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?
Caregiving, Challenges, Grief, Hope, Special Needs Parenting
It was a short, ten-minute drive from the hotel to the residential facility. I maintained composure while I navigated the busy public roads, and then residential streets. I had a whole range of emotions racing through my body, mind and spirit as we pulled into the campus. This was not just a pleasure drive or a routine errand, this was a significant milestone in the life of my son and our family.
Autism, Caregiving, Challenges, Special Needs Parenting
While Halloween is a fun time of year for many children, it can be a really difficult time for some, including many children with additional/special needs. For them it can be a confusing, anxiety-inducing, or even utterly terrifying time. But it doesn’t have to be like that. If we stop for a moment to think about the things they might find hard and how to put things in place to help them, children with special needs can safely join in the fun, too. So what are some of the things about Halloween that children with additional needs can find hard?
In today’s post, John Felageller shares the story of his son’s service dog Damon, and how what John initially viewed extra work for him and his family turned out to be a true gift for belonging and support.
Sometimes we get caught up in the realities of caregiving for our children, and if we are not careful, we can only see the temporary and miss the eternal.
As Paul received comfort from the promise of heaven, the power of Scripture, and his purpose on earth, he was able to pass that comfort on to the readers in Philippi and to us.
Christmas break can feel like a hurricane of activity and stress. I don’t want to break this Christmas season, so I will remember the palm tree and be flexible when the hurricane is gusting around me.
When schools around the country returned to their normal schedules and in-person learning this fall, the normalcy that existed prior to the COVID pandemic did not return with it. But we are reminded in these times and experiences that he love of God still comes through, despite new barriers.