ADD Spells Red

As many of you know, I’ve published a novella based on a modern-day retelling of Beauty and the Beast. This is part of a larger project with my critique partners, June Foster, Gail Pallotta, Vanessa Riley and Mildred Colvin. Today, June Foster is going to share a little of what she learned about ADD while researching her character, Red, for her novella, Red and the Wolf. Oh, how I relate!

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ADD Spells Red

Do you find yourself constantly late, overwhelmed by everyday jobs, forgetful, or disorganized? Are you ready to tear your hair out? Don't go bald. You might be struggling with Attention Deficit Disorder which affects adults as well as children. As an adult, the more responsibilities you have in your life, the greater the struggle.

In my fairytale novella Red and the Wolf, which is based on Little Red Riding Hood, Lilly Hood is a journalist who struggles with ADD. In doing research for her character, I discovered some interesting facts including the most common symptoms.

ADD adults can "zone out" even in the middle of a conversation. They're not trying to be rude but just can't help it sometimes. They might be reading the most fascinating book yet find it hard to focus. Frustrating. Overlooking details and finishing a task, another ADD symptom, can be a detriment to one's career. Lilly Hood, reporter for the Daily Scoop in Fairwilde, Alabama, would agree.

If you know someone who has begun multiple projects that remain unfinished, it's possible your friend could be plagued with ADD symptoms, since procrastination is another issue. Poor self-control and reckless or spontaneous behavior without regard for the consequences is an additional indication. In Red and the Wolf, heroine Lilly Hood displays one more common symptom—she can't keep her mouth shut. She constantly delivers a stream of words and conversation, especially when boyfriend Hunter Woods is trying to kiss her. What's she afraid of?

In doing research, I discovered an interesting concept. ADD adults can channel their symptoms into positive outcomes. There's hope. Since ADD people are high-energy and good brainstormers, they are capable of working long hours on a task. They always have a surplus of ideas, creativity, excitement, and interest to add to the mix. Too, they are flexible, results-oriented, and independent. So there is a bright side to Attention Deficit Disorder. Just ask Lilly Hood when she's not afraid to climb a tree and text her boyfriend for help after she's pursued by a vicious bear in the forest.

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June Foster is a retired teacher with a BA in Education and a MA in counseling. June has written four novels for Desert Breeze Publishing. The Bellewood Series, Give Us This Day, As We Forgive, and Deliver Us, and Hometown Fourth of July. Ryan's Father is available from WhiteFire Publishing. Red and the Wolf, a modern day retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, is available from Amazon.com. June loves to write stories about characters who overcome the circumstances in their lives by the power of God and His Word. June uses her training in counseling and her Christian beliefs in creating characters who find freedom to live godly lives.

Red and the Wolf

Newspaper reporter Lilly Red Hood forgot her dinner date with handsome Hunter Woods, thanks to ADD she's had since childhood. In Hunter's absence fellow reporter Wolf Skinner moves in with less than honorable intentions. When Lilly gets lost in the Alabama forest, which of these gentlemen will be her hero?

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Other posts you might like:

When You Don’t Fit the Mold—By Rachel Phifer

D is For Dyslexia—By Molly Noble Bull

I’m Dyslexic—By Jane Perrine

Prayers for Those with Autism

One of my most read posts, and consequently, most commented on, is “Can God Heal Autsim?” It seems many people are dealing with this issue and would like answers as to what God’s role is in the whole affair. I’m not going to tell you the answer because I don’t feel there is only ONE. God deals with each and every one of His Creations differently. He made us unique. He will treat us as such.

Still, I know God CAN heal autism. I also know that He can do miraculous things THROUGH autism, as He has for my family. Either way, it’s best for all of us if we invite God into the process of our lives so He can work as He deems best. To trust in HIM.

In the above mentioned post, I ask my readers to pray for my son (who has autism), and I promise to pray for their afflicted child, as well. And I do. Many have left comments to tell me of their children. Others have emailed me. So today, I’m going to do that again.

Out loud this time!

Please join me in praying for these children, their families and the many others struggling with this disorder. Pray for healing, pray for patience, pray for resources, pray for answers. Pray that we see God in the process and know that He is Good.

Pray! It’s the most powerful thing you can do!

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Dear Lord,

We thank you that you are an intimate part of each of our lives. Not You and a crowd of believers, but You and ME, You and Bridgette, You and Hannah, You and Des, You and Aida, You and Rebekah.

You and each and every one of us—individually. You treat us as the unique creation we are, not as others want us to be.

We thank you that you watch over our needs and give us what is best. We thank you for the many others who commented on the previous post with thoughts, prayers and resources—Albert Soo, Hannah Lim, Thomas Wagner and those who did not leave their name. We thank you for the many who have prayed. We praise you that you created believers who care!

Please, dear Lord, we ask that You will continue to show Yourself in our lives, that you will bless all our children and cause them to know You as well. We ask that You will give us the resources for the jobs you have mapped out for us.

Give us peace, give us guidance, give us Your Joy!

Lord, please show us how to pray for our family. The Bible tells us Your Holy Spirit translates our groans into prayer. I’m groaning Lord! Know my heart. I know You do. Thank You for that.

And as always, Lord, I pray you will heal my son. I pray You will give him words to speak so he can tell me all that is on his heart. I pray for all the others who are dealing with the troubling effects of this disorder. I pray for those who’ve requested prayer from me and my readers, those who have the disorder: Matthew, James and Rashad, and the many who did not leave a name. I pray these families will see Your work in their lives today and know it is REAL.

I pray this in Your Holy Son’s name, Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior!

Amen.

How the Story of Rudolf Is Like the Body of Christ

Rudolf The Red Nosed Reindeer. This is such a great story!!!

Why do I love it so much?

Is it the awesome animation, groovy-hip music, the rounded characters and superb acting?


Actually, it’s the theme of discovering the personal characteristic that makes us feel like a misfit is actually what God gave us as a gift. Like the Body of Christ.

Think about it.

Rudolf’s weird nose saves Christmas. The elf who doesn’t want to build toys, can fix teeth. The Abominable Snowman is the only one tall enough to place the star on the tree and was trained by the gold miner who couldn’t seem to find gold. Lastly, who better to find homes for the Misfit Toys than those who are misfits themselves?

This is how God uses us, as different members of the Body. If you question this idea, read the stories in the Bible. The small shepherd boy who defeats a giant and becomes a warrior king. The man “slow of speech” speaks to Pharaoh. The carpenter’s son (or so it was thought) is truly the Son of God.

We are all gifted by Him to be used for His purposes. When we use them for ourselves, they become a deficit. When seen in light of God’s Will, He will make them our strength!

It’s funny how we often can’t recognize our own gifts. We’ve lived with them all our lives, take them for granted, and don’t realize others are not gifted similarly. Unfortunately, when we do notice others lacking of our gift (the one we take for granted), we see it as a deficit, rather than recognizing their complementary skills. That’s why my other favorite Christmas movie is It’s a Wonderful Life. A movie about a man who’d only done what he knew was right all his life, not realizing his impact, until one day an angel showed him.

There are many George Bailey’s in our world. You could be one of them.

I pray for you all this season, that you will open a most precious gift—the one God gave you for His purpose. It’s a one-of-a-kind, especially made for only you. You’ll love it when you recognize it, because it will bring you lots of happiness when you use it. However, when you use it for Him, it won’t just make you happy …

It will bring you Great, Soul-stirring Joy!

Other posts you might like:
When You Don’t Fit the Mold—by Rachel Phifer
How One Small Girl Inspired a Ministry of Access
A No-Matter-What Kind of Joy

Such As These

Years ago, the church I belonged to had a Layman’s Sunday, when the clergy would allow members of the church-body to run the Sunday Service. On one of these Sundays one member of the church shared the story of his family’s conversion to Christianity.

His family was not a church-going one. However, he had a mentally-challenged brother who lived in a home with adults like himself. Family members would visit this brother at this home, but they would never find him there on Sunday mornings. That was the day he attended church. No one at the home prompted him to go. He did it on his own.

Eventually, family members wanted to see what it was that drew him there, and also wanted to use this time to spend with him. So they attended too. One by one they began to go to church on their own, and one by one they developed a new appreciation for the God who created them.

What a wordless witness this mentally-challenged man was. An empty vessel, as God wants all of us to be. Living his faith for his siblings to see and copy. We should all be so gifted.

…the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it. Mark 10:14b-15 NIV.

Am I An Autism Mom or the Mother of a boy with Autism?

 

Being that it is April, Autism Awareness Month, and I have a child with autism, I am compelled to write—once again—on this topic. I never set out to write about autism. I’m hardly an expert. But it seems that’s what you do when faced with this disorder on a daily basis.

I don’t usually share information about my son’s diagnosis right away when I first meet people—that is, unless he is standing next to me making continual truck noises, and not responding to the person’s greeting. Then, I have to explain, he is not being rude, he’s autistic. However, if I meet you—sans son—I’d rather you not know this little piece of information. Not because I’m embarrassed by it. Only because it suddenly becomes the lens from which people view me once they find out.

“My son’s autistic,” I mention, for whatever reason.

“You should meet so-in-so,” they always respond.

I want to ask why, but hold my tongue. I know this happens because the person wants to connect me with a potential resource. However, let me tell you, I have more resources than I need, and would like to sometimes connect with others based on issues rather than my son’s diagnosis. And just like there is more to my son than his disability, there is more to ME than his disability.

A couple weeks ago, during the hand-shaking/greeting portion of our church service, a lady in front of us held her hand out to my son. I informed her, the reason he did not shake hands was because he was autistic. Yes, maybe I should take the opportunity to teach my son to greet properly in these moments, but I am unsure about forcing the greet-ee to partake in such an activity, so I don’t. After the service, the woman, who I’d never met before, asked me how things were going with the autism. Honestly, at present, they are no worse than what the average parent has in dealing with an adolescent boy. In fact, I sometimes think I have it easier! However, feeling I had to speak for the whole of my parent group (those with disabled children), I said something like, “As well as they can be.”

You see, had I said “wonderful, fantastic” (having God in my hip pocket and all) I’d be giving the impression we had no issues due to this diagnosis. Why is this a problem? Because it is untrue. There are real challenges the average person has no clue about and I’d love for that person to keep “autie families” in mind when they encounter us or make plans that might include us. Simple things like taking a young man to a public restroom (with his mother) are suddenly not so simple. Thank goodness many public facilities now have Family bathrooms, but when they don’t, I have to endure the scowls of lines of women using the restroom, and am forced to explain to each and every one of them why my fifteen year old son is in there with me.

Still, saying things are awful feels inaccurate as well. My son is more than an autistic boy. He is a sweet, kind and helpful young man—when he understands. He’s blessed my life in so many ways, and I am grateful for him. To only see him in light of his disability, only speaking of him in those terms, is somehow incomplete. Yet that is all people ask about.

Don’t get me wrong. I don’t care about whether you call my son an “autistic boy” or “a boy with autism.” Those are only words to me. What I want instead is for people to treat him (and to some degree me) as more than just that thing.

Other posts you might like:

Jake the Encourager

Young Life for Teens with Special Needs

Be His Witness By Demonstrating His With-ness

Young Life for Teens with Special Needs

On March 20, 2011 my husband, Kelly, and I got married and began our life in Howard County, Maryland. My husband grew up in Howard County but it was a new area for me and I really didn’t know many people. Some of the first people that I met were through our church Grace Community.

One of the families that I remember meeting were the Judges. We met Katie and Robert Judge (parents to Ben, Sarah and Rebecca) when we saw them at a tree farm in December getting their Christmas tree. We had recognized them from Grace and introduced ourselves. As we got to know the Judges, Katie shared with me about her daughter Sarah. One of the things that weighed heavily on Katie’s heart was that when her daughter would turn sixteen she would not be able to have a sweet sixteen party. Something so simple, yet so precious. It’s those little things that often get taken for granted. The reason that Katie said Sarah would never have a sweet sixteen is because Sarah has Autism. And in the world of teens with disabilities, opportunities to make friends and have a real social life are rare. “Who would come to the party,” Katie said, “her teachers?”

Six months prior to this conversation Kelly and I had felt the Lord calling us to start a ministry in Howard County called Young Life Capernaum. Young Life is an outreach ministry for high school students. Young Life is not affiliated with any one church but instead Young Life leaders go into the high schools. Young Life leaders go where kids are. They go to them on their turf, in their world, to build authentic relationships—relationships that take a lot of time, trust, and consistency. These leaders spend countless hours with these teens where they are, as they are. They model Christ’s love through these relationships so they can ultimately share Christ with these teens. These relationships are the key to Young Life. Young Life also has three programs to help build relationships and share about Christ. The first program is called Club. It is a weekly outreach program filled with two hours of fun, laughter, skits, singing, and games. At the end of each club a Young Life leader gives a talk that progresses through the gospel. For teens that have a relationship with Christ or who are interested in learning more, there are weekly Bible studies called Campaigners. Also, during the summer there are Young Life camp trips which are honestly the best week of their lives.

Over the years some branches of Young Life have developed that are specialized to meet the needs of different populations. For example, there is Wyldlife for middle schoolers, Younglives for teen moms, and Vida Joven for the Hispanic community.

Another one of these branches is Young Life Capernaum. Capernaum is a Young Life outreach ministry for high school students with disabilities. In Capernaum, we believe that teens with disabilities have the right to live life as God intended them—life to the full. So everything that we do from the action packed clubs, to our Bible studies, and even time just hanging out, is all about bringing these teens to the feet of Christ so that they have an opportunity to have a personal relationship with Christ.

Two summers ago Kelly and I began the ground work to start Young Life Capernaum in Howard County. And this fall we had our first Capernaum club. This has been an exciting year where we have gotten to know a lot of kids and families. We started our first club in September with 11 teens and had 25 teens at our last club of the semester We’ve had a blast taking our friends to baseball games, mini golf, pumpkin farms, the movies and a ton more. We have come a long way this year and we are excited for this ministry to continue to grow.

This January, Kelly and I got invited to Sarah’s Sweet Sixteen. Me, Kelly and all of Sarah’s friends from Capernaum Club huddled together in a small room waiting to surprise Sarah. When we all jumped out, Sarah’s face lit up with joy and excitement—and in that moment, we couldn’t help but think that this was a small picture of what heaven might be like.

Capernaum brings Christ to teens with disabilities. And where Christ is, there is life—life to the full.

For more information on Capernaum in Howard County you can visit: hococapernaum.younglife.org

You can also check out our Facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/HoCoYL?fref=ts

For more information on Younglife or Capernaum in other areas you can visit: younglife.org

Connie here:

What Kristin didn’t mention above is that Sarah’s party was BECAUSE of the ministry she and Kelly have given to Sarah and her friends—my son included. We are in AWE of these two and will be eternally grateful for their tireless efforts to SHOW Christ to our children—not to mention us parents!!!

This is not only a wonderful ministry for Howard County, Maryland. I spoke to a volunteer last week who told me her family member—in another state—also benefits from it. She told me how wonderful it was for a parent to have another incentive to encourage learning behavior, saying, “You get to go to Capernaum, tonight.” The child will do ANYTHING to make sure that happens.

Thank you, Kelly and Kristin! Thank you Young Life! I also want to thank those of you who are inspired to start one of these ministries in YOUR area!!!

 

Bio:

Kelly grew up in Ellicott City and is a math teacher at Mount Hebron High School. He also coaches JV boys basketball as well as Allied Softball. Kristin grew up in White Marsh and works part time for Young Life Capernaum and part time for Smithouse Construction.

 

More pictures below …

 

Hanging out at club

 

Alex being a human bowling ball at club

 

Kristin and Danya hanging out at a basketball game

Kelly and Eric hanging out at Summers Farm

Other posts you might like”

Be His Witness By Demonstrating His With-ness

What You Can Do for the Weary and Burdened Who Have Special Needs

I’m Not Able on My Own

What You Can Do for the Weary and Burdened Who Have Special Needs

I usually try not to post about the same thing on too many sites at the same time, but this week I am devoting my “ministry” posts to ONE thing and that is the Accessibility Summit at McLean Bible Church. This is a conference for churches and congregants to learn how they can serve the Special Needs Community.

Now, I ask you to do something for me this week. Go to your church and look for the disabled. If you can get your hands on the stats of disabled at your church and that of the surrounding community, that would be even better. My fear is that you will find your public school system serving more disabled than your church … and THAT is a SHAME. What happened to living Jesus’ words, “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28)? Do we not believe the disabled and/or the families of disabled are weary and burdened?

Hmmmm.

A few years ago, I went on a search for churches that could provide what my son needed when we attended. I checked out some large, almost mega-, churches and saw not one wheelchair. I entered into the children’s ministry to inform them of my son’s needs and heard words like, “Yeah, we had an autistic child here once.”

What?!!! Once?!!! This church was HUGE and it had an autistic child once? Given the rate of autism is something like 1 in every 110, this church should have seen many more than one, not to mention those with other learning disorders or disabilities.

So why aren’t the weary (these individuals AND those caring for them) showing up? Probably because, for some reason, they do not feel welcome. Churches are waiting for the individuals to darken their doorsteps BEFORE they provide the services needed, saying, “Well, we don’t have any special needs families, so why create a ministry?” when really they should be preparing the services KNOWING they are needed, then going out and finding the burdened to serve. Believe me, they are out there … alone and isolated.

We’ve spent too much time over the last weeks judging a young man with autism and a mother who raised him for the senseless deaths of young children. Let’s do more than judge. Let’s act! Could churches engaging these families have changed the outcome? Who knows, but it’s worth a look! At the very least, by engaging, we will be more aware of potential warning signs. At best, we could provide opportunities for community where none existed before—In Christ!!!

Our churches should have MORE families with disabilities than the public school system, not less. Having mentioned churches with the opposite, I am compelled to tell you of one that meets this criteria—McLean Bible Church in McLean, Virginia. When I visited I saw parents holding hands of Downs Children, couples signing in the hallway, congregants leading blind members, and others pushing wheelchairs. It was awesome!!! The work of Christ was visible everywhere you looked. This church has made it a critical mission to serve these families, and better yet, can provide YOU with what you need to do the same at YOUR church. It’s called Accessibility Summit, a conference for churches who want to start and grow this ministry. It will be held April 19^th-20^th, and will feature Emily Colson, daughter of Chuck Colson and mother of Max (who has autism).

I highly recommend you either attend or request your church send a representative to attend. You won’t be sorry! This is an opportunity to grow an important ministry serving those Jesus begged you to serve: The weary and burdened. And if you do this, I KNOW you will find a myriad of giftings among your new congregants which your church so desperately needs—important “members” of the Body of Christ.

1 Corinthians 12:22 (NIV) “ … those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable.”

So go out and find your indispensable members!!!

God Bless!

Related Posts:

The Great and the Small, Part 4—How One Small Girl Inspired A Ministry of Access

Jake the Encourager, by H.L. Wegley

Where Have All the Flowers Gone, by Monika Holt

Put Norman Rockwell Away for the Holidays!

The following is an article by Carol Barnier about how those of us with children who have learning … uh … differences can enjoy the holidays. And remember, these “differences” are what make each child a unique part of the Body of Christ. Specially designed for His purposes. God will use it all! But for now, find out how your Christmas can be beautiful even if it doesn’t look like a Normal Rockwell …

It’s time for the holidays—whoo hoo!
Are you excited?
Full of anticipation?
Or quietly terrified.

For the typical family, holidays are simply a great change of routine.
These folks actually look forward to the many things that will be different during this season
– a vacation from the standard
– a step away from the predictable
– a break with the daily routine

But that very change of routine, along with odd hours, different foods, different sounds, different activities and a WHOLE different set of behavior expectations– these are the things that can unravel our kids, and consequently put a damper on everyone’s holiday.

Holidays Take Things Up a Notch
Let’s face it. The standards at home are simply more relaxed, as they frankly should be. There are things and behaviors in the privacy of our home that we often just let pass. . .behaviors that while perhaps not appropriate elsewhere, are simply no big deal at home. The emphasis is on enjoying time as a family, having a place where you belong. So Junior’s continued fascination with how many state capitols he can burp through just isn’t a crisis. Susy-Q’s fear of foods that have touched each other on her plate is easily managed. But now, with the arrival of the holiday, suddenly the game has changed. Our kids feel the tension. They can tell that there is now a different, higher, more difficult standard to be met, and it’s creating a fear in them of being the cause of someone’s disappointment.
So what can we do? Do we just have to accept that the holidays will be a massive disappointment? Filled with tension? Zapping our energy rather than renewing us? Do we just have to endure them with as little damage as possible till they have passed?

Nope. Here’s your assignment for today.

Right now, this very moment, put your Norman Rockwell notions of the perfect holiday in a box.
Choose a pretty little box, one worthy of such noble and lovely expectations. Put a snappy mental bow around it. (Personally, I’m fond of teal.)
Now put the box under the bed. . .far far to the back, behind the growing collection of dust bunnies. (I don’t know about you, but our dust bunnies have formed a colony, elected a Governor and are passing laws. They murmur as I pass by.)

While you’re putting that box away, if you take the time to look, you should see another box hidden in the shadows under the bed.
Reach in deep and pull it out.
You’ll know it. It’s a ratty looking little thing.
The corners are dented in.
There’s some kind of food stain along the top and splashed down one side.
There’s a bow too. . .sort of. But it looks rather hurriedly thrown together, a tad askew, and showing more than a few unraveling threads.

Yes, pull it all the way out into the light.
Here it comes.
THIS is your box. It is how holidays often go.
It is reality.

Now, hold it on your lap, tug on that bow, take the lid off and look inside.
While the holiday boxes of other families have a standard complement of items,
yours is full of things that one wouldn’t expect, things that are surprising and completely unpredictable.
Your box contains some odd things, some funny things, some hysterical things, maybe even some shocking things.
But each one brings a memory that is uniquely your family’s.

And weaving in and out of all the memories in this box is the heavy cord of love you feel for your family.
This family.
This unpredictable family.
This often oh-so-very UN-Rockwell family.

Don’t let someone else decide what your family’s holiday season should contain.
Don’t let a rigid list that has developed over time become the only blueprint for your enjoyment.
Don’t pull out and cart around a set of demanding expectations that may then serve to destroy your ability to enjoy the love in this box that you have.

Keep your mind and your heart on THIS box this season.
Your holiday memories are YOURS to create.
Do what works for you and your family.
Do what brings love, laughter and life.
Nothing more is needed.

 

Carol will be joining us again next Friday to talk about the subject of her new book, Engaging Today’s Prodigal. We’ll see you then!

 

 

 

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Carol Barnier is a fresh, fun and popular conference speaker unlike any you’ve heard before. Her objective is to have the wit of Erma Bombeck crossed with the depth of C.S. Lewis, but admits that most days, she only achieves a solid Lucy Ricardo with a bit of Bob the Tomato. She is a frequent guest commentator on Focus on the Family’s Weekend Magazine broadcast, has been a guest on many radio programs and is a speaker to conferences nationwide. She’s the author of three books about dealing with (or possessing) a non-linear mind in a linear world: How to Get Your Child Off the Refrigerator and On To Learning, If I’m Diapering a Watermelon, Then Where’d I Leave the Baby?, and The Big WHAT NOW Book of Learning Styles. Her main websites are CarolBarnier.com and SizzleBop.com. You can also find Carol at her blog for moms with distractible kids at SizzleBop. And for fun, see her church humor blog at CarolBarnier.

Other posts you might like:

D is for Dyslexia, By Molly Noble Bull

I’m Dyslexic, By Jane Perrine

Jake The Encourager, By H.L. Wegley

Can God Heal Autism?

This Devotion was inspired by Hillsong’s Healer. Click the link to see it on Youtube. 
  
My son has autism. What does that mean? It means he has a cluster of developmental delays that make him less functional in society without someone’s help.

 It started out as a language delay. We didn’t panic at first because this type of delay ran on both sides of our family. Those members who’d suffered it were currently either financially well off or verbally advanced, so we waited for my son to do the same. His physical delays were less apparent. They ebbed and flowed with each test. Sometimes on target, sometimes behind. His social-skills remained above age level.

 We’d hoped the language would fill in one day as it had for others we’d known. But it didn’t. So, I looked into therapies and treatments and supplements to make him well. And I prayed. No, this is not one of those stories where I came to God as a last resort. We were together on this one from the beginning. He kept me calm through the storms, though some of the storms were of my own making.

 But what does one pray for as the mother of an autistic boy? The right assistance? The right therapy to fix him? Or out-and-out healing? Which prayer demonstrates the appropriate level of faith (you know, moving mountains and all that) and which prayer embodies humility, understanding the sovereignty of God’s will (His grace being sufficient)?

I still don’t have the answer to that question so I pray them all. God is BIG! Did you know that? He’s huge. And powerful! So I didn’t think it a bad thing to pray my son be healed. But it seems others did. When I asked them to pray for healing, they’d look at me with pity in their eyes as though they believed my faith hinged on the discontinuation of his diagnosis. It made me sad. Sad they thought so little of me and worse they thought so little of God.

I had an acquaintance whose non-verbal eleven-year-old began to speak after 6 weeks of treatment with a research doctor. I met her the week I’d been fasting and praying for answers. But what made her story amazing is that she also had a team of people covering her son in prayer every day of that treatment. We now go to this same doctor and have gotten great benefit from the treatment, just not like hers. I could never find a group of people willing to pray big things. They worried more about me than they did my son. Sigh!

Don’t get me wrong. I am not of the name-it and claim-it church. God doesn’t always give us exactly what we want, when we want it. Though Paul healed many, he writes of those who remained sick. He, himself, carried a thorn that was a reminder of God’s beautiful Grace. All, but one, apostle was martyred for Christ. Sometimes bad things happen and God shows His greatness in spite of, or even because of, those things. God has blessed me in so many ways through the gentle gift of my beautiful boy. This young man shows love and concern like no other without uttering a word. Truly living his gift rather than just speaking it. He’s grown my daughter in enormous ways that she’d never have known had she had a “normal” brother. He brings me peace with just a gentle touch of his fingers. I am blessed.

One of the words my son can say is “pray.” And he knows when to say it. He is the one to remind me to seek my Creator in time of need. He’s recently begun to say it often throughout the day. So I do. I pray for his healing. Not because I think God WILL heal my son, but because I KNOW He CAN. It is my testament of faith in His power. And still, I know He is not only omnipotent, but omniscient. He knows what is best for me and my son’s ministry for His Glory. He has a better plan than I can even imagine, and it just may include autism.

I submit to that plan.

 He is Good! 

Mark 9:14-29

Oh, and if you are so inclined, feel free to pray for my son. I won’t mind :o)!!! Let me know and I will return the favor—Comment below.

 

Other posts you might like:

Jake The Encourager—by H.L. Wegley
Signs of God
Eleven Days Past Autism Awareness Month

D Is for Dyslexia—by Molly Noble Bull

Molly showed me this story a while back. It touched me. It's the way others should be looking at those with special needs--in terms of ability. I don't mean to ignore a disability or challenge and not address it, but to not always look at the individual as deficient. God made him or her, and He has a purpose in that creation. We should be looking at how that purpose can be fulfilled rather than writing them off.

Take a look ...

D Is for Dyslexia

"What is your name, son?" 

My new teacher was seated behind his desk, looking down at my report card. He'd know my name from looking at my records. He'd know I was the dumbest kid in the school I went to last year—and other bad stuff.

He reminded me of a pinkish balloon about to burst. The odor of aftershave and tobacco surrounded him. 

"I asked you to tell me your name," he said again. 

"Daniel Jones."

He smiled. " It says here that you like music."

For an instant, he looked almost human. He was buttering me up before he asks about my grades in reading and spelling.

"My name is Mr. Bradley. I'll be your homeroom teacher this year. I like music, and I'd like to hear about your music. Do you play an instrument?" 

"I play a little guitar—piano. Don't read music."

"You play by ear then?" 

I'm almost twelve. I pictured a kid about my age hitting the piano keys with his left ear. I tried not to laugh but a giggle came out anyway. I do that when people say funny things. He chuckled like he knew what I was thinking.

"I meant that you don't read music," he said. "Do you think up tunes in your head?"
"Sometimes." 

Only it wasn’t sometimes. It was all the time. Songs come to me when I carry out the garbage for Mom, pretend to listen when people talk and when I look out a window during class.

Why wasn’t Mr. What's His Name asking about my grades like any other teacher would? Something strange was going on.

"It says here that you're good at drawing and storytelling."

That did it. Real teachers didn't say things like that. I glanced toward the door in case I needed to make a quick escape.

This guy was a monster pretending to be a teacher and probably ate kids like me for breakfast. At any moment, he'll ask me to step in his time machine hidden in the back of the schoolroom somewhere--zap me to his planet. When he does, I'll make a run for it.

"Daniel, do you like to draw pictures and make up stories?"

"Yes."

"Tell me about it."

"Why?" I can’t believe I said that.

He laughed again. Only this time, he threw back his head and laughed so loud I expected him to fall out of his chair. This guy was even crazier than the other kids said I was. I turned to go.

"Please, don’t leave. I have a few more things to say."

He sounded nice—not so much like a monster. Still, for all I knew all monsters were like him. This could be a trick to get me to go in that time machine. Nevertheless, I stopped and looked back.

"I’m asking you all these questions because I was just like you when I was a kid." 

"You’re a teacher. You couldn’t be like me."

"Because you’re dyslexic?"

He said the D word. I tremble when I hear that word. But not as much as when I hear the R word. Retarded.

"I'm a dyslexic, too," he said. "I couldn’t read or spell. I went through exactly what you’re going through when I was a boy."

"But you’re a teacher."

"So."

"Teachers are smart," I reminded him.

"You’re smart, too--talented besides. During this school year, you'll learn how smart and talented you really are." He grinned again, reminding me of my grandpa. "Welcome to the sixth grade. By the way, I’m not a monster. But I look kind of like one, don’t I?"

"How did you know. . . .?"

"I thought my sixth grade teacher was a monster, too. He wasn’t. He liked all the kids in the class because of who we were and not because we could read and spell. He told us that we would learn to read and spell, and he was going to teach us how to do it."

"Did he?"

"You bet—but it took a while."

I took another look around the schoolroom. Since I didn’t see a time machine or a small space ship stashed anywhere, I decided to stay and talk to my teacher. I wanted to ask him about his music and if he liked to draw and tell stories.

Somehow, I had a hunch he did.

Other posts you might like:

The Overcomers: Christian Authors Who Conquered Learning Disabilities—A Review

Meet Molly Noble Bull: The Dumbest Kid In Her Elementary School--by Molly Noble Bull

The Gentle King—by Monika Holt

Molly Noble Bull was born in Kingsville, Texas. She married her college sweetheart, and they have three grown sons and six grandchildren. Check out her blog Writer’s Rest. She also co-authored the non-fiction book The Overcomers: Christian Authors Who Conquered Learning Disabilities.

I’m Dyslexic—by Jane Perrine

I’m dyslexic. Being dyslexic is as much a part of me as having brown eyes.
The difference is, no one in grade school told me that if I tried hard enough, I could change my brown eyes to blue. But teachers did tell me that if I tried hard enough, I could tell the difference between b and d.

When I was in grade school, no one knew about dyslexia. I imagine it had been studied, but none of that information had arrived in schools. Not one of my teachers knew what my problem was. I don’t blame them but life wasn’t easy for a six year-old who couldn’t do what other classmates accomplished so easily.

When I look at lists of problems dyslexic children face, these are a few I see in myself.

1. Getting sounds in words mixed up. I cannot say “bed and breakfast” without stopping because my first choice is “bread and beckfast” and I always put “tea and flick” collars on our pets.

2. I can’t tell the difference between “right” and “left.” I once had a pair of shoelaces—this was when I was thirty—that had “right” on one and “left” on the other. Once I figured out which shoe to put each in, I felt an enormous sense of security. If I was confused, I could look at my feet. This is still a problem. When I tell my husband to turn right, he often turns left because that’s what he thinks I mean. I have pondered getting a tat on my right hand that actually says, “right.”

3. Trouble sequencing numbers. Even now, when I go to pump gas and am asked my zip code, I panic. I’m not expecting that and cannot remember it. Once, as minister, I gave a woman whose husband was dying my phone number—but not the correct one. When I’m tired or sick, I will always make mistakes.

4. It’s very hard for me to memorize anything. In Spanish, I would write vocabulary words over and over, sometimes fifty times or more, to learn them. Oddly, I ended up majoring in Spanish and teaching it for years.

There are many more examples but this is probably enough for you to get the idea. As a kid, I felt stupid. Really dumb. I never got my spelling papers on the bulletin board. Of course, I never made 100% on a spelling test either.

But I am smart. Really smart. I’m not bragging but it’s true. That’s how professionals can tell a dyslexic: a smart kid who underperforms.

How does a child deal with feeling stupid?

Today, life is easier for students with learning disabilities. Programs and support are available today that weren’t when I was in school. But it’s still hard. A child with learning disabilities is still different, is often removed from class—always a stigma—for special attention. A high school neighbor who was dyslexic spent a few weeks each summer going back to school for additional assistance.

I made it through grade school—not that I had much choice—and high school and college and earned two master’s degrees because I was blessed to know Jesus my entire life. My father tells the story of my having a tea party with Jesus when I was three of four. I don’t remember that, but I believe it because there has never been a time I didn’t have faith, when I didn’t know my Savior walked beside me and strengthened me.

Knowing I was a beloved child of God carried me through grade school as certainly as it has carried me through my entire life. With every tragedy or new adventure, the certainty of God’s love supported me.

So when Molly Noble Bull—also a dyslexic—had the idea of dyslexic authors who wrote for Love Inspired coming together in witness, I immediately joined the group as did Ginny Aiken, Margaret Daley and Ruth Scofield. In this book, the five of us tell how we overcame our disabilities. These sections became The Overcomers: Christian Authors Who Conquered Learning Disabilities which we self-published through WestBow Press last year, thanks to Molly’s tireless efforts.

We all felt the need to witness that through our faith, we came out strong and successful people, women who have published around one-hundred books.
But I’m still dyslexic and I still have brown eyes.

Come see Jane’s interview on InfiniteCharacters.com about her new fiction release, The Welcome Committee of Butternut Creek.

Related Posts:

Jane Perrine and the The Welcome Committee of Butternut Creek

Meet Molly Noble Bull: The Dumbest Kid in Her Elementary, by Molly Noble Bull

Why I Wrote Part of the Overcomers, by Margaret Daley

Jane Myers Perrine has worked as a Spanish teacher, minister, cook, rifle instructor, program director in a state hospital, and been an active volunteer, but she’s always wanted to write. Finally, she found time and has published books with Avalon Books and Steeple Hill Love Inspired. Her short pieces have appeared in the Houston Chronicle and Woman’s World magazine.
She’s now writing a three-book series she loves about a young minister in a small town of Butternut Creek in the beautiful Hill Country of Texas. She likes small towns, warm, friendly people and humor. The Welcome Committee of Butternut Creek, the first book in the series, was published in April, 2012. The Matchmakers of Butternut Creek will be available in November, 2012.
With her minister husband, George, she landed in the South after living many years in cold areas of the country. They decided to give up changing seasons for no snow and have never regretted that choice. They now live north of Austin where their lives are controlled by two incredibly spoiled tuxedo cats.
Jane can also be found at the following:
Facebook JaneMyersPerrine
Twitter @perrinejane
Website janemyersperrine.com
Blog janemyersperrine.com/blog

11 Days Past Autism Awareness Month

Today is May 11th, eleven days past the end of Autism Awareness Month, and I realize I did absolutely nothing to take notice of the challenges of autism during April at all.

Why?

The answer is twofold. First, I had planned to do a series on Military Ministries in January, which got pushed to February, then to April. Helping veterans and their families is an important topic and I didn’t want to neglect it. I felt a Holy Spirit nudge to post the series as soon as it was ready, so I did. God’s time, not the arbitrary time of an “Awareness Month.”

Second, autism isn’t about a month to me, it’s about a lifetime. It’s about a young man who is gifted in ways that would make a grown man cry, and would help the harried find peace.

He is my son.

The world first sees him as deficient because he can’t speak or write, and will probably never hold a real paying job. And yet he is the one who knows when I’m down, and sooths me with a gentle touch, demonstrating the love of God. He is the one who reminds me what to do in times of trouble with one of the few words he can say.

“Pway!”

He is an extraordinary gift from God and a TRUE vessel of the Holy Spirit. I wish others had access to this beautiful gift. If they allowed him to reach out to them, they too would be truly blessed.

Related Posts:

Signs of God

Jake the Encourager, by H.L. Wegley

Where Have All the Flowers Gone, by Monika Holt

What Did Moses Do Anyway?

Did Moses really speak to Pharaoh? Did a booming Charlton Heston voice rumble from his broad chest, bellowing, “Let my people go?”

Or was it Aaron?

Though I have no idea if either man spoke in a bass or a baritone, or whether or not their pectoral muscles were pronounced, one could almost guarantee, Moses didn’t sound like the big C.H. In fact, he describes himself to God as a man slow of speech with faltering lips. He was so uncertain of his ability to persuade the mighty Egyptian king, even after God reminded him who made his mouth, God gave him Aaron, who was a gifted speaker, to do it for him.

God made use of this relationship, telling Moses (Exodus 7:1), “I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet.” God knew the image of a silent leader flanked by a mouthpiece would give the impression of great authority.

So, did Moses ever speak to Pharaoh himself? Many of the exchanges in the Bible state, “Moses and Aaron said …” Does that mean they stood side by side, speaking the words in unison, or is it just shorthand for “God told Moses, who told Aaron what to say,” as God describes He will do earlier in scripture. My guess is the latter. Yet further into Exodus we do read “Moses said to Pharaoh.” So, evidently, Moses eventually spoke on his own.

This relationship is a great example of how we can step out in our calling, even when we lack ability. If God calls you to do something you feel you can’t, first know, He doesn’t make mistakes. He’s chosen you for a reason. But if you’re feeling a little shaky, find someone with the skill you need and align yourself with him. We don’t have to do it alone. This new relationship will have two benefits. First, it will give you that person who has the skill you lack, therefore, using the Body of Christ as it was meant to be used. Second, it provides you with the source of learning how to develop the skill yourself, as Moses obviously did. He complained about his faltering lip on more than one occasion. Yet he eventually is able to speak on his own. God told him he could. And so he did.

Please note, I am not recommending you go out and do that thing you are least skilled in, just for the sake of doing it. God created you for a purpose and your gifting will play a part. However, when He calls, He knows what you can and cannot do. And He will make use of both, either through the working of that extraordinary gift, or attaining the goal despite the deficit. Sometimes that’s the most powerful!

Tell us, in the comments below, what God is calling YOU to do.

Related posts:

The Man Who Inspired a Congregation

Let Him Who Boasts, Boast in the Lord

How Many Talents Do You Get?

Broken, Healed, Forgiven—By Gregg Stein

Gregg is a Large Group Leader for KidZone at Grace Community Church in Fulton, MD. As he mentions in the story below, he struggled with dyslexia, among other things, growing up. But if you ever saw him in front of a group of kids, teaching them about the Lord, you would know he is truly gifted. I praise God he was able to find that awesome gift and use it for the One who gave it to him.

Good Morning

Recently I was heading to the local mall to do a little shopping when I witnessed a very sad event. I had the misfortune of walking behind a woman who was yelling and berating her teen-aged daughter. The girl was called “stupid” I don't know how many times, and “idiot” at least twice. I did not hear what the girl’s infraction was but nothing could have been that bad to deserve that kind of public humiliation. My heart absolutely broke for that girl. I could only imagine what damage those words were going to have on her. I wanted to slap the mother and tell her to cut it out. Then I wanted to hug the girl and tell her that her mother was wrong and that there was a God who was crazy about her. As you will see I have firsthand knowledge of what those kind of words have on a person.

When I was very little my father decided he did not love us anymore so he left. Just up and left. So my mom raised my sister and me as best she could until she got remarried. Unfortunately the man she married was not much better than the dad who left us. My step dad was not a happy person and he took his unhappiness out on my sister and me—a lot.

I remember one day when I was about 4 or 5 I was in the bathroom goofing off when I got into my mother's makeup and made a mess. I had it all over the place! When my dad saw what I had done he made me put the makeup on and then he locked me out of the house. I can still remember how stupid and ashamed I felt. I hid in some bushes until my mom came home. I will never forget one particular Christmas. Christmases in our house were very stressful. We were always being yelled at because of the mess that we made or the fact that we did not appreciate the things we got. This went on EVERY Christmas. Now this one Christmas was the worst of all. For weeks leading up to Christmas I had begged mom and dad for two very specific toys. One was an M16 plastic rifle, that when you pulled the trigger it made different sounds. One time it was a gun. The next time you pulled the trigger it would make the sound of a bomb going off—that kind of thing. The second toy was a toy called “Rudy, The Robot.” When you turned it on it would walk and talk, and if it walked in to something it would just go the other way.

So I am begging and begging to get these toys. Christmas comes and the first present I open is Rudy-The-Robot!! The second present I open is the M16 rifle! Man was I the happiest kid in the world. So, we are done opening all our gifts hanging out and having a good old time. I am playing with my gun, shooting the hamster and such, when there’s a knock on the door. My mom answers it and it is one of the neighbors coming to wish us a Merry Christmas. As she is standing at the door I put the muzzle end of the gun on the ground and rested the stock end under my rear-end so I could sit on it. All of a sudden you hear this loud cracking noise and the gun snaps in half. My dad see's it happen and gets really, really, angry. He starts yelling at me about not taking care of my stuff and if I don't know how to take care of them, I don't deserve to have anything. He then walks over to Rudy-the-Robot and kicks it across the room and breaks it. Then he comes over to me and pretends he is going to punch me in the face. As you can imagine I was devastated.

Unfortunately, it did not get any better the older I got. My dad would always say things to me like "How could you do something so stupid? You must be stupid." Or, “You're never going to amount to anything” Or, another one of his favorites was "If you don't like the way things are, you can pack your bags and get out of my house." But by far what I heard the most was how stupid I was. And because it was dad who said It, I believed it. When you hear something often enough you tend to believe it even if it is not the truth and if it is said by someone who is supposed to love you, you believe it even more. It did not help at all that I had dyslexia as a kid which made school really hard. Not being able to read correctly, and do math problems correctly, really made me feel stupid and then to hear your dad say that it was your fault because you just did not try hard enough only reinforced the feeling of being stupid. From 6th grade to 11th grade I went to summer school because I was so far behind. That also made me feel stupid.

I hated who I was. I was ashamed of who I was. I was a stupid loser. For two full years I never looked in the mirror because I was so ashamed of who I was. I was a stupid kid who had a bad case of acne. It was during my senior year of high school that my life changed forever. My homeroom advisor came to my house one night to explain to my parents that because I was so far behind in my work, barring a miracle, I would not graduate with my class and would have to make up some classes the following year. I was devastated, and to this day I can still see the look on my dad's face. When it was just he and I in the kitchen once again I heard those familiar words " I told you you were stupid. I told you you would never amount to anything."

So, I left the house, walked to my high school, climbed the bleachers and cried my eye's out. I asked God why I was so stupid and I asked God if it was true that he loved me? I asked God if he truly loved me would he show me. So I told God that I wanted to see a live Owl within 3 days or I would know that there was no God or that He just did not love me. The next day my mom was driving me to an orthodontist appointment. Oh yea, I forgot to tell you I had a mouth full of braces. So anyway we are on our way and I am sitting in the front seat passenger side looking out the window when all of a sudden I scream to my mom to stop the car. I really freaked out my mom. She screamed and asked what had happened. I sat there with my mouth open and tears running down my face because on the branch of a dead tree (so I would not miss it) was the biggest Owl I have ever seen. It was beautiful! At that moment I knew there was a God and I knew he loved me.

It was a few weeks after this that God once again showed me that he loved me. Remember a little while ago I told you that I had not looked at myself for 2 years? Well one day I was in the bathroom shaving with my head in the sink, not looking at myself, when I felt like someone was telling me to lift my head and look in the mirror. I didn't want to do it, but I really felt like I had too. So, very slowly, I lifted my head and even slower I began to look in the mirror. What I saw drove me to my knees in tears and laughter because what I saw was how God saw me!!! And I must tell you I AM AMAZING!!!!

That's why I call myself a disciple of Jesus Christ, because He gave me my life back. And as I started to read His word on a regular basis I began to understand that my earthly father may not have thought much about me, but my Heavenly Father sure did. The more you get to know Christ the more you love Him, and the more you love Him, the more you want of Him, and the more you want to follow Him. The shame, self loathing, and feelings of despair gradually started to disappear the closer my relationship to Christ became. In the book of 2 Corinthians chapter 5 verse 17 it says this: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation: the old has gone, the new has come." Amen to that!

As my relationship with Christ grew, I allowed Him access to more and more of my heart and soul, and the more I gave the more He healed. The healing did not happen overnight. You do not go through years of abuse and "get over it" right away. At least that's not how it happened with me. For years I hated my father, I used to pray sometimes that he would go to work and never come back. Even worse were the times where I wished he would trip coming up the stairs, hit his head, and die right there. As time went on I felt Christ calling me to pray for my father. At first I refused. There was no way I was ever going to pray for him, but Christ would not let that go. So gradually I began to pray, grudgingly at first and not very sincere. But I did pray and the more I prayed the less I hated him. I finally got to a point where I earnestly and regularly prayed for my father's healing. Through my prayers I came to realize that he was just as broken as I was and just as in need of a savior as I was. I finally reached a point where I wrote my father a letter, and in it I forgave him for all that he did to me, and explained to him that God would forgive him too if only he would ask. I explained how God loved him and that no matter what he did God would never stop loving him. We never spoke about that letter but I know that it had an impact on him.

My mother always said that she felt that God had given her a word that my father would become a born again believer before he died. I cannot tell you how many times I prayed that prayer for my father. The Bible says that God is faithful and He would forgive us our sins if we would repent and accept Christ as our savior, so that is what I would pray. It was a few years later when my youngest daughter was just a year old that we all attended a Christmas eve service together. My sister was there with her son, so were my mother and my wife and daughter, and at one point during the service my father began to sing one of the songs, and there was such a look of peace on his face that I knew that night my father became a Christ follower. Later on during the night my mother said to me "Did you happen to see your father during the worship time? Did you see how he glowed? Your father accepted Christ as his savior tonight. He did not tell me this but God did." And I knew in my spirit that he had. Four days later my father died of a massive heart attack. My father had no church he called home or a pastor that he would have called "his pastor." We, as a family, were trying to decide what kind of burial we were going to give him and who would do the service. Well, God in His infinite wisdom spoke to me again and said I was the one who should do it. So that is what I did, I honored God by giving the service. I look back on it now and realize that it was God's way of completing my healing process.

I cannot say that I am glad that I went through what I did or that I wouldn't trade the experience for anything. But I will say that because of that experience I became a follower of Jesus Christ. Romans 8:28 says it best "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."

So, my question to you is: What have you been called to, and will you answer the call?

 

Gregg Stein lives in Jessup Md. He has been happily married to the same beautiful woman for 15 years and I has two beautiful, smart, and talented daughters. But most importantly, he is in his 30th year of following, loving , and obeying his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

 

Other posts you might like:

What Are You Worth To God?

Why I Wrote Part of the Overcomers, By Margaret Daley

Meet Molly Noble Bull, The Dumbest Kid In Her Elementary School