Hey, Sweet Things! I am about to do something that I don’t often do. I’m about to mention a website that has no official connection to Living Proof Ministries. I hardly ever do this because we would not know where to stop. By God’s grace, there are so many great resources out there that our entire blog would be given over to a steady stream of recommendations, swallowing up our purpose here. We also don’t have the ability to thoroughly police every site, founder or author we might want to mention. I’ve learned the hard way that, to many folks out there, a favorable mention or a recommendation about someone or something means that you line up with everything they’ve ever said or, scarier yet, will ever say. The risk can be enormous.
The reason why I’m taking the risk this time is because those of you who stand to be helped could need it in the worst way. There is no doubt in my mind that many of you Siestas have a family member with what can be called a “hidden disability.” Or, it might not be a family member at all. It might be the God-cherished and Christ-chosen person you see in the mirror. The new website is called Chosenfamilies.org and its founder and CEO is Shannon Royce, a brilliant woman of God I have known for the better part of 20 years. In order to avoid misquoting or misrepresenting her, I have taken the following excerpts straight off the website so she can explain for herself what Chosenfamilies.org is all about.
Shannon Royce explains,
As a mom of a child who has been diagnosed with a hidden disability, I know the challenges our families face. These hidden disabilities — Anxiety, Asperger, ADHD, Autism, Bipolar disorder, Depression, Learning disabilities, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Tourette syndrome, and others — are neurological disorders that affect every area of a child’s and a family’s life.
While the medical community is beginning to understand these disabilities, they are less understood in the church. As if the diagnosis and daily challenges were not enough, the burden is often made heavier by a lack of understanding and support from the body of Christ. At best, the church is silent, and at worst it is hurtful. Wrong-headed theology treats these disorders as sin or demonic possession rather than as neurological disorders affecting an organ of the body — the brain.
Families struggling with these issues are left to fend for themselves as they seek to raise their child or live with their family member who suffers from one of these disabilities.
Some of you know what she’s talking about. Here’s a brief bio on Shannon so you’ll know she didn’t just fall off the apple cart: (Again, I’m quoting off the site)
Prior to founding the organization, Shannon served in various pro-family organizations as a public policy advocate. Among her experiences were the privilege to serve as the Director of Public Policy and Legislative Counsel for the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. Prior to her work with the Southern Baptist Convention she served two Senators as a policy advisor. She earned her Juris Doctorate from the George Washington University School of Law and is licensed to practice in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Siestas, along the way so many of you have asked me questions concerning (what we can now call) hidden disabilities and often I didn’t feel qualified to answer them. It wasn’t because my life had been untouched by them. On the contrary, my life was effected by them in the past and is effected by them in the present. Still, those kinds of answers need to come from people with more focused education and professional experience. I am relieved to now have a place to suggest to you for information and potential support from those with a Christ-centered world view. (There may be more out there but this is the first one I’ve learned about firsthand.) I implore you to allow me to make this suggestion to you because I love you and care for you so much without holding me responsible for every conversation or article that could take place on the site. This I can tell you: I have known Shannon Royce to be a steadfast, sound, and mighty woman of God and I don’t look for that to change overnight.
LPM exists to encourage women in their walks with Christ. I am painfully aware that many of you are walking under a burden that is far beyond our area of education. (I am reluctant to use the word expertise as I’m not sure I’m an expert at anything.) I love you so much and I want to see you get the help you need. My hope is that this connection might be extremely helpful to some of you and offer you the relief of knowing you are not alone. Allow me to strongly suggest that you seek professional counsel from qualified physicians to make sure you have or your loved one has been properly diagnosed. One last thing. Let’s be careful on our comments to this post. Remember how public this blog is. Please don’t share anything about a loved one with a hidden disability that he or she might feel dishonored by. If you want to share something under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, by all means, do, but leave off names or identities that could be (even unintentionally) damaged by it. Let’s also stay encouraging and retain our Blessed Hope!
Life can be hard, can’t it, Sisters? But our God is good and our God is so faithful. He tells us to “be concerned about one another in order to promote love and good works.” (Hebrews 10:24 HCSB)
And, how about a shout of praise for God enabling my very small but mighty staff to fill EVERY SINGLE ORDER for SSMT spirals! And over holidays! The resource department is completely up to date in your orders which well surpassed 6000 spirals. (Some have just gone in the mail so that doesn’t mean all your orders should have reached you by now. Only that they are filled and soon on their way.) As you can see from the January 1st post, 8000 of us are memorizing Scripture together. PRAISE YOU, LORD!!!! Listen carefully with ears of faith and you just might hear the sound of Swords slicing through the air to the glory of God the Father.
You are loved here and counted into every week of ministry that takes place within these doors.
Thanks Beth, you are so awesome and thoughtful, I can just see you in your fuzzy pinks thinking about all of us. Sometimes God is just teaching us through an iron curtain and until we tug it down we will suffer. These are very real pains we are all experiencing. Thank you for understanding and caring.
Now for Shelia from Oklahoma. We have a dog like that. Do not give up on him. Our dog will eat anything delivered by the sweet UPS man but would let someone in a FEDEX truck literally rob the place. We don’t know why. We made an arrangement with what the UPS guy would do with deliveries. Our old dog is a terrible watchdog that we got from the humane society when he was 6 months old. He does not try to hurt either delivery person just wants to eat whatever UPS delivers.
Thank you so much for this! I’ve been praying for guidance with my kiddo. I will be checking this out and hopefully will find helpful information. Bless you Beth!
All I can say is WOW!
What a great blog/resource!
Can’t wait to check it out.
Thank you for the information about the website. You are so right to think that a site like this would be beneficial to so many other Siesta’s and their families.
My grandson has a “hidden disability” and has struggles because of it throughout his young 9 years. He has sensory integration issues and is hypersensitive to light and noise. This makes it difficult for him in school and some everyday situations. We are thankful for the team of doctors and psycholigist that God had led us to for him.
Being a pastor’s wife it is hard to see how he has been treated in the church, even our own. Parents of other young children don’t even realize the hurt that they have caused to my daughter’s family because they are “afraid” to reach out.
One thing that I have learned is that ALL children are precious in the sight of God and that he is the creator of who they are and he knows them deeper than even us as his earthly family.
Thank you again for posting the site address.
Beth,
I wasn’t sure where else to post this, but I was wondering if you have a favorite translation of the Bible to read. I mainly read the NIV and sometimes the NLT. What do you think would be best for someone looking for the closest translation to the original text? What do you recommend?
Thanks~
Rachel
Rachel, exactly the question I had today. I actually went through the “archive” of her blog to try and find a clue. It’d be nice to hear from Beth/Melissa, since they study so often if they have a fav. Time for a new one for me. Can’t decide what I think of the new NIV that is gender neutral.
Rachel,
I just discovered that there are aps for you iphones, etc. that have different translations of the Bible. The one I learned about is YouVersion. It’s free 7 awesome. It is put out by a church in Edmond, OK. Now, people can be reading the Bible while at soccer practice, dance practice, etc. Everyone check it out~
I have YouVersion on my phone and love it.
I have the YouVersion which is amazing and I have the Free Strong’s Concordance app too! It is so awesome – you can go to a verse and select almost any word, and right there that quick you get the hebrew/greek word and definition! It has really expanded my understanding of what I read – God is so AWESOME! I LOVE THAT HE WROTE A BOOK FOR US that tells us everything we would ever want/need to know.
Wow! This is huge. My heart has recently been burdened by the statistic that 95% of families of a child with a disability are un-churched. As a teacher of children with disabilities this breaks my heart! After some recent research I discovered there is very little adapted curriculum(sunday school) for children with disabilities and most current churches have no adapted curriculum! This is something heavy on my heart!
Many, many of us who are very much “churched”, longtime believers even, end up living at best in the margins of church community, because there is no meaningful place for our children in God’s house. The parents suffer, the siblings suffer, and, of course, so does the one with the disabilities (and they may very well have no other community in which to belong, either, whereas siblings may at least have a class or club where they can go and really belong). I know of many strong believers who end up staying home, alternating with one parent attending and one staying home…
Lisa, Thank you for your thoughts and kind words. I am sorry for you and your family’s loss.
I am thankful to God that I never became suicidal, I was afraid that I would eventually get there (because of other people’s stories) but thankfully never did.
I hope one day to help others recover some, if not all, of their life back. It is very important for people with hidden disabilities to feel better. Especially after years of struggle.
There is another term I would like to introduce to you. It’s GAPS, and stands for Gut and Psychology Syndrome. It is a book, and diet that was written by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride (a neurologist and practicing nutritionist) who studied this to help her autistic son.
Her son was diagnosed at 3, and she worked on this diet and she says now you would NEVER know he was autistic!
I have been on this diet/lifestyle for 6 months and I can’t say enough how it has changed my life! I am peaceful and calm, with fears and old challenges melting away.
I believe that everyone who struggles with the problems listed on her website should try the diet.
I encourage moms, fellow suffers, and friends of people with Hidden Disabilities to look at this information, and see if it will help.
http://www.gapsdiet.com/
http://www.gaps.me/
“To God be the Glory.”
Hannah, I love your post and am so glad you were led to put it on here. This connection between the gut and the brain is SO big and I believe plays a huge part in my own- for years and years -undiagnosed celiac, leading to, among other things, the depression/anxiety I battle presently–I even got certified in nutritional counseling because of this with the intent of helping others….again, thank you, I was unaware of the GAP Diet and Dr. McBride’s book but am definitely going to read and study every word.
Wow! This is huge. My heart has recently been burdened by the statistic that 95% of families of a child with a disability are un-churched. As a teacher of children with disabilities this breaks my heart! After some recent research I discovered there is very little adapted curriculum(sunday school) for children with disabilities and most current churches have no adapted curriculum! This is something heavy on my heart to help better equip the church to serve this precious ones!
I’m not surprised by this statistic. I have two children, both with disabilities, and going to church has sometimes been difficult. But after I started a Sunday School class for children with disabilities I found two Christian families with disabled children who had not been able to attend church in years. One of them was told, point-blank, that the church just didn’t have anything for their child. The worst part was that they have other children who need to be in church, but this family did not want to send just some of their children to church each week. So for years, none of them could come. The church lost an entire family, not just one child.
What a little inspiration can do…..
(after watching Caroline Leaf expain the very eye opening medical study of the effects of thoughts on the brain….this was inspired, and will be in my next book) Thank you everyone for helping us to see what God has been trying to explain all along)
Have you seen the sun set lately?
I was watching a TV show
About the functions of the brain
And how we have the ability;
To picture ‘thought remain’
Imagine for a minute
A large sun-setting sky
And way off in the distance
Some large trees are standing by
All appear to have no leaves
Standing tall and stretching out
Then some small dark and little bushes
Where no light can shine throughout
That image represents our thoughts
(the things that look like bush or tree)
So everything we thought we knew….
Now the eye of machine can see
The large tall standing mighty trees
Are memories or thoughts of good
…and the dark and shorter bushes
Take up space where big trees should
The trees see opportunity
So they change and always grow
Not one looking like the other
(Like the thoughts the doctors show)
Now the darkened little bushes
Don’t usually stay in place
They must bring down the branches…
of large trees that’s in the space
Which makes the bush grow bigger
Creating a larger darker spot
And once where stood a mighty tree
If left unattended; then it’s not
The picture becomes a darkened scene
Where no sunset light shines through
And a brain within this picture….
Has effect on things we do
Now if you’ve followed this so far…
Here’s where this story pays:
To change this entire picture….
Only takes four days
To get above a negative thought:
Cut them down or just go through…
Our brain will have more sunshine
And we would see a brand new you!
– Kaptain Obvious
Special eyes
My name is Adam
and I’m only a kid
I came with autism
(They say that I did)
But I raised my hand
When God asked us who?….
‘Who loves you like him’
and wants to live here with you?
They said it’s not easy
and I’d have to be smart
Cuz the label they’d give me
Would still hurt your heart
I jumped up first
And I held my hand high
Because I just knew
That I’d be that guy
So they said I was ‘special’
(but it’s just a disguise)
Because when I wear it
You see through my eyes
Others are ‘special’
In the world that I see
But they say I’m special
…So they’re nicer to me
I’m happy I’m special
(I like the disguise)
You’ll know what I mean
When you see through my eyes…
And I love being special…
and get to live here with you
You see you’re much nicer
When you see like I do
God said we’re ALL special
And in life they’ll be worse
But I’ll never forget
Who said WE’RE ALL SPECIAL FIRST
Kaptain Obvious, from the book: The writing’s on the wall,Crossbooks publishing
Love this! Thanks for posting!
I know many parents that carry hidden burdens. My heart goes out to each one.
Now, mine is my sister with a type of dementia. She is younger and I grieve the loss of her not really being present in the times we do things together. I know I need to seek some kind of help since I don’t want to just sit by, but truly be there for her. I don’t think she is really aware anymore of her behavior. At first she was so embarrassed.
Please pray!
This is great, Beth. My son was ADHD and Bi-Polar. He also had learning disabilities — it was so tough to help others understand his challenges because he seemed so darn normal.
Thanks for sharing – I know many will be blessed.
You know as I re-read this post this morning, I began to think about the many parents I’ve sat with who have had a child commit suicide. The most challenging places to minister seem to be a place where a person chooses by their will to take their own life or the life of someone else. The grief becomes unbearable for these who wonder what signs they missed, how this could happen to them unaware of the potential for their child to choose such destruction.
I have had the privilege recently of walking through a grieving journey with a young woman whose brother died by suicide. She grows more and more victorious over his choice each day. She tells the story of the “hidden battle” over her brother’s problems and pain that he could not seem to overcome so eloquently and often.
Thank you to everyone who is working to bring light to these difficult circumstances. This matters so much more than anyone could ever know. I pray the church would continue to grow in awareness of this area of concern for so many parents sitting in their seats on Sunday morning.
Thanks again for sharing this.
Blessings.
I worked with a sweet little boy when I taught preschool choir several years ago with autism. He was the biggest blessing to everyone in the class!!
There was, however, some unkindness that happened towards his mother and father–from a few on the church staff, which made him only come with a “helper” or not at all. It broke my heart. At age 25, I didn’t know how to handle it with the staff. People are more important than programs!
Praying for this wonderful ministry and for the ones, who receive heaps of unnecessary pain like this little boy’s family. May Christ surround and uphold them–the ones He calls to Come and not be forbidden.
Sorry for the dangling participles! 🙂
Isn’t it sad how quick we are to judge others.
In watching a family with adopted children I was quick to judge them about their seeming lack of parental control.
Now my own daughter has an adopted child with many of the same issues and we are having to deal with a lot of what I witnessed and God has revealed my judgmental heart.
Thank you for the post and the website reference. I don’t think you can over-advertise something as important as this. With a husband and son diagnosed with ADD, not talking about it makes it seem more “abnormal”. Everyone is more than willing to talk about their friend’s cancer, or high blood pressure, or diabetes, but mental health issues have the stigma that society has made into a taboo topic. The only way this will change is by talking about it! I’ve already ordered 2 books from the website resources. You’ll never know the reverberations your little ol’ blog triggered!
Speechless,I just checked on here hoping for some encouragement after having read a letter(not so encouraging) from insurance regarding what they won’t cover of my kid’s theropies, And mentally preping for a meeting at school tommorow about these challenges. Thank you. Water in a desert.
Betty Fulkerson, yes I know someone like you are talking about, I just call him my special child from God. 🙂 How I praise You, My God, that in Christ and through faith in Him I may approach God with freedom and confidence! Ephesians 3:12 I pray that God will give each and everyone with thoses special needs their daily bread, AMEN Thank you Beth for what you do,
Thank you for speaking To it, with honor.
I checked out the link. looked interesting.
there is no shame in needing help-god gives us helpers too with special gifts. and life hurts, sometimes. and even if i do care, i dont always know best even what i should do, let alone know what someone else should do. I do know that something, shared with the ones that do know how to help carry it, need not be such a heavy burden to bear alone. and I know that I am ever so grateful for those whom god places before me with their special gifts which help me to not have to carry it all and carry it alone.
I saw a post written by Rachel about translations closest to the original text and I would say King James Version 1611 is the closest. But my real question is: is it too late to join in with the Siesta Scripture Memory Team??
No, sister! Reply to Beth’s January 1st SSMT post with your verse. Then just come back each 1st & 15th and post your next verse! Welcome!
Hi again!
I just wanted to let everyone know of a beautiful video that was made called “Animal School” that tells a powerful and moving story through pictures set to music of how children (depicted as various animals in the video) learn differently and how our society and current education system can “damage” these “special learners”. It is on you tube if you put “Animal School” in the search box. It’s so moving. I wish every school would have it as required viewing for Back-to-School nights and PTA meetings.
Blessings!
The silent, the hidden, the struggle–what do you say? I cry for mercy for my son every time I type in my name. The secular world has often been more supportive than our Christian environment but hopefully that will change. God sees and knows and I am thankful for all the churches that have embraced his autism and know how special he is. All support appreciated!
“The secular world has often been more supportive than our Christian environment…” This is true.
The idea that a child with excellent, loving, God-fearing, faithful parents who are doing the “right” things could live a life of true mental torment, family chaos, and social exclusion with a high probability of suicide? Doesn’t have a place in most Christians’ conception of faith (“triumphant faith”!). We embrace and glorify the DOING, ACHIEVING, TRIUMPHNIG faith of early Hebrews 11. Not so much the ENDURING faith of those who by FAITH were flogged, chained, stoned, sawn in two, “went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated– the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground. These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised…” From our experience, I can only imagine what our 21st century American Christian church folks would have to say about them! Beth, can you address this?
A majority of Christian responses to us are either quick, prideful, severe judgment (most often of parenting or child himself) or “encouarging” statements that amount to, “If you pray hard enough/work hard enough/ have enough faith/find the RIGHT resources/ do the RIGHT things, God will heal him and you won’t have this unending struggle and everything will have a happy ending tied up with a bright shiny bow! So obviously you’re lacking in one or more of those areas.” (I recently posted something on Facebook that was a sincere cry of pain in a hard time that precluded pat Christianese dismissal. It was a couple of my atheist friends who responded with sweet, simple statements of love and support that brought me to tears.)
-mom of a teen with a complex array of “hidden disabilities”, including autism and OCD
MMM, I just have to say a hardy AMEN to that, esp the part regarding the enduring saints of Hebrews. I often get this response when people find out about Drew’s autism, “Oh, you are just so special; God knew you could handle that [autism]” I say, “get me out of the line!” I have just come to fully know the grace of GOD in ALL things.
Thank you so much for the resource, Beth. I think the most heart-breaking thing about having a child with special needs is knowing how awesome your child is, but fearing that others will never recognize it.
Oh, I agree, Lori!
I love the heart that Christ has worked in you, Beth. And to my sisters who live this every day…my eyes were opened by reading your posts. You and yours will be in my prayers. May the light of God pierce all darkness, all hurt, and all discouragement that comes your way. May each of us who do not have this stuggle recognize you and serve you with the love of Christ.
Oh this just hit me so hard. My church has started a ministry to special needs children and thier families with a focus on those “hidden” dissabilities. As God would have it, even though my oldest son is autistic and my husband is the pastor, God did not give the idea for this ministry to us. Nor did he give to the other family in our church with an autistic son. No, God placed the heart for this ministry in a young couple with a healthy happy baby. While it has taken a lot of education, the ministry is such a blessing in our church as people see God working the lives and hearts of these children.
Thank you Jesus!!!!! I am a mom of three fearfully and wonderfully made boys and a loving husband that have ALL been diagnosed with ADHD. For years I have said that it is a disability that no can see but everyone can judge.
I really love the name, “Chosen Families”!!!
I love my guys so much however I feel very frustrated and alone.
I want to thank you Beth for listening to God’s guidance and share this with us. What an answer to this wife/mom’s prayers. God is Good ALL the time.
thank you. thank you. THANK you.
Thank you for giving this website. I have a child with a hidden disability. It is nice to have a website/resources to turn to. And she is right, the church doesn’t know how to respond to these disabilities.
Thanks for this post! I have a 5 year old son who last summer, was diagnosed with Sensory Processing Disorder or SPD. It has been very hard and the worse part of it has been the lack of understanding. Praise the Lord for organiztions and help like this- I’ve needed it, need it, and will need it!
Thank you. Thank you. Some of us live in an alternate world side by side everyone else, with not only challenges unspeakable, but very few resources and an infuriating lack of true help. And we’re “messy”. And we are judged severely for it by those who can’t SEE and understand what we’re living. When we appear “normal”, they have NO idea how hard we have worked and are working right IN that moment to achieve that bit of “normal”. And they are so deeply wounding and so judgmental of a world in which they’ve never lived. And we end up on the margins of life, even in the church.
Can you imagine how painful it is for there to be NO MEANINGFUL PLACE FOR YOUR CHILD IN GOD’S HOUSE?
-mom of a teen with a complex array of “hidden” disabilities, including autism and OCD
Beth, thanks so much for this website. We have these hidden disabilities in our family and it is so important to educate everybody b/c we all are affected and we can all help in our communities, churches and schools if we have the knowledge and skills.Praise God as we are dealing with hard stuff right now with our adult son 32, I know I’ll be encouraged with something on this website.Thanks Beth for listening to the Holy Spirit’s urging to post this websit.
Another God “thang”….lol My husband and I were just talking about my daughter who is 24 and has had SLE lupus since the young age of 16. I am on the internet trying to find resources for her and wouldnt you know…God gave me a resource too! Thank you Jesus…and thank you Beth for listening to Him. Much love Beck
Thank you! I am passionate about teaching Special Education in public schools. However, all I can do spiritually for my children is pray for them and try to love them as Christ would/does. Often I pray that my students find churches. When they do attend church, some have reached out with open arms and have not. After looking at the site, I am excited to use and recommend it!
Thanks for sharing this information. It’s always encouraging to know that we are not alone in our struggle to raise an ADHD child, and we are always looking for more ways to help her.
Thank you so much for posting this. It is exactly what I need. Our eight year old has been diagnosed with everything from SPD, ADHD, ODD, anxiety, and a multitude of other things. After years of searching, thousands of dollars spent, and visits with many, many different doctors and hospitals, we are still no closer to any answers or solutions. I have withdrawn from all of my fiends and don’t let anyone into our life because his behavior is too dificult to explain. I don’t even understand it myself. I didn’t realize how desperately I have been craving support until I read this post and all the comments. Thank you so much!
Thank you for the suggestion. I am two years into foster care, and I have had a peek at the way “hidden disabilities” can isolate a person/family. My kids have all had varying degrees of behavioral issues that mimic (or are) hidden disabilities. I was shocked at the way many in the church responded. I had no idea, and I am shamed beyond speech to think that I may have had some part of that response in the past to others.
I have also been overwhelmed at some of the people I have come to know well who have blown me away with their grace and understanding. I am so glad to know these now and to follow their examples as they follow hard after Jesus. I pray this group grows in size and influence at every church as we grow to look more like the bride God has planned for His Son!
Thanks so much for that info! It was a great resource for me. Glad you broke your rule to share that with us, it will be in my regular RSS feed, that’s how helpful it was to me.
i just needed to say that i’m blown away at the 8600+ comments logged for SSMT!!!
I have battled anxiety for most of my life, but it became rather debilitating in ’07. Thank the good Lord that I was able to get help, and have been living a quality life since receiving help. It took me awhile to go to my doctor-who is absolutely wonderful-because I felt that as a Christian I should be able to be so full of joy that I wouldn’t be nervous about anything. I finally realized that it was an actual health issue, not a matter of whether I was filled with the Holy Spirit or not.
Oh the places that the Lord has taken me since receiving treatment! My soul has peace, and I can now be still in order to listen to Him and take time to be with Him. I have felt led to share this with others, and this past Saturday, I was able to do that for the first time. I, by the grace of God, was able to tell my story to the Senior group at my church (The Elderberries) at the first meeting of the new year. What a blessing! I hope and pray that I have more opportunities to share how God has worked in my life in this way.
I appreciate this blog post, and I am thankful to have this resource available. God bless!
Are the spirals still available to order? I’m late getting in on these and couldn’t find them in the LPM store. I’d really like to participate and they are so darling!
Sure Jenny! Go here: http://www.lproof.org/store/search.asp?searchtext=spiral
Oh, my goodness! I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I am to have this resource! Thank you so much for sharing!
Thank you for this great resource. I can testify to the heartache that comes from having a child look well but isn’t at all well inside. This can range from severe dyslexia to autism to recovery from a brain infection.
Oh that the body of Christ can have compassion on those of us that live with a condition that can’t be ‘fixed’ in a day, or week or month. And we may require prayer and support year after year, long after most are ready to move and expect us to do the same. Of course we can’t.
Thank you Beth for sharing this.
PS – I love that so many are doing the scripture memory – it blesses my heart! I love taking time to read a page a day of the scriptures picked!
In TOUCH Beth! You live in the real world along with us and resources like this keep your human side up close and personal. I am a hidden disability I mean I have a hidden disability…but more often than not when the subject is breached in a church it is because you don’t have enough faith or because of sin or …
I also have worked in the psychiatric field and have had some autistic children in classes in church. Jesus loves us each and an illness of the brain needs to be cared for just like an illness of any other part of the body. I praise God that I am in a Bible Study now where when I need to I can share a struggle or a praise of how God has worked through my hidden disability. God is amazing and He has used my disease to open doors to ministry. I pray for the awareness of these disabilities to continue to be seen for what they are in our churches.
Thank you again for sharing this information. I shared the page to my fb wall praying that it will help others who wont see it here.
Thank you for sharing this information. This is a great support site. I suffer from anxiety and even through much prayer and Bible study, it is a fight for me. I keep scriptures of encouragement with me all the time and do all I know to do. I am glad for the positive way these issues are being addressed. There really is a feeling that “the church” and other christians don’t understand some of these conditions.
I am anxious to check this out. This fits one of our children, for whom at the age of 20, we still have struggles. Perhaps junior high and high school would have been easier if we had some specific support. I have to say our church family has been wonderful, former teachers, classmates parents, other prayer warriors respond to the Holy Spirit and pray for him as led and tell me. To the outsider, he seems like an awkward kid, but it has been a difficult road for him and us. I pray more and more for his spiritual well-being as he is really opposing anything right now. So if anyone wants to send up a prayer for M., God will know what is needed.
Thanks.
God be praised! Let me tell you, with Tourette’s syndrome, and numerous boys- six “great-nephews” with various degrees of the Autism spectrum to deal with in our family, this resource is a gift. It has only been the males in our family involved, isn’t that something? Thank you again and again for being there and thinking of we who deal with hidden disabilities that occur when the brain is wired a certain way. The plus side of these anomalies is the moments of brilliance and genius that are exhibited when the brain works differently than the norm. That is precisely why we are “Chosen” and the called.
I praise God for the help and hope this webside offers us!
Blessings indeed!
Lovingly,
Pam H.
Buena Park,CA
First of all, let me say how wonderfully overwhelming it is to see so many autism moms on this blog! Not that I’d wish it on any family because it is so hard to watch your child have a hard time, but to know that we are not alone in this is HUGE. And while we do have our struggles raising our 7-year-old son with autism, he has brought such beauty to our lives that, sometimes, I wish every parent DID have the chance to at least know a moment of what it means to have such a special little man in their lives. He is just AMAZING and I know so much more of God because of him!
Second, thank you so much for mentioning this blog. I had no idea it existed and I just visited and it is a wonderful resource. I love that it has a Christian perspective. I have been a part of several “support” groups for moms of kids with autism and I have to say that they were mostly full of complaining… about state services, local schools, their children, and life. After my son was first diagnosed at 2 yrs. 4 months, I went through two years of HEAVY oppression. At the time of his diagnosis I was taking “Believing God” and, Beth, you have NO idea how this helped me through that time. The truths you taught us were BREATH to me at that time- to Jesus be the glory! Anyway, being referred to those other “support” groups in some way helped, but to hear other moms and dads and how their whole existence was consumed by autism, I have to admit that for a good two years, I was consumed, too. To have a resource to go to that proclaims hope and help is a wonderful thing! 🙂
Lastly, I have to say that I attend an AMAZING church that has an excellent special-needs ministry. Miss Laura runs it and you cannot believe what she has done over the past 5+ years. She runs special-needs classes at four different services where the kids have lots of great volunteers, are taught in their own way about Jesus, and are able to participate with the typical kids for worship and large-group teaching. Then sweet Laura brings them back to their own room and works with them there, as well. My son is SAFE and LOVED and I am so blessed! My church has also started an adaptive sports league for the special needs kids that begins this Saturday, and I can’t tell you how BEAUTIFUL it is to know that, for the first time, my son can participate in group sports! I can’t wait! Also, Miss Laura has childcare and started a small group for parents of kids with special needs. We just don’t deal with the same issues as parents of typical kids, and she’s so in tune with that. We are blessed to be a part of all of this!
Sorry so long… just thrilled this was brought up and had to share! Love you, Beth! Thanks for remembering ALL of us! 🙂
Rebecca too; thankyou.
“Yes Lord, walking in the way of your truth we wait eagerly for You, for Your name and renown are the desires of our souls.”
Isaiah 26:8 NIV & NASB
Do you know the muffin man?
I’m a crummy person
This I know is true
I’m hoping all the people
Will say I’m crummy too
You see, here’s my perspective
Of what crummy is about
It’s just that you’re a chunk of
A big thing that’s now without
Lets just say one has a muffin
Smelling good and piping hot
It’s the nose and mouths desire….
But funny… crumbs are not
But find someone who’s hungry
And the crumbs may life sustain
Because all good in the muffin
…still in the crumbs remain
To the crumb it does not matter
And it never tries to hide
Because it knows the contents
the master baker put inside
I’m sure that if you asked a crumb
Of which he’d rather do……
Stay within the muffin
Or save a life or two?…..
I’m sure the crumb would tell you
It anin’t easy but it’s fun
If I’d stayed with muffin
I’d be feeding only one
Siesta Mama Beth prayerfully and lovingly looking out for us:) Praise the Lord that He would prompt your heart, fill it with Christian love for us here on blog, and tell us about this website. Blessings to you today.
katiegfromtennessee