How many of us counted the cost (both emotionally and financially) of what it would take to raise a child and/or care for an aging parent? Many are doing both…Because we love our child, we don’t often consider the cost because we simply do what is needed and want the best for them.
Caregiving, Challenges, Down Syndrome, Special Needs Parenting
My daughter arrived in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in the middle of the night on the eve of Thanksgiving. A tough respiratory virus attacked her lungs, and she needed a substantial amount of oxygen support. And now, this unexpected illness meant Thanksgiving was going to be completely different than we had all planned.
Challenges, Hope, Scripture, Special Needs Parenting
Are you scrounging for thankfulness this holiday season? Holidays can be a challenge for those walking through hard days. Perhaps you feel like you've been handed the short-end of the stick; your child is struggling, you’re exhausted and it seems like everybody else has life with a bit more gravy. It’s easy to focus on our circumstances, take stock of what we have and where we are and end up feeling completely void of thankfulness. Is there a cure for this?
Autism, Caregiving, Challenges, Hope, Special Needs Parenting, Spiritual Growth
I first suspected I had ADHD as a teenager, but finding the right professional to take me seriously was much harder than I expected. Previous attempts only ended in frustration and tears.
Enjoying the holidays with a food allergy sounds like an oxymoron doesn’t it? After all, eating together is an integral component of the holiday season. I looked forward to making our traditional holiday foods until I was diagnosed with a dairy allergy in 2012. What was to enjoy about the holidays when the foods associated with it were off limits to me?
We have a lot of negativity to contend with as parents of children with special needs, and in order to have the strength, humility, and wisdom to do that, we need to be in touch with God DAILY. Let's not let the devil get a foothold!
The more you renew your mind—focus on God and His word—the more He will consume, and before you know it, all the other worries, fears and stresses of the day will be overtaken and overshadowed by the goodness of God.
My daughter will get to know Jesus and will chat with him in the way that comes most naturally to her. And in his faithfulness, just as he does with me and you, he will meet her there and speak life into her heart.
Diane Kim, author of Unbroken Faith: Spiritual Recovery for the Special-Needs Parent, is offering an email series just for you: 5 Days to Spiritual Recovery for the Special-Needs Parent.
There are days that get me down. But we have a choice in this special-needs life to whine or worship during those days. And, I can't find many Bible verses leading me to whining.