A Different Boat

First of all, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! to everyone who bought from our Pampered Chef fundraiser and donated via PayPal. Together we raised $3,227!!!! We have been surprised by how expensive therapies and medical costs can be but are completely blown away by the amount of support we received from you all. We are completely humbled and absolutely blessed that you all love our little boy so much.   The next two weeks are Spring Break from Anchor Center. As both a student and a teacher I looked forward to breaks like a little kid looks forward to Christmas. Well as a parent I am sad to have spring break. Not that I mind spending time at home with Wesley, but I miss the things I learn while we're at Anchor and seeing my mommy friends there. In place of our normal Anchor Center time this week we have two important appointments. Yesterday we went back to the neurosurgeon to evaluate Wesley's head growth, shape, and development. They agreed that the helmet has definite...

In my quest for books to support me in this journey I've ended up on, I found a book called Same Lake, Different Boat . It is written for Christians (particularly church leadership) to help them learn to minister to people with disabilities and their families. Although I am not necessarily the intended audience for this book, it has more profoundly impacted me than all the books I've read and I'm only on chapter 4 (I read the first chapter 3 times it was so good). I desperately want to plagiarize the first chapter here because I know I won't summarize it as well as she wrote it. Perhaps it won't be as profound of a revelation to you as it was to me (maybe it was just God speaking to me at that moment), but if it is, please buy the book (or read the first chapter on Amazon) to get the full impact. Since Wesley was born, I've had these horrible conflicting emotions about disability. On one hand seems to be the perspective that disabilities are all bad and someo...

I remember sitting in our Sunday school class at our church in Illinois for a lesson on community. I was struck by the idea that by not asking for help when we need it, we are robbing others of the opportunity to bless us and are impeding the building of a community. It sounds to simple and intuitive writing it out now, but at the time it rocked my views and challenged me to be less self reliant. Growing up in a very individualistic society, we learn to be independent and generally look down on those who ask for help (ie government handouts). Somehow, I don't think that's the kind of community Christ encouraged us to establish with each other. I think most of us are more than willing to (perhaps are even excited to) help others we know are in need. Asking for, and receiving, help always seems harder than giving it. It puts you in a vulnerable place, allowing others to see your weaknesses and depending on them rather than yourself. It is extremely humbling.   So, in an att...