Top Ten - A Year in Review {Part 2}

This is the 2nd in the series of the Top Ten posts for this year. I’m enjoying reading through these again, and I pray they are a blessing to you as well!

If you missed Part 1, you can read it by clicking here.

These posts give you just a snippet from the original post. To read the whole post, please click where it says “Continue Reading” at the end of each snippet.

Number 8 - 5 Things to Know About the Mother of a Child with Autism, Part 1

This is the first in a series of 5 posts dealing with understanding a mother of a child with autism. The series is originally authored by Amy Fenton Lee, is being used with permission, and can be found at the blog for The Inclusive Church. As April is Autism Awareness month, I’ll be posting this series each Monday in April. I wrote these posts 2 years ago, and will update as needed.

As the mother of a special needs child, I am often searching for information, answers, direction. I recently came across a blog by Amy Fenton Lee, who writes for The Inclusive Church, a site with many tips for churches and parents with special needs children. Amy’s blog provides a lot of affirmation for thoughts that I seem to constantly have, and for feelings that Tim & I are dealing with on a daily basis. You can read Amy’s blog here. Continue Reading…

Number 7 - I Thought I Knew Brokenness

A few weeks ago I wrote Beauty in Brokenness. Two days later, my world, as I knew it, was falling apart in front of my eyes. I had no idea, as I was writing that post, of just how much I would need those words for myself. So much of what I write is for all of you, as I share my life stories and experiences and any bits of wisdom that I might have. I thought I knew brokenness, but I’m really just learning. Continue Reading…

Number 6 - 5 Things to Know About the Mother of a Child with Autism, Part 2

I’m excited to share Part 2 from Amy Fenton Lee’s blog series on “5 Things to Know about the Mother of a Child Diagnosed with Autism”. Again, this focuses on understanding the mother of a child with autism, but applies well to both parents. This is an excerpt from her well-researched and carefully prepared series. Please click here to read her entire post. I’m running this series each Monday this month, for Autism Awareness month. If you missed Part 1, you can find the link at the bottom of this post.

“Part 2: She may experience the conflicting emotions of grief and hope.

While grief is natural part of any special needs parent’s journey, it is experienced and processed differently for the family affected by autism. However, the range of possible outcomes varies even more dramatically for the autism diagnosis compared to other disorders and disabilities.

So, should a mother grieve the life she envisioned for her child? Or should she buckle herself in for a bumpy ride…remaining hopeful and doing everything humanly possible to help her child reach their full potential? Sadly, the pressure is great to keep silent and process her emotions alone. In fear of creating a self-fulfilling prophecy for her child’s future, a mother may remain tight lipped, avoiding conversations revealing her daily realities…. Continue Reading…

Tomorrow we’ll continue looking through the top ten posts. I must say, these have been some of my favorite to write, and I’m glad to see that they got a good number of views.

Blessings - and I’ll see you again tomorrow!