Our Inspired Journey

From Skid Row to Speech Therapist...

2012-05-24T21:34:00.000-07:00

10 years ago, when I married my favorite man in the world... I was also blessed to gain a sister. I'd never had a sister before, and funny enough...neither had she! We already had one thing in common and over the years I've found many more ways our heart beat similarly. Most beautifully common is our desire to see the Kingdom of God come here on earth in the lives of those we're around. Erin has always inspired me in the way she loves mercilessly. I'm so thankful to have been given a sister who compels me to love like Jesus, and who loves my kids as if they were her own. It's such a honor to share her voice with you here today, contributing to our guest posts in honor of Better Hearing and Speech Month!

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“For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

This is the quintessential verse for giving a person seeking to make plans for the future or confused with a life direction, even by the path immediately ahead. I was that person when Cole was diagnosed with profound hearing loss.

At the time, I felt humbled and fortunate to have a meaningful occupation, where I lived out the passion the LORD had grown in my heart for our brothers and sisters experiencing homelessness. I was living the dream – serving and working alongside them on a daily basis through my job. But there was a constant stirring inside that kept me from being settled into this as my future career. And compassion fatigue or “burnout” is sadly nearly inevitable - a vice grip on my soul that showed me my heart had grown weary of doing good. So, the wrestling began… for years.

It was a jolting experience to face everyday that I could only show up to work out of obedience and faithfulness, for my heart was distant from the passion that once compelled me. I suppose I believed that once God gave me the passion, then it was permanent - after all, it was for those close to His heart and in His kingdom. So I was confused when this God-given passion went away and was seeking Him for my future. Jeremiah 29:11. Yet, I didn’t know how to pray.

I love my nephews and nieces deeply. I know. I know. They’re not MY kids. But, without my own in this season of my life, my heart deeply connects with these four and I am thankful. Coley, or my little mushroom, has a special place in my heart. Perhaps it was his ability to disarm strangers through his eyes or our mutual love of exploration. Either way, Coley’s journey from silence to sound, along with his ongoing courage, inspired and awakened my heart to a new passion. He is the reason I have found and fallen in love with an occupation I never would have known, a field whose sole mission resonates inside of me. Being faithful to live in the present, rather than the past, movement of the Holy Spirit, I stepped. Since taking this step of faith, the pathway to this new mission field has been strangely ordered before me.

So, I am studying to become a speech language pathologist and I have been for about 3 years now. Funny, I was never one for science; so, it was “trial by fire” when the first course I took in this field was Neuroscience of Communication… and I loved it! In fact, I would sit in my class taking notes about our nervous system, the complexities of our brains and body, and leave singing worship to our Creator about how we truly are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). How could I not keep singing when I was seeing the work of His hands, the delicate designs of the Ultimate Strategic Engineer?

I love this field. I can’t say enough about it. I feel like a recruiter now, wherever I go. We are called to constantly be learning, even when we are practicing professionals. We can provide services in academic, private, or medical settings. We serve humanity, from “diapers to diapers” as one peer says. We listen, observe, cheer, evaluate, diagnose, research, counsel, intervene, empower, and partner with our clients to find strategies they take for the rest of their lives. Ultimately, though, in the midst of all of this learning… the LORD is using this journey and this field to invite me into a deeper relationship and to learn to pray.

When Cole was implanted with his Cochlear Implants, my heart finally had faith to believe in miracles. When I took my first audiology and hearing science courses, the LORD was awakening me to hear His voice specifically, and showed me how it was possible to hear Him corporately, as He promises in John 10:27 "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” In my phonetics and language development courses, I marveled at how important God must feel our voice is, to allow it to develop over many years, shaped by the community of voices around us, yet still maintaining our own voice’s uniqueness. In my Anatomy and Physiology of Speech course, the number of scientific occurrences required to merely result in one speech sound reflected to me how much our Designer wants to hear our voice. “O Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy!” (Psalm 130:2) I truly relate to the crowd in Mark 7:37...

Amazed beyond measure, they kept on saying, "He does everything well! He even makes deaf people hear and mute people talk!"

There are more countless experiences on this new journey where Christ has spoken to me about who He is, how He sees us, and just how He much He wants a living relationship with us. Most of all, as I learn how it is that we speak and hear, how I might be able to empower another to give words to their thoughts and emotions, or how they might listen more accurately, I am learning to speak and listen to my God. Recently, He has shown me the verse after Jeremiah 29:11 “Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.”

“For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.” Jeremiah 29:11-12

I cannot wait to have my first clients this summer.

I just don't know, so I'll be STILL and count my blessings...now.

2012-05-23T00:11:00.002-07:00

Life's been a bit of a swirl, lately.

John has two more weeks to finish up his dissertation and submit it to his committee...

We're on the tail end of the school year {which makes me SO excited to begin our homeschool journey in the Fall!}...

I help run the AWANA program at our church and we're closing out our first year in the next two weeks, which means all kinds of last minute craziness...

And on top of it all...we're house hunting. {I know...great timing!}

Yes...a bit of a swirl. And in the middle of it all, I've realized I have two choices. I can either get swept up and swept away in the untamed nuttiness of it all...or I can be absolutely, positively STILL.

It's not easy to be still in the midst of a storm. The wind and waves are constantly pushing us where we don't want to be. Sometimes I feel like I'm fighting to retain my position while the swirling elements fight to make a mess of it all.

But then remember something from my childhood. I remember swimming through the unpredictable waves in the ocean, never knowing when a "big one" may creep up on us. When it happened though...when the swell before us began to rise and instead of flattening out into a rolling wave we could simply bob over, it would continue it's ascent and tower over us, ominously boasting of it's power and ability to destroy all below. And fear would grip. For a moment it seemed there was no way out. And then, we'd remember...we'd hold our nose, close our eyes, dive under and be STILL while the pounding raged all around us.

Fighting wouldn't help. There was no way we could out swim the beast above. We knew we just had to dive to the place it was most secure, and wait out the storm.

The photo at the top of this post was taken right before we left for Illinois. It was our last beach trip before packing our bags and walking into our promised land. Looking back now, I understand the heart of Abraham so much more...his story has become ours too. By faith, (we) - when called to go to a place (we) would later receive as our inheritance, obeyed and went, even though (we) did not know where we were going. {taken from Hebrews 11:8}

And oh what an inheritance it was...hearing for the deaf. Two sweet girls. Miracles all around.

And so in the swirls of today, I get to choose how my mind will rest in the same God who brought us to our promised land...

I just don't know if the committee will pass my husband on to the land of doctor-ville...
and so I'm STILL and thankful for everything he's learned and the people he's met through the process.

I just don't know if this homeschooling thing will end up being a good fit for our family...
and so I'm STILL and thankful we have the opportunity to even choose in the first place.

I just don't know what next year's AWANA sign-ups will look like and if I can handle it all...
and so I'm STILL and thankful that God drew those He wanted to be a part this year.

I just don't know what house God wants to eventually call ours...
and so I'm STILL and thankful we have a roof over our head, food in the fridge and walls that we call home...now.

I'm plugging my nose, diving deep and seeking His calming presence...now.

And in the stillness and muted thunder of the crashing waves above, I know, that I know, that I know that everything will be just as HE wants it to be...if I'm STILL and grateful for every breath that we breathe, every meal that we share and every day that we're granted together to live fully in His grace....right smack dab in the center of...now. Isn't His perspective so very good!!!

Thank you Jesus, for making all things new. Even and especially when life swirls a bit more than we'd wish for...your presence makes us STILL and brings us peace. We praise you...now.

Why I left Facebook...

2012-05-21T00:29:00.001-07:00

Last week I deleted my personal Facebook page.
It needed to happen. It really had for a while, and this is how I knew...

It started to distract me from the the more important things in life...
Too much time was spent there instead of in the here and now of the surroundings I've been placed intentionally in by God.

Before I go on, I must say this. I believe Facebook is morally neutral. It's not wrong for people to be on Facebook, in the same way that it's not wrong for people to have a glass of wine with dinner. The fact that alcohol exists doesn't make us all alcoholics. It's the abuse of alcohol that God warns us against. The same can be true of many morally neutral things...like Facebook.

I've appreciated the network Facebook creates for so many reasons in the past, but in the recent months, I've noticed it start to pull me from the things I know are more important. Like being intentional with my in-between moments which would sometimes turn into minutes staring at my computer screen or phone, scrolling down a list of activities or thoughts some of my "700+ friends" thought status worthy at the moment...or to check to see if anyone "liked" or "commented" on my latest update or picture. Evil?...no. But like any "good" thing that starts to get the priority attention that only "best" things should get...an unhealthy result started to unfold.

I knew I was starting to swim in that "good thing turned unhealthy" realm when I could look back on my day and not feel like I had enough time or energy to give to the most important priorities in my life...God, my husband and my kids and my neighbors. Instead of vibrant relationships with those God has intentionally chosen for me to be near...I started to feel a distant chasm build between us as I grew more "aware" of the lives of my Facebook community and less present with those closest to me.

I like vibrancy. I like to feel the pulse of the Holy Spirit actively moving through my mind and heart. Placing "good" things before the "best" things in life produces a numbing effect that makes me feel like I'm floating through life as a casual observer that things happen around. I'm not okay with merely sitting in the audience when I was created to truly live on the center-stage of a plan written for me by the same God who knows the stars by name. I want to be an active member in the body of Christ that hears from the Spirit, is refreshed by His Word and acts on His promptings in the lives of those He's placed me around.

First Mindful Monday verse...
"For I know the plans I have for you"- this is the Lord's declaration -"plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."
Jeremiah 29:11

I realize this is a tricky thing in the online world we now live in. So much of our reality lies on the other side of a computer screen...but it doesn't have to. Is the online world of Facebook, Pinterest and blogging evil? No...but like all morally neutral things, the abuse of them is and they can be used by the enemy to distract us from where life really lies. I value my "online" friends and the way this blog has opened up doors for me to share about Jesus to those around the globe. My heart skips a beat with humility and gratitude each time I get an e-mail from another reader who has opened their heart to Jesus for the first time. I'm also quick to encourage them to find a community of believers in their area that they can begin walking with, in person...so their only source of encouragement doesn't live on the other side of a screen.

When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was, He answered "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. And love you neighbor as yourself." What a beautiful desire He has for us. He really doesn't mix words...it's all about Him and then secondly - our neighbor. So why keep rambling about something Jesus already said in a few words? I'll stop now...I promise. Love Him, love others. If anything else begins to take more of our time or talents, it's time for a change.

In all this talk about Facebook, you may be wondering why I've kept my blog's Facebook page. It's still there to allow more people to hear about our journey for now. Set up very differently than a personal page, it's not nearly the distraction to me my other page was, but if that ever changes, I'm sure you'll hear about it, and out it goes!

I'll leave you with one last promise and the second Mindful Monday verse for the week...
But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.
1 John 1:7

Amen. John wrote this verse to church members, encouraging them to walk in the light and to confess their sins in order to keep their relationship with the Lord sweet and strong. Confession leads us to true healing, as we bask in all of our tarnishing choices before a God of light who chooses then to wash us in the blood of His Son. He allows us to walk in fellowship with one another not as never-tarnished, but as cleansed representations of His grace. Thank you for letting me use this post as my confession to you today of choices gone bad...I'm thankful for a new start!

My goal this week is to be more present in real life, than in "on-line" life....to be more present in "face-to-face" conversations with those I'm around than with any interaction elsewhere. Who knows...there may be a life-changing chat waiting to happen if I'm present enough to let it happen. No...it's not a conversation anyone else may ever know about...it may not have a comment box or "like" button floating in the air for someone to acknowledge, but He sees. And more than anything...I want that to be more than enough for me.

So if you're still in a healthy, "I check it every once in a while but my life doesn't revolve around it" kind of relationship with Facebook, I'd love for you to join our page where there's the occasional update, encouraging scripture, devotional thoughts and place to list requests for prayer. If not, my feelings aren't hurt at all...I pray wholeness for us all in this digital age and celebrate every choice made bringing us closer to communion with Jesus and others around us, in our immediate surroundings first before we seek it out across a screen...thank you Jesus for your presence with us that corrects and encourages.

So how about you? Where are you with all of this??? I'd love to hear :)

Ahhhhhhh. Beach days are here again!

2012-05-20T00:16:00.000-07:00

One of our very favorite ways to spend our weekends is at the beach...

We're so, so, so thankful to be near enough to wake up on a Saturday morning and decide to pack up the car and head to the beach for the day.

Seriously, being raised near the coast most of my life, I totally took for granted how much beauty lie so close by. After spending 3 years in Illinois and far away from the waves, I could barely wait to feel sand beneath my toes again! Now we get to bring our four to enjoy it with us, and as much there are times I wish John and I could actually sit in the chairs we always bring, I wouldn't trade this wave jumping, sand castle building, kite flying stage for anything in the world.

Take a peek and see what I mean...

These two spend more time in these chairs with our snacks than anyone!

Cheeeeeese!

Building a princess castle with my girl...it couldn't be anything else :)

I love this little independent spirit...

"Oh, Hi Mom..."

"Okay, I'll smile :)"

Finding sand crabs with a friend...

Only these boys would choose to read at a moments like this...

You're getting sleepy...

The boys are in heaven...

"Another hug Cora?"

"Best Buds"

Thanks to Ryder's friend, we have a family picture!

...or two

So that's one of our favorite weekend activities...how about you? I'd love to hear!

Sweet whispers from our Rylee-girl...

2012-05-17T23:32:00.003-07:00

Almost 21 months old and our littlest bean packs way more cuteness than we can stand! Okay, we can stand it...we LOVE standing it, as a matter of fact! She has finally found her voice and it is PRECIOUS! We can't get enough! She can barely make it through the room without getting toppled over by hugs and loves :) Not a bad way to go down, if you ask me.

I've been desperately trying to capture her sweetness on video these past few weeks but she's on to me. :) Every time I pull out any any of camera, she's begging to see the back of it. I know my parents never had that problem with us! Oh, to parent in the pre-digital era!

I do have a few things to share with you here...seriously...if I could just bottle her little voice and soft little cheeks I would in a heartbeat. I want to keep them forever!

In this one, we were at the park and my battery died at the end...bummer. But not before you get a chance to hear her cute little voice! {And yes...she calls Cora, Gi Gi right now...it's the name of one of the princesses in their books..such a sweet sister!}

She also has a obsession with shoes right now! She'll try on any that are lying around regardless of the size :) Oh, and don't mind the screaming sister in the background...ah, the sounds of a tired girl in the evening...there's nothing quite like it :)

Her little voice is our favorite...the one that turns all of our heads with her sweet little whispers.

We're drawn to it, knowing the love that's behind every sound.

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it."Isaiah 30:21

Oh, to be drawn to the whispers of the Holy Spirit when He says to turn to the right or the left...no matter how crazy the direction seems, when the source is a whisper of love, doubt and fear melt away giving us all the courage we need to walk in that good, perfect and gentle way.

We love our little Rylee, and the reminder she is to us all of the perfect, gentle and sweet love of God.

More thoughts from a Speech Pathologist...{one we're very thankful for!}

2012-05-16T22:56:00.000-07:00

We found out about Cole's deafness in the first few weeks we moved to Illinois. He was 14 months old and as soon as we moved to our new state, we received news during one of his hearing tests that he was profoundly deaf...{I know most of you know this already, but thanks for your patience while I update our new friends} Miss Amy (as we began calling her) was the first SLP we crossed paths with after our audiologist. I remember how comfortable she made us feel as she asked us a bunch of questions I hardly knew the answers to as my mind was swimming with what this diagnosis meant for our boy. I remember how comfortable we immediately felt with her as she helped us through such a difficult stage of the journey...the beginning. God is so good...I'm am so honored that "Miss Amy" agreed to share with you today. I hope you enjoy another glimpse into the life of an amazing Speech and Language Pathologist..one, we couldn't be more thankful for.

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When I was invited by Danice to write a little something for her blog in honor of Better Hearing and Speech Month, I wasn’t sure where I was going to begin. I wasn’t sure which direction I should take my thoughts and attempt to describe my career and the path that I was so graciously given. I had so many questions running through my head. How do I begin to put into words my job and what I do every day? How do I begin to quantify the sacrifices, challenges, dedication, and triumphs that the children and families that I serve go through each second, minute, and hour of a day? How do I explain the ECHO team that I work with and begin to justify just how AMAZING they each are? How can I adequately show my true appreciation to the children and families that have entrusted myself to take their child’s hand and grow together as student and SLP?

What I can easily explain to you is that I have NO real memory of why I chose Speech Language Pathology as my career. My first instinct was to follow in my mother’s footsteps and attend nursing school at Parkland College, a community college in Champaign, IL. But it seems that there was a plan for me much bigger than what I initially had for myself. After deciding on Speech and Hearing Sciences, I always pictured myself as an SLP in a school. Most school SLPs are famous for their ability to be the “fun” teacher that comes and takes a child out of class to do “who knows what” while everyone else must sit in class and work. Who wouldn’t want to be that person????

As I explored jobs in my area following my graduation, I found a job listing that seemed to be calling my name at Expanding Children’s Hearing Opportunities (ECHO) Program and St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf at Carle (now known as the Carle Auditory Oral School)!!!! When I walked into ECHO/SJI-C for the very first time, I knew I NEEDED to work here. During my initial visit and interview, I was able to see a child receive the gift of hearing during a hook-up of his cochlear implant. I sat in a little room with a two-way mirror watching a little boy turn his head towards beeps for the first, and I was moved to tears. I watched as a mother sat in anticipation, with tear-filled eyes, waiting for her son to hear her voice for the very first time. I watched an audiologist and therapist prepare a family for the journey ahead of them with this new device and ALL the information and parts that went along with it. I listened as the therapist discussed the work and dedication that would be involved in training the child to use his hearing to develop listening and spoken language. I saw a family that was thankful for the gift they were being given. And I knew that I wanted to be a part of THAT journey with other families!!!!!! To this day, I have seen and been a part of a number cochlear implant hook-ups and hearing aid fittings, and each one is a true miracle in itself. Being a part of such a big milestone in each family’s life is something that I am forever grateful for.

What I learned shortly after joining the ECHO team is that every day is not as glorious as the day I witnessed during my interview. When families are introduced to the ECHO program, they are facing some of their darkest days. Each family that enters our program is traveling a path that they did not plan to travel. But what makes this job so great is that we, as an ECHO team, are here to embrace the family and give them a glimpse and begin work towards brighter days. We are able to provide them with support and knowledge and help them through this little bump in the road along their journey.

The aspect that I love the most about the ECHO program is the family- centered, family-driven philosophy that we strive for. Each decision is made by the family from mode of communication, to the type of device (if they choose implantation or hearing aids), to days and hours of therapy that their child receives. The entire family is educated on ways to incorporate language and speech targets into their daily lives. We fulfill our mission each day to make the family more educated and better able to make decisions that reflect what best suits their own family and their needs.

I am currently finishing my 9^th school year at the Carle Auditory Oral School in Urbana, IL and I continue to feel as blessed today as I did the day that I was given the opportunity to join this team. I am fortunate enough to work under one of the best ENT doctors, Dr. Michael Novak. I work with an amazing team of Audiologists, Speech Language Pathologists, Deaf Educators, teacher assistants, office coordinators, and families. I am thankful that families believe in me and my guidance to help change the life of their child and family. Each day I am given the opportunity to make an impact in the life of a child and his/her family. And each day I know that I am making a difference!

The month of May, or Better Speech and Hearing Month, means something much different to me than the average person. I can place names and faces to this month. I can picture audiologists, classroom teachers, therapists, principals, moms, dads, siblings, grandparents, friends, and children as examples of inspiration that will do whatever it takes to strive for the better hearing and speech. I can place adversities, struggles, sorrows, challenges, battles, and triumphs to this month. As an SLP, May is more than warmer weather and blooming flowers. It is one month that is specifically named for my mission as a Speech Language Pathologist.

Marriage...like you've never seen it before.

2012-05-14T21:21:00.001-07:00

When I watched this video on my friend Rachel's blog the other day, I had to stop it a minute in, run to get John and start it over watching the entire thing with my husband by my side. As I watched with tears streaming down my face, I knew I was getting a glimpse into one of the most beautiful marriages on earth unfold before my eyes. I knew I was seeing a piece of Heaven unfold.

This turned my marriage perspective upside down this week, and if you're anything life me...sometimes finding complaint in the smallest of things...it'll shake you up too, in the best of ways.

So, join me in praying for a holy shaking to happen across our land in our marriages.

Maybe today, it begins by you pressing play, and letting the Spirit speak to you through the life of two people you may never meet, now, but most certainly can meet later at the feet of Jesus.

I promise.

2012-05-14T08:15:00.000-07:00

I'm watching several friends go through terrible divorces right now. Most have kids and they are living the reality of a broken promise. The only thing helping each of them to stand while the world around them crumbles, is the God who promises to never leave them or forsake them. His Word is filled with promises that He will never break.

For the next five weeks, we'll be committing ten of those promises to memory. If you haven't joined us yet for Mindful Monday, now is a great time to start! Let's wrap our minds and hearts around the promises of God that never fail. What GOOD God He is!

Matthew 6:33

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.

Ten years ago, John spoke these words to me in our wedding vows. This promise has helped us through more decisions in the past ten years than any other bit of advice we've ever received. And I will say...it's proven to be true. When you seek God first in everything, He provides His best in return...for His kingdom, and for His glory. His kingdom promises never fail.

Romans 8:28

We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose.

My family knows this to be true. Very true. If you'd followed any part of our journey long, you'll know exactly why. And I can't think of a better one for this month as we focus on Better Speech and Hearing! Charles Spurgeon calls this the best promise of this life. And I'll leave you with this final quote for today...

"We cannot fully understand now, but when we stand upon the heights of glory, we shall look back with joy on the things we have suffered, for we shall know then that our severest trials were a part of the "all things" which worked together for eternal good." - John Broadus

I pray you are blessed this week as you dwell on the promises of a God who will keep them. Forever and ever. Amen.

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You'll also want to visit HERE today. You'll find a little story some of you may remember. If you haven't taken time to check out this wonderful site, take a few moments to do so. It really will bless your socks off :)

Everything I need to know, I've learned being a MOM

2012-05-13T00:44:00.001-07:00

First of all, is this not the cutest Mother's Day gift you've ever seen in your whole, entire life??? Well, it is to me...and yes...it has everything to do with the little outlaw in the photo.

Actually this pretty much sums up my life, role and commissioned work of being a mom to the four I get to call mine. See that's how we think when we start out. We think they are ours. But over time, as I've headed in the right direction, I've learned differently. Very differently...

I remember over seven years ago, when I found out for the first time, that I was going to be a mom. I was beyond ecstatic. I'd been waiting for this moment since the time I was a little girl, tucking my baby dolls in at night, dreaming of the day when they'd really cry. :) Well that day came, and I remember the moment he was born thinking..."I can't believe he's ours!" All those years of babysitting other people's kids and now here was one I got to keep. It was almost more than I could handle! Actually...that's exactly what it was because after a week of having my sweet boy home, I was rushed to the Emergency Room with raging fever and while painfully trying to nurse my hungry baby boy, I was diagnosed with a pretty bad case of mastitis among other things. Motherhood was already, more than I could handle.

Well, babies 2, 3 and 4 all gave me a run for my money in their first few weeks of life, all through different nursing issues. And even though I found myself walking the same road over and over and had some tricks up my sleeve for solving the issues without a visit to the ER every time, I still remember thinking..."Oh Lord...I really need you now."

Over the years of bringing home all four of my babies, I've learned something. Before I was a mom, I think I focused more on the first half of this verse..."I can do all things..." finding it empowering that God had given me abilities to exercise. Since becoming a mother, I like the last part of this verse a whole lot more. "...through CHRIST who strengthens me."

Looking back on seven years of caring for my babies, tears start flowing as I think of how much of me, I've given to them...my time, my sleep, my money, my gifts, my talents, my career. Motherhood can be seen as one big HUGE sacrifice. Which it is.

But something happens when you begin to look at motherhood through the perspective of Colossians 3:23 and begin to see your kids for WHOSE they really are.

SO here it is...after 7 years, here is where I've landed in this whole crazy journey called motherhood. This is where I live in my mind and heart on the best days I have as a mom. Are you ready??? Here it is...{drum roll please}...I realize they are not mine.

When I get too attached to the idea that everything they say, do, eat and breathe speaks to MY efforts and MY reputation...I get caught in a downward spiral real quick. The enemy either swells my pride on good days or cuts my self-worth down to nothing on the days there is spaghetti sauce on the ceiling and a not-so-happy note home from school.

When I realign my mind with God's Word that says that I am to work for the Lord, not for men remembering that my highest aim as a mother is not that my children end up perfectly polished specimens of human life to submit to the world on their 18th birthday but instead my goal is to raise men and women who know where to run when life isn't pretty...that they know beyond a shadow of a doubt, that their strength comes from a God who is above any other and who promises them peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self control when their will is aligned with His....and who will never leave them or forsake them. Because if they know all that and trust that Jesus is who He says He is...than they truly can do all things in the strength of the One who IS...not who might be sometimes, or who usually is, but who is....ALWAYS.

taken last summer, but oh so sweet....

As a mother to my four, God in His kindness has drawn me close and whispered this very good thing to my heart...

They are MINE.

I'm trusting you with them now,

but only so I can change you in the process of raising them.

And as you love them more deeply,

You'll want for them a more complete love,

and that, my dear one,

will always drive you right back to my arms.

Because there are no other arms more mighty

there is no other peace more lovely

and no other place more steady

than the love I have for the ones I formed, for you, for me, for us.

For my glory, forevermore,

I made you, a mom.

And so I know, the days I give them back to Him, I win and they win...we see a piece a heaven unfold in their lives and mine. So the photo at the top says that my boy stole my heart. I guess that is partly right. But if you were to give me a chance to rewrite it, it may say this instead...

Granted

Eternal Reward

For being loved by the Author of Life.
Afterall, aren't we all outlaws - living each day only on undeserved grace?
It's time our kids knew the truth...
{and I think they'll be a little excited to know we've all got a little cowboy in us.}

Lord...in your grace, help your kids to see that though their mom will never be perfect...she loves the One who is. May your completing love fill us to overflowing this Mother's Day as I'm reminded...they are YOURS. This changes everything.

Life Lessons from a Speech Pathologist...{one very dear to our heart!}

2012-05-10T01:36:00.002-07:00

Kristin was Cole's Speech Pathologist in his first year of full-time preschool at the Carle Auditory Oral School in Illinois. From the first moment I met Kristin, the passion she had for her profession and most of all her students was clear right away! Under Kristin's watch, Cole flourished...not just in his speech and language, but in his level of confidence and attitude about therapy! Kristin had the incredible ability to make the most difficult tasks for my boy feel like a game....and he LIKES games! Can you imagine being asked to work out your weakest sense, 75 minutes a day in individual therapy with a therapist who knew the destination and wouldn't accept any less than your best effort on the journey along the way? Kristin had a way of making this seemingly impossible task {teaching a deaf 3 year old to listen and speak}...something that Cole looked forward to every day...if that isn't a gift from God, I don't know what is! I'm honored she agreed to share her thoughts with you today...

***

When Danice asked me to be a guest on her blog for Better Hearing and Speech Month to share my passion for what I do, I could not wait to get started. I found a quiet moment in my day and sat down to reflect and jot down some of my thoughts and experiences and I quickly realized - I could write all day! Where do I start? Where do I end?! I couldn't seem find the words that did justice to these inspiring children and families that I work with on a daily basis. That same day, I received another email from Danice and something that she wrote stuck with me- "God doesn't ask us to be perfect.....just willing." His good word always finds me just when I need it the most. I love that about Him!

The truth is, there is no separating where I've been or what I do from the blessings that God has provided for me. Writing this blog entry has been a much needed reminder that He is at work in my life always; not just on Sunday mornings and Wednesday night Bible studies. Since I have started my journey with Christ, Christian music has had a way of speaking to me. It seems like when I have just had "one of those days" a song will speak to me at just the right time and in the most perfect way. Again, it's just another way I know that He is in my life ALWAYS. Recently, some lyrics have stuck with me and I couldn’t help but relate them to my life and profession.

I will praise You in this storm...

As the thunder rollsI barely hear Your whisper through the rain,

"I'm with you"

When our families first receive the news that their child has a hearing loss, they are faced with a storm of emotions. A whirlwind of thoughts and sometimes thundering sadness and anger suddenly strike like lightning. As a young professional supporting these families without having children myself, I often find myself trying to put myself in their shoes. However, I have come to realize that I can never fully understand what our parents are feeling when they hear the words, “your child has hearing loss." The best thing I can do is to simply be next to them to listen and do my best to support them in their journey that lies ahead. Some parents are ready to embark on that journey right away, while others need some time to take it all in and go through the grieving process - and that’s ok. Our mission at the ECHO program is to meet the child’s hearing needs while informing and supporting the families in any way that we can. I always remind myself that even though I work with children with hearing loss day in and day out - often times, this is the first experience with deafness that these families have ever experienced - and it is their child. I've learned that it is important to recognize and embrace their emotions. My goal is to let the families know that I am with them in the storm and give them hope that the storm will pass, but not without dedication and hard work… a lesson I have learned and experienced many times from God.

Isn’t it easy to give the Lord praise when things are going wonderfully!? A new job, the birth of a child,

an engagement, or maybe even finding 20 bucks on the sidewalk. You think, “God is good!” and he most definitely is. But if you are like me, when you are going through a time in your life when you are “walking through the rain” I tend to forget to continue to give Him praise even through the difficult seasons in my life. Sometimes I stop and think, “He shows me unconditional love, so why aren’t I doing the same for Him?” Even when His voice in my heart is barely audible, if I listen closely enough I know that He is still (and always) with me...even in life’s storms He whispers “I’m with you.”

I can still remember the day the Burdett family first came to our school. John and Danice (who was
pregnant with Cora at the time) walked through the door with two adorable little boys. As always, this family lit up the entire place. John with his funny yet reserved personality and Danice with her bubbly and positive attitude. Ryder was a blond-haired little boy with bright sparkling eyes and I remember thinking he seemed so mature for his age. Cole was a dark haired little guy with big brown eyes that could melt your heart. Both boys were beautiful and full of energy with one difference - Cole was deaf. The Burdett family was beginning a new journey.

Where you go, I'll go

Where you stay, I'll stay

When you move, I'll move

I will follow...

After John and Danice made the decision to give Cole the gift of sound and receive his cochlear
implants, it was pedal to the metal! When he was old enough to start school, Cole made the transition
from early intervention to preschool and it was decided that I would be one of his therapists. When I first started seeing Cole for therapy, countless hours of intense work had already been invested into him by Dr. Novak, our audiologists, early intervention therapists and his family. Our early intervention therapists did such an amazing job nurturing and training Cole and his family for this big transition and I remember the thinking to myself, “Kristin, don’t mess this up!” It was our first session and I will never forget the way Cole bopped into my therapy room like we were old friends. He looked at me as if he was saying “Kristin, I am ready to follow your lead. Let’s do this!” I knew that Cole and his family were trusting our program and myself to do our best to help their son thrive and I didn’t want to let them down. The nervousness I felt quickly turned to excitement as I started to get to know Cole and his family.

Cole and I followed each other. He would follow my lead as I used strategies to expand his language and correct his speech. I followed him as he showed interest in different things such as Cars and Toy Story. I loved using what he was interested in to elicit specific speech sounds and spoken language. The best sessions were when he was too busy having fun playing games or reading a book to realize that he was actually WORKING! Don’t you wish it could be this way for us as adults?

Every day and in everything I do, I am faced with the choice to either follow God or not. Sometimes it is hard and I am skeptical, but then I remember that He makes ALL things work together for my good and all I need to do is to trust and follow Him.

All authority, every victory is Yours

Savior, worthy of honor and glory, worthy of all of our praise,

You overcame

There are so many things that I love about my job as a speech pathologist, but the biggest joy I have is witnessing the victories (both big and small) our students experience each day. Whether it is successfully using a language target to tell their friend about the yummy food in their lunchbox or reciting the Pledge of Allegiance over the loud speaker with good speech - there is no victory too small.

Cole continued to make awesome progress with his language and I remember Danice telling me that
because of his jump in language and ability to better express his thoughts and feelings, she felt like she was finally getting to know a side of her son that she never knew before. I get tears in my eyes just thinking about it! These children are overcoming their challenges on a daily basis and there is nothing more rewarding as a professional to have the chance to be a part of that.

It’s important to remember that even the small victories in life are all intentional and made possible by
Him. Having a thankful heart and taking the time to recognize God’s blessings even on the most ordinary days is powerful.

As I write this during Better Hearing and Speech Month I wonder...

Doesn't God encourage us all to have better hearing and speech?

Better hearing when listening to God’s voice regarding a co-worker that tests your patience, a spouse who is trying to compromise, a friend who just needs someone to listen to them, or someone telling you to get out of an unhealthy relationship?

Better speech when talking to others about God, memorizing scripture, speaking words of kindness towards others and being intentional with the words we use around children?

To me, it is obvious that we ALL can benefit from better hearing and speech!

His Healer.

2012-05-09T03:00:00.000-07:00

Three years ago, I woke up to a new kind of healing.

When I found out my son was deaf, I grieved.

I grieved the loss of what I thought life was going to look like for my boy.

People I knew, called and wrote saying they were praying for healing for him.

They were praying for God to restore hearing to his deaf ears.

In the midst of my desire for restoration, was a stronger desire to embrace the boy God made in Cole. The one I was called to raise...

Only once could I stop to ask God to change him.

Because I knew He could...I wanted Him to know, I believed.

But even as I uttered the words, I couldn't shake the indescribable feeling

that He wouldn't do it that way...not this time.

I knew He could, and for some He has.

There are many stories in the Bible and even in our modern day of God healing the sick in miraculous ways.

But this time, I heard God say to my grieving heart...

"He's not sick...only made differently, for my glory.

I know who I've made. Trust me."

In that moment, I moved from wanting to fix a problem, to praying that God would open my eyes, ears and heart to see, hear and experience HIS purpose, plan and design for my boy.

It was in that time that we learned about cochlear implants.

And that Cole was a perfect candidate for them.

I knew then...right after that last and final hearing test where His God-given, natural hearing was tested for the last time...Cole would receive his healing.

A unique, but perfect way...God's way.

3 years later, I wake up with my boy each morning, and watch him put his new "ears" on just as easy as you or I put on our shirt, shorts or shoes. They are just part of him.

Cole's cochlear implants are to Cole what

the stones of remembrance were to the Israelites.

Joshua 4:20-22
And Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken out of the Jordan. He said to the Israelites, “In the future when your descendants ask their fathers, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’”

The stones helped the Israelites remember that God had performed a miracle in their life.

They helped them remember...that God remembered them.

Cole's CI's serve as a reminder to us as well.

God knew of his deafness, knew how HE had made him, and made a way to his healing.

He was healed in a way and at a TIME when we can never take credit for any effort on our part being the reason he can hear.

It was because of the kindness and grace of our God that Cole now stops, eyes lighting up in JOY when he hears his sister calling him from her crib upstairs...or that he runs at the first sound of his brother knocking on the door as he comes home from school.

That is God's grace. That is his healing.

To GOD be the glory, then, NOW and forevermore.

This song means something new to me now.

I used to think it meant that if we believed, God would take away our ailments.

Sometimes he does, and sometimes He doesn't.

But whatever He does, He brings purpose and hope to the lost and hopeless.

True healing comes in knowing the Healer.

Yes, Jesus.

I DO believe that You're my Healer.

May many more know YOUR name through your miraculous, healing work in the life of Cole.

May many more know YOU as Healer, today as they simply....believe.

You are enough for me.

Mother's Day GIVEAWAY!

2012-05-07T00:48:00.000-07:00

For those of you reading along this month for National Better Hearing and Speech Month, thank you. I hope you have been blessed by the stories you found here last week. If you missed them - here are the first, second and third posts up this month, written by mothers of children who were deaf and can now hear! You'll find more guest posts here this month...stay tuned!

***

We're taking a short break today to bring you a GIVEAWAY just in time for Mother's Day!

Last week we heard from mothers who never knew that changing batteries on their child's hearing aids or cochlear implants would be written into their job description when they found out they were going to have a baby. God's way isn't always the way we would've chosen if we were given the chance to choose...but it's always the most fulfilling and abundant one! There is so much JOY that comes in walking in HIS way with a heart that is truly grateful for the path He has chosen for us.

My dear friend, Jenn is one of those people. We were so thankful to have met this incredible family when we moved to Illinois. We grew to love them and the sweet kids God has given them along the way. Jenn was a part of the group that came to my house once a month to pray for ourselves, our families and our kids over breakfast and of course...coffee. We walked a lot of life together in the three years we lived in Illinois and over breakfast and coffee dates, Jenn and I began asking each other great questions all surrounding the core theme ..."What does following Jesus really look like?" We concluded (if you can ever really conclude) that regardless of what He asks of us, He never calls us to make any decision out of fear...especially of the unknown...because to God, there is no unknown! Jenn and her husband, Mark have always had a heart for Africa and have lead mission trips to Ghana, and even prayed about moving life over there to be among those God has stirred them to love across the globe. In this season, God has called them to something very beautiful. They've begun the process of adopting another son into their family, from the very place they've visited, ministered in and love. They will soon be adding another branch to their family tree, but this time, their son won't be brought home in a blanket from the hospital. He will be flown over from Ghana, Africa...and in that moment, there will be one less orphan in the world, and one more member of this beautiful family.

In order to help with the steep cost of her new son's adoption, Jenn has started making hand-stamped jewelry and selling it through her new business, Plus One Minus One Jewelry. ALL the proceeds go toward her adoption efforts to bring her boy home, and toward other orphans living in Ghana. The name of her business sums up her passion..."Plus One" more son to love means "Minus One" more orphan in the world! There are an estimated 210 million orphans in the world today. 44 million of them are in Africa alone. I love that my friend and her husband have decided to make a difference in the life of one of those orphans. Because of their obedience, one little boy in Ghana who right now has no one to call "mom" or "dad"...will soon have a mom, dad and a brother and two sisters! What a gift and beautiful example of what God's blessing looks like on the other side of our obedience!

With Mother's Day right around the corner, it's a great time to make a visit to her Facebook Page and choose something custom-made for the mom in your life! What a blessing that the proceeds will mean that her new son will get to celebrate having an an amazing mother of his own very soon...I can't think of a better way to say "Happy Mother's Day!" than to give a gift that will help an orphan find a home.

There's a lot to be thankful for here this month!

In honor of mothers who have chosen hearing for their children,

In honor of mothers who have chosen to follow God's call to love the orphans in this world by bringing one home and adopting them into their family,

and most of all...

In honor of God adopting us ALL into HIS family through the blood of His only Son, Jesus and calling us His chosen ones...

it's time for a GIVEAWAY!

One winner will receive this necklace in time for Mother's Day, so act fast! This giveaway is only up for 3 days so it can be shipped in time for Mother's Day! Check HERE for more details about the necklace and to check out other items too. I will tell you that the bead was hand rolled by women in Uganda, many of whom are HIV+ mothers or war refugees, all suffering from extreme poverty. They are paid fair trade prices for their work and all the proceeds of adding a bead to any item from Plus One Minus One Jewelry will go directly back to helping these women pay for food, medicine, homes and school fees.

I hope you'll order something from Plus One Minus One today!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

***

Those of you joining us for Mindful Monday verses, here they are...

(oh, and did I mention we're memorizing three this week?...Don't worry. You can do it!)

Psalm 100:4

Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and praise His name.

Psalm 100:5

For the Lord is good, and His love is eternal; His faithfulness endures through all generations.

Revelation 4:11

Our Lord and God, You are worthy to receive glory and honor and power, because You have created all things, and because of Your will they will exist and were created.

Again..so timely. His Word always brings meaning to our circumstances, doesn't it? I can't think of a better response to helping an orphan find a Christ-filled family than PRAISE to the One who deserves it all. His faithfulness will be made known in the life of a dear boy from Ghana very soon..He truly is faithful to all generations, and this adoption will change his family tree forever. May your week prove to be one where because of His faithfulness in YOUR life, you walk with purpose and praise through the hours you're given to bring Him glory...

Abundant life...even in deafness.

2012-05-04T00:21:00.001-07:00

The rush of the day suddenly grinds to a halt as I tuck the last little squirming body in bed. I kiss the last little cheek, brushing back the hair on his forehead, peering down at the squinting eyes he squeezes shut knowing full well, Mommy is still there.

Still hovering, I stop - just for a moment, long enough to utter words I know he can't hear. Words that unless I believed there was a God out there listening, would vanish into thin air as soon as they left my lips, void of meaning - unheard by human ears. "Oh, Lord. Help him to know you are here. Let him sense your presence even now, in the darkness of his silence....to know in his soul, You are near him."

The prayers of a mother's heart, whispered in the night...for no one else to hear but the One who always hears. In that moment, nothing else matters. The noise of the day is put in it's place. The status of the rest of the world stands still while a mother prays for the will of the God of Heaven to be made real in the life of her son. A son who was fashioned exactly the way he was intended to be, for the glory of the One who loves him most. Prayers uttered to the only One who can speak to him now. To the only Voice he can hear right in the middle of his silence.

And in that moment...when I stroke his head feeling the lump of the implant behind his ears, my spirit grows heavy. The laughter of the day fades and the ever-present reality seeps back into my world. It's always there, his deafness...his bionic ears hold it at bay just long enough to walk through our days as if it weren't so.

So what do we do with reality? When our true condition is something we'd rather trade in for what we hope it could be? Do we live in despair? I don't think anyone ever truly lives in despair. There is no true life found in a despairing heart. You can cross days off a calendar while wishing it weren't so, but true abundant life isn't found in this "just-get-by" kind of life.

And abundant life is what we were intended to have...

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." - Jesus
John 10:10

What the enemy intended to use for Cole's destruction, will end up being GOD's glory.
And THAT will be an abundant life for my Cole.
There is no malformation. There is only HIS formation in the life of my boy.

When I let the concerns of this earthly life rest in their proper place, everything falls into order as it should. I'm free to love God with a full heart, one given first to His concerns before those of this world.
I'm free to love my children for who they are, not who I want them to be.
My desires become wrapped up and entangled with the One who created me...who created them.
I feel peace. hope. joy.
The fruit of the Spirit of the Living God is mine.

So as I sit in my room at the end of a whirlwind day...four little bodies breathing rhythmically down the hall as sleep slows their pace for the few darkened hours of the day...I stop. My sweet boy saunters in the room, looking only for the lap of his mama to rest in. I hold his four year old little body in mine, resting his head in the fold of my arm as if he were still the newborn boy we brought home on the 4th of July just a few years ago...and he sleeps.

The swirl of it all is summed up in that holy moment, when out of the darkness of the hall, my boy finds me. And I remember it all...our suspicions...his diagnosis...surgery...recovery...new hearing...endless therapy...and still, four years later, in all of the needs he has and still may have in the days to come...he's simply my boy.

I pause, just long enough to remember who I am in all my inadequacies...
who they are in all of their needs...
and then who HE is in all of His kindness toward us.
And all of the sudden, right in the middle of it all, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that everything...yes everything will be more than okay. It will be HIS way. And that's the only way I really truly want it to be for us all.

It's in that moment I know...that in all I strive for as a Mama to my four...nothing is more powerful and effective as that moment. The one when I stand over their bed, stroke their hair (implants and all) and pray for the One who holds their days in His hand, to open the Heavens and let HIS kingdom, purpose and glory find a place in however many days we all have left.

Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be your name...{the name above every other name}
Your kingdom come, your will be done...{have your way}
On earth... {in the lives of my children} as it is in heaven....{as you see best}
Give us today our daily bread...{no more, no less}
And forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors...{help us love graciously as you love us}
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one...{protect them, Lord, from unnecessary trials, but in the ones that endure, help them find YOU in the midst of the storm}
For yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever! {It's all about YOU.}
Amen.

Meet Gage and Brook: two Country Kids...{who happen to have hearing loss}

2012-05-03T03:00:00.000-07:00

I'm so thankful my next guest author agreed to share her story with you today. Val Blakely is the author of two blogs, one follows the hearing journey of her kids with cochlear implants and the other follows her journey with God. When Cole started his hearing journey, her blog, Cochlear Kids was an incredible source of encouragement to me as with every word I read, I knew that everything was going to be okay. I learned through her journey, that deafness meant we'd reached a curve in the road, not a dead end. If you're a parent of a child with hearing loss, I pray you're encouraged - hearing the hope in her story for YOUR child. If you are new to the world of cochlear implants and deafness, I pray that this glimpse into a different world gives you a deeper understanding of the journey other families walk, and that somehow your "life" perspective is blessed in a profound way.

***

With my heart pounding, I walked into our ENT's office weighted down with burdens I'd been both blessed and cursed with. How could I ask him to try again? Afterall, my child's not an ideal candidate for a cochlear implant. Having attempted this surgery before to help my son hear, we accomplished nothing more than paralyzing his poor little two year old face. But that was a year and half ago, things have changed right? His head has grown, no more paralysis...maybe his ear deformities have miraculously disappeared. I had to try. He refused to sign. He was frustrated, we were frustrated. He needed communication in some form.

That past year we had found out we were expecting our second child, a girl. I shamefully prayed that she too would be deaf. With our first child being the only person in our family with hearing problems, I thought having a hearing child would just be adding one more to the family that showed him he was different. Perhaps she would be one more that told him he wasn't like us, and that broke my heart. My prayers went unanswered, for the time being. She had been born a hearing child.

I think the surgeon was both glad and nervous to see us again. With my hands trembling, I asked him to tell me no, and I'd walk away. He did not. "It's just such a shame, he's so smart. I want to try and help Gage. He obviously wants to hear." I watched my child verbalize with every person that he could, but his sounds were not words, and he was often misunderstood.

The doctor had a conference coming up and he wanted to discuss my son with some other top notch surgeons and see what they could come up with. He said to me, "I need three months." As he casually walked out of that room he looked at his nurse and said, "I have three months to pray about this one." That time passed quickly. I wept the night before, needing reassurance that this was the right thing to do. I must have prayed for ten minutes straight when all of a sudden, calm took over me. With every breath, confidence and faith filled me. It just felt right.

Even though my child was never a really good candidate and most doctors would have turned us away from the beginning, he became a hearing deaf child before his fourth birthday. The day his cochlear implant was turned on, his baby sister got her first pair of hearing aids. She too eventually became a deaf child and later...a hearing deaf child before her third birthday.

Yes, it's been quite eventful for these two. They get in trouble for talking too much at school sometimes and there are times I wish Speech/Language Reduction therapy existed but I wouldn't trade any of it in for having them be different from who they were born to be. In the flesh, they've learned to listen and hear, and in Spirit, I've learned to listen and hear. The Lord has certainly Blessed my family and by His Grace we can all hear.

~Val Blakely~

Meet Lucas and Myles: two AWESOME boys...{who happen to have hearing loss}

2012-05-02T03:00:00.000-07:00

I am so thankful you have a chance to hear from my friend, Lynsey today. Lynsey and I met three and a half years ago when I walked into my first group speech therapy room with Cole. Cole had just received his cochlear implants and begun this crazy, wild, miraculous journey of hearing for the first time in his sweet little 18 month old life. We walked into the room and my heart was racing as my hands shakily held onto my darling bionic boy. All I wanted to do - more than anything else in the world, was to protect him....to simply fulfill every need he had, was my single highest goal. I love that God knew that, saw my heart, and agreed. For, in that moment I meet two women, sitting with their sweet children with hearing loss, who immediately became like family to us as we entered onto their world. It was a world where we were immediately unified through the common need our children shared...the need to hear and be heard. God not only gave me a friend in Lynsey that day, but a sister-in-Christ, who came alongside me, and opened her heart to my family and my boy. I pray you are blessed as you hear from her heart today. It's one that beats passionately for others to see what God sees when He looks at our children with hearing aids and cochlear implants...a boundless world of possibility! And by the way...that's how He sees you too :)

***

Danice asked me if I would be willing to share my story with other families with children who have

hearing loss. The first thing that popped in my mind is, "Where do I begin and is there enough space to share it all?" Our journey began the first moment I found out I was pregnant with my first son, Lucas. That is the moment when all the dreams of the white picket fence, three children, and a dog really started to seem like a reality. It didn’t take long for me to understand that my dreams and plans are not always the dreams and plans that God has for me. Even though I had trouble seeing it at first, God had an even better dream and plan than I could discover!

Lucas my first son, was born a healthy baby boy 8lbs. 14oz. He was perfect in every way. Lucas soon began suffering from chronic ear infections. Unfortunately, it took a long time for him to be referred for tubes and as a first time mother I completely trusted my pediatrician. My grandmother was the first one to notice that Lucas didn’t seem to react to noise appropriately at 8 months, but the doctor said everything was fine. "His ears look good!" At the age of two years Lucas was unable speak or understand speech. Finally he was referred to Early Intervention and the speech pathologist took 5 minutes to agree with us. Lucas wasn’t speaking because he couldn’t hear. After two years, we found ourselves at Carle Hospital (Urbana, Illinois) in April 2007 having Lucas fitted with his first pair of blue hearing aids. Lucas immediately began speech and language therapy through Early Intervention services, while we dually worked with Carle Auditory Oral School.

During this time I was also pregnant with our second child. Myles was born on June 4, 2007. He passed his newborn hearing screening, or so we thought, but at two and a half months of age we noticed him not responding or startling to noises. We immediately called our audiologist at Carle to have him tested by ABR (auditory brainstem response). I remember sitting, holding Myles while he slept and the test ran, looking at the face of our sweet audiologist. I could tell that the test wasn’t looking very good because she was trying to not make any type of facial response. All I remember asking was, “How bad is it? Just tell me how bad.” She responded, “It isn’t as bad as Lucas, it is about 10dB better.” In two weeks Myles was in his first pair of red hearing aids.

It is easy to talk about now because our journey started almost 5 years ago now. I get a lot of questions about how I felt during this time. At first I felt numb, I didn’t really know what I felt, but I just knew I had a job to do and I had to do it. I definitely went through a time of denial, just going through the motions of what had to be done without really grasping the reality of the whirlwind I was lost in. Once the reality of the situation set in, I did struggle with questions such as: why me, why my kids, and the bitterness I felt about it all.

I began driving the boys to Carle three times a week - a one and half hour drive one way. This took a huge toll on me and Myles especially with him being a newborn. It took us sometime, but after many unsuccessful IEP meetings in our district we decided to sell our home and move to Urbana. Everything we needed for our boys was in Urbana so nothing was holding us back.

Our move to Urbana transformed not only our lives as parents but the future for children. The growth they've experienced in all aspects was and is phenomenal. We were introduced to a beautiful world we didn’t even know existed. Our boys’ days were filled with the best speech and language therapists and deaf educators that a family could ever ask for. In addition we were introduced to families with similar experiences that offered unbelievable support. Every day watching not only our children, but our children’s friends grow and learn was a miracle! There were times that it seemed hard to see the growth in my own children because I was with them every day, but I was able to see other children who started school only able to repeat one syllable at a time begin talking in clear spontaneous sentences. Watching the growth of my children and others was the most inspiring thing! To be able to see older students graduate and mainstream successfully, continued to inspire me and show me that anything is possible for kids with hearing impairments.

Each year our school has a graduation and the older students give a speech that they write, read, and perform! Each year it brings me to tears. Many people will be sure to tell you what your child with hearing loss can’t do, or the limitations they must have. Of all the lessons that I have learned through our challenges, is that KIDS WITH HEARING LOSS CAN DO ANYTHING!!! Our oldest son, Lucas, has been mainstreamed since kindergarten. He is a straight A student and in enrichment for reading. He participates in sports such as: baseball, basketball, soccer, swimming, and JFL. Myles will mainstream for kindergarten this fall and he is so excited to be going to his big brother’s school. Myles also participates in sports such as: swimming (his favorite), soccer, baseball, and he absolutely loves music and to sing.

This month is a celebration of the success our kids can, do, and will make every day! Never allow anyone to define the limits of success for your child!! Take baby steps and before you know it you will be running! Have a great month celebrating success!

National Better Hearing and Speech Month

2012-05-01T00:08:00.002-07:00

May is a very special month in our house. It isn't anyone's birthday or even our anniversary. Instead, each May we take time to look back and remember the GOOD things God has done in the life of our boy. Congress has recognized it as National Better Hearing and Speech Month, and so you don't have to ask us twice, to celebrate the miraculous way Cole now hears after being diagnosed with profound deafness at the age of 13 months. He was born deaf, but God has given him hearing in the most miraculous of ways.

This month, is for every single one of you...
If you live with hearing loss or are the parent of a child with hearing loss...you will find HOPE.
If you know someone with hearing loss...you will better understand what your friend or family member experience in their daily life as you read.
If your life is completely unaffected by hearing loss, the chances are you WILL meet someone, someday who does live with it, and after journeying through the posts here this month, you will be better equipped to understand their journey, someday in the maybe not too distant future... :)

This month I am SO grateful to have several guest authors posting with us, sharing the thoughts and perspectives from their very different backgrounds on the topic....

You'll hear from several of Cole's speech therapists from our AMAZING Auditory Oral School in Illinois. They will be sharing from their perspectives as Speech and Language Pathologists working everyday with children with hearing loss who wear hearing aids or cochlear implants to hear.
You will hear from a few families who have children with hearing loss. Each with their own story, you will understand a little better what it means to these mothers, to parent children with hearing aids or cochlear implants.
I'm also THRILLED that my oldest boy, Ryder, has agreed to share with you about what it's like to have a brother with cochlear implants :)
And, drum roll please........Cole is going to share with us, a video of him talking about his CI's, the parts that make them up, how they work and what they help him do!

Seriously, I'm bursting at the seams here....SO much goodness in store! This will be an amazing month, with so many different - yet incredible perspectives and when it's all over, you should have any questions answered that you had or didn't know you had about people who live with hearing loss and have chosen to wear devices to help them hear, listen and SPEAK!

So I'd love to know...if you DO have questions, what are they? No question is off limits. Don't worry about sounding insensitive...we want to know what you wonder about! Let us help you answers those wonderings this month, so you can walk away more aware and informed about hearing loss than ever before :) Leave a comment below and we'll answer any questions you may have!

Miracles found here this month...spread the word! This is gonna be good :)

An exclamation point kind of God...

2012-04-30T00:14:00.000-07:00

It's so good to be in the unfailing, life-giving, truth-defining, character forming WORD of God with you all this year! Do you realize how BLESSED we are in this country to have such open access to the one book that gives us purpose for our days and helps us stand on solid ground when our circumstances leave us little to go on? The enemy would love nothing more than for us to live with our Bibles on the shelf, unopened and collecting dust. He knows there is nothing more powerful than a life lived fully convinced of the truth of God's Word...armed with the sword of the Spirit.

So let's get at it! There's not a better way to start our week than this...

Isaiah 53:6
We all went astray like sheep; we all have turned to our own way; and the Lord has punished Him for the iniquity of us all.

All of life hinges on the above truth...out of it comes a Spirit of praise and thanksgiving for the grace we've received!

1 Peter 1:3
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. According to His great mercy, He has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

I loved the thoughts Robert J. Morgan included in his book, 100 Bible Verses Everyone Should Know By Heart. Following his verse he says this..

"If you were a sentence, what mark of punctuation would follow you? Is your life a question mark because you're without answers? A comma because you're in transition? A period for everything's at a standstill? Or a dash because you're in a continual rush? This verse can put an exclamation point to our lives. It's a verse of praise; it begins with Blessed be...It's a verse of worship, centered around the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It's a verse of joy, for he has given us new birth onto a living hope. It's a verse of victory based on the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead."

I pray you have an exclamation point kind of day today! Not because everything will be perfect or because everything that happens will make you want to smile...but because He's good. All the time :) All the time...God is good!

Visiting Joni and Friends...

2012-04-27T08:37:00.004-07:00

A few weeks ago, eight families from our AWANA group at church went to visit the Joni and Friends International Disability headquarters in Agoura Hills, CA. Joni Earickson Tada's ministry, ministers to the disabled community in so many ways - one of them being providing wheelchairs to those who need them in developing countries. We drove for two hours in the middle of a terrible rain storm to visit this beautiful place we'd been talking to our kids about all year long :)

It was such an honor to have Joni come speak to us, sharing the story of the diving accident that landed her in a life of paralysis...the most amazing part is hearing about the amazing way she's being used by God since she decided to get out of bed and into her chair, making the decision to live the life she had to the fullest, even if it was lived sitting down. Since then, she has written over 40 books, is known for her incredible artistic talent, and speaks on her radio and TV programs, and to live audiences all over the world. Her life is the most beautiful example I've seen of how God takes a heart that is fully His, to heights unimaginable by our human minds. I think I cried the entire time we were in the room with her. I walked in knowing her story but was so moved by her JOY right in the middle of her circumstance. Only because of Jesus. He is so good. Oh to be JUST like Joni. A woman after God's own heart.

The photo below was taken of Ryder reciting for Joni, his favorite passage of scripture...the Lord's Prayer.

Our kids had been memorizing Bible verses since November, and each time they did, they earned a sticker to place on our Wheels for the World poster. They even got a chance to recite some for Joni that day! Every sticker earned, helped us get one step closer to providing a wheelchair for a child somewhere around the world who otherwise, would have to be carried everywhere they went. The director of Wheels for the World came and spoke to us about the boy who would be receiving the wheelchair our kids had earned. Right now, he was being carried by two friends in a blanket, everywhere he went. This wheelchair would mean he could go back to school, church and anywhere else he wanted to go!

Joni asked us to lay hands on the wheelchair and join her in praying for the boy who would soon sit in it for the first time...He will also receive a Bible in his language so that he can learn about and grow to know the God who loves him unconditionally.

What a JOY it was to visit with Joni and her husband, Ken...to tour the headquarters of this amazing ministry. To see the incredible hand of God on this place, it is so evident that their efforts are a deeply-transforming blessing to the disabled community and to those of us whose eyes have been opened to the need around us. What a gift to experience more of the heart of God for the people He loves who are disabled. Our kids even got to experience disability centers where they had tasks they were asked to perform, but first had to wear something that would help them understand what it felt like to complete the task if they were blind, or had autism, or without use of their arms, etc...

We went so our kids could give Joni the money they raised for a wheelchair...and I think it's safe to say, we all left, changed.

What a beautiful woman,

in a beautiful place,

through a beautiful ministry,

for beautiful people,

and ALL

for the glory of a simply incredible God.

Thank you, Joni and Friends!

We hope to be back next year!!!

***

Until then, my kids have LOVED learning more about their friends with disabilities at the Kid's Corner on the Joni and Friends website. They have coloring pages, games, videos, and more!

It beats playing video games any day!
We're even featured over on the Kid's Corner Blog today! Check it out!!! What an honor!

She's mine...

2012-04-26T00:21:00.000-07:00

She's been waiting for this moment her whole, sweet little life...

...and finally the day came.

She stretched...

and pointed...

reached...

and flew...

and all the while, her mama sat by her side

smiled, giggled and soaked in the moment

incredibly proud that she was mine.

Lord, in this dance of life we're in...

thank you for speaking over us the same way I do over my little ballerina...

with a heart fully delighted and swelling with pride,

eyes fixed on every wobbly little move, still you whisper

"She's mine."

And regardless of how beautiful our moves or how long we've been trained,

you invite us over and over again back to the dance floor...

For it's not about how well we perform each move,

but that we answer the call to train, study and dance with the one

who built us to move in step with Him.

Give us courage to join you proudly, in the middle of the floor,

stepping out in faith when we hear You whisper...

"Let's Dance,"
trusting you'll lead us every step of the way.

Live convinced.

2012-04-25T03:00:00.000-07:00

Watching this video brings tears to my eyes...

Not tears of joy, but tears of empathy...because I can relate.

No, I'm not an olympic champion, or a track star of any kind (unless you count timing how fast I can push a double stroller up a hill to the park...if you've never tried it, you can't tell me it shouldn't be an olympic sport!)

But I am a mother of four kids who needs to be reminded, on the nights John teaches class late, or the weekends he's gone for concerts, football games with the band, or meetings and I'm left with a whole lot of me, myself and all the expectations I have to raise my kids up well...I'm never alone.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:38-39

So I guess the question is...do I live convinced?

Oh, the places we'll go living a life convinced of the truth that nothing can separate us from the love that can conquer any depression, any loneliness, any wayward thought or destructive pattern.

I know I'm a different wife and mother when I operate out of this conviction...I can love my husband and parent my children with the authority of heaven behind me, instead of cowering behind efforts made in my own strength.

I want that for them. My best doesn't cut it most days anymore.

I want HIS best for them. I want that for ME too.

Living a life of conviction sounds like the only way to me...
and the only way to see this happen is to pray the way Jesus told us to pray -
"Your Kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."
Heaven on earth? That sounds like His best to me...I'm convinced of that.

Here is an example of where God can take a life who has chosen to take Him at His Word.

"I can honestly say with all the times that I feel pressure and feel that loneliness, I have never actually been alone."

- Bryan Clay

Whose driving?

2012-04-24T01:13:00.003-07:00

Life is filled with opportunities to choose. What will we hang onto when circumstances leave us little to go on? When money is tight, relationships are strained, the pressure is high and hope is dim...where do we turn?

If there's anything in this world you cling to more than the Word of God, I'm here to lead you in the right direction. There is nothing as fulfilling, strengthening, life-giving and identity shaping as the Word that God gave us out if His desire to be known by the Ones He created. That Word is the Bible.

This year, the Inspired community has committed to committing some of those words to memory. Not so that we can win some kind of earthly contest or walk around with a trophy of achievement, but so that WE can become more and more like the One who came to earth to show us our worth by sacrificing His life...so that we could TRULY live. An abundant life is what He promises to those of us who seek Him. A full life.

So I guess that may be the question to answer today. If you had to give a "state of my life" address right now, and take a snapshot right from where you sit reading today, what would you have to report?

Joyful or Depressed?

Thankful or Deprived?

Serving or Self-seeking?

Humble or Proud?

Content or Jealous?

I realize it'd be unfair of me to spring a surprise interview on you without answering my own questions...If I honestly took inventory of where my heart has wandered these past few weeks, I'd have to say many of my answers would fall in the right column.

We're nearing the end of a what seems like a never-ending season for our family with John working tirelessly to finish his dissertation. After four long years of an intense level of rigor, while adding two precious girls to our family - I'm ready to breathe a sigh of relief and close the chapter on this season for good. I'm done. I feel it. These past two years have felt like a marathon we're been running, yet the finish line keeps being pushed back. It's been unpredictable and the challenges we've experienced have been hard to "plan" for.

I've always been pretty good about powering through a hard season if I have appropriate expectations going in. I like to see the road map, plan for the hills and valleys and then set off to conquer the road ahead. Life doesn't always work out that way, does it? If God let us in on the pitfalls before we began, we may not set foot on the path at all. No. That's not at all how a life following Jesus works.

If we could accomplish it all in our own strength, we'd never have the opportunity...

to know true joy in Jesus,

to be thankful for His blessings that cannot be bought,

to understand that we are more blessed when we give than when we receive,

to do nothing out of selfish ambition, but consider others first

to know the treasures in Christ are worth more than whatever it is you think you want from this world.

We were made to rely on HIM.

If we try to do it ourselves, we'll come up short every time.

The journey of our lives was designed to be traveling with GOD in the driver's seat.

If we take the wheel, we'll work real hard for nothing, for there isn't any destination worth striving for if HE didn't take you there Himself.

So, if you find yourself on the right side of the column too, get out of the driver's seat. He wants to drive you to the place He has prepared for you...but He's the only one with the map. The other amazing part, is that the destination is not in this world. It is far beyond our eye's reach and even farther beyond our mind's ability to imagine it's value. Just know it's good. Very good. He promises that, because HE is our destination.

The purpose of the life you're living right now is to travel with our Guide. What about when it's just not that enjoyable? When we suffer all the unpleasant effects of living in a fallen world? Instead of turning to anything the world can offer, we turn to the One who says HE is the way, the truth and the life....the only way to the Father Himself.

We're committing His inspired Word to memory this year, because they give us something to stand on when life feels shaky. When our heart is bruised and our thinking is cloudy he says, "Come to me all you who are weary and burdened...and I will give you rest."

Every week we take two more verses straight from the Bible, God's Word, and arm ourselves more fully with the road map our guide has given us. Here are the two for this week...

Isaiah 53:5

But He was pierced because of our transgressions, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment or our peace was on Him, and we are healed by His wounds.

Isaiah 53:6

We all went astray like sheep; we all have turned to our own way; and the Lord has punished Him for the iniquity of us all.

He has paid the ultimate price...now we can truly LIVE the abundant life He died to give us if we choose to! So how about you? Do you choose the abundance today? Do you choose to live in communion with God as He orders your days one faithful step at a time? Or will you try to do things your own way...I've decided that I don't like where I end up when I drive. I always think I know where I'm going, but I end up in that second column. I want true, unaffected by circumstance, JOY today....and I know exactly how to get it. That is who Jesus is. The answer to every question. Don't be afraid to ask...He has good plans for those who do.

"Ask, and it will be given to you.

Seek, and you will find.

Knock and the door will be opened to you."

- Jesus (Matthew 7:7)

***

Are you memorizing with us this year? I'd love to meet you! Leave a comment whether you've been with us from the beginning or just starting today...are you joining our community in writing God's Word on your heart? It's good to know we're not alone :)

and the WINNER is...

2012-04-22T23:49:00.003-07:00

Megan Jenish!

Thank you to everyone who entered to win an autographed copy of Bryan Clay's book: REDEMPTION

Congratulations Megan!

I hope ALL of you will get your own copy on Amazon today...

An "Inspired" Book Review: REDEMPTION, by guest author - Silvia

2012-04-20T03:00:00.000-07:00

The next review of REDEMPTION, comes from a woman who wears many hats in her life...wife, mother and lawyer (to name a few). Since we've begun sharing stories of God's faithfulness here on Our Inspired Journey, she's been one of the most outspoken and encouraging supporters of our mission to make the saving love of God known! Through the pages of Bryan's story, she's been reminded of which roles she holds that she truly treasures the most. Thank you, Silvia, for writing and sharing with us how REDEMPTION has impacted you!

***

I would estimate it took me about 10 hours to read through this book. The day I got it I sat and read for 4 hours straight until my eyes could not stay open one more minute. I can’t wait to go back and read through it again so I can highlight all the different passages that stood out. I know I need to go back to pages 99 and 126. Not sure why right now, but those were pages I kept chanting over and over so I would not forget.

Although one might think this is a book about sports, or that only males will be interested – not so. This book provides hope on so many levels; not just to boys and young men who may feel like they’re lost, but to mother’s who pray over their children and wives that want to see their husbands succeed and have dreams for their families. I happen to fall into the two latter categories and while it moved me to read about Bryan’s journey, I think I was most inspired by the roles his mom and Sarah played. If either of these two women had given up on Bryan, I believe his story would have turned out quite differently. It reminds me that my role as a wife and mother and the support I provide for my husband and children is as important to their success as they are. And while I already take those roles quite seriously, reading this book just increased my motivation and the feeling of urgency to succeed in those roles.

However, what I loved most about this book is that Bryan reminded me of a lesson I’ve heard many times before, but that we all need constant reminder of: God does not require perfection, He just wants you. If he required perfection no one would qualify… Not to mention, He doesn’t really need perfection, He’s already perfect. Again, I look to Bryan’s mom – toward the end of the book Bryan says she wasn’t perfect but he knows he is still reaping the benefits of what his mom did for him when he was a child, even if all she had at that time to give was prayers and love. Reading the book reminded me of 2 Corinthians 12:9, “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.”

I hope that people will read this book and realize that if you put your trust in the Lord, His power can be made perfect in your weakness. Bryan is a living example of that promise, but he’s not the only one. This can be my story or your story too, if we let God’s glory shine. I’m inspired! I hope others are too. (Especially since everyone I know will be getting this book as a gift!)

Enter to win an autographed copy of REDEMPTION today!

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An "Inspired" Book Review: REDEMPTION, by guest author - Dave

2012-04-19T03:00:00.000-07:00

The first review of Bryan Clay's book: REDEMPTION, comes from a high school teacher/administrator/coach who, through reading Bryan's story, discovered their lives had many similarities. Though Dave doesn't own a gold medal, he, like Bryan, have found the greatest prize. Thank you, Dave, for writing and sharing with us how REDEMPTION has impacted you!

***

It seems strange to be writing a “book review.” I’m definitely a math/science guy and I’m way more comfortable with numbers than with words. But so many things in this book resonated with me and seemed to parallel my own life: divorced parents, working in the family business at a young age, mentors coming along side me, tobacco/alcohol/partying, “doing what I want to do when I want to do it,” a mom who always believed in me, an amazing wife who turned my life around, and of course a loving Savior who constantly spurs me on to trust Him with all he’s given me.

One experience both Bryan and I shared was working with our grandfathers in the family business. Just as his Jiji did for him, my grandpa instilled in me the concept of hard work and doing things “the right way.” Later on as a high school volleyball coach, I found a slightly different quote that I taped on the wall of our equipment room...

“If we chase perfection, we just might catch excellence.” It’s a strange dichotomy, this striving for perfection. Knowing we’ll never reach it, but trying to none the less. And how do we do it? The world would say through our own power. But as both Bryan and I have come to find out, only by dedicating ourselves to putting Him first will our efforts have success. A quote from the book says it all - “God doesn’t expect me to be perfect. He expects me to give my best, and He’ll make it good enough.”
Redemption – Bryan found it, I’ve found it, and God wants it for each of us. If you read only one book this summer, make this the one. You’ll be glad you did!

Dave

***

Have you entered to win a free autographed copy of REDEMPTION? Don't be left out!

Send us your review of the book and we'd love to post it!

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Lessons learned from REDEMPTION...

2012-04-18T10:37:00.000-07:00

This week we've been a bit absorbed in the book we've reviewed here the past two days. I can't remember the last time John and I both finished the same book at the same time and have had time to chat about the way our hearts have been stirred. There's something very unifying about sharing ideas and "ah ha" moments over the same pages read.

One way REDEMPTION has already begun to impact my life, is in my daily routines. I was so inspired by the way Bryan talked about his road to victory being won one conscious step at a time, that I've been refreshed in my exercise and devotion routines that needed refreshing! I was reminded of Eugene Peterson's book, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction. A life lived for Christ is simply that...one step of obedience after another over the course of a lifetime. It may originate out of much sin, muck and mire, but in Psalm 40 we read these words of David that seem to mirror what Bryan shares as well...

¹ I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry.
² He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.
³ He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the LORD and put their trust in him.

Amen. I pray this is true of those who read this story of REDEMPTION, and that they begin to walk in obedience, moment after moment, finding over the course of their days and weeks that their journey of sacrifice and devotion has brought them closer to the one who has written their story...there's no better place in all the world to be. Bryan and has found that truth...have you?

Which leads me to an invitation to you... I'd love (and I know Bryan and Sarah would too) to hear your thoughts about his new book! How has your heart been stirred by the story you've heard? Many of you have already begun reading or finished the book, and we'd love to hear what you thought! Real, honest, true thoughts...no sugar coating, just the plain truth about how your review of pages you've read.

We would love reviews of any length...from a few sentences to a few paragraphs.
If you have a blog or business you'd like us to promote along with your review, please include that as well! We'd love to send some business your way!
We'll except reviews from now all the way up to the time of the Olympics :)

If you're interested, e-mail any reviews to Danice@ourinspiredjourney.com

Our hope and prayer is that Bryan's story is used for the glory of God. May many more come to a saving knowledge of who He is through the vulnerability shared in the pages of REDEMPTION! What is your redemption story? I'd love to know and celebrate with you over the work of a good God.

And if you haven't yet, enter to win your own autographed copy today...so you can get reading (and reviewing) ASAP!

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