God Speaks-Special Needs Edition: Part 3

Welcome to part 3 of a series highlighting how God speaks to people. As a Christian mother raising a child with special and medical needs, I have to hear God's voice. I need God's wisdom and encouragement to raise my daughter and serve my family well. 

As a Christian, I understand God wants to have relationship with people. He wants to speak to those he has created. The Bible tells how God has spoken to people in the past. It also provides insight into how God communicates to people even today. There are numerous examples to look at in the Bible. In previous posts, I have discussed how God speaks through dreams and other people. In this post, I'll share some ways that God has used things in the world to speak to me. 

Photo by Adam Kontor from Pexels

There are many examples in the Bible of God using things in the world to speak to people. After the flood, God put a rainbow in the sky to convey a promise. Moses saw a burning bush that wasn't consumed. It caught his attention, and then God spoke to him. When Saul ripped the robe of Samuel, Samuel had a message for Saul from God: “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to someone else—one who is better than you." (I Samuel 15:27) These are just some examples of things happening in nature or in real life that carried a deeper meaning. Here are three examples from my own life on this topic:

An Annoying Bird

In 2006, a bird was tormenting me. I suppose the first thing you need to know about me is that I dislike birds. For weeks, a cardinal bird was repeatedly banging into windows at my house. My displeasure for birds only made this situation more annoying. The internet suggested that the bird running into my window wasn't too uncommon. From what I read, it seemed the bird was seeing its own reflection in the window and, thinking it was another bird, was defending itself. The bird just didn't peck and run into one window. It seemed to follow me around the house. It would run into Jaycee's bedroom window for hours, my bedroom, the basement, or the kitchen. It drove me crazy. 

At the same time, Jaycee was just a few months old and getting ready for her first open heart surgery. I was dealing with a lot at that time. I was a few months in to adjusting to the news of Down syndrome and a heart defect. I was giving medications and bottles around-the-clock. I was exhausted and stressed, as anyone would be in my situation. I was also tormented in my thoughts, and I struggled with fear with the health situations we were facing as a family. 

I am a person who looks for signs of God in my everyday life. After a while, I wondered if the bird meant something deeper. It certainly tormented me-much like all the other stressors in my life. I have a Christian signs and symbols book I reference from time to time. I recall looking up the meaning of a cardinal and discovering it can represent Satan. It seemed like the perfect explanation of what was happening in my life. Much like that bird attacking my innocent house, I felt like I was being attacked (and my daughter) out of nowhere. I had never dealt with so much stress in my life. My mind was being battered with thoughts that didn't come from God. I know they weren't from God because they were full of fear, worry, and anxiety. I felt a parallel with the bird's persistence at my windows to Satan's persistence with my thoughts and faith. 

Interestingly enough, when we came home from the hospital from her heart surgery, the bird was suddenly gone. 

Smoke Signals

Probably somewhere around 10 years ago, I picked up Jaycee from my mom's house and headed home. As I left, I saw smoke in the distance. I live in a rural area where sometimes people burn brush piles or farm fields, so smoke is not uncommon. The smoke can be seen from miles and miles away. On this particular day, the smoke seemed to be in the direction of my grandma's house. I had a bunch of thoughts come to mind with concerns about my grandmother and the fire's location. I sped up as I made my way down the road that passed by her house. As I got closer, I realized I had clearly misjudged where the fire was. The fire was miles and miles away from grandma's house. She was safe, and my worries for her were unfounded. 

As I continued on my way home, God spoke to me about what I had observed. Smoke does not always mean danger and loss. Sometimes, fires are planned and controlled burns do good. Smoke can look threatening to outsiders far away but it may not be. In fact, sometimes the smoke is a large puff, high in the sky making one think the fire is a huge disaster, yet the fire is quite small and contained. 

At that stage of my life, Jaycee's medical diagnoses were causing me to freak out completely. I easily jumped to worst case scenarios in my head. The congestive heart failure, Down syndrome, open heart surgery, oxygen use, and other issues were weighing on me. I was worried about so many things. Any new issue that popped up felt gigantic and too much for me to process. I blew some symptoms or issues out of proportion. I worried about Jaycee passing away; it was a real threat in my mind. The fact that doctors are required to give you odds, risks, and chances of death in procedures most likely fueled that fire (so to speak). 

God used my reaction to that smoke as a way to recognize my own reactions and fears with Jaycee. Not everything that seems horrifically out of control is. Not every symptom or issue was uncontrollable or untreatable. Jaycee's conditions weren't necessarily an impending disaster. I was over-reacting and jumping to poor conclusions much like I did when I saw that smoke in the direction of my grandma's house. Ultimately, God wanted me to examine my thoughts, start taking some of them captive, and not let fear run my mind. 

A Re-Occurring Date

October 19th is a "sign" that I didn't see right away. In 2013, Jaycee survived a 4 week nightmare battling septic shock, ARDS, respiratory failure, pneumonia, and rhinovirus. She required a ventilator for 3 weeks and was touch-and-go a few times. It was a happy day when she was discharged from the hospital on October 19, 2013. 

A year later, Jaycee was baptized at our church on October 19th. This date just happened by chance; I didn't plan it at all. It wasn't until later that I realized her baptism and her discharge date were the same day. When I discovered the linkage, I felt like God was redeeming her life, especially after all she had been through medically.  

A few years later, I was standing in Jaycee's room gazing at the picture of her baptism. My eyes were drawn towards a memory box hanging on the wall too. The memory box had her newborn hospital bracelets and ultrasound that indicated that Jaycee would be a girl. For some reason, I noticed the date on the ultrasound. And there it was- October 19, 2005. 

I had to laugh when I saw the date. To me, it was a sign that God had many things lined up in our lives. There was an order in all of the chaos. The pictures on the wall were taken 9 years apart on the same day and brought me comfort knowing that God was working behind the scenes all along.  

There are dozens of other things I could share on this post, but I will leave it at this. I believe there are things that happen in this world that we can learn from and God can use to speak to us. I hope you are willing to stop, see them, and hear God. I hope you visit back for part 4 in this series. 

God Speaks-Special Needs Edition: Part 2

Welcome to part 2 of a series highlighting how God speaks to people. As a Christian mother raising a child with special and medical needs, I have to hear God's voice. I have to know his heart for me and my child.

I understand God wants to have relationship with people. He wants to speak to those he has created. The Bible tells us how God has spoken to people in the past. It also provides insight into how God communicates to people today. There are numerous examples to look at in the Bible. In part one, I shared about previous experiences with God speaking to me through dreams. In this post, I'll share some ways that God used other people to speak to me. 

Photo by Min An from Pexels

There are many examples in the Bible of God using the interactions between two people to accomplish something great. Eli told Hannah that God would grant her request (1 Samuel 1). He didn't even know what she was praying about, but those words eased her out of sorrow. God did grant her request just as Eli proclaimed. David and Jonathan were friends who worked together to take care of each other and encourage one another (1 Samuel 20). Paul's writings in the New Testament show how he communicated with other believers to help their relationship with God. Several prophets in the Bible spoke messages from God to people to encourage, warn, or direct them (i.e. Nathan in 2 Samuel, Elijah in 1 Kings, Jeremiah, Isaiah). 

For me, it has been imperative to have relationships with other Christians who can speak into my life from the depth of their knowledge about God. I do not have a long list of friends, but the Christian friends I do have know how to pray and speak words of encouragement. I don't know how many times I have been caring for Jaycee at home or in the hospital, and I get a phone call or text message at just the right moment. Sometimes, the text contains scriptures that relate to the situation, and sometimes it's just their own inspired words. Similarly, I have listened to a Christian podcast or a sermon at the perfect time to allow God to speak into my life regarding a situation with my child. 

A few specific examples

In July 2006, Jaycee was 4 months old. She was on oxygen from her first open heart surgery. At the time, I was a youth minister leading a church camp for our kids. The kids at the church knew some of Jaycee's health issues and had watched me take care of Jaycee during camp. During one of the evening services, several kids' hearts broke for Jaycee, and they wanted to pray for her. I brought Jaycee to the altar for them to pray. A sweet girl looked at me with tears in her eyes and said, "Just because she's sick doesn't mean God doesn't love her." 

You may think that statement was juvenile, but it meant the world to me. I was in the 4th month of struggling to process all of Jaycee's diagnoses and sudden turn of events. The shock of her diagnoses was the first real testing of my faith. That girl's words of revelation spoken aloud was exactly what I needed to hear. My daughter's health was not a barometer of God's love. 

In 2015, I was exhausted with Jaycee's medical scares and breathing issues/hospital admissions. Nights were horrible for me. I had several bad dreams, some of which were about the hospital. My body would become so tense during these dreams. By morning, I would wake up with parts of my body hurting so badly from being held tight all night. 

I decided I needed to have someone at church pray with me. That person shared with me ways to pray over myself. She encouraged me not to let these dreams become an open door for fear to breed. She also said, "Your body hasn't caught up with your spirit yet." That was a revelation for me. I hadn't thought about my spirit and body not synching up at the same time. 

Another time in 2015, I had someone pray for me after a serious ICU stay with Jaycee. I didn't know the person on the ministry team praying for me. She told me that I had an easy laugh. It was true. I laugh very easily. I tend to laugh when I am nervous, sad, upset, and happy. My husband and I try to find humor in all of our crazy situations -probably a coping mechanism. The ministry person said, "Laughter is your weapon. The devil thinks you have nothing to laugh about. Your laughter confuses him." I loved hearing this perspective, and I saw my laughter so differently after that interaction. It was even more meaningful because the Lord had clearly revealed that piece about my life to her. 

A dozen times, I have had people tell me that God considers me a strong person. They all add that I may not see myself as strong, but God does. This repeated message is just another sign that God is moving others to encourage me and build me up. 

Over and over again, God has used other people to speak to me. There are more examples than this, but I wanted to highlight just a few. I am grateful for those people who have felt God's nudging and were obedient to his voice. 

There is more coming to this series. Please check back for part 3. 

God Speaks-Special Needs Edition: Part 1

If you aren't familiar with the Christian faith, this post may seem a bit odd. In fact, this whole series I plan to write will probably feel very strange. Stay with me, and I will try to guide you through this very complicated and simplistic topic of how God speaks to people.

God is real and active today. As a Christian, I understand God wants to have relationship with people. He wants to speak to those he has created. The Bible tells how God spoke to people in the past. It also provides insight into how God communicates to people even today. There are numerous examples to look at in the Bible. Today's post will look at God speaking specifically through dreams. As this series goes along, we will look at other ways God speaks as I give examples from my own life. 

Let's start with this passage in Job that shares that God speaks to us.  

For God speaks again and again,

    though people do not recognize it.
15 He speaks in dreams, in visions of the night,
    when deep sleep falls on people
    as they lie in their beds.
16 He whispers in their ears
    and terrifies them with warnings.
17 He makes them turn from doing wrong;
    he keeps them from pride.
18 He protects them from the grave,
    from crossing over the river of death.

Job 33:14-18 NLT

God can speak to us through our dreams. Sometimes, the dreams are given as a warning or to prepare us for the future. In Genesis 40, Joseph interprets Pharaoh's dreams, which ended up predicting the future and giving wisdom for how to deal with an upcoming famine. Dreams can send other messages too. Jacob had a dream about angels on a stairway and received a word of promise from God. (Genesis 28) Joseph received instruction on where to go with his wife and baby Jesus in dreams more than once (Matthew 2). There are other examples in the Bible of God speaking through dreams. 

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And God Speaks: Dreams

I have experienced dreams from God many times. I dream regularly at night. My husband claims he rarely has dreams. Neither of us can quite relate to the other's experience. Though I often dream at night, only once in a while do I recognize a dream as being from God. My husband has asked me how I can tell the difference between regular dreams and Godly dreams. For me, it's an easy thing to distinguish. 

The dreams I receive from God are very vivid. There's a difference in the way they "feel." The most distinguishing factor though is the amount of the dream I can recall when I wake up. A dream from God sticks with me. I wake up thinking about it and remembering almost all of it. I want to meditate on the dream. Sometimes parts of the dream are repeated, which is a clear sign it's from God. It's pretty easy for me to recognize a God dream now, especially because I have had so many in the past. 

Once I feel like I have a dream from God, I start looking for the meaning. Sometimes, the meaning is simple and the message clear. Other times, I have to sift through layers of the dream and seek the meaning in prayer. I have a Christian symbols book that I sometimes consult when deciphering the dreams. The book has helped in some cases and brought confusion in others. I use the book as a reference and not the final authority. Sometimes, I share the dream with other Christians (like my father) and see what they think the interpretation is. In the past few years, I have found I often get the answer when I sit down and write out the dream with as much detail as I can. Usually after that, the answer comes without really trying. I don't know why that works, but it does for me. 

Some of the dreams I receive are short. Others are long. Some are bizarre, and others beautifully crafted. Since becoming a parent to a child with special and medical needs, I have had dozens of dreams from God. Today, I am sharing a few with you as well as my interpretation of the dream. 

The Twins, Sept. 2008

The dream: I gave birth to twins (a boy and a girl). They needed to be in the hospital for a few weeks, but I wouldn't go and see them. The doctors asked that me and all of our family come to the hospital to do a trial day of taking care of them. Their beds were going to be in the waiting room. The dream ends with me never seeing either of them. 

My interpretation: Ten days prior to this dream, I had suffered a miscarriage. I was already a mother to Jaycee at the time, and we were trying for our second child. I had many reservations about having a second baby. Jaycee's Down syndrome, congestive heart failure, and 2 open heart surgeries had made me fearful of having a second child. When the second pregnancy abruptly ended, I felt more fearful and confused. Nothing about motherhood seemed easy for me. 

To me, this dream was a message from God about what had just happened and what was going to happen. One baby was with God now, and I have to wait for our reunion in heaven to meet her/him. The second baby was coming one day, and I was in the state of waiting for that baby. The doctor represented God as my healer and was telling me to move forward. Babies are also a sign of a new beginning. This dream was a full confirmation that I shouldn't be afraid to try again. 

A House Nearly Destroyed, June 2019

The dream: I was leaving our house to pick up some food. I started to get into my vehicle to leave when I heard a loud sound. I looked up and in the distance there was a wooded area. One by one, I watched as the trees were falling down. The noise was ferocious, and it scared me. I thought an earthquake was occurring, and I was filled with anxiety. I raced back into the house yelling for my husband to warn him. I was panicking and trying to figure out what to do. My father, who was in the house, told me, "You tell it to stop." I started screaming, "Stop!" "Devil, you stop!" I screamed this as loud as I could while standing in the house. 

When I stopped screaming, one final tree finished falling, and the top of that tree came just inside an open window of the house. The destruction and loud noises all stopped. We walked around the house as I looked to see what was destroyed of ours. I was expecting to find severe damage. As we tour the house, the only damage was superficial and cosmetic. 

My interpretation: This dream occurred following weeks of stress. Jaycee had been having breathing issues for several weeks that required lots of monitoring and interventions from me. She was admitted into the hospital briefly before finally getting better. This dream was a direct message for me and how I respond to those health scares. I tend to panic and be frightened during Jaycee's illnesses. I am always worried that Jaycee's life is going to end in one of these illnesses (i.e. the part of the dream where I expect severe damage). In fact, some destructive things happen to Jaycee and our family as a result but our foundation is secure and safe. My father in the dream represented God. He was telling me to use the authority that God has given me. I don't need to call on others to pray or intercede for Jaycee. I can do it; I just need to speak and quit panicking. Fun fact: May 2019 (just before this dream) was the last time Jaycee was admitted to the hospital as of the writing of this. Praises!

A Heart Issue, Nov. 2020

This was an odd night where I had 3 different dreams. 

Dream 1: My son Elijah is in a hospital bed located in a gymnasium. He's going to die of a heart problem. Knowing this, I ask the only other person in the room if I can call other people to be with us. The man warns me, "If you call someone, make sure they can make the right decision when the time comes." I call no one. Elijah's heart stops on the monitor. I put my hand on his chest, and he revives immediately. I hold him in my arms knowing that he is going to die. Elijah looks very sick and has his eyes focused on me, playing with my hair as he slips off. I am sad for Elijah. 

I wake up very alarmed with this dream. It took me quite awhile to get back to sleep. When I did, the next dreams happened. 

Dream 2 & 3: I'm in a nursing home. My grandma (who had recently passed away in real life) was near death in the hospital bed. She falls out of the bed, and my daughter Jaycee climbs in it. Jaycee is going to die of a heart problem, but we are both at peace. I never touch her or react. 

Suddenly, I'm at work doing a speech therapy home visit. A toddler crawls into the room. He is deformed and very sickly. I scoop him up in my arms and try to comfort him. My co-worker and I try to figure out who this child is and who he belongs to. We eventually find his mother and start trying to talk to her about him. She gives us no attention and walks away. She knows her child will die of a heart problem and doesn't want to hear any hope we have to tell her. 

My interpretation: I struggled at first to understand this night of dreams. After the first dream, I was immediately worried for Elijah. I thought it was a literal warning for his health. Whenever I woke up from that first dream, I started praying for Elijah. I struggled to go back to sleep because I was so upset from the dream. It scared me. I drifted off back to sleep and had the last two parts of the dream. When I woke up that morning, I knew they were all related but was unsure of the meaning. By the end of the day, I felt I had the message. 

All 3 dreams featured a serious condition that was life and death. My reaction in the dreams was the focus. In the first dream, I saw success in ministering to my son (his heart revived) but it's short lived. I resigned to the fact that he would die. My first action (touching his chest) produced a positive change. However, my next action was to hold him and do nothing. This is an issue I've had in the past with situations with Jaycee. I'm full of faith and encouraged when a challenging issue turns around. But, if I'm challenged again too quickly, my faith is low, and I'm drained. The warning the man gave in the first dream was interesting and probably good advice. 

In the second dream, my emotions are better in that I have peace. My emotions don't dictate what I do. However, I don't do anything. I never use my faith or touch her. In the last part of the dream, I'm in my regular work setting with a co-worker, which makes me think I found someone to co-labor with (possibly a reference to the man's warning in the first dream). I take action in this dream. I don't get depressed or sad. I feel the urgency to do something. I hold this toddler the same way I held Elijah in the first dream, but this time I do it with a different posture. I seek the mother but I don't share with her about God's power to change the situation. 

The three dreams show growth in my actions and reactions. It also seems to indicate that I am ready to go beyond helping my family to ministering to other people. The dream is a reminder to use my faith, not be too emotional in situations, and to take action!

Parting thoughts

It is my hope in sharing these dreams with you that you can recognize God's attempts to speak through dreams. The scripture I shared in Job says that God speaks but people fail to recognize it. It's easy to blow off dreams and disregard some as simply strange. Other people may tell you the dreams mean nothing too. I hope that by sharing my experiences, you can learn how to apply this in your own life. 

Stay tuned for part 2 in this series! 

Language Delays, Church Inclusion, & Information You Need

Picture this:

There's a young boy with an Intellectual Disability sitting in a children's church. He only says a few words. The teacher at church wonders how he can participate more while he is in class.

There's a young teen with Down syndrome who is very social and enjoys church. The teen is verbal but struggles to understand and answer questions. The teacher at church wants to make sure the teen is understanding their lessons to encourage spiritual growth but isn't sure what to do differently.

While the other children in Sunday school sing in worship, there's a student with little verbal speech standing quietly. The church volunteer would like to see the student participate in worship, but she doesn't know how to encourage participation.


It is a beautiful thing to see people with disabilities attend church. Much like in a school setting, churches often need to make accommodations to make sure these members can learn, participate, and grow in their faith just like anyone else.

At a couple of different ministry conferences last year, I presented a workshop called "Supporting and Teaching Children who are Language Delayed, Minimally Verbal, or Nonverbal." As a pediatric speech-language pathologist and the mother of a child with minimally verbal speech, I was excited to share some ideas and knowledge I have collected over the years.

After my presentation at the Inclusion Fusion Live conference in Cleveland, Ohio, I wrote a few posts for Key Ministry highlighting portions of my presentation. These include:

Tips for Starting Sign Language in Your Special Needs Ministry

How to Develop Prayer in Children with Little Speech

How to Help Those with ID/DD Understand Baptism


On April 24 & 25, 2020, I'll be back at Inclusion Fusion Live. This conference is perfect for ministry leaders, families, and those caring for individuals with disabilities. My topic this year will be "30 Ways to Include the Person with Severe Language Delays." The title sort of sums up my talk, but I'll be sharing ways we can include people with more severe language delays at church during prayer, worship, lessons, fun & games, etc.

As a bonus for reading this today, I'll share with you two of those ways to include those with severe language delays that will be further discussed in April.

#1. Consider having live music for your students. 
A guitarist or pianist is an excellent addition to your worship time (as opposed to CDs or videos) because the musician can adjust the tempo of the music to better fit your students' needs. People who are minimally verbal or struggle to put sentences together can benefit from music played at a slower pace. Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities may process information slower and therefore benefit from a slower tempo. 

If you think finding a musician may be difficult, think outside the box. In our church's special needs class, my 10 year old son plays his guitar a few Sundays a month. He isn't the perfect guitarist since he's young. However, the kids look past his mistakes and enjoy his music. His acoustic guitar isn't too loud, so even those with sensory processing disorder have enjoyed it. He's adjusted the songs so that we sing them slowly. This has allowed singing to occur for the students who were struggling to sing along to videos.

Live music allows you to sing a song a few times in a row. Repetition is helpful for those who need more time to process or learn the words. A musician can also play choruses of songs and omit verses that have verbiage that may be too hard for our students. In short, you can customize your worship to fit the needs of those in your class.


#2. Compile a list of conversation starters for the volunteers. 

Sometimes, the most seasoned volunteer just doesn't know how to begin a conversation with a child who is nonverbal or minimally verbal. At our church, we have a communication chart for volunteers to reference. It lists some things the child is interested in so that volunteers can start conversations and find common ground. For my daughter, Beauty and the Beast, Disney Princesses, pizza, and her cousin Gabby are all listed. Even though she can't have full conversations, a new volunteer can make comments that can connect with the her interest. ("You're coloring with yellow. Princess Belle wears a pretty yellow dress.") 

You may be wondering how to gather this information. When a new student attends our special needs ministry class for the first time, we have a one page paper of various questions to ask parents in order to know how to best support their child. One of the questions is about the student's interests. This is a great thing to know for reward systems and to understand what topics a child may enjoy talking about. Some children may not be able to respond to general questions ("What video games do you like to play?"). But, by making a comment or asking a simple yes/no question about an interest, we may have better success at connecting with the child ("My son loves Minecraft. I like the chickens on it. Do you like the chickens on Minecraft?"). If I know a child likes animals, I may pull up a picture of my cat to show them and start a conversation. Getting the information from the caregivers takes the guess work out for the volunteers. 

At the conference, I'll be giving about 30 more of these tips for churches to foster inclusion of those who are nonverbal, minimally verbal, or language delayed. I really hope to see you there in April!

To learn more about the conference or register, check out the website. 

2019: The Year I Prayed Differently

Happy 2020!

Like many people, I tend to reflect about where I've been and where I am going when a new year begins. I usually make a mental to do list for the upcoming year that seems attainable. In the past, some of items on my list were: take a vacation, deep clean my house, grow closer to God, make an effort to reach out to others, etc. 

Last year, I felt compelled to do something different. Rather than having a task to complete, I had a "word" to focus on. "Ask" became my focal point in 2019. 

You may feel like 'ask' is a strange selection for a word, but I knew exactly what I was being challenged to do when I got the idea through prayer. First, you have to understand what happened the previous year that preempted everything. 

In 2018, Jaycee, my daughter with Down syndrome and other medical conditions, was in the hospital five times for respiratory issues. The hospital admissions were hard and the recovery at home long. It was a draining year. It wasn't the first year that she was hospitalized so often, which only exacerbated the feelings of stress and anxiousness over her health. 

During 2018, my prayers for Jaycee were mainly, "God, please keep Jaycee from getting sick." Sicknesses like colds or influenza were major threats to Jaycee's lungs. If she could keep the germs at bay, then she would be fine. My prayers reflected that line of thinking. If God could protect her from getting the germs, all would be fine. Once Jaycee became sick, I felt there was little hope that her lungs could fight anything off. Caring for someone with chronic health conditions can lead to that type of thinking, especially when you have consecutive months of health trials. 

My faith was only strong when Jaycee was healthy. I had seen Jaycee in respiratory distress too many times over the span of a decade. It made me fearful and shook any sliver of faith I had when she was ill. We had exhausted all the pulmonary tests and treatments (or so we were told by two hospitals at the time). 

When Jaycee was symptomatic, I spent little time in prayer. You may think that odd, but I was busy. I was managing multiple medications and treatments, calling doctors, and trying to stay on top of her care. I didn't ask God for much help during these trials; I simply lacked the faith or the energy. 

On January 1st, 2019, I prayed something different. I asked God to make Jaycee healthy (as opposed to not getting sick). I must admit, I had trouble even saying the words at first. My thoughts told me it was a crazy thing to even say. It seemed like it would be an absolute miracle for Jaycee to be healthy- without sickness- without hospitals. I prayed her lungs would be healthy. I wrote out a little page and stuck in on my bathroom vanity as a way to keep focused. 

On January 25, 2019, we rushed Jaycee to an emergency room as she suddenly turned blue. Jaycee was discharged after a few days, a relatively short amount of time in the hospital for her. We continued to intensely care for her at home. However, a couple of days later, Jaycee needed to be rushed to the ER again. She had developed pneumonia from RSV, which wasn't caught at the first hospital. (Yes, 12 year olds with crummy lungs can end up with serious repercussions from RSV too!)

Did I want to stop asking for her to be in good health? Yes and no. I knew I would face opposition by praying this way simply by knowing Jaycee's health history. I wish I would have had at least one full month to pray peacefully and develop some faith before the obstacles. However, I knew I needed to go forward. I knew I needed to stretch my faith and speak life over her lungs, now more than ever. I made an effort to pray for her when she was sick instead of going into full "mommy-nurse" mode.

RSV has a long recovery time. By mid-February, Jaycee had more sick days than healthy. Yet, I chose to keep asking on Jaycee's behalf. The more I said it, the easier it became. It also helped me develop faith and look long term for her rather than the current crisis.

The year of asking and having faith for Jaycee started out rocky. She would be hospitalized once again in May. There were a few other illnesses too when Jaycee endured several days of interventions at home. There was no magical end to her health problems. But, a few things happened in 2019 that were game-changers. 

I asked one of Jaycee's specialists about enrolling her in outpatient physical therapy in the spring after she fully recovered from RSV. Low muscle tone is part of Down syndrome and every illness seemed to make Jaycee weaker. I didn't realize just how poor Jaycee's endurance had gotten because it happened slowly over time. I became accustomed to using the wheelchair for most public outings. I accepted the fact that she couldn't lift her legs for more than 30 seconds to shave. After a few weeks of therapy, there were noticeable changes in her. It didn't change her lung status, but it made a huge difference in other aspects of her life.  

In 2019, we made three trips to Mayo Clinic where Jaycee's lungs were extensively tested by them for the first time. As a result, new treatments were added as well as new diagnoses. In some ways, I struggled after our second Mayo Clinic trip in late July. Knowing exactly what was wrong with Jaycee's lungs was frightening. She was prone to pneumonia and we knew why. The best thing for Jaycee's lungs would be for her to have long stretches of health to give them time to heal. It seemed like an impossible task. I was hopeful for the new treatments but also fearful from the information we learned. I continued to pray for her health, but it was harder knowing the condition her lungs. 

In September, I listened during the pre-service prayer to my pastor who challenged us to pray for supernatural miracles. He asked, "Are we praying baby prayers that require no faith or miraculous prayers that only God could answer?" As he spoke, the worship team sang, "Great are You Lord." The lyrics to this song often run through my head during a health crisis: It's your breath in our lungs, so we pour out our praise. The combination of these things happening were a sign to me. Don't fear the future. Continue to ask for Jaycee's health. Step out, be vulnerable, and ask. 

Much can happen in the course of a year. Some things are easy and good, and some are hard. These events can sway our emotions and our prayer life if we allow them. Other events happen that seem small or a shot in the dark. However, they turn out to be exactly what needed to happen. Opposition may come in life but God can also raise people up to provide encouragement if we are willing and available to receive it. Situations in our lives can change. That's why we have to decide how we are going to believe. Our faith shouldn't be changed by events. Our events are meant to be changed by our faith. 

In 2019, I made a choice to ask God for health for Jaycee. I really believe that by changing my prayers I have been able to see a healthier version Jaycee. The 8 weeks of physical therapy helped Jaycee's endurance and activity level tremendously. Deciding to go to Mayo Clinic provided us new insight into Jaycee's pulmonary problems and better ways of treating them. We ended 2019 on a 6 month no hospital admissions streak. Six months! 

Last night, I said a prayer for Jaycee before kissing her good-night. Want to guess what I prayed for her?

Friends, what do you need to start asking God for again?

Where do I Fit in the Easter Story

<sup>Easter is a time of reflection in many ways. For me, the story of Easter has several powerful messages and examples of people who demonstrate great faith as well as crushing unbelief. 

Jesus is the focus of Easter. There is redemptive hope found in the actions of Jesus. He's the one who gave his life for all of us born into sin. Jesus embraced the call on his life. He died a gruesome death for the love of us. He is THE story.  

Then there's Peter. We all know what Peter did. Peter told Jesus he would follow him no matter what but ended up denying him three times, as predicted. Some can see how Peter caved under the pressure of the situation around him. Others wonder how Peter could deny Jesus after witnessing a multitude of miracles. Peter is a remarkable a figure and shows how diverse the reactions of the followers of Jesus were.</sup>  

^{Of course, we have to mention Judas being that he was one of the 12 disciples too. Judas saw the miracles of Jesus, yet evil entered his heart somehow. He turned Jesus over to his enemies for money after everything he saw Jesus accomplish. Judas is a reminder that being close to Jesus doesn't mean anything unless we fully commit our lives to him.}

There's more pivotal people that are worth mentioning but for time's sake I will stop there.

As I was reviewing the story of Easter this year, I had to pause and wonder where I fit. Who am I most like in this story?

Then it became clear to me who I have been in the past. I have been chief among the mockers.

Scripture tells us that soldiers mocked Jesus by saying, "If you are the King of the Jews, save Yourself." (Luke 23 NKJV) Other people were recorded saying, "He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the chosen of God."

Those mocking Jesus couldn't understand what was happening. They couldn't comprehend Jesus choosing that path. Sometimes, God's intervention doesn't look like what we picture. God may not move how we anticipate.

When reflecting on Easter, I surmise that I would have been one of those people wondering if Jesus really was God's son, because he was enduring a horrible death. Surely God's goodness would spare his son the pain? Can God's love be found in the middle of such suffering? A grand display of power in the form of suddenly destroying those who were hurting Jesus would have been just as effective, right?

Yes, I would have been one of those hecklers. Perhaps, I would not have openly shouted something to the crowd, but I would have been thinking it. I know this because I have had those thoughts too many times in my life as a parent.

I have stood by my daughter's hospital bed and been bombarded with thoughts such as:
There's no way God could be with us. If God were here, my daughter wouldn't need all these machines and tubes to stay alive. God would spare my daughter of all of this. 

If God cared about my family, we wouldn't be dealing with this situation now. 

Surely all this suffering isn't part of God's plan.

I struggled for years to find God's mercy when my daughter's situation seemed mercilessness. Several surgeries, diagnoses, and health scares meant that I had every question and doubt possible enter my mind. I rarely voiced them aloud but my mind was full of them.

I'm not sure if those mocking Jesus ever realized how wrong they were. However, I realized how wrong I was.

I knew I needed a renewed mind when trying to find God in my daughter's medical situations. Of all the characters in my own storyline, the role of heckler is not doing any good. I need a voice of faith resounding through my situations. I need affirmations and reassurances. I don't need questions. I don't need to be my own worst enemy providing the mocking statements.

Thankfully, I have learned to recognize my doubts. God has given me the grace and ability to go through situations with my daughter without emotionally trying to figure out why they are happening.

As another Easter celebration passes, I thank God that I don't have to be a mocking unbeliever anymore. I know who God is. I know what His love looks like- even in the hospital. I know what His goodness looks like too- even if my daughter is deathly sick. What about you? 

Just When Is God Good?

God is good. You've heard this, right? It's a common phrase spoken in the church world. I've heard it come from the mouths of many people in a variety of situations.

When a tough situation has an ending that is happy, some are quick to declare that God is good! It's important to recognize God in our victories. He needs to be acknowledged in moments that could have had a much different ending. What about the other moments though? What do we think of God when things don't go our way?

In my 13 years of raising a medically complex child, I have wrestled with this concept of the goodness of God. God is good. God's nature is good because He is love. He never changes. Yet, over the years, I have let many unpleasant circumstances try to slant this truth.

It's extremely difficult to look at your child with a scarred chest after a second heart surgery and declare that God is good. When you hear your child has a rare heart arrhythmia (Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome) and has a chance of sudden death, you aren't thinking about how wonderful God is. When you find your child in respiratory distress at home causing you to rush into action with medications and oxygen, your immediate reaction is not to say that God is good, especially after this occurs dozens of times. When you are told your child may not survive the septic shock and Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome as she lays in an ICU bed, God's goodness isn't at the forefront of your thoughts.

All of the scenarios are ones I have lived through as Jaycee's parent. I have had plenty of opportunities to understand the complexity that is the goodness of God. Here's is what I understand: God is good all the time. It's not a cliche; it's a fact.

God's nature is good. That part doesn't change. Even when life is challenging, God's nature remains the same. In my human reasoning, I try to make sense of God through trying times on Earth. But, how can make sense of a Heavenly God when I am trying to view Him through earthly trials? I can't. I must know who and what God is, so I can press on towards the hope of Him.

We can't decide God's nature based upon the good or bad things that happen to us. Our situations change. God doesn't. I had a tendency in the past to look for the goodness of God in Jaycee's illnesses. When things were hard for my child, I felt anger that the goodness of God wasn't around. After all, she was suffering. Goodness surely couldn't mean another surgery or illness or diagnosis or problem. Goodness is health and happy times. Right?

If there's a constant to be found in a chaotic life of raising a child who is medically complex, it is this. God is unchanging. He cares. He loves. He is good. "God is good" is not something said to sound Christian. It is a declaration of a belief of God that you must feel and know deeply and profoundly. You must settle this in your heart and your mind, so that when trials come, you won't be taken down the road of questioning God's nature, existence, and love.

When I sing the chorus of a familiar song, "You are good, good, oh," I sing it from my heart. I sing it with passion. I know God is good. I feel it because of what I have walked through on this Earth. Even when things I face seem terrible, the fact remains that God is good.

I hope you know it too!

The Power of Believing

Last week, I had a post on Key Ministry. If you missed it, here's the beginning of it with a link to the full post.

“What’s Santa going to bring you this year?”

My son turned sharply to the acquaintance who asked the question. Then he firmly said, “There’s no Santa.”

“Yes, there is. You have to believe,” the person tried to persuade my son with no success.

Believing is important, but not in the Santa scenario as my son so accurately saw. As I observed the interaction, I thought back to my early life as a parent. For a time, I believed something totally wrong.

In my early days as a mother, I believed a big lie. The lie whispered in my ear when my daughter’s doctors informed me that she had Down syndrome and a heart defect when she was born. The lie screamed at me when I watched my child struggle, deal with in-home therapies, take medications, and use home medical equipment. The lie seemed verified when someone stared at my child, made a crack using the r-word, or joked about something being “special.”

To read the full post, click here. 

The Gift of Unexpected Blessings

When your child is diagnosed with a life-long disability, there are many feelings and questions parents face. Though the diagnosis may be different for families, parents often find common ground with their feelings, concerns, and future unknowns.

Sandra Peoples, a Christian author and advocate for special-needs families, has recently released the book, Unexpected Blessings: Joys and Possibilities of Life in a Special-Needs Family. Sandra's book aims to help families of children who have been diagnosed navigate their feelings, relate them to scriptures in the Bible, and move forward in the life set before them. She shares stories about her own personal experience with her son with autism, which allows readers to understand some of her own journey. Her real life examples, quotes from other sources, and scriptures are weaved together seamlessly helping parents let go of their false beliefs, work through their grief, focus on healthy routines, rebuild a strong faith foundation, and create a support system.

Here are some lines from the book that I connected with: 

From Adam and Eve to now, each person has lived out his or her own Plan B. We see this throughout Scripture, including the accounts of Job, Ruth, Jonah, and Peter. 

False promises of a struggle-free life are lies and can't stand up against the truth of God's grace and love. 

When I find myself in a valley, I ask myself, Will I let this draw closer to Him or push me away? 

Yes, we always point to the hope we have through Christ, but we never shame a person for how they are feeling in that moment. 

Going through stressful situations together doesn't usually bring out the best in people. 

Marry someone you can suffer with!

As I read these lines as well as many others, I found myself saying, "YES!" My experiences have been different than Sandra's as I have been raising one daughter with Down syndrome and a myriad of health conditions and one son with Ehlers Danlos syndrome. However, I could relate to many things in the book, and I know other families could as well. 

As you read through the pages, you'll be sure to appreciate the perspective that Sandra brings to families with a diagnosed child. Her book is insightful and thought provoking. It would be a welcomed addition to the library of a family that has a member with special needs. 

Check the book out here. 

Visit her website here.

How To Include All Families at Church During the Holidays

I recently had another post on Key Ministry's website. In case you missed it, here's the beginning of the post with a link to the full article. The holiday season often brings about special events in churches. From live dramas, choirs, dinners, and parties, there’s a variety of activities that local churches host to celebrate Thanksgiving or Christmas. Will the local church include all members and their families during these celebrations?

As churches plan their special events, there are two things they need to consider.

1. Are families of children with special needs and disabilities attending your special events?
Whether it’s a meal or a special service, the church should strive to see all members attend their seasonal activities. If certain families with children with special needs have not participated in the past, then strive to change that. The easiest way to understand their point of view is to simply ask them why they haven’t attended in the past. There may be a wide range of answers from a time conflict with their daily schedule or issues related with bigger crowds. Take time to listen to the family. Hear their responses. Be willing to help accommodate any needs to help them attend. Some things have easy fixes.

Continue reading here!

Easy Faith in Hard Challenges

Have you ever doubted the goodness of God?
Have you ever doubted God's love for you?

If you haven't, then congratulations. You are amazing!! Truly- you are.

If you are like me, maybe you have struggled at times in your life.

You may have had some sort of crisis of belief or questioning of God's presence in your life for different reasons. It could have resulted from the death of a loved one, a tragedy, a scary diagnosis, or the loss of something important. There are many reasons why people end up in a situation where they question their faith.

For me, it was a series of events during the first 4 years of motherhood. It was watching my child have two open heart surgeries, and all the things that went with it. It was handing my child over for a few minor surgeries. It was having five or six specialists in my daughter's life prescribing medications, making suggestions, and running tests. It was failed hearing tests, complications during routine procedures, and unexpected diagnoses. It was having my daughter admitted to the hospital a few times for breathing issues. It was a miscarriage. It was personal and professional changes in my life as a result of all of those events.

In the first 4 years of becoming a mother, I became very confused in my faith.

I wondered if God had forgotten about my family. I questioned the goodness of God, because I didn't see much good happening in my life. I doubted God even loved our family because I felt pain, hurt, and stress. I didn't feel loved at all. Every problem with my daughter caused more and more doubts. None of my daughter's health issues seemed fair. I wondered where God's justice was in all the health scares.

These doubts were small in the beginning. I didn't wake up with questions that suddenly seemed legitimate. It happened over the course of those tough years experiencing things I never imagined. It was days and months and years of twinges of doubt and lack of understanding that led to me questioning fundamental beliefs about God.

I struggled for a bit to understand my life, my faith, and how they could go together while parenting a child with chronic health conditions. I didn't stay in the struggle thankfully. I recognized I was in a bad place and took steps to change my perspective. I also knew God was real and my thinking had somehow changed because of circumstances in my life.

I discovered some important things in my spiritual struggle.
1. If you doubt the love of God, your doubt will grow uncontrollably! The love of God is clear in scriptures. Love is what motivated God to send his son to bring salvation. If you doubt the basic characteristic of love, the doubts will grow. You'll have nothing to stand on if you can't stand on that knowledge. You won't know how to pray or believe for simple things because the love is in question.

2. Having questions during struggles may be "normal," but they aren't helpful. I recently heard a minister say, "Questioning God's plan and love for you does not empower you to move forward. Faith does!" It's so true! Questions aren't empowering. They cause division and doubts. Yet, I was more apt to stay in the questioning mode instead of just trusting God with my life.

3. Trying to find God in your circumstances, especially a health crisis, is often more difficult than we make it. God is there. Period. We don't have to search for him. When we do, we are walking by sight and not by faith. I have tended to look at stressful health situations and claim God is just nowhere to be found as there were no apparent positives around us. Yet, that thinking was wrong. I had to trust that He was there instead of looking for proof that He wasn't.

4. Did I become a Christian for the perks? Did I think that adversity would never find me? Did I think that my Christianity would keep all harms from my family? Yes, there are blessings of God when we are in relationship with Him, but we live in an imperfect place. The earth is not heaven; there will be hard times here. So why do I get frustrated with God when I should be running to His peace? What was the point of being a Christian if I responded to adversity like anyone else? Hmmmm...

I've learned many things about faith as a parent of a medically complex child. I've found out that doubts come easily and swiftly in health crises. I finally discovered how to keep a mind focused on the truth. If you're struggling, stay in the Bible, continue in prayer, and reassure yourself of the truths of God.
He's there.
He loves you.
He cares.

Want to hear more? I discussed this topic with Sandra Peoples recently on the Not Alone facebook page.  
Watch it here!!