Don’t Dismiss Our Struggles
This post will be a little different then those prior to it. While I have spoken on several occasions how autism has affected our family, and written about our many struggles and triumphs, I have not always shared how the misunderstandings of others can often make us feel.
We have had many a success. Many a trial. Learned many a lesson. The overall incidences of autism are increasing, yet understanding and support is often still lacking. And, after 4 and a half years of jumping the hurdles of autism, it still surprises me that our struggles are often dismissed.
You probably don’t even realize you are doing it. I am sure you say these things in order to try to make us feel better. To bring a bit of “normal” into what often isn’t.
But, honestly….you unknowingly dismiss our struggles.
You dismiss them every time you say, “He doesn’t look…
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Where Have You Been?
I have a bit of an addiction. I love thrift shopping. I have been known to plan shopping trips around the closest Goodwill (and Starbucks), and I frequent the one down the road from me quite a bit. It was on a rare occasion that I recently managed to drag my kids with me. Usually, what I hear as I scour the many hangers looking for someone’s cast-offs for a hidden treasure is groan after groan from the Marshall Monsters. But on this day, I heard squeals of delight as my daughter happened upon the above tent. For my little girl, it was a must-have. A place to hide from her brother. Camp out with a book. Hide her most precious of toys.
For me….well, it was a reminder of all the tents in which I have hidden in the last few months.
The tent of a demanding internship that…
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Nothing is wasted
God uses everything in our life to guide us into HIS perfect will, as He sees the glory of Christ revealed in us. This blog entry gives us just a little glimpse into that expression through the creative sense and ability of Julie’s girls.
A shoe box transformed into a perfect refrigerator
I went to the playroom one day
I looked at the junk in dismay
what’s up with this trash
that my children have stashed?
Calgon, please take me away!
I went into my girls’ playroom the other day and I was completely disgusted. There was not a single square foot that wasn’t covered in junk. Barbies, clothes, furniture, scraps of material, papers, newspapers, cardboard… the list of junk went on and on. I took the trash can and began to fill it. My youngest daughter immediately heard what I was doing and threw herself onto the heaps of trash.
She cried and pleaded with me not to throw the stuff away.
When I looked around, I saw nothing but bits of trash and junk, but my daughter saw endless possibilities. She saw unmade furniture, scraps of fabric that she was going to…
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The Water’s Edge
A little house on the sound of the Outer Banks…
I dream of living
on the water’s edge
where my fears and faith are met
I dream of standing
on a ledge
where His strength is my safety net
I dream of leaving
the water’s edge
to be in the center of His will
I dream of sailing
beyond the edge
where His presence will calm me still.
He paints a stunning sunset behind this little house every evening…
While we were away last week on vacation, I was mesmerized by this little home perched in the sound. It’s one thing to build a house on the edge of the water, but to build it in the water??
But can you imagine- waking up every morning, surrounded by the sounds of the water? And going to sleep with the setting sun’s brilliant hues streaming through your picturesque windows? I…
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What Is Your ALL IN?
God is so cool. Seriously, haven’t you noticed that HE loves to be in the details of our life? Last night in our Bible study we continued a conversation about our “All In’ or full surrender. For context we were discussing Jesus in the garden prior to His arrest and how it was there that Jesus surrendered His all to the Father’s plan. Knowing before hand that He would suffer unimaginable pain and that ultimately His life’s blood for all of humanity! The only thing that would resolve the Father’s requirement for the restoration of mankind back to Himself. Jesus made His commitment in the garden, it was settled.
On the heels of that we have this verse from a devotional this morning:
“After visiting Ephesus and Macedonia, the Apostle Paul got an “ask” from God the Holy Spirit to go on to Jerusalem (Acts 19:21). The Spirit warned him, however: if he went there, he’d be arrested. Paul’s friends begged him not to go. Paul answered: “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 21:13).
We will all come to our time in the garden, some reading this may have already been in the garden. As we discussed last evening, in this life’s journey, we will find ourselves in the garden many times as the Holy Spirit speaks to us about the things that stand in the way of our “ALL IN”. The question is will we trust Him and surrender that which prevents us from being completely emptied of self and open to the fullness of HIM?
Blessing and Peace Always,
~Robert
When I have no songs
Will you persist even when the songs have left you? Julie in her candor shares how GOD is faithful. Will you long for Him when your deepest joy eludes you? A great testimony of His faithfulness and restoration is shared here…
Sunset from our last night of vacation…
when I have no songs
I turn to the Song-Giver
who sings over me
A most peculiar thing happens to me sometimes – I lose my singing mojo. I have always loved music, and I pretty much sing my way through the ENTIRE day… I mean that EVERY SINGLE THING reminds me of a song, and then that song plays in my head like a sound track- a hodge podge of worship songs, hymns, ’80’s and ’90’s pop music… mixed with musical numbers and showtunes… and classical. But lately, I haven’t had the energy to sing. All songs sound the same and even the sound of my own voice makes me cringe. So, I knew it was time for me to take a music break.
And it was the PERFECT TIME for my family and I to go on a vacation! I…
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