As the mother of a special needs daughter I understand the daily challenges parents of special needs children face.  Simple tasks can become such a burden and things that should take only a moment to do can take hours to accomplish.  We not only have to teach our children what to be able to do but how to be able to do it.   We have to be able to instill the art of interpersonal communication so that our children can survive in an ever-changing world.  This is not an easy task for parents of children who do not face special challenges.  It is nigh impossible for those of us who do.  But Thank the Lord for tools that can help us along.

Choiceworks Visual Boards

About 4 years ago I stumbled upon the concept of “visuals”.  Visuals are tools that help non-verbal people communicate in a verbal world.  Our daughter struggled not only in verbal communication, but because of her disability she could not stay focused for more than a few hours without tripping over into her “own world.”  In her world, she was happy, loud but happy, and life would stop for the rest of us as we tried to manage the noise levels, and the chaos that ensued.

Grocery shopping would leave me exhausted for hours, as my daughter “flapped” her way nosily throughout the store, knocking cans and produce everywhere, and screaming throughout the meat and dairy section.  I remember once at a Walmart, EllaBella was “flapping” and making a high-pitched shrill noise in the laundry aisle, (most special needs kids are very sensitive to smells) and the floor manager of all people, who saw that it was her, said rather loudly, “I wish the parent of whatever brat that is making all that noise would make it shut up.”  My first thought was “me too buddy, if you only knew..” Yes, I did give him a small piece of my mind, in a nice way of course.

It was at this point that I found BeeVisual and after a few months we discovered our lives became more organized and peaceful.  Every day I would set up her boards, use the tiles to get through the tasks, and the books when we had problems.  The timer and wait boards were invaluable.  However, the original boards and books were too bulky to take along on outings. We could only manage her outbursts and problems at home.  Going out was a huge challenge.

Recently, I was asked to try the new app for IPhone.  What a GODSEND, this was.  I have an ITouch and carry it with me everywhere so this was going to make life easier for us all.  I downloaded the app in seconds and was able to even take pictures and recordings of Ella doing tasks and such that are unique to our family and lifestyle.  I could even make different boards for different parts of the day and different situations.   She eagerly stays on task as the visuals keep her motivated. It is portable because it is on my ITouch and it comes with everything the original version does.

The Waiting Board is used a LOT in our home

Here is how I use the app.  I set up the boards I will need for the next day, which takes but a few minutes.  The boards are reusable and you can have as many as you like.  I even use this for my younger son Noah, just because it is easy to keep him on task as well.  Then in the morning when Ella wakes up she gives me a hug and we go through Ella’s Wake-up Board.  She has five simply things to do, go to the bathroom, wash her hands, eat breakfast, wash hands and face, and get dressed.  After she does these things she can choose between to activities which are timed at the bottom of the board.  Off she goes to have fun.  She has learned, responsibility, she has made good choices, the morning has gone smoother because I am not frustrated trying to get her to go to the bathroom.  She sees what she needs to do, the boards speak the task and she does it.  So wonderful.

Visuals are not a new concept for special needs children.  There are many kids of visuals as well.  We are ever grateful to the Lord that our dear Ella is so high functioning and very articulate.   We use the Waiting Boards and Feelings Board a lot as she has great difficulties with managing feelings and understanding boundaries.  The Timer is invaluable.

I highly recommend this app for ANY parent of ANY child under age 10, special needs or no, because it is an invaluable mom helper tool.  As I mentioned, I also use this for our son Noah, aged 6, who is just your normal rambunctious boy.  It helps me to use this with both of them simultaneously and keep them on track, learning responsibility and interpersonal communication.  I love this app!  It has made my life so much easier.

Brittany making friends again

Nearly a quarter of a century ago we found ourselves trudging all over the Philippines.  We were the busiest we had ever been in our lives, sharing the love of the Lord throughout Luzon, Cebu, Mindanao and all over the Camotes Islands.  In a little over 12 weeks, our small band of prayer warriors shared with tens of thousands via open air gatherings, and had the privilege of personally introducing 3,563 of these precious Filipinos to The Lover of their Souls.

We worked hard with barely a rest, under the most grueling of circumstances.  John and I had one small two year old daughter at the time.  Brittany was a gem, always bringing joy to all of our desperate situations.  We bathed in rivers, walked miles through steamy jungles carrying packs on our backs.  I cooked whatever I could find or kill for the team over wood they would gather for me.  Brittany brought such joy not only to us but to all we came in contact with.  Never complaining, she even ate a pig ear once, ripping it right off the cooked pig, to the cheers of the tribe that had been our host on that occasion.

On a boat in between Islands

We had just been released from our Muslim guerrilla captors, another story for another time, and were in need of a serious “time out”.  Somehow, we ended up having a day off near the Davao Gulf.

It was a glorious  day, with beautiful blue skies and crystal waters.  We were taken out on a small boat and had the opportunity to snorkel in the shallow reef.  The sea life was amazing.  On several occasions we found these beautifully colorful yet delicate sea anemones that swayed with the undercurrents.

Each time we tried to feel the appendages that gracefully hung from these amazing sea animals they would shrink back into the safety of their tough protective coverings.  We would have to wait long amounts of time for them to begin to open up and release their beautiful colors again.  Some of these anemones had been provoked too many times and were unable to open up and share their glorious colors to the undersea world.

During this portion of the outreach, I had become aloof and guarded.  I had distanced myself yet a little more with each difficultly we endured.  I found it increasingly hard to trust those around me as it took longer to process all my thoughts and emotions because of the many challenges we were facing.  It was during this time snorkeling that the Lord spoke to my heart.

precious Pastors we worked with in Mindanao

We all have so much of His beauty to share with others.  Daily we are faced with challenges that can tempt us to hide and withdraw from human contact.  Life hurts.  Life is painful and we withdraw when there is pain.  But we need to remember that as we withdraw two devastating things happen.

The first is our beauty is hidden.  We seem hard and ugly to those around us.  You have seen those people whose brokenness is forever etched in their faces.  They walk hunched over, hardened in their character and closed in their spirit.  My children call them “scary people.”  They have become cruel character and crusty in spirit.  That is not what I want to be in 30 years, do you?

The next devastating effect is simply that the the longer the anemones hid in the coverings, the sooner they die.  Anemones use their appendages to catch their nutrition.  If their gloriously swaying arms are all curled up and hidden, they are unable to fed themselves.  They die.

It is difficult to be vulnerable, especially after we have been hurt.  Even more so if those who have hurt us are the ones closest to us, family and dear friends.  But if we refuse to open up and release forgiveness we put ourselves into harms way.  We hinder ourselves from being capable to receive all that the Lord has for us.  I love this verse, because it shows His great love for us all.  He makes us to rest because He longs to restore our souls.

The Bible says in Psalms 23 the “He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His names sake”.

The Bible says that a man who isolates himself is selfish. It also says that he who does this avoids all wise counsel.  Proverbs 18:1-2

Opening up after being broken may be difficult, but it is the only way the broken pieces of your life can be put back together again.

Notice as Jesus breathes His last, a tear falls from Heaven… tears shed in great love for you and I…

Why did Jesus fold the linen burial cloth after His resurrection? 

The Gospel of John 20:7  tells us that the napkin, which was placed over the face of Jesus, was not just thrown aside like the grave clothes.

The Bible takes an entire verse to tell us that the napkin was neatly folded, and was placed separate from the grave clothes.

Early Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance.

She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, ‘They have taken the Lord’s body out of the tomb, and I don’t know where they have put him!’

Peter and the other disciple ran to the tomb to see… The other disciple outran Peter and got there first. He stooped and looked in and saw the linen cloth lying there, but he didn’t go in.

Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, while the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head was folded up and lying to the side.

In order to understand the significance of the folded napkin, you have to understand a little bit about Hebrew tradition of that day. The folded napkin had to do with the Master and Servant, and every Jewish boy knew this
tradition.

When the servant set the dinner table for the master, he made sure that it
was exactly the way the master wanted it.

The table was furnished perfectly, and then the servant would wait, just out of sight, until the master had finished eating, and the servant would not dare touch that table, until the master was finished.

Now if the master were done eating, he would rise from the table, wipe his fingers, his mouth, and clean his beard, and would wad up that napkin and toss it onto the table.

The servant would then know to clear the table.

For in those days, the wadded napkin meant, ‘I’m done’.

But if the master got up from the table, and folded his napkin, and laid it beside his plate, the servant would not dare touch the table,
because………

The folded napkin meant, ‘I’m coming back!’

Therefore I can surmise the wonderful truth that He is indeed coming back. 

Isn’t that just the most wonderful way in which to end this Palm Sunday?

“Well, I honestly envy you.  I certainly couldn’t do it.” ~

“It must really wear on you sweetheart…I know I could never do it.”~

“I can’t go with you, I changed my mind, I just don’t think I can do it.”~

~Gratitude demonstrates an understanding that I am nothing on my own~

~Without gratitude we fall into a destructive pit of self-centeredness~

~Gratefulness is seeing all that you have and discovering that it is more than plenty~

These are some of the reflections I have had on gratefulness over the last several months

and I thought I would share them with you here.

I feel like a fox panting, running, trying to flee from the hounds that are hot on its wee heels.

My past pursues me, my sins constantly flash before my tear filled eyes.

I daily struggle with the choices I made and the

things I have done that have heaped shame on my soul. 

Not long ago, I heard this beautiful song on the radio. 

Please grab your cuppa and just sit for a minute and listen to Him sing this song to your soul. 

You will be blessed.