My Voice, My Heart, My Life

I have a dear friend whose son has Autism. This boy is such a beautiful blessing. A wonderful heart with an old soul. He loves to draw and is amazing at it! He has a passion for  jazz music and embraces the era. He also likes to be active by playing basketball. The school program that he is a part of has helped him to grow. The school is essential for any child. The foundation must be firm and solid. But most of the work is done at home. My sweet friend has so much passion, drive and love. She and her husband have worked hard to raise such an amazing boy. She is dedicated to seeing her boy succeed. Not only has she worked tirelessly to raise her son, she has never neglected her daughter. It's so easy at times to focus on a child that needs your entire attention and not provide the needed attention to the other children. That has not been the case. She has found a balance. Through prayer and support she has done a wonderful job. I am so proud of her. The beginning was not ...

Happy Easter!! Today is a day of celebration! Christ is Risen! Death has lost its sting. It no longer holds power over us. Christ stands in victory.  Jesus is the way, the truth and the light. Here is where my hope is found. The best way to express this wonderful day is through a couple of verses from one of my favorite songs, "In Christ Alone" by Stuart Townend & Keith Getty                            Sin's curse has lost its grip on me,                                For I am His and He is mine -                      Bought with the precious blood of Christ.           ...

Today is a day of remembrance. Good Friday is when the hope of Easter began. "But He was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole He was whipped so we could be healed." Isaiah 53:5 “ They wove thorn branches into a crown and put it on his head, and they placed a reed stick in his right hand as a scepter. Then they knelt before him in mockery and taunted, “Hail! King of the Jews!”   And they spit on him and grabbed the stick and struck him on the head with it. When they were finally tired of mocking him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him again. Then they led him away to be crucified.” Matt. 27:29-31 "A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips. When He has received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed His head and gave up His spirit." John 19:29-30 "He ...

Today is the day that we have looked forward to yet dreaded. Today 2 of our best friends will travel across the country to fulfill their calling in life, Missionaries. It's a joy and a blessing to see them go through the process of following God's will. It has been a 2 year journey whose chapter ends here and will continue in Georgia. We said our farewells this past weekend at an open house and a church gathering. Each time trying to fight back tears; unsuccessfully at times. These 2 people have been such an important part of our lives. I can't begin to describe the blessing they have been to me and my husband. They have been part of our family for so long, that having to see them go has been difficult. Yet it has also been a time of joy, for they have been called to serve God in a most wonderful way. Gino, Laura, Sean, Kayleigh and Hugh,               We are so blessed that God allowed us to cross paths. Our lives have been changed because of...

This year I was blessed with 17 little ones that have brought joy, frustration, laughter, stress and constant surprises into my life. Each one has left an imprint in my heart. With only two months left of instruction bittersweet emotions has begun to surface. It is the price we paid as teachers. We pour so much of ourselves for 9 months that it's hard not to feel a little empty at the end of the year. Like with any class there are some students that have required more attention and redirection than most. That certainly has been true this year. One boy in particular. I'll call him "Derek." Derek is a typical boy with unending energy who doesn't know when to quit. He also had a problem with anger. At the beginning of the year he would get angry when he didn't get his way, especially on the playground.  His remedy was to hit the offender. He spent much of his time in the principal's office. I spent time with him talking him through the anger and gave ...

Today is officially the first day of spring. Spring is the return of new life. The bare trees begin to flower delicate blossoms, the chirping of birds is more prominent and the ground begins to regain its green. The world becomes more colorful. The earth has begun a new cycle of life. What was once dead now is alive again. It's so fitting that Easter, only 2 weeks away, is celebrated during this time of year. A time when we remember the death and sacrifice of Jesus and rejoice in celebration of His Resurrection! He once was dead and now is ALIVE again. Do you see the connection?  It's a wonderful parallel. Even though it's spring the benefits do not come immediately. The flowers don't just pop out of the ground as if they were on a timer. It takes time. The ice must thaw. The sun must shine. The showers must fall. There is still work to be had before the colors return. Just as it is in nature, so it is in life. There are times where we still feel as we are in ...

Grief- deep sorrow, deep and poignant distress.  We have all experienced grief. We have all lost a loved one and understand the process, yet the length of the process is different for everyone. The deeper the connection the deeper the loss is felt. This year grief has been felt very deeply by many around me. Students have lost grandparents and parents. Friends have lost siblings, uncles and an expected child. The pain has been felt by many. It's so hard to see others suffer and grieve. Words spoken never seem to say enough. You want to give them encouragement and peace, but at times it just doesn't bring comfort. We can't force comforted upon them but what we can do is allow them to grieve. Allow them to feel the loss of pain and offer a hand to hold, a shoulder to cry on and arms to hold and hug. Pray for them unceasingly. Grief is undoubtedly one of the most difficult experiences. Though pain stirs in our hearts and we don't understand why this has happened,...