Caregiving, Challenges, Down Syndrome, Special Needs Parenting
Evana Sandusky
For When You Don’t Feel Thankful

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.

For When You Don’t Feel Thankful
Challenges, Hope, Scripture, Special Needs Parenting
Kara Dedert
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? 

When Thankfulness Seems Impossible
Autism, Caregiving, Challenges, Hope, Special Needs Parenting, Spiritual Growth
Sunita Theiss
Discovering What God Already Knew About Me, ...

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.

Discovering What God Already Knew About Me, Through My Children’s Diagnosis
Caregiving, Challenges, Living Life Daily
Jolene Philo
Enjoying the Holidays with a Food Allergy

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?

Enjoying the Holidays with a Food Allergy
Caregiving, Challenges, Grief, Hope, Special Needs Parenting
John Fela (Felageller)
A New Home

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.

A New Home

Hope

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When Life Is Not As It Should Be

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When Life Is Not As It Should Be

When life is not as it should be, whether the cause is a global pandemic or a child's diagnosis, we have a choice to make. As our hearts break and our faith is tested, we have to decide to respond from either a short term or long term perspective.

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Replacing Special Needs Parenting Lies with God's Truth

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Replacing Special Needs Parenting Lies with God's Truth

We have all had that little voice of doubt in our heads. This voice is strategically placed there by Satan to try to steal my joy. Today, I want to share some of the lies the enemy has told me about my children and how I use God’s Word to contradict those lies, so that you can do it, too.

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A 2020 Prayer of a Special Needs Parent

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A 2020 Prayer of a Special Needs Parent

Lisa Jamieson shares a prayer that will resonate with many families. We encourage you to pray this prayer for your family and loved ones.

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The Mission Field Next Door: Meeting The Desperate Needs of Special Needs Families

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The Mission Field Next Door: Meeting The Desperate Needs of Special Needs Families

I once served as a volunteer missionary for nearly 2 years and as a missionary, I was willing to do whatever was asked of me. I often sit in church and listen to the different mission programs, especially short work trips and wonder why? Why do we raise thousands of dollars to send courageous, self-sacrificing individuals to visit far off lands in the name of Jesus when there are so many we neglect in our own communities? We need the Church to be the hands and feet of that powerful calling we claim as Christianity. Outside of the church walls. It might be time to get our hands dirty.

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An Encouraging Verse for Special Needs Parents During Times of Uncertainty

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An Encouraging Verse for Special Needs Parents During Times of Uncertainty

Special needs parents already live with a lot of stress and anxiety. But when you add in the extra uncertainty that comes with COVID-19 and what’s going on with back-to-school come the fall, well, it’s possible as parents to go into anxiety overload. But there’s a verse in Isaiah that is very encouraging for all parents during this time of uncertainty regarding your child(ren) and our future.