I confess I don’t hear the communion service very well tonight. But snippets of prayer stand out and grateful tears touch my cheeks. That the Holy Spirit is always with us – that’s you and me, too, Gideon. That I am firmly, completely, and wonderfully saved. And Gideon, too. God wants autistic people in His family, too.
You Can’t Catch Healthy. You Can’t Catch Holy.
We need to be that proactive in our own lives with sin as well. With the Spirit’s leading, we can root things out. Face problems head on. We can do the right things and avoid the harmful things. Take our daily spiritual vitamins. Cook home meals instead of always choosing convenience.
Sometimes, we have to ask God to teach us what the harmful things are so we know to avoid them. We have to ask Him to show us those first hints of declining spiritual health.
Prayers for moving forward after yesterday’s parenting fails
It’s so beautiful to know that, regardless of yesterday, you are still with me this morning and I am with you. You are mine and there is no act, mistake, or sin that I can do to change that. I am firmly and permanently in your heart, in your love in your protection, because of…
Abundant Grace for the Impulsive Brain
A Facebook post tells me that the speed of an incoming brain impulse is 250 mph. Yeah, I think. Probably more when angry. Just try stopping one of those in my child with Autism and ADHD. Lack of emotional regulation combined with lack of impulse control can get really ugly. If you’ve ever snapped at…
The Baptism and Testimony of a 37-year-old Anxiety Sufferer
My latest bout of anxiety showed up on the oddest of days – the day of my baptism. At 37 years old, wife to a pastor, I was baptized. I have followed Jesus for many years now, but recently God and I have had lots of talks about my baptism. Baptism is a step in…
Hosanna in the Diagnosis – Trusting God as we step into the world of special needs
When we received Noah’s diagnosis, a chromosomal deletion, a genetic mutation, a lifelong condition with many nuances and unknowns, it was difficult to see beyond our circumstances. It hurt. We ached for our boy, we mourned normality for him and for ourselves. In him, we officially stepped across the threshold into the world of special…
Drawing Near, because “How can one keep warm alone?”
I listened to Google tell me the weather for tomorrow. Low of 27, high of 42. Ugh. This lifelong West Texas desert girl is so tired of cold weather. For 7 days, beginning on February 11th, Texas experienced a week-long winter storm unlike any of my generation have ever experienced. It was freezing cold. And…
Spoons and the Autism Spectrum – Seeing (and enjoying!) the Bigger Picture of Special Needs Parenting
I had the brilliant idea to teach my boys the game Spoons. I love Spoons! It’s easy, fast-paced, easy to reset and start again. Perfect for wiggly boys, right? I explain the rules. Pick a card from the right, pass to the left. Keep only 7 cards in your hand at a time. You need…
An Autism Baptism – Evidence of a Limitless God
In all the areas of Gideon’s autism that we navigate, through all our failures and victories, and despite all the ways that we as humans don’t understand each other, God still got through to Gideon. Let my son be a reminder to us all that God is not limited by a social communication disorder, just like he is not limited by a cognitive disability or a mental health condition.
The God Who Sees
“I see a life redeemed, a story unfolding….”
Hold steady
“I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.” Psalm 16:8 As we say goodbye to the old year and take our first steps into the new, let’s not forget the arts of remembering and reflecting. Look back. Check your calendar, Facebook memories, or…