Grace in its Element – When Autism Showed Up at the Lord’s Supper

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.

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.

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…

Project site

“As each part does its work.” Why is that the hard part? One of the things that often stops me from sharing my story through writing is the thought that I have nothing inspired or original to say. My story is similar to many others, why does anyone want to hear what I have to…

Pathways and rivers – Trusting God through the wilderness of a new diagnosis

September 2016. I answered a phone call from my son’s specialist while walking into work. I heard the words, “chromosomal syndrome” and “22q11.2 deletion,” and it felt like my world literally shook. I literally had to sit down in an empty waiting room of the hospital where I worked at the time. Over the next…