Joe and Cindi Ferrini
Learning To Love Listening

“Learning to listen isn’t a gift; it’s a skill.” “Anytime is a good time to learn to listen.”

These statements are great places to start in the month of “love” as we share cards, gifts, and time with others. It’s a skill that can be learned and we will be all the better for it. In our family, we are still learning and growing in this area both in our marriage as well as with our grown children, their spouses, the grandchildren, and our son with special needs.

Learning To Love Listening
Caregiving, Challenges, Special Needs Parenting
Jenn Soehnlin
God’s Invitation to Share Your Heart with Him

The playground was bustling with laughter and movement, but my boys, then just two and four years old, played in their own quiet way. After a speech therapy session, we stopped at a nearby park, a familiar part of our speech therapy routine when the weather was nice. My older son wandered the perimeter of the playground and discovered sweet gum balls—a spiky green fruit on the gumtree but which dries out and turns brown and drops to the ground.

God’s Invitation to Share Your Heart with Him
Caregiving, Challenges, Special Needs Parenting, Spiritual Growth
Jolene Philo
The Lessons I Learned while Raising a Child ...

The lessons I learned while raising a child with EA/TEF have been many and varied. That’s to be expected since our son was born in 1982 with esophageal atresia (EA) and a tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF), two conditions that left him unable to swallow and required immediate surgery. Many of the lessons came about as a result of the surgeries and invasive procedures he endured between birth and age 5. Other lessons came later as he became more independent in adolescence and adulthood. I encourage you to use these ten lessons as a springboard for considering what you’ve learned as well.

The Lessons I Learned while Raising a Child with EA/TEF
Caregiving, Challenges, Marriage, Medically Fragile, Special Needs Parenting
Joe and Cindi Ferrini
5 Ways to Keep Your Marriage Strong into the ...

Kingdom Focus is what first comes to mind. Those of us who are married and have someone in our life with special needs for whom we have responsibility (often 24/7 and 365!) know that without focus, we are doomed. AND for those of us who are believers in Jesus, we add to that His Kingdom focus and our part in it.

For us, we have 5 top ways to work on our marriage and keep it strong. There are more, of course, but let’s not get overloaded!

5 Ways to Keep Your Marriage Strong into the New Year!
Autism, Caregiving, Hope, Love, Special Needs Parenting
Sunita Theiss
This Small Change in Communication Taught Me a ...

A few years ago, I made a change in the way I interact with my children. It’s a small practice, but it has profoundly helped our family understand and grasp the truth that God loves and delights in us. Every single day, I tell my kids, “I love being your mom.” This intentional habit has transformed not just my relationship with my children but also how I relate to God.

This Small Change in Communication Taught Me a Big Lesson About God’s Love

Disability

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The Lessons I Learned while Raising a Child with EA/TEF

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The Lessons I Learned while Raising a Child with EA/TEF

The lessons I learned while raising a child with EA/TEF have been many and varied. That’s to be expected since our son was born in 1982 with esophageal atresia (EA) and a tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF), two conditions that left him unable to swallow and required immediate surgery. Many of the lessons came about as a result of the surgeries and invasive procedures he endured between birth and age 5. Other lessons came later as he became more independent in adolescence and adulthood. I encourage you to use these ten lessons as a springboard for considering what you’ve learned as well.

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Counting the Cost

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Counting the Cost

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.

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When Thankfulness Seems Impossible

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When Thankfulness Seems Impossible

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? 

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Discovering What God Already Knew About Me, Through My Children’s Diagnosis

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Discovering What God Already Knew About Me, Through My Children’s Diagnosis

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.

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Finding Joy and Strength as a Parent of a Child with Disabilities

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Finding Joy and Strength as a Parent of a Child with Disabilities

Parents of children with disabilities face unique challenges that can make the journey of parenting even more demanding. While advice like “practice self-care” is common, it doesn’t always provide the deep, meaningful support parents truly need. So, here are some unique and uncommon ways to find joy and strength as a parent.