be "divine appointments", indications that God is able and willing to use us in the lives of others.

"But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord.
Always be prepared to give an answer
to everyone who asks you to give the reason
for the hope that you have.
But do this with gentleness and respect,"

1 Peter 3:15 NIV

Anyway...I think there is a lot of good counsel in the statement that popped in and out of my thoughts for days. Though it's not exactly good grammar, it's definitely a statement worth reflection.

"BE where you're at!"

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Restfulness is not laziness...

Sometimes in today's world, we walk a fine line... or think we may. We say we know of the value of a day of rest, but we fear that we are teetering towards laziness if we take more than a few hours "off". Most parents find there is no time to spare or waste, and we as parents of children and adults with special needs find it particularly true. Our experience is that the world has been rewarding hard work and focus while penalizing laziness (or sloth) for a very long time. We may fear that our restfulness is to be treated as slothfulness, and find ourselves juggling responsible work with the need of rest.

I ran across this from Dr. James D. Hegedus, and find it helps put things into perspective...

"Sloth is not restfulness…There is a difference between laziness and restfulness. In the world in which we live restfulness or what the Bible calls “sabbath” is a very healthy necessity. Sloth is not lingering long over lunch with a friend, or strolling aimlessly through the woods with the person we love, or spending a day doing nothing because the demands of your job are about to do you in, or moving through a weekend without the fret of hurry, purpose, or chore, or spending an hour watching a sunset or listening to the sounds of nature, or spending whatever time alone in silence to quiet your spirit and get back in tune with God."

So let's try to remember...

Sloth is laziness...
restfulness is not.

My prayer today is that you find time to spend in rest and silence... to quiet your spirit and get back in tune with God.

"For he that is entered into his rest,
he also hath ceased
from his own works,
as God [did] from his."

Hbr 4:10

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Friday Free Time

It's Friday. I normally schedule myself some free time on Fridays just because I'm not actually free on the weekends. All moms with children can relate, and those with special needs children can really relate. The weekend time schedule is usually more under our own control, but the actual events of the days are definitely not. But that's okay, as long as we schedule ourselves some free time somewhere else in the week. It's important.

Free time activities are really different for everyone, according to our personalities and personal tastes. Here are a few of mine:

• Dining out with my husband
• Talking with my sons, my sons' wives, and my grandchildren
• Reading (especially my Bible and stories about the lives of missionaries)
• Having a bit of quiet time, just to myself... for clear-headed thinking
• Looking at stacks and stacks of photographs of my family
• Planning those "never-gonna-happen" home remodeling projects : )
• Researching fun things to do "someday"
• Taking a walk with my youngest
• and most importantly, spending 'time alone' with God

Hopefully, we are all able to find some free time sometime... and make the best use of it! Which, of course, sort of contradicts the whole idea of "free" time, doesn't it?

If you have some unique ideas of how to use your free time that would be beneficial to parents of children with special needs, I'd love to hear about it! Comments are welcome...and monitored by me to be sure nothing crazy gets posted here to embarrass me or anyone. So, shoot me an email or post a comment here if you have anything interesting that other parents of children with special needs should be doing for rest/relaxation/recuperation! : )

"I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint."

Jeremiah 31:25 NIV

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Tuesday's To Do List...

Today is a day in which I need to get lots of things done. That sometimes seems true for everyday at our house, but for some reason especially today. I'm tempted to just write about those things which could be identified as tasks related to the special needs in the family, but the truth is - I have those tasks plus all the regular or normal or "typical" things to get done as well.

Admitting that my "to do" list is considerably shorter than those parents who are also working in "paying jobs", here it is:

• assist young adult son in getting ready for and physically getting to his day program at UCP LINCPoint - he cannot do either without me
• order refills for the prescription drugs that give my son (and myself) a better life
• call the case worker assigned to my adult son's services through the state's Department of Health, and Department of MHMR which assists those with developmental challenges like my son's - we need her help to resolve a problem we have encountered in "the system"
• call and make a payment on special pharmaceutical drugs that are delivered to our home monthly
• call a friend of mine whom I've been neglecting to call, being sidetracked with life's challenges
• spend time cleaning at least one room of this house
• finish folding the laundry that came out of the dryer yesterday
• call a repairman for the electrical problem that we are having
• call a repairman for the appliance problem that we are having
• plot the appointment dates onto the family calendar - includes MY appointments as well as our son's appointments. I want to see where we can fit in our next trip to see our grandchildren in TX!
• call to cancel the appointment made "automatically" by the medical center's clinic, and reiterate, once again, that we cannot attend appointments on Wednesdays
• pick up the refills of prescription drugs and sort them into several containers that are dated and divided by time of day - so that in our haste we do not forget a dose of one of my son's required medications
• call a brother who is having disturbing vision problems
• pick up my young adult son and come home, an adventure of about an hour and a half
• work a few minutes on the project of getting the filed papers in our home organized - steadily making progress!
• do afternoon skin care routine for our young adult son, and other such required things
• okay, and brush my teeth, take MY vitamins, EAT something, 30-walk on treadmill, and 15 minutes outside for "fresh" air
• oh! THINK OF SOMETHING FOR SUPPER, and go ASAP to purchase the ingredients that I can't find in the pantry

That's quite a list, and it's not everything - since I won't be writing here about a lot of what we do for our son .

I cannot face days like these or any day, alone. I must go now and prepare myself for the day, by reading passages in the Bible and by talking personally with the Lord in prayer. It would be foolish to start any other way!

"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed,
do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through him."

Colossians 3:17 NIV

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! )

Monday Musings...

This weekend we are taking David to camp for a week. It's going to be a little different for us, because we've never taken our son to this particular camp. But it will be a familiar adventure for him, since he's attended camp for the past 11 years, in TX. (We lived there until the fall of 2006.)

Although I am anxious to get some time with my spouse that doesn't include all of the responsibilities of having a son with special needs... I'm feeling a bit timid about the actual process of dropping him off. After all, this camp will be a new experience for our son's parents too! (that's me and my husband, of course!) We don't know the ropes, and we don't know the personnel, and we don't even know for sure the steps through the process.

So many things are like this for those of us who are parents of children who have special needs. Though a thing (camp, in this case) SOUNDS familiar or similar to something other parents have gone through... it might not actually be all that similar. For instance, maybe we will have medications to take with us and to explain to the camp staff, or maybe it will be the behavior of our child with special needs that needs our explanations.

But the other parents who drop off kids at camp, they probably have similar things to explain... and probably even similar feelings. They may feel that they have the SAME feelings about letting their child attend camp. Maybe it's a time of rejoicing that they'll have some peace and quiet; maybe it is that they'll get to do something that they can't do easily with their children along; or maybe it's that they are happy to be able to provide an adventure for their kids that the kids would otherwise not have. This is all similar to what parents of children with special needs feel... and yet it doesn't end there. But wait... oh, wait a minute!

Is it possible that parents of children with special needs don't understand what parents with what is referred to as "typical" children go through either? Isn't it really possible that, from either side of the coin, we do not have a clear view of the OTHER side? Isn't it possible that things, which each set of parents take for granted or worry about, are just as hard to conceive of whether you have a typical child or one who has special needs?

I'm not trying to say that one of these kinds of parenthood is easier or more difficult. ALL parenting is difficult. I'm trying to address an issue about whether or not BOTH kinds of parents are receiving the kind of encouragement and assistance that they need in order to be successful. Isn't it possible that by separating ourselves into different "camps" that we are indeed making it more difficult? Could it be that we might actually learn something from each other... across these boundaries that we have imagined between our groups?

I have friends who feel comfortable stating that they are in one or the other group of parents. I also have friends who are parents that have both kinds of children - those with special needs and those who are labelled "typical". What I see with these parents is that they know this: Parenting is one area of life where even the kinds of needs our children have doesn't change one important guideline for supporting others (our children, friends, or anyone!)... that of being considerate and understanding. We can be of such great encouragement to each other if we only could resist separating ourselves into different "camps"!

"Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. "

Romans 12:15
(New American Standard Bible)

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A special THANKS to all my friends out there...
YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!!! : )

And for the record,
I'll be REJOICING this week - all week long,
and even into next week!

with much JOY,

CAROL

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My Hiding Place...

The LORD God is... my hiding place.

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"You are a hiding place for me;
you preserve me from trouble;
you surround me with shouts of deliverance. "

Psalm 32:7 (ESV)

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"You have been a refuge for the poor,
a refuge for the needy in his distress,
a shelter from the storm
and a shade from the heat."


Isaiah 25:4 (NIV)

Monday Musings...

This past week was a long week for me. My husband was out of town all week helping our oldest son with a few projects at their new house in TX. I was at home with our youngest son who has special needs. I was also NOT in TX where my two young grandchildren live. So time seemed to pass more slowly than it normally does.

Many things happened during the week to keep me extra-busy with caregiving chores for my 25-yo young-adult son... and so it was indeed a challenging week. In addition to the unexpected things that came up, some of our most-repeated challenges were especially challenging this week. But nothing happened that surprised the Lord, of course... and He had, in fact, prepared us ahead of time to be able to take care of those things that came up. God is so good!

And God is also ESPECIALLY good! He provided help for me for two days of the week, from my husband's mother. She is the family's "Energizer bunny", and a true blessing. Additionally the Lord provided an element of surprise. In more ways than one! : )

One of my nicer surprises was that I received a phone call from a friend from our church in TX. She was coming to Birmingham for a baby shower and would have time to visit with me on Saturday! Wonderful! I have missed my church friends from TX so very much since our move 3 years ago, and making contact with one of them is always a treat. And, during this challenging week, I not only got to hear from one of my friends from the past... I got to invite her into my home to sit and have a little bit of conversation with her! It was particularly encouraging to me!

God knows our needs. He doesn't need us to itemize them for Him on some sort of holy to-do list. In fact, that is FAR from what we need to do. What we need to do is to talk to Him regularly in prayer. In speaking to Him (prayer), we need to voice our awe at His unique position as God of all. As we talk with Him about our inadequacies, we need to commit to trusting Him to provide for the needs. And we need to share our thankfulness with Him. And when we've talked to Him this way, it is quite natural to share with Him the challenges that we see others around of us facing, too.

This week, amidst my own challenges, I did spend time talking with the Lord. And as a result, I think I was able to face the week without crumbling... and to lift up to Him the needs in the lives of those around me, asking Him to sustain them as well. And I know He did.

So how'd your week go? I'd love to hear about it in the
comments section... or in a private email if you wish to use that method.
Let's stay in touch, sharing this life and blessing the Lord together.

" Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever Amen."

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Revelation 7:12

Free time, and freedom...

Monday night I went to a meeting that I wanted to attend. You may think this statement "odd" - especially if you don't know much about families with special needs. But to families like mine, it's understandable. Our ability to freely make plans (and our ability to follow through on those plans!) is somewhat restricted by the responsibility we have for our family members who have special needs.

My husband raced home from work Monday in order that I might leave our home in time for that meeting. We make these adjustments frequently and so do other parents of children with special needs. Of course, all families make adjustments in their lives while the children are young, and even continue making adjustments until the children are grown and have lives of their own. But, for some children with special needs - the growing up process and the moving out process are not automatic, and their parents face a much greater responsibility. I am so thankful that my husband and I face this responsibility together.

I did get to attend that meeting on Monday night, and was greatly blessed by going. My "free time" was especially fulfilling. And yet I was greatly blessed in my homecoming as well, for my husband was there with our son... waiting for me. There's a lot to be said for "family". Even with all of our different personalities, our individual quirkiness, and our special needs - we are a family, held together by love.

It's like that in God's family too! This body of Christian believers, varied though we may be, make up the family of God and are united by our love. We must remember to:

"Be good friends who love deeply;
practice playing second fiddle."

Romans 12:10 ... THE MESSAGE

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CAR TROUBLE...

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I drive a minivan.

There... I've said it. It's not your most bragged-about vehicle, but I probably would brag about mine except that people would think I'm crazy. After all, what would make a woman who is "50-something" ever WANT to drive a minivan? You see... my days of carting youngsters to baseball and soccer fields, and teens to driver's ed. and band practices are over! My three sons are all grown-ups now.

However, my youngest son has special needs, lives at home with us, and is dependent upon me for his transportation. The minivan fits my son's abilities and his accessibility requirements. So... I drive the minivan, thankful that one of life's hurdles to my son's independence is made easier.

This morning on the way to David's day hab program, I felt the car engine "knocking" (or so I thought) and sighed, thinking that I needed to set up an appointment at the dealer. I don't have a lot of extra time, and none that I'd want to spend it a the dealer's repair shop. But I'd already envisioned myself there. Then I turned to glance into the back seat where David rides, and this is where I burst into laughter. : )

As it turned out, the "lags" in my van's engine were being caused by my son - not really an engine problem at all. You see, David was keeping time to the music on the radio, leaning forward and backwards with what resembles rocking motions. This is his method of keeping time with the music, and he is very precise with this "nodding" to the beat.

But today he was "really into it", swaying forward almost to his knees then swaying to the back of his captain's chair before swaying forward again. Listening to the radio, David was worshipping along with his all-time favorite artist, Michael W. Smith, to the song "A New Hallelujah". David's friend Clayton also loves worship songs from "Michael W.", and is probably worshipping along with him this week... and so are many others of us, including his mother.

Indeed, "Let the song arise"!

"Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all the earth."

Psalm 96:1

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Change of plans...

Once again, we had to change our plans for the day...

Our son David had a seizure this morning as I helped him get dressed for his day. His seizures are pretty vigorous and take a lot out of him. So it's underrstandable that he requires sleep after them.

Anyway, we had a different day than what we expected. I had a day of errands planned, which had to be postponed; and David's plans had to be changed also. Typically, David attends a Day Hab Program every weekday... but not today. Today David spent his time spent resting and sleeping.

I filled my day with things that I would have done while at home in the evenings. My errands will get done another day. One thing we definitely have learned in dealing with our son's epilepsy is to be flexible... we always have a "Plan B".

On Thursday's I typically post a note to the blog called my Thankful List.
This Thursday, I am only adding one item to my list... there'll be more next week.

This week, I'm truly thankful for David's day habilitation program.
The program David attends on weekdays is UCP-Bham's Adult Program at LINCPoint. It's available for young adults with developmental disabilities in the Birmingham area. Our young adults with developmental disabilities are included in one or more of the various things available through UCP. It is an excellent program... with so much to offer!

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Communication...

More opportunities for communication! This is something we continually need for our son with special needs.

We got to go out to Texas when our grandchildren were born in October. But we hadn’t been able to visit our grandson Austin and his parents since Austin was just 3 days old - the day our granddaughter Megan was born!


Thankfully, for Christmas, our brand-new grandson got to come from Houston to visit his Granny, Granddaddy and "Uncle Dave”. We were able to get a photo during one of the moments of communication between Austin and his Uncle Dave.

A picture is worth a thousand words...

"Jesus said,
"Let the little children come to me
and do not hinder them,
for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven."

Matthew 19:14

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Sunday - Sleepless night

Have you ever had a sleepless night? I had one recently... although typically I don't have these. I was reminded of the old claim that reading one's copy of the Bible is the fastest way to go to sleep if you've "tried everything else". Not that I had tried everything else, mind you - but I had tried hot tea, and a couple of other things.

I think it interesting that sleep-deprived friends and family members always seem to think that they are the first ones who discovered that "little-known fact" about the benefit of reading the scripture. Actually, the practice of reading scripture after we've discovered we cannot return to sleep is something that was done in the time of Queen Esther of the Old Testament! It seems that the king himself was suffering from the frustration of sleeplessness, and had the scriptures brought to him and read to him in the middle of the night.

"That night the king could not sleep; so he ordered the book of the chronicles, the record of his reign, to be brought in and read to him."

Esther 6:1 ~ ESV

Every parent with children, and maybe especially those parents with children who have special needs, have faced that kind of frustration with the sleeplessness that follows our awakening to care for our little loved ones. It is no better tolerated when we wake up for no good reason and find our sleep hindered than it is when we were awakened for an honorable reason (preschooler who needs consoling, infant who needs to be fed, or for welcoming an older teen or spouse coming in much delayed). You'd think that we'd initially have think to implement our idea of scripture reading, since we have noted that it seems to have an effect upon us.

The question I'd like to ask is this...
If the reading of the scriptures actually does bring restful sleep to us in those frustrated evenings or wee hours of the morning... whose idea do you suppose it was for us to think of and to read the scriptures? Ours - or HIS?

Don't you think it's quite possible that our seemingly random sleeplessness is not a misfortunate adversity but rather an appointed time of communication with the Lord of our lives? Could that sleepless hour (or two or three!), actually be God's calling out to us - wishing to fill us with HIS Words?

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