Caregiving, Living Life Daily, Special Needs Parenting
Jolene Philo
Emotions Are Information: A New Way to View and ...

Margaret Vasquez explained that emotions aren’t who we are. Rather, they are similar to physical sensations. When we feel something hot, cold, sharp, or painful, our bodies are alerting us to approach with caution something in our environment. When we feel emotions––big and small––our mind is alerting us to something internal that deserves our attention.

Emotions Are Information: A New Way to View and Interpret Big Feelings
Caregiving, Challenges, Hope, Living Life Daily, Scripture, Special Needs Parenting, Spiritual Growth
Cindi Ferrini
Do We Follow the Word of God or the World?

The world might seem to have a lot to offer, but as it applies to the caring of a child or loved one with special needs, it offers us things that won’t make us happy and won’t deliver what we need. The world will always lack authenticity and the act of serving will not be very high on the rung of the ladder, by world standards.

Do We Follow the Word of God or the World?
Caregiving, Challenges, Hope, Living Life Daily, Special Needs Parenting, Spiritual Growth
Key Ministry
God Really Does Have a Plan for Our Kids

God convicted me. He challenged how much I believed it. What would my and my husband’s actions tell us? Were we believing God for His plan for our son, or were we expecting Him to help with ours? Were we open to the possibility that His plans might be different from what we’ve envisioned? 

God Really Does Have a Plan for Our Kids
Caregiving, Disability Awareness, Living Life Daily, Medically Fragile, Special Needs Parenting, Spiritual Growth
Jolene Philo
Did I trust God’s plan for the life of my child ...

Did I trust God’s plan for the life of my child with disabilities? Did I trust God’s plan for the life of my child with disabilities during his frequent medical crises as a baby? Did I trust God’s plan for the life of my child with disabilities when he was a young adult? Do I trust his plans now?

Did I trust God’s plan for the life of my child with disabilities?
Caregiving, Challenges, Hope, Living Life Daily, Special Needs Parenting, Spiritual Growth
Cindi Ferrini
Self-LESS vs. Selfish

When we care for our child(ren) with special needs, it’s self-sacrificing. It is more than a “job” as some might say, it is an undertaking (as one of my friends shared so succinctly with me). Yet some of us have a different level and depth of care. Although our son needs 24/7 attention and care, he can do a good number of things on his own. Cindi Ferrini shares the difference between Self-less and Selfless.

Self-LESS vs. Selfish

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More Than Just A Parent - Part 2

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More Than Just A Parent - Part 2

Whether at the doctor’s office, with our child’s therapy team, in the classroom for an IEP meeting, many times we are just not considered experts on our children. We are relegated to being just a bystander while the real “experts” make proclamations over our children. While they may be truthful many times, they still don’t define our children totally. It is in those moments that we must step in and be the voice in the gap between the understanding of the experts and the knowing of our hearts, and speak out the value of our kids that only we can communicate as parents.

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Conveniences for Special Needs Parents 

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Conveniences for Special Needs Parents 

There are dozens of things we’ve incorporated into our household, lifestyle and daily rhythms over the years that have helped maximize my “autopilot mode.” Let’s be real. Autopilot is a form of rest when it comes to caregiving. The “efficiency geek” in me seeks out routines and conveniences that allow me to slide through the rigors of caregiving with as much ease as possible. Today, I’m sharing some of the much-appreciated amenities at our house.