His Special Kids' Families

The LORD Has Answers to Our Puzzle

noreply@blogger.com (HSKF Kim) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 14:33:27 PST

Source: autismspeaks.org via Kim on Pinterest

Angel Boy is obsessed with puzzles. At least, he used to be. He would, from an early age, take multiple small puzzles apart at the same time, and then put them all back together again. Ask him to put a larger puzzle together, with small pieces, and he struggles. The connecting pieces are too many and solving the puzzle becomes too complicated for him.

We have several Melissa & Doug puzzles that have large pieces and Angel Boy loves them. He loves to complete them individually, and his interests surface with the types of puzzles that he chooses. Tinker toys are also a puzzle-type passion, as he spends hours creating wheels, towers and crosses.

Puzzles show us that things fit together. What puzzles teach our child is that things connect in a certain order, and in a certain way. If you try to force pieces that do not fit together, the shape will not fit, and the picture will not match. In the human-created world, that is truth.

God’s puzzles are different.

He makes things like DNA, and biological processes; He even creates genetic differences. He created the heavens and the earth, which all move in cycles that fit together in a fashion that only He can replicate. He designed living plants, trees, and animals to have offspring, so that the new can fulfill His will. He has puzzles that are complicated and detailed way beyond the human imagination. Yet, we are still looking for human answers.

Scientists try to re-create the human systems of genetics and cells; however, they spend a lifetime doing it. They are seeking cures to help people, but only Yahweh knows the answers. We can only catch a snapshot of wisdom, because only God knows the whole picture. We humans, created by our Creator, only see the puzzle pieces scattered on the floor. We persist in praying for answers; I put my trust and hope in God, first and foremost, even to show us new treatments, and solutions to His puzzles.

That is easy to say, when you are hurting.

Sometimes when I think about my son, I cry…and cry…and cry. The tears come like a flood. I know God created my son, my Angel Boy, but there are seasons when life is so difficult for him. He struggles to control his behavior, his insatiable hunger drives him, his lack of speech gets in the way, etc. A parent might ask why God would make a child this way.

We must stand firm in Christ no matter how we feel. When we need answers, or feel overwhelmed with our child's diagnosis. Even if we have a mustard seed of faith, the LORD will grow it into a tree. It is when everything feels like it is falling apart that we bring it before Him, and listen for His holy will.

God is calling us to put the puzzle together His way.

We don’t know if they will be able to go to the Prom, get married, and they probably won’t have children, although some have. We fear their futures. Where are they going to live, how are they going to survive? Will they be able to make a living, or hold down a job? Who will take care of them when we are gone?

We all have trials and troubles. We suffer, have illnesses, cry out to God, and pray for relief from our oppressors. The LORD responds by gifting us with the treasures of the Holy Spirit to equip and build up the Church. He gives us the full armor of God to keep us yoked with the righteous, and battle the evil attacks of the enemy.

Yes, many of us feel like we have arrived in Holland, but He has called us to use the very same weapons to assist us in the care of our children. He entrusted them to us so that we can provide for their needs and He will save us all from the devil’s wrath. No, it will never be the normal parent/child relationship. Yes, it will require more and longer responsibilities from us. But, the LORD will give us the strength we need to endure to the end.
　
Stand firm, therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. As for shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:14-17
　

Hot Coffee Brings an Answered Prayer

noreply@blogger.com (HSKF Kim) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:33:31 PST

Source: flickr.com via Kim on Pinterest

We made our weekly trip to Starbucks…my special needs son and I. It is typically a bargaining act because I try to keep him off of sugar. Yet, the call for caffeinated coffee drove me to it…At least at Starbucks I know there are several softer choices for drinks and snacks, with their gluten free, sugar free drinks and the option to use soy milk instead of cow’s milk. When you are on a special needs diet, this kind of place helps (So yes, I am concerned about their recent controversy over the support of homosexuality).

When we walk in the store, my son goes to the refrigerator display to get his small box of organic apple juice. I cringe, because I hate giving him even organic sugar, syrup, or whatever they call it now, but there are worse choices. It certainly beats what they serve at McDonald’s, which you can see on our Facebook page (Like us while you are there)!

This time, the prayer tightrope walk wasn’t the sugar.

If my son consumes too much sugar, he can get a glucose spike and melt down into a violent tantrum. I have become the edge walker…praying, balancing and negotiating all in one fell swoop…He is not a diabetic, but his body reacts that negatively to too much sucrose coursing through his veins!

So, apparently, the juice boxes did not arrive with their straws in the store delivery.

The lady at the counter tells me about the missing straws, and hands me a cup and a separate straw. My son protests, then decides that he needs to look for a box of juice that has a straw, so I pay.

When he looks up, he realizes that I paid, and he escalates---apparently I broke his rule. Yeah. That one almost undid him. Please, Jesus I hate going through these very public conflicts. Observers question your parenting, they stare, they turn the other way, they glare…Talk about feeling crucified. I am just trying to help my son understand.

I gently guide him over to a chair to quietly try and explain, all the time, praying. In his confusion to control, he insists that I have not paid for the box of juice. So, I take him to the counter, and find a woman who confirms for my son that, yes, I did pay for the juice. He grins, and then laughs…crisis averted!
I am exhausted from one cup of coffee…

This is progress. Really. I praise God for my son’s ability to walk away from a tantrum. In order to get there, I prayed, then followed Him to the Pool of Siloam. With every issue my son has, He shows me what to do when I lay it before Him. Healing has been a journey, one issue at a time, not an all-inclusive instantaneous miracle. That is God’s choice, not mine.

When all else fails, prayer works. When no one will listen. When the help you need does not come. When things get worse, not better. When your prayers seem to hit the ceiling. That is when the Holy Spirit arrives.

Get into the Word and pray. Cry out to the Lord for answers. He hears you; He needs you to find out where He is with your circumstances. He needs you to pray against the evil forces that bind you. He needs you to declare that mountain out of the way. He needs you to part the Red Sea, He needs you to declare healing over your child and your family.

It may appear that prayer is not doing something, but it is.

He created our special children for His glory, not our own. So, does that mean that we just sit back and let them be? Well no, but neither do we take charge to the point of squashing the Spirit. We carry out our share of the responsibility, as He calls us, and then let Him work. It all begins with prayer.

Why does the Holy Spirit not give our children outright, complete miraculous healing?

I don’t know. I would love for my son to be healed of his syndrome. Perhaps as the Body of Christ, we need to work up to that. We need to place the Sovereign God on the throne, not insert our own powers to heal our children. I do know that He is rapha (Hebrew for healer).

He said, if you will listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give heed to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will not bring upon you any of the diseases that I brought upon the Egyptians; for I am the Lord who heals you. Exodus 15:26

If we have faith for our child’s healing, the Lord will bring us to the pool at the right time. Jesus will show us what we can do, or how to pray. He has the plan for our children, and our part comes in following what He tells us to do. He will move our enemies out of the way, or bind them. Not one person will get in the way of the Lord’s ultimate plan for our children and our families. He will see to it.

The Lord will strike Egypt, striking and healing; they will return to the Lord and He will listen to their supplications and heal them. Isaiah 19:22

Autism: Who Gets to Decide Who is Healed?

noreply@blogger.com (His Special Kids' Families) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 11:22:49 PST

The world met the people of faith this week…There is a new proposed definition of autism…If you haven’t seen it, go to this New York Times link and click on “proposed definition.”

You know, I get that autism seems so overrated. I get that the number of children diagnosed is now one out of 100. I get that autism is a spectrum, and that some children are worse than others. But, what I don’t understand is, when a tiger has stripes, why are we supposed to deny that the tiger has stripes…? There is great concern that many will not make the new medical community’s cut for an autism diagnosis, and that further, many will not receive the services that they need.

Can God heal the tiger?

As many know there is a rare white tiger, which descends from the Bengal tiger, and is known to be a recessive trait, even in the wild. The origin of this fact was observed in the wild, however, many breeders have tried to reproduce this white coat in captivity. They have been somewhat successful, as there are now more in captivity. Even within this rare occurrence of 1 in about 10,000, there is a difference of white tigers with stripes, and those that are stripeless. Of course, there are other variations within that realm.

Of course He can heal the tiger!

I think the bigger question is, does God want to heal the tiger?

God has a plan for His universe. You can find it when you read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. He created every living being on this planet, yes, some for wrath and others for His glory.

This just flies in the face of medical knowledge. I mean, really, healing in an unexplained nonmedical way? How can that be?!

Our logic sometimes overrides our belief in outright healing by Christ through His Word. Afterall, we just simply have enough going on, living life in the world. Add to that, the caring of our special needs children, and well, remembering to follow the Spirit instead of logic can really be a challenge. We have schedules to keep, order to lay down, and appointments to get to.

Each one of us has a trait of our child that perhaps is their thorn, which we pray the Lord will heal. It may be their ability to walk, talk, or stop feeling insatiably hungry. They may have an illness or medical condition that requires multiple surgeries. They may be blind, or deaf, and we pray for their healing. When we see our children suffering according to the world’s standards, then we want healing for them. It is a God-given desire!

At this stage in the world…

Healing is not typically carried out in the manner we saw in the times of Jesus. However, that does not mean that it does not occur. We all know of stories where Divine, miraculous healing does happen, yet they are rare.

So what do we do? How do we have faith for healing?

We just know that no matter what, Jesus is coming again. There will be a New Jerusalem (Revelation). We will all have new bodies. You never know, Jesus may bring healing. I personally, cannot cling to a lack of hope, not knowing that Jesus is either bringing my son a new body, or going to heal him bit by bit. I fully believe that even if He never does completely heal my son in this life, that He will continue to draw my son to Him spiritually.

There are so many in the world that do not have Jesus. They have special children, and they simply accept their perceived misfortune…or not. Yet, all I see is that each special needs child is an opportunity for God to heal. Each precious little life is a gift from God. Yes, I know that they require a lot of extra work for us, but as most of us know, it is worth the effort to see that one achievement which they worked so hard for!

I don’t know how healing will come for you and your family. Perhaps it will be miraculous. Or, maybe the Lord will start with diet, therapy, medications, or alternative treatments. Whatever it is, trust in Him for His healing. After all, He created your children, and the white tigers…

…“For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard see, you will say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” Matthew 18:21

Bread of Life=Healing in Jesus

noreply@blogger.com (His Special Kids' Families) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 16:31:06 PST

I used a recipe for homemade tortillas the other day, but instead of rolling or pressing out small balls of dough, I made what I call tortilla bread. I mixed the ingredients up, put them into a bowl, and added enough water to make a ball of dough.

2 ½ cups of whole wheat organic flour

1 tsp of sea salt

½ cup of olive oil

1 cup of water or more if necessary

I pressed the dough into a round on my pizza pan, and baked it at 400 degrees for about 20-30 minutes. It took me a few minutes and I finished making the rest of the meal while it cooked. I only have time for easy cooking…

This is a miracle.

About 3 years ago, my special needs son reached a point where he was on nine medications. He was sick constantly, and at the leading of the Holy Spirit, I took him to a pulminologist who saw things a little differently. He put our son on some new medications, and he was well within a few months. We no longer had multiple trips to the hospital for pneumonia, and the pumping out of our tiny son’s lungs. He began to show signs of increased good health. The Lord healed, right?

Apparently, He wanted to do something bigger...when the pulminologist, who had seen remarkable improvement in our son's health, decided that he wanted to take him off Singulair. Within a week, we saw a dramatic change in our son, with a strange twist. He had constant diarrhea, which at first, we did not relate to the medication change. However, when it continued for about 2 weeks, and the pediatrician insisted that it had to be a stomach virus, I prayed. I knew there was another reason.

What we discovered was that our son was not only allergic to gluten and cow’s milk, but that he was allergic to peanuts and most other nuts, as well as several other foods. The miracle here was that when we removed the foods from his diet that either caused a physical or behavioral problem, his health only improved again. Only this time, he became stronger and stronger, while his immune system increasingly improved.
The end result was that he is currently on no medications still to this day.

We ate gluten and cow’s milk-free for nearly 3 years.

Then, last month, the Lord leads me to purchase a large bag of organic whole-wheat flour. I was elated, because not only have we not eaten wheat flour in forever, but it was cheap compared to the prices of gluten free flour! It was heaven for us…

The bag went slow at first, but as we tried it, that the Lord was intent on not only healing our son, but the family as well. We are currently half and half with the gluten, and gluten free. It is a reminder that everyone’s body is different, special or not, as some of us have healed faster than others.

What the Lord showed me went against the prescriptions.

My son has more than one condition. His primary diagnosis is Prader-Willi Syndrome, but like any puzzle piece that does not quite fit into the puzzle, he also has autism, and apraxia. In fact, my son has always gone against the way he was supposed to develop…he never did quite do things in the medical field’s proper order of things. One or nine medications cannot cure him.

The Lord brought us to the point that our son could take 9 medications and we could limp through life, bleary-eyed and stressed out, never arriving at the best for our son‘s treatment. Or, we could seek the Lord, and ask Him what the best treatment is. One brings peace, and the other brings fear. Both may bring some level of struggling, but I would rather struggle with peace, wouldn’t you?

Jesus heals.

This includes our children. John 9 tells us that He created the blind man for His glory. Was it purely so that He could heal this man? Does He want that for our children? What do you think? The New Testament is filled with His healings!

Some say the Lord does not heal today, but I am here to tell you that He does. If we make Him the Bread of Life, then we will know how to carry out His will and we will know what to eat. Sometimes He leads us on a journey to healing, and other times He outright heals us. It all comes down to His purpose and His plan.

Jesus>Religion!

Give Me Jesus to Find Healing in the Holy Spirit!

noreply@blogger.com (His Special Kids' Families) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 11:47:16 PST

Recently, we went to Sprouts, our local health food grocery store chain. I picked a day when I could work it into my son’s schedule, made sure he had his lunch and something to drink. I verbally rehearsed the routine several times for him, and things seemed to flow seamlessly…that is until he saw the balloons…

We walk into the store and there are 20 plus balloons of different colors tied to a cart. I figured they were there for display, but he just KNEW that they were there for him! If you are the parent of a child with autism, you know what came next. However, then, he accidentally released the balloon to the ceiling. He begins his anxious complaining, while I try to reassure him.

I sheepishly explain the situation to a stock boy and ask if he can help us get it down. He just gets us another one, and I tie it to a can, only for it to SLIP OFF THE CAN! NOOOO! I tried to leave without that balloon, but it only started the tears.  I asked another person to help us, and he graciously brought us a new one. 3 times is the charm, because we got out of there with that balloon! And the groceries…

Go and read about Sprouts.

No, I am not just tooting their horn over one store experience. We frequent Sprouts regularly, as there are 3 near where we live. I nearly did a happy dance one day when they were running an Autism Speaks campaign in the store before Thanksgiving. Most importantly, it is peaceful and reminiscent of a small neighborhood grocery store. They also sell healthy food and supplements, which assists our children in healing.

After this event, I decided that I needed a button for my blogs, so I went online to their website. I discovered that the President of this family-owned chain started in Arizona has an autistic son.  The family-owned business has always had a history of community involvement, but their acceptance of my son's needs have made it a wonderful place for us. My son has had meltdowns, yet still receives friendly replies from cashiers and stock people. It actually makes going to the store refreshing…and because of their attitude, my son wants to go back!

We have to match our faith with action.

This past week I witnessed in one of my prayer groups, the saving of a little infant boy. Within 5 weeks of his birth, they discovered that he had a failing heart. I don’t know his family personally, as the request was through a member of my group. Yet, what I do know is that his mother prayed, and so did many others.   The Lord ushered the way, knowing this little angel’s life was in balance. Within a few days, he was wheeled into surgery, and his heart was delivered into his body. Please pray for him as he continues to recover; he is now 11 weeks old.

It is not about a lack of prosperity. The devil attacks us all. The difference is how we respond to it. If you are a Christian, then you use the spiritual weapons. You pray, and turn it over to Him, as much as you can lay down, and the Father will bring healing or solutions in whatever way are best for all involved. Even if you get your flesh involved, He will lead and direct you with the Holy Spirit.

The degree of sinful results comes in the passing down of sins from one generation to another. The legalists tell us that we have to have a perfect background to carry out His ministry with our feet…We have to have the perfect children, the perfect wife or husband, the perfect house, car, and maybe event he perfect neighborhood or church!

Funny thing is, when you look at all the apostles, particularly the original 12, you will not see perfection. It is in our weaknesses that we are strong in Christ. It is despite our weaknesses that we achieve victory through the Holy Spirit!

It is hard to know what we should pray for…

I mean, when your child is first born, you want healing from their genetic condition. You were probably told the story about arriving in Holland when you paid to go to another destination. As parents, we ended up somewhere we did not want to go, and we wanted out. We all go through the grieving process with that one; some blame God, some the doctors, some the other parent, and still others their children. The Lord Jesus Christ brings healing to all!

Later, we may reach a new wall with our child. The disease may turn a new course. The syndrome has a new stage with their changing bodies and development. Their behaviors worsen with their maturing understanding. There is a shift in the direction of their condition, or a new round of treatments that we must follow. Whatever it is, we have to start with Jesus!

However, what if…

The Lord chose to heal our children of their disease, syndrome, chromosomal abnormalities, etc. I mean, wouldn’t that be a wonder? When it comes to genetic dispositions, it seems that the Lord has not been healing in this way in the recent past. At least, I have not heard of an instance…Should we hope for that? Maybe we should ask Him.

In the meantime, we may try medications and dietary control. We may try treatments and therapies. We may pray for the Lord to heal our child, but whatever His answer is, we have to be willing to follow through with the treatment He prescribes. The Bible is filled with many different healings related to specific abnormalities and illnesses. I always go back to John 9:1-3; it is all for the glory of God. Give me Jesus above all things…then I will know what to do.

Celebrating the New Year With Baby Jesus

noreply@blogger.com (His Special Kids' Families) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 17:49:25 PST

Somehow, commercialism gets into the core of Christmas with children. We work ourselves to a sweat, wrapping presents, making cookies and rich foods, delivering gifts, and writing out Christmas cards. Christmas plays and musicals line up our pre-holiday activities. The Day comes, and we are over run with toys and gifts, family and food. So, Jesus gave us a Sunday Christmas. In fact, we get one every 7 years.

On Christmas Eve night, we went to a sensory friendly church service, which we took our special needs son to. No, they did not call it that, but that is what it was. The lights were down, the front candles were lit, the music was softer and the volume was turned down.

Yes, he obsessed over where the offering plate was, because he brought his own money to give. Yes, he LOVED the fact that we were having communion. Yes, it was short. But, you know, we had the rare opportunity to attend and stay in church in peace. We did not make it Sunday morning, but it was a nice way to end the calendar year…

Enter New Year’s Day,

We made our Baby Jesus birthday cake, after we took a nap, of course! My special son’s choice? An angel food cake. We decided that since it was called angel food, that Baby Jesus would like that…

My son got into the kitchen with me, which he seems to increasingly want to do. He learned to break eggs into the egg separator, and then ran off to help set the lunch table. We waited until snack time for this treat, and then we lit the candles and sang Happy Birthday to Jesus. Although I did not plan the day, it was a blessing to remember what our days are for.

Many of us have been running on empty this week.

We are burned out after the momentum of preparing for the holidays. The race of gathering with friends, setting limits with sensory sensitive children, coping with more than the usual tantrums, navigating Special Needs Land and its issues, still trying to eat a balanced diet, keeping up with the normal duties that need to be done, plus anything else; it hit more than just me…

I kept thinking, give me some more coffee, and I can accomplish it! After awhile, Starbucks tasted better than my own home brew…Then I crashed into rest.

So, yes, we need to breathe, God reminds us.

However, our kids are out of control. They are sensory overloaded. They may need to detox from too much sugar and processed foods. They may show little self-control, and we feel pushed to the brink of over turning tables in the Temple courtyard... They are fighting with their siblings, who have had it with them. We are all ready for school to start again.

There is always something to be done, and yes, we fill our days with duties, activities, travel and more. We do not stop to look at how we can cut back, and become more efficient in our daily plans. We rarely get away. We are focused on the goal to finish the race. It fuels our anxieties, which in turn, pushes us to do more.

We have to take time to read and study God’s Word. Yes, we can attend church, or we can teach a class, but what time do we spend just sitting down and studying His Word? Do we really rest, and pray to the Lord? This is true peace---to sit at His feet. It is what He created us to do, commune with Him.

I think the key word here is BREATHE!

One last story…my special needs son has really struggled with tantrums this month. Maybe it is because I am so busy, things were different, who knows. However, we have been working on some anger management techniques, and I have been telling him, Honey, when you start to feel angry, instead of yelling, you need to take big breaths.

He didn’t buy into it at first, until I told him to blow the house down with his breaths. He liked that idea, and we are frequently rehearsing before we go out into public. Even if he isn’t deep breathing, at least he is stopping enough to think through what is coming out of his mouth.

So, breathe, Mom and Dad. We are all venturing out there this week, being Super Mommies and Daddies, but we still have to be present in this moment. We have to continue to be our children’s advocates, and make choices that bless our children, not hurt them. Let us do it in Christ!

Let us all pray for each other, as we seek out the Lord’s will in carrying out His will for our children. May you find the Lord’s blessings in this New Year, and breathe...

For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and consecrated it. Exodus 20:11

Merry Christmas With a Little Help From Charlie Brown's Christmas!

noreply@blogger.com (His Special Kids' Families) — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 20:10:11 PST

I pray that your Christmas was blessed. Here is a video excerpt from Charlie Brown's Christmas:

The Star of Bethlehem Lights The Way To Jesus

noreply@blogger.com (His Special Kids' Families) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 18:30:19 PST

source of picture unknown, public domain

A mother and father walk and ride the long road from Nazareth to Bethlehem. She is very pregnant, Joseph must ensure her safety to their destination. He has been given the responsibility of caring for the Son of God. He knows it because an angel came to him in a dream, telling him that Mary had conceived through the Holy Spirit. They knew because the angels told them. They knew they were not delusional. It appeared that they were going against the traditions of their forefathers, yet it is as if the Lord wanted doubt to cloud the community. Obviously, God did not want this for their harm, but He had a greater good in mind.

The Lord had a plan.

He created the heavens and the Earth.

Christmas doesn’t really start with the nativity; it begins with Yahweh and His creation of the world. Remember? On the first day He separated dark from light and called them night and day. On the second day He created the sky. On the third day, he separated the water from the land, then He created all types of plants and trees. On the fourth day He created the stars and planets---the lights in the sky. It did not stop there…

Joseph referred to the sun, the moon (literally, lunation) and the stars in the dream which his brothers sold him into Egypt for (Genesis 37:9). David tells us in Psalms that the Lord numbers and names the stars in heaven (Psalms 147:4). Job declares God’s handiwork in the creation of the sky, the sun, and the stars, then the Bear, Orion and Pleiades constellations (Job 9:7-9).

Of course, man named the stars, but Yahweh is the creator of all.

Which is where our story begins.

The forecast of the birth of Christ and His death and resurrection were even written in the stars. Literally. According to the Star of Bethlehem, astronomically speaking, in the year of 3 B.C. there was the cycling of the planet Jupiter over the Regus star (meaning king). Also at this time was the appearance of the Virgo star (meaning virgin in Latin), and the Leo (also Ayre, in Hebrew, or lion in Latin). It was the season of The Festival of Booths, or Succoth.

Seasons come and go, and another light show arrives 2 days after Chanukah, which was December 25, 2 B.C. Jupiter and Venus align the night the “star” was reported over Bethlehem on Tevet 4, of the Jewish calendar. In a pitch black, desert sky, all the people saw was a very bright light over the little town.

I wonder…

Was the light like a soft glow, almost like the appearance of daylight? Or, did it reflect a direct source of piercing light? Did the angels add more divine light to the possible planet projections? What made the shepherds quake so much, and then run to the town to find the baby in a stable for animals? Was it as bright as the Morning Star? Apparently, the angels did not appear with the revelation until the birth of Christ had occurred.

Obviously, they believed it, because many came from miles around to see the Savior of the world.

He reflected the birth of the world.

Physically, He was an infant, innocent and tiny. Yet He was of the Spirit, the spiritual Adam. He became like us.

In the beginning was the Word, and Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1

His parents were not rich. They were humble, settling for a donkey to ride, and sleeping in a stable. Yes, they had enough, but yet, very little. Jesus was wrapped in swaddling clothes (a cloth wrap). Yes, they had to pick up and literally run from King Herod in the middle of the night. No, they could not go home until God told them to. He knew the real extent of Herod’s physical power.

They really suffered. Life was not easy.

You know, things change on a daily basis.

We all know that. We see it every time our children displays new symptoms, receives a new diagnosis, or life just side-swipes us all of a sudden. The choices we make can alter our temporary course in life, as Christians, or we can find ourselves up against a wall, uncertain of where to go. Yet, no matter what crisis we find ourselves in, He does have the answer.

It is hard to remember that in a moment of fear and panic, but when we look at the Christ child, and all that He went through, we are reminded. We are reminded that we are valuable to Abba Father, and that He cares deeply for the safety and security of our children and our families. Yes, we each have a mission with our lives, and no matter what choices we make, He will secure it.

His life was the light of all people.

Let There Be Peace on Earth

noreply@blogger.com (His Special Kids' Families) — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 11:31:29 PST

Image by paparutzi via Flickr

The other night, I was making Christmas cookies with my special needs son. I was trying to pull out the stars, angels and Christmas tree cookie cutters, when my son reached into the basket, and pulled out a bunny and a carrot cutter. Granted, we do not have a Santa Clause cookie cutter, but that one surprised me.

Well, okay, it was no big deal if he had bunnies and carrots for Christmas, so I let him roll and cut all that he wanted. Then, when we finished the cookies, I searched the cabinet for the decoration condiments, finding red and pink sugar crystals. He grabbed the, you guessed it, hot pink sugar crystals!

Pink? I sighed, because, okay, it wasn’t my idea of a Christmas cookie, either. Aren’t we supposed to make the season perfect? I thought to myself. Then again, I am sure Baby Jesus did not eat cookies on His birthday anyway. I resolved myself to unique Christmas cookies…some of them were stars.

So, like all of us, I pick my battles.

We put out a manger.

We share gifts with others, particularly with those in need.

We read a special advent calendar that tells the Christmas story.

We talk about the star.

We talk about the wise men.

We spend family time together.

We listen to Christian Christmas music.

We bake a Happy Birthday Jesus cake, and sing happy birthday to Him.

But, then our children are going to be bombarded with ideas of Santa Clause and holiday traditions like shopping, presents and the like. We cannot control that. We, personally, homeschool, and my son picked up the idea from a television show that Santa was going to come down the chimney and bring us presents. We had never celebrated with Santa, and we always told him it was make-believe, but, he decided the idea was very nice. And it is!

So, okay, we had to clarify that for him.

My son’s idea of a pink Christmas is not a far-fetched idea, when you think about it.

There are pink halite crystals, pink noses and eyes, pink pigs, pinkish dogs, pink babies, pink flowers, and pink skies. There are even geodes with hot pink crystals inside. Yahweh created them all, and using a color from His palette, is all the more reason to rejoice with pink. Pink expresses tenderness, delicateness, vulnerability, and warmth. No wonder my son chose this color over red…

We can’t keep out all of those secular influences, particularly at this time of year. The tide is strong to give in to human desires of eating all of those good tasting treats that we all like to eat. Yes, we all drink Starbucks, hot chocolate, and even bake and eat lots of cookies. We, personally, will make a Happy Birthday Jesus Cake, with frosting, thank you very much! The key for all of us, is not overdoing it….yes, it is a challenge!

When you have a special needs child, Christmas changes.

It changes with all children, but with our special kids, it can be a struggle for them. We do move slowly into the holiday. We keep our son’s stimulation down as much as possible. I let him drive the rate of putting up lights and getting involved in the tree. Yes, he gets excited about Christmas, but he doesn’t always want to run and jump into it with both feet.

Sometimes it can feel restraining, not because we don’t love our children, but it can change our circle of relationships and activities. We may even feel isolated from the world’s, or even the Church’s ideas, of the perfect Christmas. The Christmas play may be too much work. The music in worship may be too loud. The sugar and red dye may send our children into tantrums for the 15th time this week, and more.

We are looking for peace on earth and good will toward men…

Yes, we can say no, but to expect a special child to participate in their ideas about Christmas, is asking them to go beyond their capabilities. Like some geodes, there is a pink crystal that shines when opened. I pray that you help your children find their own light from Jesus. No matter what color it is….

Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us.” Matthew 1:23

The Christmas Story Helps Us Keep Our Eyes on Elohim

noreply@blogger.com (His Special Kids' Families) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 15:06:13 PST

Image via Wikipedia

Baby Jesus. He was immaculately conceived. His mother, a virgin, was a young girl who followed Jewish law and traditions, with a pure heart. She found herself engaged to a man, visited by angels, pregnant with the Son of God, and then ostracized because Joseph would not claim the child at first. When he finally did, after his own angelic visitation, the two of them were probably isolated for breaking their engagement vow to each other. No one would have believed that Mary had conceived the Messiah, Yeshua, by the Holy Spirit. Mary? Joseph?

Further, when Jesus is born, the small family runs in the middle of the night to safety. An angel, once again, comes to tell Joseph that Herod wants to kill the baby, and that they are to go to Egypt. They remain for two years and then return to Nazareth, which is not the number one place that all Israelites want to live…

This story is still happening!

A friend of mine told me a story this week about her son (the innocent child), who is on the autism spectrum, when he was in the public school a couple of years ago. His teacher (one of Herod's henchwomen) was so demeaning to her students that she actually told them that children like my friend’s son deserved to be teased. Her quote was when there were difficulties with the other boys were, “If he wants to act that way, then he deserves to be teased!”

What? What kind of teacher is that? Further, when my friend’s son ended up in the emergency room, because the children talked him into eating glue, so that they would be his friend, she was even more abusive. She said, “If he was dumb enough to do it, then he deserved it!” Can you believe she said that?!

My friend and her husband (the Mary and Joseph part of the story) had had enough after a series of events like this, and they finally pulled both of their sons out of school to safety, to be home schooled (ah, yes, the good Egypt). Yes, they did advocate, and yes, they even pursued the superintendent, but the school politics became an obstacle to serving their son’s needs. They listened to God’s wisdom.

Some in power will try to oppress us.

They will. They will lord their perceived authority over us, but trust that in the end, God will have the last Word. If we persist in seeking Him, He will bring us victory. Yes, sometimes, the system is too large for us to take on, and we must run to safety. Yet, it is then, that we let God fight the battle, and bring the results that He desires; He will do it. However, when we cannot, He will lead us to victory against our enemies.

Jesus does tell us that we will have to suffer the insults of those who do not follow Him. They will criticize how we make our decisions (Yes, they even justify the abuse of our children.). They will wonder why we do what we do, when the world’s logic says we need to follow another decision trail. They may call us crazy and irrational. They may ostracize us. Following the Holy Spirit is foreign to them, but frankly, God will out maneuver them, if we trust Him.

As in the case of the 8-year-old little boy who was removed from his mother's care because the state of Ohio decided that she wasn't doing enough to stop her son's weight gain. Forgive me, but what part of watching your child slowly die, because a diagnosis has yet to be made, warrants traumatizing him further? The Lord God, Elohim, is the final judge in this case.

The Second Temple in Jerusalem was an example of God's victory.

It has always been accepted that King Herod was the one who built the Second Temple. Although there is no way he could have had it built during his lifetime, Herod definitely started the process. The Western Wall is the last currently standing artifact of this. Yet, recently, there are coins that were discovered at the Temples' foundation, setting the final building about 20 or more years after Herod’s death. They want us to know that it probably took about 46 years to complete it, which means he did not see its completion. This really is not concerning to me...Truly, the time doesn’t really matter, because the point is that God’s will was accomplished with and without the help of King Herod. Victory!

Remember, we can rely on God for the answers.

We have to first seek Him out in His Word. We cannot skip this step. He is the author of all that is moral and right. God is love and He is truth. Once we have that foundation, then we will know where and how to find the wisdom to make the next step for our children.

Our special children should not have to go through this kind of abuse, but frequently the Pharisees at least try, no matter what we try to prevent; then, we find ourselves becoming advocates for our children. Yes, we have to stand up to the wolves and vultures sometimes, and yes, we will have victory if we persist in following what the Lord calls us to do. He is Lord, and He is the final judge, not them. He does know our needs, and the needs of our children. When we follow the Holy Spirit, Jesus will calm the storm.

And the same day, when the evening had come, he said unto them, “Let us pass onto the other side.” And when they had went away the multitude took him even as He was in the ship. And there also with Him other little ships. And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. And He was in the stern part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake Him and say, “Carest though not that we perish?” And He arose and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, “Peace, be still.” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. Mark 4:35-39

Enter The Season of Christmas Through The Door

noreply@blogger.com (His Special Kids' Families) — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 11:52:11 PST

Image by robynejay via Flickr

Several years ago, we painted our house. When we embarked on the project, I found it to be more complicated than I thought it would be. The color turned out to be more important than I realized. Further, once you got the main color of your house chosen, you have to pick a trim color, which for us, included our door. It had to match the neighborhood, terrain, and our bricks. It is not as easy as it seems, because you must look at a variety of house color schemes until you find the right coloring.

The door is the focal point. There are different color schemes you can choose to paint a door, but no matter what you decide on, it must invite your visitors to come in. It needs to be striking enough to catch their attention. The invitation must be to welcome one and all. Then, sometimes we begin painting, and realize that the color is not what we thought it would be. We wish we had a different door to go through.

I like doors with crosses.

Wreaths are nice, but the cross reminds us of the sacrifice of Jesus. Either way, the doors of a church (which sometimes have wreaths, but always have crosses) are safe, because they represent the central location of Jesus Christ. Why? Because on some level, we know that believers will follow the Holy Spirit to the cross. Christians will generally shut out evil, and keep in the light. Even if the darkness enters in undetected, the Body becomes the Light, which overcomes the dark, or pushes it out the door. Plus, the cross is the key to the Door of God.

A cross says:

We follow Jesus.

We believe in the miraculous conception and birth of Jesus Christ.

We believe that Jesus physically died on the cross, shedding His blood.

We believe in the resurrection of His body.

We believe in the power of the cross.

We walk in His Holy Spirit.

We have insurance and we need not fear.

We believe that although we are totally imperfect, but we have grace in Jesus Christ.

We believe that all are welcome and can come to Jesus in genuine repentance.

We reach out to those in need, with open arms.

The turnkey is the birth of Jesus.

This is the door to the real Christmas. I have never been much of a Black Friday participant until I found myself low on extra cash, and needing to do Christmas shopping for my children. I have managed to do it online, and yes, much to the chagrin of the retail stores, I started two weeks out this year, combing the Internet for deals. I did not have to leave my home with my ASD son, because I cannot find someone to give us respite care. I was able to purchase good, wholesome toys and other items that reflect our Christian values. Plus, I did not pay much;-) But, that isn’t the focus of our Christmas.

I want my children to KNOW Jesus.

I don’t want them to grow up thinking that Christmas is all about Santa and toys. I don’t want them to believe that the word Holiday is the same thing as Christmas, which reflects the birth of our Savior. I want them to take in the truth of God’s Word, and realize that He created the world, and baby Jesus too!

There are many doors we could go through this Christmas season, but I want our family to only go through the ones that say Jesus. Yes, it could be a simple service to others, such as Operation Christmas Child (which you can continue to give online for), giving food and clothing, money, making cookies, or sending cards. It could even be participating in a Church children's program. The best doors will be at the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Won’t you join us? Together, our light will be brighter, and will grab the attention of those who are lost and forever doomed. Let’s decorate our doors in the name of Jesus, and shut the door on secularism, so that all will want to come to the Light of Jesus! He is brighter than any light Santa and his reindeer could bring!

“And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.” Matthew 2:6

But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah, who are one of the little clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days. Micah 5:2

Bountiful Blessings, or It is a Special Needs Thanksgiving!

noreply@blogger.com (His Special Kids' Families) — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 20:23:05 PST

Image by clickclique via Flickr

Ah, it is that time of year again. The season where we share food and fellowship together, and go to the ER…At least that is where we were today.

Our son had gastric distension, with outward tenderness and a tummy ache this morning. The problem is that children with Prader-Willi Syndrome can eat themselves to death, and those symptoms are warnings that there might be a further problem. So, we spent the day getting bloodwork and xrays. It turned out that he had gotten a stomach virus that bloated him that much.

Our son has PWS, and at this time of year, it can be a hard reality for some---our reality, that is. PWS seems to act like a disease in that it goes through shifts and cycles, as our children grow, but it isn‘t. It damages many of our children’s ability to know when they are truly hungry; the rest count themselves very fortunate.

Some people are daunted by this reality. I have to say that when the truth of my son’s eating disorder was shared with us, I was overwhelmed. I cried a lot, because the old way of life was gone, and truthfully, I simply thought the picture looked so dark and bleak that it would not get better. One day you wake up and your life is normal, and the next day it isn’t…

We really have so much to be thankful for…

Our son can eat on his own now.

He can breathe on his own now.

He is on no medications today, down from 9 previously.

He is potty trained.

He can walk, and run, and play.

He is learning to ride his adaptive bike.

He communicates better and is more interactive than before.

He is healthier now than he has ever been.

If you are still in the early days, take hope from this list.

You may be under a weight of medical conditions, that seem to keep coming at you. Don’t lose faith. No matter what the doctors tell you, listen to what the Lord tells you. When your family is attacked again, don’t lose hope, or ask others to pray for your lack of hope! We were told that our son would only watch television because he would be so lazy…who comes up with this stuff?!

Yes, their disabilities get in the way, but, I see it as one extra opportunity for God to create another miracle every time they are healed of one condition!

I always go back to John 9:1-3; our special children were created for the glory of God. It could be to heal them, or it could be for their reflection of the light and love of God. Jesus healed many of the sick and the lame. He healed those who were laying in their own feces, the elderly, the bleeding, the dying, those with severe behavioral problems, and those who begged for a living. Everyone had already tried to heal them, but Jesus completed it.

With their faith, He healed them. With their faith, He cast out demons. With the faith of others, He healed. He used the power of God.

Think it can’t happen today?

Think again!

When your back is up against the wall, and no one can help you; that is when Jesus comes in and does it! I can tell you that in our own house, we have frequently prayed against simple viruses and colds, which have evaporated into thin air. If you have a special needs child who is immune compromised, you know the value of that faith. We already pray against this little bug which took our son to the hospital today.

We have prayed for my oldest son’s broken foot, which healed within days. I have prayed against my son’s many health and behavioral conditions. There have been situations where children have been prayed over for their healing, and it occurs. The Lord has healed me of many of my own ailments. Sometimes it was miraculously, and other times it was a leading of the Holy Spirit with specific treatments He led us to.

Pray for your children, one condition at a time, and He will heal them with your faith. I pray that you do not find yourself in the ER this week, or this Christmas season, but that you will find faith and healing in your family. Even if you do struggle, have faith as you walk the journey, and the Lord will carry you.

As He walked along, He saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked Him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents that he was born blind?" Jesus answered "Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God's works might be revealed in him." John 9:1-3

Operation Christmas Child: An Answer to Prayer

noreply@blogger.com (His Special Kids' Families) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 08:48:44 PST

I watched an interview recently with a researcher who asked the question, why this country’s youth are leaving the physical church. Apparently, 60 percent of those from age 15-29 have left active involvement of what he considers the church. He blames it on the distractions of our society and the technological age. He even states that many are finding Christian involvement online. Gasp!

He states that he believes the reason behind this is because the Church has failed to equip young people to live “in, but not of” the world.

I am wondering if that theory keeps up with the times…

The physical pulpit in a building is no longer the main source of the spreading of the Gospel, or even fellowshipping with other people of the Christian faith. One only needs to get online in an area of Christian interest, and they will find that there are many groups and individuals preaching the message of Jesus Christ. There is a greater harvest online than in your local church!

The technological age has brought the same Gospel through a different modality, so that we can reach the lost. It is the Lord’s way! This age is different than 50 years ago, or even 10 years ago. Now, we live virtually in our physical lives. We ground ourselves in the Word of God, first, and then service is carried out from that point.

Take, for example...

Take the young girl, Sarah Coiner, whose video I watched on God Tube the other week, who has cerebral palsy and ministers the Gospel to individuals online. She cannot move her hands, but uses a device from her forehead. As technology develops, she will no longer be bound in her body. How many other disabled people did not have the benefit of such devices and lived trapped in their bodies? In the words of her mother, “God made a way.”

Lately, my own special needs son reminds me every day, at least one time a day, that we need to prepare our Operation Christmas Child boxes. It started last year, and was such a big event for him, that we are doing it again this year. When he heard the reminders on K-LOVE radio the other day and then said, “Yeah, Mom!” He even became excited when he saw the sign the other day in the Chick-Fil-A drive through, with pictures of two boys receiving boxes.

The whole idea simply thrills him to no end. I even had to come up with sign language for Operation Christmas Child, so that I would know when he was trying to tell me about it. He is planning what toys he wants to give and wants to know where the boxes might be going. It is his Christian mission…

What about your family’s call?

Living a life of Christ means that we walk in the Spirit of God, and that we follow Him. Are we really losing the youth in the Church, or have they been called to the mission field? Some do not view the Internet as “real,” but we are all real, living, breathing people who talk and share with each other online, and over time, we build relationships. So, what is your family's God-directed mission? How many small ministries have you seen pop up online through Facebook and Twitter? I see much youth-directed content online.

Yes, we are all called to serve, not just become Dead Seas simply because we either have a person with disabilities in our household, or we are disabled ourselves. God did, and will continue to “make a way.” He wants us to have springs of the living water of the Holy Spirit carrying out His love to the ends of the Earth.

The Body of Christ is living and breathing; it goes beyond all borders of a building. The Spirit of God flows in and amongst us, bringing us together. As we walk with Him, we come together. We get to know each other, and we find that our lives interconnect in Christ.

So, if you want to join in the helping out of Operation Christmas Child…

Go to their website and find the nearest drop off location. It is a joy knowing that these children’s needs will be served in the remotest of places around the world. Places which we cannot make it to! If we can only be the hands and feet by packing and preparing boxes and maybe getting them to the churches, then others can do the rest! The Lord will ensure delivery, using the rest of the Body, who can organize the warehouses, organize the expeditions, fly planes and carry out delivery. It is a blessing to participate in such an endeavor.

Let us all follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, carrying out His will for these little children. In the eyes of my little son, they are most important!

Behold I stand at the door and knock; if any man hears my voice, and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. Revelations 3:20

The Earth Quaked; How Does the Holy Spirit Lead?

noreply@blogger.com (His Special Kids' Families) — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 15:45:44 PST

Photo Credit

The Earth is quaking quite a lot recently. It started with the 2 earthquakes in Oklahoma City yesterday and last night, and a mudslide occurred this morning in Columbia. The latest quake in Oklahoma registered 5.6 on the Richter Scale, and the largest ever recorded in that state. It was felt all across the Midwest and the South, from North Texas all the way up to Northern Kansas, Missouri and Wisconson.

A couple of weeks ago, we had a small tremor of the Earth here in Texas. I was sitting in my bed praying, and the lamp shade shook lightly. Then the bed moved as if it was being lifted from underneath, and while I was processing what was happening (a matter of seconds), the pens in a glass tinkled across the room. I have never felt an earthquake, but I did that day.

We do not live on a fault line; there is one several hundred miles south of us, but the last earthquake was in a similar location about 50 miles from us a couple of years ago.

It turned out that there was an earthquake about 4.7 on the Richter Scale that morning. Then, late in the hurricane season, one arrives in the coastal wasters off of Central America.

2011 has been quite a year.

I know I keep saying it, but I also hear predictions that we will see more of this in 2012. Why? I am not sure. There are some that come up with numerology, and others read the geological signs. The funny thing is, that no one knows why in the world Oklahoma just began having numerous earthquakes in the year of 2009. They had about 42 in that year, and an increase of quakes since then. The US Geological Service finally set up a station in Norman.

Then, don’t forget about the earthquake that occurred in Washington D.C. this summer, which shook the foundations of the Washington National Monument and The National Cathedral. It closed both facilities down. Then, weeks later, a hurricane strikes the Virginia coast, creating more distress. I am sure it was a reaction to the shaking of the Earth.

Although much smaller, the Texas earthquake was similar to this one, and we wonder what ocean weather the Oklahoma earthquake will bring. As you know, earthquakes have not been the only natural disaster of this year.

The Lord is calling us.

He wants us to pray! The Spirit gives us trials and tribulations, but as Christians, they push us to the Almighty God, and we still stand. The unrighteous, however, will go from bad to worse, never coming to the truth. Think of Lot and Noah (Genesis). Everyone was having one big party; life was grand…and immoral. Then the Lord called two men and their families to another land. He was not going to allow them to become Sodom and Gomorrah because of the faithfulness of their hearts.

Many people are beginning to understand that we are entering a season that resembles the prophetic descriptions laid out by Jesus in the Bible. Yet, what needs to be said about prophetic Word, is that it is a call to prayer. Pray against disaster, pray for your family’s safety, but walk in faith that He will carry you. It does not mean that it has to happen tomorrow, or next year. What it means is that God is calling us to be sold out to Him! Do not listen to fatalism.

Sometimes we find ourselves trying to ride the fence of our faith in order not to offend. You know? I might offend the Muslim, the Buddhist, etc. if I say that I believe in Jesus Christ. In other words, we cannot just go against our faith for the sake of “keeping peace.” That is not true peace! Eventually, the truth has to come out, because the fence will fall down one way or the other. It is oh, so easy to do, that is, until you are in the middle of a crisis.

Further, we read God’s Word, and decide that the Bible no longer applies to our modern day society. We decide that it is no longer the truth, because times have changed. The problem with that kind of thinking is that we are taking His Word, word by word, and not into our hearts. Unless we follow the commandments in the Bible in a heart-felt manner, we miss the mark.

Take the earthquake in the Capitol, for instance.

Why did the foundation of the National Cathedral literally roll, in one eyewitness account? Perhaps it is because there is not one mention of the name of Jesus Christ on their website; they follow the people. They desire to include people of all religions and call it a church, walking the line. They cater to all religions, and pray for peace and harmony. That isn’t our church, the Church of Jesus Christ, but a meeting place of government officials. They forgot Whom our country was founded on.

How much of this do we see in our governmental institutions?

However, the Lord is calling us to help out the Body of Christ when She has a physical need. We cannot continue to send our brothers and sisters in Christ to government agencies to carry out the duty that the Lord has called us to do. God is the foundation of all, and only those who stand with Him will not fall.

Earthquakes, floods, mudslides, hurricanes, strike all upon the Earth, but it is the righteous of the kingdom of God who will stand. Eloihim is the creator of the universe and the author of justice; He sent his Son to fulfill the Law that He laid down. His grace covers Jew and Gentile alike; let us raise our families to follow Him.

But Noah found favor in the sight of the Lord...Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation; Noah walked with God. Genesis 6:8-9

Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. Matthew 24:42

The Holy Spirit Brings a Mommy Defender

noreply@blogger.com (His Special Kids' Families) — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 11:37:18 PDT

Click on the picture for this website

I took my autism spectrum son to our favorite health food market this weekend. He insisted on having chips with his lunch, and they are the only ones who had the organic ones, as well as good organic produce. He was walking on the edge of throwing a tantrum. You know, the kind where they shut down for an hour…I was just praying we could make it home, so I worked out a negotiation with him. I was praying that the switch would not flip.

Yet, we navigate Sprouts, which supports Autism Speaks, by the way, and find our chips and veggies. My son, particularly wants his large bag of organic carrots, so that we can make juice for him. He becomes a little put out because they only had the small bags of carrots, not the big ones. When he finally resolved himself to the two small bags, I thought he was going to pull the whole rack of carrots down when he grabbed the bottom bag…

I told him that we had angels watching over us!

We love this store, because even though it is in the city, it is a neighborhood grocery store that supplies a real need for our special diet. The people and cashiers are friendly. Plus, my son has thrown some whoppers there, and most have handled it well. They “know” us, and we are able to even chat with the checkout people who have worked there for quite some time. But, on this day, in the check out line, there was a grouchy, mean, but elderly man in the line behind us.

My son began to scream over what, I am not sure. Maybe he had just had enough. He had his chips in hand, and that is all he knew. The sweet lady at the checkout asked me what he wanted, and feeling discouraged, I muttered, “I don’t know.” I tried to re-direct him, but as some of you know, the switch was flipped. I just prayed I didn’t have to stand there in a lock down with my son.

Out of the blue.

That mean, grouchy man pierces the rhythm of the store, which was generally ignoring us, and began yelling at my son, “Hey, knock it off!” He proceeds to open his mouth again, and it hit me that he decides that he had license to do that to my son, again! I barked (okay, maybe I yelled at him), “You leave my son alone! He is autistic.” (That is not all that he has, but I hoped that he would at least understand that on some level.)

He actually tries at this point, to “show” me that my son had temporarily stopped yelling. However, I stated again, “Leave my son alone!” At this, he finally puts his hands up in some sort of defeat, like okay, have it your way. The checkout lady (…who was extremely sweet, did I say that?) and I navigate my son, who is sniffling by this time, but distracted by his desire to carry out his bag and store flier rituals.

We are able to leave the store in peace.

I admit, normally, I would have felt bad about yelling at that man. I would have written him off, and explained it later to my son. I would have calmly told the man what I did say, yet not yelled outright at him, but it was obvious that this man thought he could intimidate my son into submission.

What his lack of understanding showed was that he could have turned a bad situation worse. I don’t know how many people have tried to parent my son (as if I obviously didn’t know how to handle him) and then he started screaming at them. However, given how much the devil has attacked us this month (maybe someday I will share what the pediatrician did to my son the other day), I had just had it.

I admit, that man yelling at my son, startled him enough so that he temporarily stopped tantruming. However, despite his protests, obviously, the end does not justify the means. He and many others do not seem to understand that disciplining a special needs child is a whole other methodology than re-directing a typical child. You can’t just “make them mind.”

I am left continually with the truth.

Just as the Lord delivered us from that man’s accusations, and further, lifted us up, so He will ensure our preservation despite all that the devil throws our way. The Lord will judge that man, and given the fact that he is yelling at a special needs child in a grocery store that he does not know, and then further arguing with his mother, shows he obviously has come across this issue before…

Should I have not yelled at that man? Picture another scenario. I calmly state what I said to him. My son, realizing that he is no longer being understood, begins to scream louder to make himself heard (He is language impaired), and it starts all over again. We shut down the cashier’s aisle, and I end up calling my husband to drive across town to see if he can help me get our son out of the store…One quick store trip turns into an hours long nightmare. Oh yeah!

I was not abusive. I just told him to stop abusing my son and stood my ground against him.

However, the Lord defends us (sometimes he calls us to stand up for ourselves), and our children, because we walk with Him. It isn’t because we are perfect as Christians, or we live pristine lives, or have perfect attitudes. It is because we are saved by grace because of the death of Jesus Christ, Yeshua, Messiah, the Holy Lamb of God. We can have the confidence of the children of God. We believe and are saved. We seek Him with our hearts in the way that He has called us. We are his sheep, and He is now the shepherd. We follow Him.

So, while we continue to work his our son's understanding, this Mommy Defender is glad that she takes up the armor of God, because He delivers us from every evil attack of the devil.

Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready for to proclaim the gospel of peace. With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all of the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Ephesians 6:14-17

God Created the Human Skeleton

noreply@blogger.com (His Special Kids' Families) — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 11:49:07 PDT

Image by andrewandlisa2153 via Flickr

The back is a miracle. If God created anything that is so important to our lives, it is the back. Think about it. The muscles hold our vertebrae in place, yet allowing for flexibility. If the muscles are tight, overextended, or even too loose, the back can pull or push out of joint. If the vertebrae, which encase the central nervous system, are out of line, then the system is affected, and the messages are misdelivered to various parts of the body. If left out of joint, the misalignment will cause blood flow and necessary hormones to cease and thus begin to create disease in the body.

Of course, in a normal body, this is the natural progression of things. I am still wondering about the special needs body…

Recently, I took my low-toned special needs son to the chiropractor, along with myself. I was surprised that his neck and his back hurt. He was throwing increasingly destructive tantrums, and I could not figure out why. Praying was not working, and they only worsened with each day.

It was time to go to the Pool of Siloam.

My prayers changed when I realized that I was hitting a wall. I prayed about where to go, did some searching, looking for a Christian chiropractor, first, and then someone good with children. The first place we went, we learned all about the spine and the neural impulses. It was a biology lesson for my homeschooled 7-year-old, who was fascinated with the spine model in the doctor’s office. However, when I had the man align my spine, he did not do it completely, and then tried to con me into bringing in my husband in after hours for a “talk” about my x-rays, and we were not to bring in our children…He was not touching my son!

He flat out refused to tell me what was seriously (his words) wrong with my back. I looked at him, and even asked him, “What are you talking about?”

He essentially told me that he understood that I was confused (He missed the point that my perplexed state was about his psychotic behavior.). He then proceeded to tell me how he went to the liberty to schedule an appointment for my husband and I…Oh boy.

We left, of course, and I searched for a real Christian, and pediatric chiropractor. Yes, we learned a few things; a lot, in fact, but this man was good for information on a limited level. I am sure that the Lord will discipline him according to His will. We certainly did not need to subject ourselves to more of his abusive behavior.

The Lord delivered us with a new doctor, though.

It got even better.

It turned out that not only was the new man a doctor of chiropractic care, but he is also a registered nurse. Wow. He only adjusts his patients according to the 9 medical standards. In addition, some areas he would not adjust in my son, until he looked up a little bit more about his syndrome. My son did have several vertebrae out. Further, his own special needs son was in the office, and our boys played together until their social skills got in the way…of course! My mouth was agape…

So, okay, he tried to get me to put my son on raw cow’s milk, which we have actually tried before and found it not to work. Then, he tried to pass off a pain reliever cream to us made with synthetic ingredients. However, that is all forgivable. He really is trying to make a living for his family run business legitimately.

The results are what count.

What I have seen time and time again is that we have followed all sorts of protocols for our child, because the medical community says they will work. The problem is that all humans created in God’s image, are different. That goes for special or not. You cannot cookie cutter God-created individuals and say it works for everyone. Further, healing can be immediate in the Holy Spirit, but sometimes it is a process.

For us, the natural has worked much better than the medical. We changed our diet, try to incorporate exercise in our day, avoid processed foods, go to the chiropractor, and the massage therapist (not recreational, I assure you!) We are trying to grow a winter garden, since the summer heat (worst drought in Texas history) killed our last one, for cheaper organic vegetables. We have much better results this way than the original path of 9 medications, surgeries and hospitalizations.

I have some animal endeavors on the rise too, but we really need our typical son to pass chemistry…

The Lord designed my son’s care.

Only the Lord could have brought me a chiropractic doctor that practiced as a nurse in the medical community. He has a base of medical knowledge, but he also carries out what is considered by many as alternative medicine. All I know is that God is the source of healing in my son, not one individual, and this man is one of His instruments, so is our massage therapist...

He told me to go to these places so that my son could experience healing, in the order He ordained, because He knows all things. I only know in part. They only know in part. But, if the Lord drives the ship, then my son’s body will get where it needs to be.

The funny thing about the first doctor…

He was stuck on the perfection of the human body, because that was the prescribed program that he was following. You know, we are all to get to perfection, according to someone else‘s standards, not God‘s. Obviously, none of it took into account my special needs son’s unique physical needs. His business was certainly not led by the Lord, nor was his manipulation….

If you ask any special needs adult, if they needed a perfect body to have good health, I think individuals such as this would get a good preaching of the gospel. Just ask quadriplegics like Joni Eareckson Tada, or Nick Vujicic for their Christian testimony. He is the creator of their bodies too! It is all for the glory of Him. (John 9:1-3)

The back adjustment and massage did straighten out my son’s tantrums. In fact, when he started tantruming again, I took him back and he had several vertebrae out again. You can’t argue with the results. So, we are reminded that we just need to prayerfully consider the root cause of health problems, and the Lord will lead us to one, or a series of pools of healing. He makes the call, and we follow Him.

The Lord has called all of us to carry out good health, in whatever form that takes. He may call us to let go of destructive foods, exercise more, eat foods that are more nutritious, try a new treatment, and more. Whatever it is, the question is, will you go? Will you take your child to the Pool of Siloam? We are so blessed because we did.

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body. 1 “Corinthians 6:19-20

The Holy Spirit Reigns Over Halloween

noreply@blogger.com (His Special Kids' Families) — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 10:54:04 PDT

We went to our local Sprouts food market the other day (although this is a picture I took at our local organic garden shop), and they had some gorgeous pumpkins, which my special needs son went right to. He loves the season of pumpkins, as last year we cut the top off and did a homeschool unit on this orange gourd. It is apparent that he expects something similar this year.

As I write this, my son is collecting acorns. He decided to do this on his own, and instead of picking them up off the ground, he plucks them from the oak tree itself. He obsesses over things like this, and spends several hours gleaning the acorns and placing them into cups he finds from the house. Obsessive Compulsive revisited…;-)

When I ask him what he plans to do with them, he tells me that we could use them for homeschool. When I want to know what, exactly, I need to do with them; he decides that we can count them. Then, he runs outside to collect another can full of acorns. They still sit in the cans he put them into--truthfully, it doesn‘t matter if I use them or not. Maybe they will make a wonderful center piece this Thanksgiving.

It is a nice respite from our work to celebrate fall…

We have been attacked by the devil since Rosh Hashanah, the end of September. We have suffered back problems; my typical son suffered a concussion from a basketball accident, difficulties with our finances, and constant chaos. Although we have prayed, the devil has continued to attack us, meanwhile we try to remember our faith that God will deliver us from every evil attack. He does this to us every October.

So, I set myself busy making squash pancakes, squash stews, apple snack cakes, and more.

Yet, to many this is the season of All Hallow‘s Eve.

Most refer to this holiday as a harmless child’s fun day. A day to play, dress up and collect candy from friends and family. Like many children, I, too, went from house to house dressed up in my costume. I saved my candy for days, just to make it last!

When I first started out on the parenting journey, I continued to follow that tradition. I dressed up my first son, who was only too happy to find a costume to fulfill his childhood imagination. The funny thing was, I either had to hide it until the appointed day, or I had to wait to buy it. He knew he was going to trick-or-treat, but what he did not seem to understand is why he couldn’t wear the costume sooner? He kind of had a point. Yes, I frequently gave in…

But, the question still lingered.

I finally researched it, discovering that Halloween is an all out pagan holiday, not the religious holiday many claim. It started with the Celts, who celebrated the end of their harvest, paying homage to one of their gods Samhain. As cultures mingled and Christianity came to the land, the English custom of poor people knocking on doors for food, in return for their prayers for the dead (not really Christian, but that is what they believed), was translated into the Church‘s All Saints‘ Day. The pagan holiday became a day in the Catholic Church.

The problem is there is no scripture for such a day, or All Hallow’s Eve or Day. Yet, the term in time became Halloween, and many in the Church still carry out the practice of ‘chasing” away the dead for the saints, only in what appears to be a harmless, childlike manner. Obviously, no human being has power to choose someone’s destiny.

This is compounded further by the idea that many in the occult, and those who practice witchcraft, think Halloween is their day. Whether you believe in evil spirits or not, many of those who are synagogues of Satan, do. They sacrifice, and carry out their black magic. There is a demonic world out there that some do carry out in the physical, and attacking Christians is pure sport for them.

So, in light of that, why did I do this Halloween thing?

Because like the rest of us, it is a night of children's dress-up and candy collection. The idea that we are chasing off evil spirits is ridiculous, but I begin to question myself when I look around and see fake blood, skeletons, and demonic looking monsters. It kind of takes the innocence out of the day.

Okay, so Halloween isn’t a Biblical holiday, no matter how you look at it. You know, at first, it just seemed like too much work to go against the flow and become the Halloween Grinch…Everyone else in the church that we attended at that time, did it, so we did too. But, the Lord didn’t let it rest in my own heart.

You know, when He wants you to let go of something, the peace is elusive until you do. That is what happened to me. He pursued my ideas until they matched up with His. He reminded me that following Him is like many things in life; they come with a cost. So, we let go of the Halloween idea, and moved to Fall Festivals. There was dress-up, candy and games!

It was a good transition.

My typical son felt like he wasn’t losing anything, but he still got some candy at the neighborhood festival. Plus, you can’t beat the idea that he is at a church, so no ghosts and goblins there! It was a match made in heaven. That is, until my special needs son was born. You think God is saying something here?

It turned out that, first, we couldn’t easily get to the festivals because our son was so fragile. Then, we find out that most children with his syndrome have a high rate of diabetes, and cannot tolerate the insulin spike in their bodies. Further, the sugar triggers a mechanism within these individuals that drives them to food seek beyond their physical ability to digest, or medically known as hyperphasia. Boy, talk about a need for a life change!

Obviously, God has a different plan for us…

With the removal of Halloween, we have found the organic. No, I am not necessarily talking about foods, but the base, the foundation of our faith. The Lord God made the seasons, He created all that is within the Earth, and He called it good. Celebrating the Lord’s harvest is not necessarily about the foods of the Earth, but it is about the spiritual harvest as well. The fruit of the ground is only symbolic.

Without even trying to, we were celebrating the idea behind Sukkot, or the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles. The Spirit led us to walk in the footsteps of Judaism, which at this time of year, is filled with celebration. You eat rich foods, apples dipped in honey, fruits, and other naturally sweet foods! Then, during the current holiday, you build a hut, or booth, outside to share meals in, and offer special blessings to Yahweh, or God. Not exactly the somber season…It is also a symbol of the day when Christ will return and tabernacle with His people (John 1:4). What could be more fun than that?

That is not exactly what we see in Wal-Mart. Oh sure, we see pumpkins, squash and such, but we also see a whole aisle of candy and costumes preparing the country for this one night of Halloween. We see blood, gore, and a play on the truth that there are evil spirits lurking who want to eat you, or something like that. It is as if it is child’s play. So, okay, I certainly don’t want my children to know the truth about Halloween right now, but the Lord obviously called us to something else.

Halloween already left my family out, but I wonder if God has a message for the Church?

It seems to me that the Christian Church missed something when it put All Hallow‘s Eve on the Church calendar (it is not just the Catholic church anymore). It doesn’t help us remember what the Lord has done for us through this past year, or how He has provided for us. Further, there is nothing in the Bible that says we are to celebrate this “holiday.” The Jewish feasts and festivals, however, are decreed in the Bible, such as Sukkot (Leviticus 23:33-36, Deut 16:13-17).

So, even though my special needs son cannot eat candy…

We can celebrate! We can share family time, serving Him in worship, eating sweet foods, building a sukkah, reading Ecclesiastes, spending time with family outdoors, nurturing a winter garden, picking flowers, making squash treats, cooking the seeds, and more!

No matter how the devil tries to attack us this Halloween season, we can still find ways to celebrate the Lord’s gracious gifts to us. We won’t attend the Fall Festival this year. Not because we don’t support the Churches’ effort to bring the lost out of the dark, but because we have children to raise in the way that the Lord has called us to. They need to remember God’s faithfulness, no matter what (Ecclesiastes).

They also need to remember that even though we had one of the greatest droughts in our local history, the Lord provided acorns, and pumpkins from afar. Then, He provided rain and new plant growth, the flowers came back, and the butterflies returned. The Holy Spirit has replenished our land.

Even in the fall of the year, the Head of the Year to those who follow the Jewish calendar, He provides. We will flourish, because we are His people, saved by the grace and the blood of Jesus Christ.

I know that our culture doesn’t follow the Jewish calendar, but God is still working from it. Sometimes following the Law has nothing to do with legalism, but it has more to do with the fact that my Father ordained good things for us. Being Jewish is a matter of the heart, and Jesus will pick up the tab if we fail.

Hummingbirds and the All Natural Healing of the Holy Spirit

noreply@blogger.com (His Special Kids' Families) — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 10:16:06 PDT

The hummingbirds returned this year. Because we live in a mild climate, they are seeking nectar for their big flight for the winter across the Gulf of Mexico. Our drought this year, ravaged quite a lot of vegetation, but there are a few fire bushes left for their nourishment. Yet, in our human way, we have a bird feeder so that we can watch the birds.

We wanted to make a syrup, but we don’t buy granulated sugar, so the question became what to make. I read that you have to stick to the white table sugar and colored water to put in the hummingbird feeders. Many websites tell you not to use honey or fructose corn syrup. They proceed to tell you that these substances could harm the birds, and even damage their liver. Huh?

I am kinda wonderin’ why in the world we humans think it is okay to give them white table sugar that is chemically processed….So, with the wisdom of the Lord, we gave them our own recipe, made with raw agave syrup.

When my special needs son was born, he only moved his eyes.

The rest of his body was floppy and droopy. He could not lift his limbs or even suck adequately to feed himself. He wouldn’t cry for food much, did not babble, and picking him up frequently made him cry. His muscle tone was so low, that it literally pained him to be held. Laying down next to him while talking to him, and stroking his fragile limbs was the best we could do.

Realizing that we could not control the fact that he was born with a genetic syndrome, we gave him multiple medications. He was on 9 to be exact, and had 11 doctors. While my husband worked, my days were spent around the clock, giving out medications on time schedules, feeding milk through a feeding tube, caring for breathing, keeping medical appointments, researching, and more…If you are a special needs parent, you probably already know all about this, and could add a few routines to my list!

Then, despite all that you do, they get sick and end up in the hospital…it is sometimes part of the journey.

So, I prayed.

At first, I just accepted my son’s disability, and I thought he was going to get sick. You know, what can I do, except make him comfortable? Sure, I could encourage him in therapies, stimulate him with lights and sounds, pick him up when he would let me, and more. But, I could not change the fact that he was born this way. I think we all on some level at first, believe that our children have to remain ill for the duration of their lives.

As we all know, it is a mountain of grief and effort, and I laid it at the Lord‘s feet.

God heard my prayers, though, in quite an unexpected way.

The pulminologist told me to let go of my son’s Singulair.

Eek! That one scared me. What if he got pneumonia? What if he just simply got sick and couldn‘t get well? Would we end up in a tailspin? I know he was well, but we could end up going downhill again. I was afraid to let it go, but God assured me he would be fine.

The diarrhea started and I was unsure of my own hearing... I thought it was a virus. I thought it will stop in a couple of days. I re-hydrated him, and it continued for a week. I took him to the doctor. He thought it was a virus, too. Then in a late night revelation while my son got me up, yet again, to go to the bathroom, I realized. I understood that this was no virus. This was a food allergy.

What began the next day was a removal of peanuts first, and then several other foods from his diet. The diarrhea stopped within 12 hours. Within the next 3 months, I was able to remove all of his medications…The Singulair had done its job, and had covered the symptoms of the food allergies. We had not detected the food allergies before, for whatever reason.

Do you know? He is healthier now that he has ever been? Ever. I praise God that I listened to Him.

It is like the story of the daughter of Jarius.

He was a leader of the Synagogue. He ran to find Jesus so that He could heal his only child, because she was dying. As he fell at Jesus’ feet and begged him to come to his house, he must have been in great fear. The passage does not tell us that he is a believer, but we can only assume that he questioned the legalism of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Then his daughter lay dying, and it was time to get off the fence.

Before they even left to go to his house, someone came and said, “Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the teacher any further.” But, Jesus knowing the impact of the person’s statements only told him, “Do not fear. Only believe, and she will be saved.” Luke 8:49-50

I found this truth.

There was a time when I thought my son was going to die. I clung to the hope that the Lord was going to heal him, but when he struggled to breathe, his muscle tone was extremely low, and they pumped out his lungs because it was the only way he could breathe, I feared a great deal. You may have been there, only worse. It is at that dark hour that we trust in Him and the truth that Jesus heals!

Like Jarius, I did not stop to politely talk to my son’s doctors. My instincts told me to get help, and I did, sometimes quite loudly. In retrospect, the Holy Spirit led me to lay my son at His feet, but also to push the medical professionals for real answers. They didn’t like me much. We left the ones who didn’t like my many questions and pushes for an answer, particularly when my son continued to become ill.

Like Jarius, I did not care whose toes I stepped on, but I went to the source of Jesus Christ.

I am thankful that I did.

Now?

I see an inquisitive, smart little boy, who can walk, run, jump, and breathe. He is healthy. He has his own opinions about life and saving stray dogs. He has his own idea of music, and likes to dance. He likes to build structures with Legos and Tinker toys, and then do the dishes. He loves puzzles--big ones. He has an avid interest in birds, bugs and butterflies. Then there is his little boy interest in the trucks, particularly the trash truck. He is his own little person at 7 years old.

Yes, he still has challenges. He still cannot verbally communicate clearly because of a speech disability. He is academically behind in some ways, but we really don’t know how much because communication is an issue. His muscle tone is lower than normal, but he is fairly strong, and is building tone. He still rides an adaptive tricycle. He is on the autism spectrum, but we meet our challenges as they come. Other health issues come up, but prayerfully, they won’t be too serious, and if they are, then I will trust in the Lord for my son’s healing. If He leads me to doctors, I will go, but I will do my best to follow Him first in everything.

Yes, my son still has a genetic syndrome, but he is also God’s miracle.

When He came to the house, he did not allow anyone to enter with Him, except Peter, John, and James, and the child’s father and mother. They were all weeping and wailing for her; but he said, “Do not weep; for she is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at Him, knowing that she was dead. But he took her by the hand and called out, “Child, get up!” Her spirit returned, and she got up once. Then he directed them to give her something to eat. Luke 8:51-55

Dolphin Tale: Healing Through the Holy Spirit

noreply@blogger.com (His Special Kids' Families) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 17:26:44 PST

We took our special needs son to the Sensory Friendly Film that is shown with the support of the Autism Society every month. They dim the lights, but not too much. They keep the sound down, and if your special needs child throws a tantrum, runs away, or yells out loud frequently, it is no problem. Plus, they give us a lower price, so if you have to leave early, at least you aren’t really put out…

We are all in this together as the Body of Christ.

True to the nature of the program, they showed the film Dolphin Tales this weekend. If you haven’t seen the trailer or do not know about this movie, it is an inspirational movie about a dolphin that is rescued from a mishap with a crab trap on the beach. When she arrives to the marine rescue center, she is not very responsive. She begins to turn around when the boy who originally found her, shows up and she will only take food from him.

As the dolphin regains her strength, she reaches another crisis of losing her tail, which was wounded in the trap and could not be saved. The story of the boy, a child of a single mother, is interwoven throughout the movie, as he discovers himself. As he learns how to care for Winter, she adapts quite well to swimming without her tail. Yet, halfway through her recovery they discover that the dolphin’s health will be compromised because she cannot swim the way God intended most dolphins.

As the plot develops, a professional who works with the Veteran’s Administration begins to develop prosthesis to help her swim, at the request of the boy, Sawyer. The dolphin does not take to the device, and a series of trails bring us to the conclusion of the movie. It is the end of Winter’s adaptation to people’s world, but it is the beginning of her own journey as a tame dolphin. You can watch her live on her website.

Although the movie does not mention God, I see the level of faith in this true story that these people have had to carry out the Lord’s purpose for this one dolphin.

He does care.

It goes to show, that even in cases like this, the Lord wants to heal. Really, He does. However, when he does not heal instantly, it requires the step by step faith of several participants. Sometimes they are medical professionals, and other times they are people whom the Lord has blessed with a unique wisdom of nutrition, therapeutic intervention, or education. It requires the listening ears of one or more disciples of Jesus Christ to follow the path, and the rest of the time, He brings it about despite our weaknesses.

Winter’s true story is inspirational in a human way. Yet, it is also the path that God uses for many of our special needs children. He paved the way for this dolphin to not only be preserved and protected, but for her to save the very facility that He has been using for other animals in need of rescue.

Further, Winter has bridged the gap of other disabled people around the world. Many are drawn to her, because of her disability. Those who have lost limbs from war to general birth defects, come from far away to see her, and connect with a community that supports their physical weakness. As we all know, there is instant friendship when you put more than one special needs individual or family in the same room…there is an unexplained magnetism.

The devil really likes to steal our hope.

He wants us to believe that we won‘t be blessed. He wants us to walk around defeated. He wants us to believe that just because we won’t live the “normal” life, it will be misery. He wants us to believe that relief is far away, and that we will never overcome the obstacles necessary to peace. He wants us to believe that all we have will be consumed by his desolation. That way, we are so overwhelmed with our negative emotions, and we miss the blessings that we could pass on to others.

It is hard not to listen to him when we look around at the damage done by him in our lives; it is overwhelming, and we do believe the worst. How in the world can we rebuild with this? My children will never live a normal life. We will never have enough money. It is easy to lose hope when he strikes us over and over again.

It means that a miracle of hope is coming.

Have you noticed that God does heal our children? He does provide financially. He does provide our most basic needs. He arrives on His white horse, and we are the recipients of His love through His provision. When we are at our darkest hour, is then that we know that God will deliver, because we call on Him.

So, yes, although the Lord is not mentioned in Winter’s movie, I know that He provided for this dolphin. She is His creation after all, and He cares for her. How much more will He care for our children who are suffering through their disabilities, and above the animals?

Look! He is coming with the clouds; every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and on His account all the tribes of the Earth will wail.
So it is to be. Amen.

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, who is and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.

Revelation 1:7-8

Football Season Brings Spiritual Prosperity

noreply@blogger.com (His Special Kids' Families) — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 10:19:52 PDT

We watched the movie again, Facing the Giants.

If you have never watched this movie before, it is a story set at a Christian high school in Georgia, in which a young football coach learns that walking in faith with God will lead him to where he needs to go. He arrives at the bottom of his career, when he realizes that he has coached his team poorly, and is on the verge of losing his job. In desperation, he prays over a plan, in order to lead his team to the state playoffs. As a result, he commits his job and his attitude to Christ, and then delivers an inspirational sermon to his players.

Motivated by their coach’s faith, the team works hard, and stops a losing streak, winning their way all the way to the playoffs. Although the Lord did not seem to deliver everything the team wanted at first, the team and coaches found that as they all submitted their hearts and minds before Him, they found success. They won their way to the final game in the state playoffs. It is a reminder that we all have a part, and that we can only fulfill it if we seek Him first.

What about this prosperity stuff?

The story leads us to believe that submitting to God Almighty no matter what happens, brings us a bit of heaven, or as some call it, prosperity. In our family, we have watched this movie repeatedly, because on many levels it is a motivational Christian story. It reminds us all of placing Christ at the head of our problem solving.

I think that sometimes we forget that prosperity is relative. You know, according to the book of Revelations, the Lord will save 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes of Israel. That means, we are all different, and many have some remarkable testimonies in which they have overcome difficult circumstances to reach the Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, if you have moved from homeless to a trailer park, you may have prosperity. When you move from a trailer park to a small modern home, you may have prosperity. When you have a decent car that runs, you may have prosperity. Or, when you have an older, modest car that you financially paid for, you may have prosperity. We may desire more in our hearts, but the point of the movie is that as a Christian, you may not get it when you ask, because your heart needs to be right before the Lord first.

It is not always that easy, though…

Although, God wants to give us what we need, He does not necessarily give us what we want. He is after our hearts and not our accumulating more goods, status, and success at our jobs for the wrong reasons. The Lord God has a mission for building the spiritual Jerusalem, and it does not necessarily have anything to do with man’s idea of prosperity. We become content when we give it all to God! Then we find out what we really want.

However, the hard stuff hits.

You pray, and yet…

Your child receives yet another diagnosis.

You pray for a cure, and instead your child gets sick.

Your child dies.

Your child regresses in a skill he or she already knew.

You have to add yet another specialist to the long list.

Your child requires hospitalization.

Your child’s behavior and emotional problems worsen.

Your family falls apart.

It seems like just when things are going along right, the devil strikes. You know, that unexpected attack that you did not see coming? As special needs parents, we are not immune to such events above, but that does not make it easier. We find ourselves praying our way through difficult circumstances, researching ideas, and contacting doctors. It may take a while to get things back on track, and leave us feeling isolated…again.

I mean, really, Jesus, can you come yesterday?

The car keeps acting up. The kitchen sink requires fixing. The dogs need to go to the vet. Then there are the dentist and doctor’s appointments. We need to go to the hospital to get some tests done. There are general cleaning duties and responsibilities. In addition, our relationships need to be nurtured. We even have other, typical children that need our time and attention.

We are tired, and we dream of the easy life of “normal” parents. We want a break, and maybe even a vacation to a remote island with no distractions. Events occur, and we give up hope, forgetting that all of our troubles are temporary. The Lord does not call us to the frivolity of staying on the easy side of life.

Yet, seek and praise Him.

Rejoice! ~

We will have abundance and prosperity because we seek the Lord continually for our families and ourselves. He will bring us victory when we seek Him continually in His Word. We will resolve our problems, stand over our enemies, and have peace over our households. Yes, there may be temporary chaos, but it is only that---temporary.

The enemy will not rise against us a second time once we defeat him, unless He dares to go against the Lord God Almighty. If he does, he will come face to face with Yahweh; we will just stand firm in the Lord until we have victory.

Let us come before Him as the sentinels call us before the Lord God Almighty…

Therefore, my beloved, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, because you know that in the Lord, your labor is not in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:58

In a Moment, The Trumpet Will Sound

noreply@blogger.com (His Special Kids' Families) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 15:41:56 PDT

I had a dream the other night that I saw a mother and her baby pigs. I came upon her and her 4 nursing piglets, and then I woke up. It was strange, because I do not usually dream of pigs, nor am I ever really around them. When I went back to sleep, I dreamed of a mother who was pregnant with her child, and then I dreamed of puppies. None of it made sense, and I felt this huge burden to pray and discern what the Lord was trying to say to me.

Then, shortly before lunch, my husband and sons return with a Chihuahua puppy who had jumped into the car at the mailbox. He was quite obviously lost, and without a home. They brought him home to meet our other two dogs. We haven’t decided to keep him, yet, but we named him Chico…or boy, in Spanish.

Each new visitor.

The new doggie residents each receive lots of love and attention, food, a bath and dewormer. Then there is the adjustment to the other 2 dogs and life in our home. Our dog, Fred, is what we refer to as, The Director of Ranch Security, and he isn‘t always receptive to new dogs (No, we don’t live on a ranch, but it sounds good, doesn’t it? He seems to like the title.). Fred wants them to know, of course, right off, that he is their protector, so he either runs from them, or growls. Our other dog is more childlike in her acceptance of new puppies. She sees them as new playmates, of course. The issues of getting settled determine the dog’s course of life with us.

So, Chico jumped right in.

He apparently accepted this welcoming committee. He is quite a child, and my special needs son calls him Baby. Right off, we noticed that he wouldn’t let us keep him out of the house, so we brought him in. Then, when he came in, he wanted to be right underfoot, following us everywhere. He is teething, so he keeps trying to bite, and may have been mistreated in this way, so we made sure he had plenty of chew toys. He is also learning that he will be scolded if he tries to bite.

I knew we were sunk, though, when he jumped up on our bed, as if it was his own, settled down and took a nap. Further, last night he slept with our older son, because he barks when he is left alone…

We certainly can’t just throw him out on the road, of course.

It is only a dog, right?

As in the vision that the Lord gave me about the piglets, pregnant women, and the puppies, there are many around the world that need our assistance. The Lord is not just speaking to me about pigs and puppies, but about the needs of people. Many special needs people need to be moved from poverty to having their basic needs of decency met; I am talking, of course, about running water, plumbing, electricity, and food. They are the needs of mothers and their children, and sometimes even the elderly.

I have followed Sarah’s Covenant Homes in India for about 2 years. She cares for multiple special needs children. She is currently trying to raise money for their homes by November. They are carrying out a fundraiser, which is listed on my blog, requesting a donation of $11 at a time. One only needs to follow them awhile to see that their needs are great for these children. Their home is cared for, but the facilities are not extravagant by any means.

The reality is that most of these children were literally abandoned, with an inability to see, walk, feed themselves, or have a home. Many of them are very disabled. Their true stories are tragic, yet the Lord turns them into good through this home run by Sarah.

They are children, just like ours, only they have not received the nutrition and medical care that we give our own little ones. They have many needs which her home tries to fund, through the power and prayer of Jesus Christ, but they do need much more than they have. I encourage you to go to her website and join her Facebook to get to know her and her children, and then donate what you can.

In Isaiah 11:11

It is also such as these that are coming from all over the world to Israel. There is a particular tribe from Ethiopia which is currently being transported by the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, as we speak.

According to Rabbi Eckstein, the founder of this organization, they are working to carry out the Biblical prophecy of Isaiah 11:11. Ethiopia is the land of Cush in the Bible, and he has worked tirelessly to bring these people from refugee camps to Israel. Many have been dying from disease and malnutrition in this situation, and at least in Israel, their needs will be met.

As the shofar blows this month of Elul.

There are many other needs in America related to Hurricane Irene, the earthquake, the drought and fires in Texas, not to mention other issues related to the tornadoes in Oklahoma and many other hurricane affected locations around the country.
Elul is the Jewish month before the month of Tishri, which begins the Jewish New Year. It is a season of preparation before what is considered to be the High Holy Days, or in Jewish tradition, the time when it is your last chance to come before Him. It is the time when Yahweh decides if your name will be written in the Book of Life.

With the many natural disasters, war, and the 10th anniversary of 9/11, there are many souls that are ready to be harvested. Traumatic events bring the truth of one’s life to the forefront. The Lord is calling those who have been horribly mistreated, to Him, and it is our job to take care of the Chicos of the world, and bring them to Jesus. Further, sometimes our brothers and sisters also need a helping hand.

But that is a Jewish holiday, you might say!

Yes, and we don’t have to wait for Rosh Hashanah to bring many to salvation. However, Jesus was Jewish, and He and His disciples spoke prophetically about the end of the world, using the High Holy Days as the guide. Much of scripture points to the season of Rosh Hashanah, and in order to understand His purpose and plan for our lives, as Christians, we need to learn about this holiday.

Further, according to the book of Revelations, Jesus was sacrificed as the Passover Lamb, and will return in glory to create the New Jerusalem at guess what holiday? Rosh Hashanah of course. This prophecy is even pointed to in Daniel.

It is our joy to seek out our mission for the upcoming year from the Lord. This is what the season is all about, returning to God. Read it for yourself, and see what you think; I know you will be blessed.

Truly no one knows when it will arrive, but the children of God will know in their spirits when the time has arrived.

Listen, I will tell you a mystery! We will not all die, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will all be changed. 1 Corinthians 15:51-52

The Shofar Calls Us to Healing

noreply@blogger.com (His Special Kids' Families) — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 16:45:21 PDT

Washington D.C. turned out to be quite a prophetic place to have an earthquake.

What made me think this was the damage done to 2 major structures in Washington D.C. in August---both the Washington National Monument and the National Cathedral. From the outside, they seem like two well-known tourist places in our nation’s capital, and yet, when we look closer, we see something else. An unusual shift occurred, and it was no accident. The Earth’s creation aside, there is a scriptural connection between the spiritual condition of our world, and the “groaning” of the Earth. However, it is the effects of that shift that I see.

The church and the state.

The National Cathedral was an idea dreamed up by George Washington, but took 83 years to complete. Its intention was to be a "great church for national purposes." It now serves as the “church” where inaugurations and burials of presidents occur. It is also the center representation of political ceremony. During the earthquake, several ornate pieces of the church were knocked off, large cracks were made, and from one eyewitness account, the floors of the crypt were literally rolling. The building is still closed, and the message is clear. The Lord, He is God.

The Washington National Monument is a distinctive structure, built to remind us of the courage and tenacity of President George Washington, our nation’s first president. He was a founding father of our country and our Constitution, and the structure which has stood strong for many years, received a crack in its efface. Although still strong, it remains a true testament to the original intent of our country’s bylaws, unused, except for appearance. Yet, it has overshadowed the many political events and rallies on the mall, one of which was Dr. Martin Luther King’s famous speech.

As we approach the Jewish season of Rosh Hashanah…

The trumpets blow every morning. 9 Rosh Hashanahs have come and gone since 9/11, and the 10th is on its way; the yod. It is just the beginning.

This month beforehand, the Holy Spirit is leading the Jewish and Christian communities into a season of prayer and preparation. It is a time to come before Him as a family of faith, so that we will know where to put our energies of service. Yes, 9/11 affected all of us. Let us lay our grief before Him, and find healing this weekend. Let us pray for those who are still haunted by the tragedy that occurred, and for those who either need to return to Him, or have yet to receive Him.

Christian or not, 9/11’s evil impact has been felt all over the world. Any crisis should direct us to the attention of God our Father, and we sometimes wonder how He could let these things happen. Obviously, the devil can be sneaky, and it is our job as Christians to pray against his attacks, and then carry out the acts that the Lord tells us to, either when he strikes or before.

What can we do?

Put God first. Then pray about how we can carry out acts of service. You can encourage your local church to serve those in physical need, or even donate yourself. You can reach out through the telephone or email, to those who are homebound and ill. You can write letters, a blog, or even a book! You can create paintings, audio-visual works, or photo essays. You can donate money or goods from afar. Sometimes, the Lord simply calls us to inspire people into action! You can do all that from your own home.

Then stand firm.

I hear the Lord saying, “Don’t be like those who have aligned themselves with the godless for the sake of politics; they have cracks in their foundations. Stand firm on the rock of God the Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ. It will not fall. Don’t compromise the Christian principles found in the Bible; it will only weaken your foundation. You will not be shaken. Stand firm. Stand firm. Stand firm.”

Let us become the beacon of holy light for the nations, simply by starting with one special needs family at a time---ours. A family isn’t perfect, and even families in transition can be made whole by our Savior, reflecting His love. We may be able to go out into the community, or we may be at home. Either way, the Holy Spirit will guide us in our faith in Jesus Christ, to carry out the ministry that He has called us to.

Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. As for shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:14-17 (NRSV)

Photo Credit

The Holy Spirit Flows Water into the City of David

noreply@blogger.com (His Special Kids' Families) — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 10:07:00 PDT

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King Hezekiah in the Bible was concerned about the Assyrians laying siege on the City of David, which is upon a hill. There was already a channel from the Gihon Spring, which fed into the city, but it was possible to cut it off, and thus, stop the water supply.

So, because this was the city‘s only main water source, and the Gihon Spring was in the valley, and outside the walls, the king gathered his engineers to dig a tunnel from the spring to the Pool of Siloam. The diggers began from each end, while the engineers were atop, using sound to navigate the moving of earth and rock. The goal was for each group to reach the middle. When they finished, they had a flow of water which the Assyrians were not able to stop, and the city‘s supply was fortified.

The wisdom of the Lord through King Hezekiah, provided for the people of God. This was quite a feat of engineering for its day, in fact, many archeologists are still debating how, exactly, they managed to accomplish the creation of this tunnel.

Sometimes we have needs.

We go through natural disasters. We reach a wall with our child’s behavior. Medications stop working or develop side effects. Our child gets unexpectedly ill. We lose a family member. We have marital problems. We get sick. We lose our jobs, etc. We might start off at first, armed with our hope, knowing that the Lord will bring good out of our crisis. Yet, if we are pressed upon time after time, the devil begins to attempt to take our hope that things will get better. We can’t even see the light of day.

We all have seasons where our child is medically or behaviorally needy, and needs to stay home. If you are homebound with your child, just remember that it isn’t forever. Send your other children with your husband, family member, or trusted friend to school, church, or other community functions. Then, let the Lord cover your typical children with your prayers. If the Lord paves the way, He will see your other children through this season and you will find His blessings on the other side. Replenish your spirit by washing in His Word.

We are afraid the devil is going to cut off our resources.

Our usual resources are tapped out, and we know that we need a fresh supply, but where? When we are so preoccupied with the needs of our special needs child, we worry about the other children. We may even try to give them a “normal” life, and then find ourselves so stressed out because we just cannot bend that many ways without help. We need to have support to meet everyone’s needs.

If you are reading this, the Internet is obviously one connection. You can also share with others through the telephone, or small group functions that conducive to your child’s needs. Pray for atypical ideas that can keep you in contact with others. The Lord knows the way. My online Christian friends have helped me get through some difficult waters…

The devil wants to steal our joy.

I know I grow weary of fighting against the devil, and I begin to complain and whine to God. Fortunately, He listens to my complaints, and then, He sends something along my path that distracts me into His purpose for my life, and the life of my family. I am standing in the flow of His stream, and my hope is renewed. Unfortunately, it takes a crisis sometimes to reach that point…

Days when craziness strikes, it can blind us to see only the immediate hopelessness. Sometimes all we can do is stumble before the cross, or before our Christian friends in a heap, requesting prayer. Other times, we forget God altogether, and try to solve the problem with our own intellect.

We, as Christian special needs parents, need to step up and pray for each other in the faith. There are many parents like you and I who are being isolated for having so many crisis with our children, and the devil attempts to push us to the outside of society. Yet, when we reach out to serve in a way that the Lord calls us to, we kick the devil in the pants and send him flying.

We may feel discouraged, but he cannot rob our joy. This is where our encouragement comes in.

So, build up your outside supply.

Take the time to find new reservoirs of the Spirit when you are out and about. You know, when no one is ill, the car is running right, and you don’t have any major home repairs to do…Grab a hold of those Christian friends and ministries that bring a greater flow of the Holy Spirit. Find those who take time to understand your special needs life, and accept it. Share in the Spirit with these people.

There are millions of non Christians who cross our paths, people whom we will share a glimpse of the Gospel. There are numerous people who think that we are a burden because we cannot perform the same kind of life exercises that they can. It can burn us out unless we stay connected to the flow of God.

The good news? There is currently an increased move within the Body of Christ to promote special needs programs. Many churches still do not have such programs, but the Lord is moving with the Church to become more aware of our families’ needs. Even if your church doesn’t, don’t use all of your energy pushing the need, sometimes the Lord fills your needs in a different way.

Take hold of that which builds up your family in Christ. So that you can stand firm with your spiritual weapons and underground streams when the devil attacks again. He will not win over you.

Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. As shoes for your feet, put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. With all these, take the sheild of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:14-17, NRSV

The Holy Spirit Brings The Unity of the Church Through Hurricane Irene

noreply@blogger.com (His Special Kids' Families) — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 08:06:09 PDT

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I pray that all survived the hurricane as it struck the east coast yesterday and in the night, and pray for the provision of all those in need as the clean up begins. I pray for peace over the families affected.

We are in a season of unprecedented rumblings of the Earth. Atypical earthquakes, storms and hurricanes have been a regular part of this year. Once we catch our breath over one disaster, another one crops up. Many need our help right now, and you may be one of those in need. Imagine losing your home, livelihood, or the life of a loved one, literally overnight. It is real right now, and prayer is the first step to knowing what the needs are.

Caring for your special needs child in the middle of a natural disaster, and trying to keep their world stable can be a challenge. The sudden change may be difficult for them to understand. You may find yourself in public, and your spectrum child shuts down and there are few places to go to. With all of the noise, change in the normal routine, and confusion, it is fodder for an increase in anxiety in our children.

We all need to help each other…

There are many with special needs children who will have to go to other places outside their homes with the need for electricity. There is medical equipment that must be charged, and medications that must be refrigerated. Then there is the need for basic necessities. A shelter may both expose the frail to health risks we all avoid, and sensory overload to those who are additionally on the autism spectrum. However, the Red Cross does have medical personnel and security.

But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, “Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.” Luke 10:33-35

I met a woman who gave me the outside picture of a special needs child‘s tantrum.

You know, other people’s views of our exchanges with our special needs children. Our child has a melt-down in the middle of a store or restaurant, and we are instantly center stage. You see the storm coming, and you try to prevent it, but you suddenly find yourself in flood waters---in over your head. It isn’t as if you can always prevent such events from happening…

Her story caught my attention because she, too, is a special needs mom, who just happened to be having a good day with her own sons when she came across another mom who wasn‘t…

She met her in a nationwide American restaurant, when her daughter, who, apparently had sensory overload began to tantrum. The little girl, who was 8 at the time, began screaming, crying, biting, and hitting herself. The mother of this precious little girl began to restrain her so that she did not hurt herself, all the while remaining quite calm, but the anxiety registered on her face to this woman, as the crowd began to gather.

My newfound friend saw how upset she was, and pushed her way through the circle of critical parents standing around her, and asked her if she needed some help. The mother, who was near tears at this point, accepted her assistance. She gave my friend’s husband’s permission to carry her out to the car, which the little girl, now surprised, at the different response to her tantrum, easily accepted.

Let us walk in this couple’s example.

If we are the one with an out of control special needs child, we may want to run for cover, while the world judges us. However, that is the time for us to put on the full armor of God, and pray. When you are the victim, sometimes, that is all you can do, and let God fight for you. Believe me, He will; you are his daughter or son, chosen by Him, and He always advocates for the children.

If ever there was a time for the Body of Christ to step up to the plate, now is the time. So many need our assistance. If you can’t be on location, then giving to organizations like Operation Blessing, or even the Red Cross, is a concrete way to be the hands and feet of Christ. Faith without works is dead, but sometimes, we need to have the faith in prayer, and let others carry out the works when we can’t.

We will all be blessed because we follow the Holy Spirit.

Pools of Underground Healing For Our Children

noreply@blogger.com (His Special Kids' Families) — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 10:20:37 PDT

The other day, my special needs son drew several pictures. He loves to cut them into strips, and make one large colored oval on each one. He calls them water, which range in a variety of colors. As his mom, I am supposed to respond to each picture by stating the color of the dot and name it water. It is one of his funny rituals.

Then, when he shows the same type of picture to his Dad, he points at each picture and guesses snake, scorpion, bug, or any of those things that little boys are fascinated with. All he gets is “No, Dad!” The answer is still water, of course, but he plays this game with his Dad, for some boy reason. If you have a house full of boys, you know what I mean.

Interactions like this have brought a fascination with the differences between boys and girls. I frequently receive the remark, “Ur a girl, Mom!” I am not sure if he thinks this is a good thing or not, but it makes me laugh. This, of course, brings giggles and little jumps from him.

I'll say it again...

It all started with Adam and Eve. You know the stringing together of fig leaves? They ate of the fruit that they were not supposed to eat from in the garden. Yet, the serpent convinced Eve, and she convinced Adam, and they ate. Their sin gave them new eyes, and they found themselves exposed.

So, Eve strung together the probably fallen fig leaves to cover their, er, sin…It is here that the literal reflects the symbolic reaction to our sin.

The sense of humor here is that Adam helped pick the fruit and eat it. Then, he and Eve decided that they needed to cover it up. She probably chose the fig leaves, because of their green color and, and he liked their durability. Then, like children, they work together to make themselves a covering, thinking that God would not see the obvious. Don't we do this?

Sin. Everybody’s got it.

Christian men generally tend to prioritize family provision and security; whereas the women generally prioritize their relationships with their families, and creating a nurturing, comfortable home. Each gender has their general viewpoint that is for sure.

But, sin does not stay in boundaries related to men or women. It affects those from the very rich, to the very poor. You don’t have to be involved in a man versus woman contest to know that all of our efforts are dirty rags, unless we follow Jesus Christ. You don't have to live in a rich palace, or a shack to follow Him. There are 12 tribes of Israel, not one.

The other day, I heard a woman complain in the company of other women that men were just incapable of remembering to do things that needed to be done. Apparently, her husband was not following through with something she wanted him to do. I have to say that I have been guilty as charged myself many times. Obviously, gender had nothing to do with it…

Enter our special children.

Polished perfect is not necessarily of God. The Lord chose the weak to set the wise straight. Our children enter life drooly, imperfect looking, needing surgeries, needing feeding machines and breathing equipment. We, as parents, are faced with the fact that the beautiful baby we thought we were going to have was not God’s plan for us. Yes, God’s plan. John so plainly stated it in his account of the gospel:

As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him.” John 9:1-3

After a few comments about working in the day, Jesus healed the man by making a mud with saliva, spreading it over his eyes, and then telling him to go and wash in the Pool of Siloam. As a result, He was able to see. People were astounded and praised God because of it.

Sometimes outright healing does happen. But, you know what I have noticed? Healing comes over a specific condition, one problem at a time. Over and over again, outside of casting out demons, Jesus mostly healed a specific ailment. He didn’t heal the whole person, but their most debilitating condition.

Did you get what that means?

That means that our children and, we, as their parents, will have the privilege of watching one miracle after another. We have the grace of praying and receiving healing for our children, and watching them grow in the reflection of Jesus Christ himself.

Okay, so today, the genes are what they are. There is hope for the future, yet, it will be a journey that only the Holy Spirit will lead. He will tell you which pool to go to, and you, as the parent, will carry your child, and He will bring His healing in His time, and in His way.

He may send you to the doctor, or several doctors. He may provide medications, therapies, or order a diet change. Whatever He tells you to do; it will work, and it will be for your child’s benefit. Yes, there will be new medical issues that rise to the surface, but the key here, is to not stop seeking out the best treatment, powered by prayer in the Holy Spirit.