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

Special Needs Parenting

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Three Strategies for Caregiving in a Culture of Outrage

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Three Strategies for Caregiving in a Culture of Outrage

Caregiving in a culture of outrage isn’t easy for me or for the parents I desire to encourage. These three strategies help me keep from being sucked into the swamp, and I hope they do the same for you.

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Celebrating Fifteen Years with Down Syndrome

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Celebrating Fifteen Years with Down Syndrome

All life is God-given and is to be celebrated. There was a time long ago that I lost sight of this perspective. God patiently waited for me to look past the words of a diagnosis to see my daughter for who she was created to be. On this World Down Syndrome Day, I appreciate all the time I have spent raising my child with Down syndrome.

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Times for Sowing and Reaping: An Encouraging Promise for Special Needs Families

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Times for Sowing and Reaping: An Encouraging Promise for Special Needs Families

Special needs parents are often weary, and wonder God notices the efforts needed to care for their families. Melanie Gomez shares how after Noah's flood, God made a promise that can encourage special needs caregivers: there will always be times of both sowing seeds and harvesting what has been planted.

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Changes Coming to Churches in 2021 That Will Affect Special-Needs Families

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Changes Coming to Churches in 2021 That Will Affect Special-Needs Families

There are big changes coming to churches that will affect special needs families. There are also opportunities that I'm excited about! Let's talk through those so we can better understand what's happening in our churches and how our calling as missionaries to other caregivers has never been more important!