Five minute Friday- "On Distance"

It's that time again :) I am really enjoying doing these!

1. Write for 5 minutes flat for pure unedited love of the written word.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in {you can grab the button in my right side bar}
3. Go leave some comment props for the five minute artist who linked up before you {and if you love us, consider turning off word verification for the day to make it easier for folks to say howdy}

Today's topic "ON DISTANCE"

GO!
You were my firstborn and I was so delighted to have you in my life, yet for some reason something didn't seem right? I watched you as you lined up your cars, you tried to communicate but you couldn't, you would wake up from a nap and cry and cry, I would hold you and pray  and seek God for wisdom as something with my sweet baby boy wasn't how I thought it should be? There was a distance, you were locked in a world I didn't understand, I couldn't reach.

I was determined not to let you stay there, determined to bring you closer. I did everything I could to reach in, help you! Thankfully after lots of appointments, questioning, testing, therapy, researching, we found out. Autism created a distance between you and me, but I was so determined to not let it, I knew God had blessed us with a very special little guy who would change us in a way we would never understand.

The day you were diagnosed, I felt a burden lift, I felt I could finally reach you, finally help you.  The last few years have been very hard work, but finally I feel like the distance between me and you has been lifted. To see you laugh, smile, giggle, talk and enjoy life has brought so much joy.



April is Autism Awareness Month, this is a great time for  all of us to understand Autism, to not let the distance come between us and to enjoy the special blessing of a child with Autism.

STOP!

Five Minute Friday- If you met me...............

 
Today I’m linking up with the http://thegypsymama.com/2011/04/five-minute-friday-if-you-met-me/who  challenges us to write for 5 minutes without stopping,  without editing – about a particular subject. Here is this Friday’s topic 
 
If you met me...............

Go
You would probably notice that I have an accent and no I am not Canadian, I grew up in Northern Ireland, which I am very proud to tell everyone :)
I would probably share with you the story of how I came to America to attend Bible school, but also found my sweetheart that year!
 If you met me, I would love to share my story with you, I love to share it with anyone who will listen. I love to share how good and gracious God has been in my life in the last few years. If you met me I  would probably share with you how God blessed us with 2 precious boys and that one of our boys was diagnosed with Autism. You will probably notice how passionate I am about Autism and also so thankful for how God used something painful and difficult in our family to show us His love and provision in our lives.
I may also share with you some of the other things God has been doing recently in my life, how he is healing my heart.
If you met me I hope you would also laugh with me, I have 2 very crazy boys and I love to share their funny stories and silly things they do. If you met me I hope you would also meet my wonderful husband who I can't imagine doing this journey without. If you met me, I hope you would leave knowing most importantly I love Jesus and He is everything to me. 

Stop!

Adversary or Advocate? Reaching the heart of your child and a giveaway!

Adversary or Advocate? Reaching the heart of your child and a giveaway!

A few weeks ago I  discovered this author, her name is Sally Clarkson ( if you click on the title above you can link to her website) . Recently the Lord has been really working on my heart about how I view myself. This has been through a bible study I have been doing with a group of friends, but also it has been reinforced to me through the things I have read on this blog and in another book I am reading currently!  I realized that my view is often shaped by lies I believe about myself. Those lies have come from things that may have happened in the past or things that others have said to me or have been done to me!

As I read through Sally's blogs I am just overwhelmed by her wisdom as a mother. I have also been made aware that those lies we believe can also carry over into our parenting. Those lies leave us feeling exhausted, disappointed and frustrated with ourselves.
Her blog is so encouraging and I think any woman would be blessed by it. I appreciate her no guilt approach and the understanding of we are all in this together and lets encourage each other!

She is doing a give away right now for one of her books, so if your interested hop on over to her blog and leave a comment :) The link above should take you to it!

Blessings

The song I have posted below on this Blog post  is one of my new favorite songs! A few weeks ago I was folding laundry in my living room and I heard this song playing on the radio, it really caught my attention! As I listened I was aware I had wet cheeks, this song spoke right to my heart!  It talks about how the difficult times in our lives can also yield many blessings. Our blessings don't just come from the good things that happen in our lives. I had never really thought and processed that concept before and yet as I thought more about it, I could see different situations in my own life where that was very true!

There are some things that happen in our lives that are often very hard for us to understand  why they would happen? Or even why God would allow them to happen?  As I listened to this song it made me realize that even in our very difficult times, that God is working out His purposes in our lives &  hardships can also have blessings.

When E was diagnosed with Autism, I most definitely would not have said "oh my isn't that a wonderful blessing my son has Autism"! Yet 4 years in advance I can look back over the last few years and  see now the blessings that have come from having a child diagnosed with Autism. I have met some beautiful families and made wonderful friends. I have also been able to understand and learn about something I otherwise would never have maybe thought about! Also when we built our house I remember feeling a little resentful in some ways that we had to work so much and sacrifice a lot during that time to get a house for our family, but now I can truly see the blessing in why God had us do the project. We are blessed with great friends in our neighborhood ! I pray that as you watch and listen to this song you will be able to see the blessings in your life that have come from the good and the bad situations.
 My favorite line  is  " what if the trials of this life are your mercies in disguise" .

Friendship

five minute Challenge

This is one of the blogs I like to read
http://thegypsymama.com/2011/02/five-minute-friday-prompt-five-years-ago/
Today on her blog she was having a challenge so I am going to give it a try :)
Here is my challenge:
On Fridays around these parts we have a little tradition. We throw caution (editing, revising, and worrying) to the winds and just write.
For five minutes flat.
You’re welcome to play along. The rules are easy.
1. Write your heart out for five minutes and then show us what you’ve got.
2. Tell your readers you’re linking up here and invite them to play along.
3. And most importantly, go visit, read, and encourage the fellow five-minuter who linked up right before you. 

This time 5 years ago, my family and I were living in  a small town in No. california, where my hubby was working as a youth pastor. I actually had just had a our 2nd son about 6 or 7 weeks prior :) I have to say that time in my life was a bit of a blur, I was still recovering from a c- section and adjusting to being a mommy to 2 little boys. Our oldest son was 2 years and 8 months old. At that time I was feeling some concern over E's development, we were going through some steps at that time to figure out reasons for his speech and development delays. Thinking back I was actually pretty stressed out and I think and  I cried a lot. It is amazing to think that sitting here 5 years onward that E who was later diagnosed with Autism, is doing amazingly well and M just celebrated his 5th birthday.  My days were full of taking care of my 2 boys and also supporting my hubby in his ministry at that time too. I wish I had more exciting things to share with you, but that is pretty much what I remember right now along with remembering I watched American Idol as the new season had just started and that was something that brightened my day.........ooops times up :)

Lighthouses

During the storm
or in the darkness…
follow me…
to a safe harbor.
~~~
From far away…
A friendly light.
~~~
Lighthouses:  Guides to friendly harbors.
~~~
Lighting up the night so bright…
For all those who sail by night.
~~~
Lighthouses blow no horns;
they only shine.
(D.L. Moody)