tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84342653070635152352024-02-06T20:56:50.787-08:00Conquering MountainsGinnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16410062421039388842noreply@blogger.comBlogger843125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434265307063515235.post-22221419767879541522020-11-29T13:27:00.000-08:002020-11-29T13:27:45.684-08:00When All You Have is a Slingshot and a Pocket Full of Rocks<p><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;">I was driving to work last week while talking to a good friend about some tough news we had received. I told her that I felt like I was standing before a great army that was prepared to take me out and all I had on me was a sling shot and a rock. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;">Do you ever say something off the cuff and then think, “Damn that is good, God is about to teach me something through that”? It was one of those epiphanies, the kind of gut punch moment where I remember exactly where I was in my drive. Cane’s Fried Chicken was on my left, Target was on my right, and God was getting ready to say something straight to me through my own words. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;">(Would you believe me if I told you that as I type this, <i>Surrounded (This is how I fight my battles</i>) just came on my Spotify mix? I get it God. Now let me keep typing. <span style="font-family: Wingdings;"></span>)<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;">Okay back to that sling shot and that big ol’ honkin’ army on the horizon. Does anyone else feel the same way with something you are facing today? Maybe your marriage. Maybe your child. Maybe it is your finances or maybe it is your mental health. If you say, “Nope, not me,” you should read this anyway because you will be there eventually. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;">What I figured out: if I believed the Bible to be true, then my predicament was not such a bad place to be after all and here’s why:<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><b>1.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></b><!--[endif]--><b>If you had a big ol’ cannon to take out the enemy, you wouldn’t need God. <o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-size: medium;">(<i>Run to the Father</i> by Cody Carnes just came on my Spotify. I couldn’t make this stuff up y’all)<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-size: medium;">I like control. I like to have a plan and I like to execute that plan. On those days, I don’t learn more about God. I just learn more about my ability to achieve my will but I am no better for the win. It’s the battle plans we can’t execute that shape us the most because those are the battles that turn our eyes from our own abilities to God’s intimate role in our lives. Sure, David was good with a sling shot. But this wasn’t a bird. It was a giant and he knew that he needed God if he was going to pull this off. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 0.5in;">The other option might be to survey your enemy and then to pack up and flee instead of staying to fight. For the record, that’s a bad idea. I could certainly walk away from my battle and I think most people would understand. You could probably shake your head and walk away from yours too, just like the men who faced Goliath before David got there. The words “peace out folks” come to mind but a 1000 years from now, no one will remember those words or the guy who spoke them. Thankfully David’s faith in God was bigger than that and he looked back at his enemy and said, <span style="background-color: white;">“You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the </span>Lord<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"> Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.” David knew his God was bigger than his enemy and he was looking to his God for help. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #202124;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #202124;">Believe it. Face it. Speak what is true.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"> <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]-->2.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]--> <b>If I can take my eyes off my predicament for just a moment, I will see that I don’t fight alone</b>. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-size: medium;">(I am sitting here for a minute just to see if a song about angel armies comes on next. <span style="font-family: Wingdings;"></span> It’s a no-go but I will make my point anyway.)<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #202124;">In 2 Kings chapter 6, Elisha is told about the </span><span style="color: #202124;">army<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"> camped outside the city, and he sees the fear in his servant's eyes. Elisha tells him, "Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them." After that, he prays for the Lord to open the eyes of his servant. The young man looks around and sees that the hillside is filled with angel armies. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #202124;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #202124;">We do not fight our battles alone for our battles are not really against flesh and blood (Eph 6:12) but against spiritual forces. Pray that God will open your eyes to see that you are not alone in your fight then go and play <i>Whom Shall I Fear </i>(God of Angel Armies) by Chris Tomlin. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #202124;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #202124;">Believe it. Face it. Speak what is true. Know that you are not alone.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #202124;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #202124;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #202124; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">3.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #202124;"> This battle will not be your last and what you learn here will prepare you for all that your future holds</span></b><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #202124;">. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #202124;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #202124;">I am quite confident that David looked back on that moment with Goliath several times over his life. It was, in fact, just a moment in time in all that God did in and through David. But God used that moment to shape a future king. He has plans for your moment too. He is working through my moment even as I type this lesson. This battle you are facing has the potential to be another chapter in the story of God’s faithfulness to you. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #202124;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #202124;">Now grab onto that sling shot and believe it. Face it. Speak what is true. Know that you are not alone. Trust His plan.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #202124;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p> </o:p></p><style class="WebKit-mso-list-quirks-style">
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</style>Ginnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16410062421039388842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434265307063515235.post-46488809523622289692020-10-04T14:59:00.004-07:002020-10-04T19:01:57.367-07:00Living in Eco Mode<p> <span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Living in Eco Mode</span></p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><style class="WebKit-mso-list-quirks-style">
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</style></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I’m a sucker for a good illustration. They just seem to make life’s lessons more memorable. If you are the same way, hang with me through this one. I pray it will encourage you during these uncertain times. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJgWGgD75HEmG8y8s0e-osvG3s2NkgHu9ieoYs24g5Jd82W8UH8hzrLyQcGf9BVCnmxdqJniM26aUpkOqT1b3QIt_0BxX0jy0T485hfQEzAYMMt9fRWz9OCUzV5SklrObOlF_B4MSoJ2M/s1200/Close-up-of-car-dashboard-with-green-hybrid-mode-icon-on.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJgWGgD75HEmG8y8s0e-osvG3s2NkgHu9ieoYs24g5Jd82W8UH8hzrLyQcGf9BVCnmxdqJniM26aUpkOqT1b3QIt_0BxX0jy0T485hfQEzAYMMt9fRWz9OCUzV5SklrObOlF_B4MSoJ2M/s1200/Close-up-of-car-dashboard-with-green-hybrid-mode-icon-on.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9N5ZOx7AUT889PRdyngsSc3UhBTO0zS4yOhNHN8B53uXibFjUmPvFJ-314crDWwo6A3GTPq6WJPyjdz9GLBT7yxx7_4DuA6c0rdMoPaX6dOG2TiuU9xR0JDLAzuUSCbAf4wsLsJxI8T8/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="213" data-original-width="320" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9N5ZOx7AUT889PRdyngsSc3UhBTO0zS4yOhNHN8B53uXibFjUmPvFJ-314crDWwo6A3GTPq6WJPyjdz9GLBT7yxx7_4DuA6c0rdMoPaX6dOG2TiuU9xR0JDLAzuUSCbAf4wsLsJxI8T8/" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">So we have all had that moment. You know the one where you glance in your rearview mirror and see the bonehead guy cutting off cars behind you as he makes his way to your spot in traffic. You ponder for a moment if you should intentionally further tick off the angry dude by driving the same speed as the guy right next you but then you remember that you are in _______ and that could get you shot. So you tell yourself something like that his wife is in labor while you excuse his attempt to take off your bumper. A few seconds later you meet again at the red light and watch him pull into the drive-through line at McDonalds. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Holy Hubcaps you mean he behaved that way and put all of us in danger so he could get in line for a pack of McNuggets? Yep. Welcome to 2020.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Now picture the last few months and tell me that isn’t what many of your personal interactions have felt like. We are surrounded by people who are living life with their foot on the emotional gas pedal for tasks and life events that really just need to be experienced in Eco Mode. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Those of you who drive a vehicle that is less than 4 or 5 years old are likely familiar with Eco Mode. For the sake of putting words to this illustration gem, I found this explanation on the internet. Now humor me and when you read this description, think about your own body. My thoughts in italics.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #111111; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="color: #111111;">Selecting Eco Mode in your vehicle helps you reduce fuel consumption.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-stretch: inherit; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-top: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #111111; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">In most vehicles, selecting this setting makes the engine and accelerator <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-top: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #111111; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">pedal less responsive to inputs <i>(self-control)</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-stretch: inherit; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #111111; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="color: #111111;">You might feel that the car is “slow” because it has become unresponsive.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #111111; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">So, when you depress the throttle pedal, the car accelerates slower than usual.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style="color: #111111; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">(This is good folks)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #111111; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="color: #111111;">It takes longer for the engine speed to rise <i>(also good)</i>. You use less fuel this way <i>(and have to apologize less)</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #111111; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="color: #111111;">Doing so means the compressor has to work less, which in turn reduces the load on the engine <i>(self-c</i>are).<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #111111; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="color: #111111;">The benefit is improved fuel efficiency <i>(self-care leading to productivity)</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">It feels like the most dangerous health threat for 2020 is not as much Covid but the fact that we have become addicted to hyperventilating about things that we either can’t control or that carry as much weight as a happy meal that we are over here trying to super-size. We are moving from one high to the next when we were designed to live (and survive) in eco mode where we only activate the gas for brief moments when necessary. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">A few weeks ago, I had a rough week where several people close to me where upset about different scenarios. It was affecting my home and my work life as I found myself wrapped up in their fear, anger, and sadness. Add to that my over-consumption of my News app and Facebook and we had a recipe for over-drive disaster. Then something happened. In its quest for survival, my body powered down to eco mode. I recognized it immediately because I had experienced it before when I was on an international flight and again when Maggie was in the hospital. It is my body’s way of reducing load on the engine for the purpose of preserving fuel. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">As I analyzed this gift of anatomical eco mode, I realized that this really is how God designed us to be. This is the place where we sit, at peace, trust His sovereignty, and move about our business while keeping things in perspective. It is a place of healthy living. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I don’t have a chant or meditation app to recommend that will help shift you into eco mode, but I do have a few ideas on how I get there.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><!--[if !supportLists]-->1.<span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]--><b>Place things in perspective and speak to yourself what you know to be true.</b> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">There is nothing on the menu at McDonald’s that is worth getting your heart rate up. Also, both McDonalds and cortisol (from constant stress) will make you fat so avoid them altogether. I digress but you get my point- Choose not to get worked up over things that aren’t that big of a deal. Your body will thank you.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><!--[if !supportLists]-->2.<span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]--><b>Don’t lose it over what you can’t control but instead commit it to prayer and faith.</b> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">When we were waiting on Ruthie, I was a certified nut job. I was spending way too much emotional energy worrying about dates that I had zero control over. My experience with waiting on Piper has been much different. I recognized that the kind of fretting I did with Ruthie did not serve my engine in any way so this time I chose instead to hope and trust. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">3. <b>Don’t let the other drivers control you.</b> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Maybe this is recognizing that you have a dopamine addiction or that you are an empath. Either way, you have to get control of your own gas pedal and stop letting others press it for you. And in Houston, if you don't, it could get you shot.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">4. <b>Don’t get pulled off course by things that don’t concern you.</b> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Like when all of traffic slows down because people want to see the accident. Y’all there are a lot of “accidents” on our roads right now, but God has called us to stay the course for where He is sending us and to get there without turning someone else’s fender bender into our own pile up. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">5. <b>Take care of your yourself</b>. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Change your oil. Check the air in your tires and for the love, don’t put vodka or Diet Coke in your gas tank. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Again, there are times when we need to hit the gas. The problem comes when we don’t know when to let our foot off the pedal for the sake of our vehicle or those around us. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Eco mode is a gift and channeling it is the only way we will make it (in one recognizable piece) to our God-given destination. </span><o:p></o:p></p>Ginnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16410062421039388842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434265307063515235.post-75253592357643025102020-02-04T14:56:00.001-08:002020-02-04T15:58:02.267-08:00Truths I Want My Special Needs (Well Any) Kid to Know- Part 8- 8 Messages You Can Speak Into Your Child's Identity<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Chapter 7- 8 Messages You Can Speak into Your Child's Identity</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Several years ago I started thinking about how my kids see themselves and what influences their identity. I figured it was either influenced by what they were good at or by something that they had experienced, like having a special need. I based that purely on my own experience and decided to test my theory. I asked friends, who were teachers in very different schools, to poll their kids and ask them, “What defines you?” I gathered all of those statements and found that they fell naturally into 4 main categories: our life experiences (that which we cannot control), our faith, our strengths, and our people. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I have been writing here about the research I have done on each of those and how my husband and I have determined to speak into them for our own children. Today I will write about the final category, our people.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">So here’s the deal - you will unavoidably speak into your child’s identity. You will either speak into it by what you say or by what you don’t say, do or don’t do. By being the most important adult in their lives, you will (by your actions and words) speak life or death, value or inconvenience, hope or despair, and optimism or fear into their lives and how they define themselves. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">When Maggie had her heart surgery, one of her surgeons stopped me in the hallway and said, “Life is like a poker game and your child has been dealt a tough hand. Your job is teach her how to play the game like she has the best hand at the table.” In order to help our children play the hand that has been dealt to them, we have to be intentional about speaking life, value, hope, and optimism.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">In our family, we have adopted a handful of phrases that we speak aloud or by which we choose our actions. They are a collection of parenting messages that we have accumulated from books, family conferences, and experience over the years. I am going to share them here with you. My encouragement is that you choose one and start using it. Then in a few weeks incorporate another. My kids know them by heart and even my 7-year old quoted one to me the other day when I sent her up to clean her room. Before you give me too much credit, know that we have not mastered all of these, but we have committed to applying them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>8 Messages</b><b> You can speak into your child’s identity:</b></span><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.</span><!--[endif]--><b>You are Worthy of My Time</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">This is one that I have to remind myself of regularly. We act on this by turning the TV off or putting down our phone when our kids want to talk. Maybe we give up time with friends to take that one struggling kid for a special date instead. We speak it by what we show up for and how we speak about our desire to be there. If we put off their requests for help or attention because of our busyness, they will stop asking and see themselves as an inconvenience. We want them to know that they are WORTHY of our time. Worthiness implies value.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><b> </b> 2.<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b>I Notice YOU<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">This is not just a compliment of what they are wearing or their new haircut. This is speaking into the core of who they are and is especially important for our special needs kids and kids from hard places. I also use this daily with my patients. I make an intentional effort to get to know them as individuals instead of diagnosis. I want them to know that I don’t see them as a kid with cancer or another condition but instead as someone who loves certain activities or cares about certain issues. Our kids are more than their diagnosis or experiences, they are more than a tool to make us look good, and they are certainly not meant to be seen and not heard (an attitude that some of us grew up with). They want to be known and we need to show them that we want to see them at the core of who they are and that what we see is valued. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> 3. <b>Everybody Has Something</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">One key step in helping them see that their something does not define them is to combat the myth that they are the only ones struggling. When they see that everyone else has something they struggle with too, then their something becomes less significant and holds less power over their life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> 4. <b>You’ve Got What it Takes</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">This is another one that I speak out loud a lot in the clinic. The difference between a child who fails at a task and one who succeeds can be as simple as having someone who believes in them. This statement of confidence is a game changer for our kids. Trust me. Try it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> 5. <b>You Do What You Have to Do So You Can do What You Want to Do</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Okay so this might be the one that my kids would tell you that they wish they heard less. I kind of love that. Think about it though, it is true for darn near everything from therapy to school to getting up on Monday morning and going to work. Heck it even applies to doing the laundry. Why do I have to fold the clothes? Because you don’t want to wear dirty underwear next week. You do what you have to do so you can do what you want to do (like wear clean undies). Bam.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>I want them to see that the things they don’t want to do are not an end in themselves but instead are a bridge to something they do want to do.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> 6. <b>If It’s Not Hard, It’s Not Worth Doing</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I know some people will disagree with me on this one. I mean reading a book on the back porch on a beautiful day is not hard and is definitely worth it, right? BUT, someone somewhere chose something hard in order to enable you to have that back porch and the free time to read on it. Now was their hard work worth it? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I use this one a lot in the clinic in several forms like, “Some of the best rewards in life come from doing hard things,” “if it were easy, you wouldn’t be here with me,” “the most influential people in the world have gotten where they are by saying yes to the hard road.” In the Henderson house, we teach our kids that they have what it takes to do hard things and that is most often where they will see their greatest reward. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> 7. <b>There is No Good Excuse for Bad Behavior</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">My kids probably don’t love this one either but that doesn’t mean it ain’t true. It would be really easy for our kids to blame their choices on their life experiences and find themselves in a spiral of excuse-making. Now notice that I say “for bad behavior” not for everything. Ruthie’s arms will never allow her to hit a home run but that doesn’t mean she gets to throw the bat in frustration. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> 8. <b>Freedom to Ask, Freedom to say No</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">This is a new one for us. I traveled to China in September with a fabulous family and this was one that they taught me and we have since added to our repertoire. I hate asking for help, but the point at which I give someone absolute freedom to say no, it becomes much easier. I don’t want my kids to miss out on an opportunity or relationship because they are afraid to ask or afraid of hearing no. We have to be okay with asking but we also have to be okay with hearing no, but we will never have the opportunity for yes if we don’t ask. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmQx5NGg_M0u4Fuy7cnh7BWbwYDy1y2cMVqsgdGxNWZCFlLfimqPZqNyC0QbHS6ZTs-qNMsM11H1CTJExgxXntCTdx-ZeelR39ObTn3S3VOdSbewBigfuj9_FL-bIVv6L7hNIbWd6z3M4/s1600/Rbdaywww.ginnyhendersonphotography.com_0003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1090" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmQx5NGg_M0u4Fuy7cnh7BWbwYDy1y2cMVqsgdGxNWZCFlLfimqPZqNyC0QbHS6ZTs-qNMsM11H1CTJExgxXntCTdx-ZeelR39ObTn3S3VOdSbewBigfuj9_FL-bIVv6L7hNIbWd6z3M4/s320/Rbdaywww.ginnyhendersonphotography.com_0003.jpg" width="217" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">You might be looking at some of these and wondering how they speak into identity. I would argue that they give our kids certain values, perspectives, and a level of confidence that indirectly shapes their identity and how much power the other voices have over them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Three of the identity markers from my survey of students were strengths, experiences, and people. These all speak to our children’s functional identity. The fourth marker, faith, speaks to their created identity. I believe that each of our kids has a threshold for how much power the circumstances of their life will have over them. As the people who speak into their lives, we have the direct ability to influence that threshold by strengthening their understanding of their created identity and then by speaking </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">life, value, hope, and optimism into their functional identity. I hope that makes sense. </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><o:p>(Pics for fun from Ruthie's 13th Birthday)</o:p></span></div>
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Ginnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16410062421039388842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434265307063515235.post-76488074875623997362020-01-14T06:19:00.001-08:002020-01-14T07:50:09.424-08:00What? You Are Adopting Again?<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">*** I am taking a break from the book today to share an announcement. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">I have always imagined there was an imaginary line (or cliff) that separated “normal families” (with 4 or fewer kids) from “those other families.” You know the ones where you hold up the Christmas card and straighten your pointer finger to count how many of them there are now and then you wonder things like, “What is their grocery bill like?” </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">I placed my toes up to the edge of the normal group with the addition of Maggie and then looked over and wondered what those other families were trying to make up for, if they were superhuman, or if they were just certifiably crazy. Then God grabbed my heart again and swiftly kicked me in the butt and over the edge I was peering into. Yes, the Henderson’s have prayed and felt God’s leading to become one of THOSE families. We are pursuing a child that Jack and I met in China. She is close to Maggie’s age and will be a wonderful addition to our family.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">Y’all, I have had some crazy questions asked of me and none of them offend me but a lot made me laugh out loud. So here are the FAQs for “What? You are adopting AGAIN?”</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">1. Do I need counseling?</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Probably but there is no time for that.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">2. Will Jack still be able to go to college? Yes.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">I am still trying to convince him that it is a worthwhile endeavor.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">3. Do you not like American kids?</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">No.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">They get on my nerves.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">4. Will Maggie be jealous?</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Maybe but she is the type of child who likes someone standing right beside her at all times and Ruthie is getting too old to play Barbies.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">5. What did Sam say?</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Sam said that he heard Asians are good at Ping Pong and so he can’t wait to teach her to play Ping Pong.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">(absolutely true)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">6. How will you pay for it?</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Well China doesn’t accept Bitcoin so we will probably use American dollars.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">We will be holding a t-shirt fundraiser at some time.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">7. How can I help you in your quest for insanity?</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Buy a t-shirt.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">That will be our only fundraiser to help with the big chunks that are due right before we travel.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">8. Are you concerned that if you ask people to give you $ they may not give to the church? No.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">We aren’t asking for $, we are offering a chance to buy a t-shirt.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">The people who go to our church don’t relate to their giving that way and buying a t-shirt is completely optional and not a requirement for ongoing membership (although that is a good idea).</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> 😉</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">9. Will you teach her English?</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">No.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">The rest of the family is going to learn to speak Chinese and make that our new language.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">10. Are you sure you can take on another kid with special needs?</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">I assure you, it is not my kid’s special needs that make parenting hard. Parenting is hard because of the challenges of raising good people in today’s society.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">11. Does she speak English?</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Jack taught her the word, “sister” so I guess that’s a start.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">12. When will you travel?</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Our agency has warned us it could take a year.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">I already completed a 3 month homestudy in 10 days.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">I am praying and hoping for early summer so we have the summer to bond before school starts.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><br /><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">13. Will she go to school?</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Yes she will be one year behind Maggie.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">I am in second place for the longest running family at our elementary school and I am hoping this moves me to a first-place tie until I can bring home another.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><br /><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">14. She’s older.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">What if she can’t bond?</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Last time I checked, healthy bonding was not a prerequisite to adoption or having the opportunity to be exposed to the Gospel.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">15. Will you buy one of those big vans?</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Only if Trent wins that argument and that is unlikely.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">16. Is Trent going to let you go back to China? Yes, I am hoping to go back annually because this ministry of serving orphans and advocating for them is where I feel like I am most walking in my calling.</span><br /><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">17. What if you meet another child when you go back?</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> Then </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Trent will get his 18 passenger van.</span><br /><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">If you made it through that list then hopefully you get my humor. Right now, please pray for a speedy process. If you have a question to add to the list, go ahead and ask and I am happy to add it for anyone else who is wondering if they should stage an intervention. </span></span><br />
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Ginnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16410062421039388842noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434265307063515235.post-48165771659348439622020-01-09T16:50:00.001-08:002020-01-09T16:50:36.014-08:00Truths I Want My Special Needs (Well Any) Kid to Know- Part 7- Discovering Their Strengths<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">CHAPTER 6- Discovering T</span></b><b style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">heir Strengths</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">(Pics are just for fun from a recent hot air balloon ride that we took as a family)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;">When we asked classrooms of kids, “What defines you?”, we consistently witnessed a response based on the students’ strengths. We saw answers like, “I’m a gamer”, “I play instruments,” and “My love for soccer.” Honestly, these are the kinds of responses that I expected when I posed the question in the first place. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqsSFCl9CfKv-DJz3_6l1e6YKCeu29fMGHKqsgSta5BkBbqPEE2ZpzwY-1ljkFhbjiRpmgtDqJbnz_NbL0qYNhRwUVgUhytNVU5HMb1yvg4v3MJi1tEbt17zSW2XqBA4ptNREfC10pu4E/s1600/Balloon+%252824+of+47%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqsSFCl9CfKv-DJz3_6l1e6YKCeu29fMGHKqsgSta5BkBbqPEE2ZpzwY-1ljkFhbjiRpmgtDqJbnz_NbL0qYNhRwUVgUhytNVU5HMb1yvg4v3MJi1tEbt17zSW2XqBA4ptNREfC10pu4E/s320/Balloon+%252824+of+47%2529.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;">So why is this relevant to our special needs kids and why is it important that we parent this answer in all of our children? I think for our kids from hard places, their challenges are so constant in their lives that it is hard for them to see their strengths. Helping them find their strengths, as a larger component of their identity, is a giant step toward redirecting them to see how God wants to uniquely use them to impact their world. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;">Fifteen years ago, I worked as a physical therapist at Baylor University. As a member of the Student Life team, I participated in a program to help us find our strengths through an assessment called the StrengthsFinder. I remember when they were introducing it, they used Michael Jordan as the example for why we should focus on mastering our strengths instead improving on our weaknesses. They pointed out Jordan’s failed attempt at playing baseball and how he was better served when he was focusing on his basketball game. It was a memorable example because that scenario had played out in front of my eyes just a few years before when we were all scratching our heads at why the greatest basketball player of all time would bother picking up a baseball bat. The StrengthsFinder helped me appreciate that our time is not best spent trying to become good at that which we were not born to do but instead on perfecting that which we were created to excel at. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;">Proverbs 22:6 tells us to train up a child in the way they should go and when they get old they will not depart from it. As much as I would love for this to mean that if we teach our children the Bible they will follow it all their life, I believe this verse is most accurately taught as an instruction to raise your child toward their natural bent. I think of this verse when I think of the philosophy that undergirds the StrengthsFinder. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;">Another benefit of helping our children find and name their strengths is that it frees them to walk in that strength. I remember when I took the assessment; it told me that I had the strength of Ideation. I had never been told that before but was immediately able to look back and see where that played out in my past. I embraced that strength and felt more freedom to generate ideas for programs and find solutions to problems because I recognized ideation as a reflection of how God wanted to use me. I hope that helping my children identify their strengths will give them the same validation as they boldly walk in them. <span style="color: red;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzyKI2k1e6W9avSniCI9qqxm98l58GAcf_IZKZABXtT11HK5x8ZyLiFlMiqMQtEhnXmokGUVaMDJV5J0ULZE4j6Ej-jZIIcUeSsRs6aSrgo_3mTiEwEIzaHlap4oqpdzlJfMNJhhWmnsM/s1600/Balloon+%252861+of+63%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: Helvetica; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzyKI2k1e6W9avSniCI9qqxm98l58GAcf_IZKZABXtT11HK5x8ZyLiFlMiqMQtEhnXmokGUVaMDJV5J0ULZE4j6Ej-jZIIcUeSsRs6aSrgo_3mTiEwEIzaHlap4oqpdzlJfMNJhhWmnsM/s320/Balloon+%252861+of+63%2529.jpg" width="213" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;">There are two warnings we need to heed when helping our children discover their strengths. The first is that we have to completely steer clear of what our personal strengths are and what we would hope theirs would be. We must be open-minded to how God uniquely created them. I recently binge-watched The Crown on Netflix. In one of my favorite episodes, Prince Philip insists that Prince Charles attend his alma mater for boarding school. Prince Philip was an athlete and appreciated the physical training that would be demanded of Charles there. In the episode it is clear that the queen disagrees and can see that the school is not a match for the personality of her son. In the end, she lets Philip have his way and sends Charles to a place that he later described as hell. Philip was choosing what Charles would be strong at based on his own experience instead of the personality of his child and it did not go well for Charles. When I was little my mom enrolled me in dance. I think it was the next step (after naming me Virginia) in raising a really girly girl. I sucked at dance. Not only could I not stand still but also I had the flexibility of penguin. It was clearly not my strength and after 10+ years of lessons, thousands of dollars in tuition, and hours of torturing my poor teachers, I still sucked at it. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;">The second warning is to not let our children find their strengths in places that are inconsistent with God’s best for them or that could be described as more of an escape than a strength. According to CNN, the shooter at Santa Fe High School was described by his mother as staying up all night playing video games. He also had a custom t-shirt on his Facebook page that said, “Born to Kill”. Now I know that is an extreme but clearly this kid found his strengths and identity in the wrong place. Just because he was good at it does not mean it was God given. Another less dramatic example that is tragically humorous and certainly self-deprecating would be a misguided strength of my own youth. When I was in junior high, I knew everything about the soap opera <i>General Hospital</i>. I could tell you the history of the characters and even predict future story lines. To say I was oddly obsessed would be an understatement. Importantly, and fortunately, obsession does not equal strength. It usually just equals a means of escape. We can’t let our kids confuse the two. <span style="color: red;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;">So in summary, I want to help my child focus not on their challenges or their weaknesses but instead on discovering and growing in their God given strength as they explore how they were uniquely designed to impact the world. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Ginnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16410062421039388842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434265307063515235.post-35974825223793586802019-11-22T09:21:00.003-08:002019-11-22T09:32:56.011-08:00Truths I Want My Special Needs (Well Any) Kid to Know- Part 6- Still on Faith...<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 32px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Chapter 5-</b> <b>Still on Faith- </b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Facilitating a space for my children to grow in their faith.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">In order for my children to make their identity in Christ something they are not a stranger to I have to give them the opportunities to study it and then the space to wrestle with it. After all, it is NOT a three-way relationship that I am facilitating. <b>God does not need me to be a chaperone in His dance with my child or be a caddy keeping score in their round of golf</b>. If my kid hits his ball in the sand trap or needs a mulligan in life, the best thing I can do is let him work that out with God, the caddy. This illustration is starting to get out of control in my head but I think it is fair to say that Christ created the course and paid the ultimate price for the round. My goal is to give my son his own set of clubs, drive him to course, and then come around every so often with a bottle of water and club sandwich to help him keep going. I am going to leave the course navigation to God. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">So how do I facilitate a space for my children to explore and wrestle with their faith? I have a short list (non-exhaustive by any means) for you as to how that looks in our home. You may want to read these slowly and give yourself time to do a little self-check before moving on. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><b> 1.<span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></b></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"><b>We try to avoid resentment by monitoring our </b></span><b style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">expectations</b><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Just because he is the pastor’s kid does not mean he has to be at the church every time the door opens. He was not hired for that position, his dad was. He should be allowed to experience the church like any other kid in the building. I try to find the balance in encouraging him to attend things that I believe he will find worth his time while avoiding the temptation to schedule his relationship with Christ. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">2. </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">We allow their Christian experience to be fun. </span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">We attend Pine Cove Christian Camp because, first, it helps us to keep our focus on things that matter and, second, because we want our kids to see that being Christian is both fun and cool. We look for ways to connect our kids to the fun that comes with following Christ. I don’t know about you but I grew up in a church that was incredibly boring. It wasn’t until I was exposed to a youth group at another church that I discovered that following Jesus was really fun and that Christians were fun people. I don’t want my kids to be 16 years old before they make that same discovery. Being a Christian is heavy stuff and following Jesus is serious business, but it doesn’t have to heavy and serious all the time. Joy is a real thing and laughter is a gift.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.</span></span></b><b style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"> We find a place for them to serve in the church as teenagers. </b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNsTIzh77yd4PotZfBnVxGSeJuOq-GOyrFsuqcfBob9cfdua4lg_MyfZpUqz9leupVyLsY4Y93h7zJd9aDl67Ouoi3uHfGpY1POBXZj_ak7C2e9t0dvbykWYorugnETAt_E50kNIvmwn4/s1600/cell+%252820+of+293%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNsTIzh77yd4PotZfBnVxGSeJuOq-GOyrFsuqcfBob9cfdua4lg_MyfZpUqz9leupVyLsY4Y93h7zJd9aDl67Ouoi3uHfGpY1POBXZj_ak7C2e9t0dvbykWYorugnETAt_E50kNIvmwn4/s400/cell+%252820+of+293%2529.jpg" width="400" /></span></a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Don’t let the church just be a place that serves them until adulthood. We need to encourage our kids to find their roles. When you think about that, be sure and make it unique to them. In serving, they experience the functional side of the church and get to see God move through them to impact the Kingdom. Also don’t be afraid to look into areas that might have previously been reserved only for adults. There was a great book out 15+ years ago called Do Hard Things. It looked at how we don’t expect enough out of teenagers or push them hard enough. I tend to agree. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">4. We</span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"> expose them to other denominations without fear. </span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Personally, I started out as Catholic, found Jesus in a Pentecostal church, and landed as a Baptist but I am probably more non-denominational at heart. The freedom my dad gave me to explore my faith only made it more personal for me. Go ahead and let them wrestle with their honest questions. Then, don’t answer them with what someone told you was true or what you read on the internet. Find solid truth and train them to do the same. It is part of the dance (or golf round). When my husband was on Sabbatical in 2019, we took our children to a Church of Christ and then two very different non-denomination churches because we wanted them to see how other people worship. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>5. </b> </span></span><b style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: large;">We teach them about God as Redeemer AND Restorer. </span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">As Christians, we love to see God redeem a situation. Heck, most of us grew up knowing that God so loved the world that he gave His only Son (John 3.16) and that He also works all things for the good of those who love Him (Rom. 8.28). He redeemed our lives and He redeems our circumstances. Experiencing God as redeemer can be like watching your favorite team come from behind to win the game that others thought was surely lost. Redemption is exciting and beautiful but it is not everything. Christ doesn’t just move to rewrite our stories. He desires to engage us personally and that is where Restoration happens. I don’t want them to become so focused watching the redemptive Jesus that they miss the loving hand of a restorative Jesus. Redemption rights our circumstance. Restoration heals our heart. </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">6.<span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">We teach them how to apply the principles of the Bible for everyday life, remembering that there are way more promises than warnings</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">. </span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I think Christian parents run the risk of only teaching the Bible as a historical document or a rules book. As a child, my Christian upbringing focused on reverence toward a great historical document. I memorized the Ten Commandments and a handful of prayers. I even kissed a stone cold cross with the baby Jesus on it as part of my bedtime routine when staying at my grandmother’s house. But I never used my own words to talk to God. Fast-forward to 2019 and I fear that the God my children run the risk of seeing in the broader Christian picture today is the one who says: “Don’t vape, don’t cuss, don’t be gay, and publicly profess the tenants of our conservative politics.” There may be some everyday life in there, but it is not promises over warnings. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">One of my favorite lessons on relating to God came from the book Exodus in the story of Moses. In Exodus 33:13 Moses asks God to teach him His ways so that Moses may know God and find favor with him. I want my special needs child (well, any child) to know God’s ways and not just his rules. Then in Exodus 33:15, Moses takes it a step farther and tells God that if He does not go with them, then don’t send them from there. YES! I don’t want my kid to just know who God is but I also want him to desire the presence of God everywhere he goes. Finally, in Exodus 33:18 Moses really gets it. He says to God, “Now show me your glory.” Some of us may be tempted to bypass that third statement because it sounds kind of confusing. Like, what in the world is God’s glory such that He could show it to me? Is it the sunrise? I like sunrises. One of the smartest pastors of our time, John Piper, defines God’s Glory as “<span style="background-color: white;">the radiance of his holiness, the radiance of his manifold, infinitely worthy and valuable perfections.” That’s still pretty packed I think. I once heard God’s glory defined as the fullness of all of his attributes on display. When I pray for God to show me His Glory, I usually follow it up with, “Show me where you are moving today. Let me see you at work and join you in your purposes.” So to wrap this point up, I want my kids (special needs or not) to know God, walk with him, and see him at work around them. More than history. More than rules even though “not vaping” is still a good one to follow. 😀</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b style="font-weight: normal; text-indent: -9pt;">7.</b><span style="text-indent: -9pt;"> <b>We</b> p</span><span style="font-weight: normal; text-indent: -9pt;"><b>rovide opportunities to expand their worldview and allow them to serve outside of their comfort zone. </b></span><span style="font-weight: normal; text-indent: -9pt;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="font-weight: normal; text-indent: -9pt;">Our youth minister does a great job at this by taking our kids to work in urban missions in a neighboring city. Another great way to do this is to become a respite home for foster care. As part of our family vacation, we drove through the hills of Costa Rica and allowed our kids to see how families live there without running water or the convenience of automobiles. We tell those stories and let them see it first hand. You don’t have to travel far though. One of the most impactful experiences for my kids was serving our community after Hurricane Harvey. Be intentional and find their place. They will see the Gospel there. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>8. We teach them what the Bible says about them. </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">This point was inspired by a really cool video that was sent to me. The video was of a special needs adult named Krista Hornig. Krista was born with a genetic condition called Apert Syndrome that causes premature fusion of the skull bones causing facial abnormalities and other complications. Krista wrote a book called, <i>Just the Way I Am: God’s Design for Disability</i> that I keep in the center of a table in my living room for my kids to pick up at any time. In the YouTube video and the book, she tells of God’s grace and faithfulness in her life. In the video she says, “Disability says ugly things to me. It tells me I’m alone. I’m different. I’m worthless and weak. It tells me my life is hopeless. Disability lies to me and sometimes it’s easy to listen and believe.” She then goes on to list the scriptural truths that God tells her. She has an impressive list that includes examples like:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;">God tells me He has a special plan for my life</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;">God tells me that He Created me and I am good</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;">God tells me He has called me for His purpose</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;">God tells me he is making me more like him</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;">God tells me that he gave His son for my sins</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;">God tells me that Jesus was crushed for iniquities on my behalf</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">At the end of the day (or the season of life called parenting) our goal would be to raise a child </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">who filters the messages of the world through the truth of the Bible. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Krista’s material is a great</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">tool to help your children process that. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>9. We c</b></span><b style="font-family: inherit;">ombat cultural self-proclamation and self-reliance. </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">We live in a culture that praises the self-sufficient. The model we see in the Bible is quite </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">different. In Exodus 4, Moses is telling God all of the reasons that he is insufficient for the task of </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">leading the Jews out of Egypt. What is important to see is that God does NOT tell Moses </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">“You’ve got this buddy. You are a winner. Everybody will love you.” Nope. Instead He said, </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">“Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">makes them blind? Is it not I, the </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Lord<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">?” God did not remind Moses of who Moses was. God</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">reminded Moses of who God is. I want my kid, special needs or not, to find their strength in who </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">God is instead of some pumped up image of who they are or some deflated image they see </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">because of their special need. </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Wow that was A LOT on the topic of faith as it relates to our child’s identity. When I go to a course or read something where I feel like I have been hit over the head with 100 ideas, I choose one to move forward on. When I feel like I have conquered that, however long that takes, then I pick another thing. If you try to implement it all, it will be too overwhelming so just scan the list again and discern where God wants to move in your kid’s relationship with Him right now, and then take the steps to put that into motion and then sit back watch the greatest golf round you have ever seen as God coaches your kid through each hole.</span></div>
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Ginnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16410062421039388842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434265307063515235.post-66687663877590182782019-10-24T08:33:00.001-07:002019-10-24T08:33:49.317-07:00Truths I Want My Special Needs (Well Any) Kid to Know- Part 5- Faith<div class="" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">CHAPTER 4: The 2<sup>nd</sup> Identity Marker- Faith<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">(photos from Ruthie's baptism in September because that was a </span>pretty<span style="font-family: inherit;"> cool faith in action day for our family)</span></span></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSusmp4gZ6PTLKNO-3R7P8ch3qbIwTGD1fhb8OH5v-NdQWcToPXtSlUhw3XsNDP6f1IitymHxebSV-t8gQUwK9w7mBYr1Z7nvsaDFkdt3VvVUoGWw6UnLs5W161TPWIONdddCLdjX8oXY/s1600/Baptismwww.ginnyhendersonphotography.com_0005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1100" data-original-width="1600" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSusmp4gZ6PTLKNO-3R7P8ch3qbIwTGD1fhb8OH5v-NdQWcToPXtSlUhw3XsNDP6f1IitymHxebSV-t8gQUwK9w7mBYr1Z7nvsaDFkdt3VvVUoGWw6UnLs5W161TPWIONdddCLdjX8oXY/s400/Baptismwww.ginnyhendersonphotography.com_0005.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The next key marker from my survey on where kids find their identity is faith. This influence was seen scattered throughout the groups but was overwhelmingly evident in the kids who attended a private Christian school. While this may be my second chapter on identity markers, it is no way second in importance. As a Christian, my greatest hope for my children is that they would find their identity in Christ first and then filter all of the other contributors through that reality. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I have been thinking on this piece for months now as I personally evaluate how I am doing at applying these principles to my own parenting. Our family is actively involved in the ministry of Pine Cove Christian Camps and we attend their family camp every summer. One of our favorite things about Pine Cove is that they employee faith-filled college students as their counselors. I had an interesting conversation with one of those students while sitting poolside at camp a few years ago. She was telling me her story of her family leaving the church after her parents divorced and how she came back to the church on her own as a 17-year old. I asked her what internally brought about the desire to own her faith, to make it hers, at that stage of life. Her answer was as powerful as her testimony. She said, “I realized that I was a stranger to the identity I had been portraying.” Let me just write that one more time so it can possibly land on you like it landed on me. This student, as a teenager, returned to the church on her own because she realized that she was a stranger to the Christian identity she had been taught to portray. She claimed to be a Christian but she had no idea what that really meant. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I would be willing to bet that her statement is true not only for a large percentage of other teens but probably a lot of adults as well. How many people do we know who are strangers to the identity that they portray? Unfortunately, helping our children authentically find their identity in Christ is not as simple as sending them to Sunday school or private Christian school. The kids at the private school that I polled had all of the right language but what we have seen in the church is that the language of faith and identity can be learned but never truly personalized. Like any other culture, speaking the language does not make us that nationality. My son is learning Chinese and can speak it quite well but he is still the whitest kid in his class and a stranger to what it means to be Asian. I am okay with that in his Chinese class, but I want something far more transformative for his identity as a Christian. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVYDBArlhrx70oHae1ZYRg96EnFTwOv7KjvBT93txPAbcDzP82DJCasErfrWrdVB7qjoQCTbNJwm7lM5hfV3fespyqwSDBwGp1M3mNXOCpkt-fwPwRBkXp0jzieR3M-aSVqjQJRybotdY/s1600/Baptismwww.ginnyhendersonphotography.com_0004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1090" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVYDBArlhrx70oHae1ZYRg96EnFTwOv7KjvBT93txPAbcDzP82DJCasErfrWrdVB7qjoQCTbNJwm7lM5hfV3fespyqwSDBwGp1M3mNXOCpkt-fwPwRBkXp0jzieR3M-aSVqjQJRybotdY/s320/Baptismwww.ginnyhendersonphotography.com_0004.jpg" width="217" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> Did you know that 70% of kids drop out of church when they go off to college? One might argue (and they have) that those kids did not truly personalize their faith but instead identified more with the activities surrounding it. When the events and friend groups were no longer present, neither was their faith. <b>A 2017 study of Protestant churchgoers found that the single greatest predictor of if your child will stay in the church to adulthood is if they regularly read the Bible while growing up</b>. I believe we could take this information and apply it two different ways. A potentially less rewarding way would be to require our children to read the Bible daily so that they would end up like the kids in this study – a cause and effect response. A better, and I believe more fruitful way, to apply this finding is to see Bible reading not necessarily as much as a prescription for change but more as an indicator of authentic transformation that has already occurred and led to a genuine desire for spiritual growth. So getting back to our kids, <b>if I want to raise a Jack in a world of Johns, a kid who doesn’t walk away from his faith when he no longer has a weekly activity to practice it with, I have to have my own identity firmly rooted in a transformative relationship with Christ, instead of a performance-based relationship. It is the only way I will be qualified to help him do the same.</b> I can’t be on the bandwagon of those who claim Christianity but actually are a stranger to it. That’s a lot to unpack but we have to start there because we cannot teach what we have not experienced. I love lists so I made a short one for you on living a transformed life. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>5 CHARACTERISTICS OF PEOPLE WHO LIVE OUT TRANSFORMED LIVES</b>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">1.<span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]--><b>RELATING TO OTHERS</b>: They are more grace-filled then performance-measured when relating to others. They are more concerned about their children’s growth than their children’s performance. They will not be angry when their child messes up and embarrasses them but instead thank God for the teaching opportunity that they have been given while their child is still under their roof. I have a good friend whose son said something insensitive to a girl at his school. The school responded rather aggressively and took action against him that kept him from receiving some honors that he otherwise would have been eligible for. His mother was momentarily embarrassed but then quickly changed her view to the one I am referencing here. She settled with great relief that he made that mistake as a teenager at school and under her roof instead of as an adult in the workplace. It was not her kid’s job to make her look good with a spotless high school performance. It <i>was</i> her job to grant him grace as she helped him navigate the rough waters of high school and learn the lessons that he needed in order to be more successful in later in life. She modeled this so well for me that I will never forget it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I believe this concept of grace-filled v. performance-driven living is even more complicated for our children to walk out personally because of the messages that they encounter through social media. They exist in a day where value gets measured in number of likes, follows, and virtual friends. In order to achieve those, our children feel as though they have to portray a digital reality that is based more on perfection than authenticity. When they stop writing their own script long enough to relate to someone else’s, it is near impossible to walk in biblical principles like grace and mercy. It is our charge as their parents to help our children learn to see beyond the stories that people tell on social media and into the reality of their messed up lives. This way our children can stand among the few who will be equipped to meet people where they truly are. People who live transformed lives relate to people through authenticity and grace. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">2.<span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]--><b>RELATING TO GOD</b>: Kids who are on the path to not being a stranger to the faith identity that they portray genuinely desire to have a personal relationship with God. I remember the day when Jesus went from being a historical figure we paid homage to every Sunday to a person that I wanted to know. My ninth grade Algebra teacher told me, “Our parents and our friends are only with us for a season but Jesus is the only one who will never leave you.” It clicked for me in that moment. I wanted to know that Guy who knew everything about me and would never leave. I am not suggesting that we all sit down and try to craft the right sentence to reach that place in our child’s heart that convinces them to pursue God personally. That’s not our job. Our job is to model that relationship for them and help them understand that Jesus is not just a historical figure worth studying but personal being worth knowing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">3.<span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]--><b>RELATING TO THEMSELVES</b>: People who have a healthy identity in Christ, are self-aware enough to know their limitations and the priority of restful peace with God over exhausted service for him. It’s the story from Luke 10 where Martha is slaving away to serve Jesus and Mary just wants to sit at his feet. Service is good and needs to be done but knowing Jesus is better. We need to help our kids appreciate that balance by modeling it for them. Can I confess for a moment that this is where I struggle the most. I’m not any more of a master at these than you are. It’s a journey but one worth pursuing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">4.<span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]--><b>RELATING TO THEIR RESOURCES</b>: Perhaps the greatest test of if we are truly linked to the identity we portray is if we are willing to commit our resources to it. People who find their identity in Christ prayerfully and sacrificially give of their resources to ministry because they truly see God as their provider. We are training our children to hold their stuff with an open hand. I don’t know about you, but I tend to find that generous adults raise generous kids and entitled adults raise entitled kids. In my house, we have a saying: “We are entitled to nothing.” I think we need to raise our kids to be both generous and intentional. Generosity flows from the heart and intentionality flows from good stewardship. We do a lot of shopping from ministry fundraisers and fair-trade organizations. It’s generous but even more, its intentional. Intentionality is not just dropping $ toward the next envelope but determining which opportunities would yield the greatest benefit to the kingdom. Several years ago, Trent and I started a giving fund (an idea we stole from another friend) that we could allocate from when we saw places were support was needed. We then involve our kids in that opportunity and explain how we decide what to participate in and what not to. I want to raise my kids to be both generous and intentional in their generosity. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">5.<span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]--><b>RELATING TO ETERNITY</b>: People who have their identity in Christ and are not strangers to that identity and they live for an eternal impact over momentary satisfaction. They truly get it – life on earth is not about life on earth. Eternity begins for us the moment we decide to follow Jesus. I want my kids to walk in light of eternity today and the reflection of that to be seen in how they sacrifice momentary security and comfort for eternal impact. I want them to see their struggles as just a speck of time in light of the expanse of eternity. I want them to desire to finish well and hear, “Well done my good and faithful servant.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">So to wrap this up, our children are growing up in an age where they are being taught how to superficially portray their identity through the help of organized religion and social media. Our goal is to parent in a way that our kids see genuine faith in action, are equipped to understand it, and are challenged to live up to it. Then maybe, they won’t find themselves a stranger to the identity that they portray. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Ginnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16410062421039388842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434265307063515235.post-687066989725491012019-10-10T14:48:00.000-07:002019-10-10T14:48:48.460-07:00Truths I Want My Special Needs Kid to Know- Part 4<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 32px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Taking Hold of That Which We Cannot Control.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I call the first identity marker or identity-shaping category, “that which we cannot control,” because our disabilities or life experiences are truly completely out of our hands and we have no power to go back and change them or rewrite that part of our story. As a parent of a special needs child, I often wonder what I could have done differently to change the outcome for my child. Before I knew Jack’s condition was genetic, I wondered if it was because I worried too much in my first trimester or was it because I painted my husbands office while I was pregnant. When my youngest suffered 2 strokes that were caused by a strep infection, I would have given anything to go back in time and not have placed her in the YMCA childcare class where she most likely caught strep. I couldn’t (and still can’t) wrap my brain around what that one workout class cost that child, but we can’t quarantine ourselves in our homes to protect ourselves from the unknown and we certainly can’t turn back time and keep “that which we cannot control” from ever happening. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">What we can do (and help our kids do) is take that life experience or circumstance and look at it through a different lens. Instead of finding our identity in the existence of that circumstance, we can be defined by how we receive, interpret, and respond to it. You can probably see by now that my favorite stories are of those people who allow “that which they cannot control” to push them to a greater purpose. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">When Steven Curtis Chapman lost his 5-year old daughter in a tragic accident, he and his family were understandably devastated. I have never lost a child and so I am completely unqualified to even try to put into words the pain they must have felt. Instead, I want to focus on what they did next because it was pretty incredible. In the midst of their grief, they opened an orphanage in China that has now served over 2000 special needs children while offering them quality medical care. Maria’s Big House of Hope has also seen over 150 children placed into forever homes. In the description on their website, it says, “<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">That big blue house in Luoyang is proof of God’s redemption and of his ability to bring beauty from the ashes.”</span><span style="line-height: 26.666664123535156px;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Oh my goodness I could tell 100 stories like those but this is not about other people’s stories. It is about helping your child, take their own circumstance, and write their own story. So what are some practical ways to help them do that? I have 4 categories to help us navigate those waters. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">1. <b>Personal Strengths </b>– We need to look for places where they can shine either through their challenge or in spite of it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">My daughter Ruthie, who has arthrogryposis of her arms and hands, spent the first 2 ½ years of her life in an orphanage doing everything with her feet. Her feet were basically her hands and so what was meant to limit her actually gave her crazy foot skills. So when she was 4, we enrolled her in soccer. From the first game, Ruthie was that kid kicking the ball down the field while everyone else was picking flowers. Today, I love watching her in a one-on-one scenario where she gets to move the ball with her feet in ways that others might only be able to do with their hands. She loves soccer and it has given me the opportunity to point out to her that arthrogryposis just might have helped her in soccer as much as someone would have expected it to limit her. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">In the spring of 2016, I attended a conference for parents of children with Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia. One of the speakers at the conference was Rebecca Hart, a Paralympic athlete with HSP. Rebecca is an equestrian. She reports that horses allowed her to turn her anger into passion. She says that, “Horses were her equalizer.” Rebecca found her passion through her condition and then found success in spite of it. I don’t know Rebecca’s parents, but I rejoice with them in my heart because I know the joy they must feel to see their special needs daughter, whose trajectory was at one point concerning, to now be living her passion. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">We will talk more about discovering your child’s individual strengths in another chapter. Here I hope to open your eyes to the possibility that your child’s experience or special need may set them up for success in an area that you never anticipated and it is worth your time and energy to explore that. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">2<b>. Positive Action – </b>It is an awesome moment when you can help your child to see the world apart from their personal struggle and then step outside of their pain to serve someone else in theirs. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">A friend of mine went through a divorce just a few months before Hurricane Harvey hit our city. She had just moved her children out of their family home and into a much smaller rental to settle into their new reality when the floodwaters came. Here is her testimony from those days and her parenting win: “<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #1d2129;">When we flooded in Harvey, I made sure that the kids thanked each person who helped us, donated stuff, etc. so they could see where their new ‘stuff’ came from. We also have been going to a homeless shelter once a month for the last several years to throw birthday parties for homeless kids, so after Harvey when we went and they realized that the kids there lived like we had after Harvey, but they did it EVERY day; it had a huge impact on their frame of mind. They all were much more appreciative of the kids circumstances then than they had ever been before. It was very eye-opening, and has stuck with them. Now when we go each month they insist on taking toys, books, clothes, etc. to the kids there so they can be blessed like we were.” Her kids came out of a terrible year of tragedy heaped upon disappointment with a lesson on gratitude and perspective. I think it is important to note that she was taking her children to the homeless shelter before her divorce and Hurricane Harvey. She made an intentional effort of instilling a heart of service and gratitude into her children before it became critically necessary. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Service for your child may initially look and feel to them like forced labor. That is perfectly okay. They can’t feel compassion for what they have not seen or experienced. Your goal, however, is for them to transition (like my friends whose house flooded in Harvey) from kids who participate out of duty or personal entertainment to kids who participate out of compassion and a deeply rooted desire to serve. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-3zvBHSERRWgSG8IfKOeToPi1RKkn8S3b3cQ7NuBp0otuRL4I_BfUpwKOlchSMpRwZQBOkxrBTgBOS3tzSUG_2VBBxjY3q6FBOeVW2aEsultvROF7UYozpLnJ1MX5bUfS4OjX6QyJ5a0/s1600/blogwww.ginnyhendersonphotography.com_0002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1084" data-original-width="1600" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-3zvBHSERRWgSG8IfKOeToPi1RKkn8S3b3cQ7NuBp0otuRL4I_BfUpwKOlchSMpRwZQBOkxrBTgBOS3tzSUG_2VBBxjY3q6FBOeVW2aEsultvROF7UYozpLnJ1MX5bUfS4OjX6QyJ5a0/s400/blogwww.ginnyhendersonphotography.com_0002.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">One final note, when looking for a place for your child to serve, consider your child’s passions, giftings, and own life experience. Signing my 17-year old up to serve in an inner city football league would be a total failure. The kid hates sports. However, he found his passion through serving in a different inner-city ministry. Seeing how God was shaping his heart for service, I recently pulled him out of school to take him to China for a week to work with special needs orphans there. Most adults would not have been as useful and servant-hearted on that trip as he was. If you guys grabbed coffee next week, I am fairly certain that he would tell you that his opportunities to give back have not only shaped how he views his own struggles but have been the vehicle through which God has captured his heart for service after he finishes high school. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">3. <b>Ongoing</b> <b>Purpose</b> – The third suggestion for helping your child have a healthy perspective of their own circumstance is to enable them see that they have an ongoing purpose even in midst of their suffering.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I have a friend who lost her husband to cancer 10+ years ago. Her daughter was in elementary school at the time and wrote this regarding her experience: “<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #1d2129;">Even though my brother and I lost my dad at a young age, our mom never let us use that as an excuse. She would continually push us to give 110% in everything we did because that’s how our father raised us. We weren’t allowed to become bratty-kids (although I definitely had my moments/phases) because she would always remind us that she and dad had raised us better than that. Basically, she did a really phenomenal job of instilling in us the fact that just because Dad was gone doesn’t mean everything he ever taught us was gone with him, and that we should always try to honor his memory and make him proud. I feel like this really pushed me to get to where I am today, and I know I’m not done with school and in the real world yet, but I’m almost there.” My friend did an awesome job at teaching her children that the hope and purpose for their lives was bigger than their loss.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">This is where we teach our children that God created them for a purpose and that He was not taken off guard or surprised when they came against this challenge they now face. Instead, God is likely using this experience to help shape them into the person they need to be so they can better walk in their created purpose. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">4. <b>Lasting Perspective</b> – Finally when it comes to helping our children have a right relationship with their circumstance, we need to give them lasting perspective. When Corrie Ten Boom, who wrote The Hiding Place, was placed in the back room of a Nazi prison camp that was so infested with fleas that the guards would not even enter, she started a Bible study. That flea-infested location, which felt like torture placed upon torture, turned out to be the safest place to teach others about Jesus because the guards wanted nothing to do with it. When she realized the blessing of her location instead of the curse of it, she was granted perspective. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">This next idea is so important to me that it was originally slated to be it’s own chapter. One way we can give our children lasting perspective is to help them see that <b>everyone has something that they are dealing with</b>. My brother has a great statement that really brought this home for me. He says, “If we all took our ‘something’ and threw it into a pile to be redistributed randomly, we would jump into that pile and fight like hell to get our own ‘something’ back.” I think it’s true but we can’t appreciate that until we stop looking at our own circumstance long enough to appreciate the significance of someone else’s. When we truly appreciate another’s struggle, our own becomes less burdensome and we are suddenly not alone. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">One day, while driving in the car, Jack and I had the pile redistributing conversation. I would have him name someone who he thought had no issues and then I trusted him with the insight of what they were actually battling. Boy A, who seems to have it all together, he is dyslexic and struggles every day to get through school. Boy B, who was mean to you in class, has a parent battling cancer. Boy C, who you see playing outside physically uninhibited, his parents are going through a divorce and his father is moving out. Everybody has something and the sooner we can help our kids appreciate that, the sooner they can move from a state of feeling cheated by life to feeling compassion for others who are also struggling through it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> This last example is raw but honest. I only share it because there are some of you who I am confident want to shoot me the middle finger when I suggest something like perspective in your unimaginable circumstance. I get it. Maybe I even deserve it. When my mom died, the wife of her first cousin stepped in to play a significant role in my life. I affectionately called her “Aunt Mary” even though she really wasn’t my aunt at all. You might remember that I mentioned her in the introduction. She is significant here because she invited me to church, bought me a Bible, and told me about Jesus in a personal way that my previous church upbringing full of rituals had not. My life was shaped by my Aunt Mary’s influence and I have my faith because of her investment in me after the loss of my mother. If my mother had not passed away, the God fearing wife of her first cousin would not have stepped in and introduced me to the Author of my faith. I miss my mother dearly and not a day goes by when I don’t wish that she were in my life and the life of my children. I also have the raw and eternal perspective that her passing put into motion a chain of events that led me to Jesus. Perspective is both hard and beautiful sometimes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">So to wrap up this chapter and attempt to pull it all together, let’s travel back for a moment to where we started. Our children have the potential to find their identity in “that which they cannot control” like a disability, divorce, death of parent, or another life-changing event that they did not get a vote on. What we can conclude from those who have walked this road ahead of us is that we as parents have the ability to speak into how they interpret and incorporate those realities into their story. A few of the tools at our disposal include the opportunity to focus on their personal strengths, help them take practical steps toward service and positive action, enable them to see their ongoing purpose, and give them the gift of lasting perspective. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Thanks to those of you who are following along as I post these chapters. My sincere prayer is that you feel both encouraged and equipped. </span><span style="font-family: Cambria;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Ginnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16410062421039388842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434265307063515235.post-28177413653985780862019-09-26T14:41:00.000-07:002019-09-26T14:48:54.877-07:00Truths I Want My Special Needs Kid to Know- Part 3<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; line-height: 32px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Chapter 2.</u></b> His Condition Does Not Define Him. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">While I was preparing for this chapter, I posted a research question onto Facebook. I simply asked, “What defines you?” Among adults without special needs, I received answers like, “Being a mom,” “The energy I put into the world,” and “My curious and adventurous spirit." A friend who tragically lost her husband when she had three young children said, “I believe we are defined in life by what happens to us and how we respond to it.” I found her response especially interesting because it reflected that what defined her was influenced by what she had experienced. I remember growing up feeling defined at times by the fact that I did not have a mother so I understood how an event could shape how you define yourself. Other than that one insightful response, the other responses felt pretty sterile and predictable without a real trend. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">So I took my poll to the next level and asked the same question of a group of adults with a degenerative neurological condition. Their responses were encouraging but, like my friend who had lost her husband, also reflected what they had experienced. For example, some of their responses were, “Not what l look like but by what I do,” “My resilience,” “My strength,” “My sense of humor and stubbornness,” “Plowing through the obstacles and doing it with grace," and “My acceptance of what is happening to me.” The trend in their responses encouraged me because it reflected a positive spirit of resilience. There was one response that made me sad though and perhaps it was the most vulnerable. One gentleman replied, “My ability to fake normalcy.” The response that bubbled up inside of me was that I don’t want to raise a kid who has to fake a state of being in order to fit in or make others comfortable. I so appreciated this man’s honesty but I want more than that for my child. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">My original question of how do people define themselves was now evolving more into what influences that definition. I will be honest and say that I had a pretty narrow hypothesis on the front end. While I hoped that some people would define themselves with some sense of purpose or calling, I expected the vast majority of people under 20 to be defined by what they were good at like basketball, school, art, etc. I expected special needs kids to run the risk of defining themselves by what they couldn’t do. I then expected people beyond high school age to define themselves by what role they played and how they performed at it such as exhausted college student, busy mom, successful lawyer, etc. Can I just go ahead and say that I hypothesized flat wrong. How we define ourselves is way more fascinating and complicated than what I expected to find. The results from the next stage of my little survey made me want to change careers and go into legit psychosocial research. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">So after I saw the response about defining yourself by your ability to “fake it” and determined that was not what I wanted for my child, I decided to explore how teenagers from different backgrounds define themselves and look for trends for what influenced that. I asked some friends of mine, who are teachers, to offer the prompt, “What defines you?” to their classes and then share the results with me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The first responses to come in were from a friend who teaches at a junior high in a Houston suburb where 94% of the students are on free and reduced lunch (a program for students who are considered to be living in poverty). The school is 29% African American and 58% Hispanic. She was kind enough to poll several of her classes and send me the results. Several of the students reported identity markers that you would expect like being shy, happy, or good at a certain skill. When I removed those and evaluated what was left, the first thing I noticed was the common theme of behavior-associated identity. They had statements like, “I get angry easily,” “I act good and make good grades,” “I don’t think before I say something,” “I act normal so I don’t get in trouble," "I act nicely so no one gets mad,” and “I am a bad person who never gets anything done. I am told something and I do the opposite.” I wondered if this was developmental because kids that age are learning what behavior is not appropriate or if it was environmental because I had been told that the kids in this school came from tough homes and tough economic conditions. I would have to wait for my comparison groups to come in before I would know. Several students also commented on how they are known for standing up to bullies or not being a bully. I asked my friend about this and she said the district pushes anti-bullying heavily. Finally, several of the students reported that what defined them was how well they played a certain video game. I found this especially interesting because it came up several times with this group but not once with any of my other groups. I don’t want you to think that all of the responses from that group were concerning. The most encouraging response was “I love making people feel happy in their darkest moments” and perhaps the funniest was, “My belief in God, chicken, and ramen noodles”. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">My next friend to report her results works in a completely different environment from our Houston suburb kids. She teaches at a private Christian Classical school outside of San Antonio. It was clear in the first few responses that the kids in this program defined themselves by a completely different standard. Of course I had the responses like “I am good at gymnastics,” and “I make good grades,” but once I moved those aside, what was left to stand out was clearly a reflection of faith and teaching. One response was, “Following Christ’s example of transforming people through loving them.” That was certainly a far cry from saving the world on your PS4. These kids also gave me, “That I believe in God and hold myself as close to him as possible,” “I try to honor Jesus by being the best form of myself,” and “My merit and my integrity. It not the cards you are dealt but what you choose to do with them that matter.” Perhaps the most honest response from this group was, “I should find my identity in Christ but I struggle and find it in my friends and achievement.” Like the kids from Houston, how these kids defined themselves had clearly been influenced by their environment but in a completely different way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The third response to come in was from the other side of the world. A good friend of mine is a teacher at an International school in Dubai. She teaches students from many different countries and cultures whose parents pay a lot of money for them to attend her school. This vision for the school is reflected in a document that they call their Community of Practice. In it they have learning principles for their students to help them maximize their learning through a common culture of independent thinking, self-awareness, risk taking, and reflection. When the students of this school were asked what defines them, their answers were more much more intuitive. They included responses like, “I am defined by my passion and positive attitude towards learning,” or “I am defined by my introverted personality and few close friendships," "I am defined by my creativity and interest in things others would pass over," and "I am defined by my inspirations, which can come from anything.” I was impressed by the empowered thinking across the answers like from this student, “I am defined by my hard work to get what I want. When I really want to achieve something I'll work at it and do my best until I achieve it.” Of course this school had answers that mirrored other schools and my expected responses of, “I am defined by my love of soccer” but my goal was to see what common themes set them apart and for this group it was their culture of higher-level intuitive thinking. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">My fourth and final response came from a group of kids who live in a small Texas town with a population of less than 20,000. It is 75% Caucasian, 10% African American, and 15% Hispanic. Only 10% of the city has bachelor’s degree or higher and the city ranked <span style="background-color: white;">in the top 10<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>on the list of "Top 101 cities with the largest percentage of people in other types of correctional institutions (population 1,000+)." My friend who teaches in this community reported that a large percentage of his students have at least one parent in jail due to drug-related crimes. I expected this group to look a lot like my students from the Houston suburb and while there were some similarities, there was also one difference that really stood out. There were behavior-based responses like we saw in Houston but then there was an overarching theme of family and hope for the future. Some examples include, “</span>What defines me is my dad’s rough past. It inspires me to keep going,” “My mom gives me direction and my decisions define me,” “My future gives me direction and keeps me out of trouble,” and, “My mom and my idols give me direction. They make mistakes but that is okay because we all make mistakes.” I am not a psychologist so I am not going to try and interpret these results except to observe that it appears someone is speaking into the lives of these kids and pointing them in a direction that it not determined by where they came from or what they have experienced. When asked what defines them, they produce answers that suggest that positive teaching is working. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">So why are these findings significant and worth sharing here? I believe they are significant because what they suggest should be encouragement to this parent of a special needs child who wrote, “Alex<span style="color: #1d2129; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;"> is 15 and it is hitting him hard. He has always been a go-getter and sunshine child. But when he hit the teens, things have changed as to how he sees himself. Something shifted for Alex that influenced his identity and self-esteem.” She is experiencing what I watch for in my children every day. Their special need or life experience has the potential to affect their identity but it is not out of my ability to influence. After looking at the findings of my survey, I feel more empowered than ever with my ability to speak into what defines them.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Based on these results, there are 4 main influences to our identity: our obstacles or life experiences (that which we cannot control), our faith, our strengths, and our people.</b> Next I want to talk about each one of those a little more in depth and discuss how we as parents can influence them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Ginnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16410062421039388842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434265307063515235.post-52358298173391325622019-09-10T16:42:00.000-07:002019-09-24T13:07:24.820-07:00Truths I Want My Special Needs Kid to Know (Part 2): We Can Shape How Our Children Interact with the World. <div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; line-height: 32px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Chapter 1</u> </b>We Can Shape How Our Children Interact with the World.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Raising Jack in a World of Johns. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">My oldest son’s name is John Henderson. We chose the name because his grandfather is a John, he has 2 great grandfathers named John and even his aunt is a Johnette. We clearly like the name John in my family. But when I was pregnant and picturing this child in my mind, he just didn’t feel like a John to me until we found out that there are Johns in the world who go by Jack. The most famous of course is Jack/ John F. Kennedy. So on that day, my John became a Jack. I tell you this not to bore you but because I think it is a good illustration of what it looks like to raise a special needs kid. Let me explain. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">In a world that is full of Johns (seemingly normal kids), some of us are handed Jacks. Jacks are different. They are created with a unique purpose that changes not only how we view the world but also how we engage it. They may have most of the traits of your everyday “John” but something sets them apart and makes them a Jack. Jacks are amazing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I am crazy about my Jack (literally and figuratively). He is witty, kind, purposeful, focused, and walking around this planet with more maturity than most adults I know. Being a “Jack” has forced him to discover his strengths and how to interact with the world through them when most kids were still sword fighting in their front yard. Jack’s challenges have not only affected how he interacts with the world but they have also called into question how my husband and I interact with the world. They have laid out on the table of negotiation much of what we considered worthwhile. I care less about things like a kid’s performance at a sporting event (unless it is a picture of overcoming) and more about things like how a child engages in conversation with a senior adult at the church. I care less about an invitation to the coveted birthday party and more about my kid’s desire to serve at a local outreach. I spend less time looking to the world for affirmation and more time looking to God for purpose. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNt4jYlkCEPVm9fT0r0sSbRZDpy5zHX3TISRvJw4et96_ZHGoQ_5cpTjqFz34-7mtihO7CAaNfm2UMKcUBUht7GkICslXSFxljU41YhfjGn2MW65NfvggDmF36xB8mgwBlOYlY2gaBi80/s1600/JACKwww.ginnyhendersonphotography.com_0003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1211" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNt4jYlkCEPVm9fT0r0sSbRZDpy5zHX3TISRvJw4et96_ZHGoQ_5cpTjqFz34-7mtihO7CAaNfm2UMKcUBUht7GkICslXSFxljU41YhfjGn2MW65NfvggDmF36xB8mgwBlOYlY2gaBi80/s320/JACKwww.ginnyhendersonphotography.com_0003.jpg" width="242" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">As I raise my “Jacks” in a world of “Johns” that is run by the priorities of “Johns,” I can only succeed if I trade my lenses of personal glory and selfish ambition for lenses of purpose and kindness. Jacks don’t generally have the luxury of engaging the world through the route of selfish ambition. I believe that their challenges place them on another path and that path ends in a much sweeter destination with greater personal fulfillment. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">But there is a catch. Our Jacks are standing at a crossroads between what the world says they should pursue (and are insufficient for) and what we know is the harder but more rewarding path. Our Jacks are looking to us for guidance. Like all children, they are sponges soaking up the examples being played out before them. Licensed professional counselor, Jaqueline Sussman says, “F<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">undamental to the formation of our child’s personality development is not simply our child rearing techniques, but who we are as a person. Our own behaviors and attitudes are the primary influences that shape our children’s sense of self, whether we are aware of these or not.” In her article, <i>Six Ways You Influence Your Child</i>, she goes on to say, “Children are like sponges that daily absorb their parent’s overt and subtle expressions, attitudes, mannerisms and life perspectives, and these are the elements that deeply form their identity.”</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">How I view my child’s special need will likely carry over into how they view it and interact with it themself. So that leads me to the conclusion that I must determine what is the truth regarding my child and and then interact with them and the world in light of that truth. The first step though, is discovering that truth and making sure that I am incorporating it into my own reality now - as in, today. For example, I cannot teach my kid that they are wonderfully made if I keep referring to their condition as a curse. They won’t see themselves as a blessing if all they hear is how much their medical bills are costing me. Does that make sense to you? It sure does to me. Parents who want to influence how their child engages the world for the better may have to change how they engage it themselves. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">There are some great historical examples of such parents. I will start with the mothers. Wilma Rudolph was the first American woman to win three track and field gold medals at a single Olympics. What might surprise you is that she was born prematurely at just over four pounds. In her childhood she contracted scarlet fever and polio. It weakened her enough that she had to wear a brace on her left leg and her mother learned massage therapy to help her recover. When speaking of her mother, Rudolph <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">said, “My doctors told me I would never walk again. My mother told me I would. I believed my mother.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Abraham Lincoln had two mothers to credit with his upbringing. Losing his biological mother at the age of nine was just the start of his story. It has also been reported that Abraham Lincoln suffered recurring lapses of depression and yet he went on to be one of our nations greatest leaders. Fourteen months after the death of his mother, Lincoln’s father proposed to Sarah Bush Johnston. Lincoln had a loving relationship with his stepmother. It is said that she nurtured his intellectual development beyond her own personal ability. Jeff Oppenheimer, author of <i>That Nation Might Live, </i>writes about Lincoln’s bond with his stepmother and says, </span><span style="color: #181818; letter-spacing: 0.05pt;">“She recognized a boy of tremendous talent and saw the diamond when virtually everyone else around this gangly, awkward boy saw the rough. That’s what mothers do.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #181818; letter-spacing: 0.05pt;">Have you ever heard of Lula Hardaway? Lula Hardaway was born to a sharecropper and passed from home to home until she settled with a husband who abused her and forced her to work as a prostitute to feed the family. She was also the mother of Stevie Wonder. Lula escaped her abusive marriage and moved to Detroit where Stevie’s talents were discovered. Her strength in overcoming continued into how she related to her blind son. Lula Harding saw how talented Stevie was and how people gravitated to his outgoing personality. She pursued opportunities for her son based on his strengths instead of his weaknesses but don’t be mistaken and think that she did not worry about him. In the book <i>Blind Faith</i>, a conversation is recounted where she said to Stevie, “</span><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">I worry because I can't always be there to watch after you. I worry that you won't be happy, because you'll always wish that you could see. And there's nothing Mama can do about it.” How many of us can identify with this feeling for a special needs child? I worry about how other kids will relate to my child or if they will grieve what they cannot do. Lula Hardaway, I feel ya! Thank you for reminding us not to let our worry keep us stuck where we are. </span><span style="background-color: white;">When Stevie won his first Grammy, he handed the statuette to his mother and said "Her strength has led us to this place." <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">Lets talk about the great dads for a moment. Meg Meeker, a pediatrician, wrote a book called, </span><i>Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters</i><span style="background-color: white;"> (2007). In it she says: “</span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Fathers, more than anyone else, set the course for a daughter’s life,” and, “</span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">To become a strong, confident woman, a daughter needs her father’s attention, protection, courage, and wisdom.” We may have started our examples with influential moms but don’t think for a second that dads aren’t influential too, especially with daughters. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;">One of my favorite father/daughter examples is the relationship between Malala and her father, Ziauddin Yousafzai. In case you aren’t familiar with this story, Malala was born in Pakistan to a community that was controlled by the Taliban under a teaching that did not believe girls should attend school. Malala’s father encouraged his daughter’s education and her right to attend school. On Tuesday October 9, 2010, She was shot in the head while riding on her school bus. She was not expected to survive, but she did and went on to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014. In his TED Talk, Malala’s father concluded with, “Don’t ask me what I did. Ask me what I did not do. I did not clip her wings, and that’s all.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">Another great story is the tale of Team Hoyt. Dick Hoyt is the father of Rick Hoyt who was born with Cerebral Palsy in 1962. Rick was diagnosed with Spastic Quadreplegia and was non-verbal. His parents could tell from his interaction that he was intellectually capable and they advocated for Rick and had an interactive computer built for him so he could communicate with his parents. Rick went on to attend public school and then Boston University. His parent’s advocacy for him did not stop there. In 1977, Rick told his father that he wanted to participate in a 5-mile benefit race for an injured Lacrosse player. His father could have told him that was impossible, but instead he agreed to take up running so he could push Rick through race in his wheelchair. After the race, Rick told his dad, “W</span>hen I’m running, it feels like I’m not handicapped.” Rick and his father went on to compete in over 1000 events. Now that is an awesome dad who asks how can we make this happen instead of falling into the popular response that it can’t be done for this kid. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht11Co01ybx9aZxuCRt0IAVCnsqhJx-oyF70mrkzX6yNu6vUWNHijvLhH3PJICSWiPyg7kvxk86t002CP1Q6cQkiF6_kClYbZAkNOsncruD0BrTlkJcyyKtRUcsLJlVtc3eI5uumz-284/s1600/JACKwww.ginnyhendersonphotography.com_0006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1085" data-original-width="1600" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht11Co01ybx9aZxuCRt0IAVCnsqhJx-oyF70mrkzX6yNu6vUWNHijvLhH3PJICSWiPyg7kvxk86t002CP1Q6cQkiF6_kClYbZAkNOsncruD0BrTlkJcyyKtRUcsLJlVtc3eI5uumz-284/s400/JACKwww.ginnyhendersonphotography.com_0006.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">My two daughters were born into a culture that did not value them. They were placed in a facility so their basic needs could be met as the highest level of expectation for their lives. By God’s grace they were adopted into a family who believes that they can achieve anything. They are Jacks born into a world of Johns but they are amazing and I have great hopes for how their lives, and their brothers’ lives, will impact this world like Malala <span style="background-color: white;">Yousafzai</span>, Rick Hoyt, Abraham Lincoln, Stevie Wonder, and Wilma Rudolph, not in spite of their struggles but through them. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
Ginnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16410062421039388842noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434265307063515235.post-3439607434168675212019-09-06T12:49:00.000-07:002019-09-06T19:05:47.665-07:00Intentional Parenting: Truths I want my Special Needs Kid to Know - Post #1<br />
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<o:p> </o:p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Preface to the Preface: </span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7lrj5yEYbO8zRkIfbr_vkFXXDBgpNfMdao1Ps068-Ennl0oFB7lvgRcUX7swQF6otNLrqHeCmb1I_ox_lrf9zCVtW60FS6R7F1mwrvrYt5QWysWvUE8bGvS3PAwxxjmZAD871KtLa4fw/s1600/Costa+Rica+%25286+of+386%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1196" data-original-width="673" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7lrj5yEYbO8zRkIfbr_vkFXXDBgpNfMdao1Ps068-Ennl0oFB7lvgRcUX7swQF6otNLrqHeCmb1I_ox_lrf9zCVtW60FS6R7F1mwrvrYt5QWysWvUE8bGvS3PAwxxjmZAD871KtLa4fw/s400/Costa+Rica+%25286+of+386%2529.jpg" width="225" /></span></a><span style="font-size: large;">Alright y’all this is a long time coming. About 2 years ago, I sat down and made a list of things I want my special needs kid to know. That list turned into research and that research led to chapters. I played with the title and landed for a while on “Raising Jack in a world of Johns.” I was pretty proud of that one because my oldest is named John but he goes by Jack and of course he is my <s>parenting guinea pig</s> original inspiration for my thoughts. Then a good friend pointed out that there are other definitions for the word “John.” Well, I am definitely not writing a book about raising your kid in a world of prostitute customers, so strike that! Good idea now gone. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Here’s the deal. I want to encourage other parents who are raising special needs kids (or even kids who have endured loss or trauma, its own form of need) to consider certain truths as they shape the way their children process their stories and move forward. The second part of this deal is I’m tired of procrastinating and I don’t want to wait to publish another book to share those thoughts with you. I still don’t love the title, but I don’t want to wait to perfect that either. If you have a better one, I am always open to suggestions. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">So here we go... <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Introduction: Why do <i>I </i>get to Speak on the Topic of Raising Special Needs Kids<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">My goal in writing this is to encourage other parents who are on the journey of raising a special needs kid. I don’t have all of the answers, but I do have personal experience, professional experience, my faith, and access to good research as I navigate this road and share my insight. If you are going to take this journey with me, I think it is good for you to know a little about me and how landed where I am. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">It was the late 80’s or early 90’s and I was a young teenager. I wish I could remember the exact date, but I can’t. What I do remember is that I was spending the week with my aunt because I was sick and my widower father had to work. My Aunt Mary is a saint and she stepped in to play a mothering role for me after the passing of my own mother when I was nine. I am confident that the seeds of my faith in Christ were planted in her home by her example and her teaching. She was the first example that I saw of someone investing in another child (me) and loving them as their own. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">It is no surprise then that God placed His call on my life while I was resting in her home. I remember clearly that I was lying in bed and watching a documentary on the orphan crisis in Romania. I remember scenes of children sitting on the floor and splashing in their own urine. The journalist told of how the parentless children were lined up and then scanned to determine if they would be placed in a better orphanage or in an institution to live out their days. Those children who were clearly handicapped were separated out first to be institutionalized and then the line was scanned for anyone who had the slightest disability such as a lazy eye and then they too would join the others. I was in tears. In that moment, I told God that I wanted to give my life to serve children like that. I wanted to be a part of the solution, wherever that path took me. What I was seeing on that screen was <i>NOT </i>okay and even as a young kid, I knew that God was calling me to be a part of the solution. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I spent the next several years and the first semester of my time at Baylor University on the path to being a pediatrician. My plan was to go to medical school and then into foreign missions. One day when I was in the thick of hating Chemistry and the talks of managed care were fueling the uncertainty of physician futures, a friend recommended physical therapy. I have to confess that the initial hook was the realization that I could wear tennis shoes and comfortable pants to work every day. I am just keeping it real. My entire story is not one of heroism and faith but also has a little self-service worked in. I shadowed some pediatric PTs and knew that God was opening the next door for the promise that I had made Him so many years before. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Fast forward a few years that were lost in days of difficult classes and long nights in coffee houses and I was finally a licensed PT. As a bonus, I was also now married to a man who shared my faith and was willing to embrace my passions. I followed him to complete his schoolwork and practiced PT where the jobs were available. Don’t get me wrong; God opened some amazing doors during that time and never let me forget that when the season was right, He would open more doors to bring me back around to that promise. During those early years of marriage, Trent and I met a couple that had adopted a little girl from China. We wondered if this was the direction that the Lord was leading us in. When I was pregnant with my second son, Sam, I felt his tug on my heart that any future children would not come from my body but most certainly from overseas. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">When Sam was old enough for us to qualify, Trent and I completed our dossier to adopt a special needs girl from China. We were matched with the most perfect little face that I had ever seen on a computer screen and we would go on to name her Ruthie after the verse in Ruth that says, “Where you go I will go. Where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.” The Chinese diagnosed Ruthie with “both hands endoduction abnormality.” Needless to say, that was Chinese for, “Something isn’t right with her hands but we have no idea what it is.” Go ahead and Google “endoduction.” You will get that prompt that starts with, “Did you mean: …” With a little more research and the help of some American physicians, it appeared that she most likely had a condition called Arthrogryposis. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Finding out your are pregnant with a child with a special need and saying yes to adopting a child with a special needs start out as two very different emotional journeys. I say that because our story with Ruthie may not look like yours at the beginning. I never grieved Ruthie’s condition because I never hoped for anything different. Once Trent and I felt like we had a diagnosis, we were able to skip straight to preparation. That said, I still understand the grief and fear that you may have experienced as a first response if your special needs child is your biological kiddo. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">While we were waiting to travel to China, my oldest son, who was four at the time, started standing up from the ground by walking his hands up his thighs or the wall. There is a name for that (unlike endoduction) and it is called a Gower’s Sign. It indicates muscular weakness and is most often the first sign of Muscular Dystrophy. We took him to Texas Children’s Neurology Clinic and they ran a battery of tests and came back with a diagnosis so rare that few had ever heard of it. Those of you with biological special needs kids will appreciate this next detail. Apparently I must have been hard to reach on the day his tests came back because the Neurologist called and left me voicemail that said that he wanted to let me know that my son’s tests had come back and he was diagnosed with an extremely rare condition called Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia which means that he is going to become a paraplegic and there is no treatment. So bio moms, I get it. We grieved for the unknown and the change in script that had been handed to us. We had one motion picture in our head for this child and suddenly there had been a rewrite that we did not get to vote on. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We now faced the reality that we were bringing home a child with special needs while one of our children already at home was progressing in a special need of his own. I believe this is the point when Trent and I really started the conversation on how we wanted to raise these kids and what we wanted them to know. Like you, we talked about our fears of how the world would treat them and how that would affect them emotionally. What we knew most to be true is that how they perceived themselves would be most influenced by how we perceived them and that had to be grounded in how the Lord viewed them. We would have to fight back competing motivations like fear, anger, hurry, and even sympathy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">In July of 2013, my passion for special needs kids overseas took me to Boaji, China to work with nannies in an orphanage there. My initial instruction was to offer training but, in God’s perfect timing, the agency that sent me received a large group of referrals on kids from that orphanage the day we arrived. They now needed me to evaluate those kids from a developmental standpoint so I could help advocate for their adoption when I returned. Most of the assigned children were in the toddler room. That is where I fell in love with the cutest dimples and sweetest smile that I had ever seen. That entire story, along with the medical challenges that followed, are detailed in my book, <i>Conquering Mountains</i>. To sum it up, 6 months after returning from that trip to China, I went back to adopt that dimple faced beauty. We named her Maggie and strapped in for the roller coaster that came next. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Maggie has a single ventricle and single atrium heart defect. In plain English, that means she has half of a heart. Three months after joining our family, Maggie had 2 massive strokes that made us long-term residents of Texas Children’s hospital (TCH). A year after she came home from the strokes, she had a single-stage Fontan procedure and suffered multiple complications which renewed our “lease” at TCH. She is thankfully stable now with just a handful of residual complications from her strokes and heart condition. Her life expectancy is unknown so we approach our days probably like most of the audience reading this. We cherish our moments with her, try as much as possible to slow down and appreciate the little things, give lots of grace for her behavior in light of the neurological component, and do our best to live by the motto, “You can’t put a price on a good time.” We adopted that phrase from my late cousin who loved life and unfortunately passed unexpectedly in his 30s. We don’t know how many days we will get with Maggie so we try to embrace and live each one we have to the fullest. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Finally, it turns out that while Jack is the first to be diagnosed (and at the time, the 16<sup>th</sup>person in the nation with his diagnosis), he is not the first member of our family with HSP. Shortly after Jack’s diagnosis, we began recognizing the symptoms all around us. My father and my brother are both significantly affected by the condition too. My sister and I are carriers and will display the symptoms to a lesser degree as we age. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "cambria";">I share all of this because I want you to know that I approach this subject from myriad of directions. While I started this journey as a called and compassionate believer, I have now approached it as a pediatric physical therapist, a biological parent, an adoptive parent, a daughter, a sister, and a patient. </span><b><span style="font-family: "cambria";">I am some version of most of you and I would imagine that if you were sent here, you can see yourself in some part of my story. I am not just looking at disability but it is also looking back at me at every turn. Like you, I have hopes for my child as they encounter this world with the challenges that have been placed before them. </span></b><span style="font-family: "cambria";">Some of those hopes are motivated by Scripture, some are motivated by experience, and some are motivated by research. My plan is to outline that for you and give you some tangible framework for thought and application. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: cambria;">I see the world in layers and I tend to relate to it by digging deeper for greater understanding. In this book, I am hoping to flatten those layers and bring the foundation to the surface so we don’t just consider what we currently see but relate to the entire picture. If you are a photography junkie (like I am), you are appreciating my Photoshop illustration. </span><span style="font-family: wingdings;">😀</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">So let’s get started…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Ginnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16410062421039388842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434265307063515235.post-22320311098659171412019-07-21T05:50:00.000-07:002019-07-21T05:50:42.548-07:00Coming Home- Returning to Your Faith and Reclaiming Your Soul’s Purpose<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">My Bible reading plan had me on the book of Nehemiah this week. I love when God’s timing in my study of His Word lines up with what He is teaching me in life. For the last year, I have been immersed in bringing my Physical Therapy skills to a place that lines up with my professional goals. I took a 3-year part-time program and condensed to an 18-month full time intensive while continuing to work. At the completion of the program, I found myself exhausted and disconnected from my values and my family. Instead of operating at 80% capacity and leaving the other 20% available for quality time and hearing from God, I was operating at 110% capacity on the verge of a Chernobyl type melt down. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">As I was reading in Nehemiah this week, I couldn’t help but reflect on how my experience and what God is teaching me parallels the lessons that God had for the Jews in Nehemiah as they too tried to return to their purpose and community with God. I also thought about a family member who had a walked away from drugs several years ago and the parallel that these lessons had in her life. Whatever it is that takes you away from the teachings of your faith and the protective covering of God, I think the lessons of Nehemiah are a good guide for how to return to that place of spiritual favor, purpose, and covering. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Background - By the time we get to the book of Nehemiah, the Jewish people have been delivered from slavery, given the Promised Land, seen years of favor and blessing, walked away from their faith, and suffered the consequences of their choices to pursue their own comfort and desires over the truth that had been handed down to them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">So let’s get started on...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b style="font-size: x-large;"> </b><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">8 Steps to Return to Your Faith and Reclaim Your Soul’s Purpose </span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">From the book of Nehemiah. (I really wanted to make it 7 but Nehemiah didn’t grant me that symbolic privilege. 😀)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Acknowledge the problem, give it the gravity that it deserves, and ask for God’s help to change it</b>, <b>then step out of your perceived comfort where you are to pursue a return to where you are supposed to be</b>.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">Nehemiah was the cupbearer to the King.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">He could have stayed right where he was, but he knew that was not God’s best for him or his people. </span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>Neh 1:3-4- </i><span class="text"><b><i><sup><span style="color: black;"> </span></sup></i></b></span><span class="text"><i><span style="color: black;">They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.”</span></i></span><i><span style="color: black;"></span></i><span class="text"><b><i><sup><span style="color: black;">4 </span></sup></i></b></span><span class="text"><i><span style="color: black;">When I heard these things, I sat down and wept.</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="text"><i><span style="color: black;">For some days I mourned and fasted</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="text"><i><span style="color: black;">and prayed before the God of heaven.</span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b>Make a plan for your success</b>- Whether you are walking away from overwork, addiction, or apathy, you have to make a plan for your success or you will be defeated and find yourself back in your old patterns. I recently did this with our family worship time. I have wanted to be more intentional about scheduling them but something always seems to get in the way. So this summer, I set Friday evenings as Spaghetti and Family worship nights. It is on everyone’s calendar and even if someone is missing, we are still holding it, dadgumit. We have a plan and we are executing it.</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>Neh 2:7-9 </i><b><i><sup><span style="color: black;"> </span></sup></i></b><i><span style="color: black;">I also said to him, “If it pleases the king, may I have letters to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, so that they will provide me safe-conduct until I arrive in Judah?</span></i><b><i><sup><span style="color: black;">8 </span></sup></i></b><i><span style="color: black;">And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the royal park, so he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple and for the city wall and for the residence I will occupy?” And because the gracious hand of my God was on me, the king granted my requests.<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"> </span></span></i><b><i><sup><span style="color: black;">9 </span></sup></i></b><i><span style="color: black;">So I went to the governors of Trans-Euphrates and gave them the king’s letters. The king had also sent army officers and cavalry with me.</span></i> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="color: black;">Expect opposition and prepare to defend yourself</span></b><span style="color: black;">. The enemy does not want you to succeed. He wants to continue to hold you captive and away from all that the Lord has for you. We saw the same thing in Nehemiah when the enemies of the Jews were threatened by their efforts to regroup. This picture of Nehemiah instructing the Jews to build with one hand but be prepared to fight with the other is a great reminder of how we should all step into God’s calling for our lives because it is guaranteed that we will face opposition. </span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>Neh 4:17 </i><i><span style="color: black;">Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other,<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"> </span></span></i><b><i><sup><span style="color: black;">18 </span></sup></i></b><i><span style="color: black;">and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. But the man who sounded the trumpet stayed with me.<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="color: black;">Practice the Biblical principles of service and generosity.</span></b><span style="color: black;"> I love that this is included here at the ½ way mark. This journey has the potential to be incredibly selfish and self-righteous but God places this check right here in the middle of the story. Don’t be motivated by your own advancement or self-service but place others before yourself even to the point of self-sacrifice. Pause in your journey for a moment and make the sacrificial choice to serve someone else in his or her suffering. </span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i><span style="color: black;">Neh 5: 10-13 </span><span class="text"><b><sup><span style="color: black;"> </span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black;">I and my brothers and my men are also lending the people money and grain. But let us stop charging interest!</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span><span class="text"><b><sup><span style="color: black;">11 </span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black;">Give back to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves and houses, and also the interest</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black;">you are charging them—one percent of the money, grain, new wine and olive oil.” </span></span><span class="text"><b><sup><span style="color: black;">12 </span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black;">“We will give it back,” they said. “And we will not demand anything more from them. We will do as you say.” </span></span><span style="color: black;">Then I summoned the priests and made the nobles and officials take an oath to do what they had promised. </span><b><sup><span style="color: black;">13 </span></sup></b></i><span style="color: black;"><i>I also shook out the folds of my robe and said, “In this way may God shake out of their house and possessions anyone who does not keep this promise. So may such a person be shaken out and emptied!”<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><b><span style="color: black;">Remember the enemy is a sneaky </span></b><span style="color: black;"><b>one and he will use what seems right to deceive you into what is not.</b> This has been especially true as I have tried to make room for more margin in my life. Seemingly good opportunities come my way, but I have to consider them <u>not</u> in light of how they sound but in light of what God is calling me to in that moment. </span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i><span style="color: black;">Neh 6: 10-13 </span></i><span class="text"><b><i><sup><span style="color: black;"> </span></sup></i></b></span><span class="text"><i><span style="color: black;">One day I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was shut in at his home. He said, “Let us meet in the house of God, inside the temple, and let us close the temple doors, because men are coming to kill you—by night they are coming to kill you.”</span></i></span><i><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span class="text"><b><i><sup><span style="color: black;">11 </span></sup></i></b></span><span class="text"><i><span style="color: black;">But I said, “Should a man like me run away? Or should someone like me go into the temple to save his life? I will not go!”</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="text"><b><i><sup><span style="color: black;">12 </span></sup></i></b></span><span class="text"><i><span style="color: black;">I realized that God had not sent him, but that he had prophesied against me</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="text"><i><span style="color: black;">because Tobiah and Sanballat</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="text"><i><span style="color: black;">had hired him.</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="text"><b><i><sup><span style="color: black;">13 </span></sup></i></b></span><span class="text"><i><span style="color: black;">He had been hired to intimidate me so that I would commit a sin by doing this, and then they would give me a bad name to discredit me.</span></i></span><i><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="color: black;">Rehearse the faithfulness of God</span></b><span style="color: black;">. I loved the picture in Chapter 8 of Ezra standing on a platform in front of the people and reading the account of God’s faithfulness. I can only imagine the energy that must have be present in that meeting and how it must have given the Jewish people what they needed to continue on the course. </span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="text-indent: 0px;"> We recently had a similar experience at our home.</span><span style="text-indent: 0px;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0px;">It was the 10-year</span><span style="text-indent: 0px;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0px;">anniversary of our daughter’s adoption from China.</span><span style="text-indent: 0px;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0px;">What I found was</span><span style="text-indent: 0px;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0px;">that when I asked God to help me remember those days, He was faithful to</span><span style="text-indent: 0px;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0px;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0px;">bring to mind all that He had done to bring her home.</span><span style="text-indent: 0px;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0px;">I wonder if in that</span><span style="text-indent: 0px;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0px;">moment for the Jews, remembering moved from a history lesson to</span><span style="text-indent: 0px;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0px;">spiritual celebration.</span><span style="text-indent: 0px;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0px;">We don’t remember for the sake of remembering</span><span style="text-indent: 0px;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0px;">but instead to celebrate the faithfulness of God.</span><span style="text-indent: 0px;"> </span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i><span style="color: black;">Neh 8: 5-8 </span></i><b><i><sup><span style="color: black;"> </span></sup></i></b><i><span style="color: black;">Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing above them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up.<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"> </span></span></i><b><i><sup><span style="color: black;">6 </span></sup></i></b><i><span style="color: black;">Ezra praised the Lord, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span class="text"><b><i><sup><span style="color: black;">7 </span></sup></i></b></span><span class="text"><i><span style="color: black;">The Levites—Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan and Pelaiah—instructed</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="text"><i><span style="color: black;">the people in the Law while the people were standing there.</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="text"><b><i><sup><span style="color: black;">8 </span></sup></i></b></span><span class="text"><i><span style="color: black;">They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="text"><i><span style="color: black;">and giving the meaning so that the people understood what was being read.</span></i></span><i><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7.<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black;"> <b>Confess your sins</b>. Okay, initially I found it interesting that confession was not step one. I wonder if maybe confession as step one would have been more ritualistic on their part and maybe confession is more sincere at a point where they are invested in the process of restoration. Could it be that ritual performance without transformation is what landed the Jews here in the first place? Maybe confession after a little sweat investment and fearing for your life but choosing to stay anyway is good timing. That might be a sermon all by itself. </span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i><span style="color: black;">Neh 9:1-2 On the twenty-fourth day of the same month, the Israelites gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth and putting dust on their heads.<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"> </span></span></i><b><i><sup><span style="color: black;">2 </span></sup></i></b><i><span style="color: black;">Those of Israelite descent had separated themselves from all foreigners. They stood in their places and confessed their sins and the sins of their ancestors.<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"> </span></span></i><i><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></o:p></span><span style="color: black;"><o:p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">8. <b>Return to the community and practices that spur you on </b></span><b>to good choice and God’s will for your life and then put </b><b>systems in place in order to ensure ongoing success.</b> For some this may be going back to church or small group. It may be returning to your family. For Nehemiah it was about the Jews walking away from marrying those of other faiths and returning both physically and spiritually to the people of their faith and culture. In the last 4 chapters, the Jewish people move back into Jerusalem and recommit themselves to the tenants of their faith while setting up parameters to help them succeed moving forward. </span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Last thought- There are a lot of things that I love about the book of Nehemiah and the lessons found there but I think my favorite is the overarching message that our loving God did not give up on his people but instead made a way for them to return to his promises and blessing. The enemy would love for us to believe that we have stepped too far away but what we see here is that such thinking is a lie. I hope these 8 (I still think it would be cooler if they were 7) principles help give you the energy and direction you need to step back into the life and fellowship with God that you were designed to walk in. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Ginnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16410062421039388842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434265307063515235.post-60806146337231246412019-07-14T15:09:00.001-07:002019-07-14T15:11:45.750-07:00She's Good, I'm Good, We Are All Good<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">My twelve-year old daughter, Ruthie, has 2 statements that she makes with great frequency. They are, “Cool” and, “I’m good.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Me: “Hey Ruthie! Come look at this soccer player make this goal. “<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Ruthie: “Cool” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Me: “Would you want to go watch her play soccer sometime?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Ruthie: “I’m good”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Ruthie is one of the most content people I know. When I asked her what she wanted for Gotcha Day, she shrugged her shoulders and asked for a size 5 soccer ball. “Sweetheart we are going to get you a size 5 ball anyway because that is the size you are moving into. What do you want as a present or what do you want to do to celebrate?” Ruthie: “I’m good”. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The girl did not learn her contentment from me. I am constantly wondering what I can do to the house next, how I can tweak my schedule to make it work better for my family, how I can make a little more money for the next vacation, or where I can move to escape the traffic of Houston. My mind doesn’t stop running on how to make things better. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Then God hit me with a Ruthie-sized contentment lesson last week at the Newseum in Washington DC. To be honest, I wasn’t real sure if I was going to like the place. A museum dedicated to the Freedom of the Press didn’t sound as amazing as people were chalking it up to be. But thankfully we went to it, largely because it is the only D.C. museum that we haven’t been to previously. So there’s that. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">When you enter the museum, you are ushered to the bottom floor to start your tour. They have a super cool piece of the Berlin Wall there with an exhibit showing life on both sides. I was impressed and expected that to be the coolest part, but it got better. The 9/11 exhibit was great and I even enjoyed the exhibit on the Freedom of the Press. I mean the 1<sup>st</sup>Amendment is important and I don’t want to slight that in the least, but God had something even bigger to grab my discontented attention. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">What took my breath away (for lack of a better cliché) was the exhibit on Pulitzer Prize winning photographs. Wow! I tried to place myself in each scenario and after I re-collected my faculties, I thought, “Damn, I’m good. I’m doing okay.” I’m not setting myself on fire in the street to protest the government, sitting next to my starving children in a war zone, or passing my baby through barbed wire hoping someone will offer them a better life. I really am good. Like really, really good. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I had my 16-year old with me and I didn’t want him to see me tearing up so I stepped around the corner to a computer where all of the pictures hanging in the room were presented with interactive captions and accompanying photos. I could have sat there all day reflecting on how blessed I am to live this life that God has granted me. It is way too easy to always look to the next better thing and miss that what we are living right now is someone else’s dream life. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The Pulitzer Prize exhibit was life’s best lesson for me on contentment. How thankful I am too that He has given me a daily reminder of that lesson in a sweet little girl whose life started in an orphanage and stands now in a loving family. You’re right, baby girl. You are good and I’m good too. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I am going to share some of the Pulitzer Prize winning pictures that I thought were among the most powerful because maybe it is exactly what you need too.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPMaUyMuYJgzVV7oog0mKwF2QsT90a1hiM_QYgXB9mG-N8dbFXGilA7l5JrQfAKbAxJ5-0TR6QEshBOiDTQjGEfBaQw4FSFKb6VMroLbdKtuKZBqp8b6YMYBqTjw7kMjvX33gFLJMNX9s/s1600/blogwww.ginnyhendersonphotography.com_0003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="937" data-original-width="1600" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPMaUyMuYJgzVV7oog0mKwF2QsT90a1hiM_QYgXB9mG-N8dbFXGilA7l5JrQfAKbAxJ5-0TR6QEshBOiDTQjGEfBaQw4FSFKb6VMroLbdKtuKZBqp8b6YMYBqTjw7kMjvX33gFLJMNX9s/s640/blogwww.ginnyhendersonphotography.com_0003.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6YsK8IEk7Kr_jK0Dw3wAjC0Z1L-mrcop7EjlAG8BJPJnEnktjA-bgtYajaDb0yEbnn8usegPhRsx0Wyp-sZLngG7MlXBGqKAynKXCz50QNqEt20jPHNWzz4Ew8WvN8YMnCPRogmghrU8/s1600/blogwww.ginnyhendersonphotography.com_0006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1082" data-original-width="1600" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6YsK8IEk7Kr_jK0Dw3wAjC0Z1L-mrcop7EjlAG8BJPJnEnktjA-bgtYajaDb0yEbnn8usegPhRsx0Wyp-sZLngG7MlXBGqKAynKXCz50QNqEt20jPHNWzz4Ew8WvN8YMnCPRogmghrU8/s640/blogwww.ginnyhendersonphotography.com_0006.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Ginnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16410062421039388842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434265307063515235.post-57289656553929505832019-05-10T14:08:00.000-07:002019-05-17T18:43:49.557-07:00Trading Balloons<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZM81wl1Nth6WjPSq5ZFUy-46zRs3FgRWyXcI_IsiUcdasl9YUqZ6yOilW7oickF28fUQleF8Xc8sVVTJOLxxAPnMnUKHL0yu5zXtttScBA3jkQ9rffOtOOvWEJPn7A1rcDFEeKrdAMdI/s1600/Balloonswww.ginnyhendersonphotography.com_0003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1084" data-original-width="1600" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZM81wl1Nth6WjPSq5ZFUy-46zRs3FgRWyXcI_IsiUcdasl9YUqZ6yOilW7oickF28fUQleF8Xc8sVVTJOLxxAPnMnUKHL0yu5zXtttScBA3jkQ9rffOtOOvWEJPn7A1rcDFEeKrdAMdI/s320/Balloonswww.ginnyhendersonphotography.com_0003.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I wrapped up an 18-month class last week and for the first time in 18 months, I feel like I finally have bandwidth to think creatively and philosophically again. The Lord seems to already be stirring my heart toward something and I felt it was worth sharing. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I had a strange yet vivid memory this week. About this time of year, my elementary school used to have this program where they gave students a helium balloon for every book they read at home over the school year. At field day, you would receive all of your balloons and then walk around outside with a public display of your accomplishment. At the end of the accomplishment parade, we would release them all into the air to land in people’s yards as far as the next town over. Each balloon had your name inside with a record of your achievement. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I have a very clear memory of sitting in my bed with a stack of books that my mother had carried from our library and set there for me to read and record. They were those short hardback Disney readers and we had enough for me to fill up my page (probably the night before it was due). Here’s the deal: I didn’t read those books. I just sat there and flipped a few pages, looked at the pictures, and then wrote the title on my little form. My family was somewhere in another room probably consumed with whatever urgent task society told them warranted their undivided attention in that moment. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">When field day came, I walked around Pleasant Grove Elementary with as many or more balloons than any other student out there. My success was evident for the entire school to see and talk about. No doubt it reflected well upon my parents too who encouraged me to read that many books over the year, right? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">My mom passed away in a tragic car accident 2 months later. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">As I look back on that moment, and the very few memories that I have of my mother who lived a very busy life, I find it hard to put into words how readily I would have traded all of those balloons for just one that came with a memory of her reading in bed next to me. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtZDD0Xdvxz3Sw4xVer6jhBTZKsuFy0iUUmMgoJHCOXke0anQ73mK-T2Uyh12mcW5IVQk6OPEs5H822hyphenhyphen_FgoRUcXseMnV3EXELgVX9FBU2t73qhZ9zYYc-_fGS9rcAAFwiT2NuYhGeHo/s1600/Balloonswww.ginnyhendersonphotography.com_0002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1194" data-original-width="1600" height="475" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtZDD0Xdvxz3Sw4xVer6jhBTZKsuFy0iUUmMgoJHCOXke0anQ73mK-T2Uyh12mcW5IVQk6OPEs5H822hyphenhyphen_FgoRUcXseMnV3EXELgVX9FBU2t73qhZ9zYYc-_fGS9rcAAFwiT2NuYhGeHo/s640/Balloonswww.ginnyhendersonphotography.com_0002.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picture is from when Jack was 2 and I brought balloons home to him from an event at work. </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Fast forward. Last month, my oldest son won an award at school for making good grades. He was invited to a ceremony where he would be required to walk across a stage in front of a crowd of people. He requested not to go. That kind of public recognition is not how he rolls. I pondered, for about 3 seconds, making him participate. How else would everyone know how hard he worked, how smart he is, or (dare I admit it) what a great mom I am? We decided to trade that picture and public moment for a mother/son trip to his favorite restaurant, Cane’s Fried Chicken. Trent and I affectionately now call those moments, “trading a balloon.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">In Matthew 19:20-21, a man asks Jesus what he still lacks and Jesus tells him to go </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">sell all that he has, give it to the poor, and follow Him. I read an interpretation of that verse that the other day that suggested it was less about the man’s stuff and more about Jesus encouraging him to trade that which holds no real value (balloon) in exchange for that which does if he truly wants to succeed. As simple as that concept sounds, it really hit me. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY_BHzl5-xWbOcIcly4hiJhsJMJFYZmHkZYc1ouB4SmjZ5TG-XKKN_FpyBYPobvvi5NqDnN77pSzONNcjhUwrSXfYjPniaWcGPbMVtBnqYtwxuhFBIIM68JcUeXBnUgMXqYuTr5cUzR14/s1600/Balloonswww.ginnyhendersonphotography.com_0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1084" data-original-width="1600" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY_BHzl5-xWbOcIcly4hiJhsJMJFYZmHkZYc1ouB4SmjZ5TG-XKKN_FpyBYPobvvi5NqDnN77pSzONNcjhUwrSXfYjPniaWcGPbMVtBnqYtwxuhFBIIM68JcUeXBnUgMXqYuTr5cUzR14/s640/Balloonswww.ginnyhendersonphotography.com_0001.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Possessions, achievement, and recognition all have culturally-defined value. Like the high value dishes I inherited from grandmother that no one wants anymore, their value is fleeting as soon as culture assigns greater value to the next item or accomplishment. I am still sitting with this thought, but as I continue to ponder this notion of exchanging what isn’t real for what is, I challenge myself and you (if you need it) to stop collecting balloons for what is fleeting and instead trade those balloons for moments and allegiances who value can’t be measured and doesn’t change with time. </span></div>
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Ginnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16410062421039388842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434265307063515235.post-17630149386543958062018-01-23T16:46:00.000-08:002018-01-23T18:15:23.686-08:00Vulnerability, Mutual Respect, and the Pursuit of Healthy Relationships<br />
I have been thinking a lot lately about what it looks like to pursue healthy relationships. Like what if every relationship I was in could be a healthy relationship? What would it take for that to happen? <br />
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I was in <strike>the shower</strike> my thinking place and a phrase came to mind - <br />
<b>Mutual Respect Without Vulnerability</b><br />
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Now before you wonder too hard on why in the world I would say “without vulnerability” and call that healthy, let me make a few statements on where I am coming from:<br />
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<li>I have less than 10 (maybe less than 5) relationships in which I am truly comfortable being completely vulnerable and I am completely okay with that.</li>
<li>In church work we see <i>A LOT</i> of people who practice the opposite of this statement and walk in "Extreme Vulnerability without Mutual Respect." I would say that this particular pattern contributes to the burn out of a lot of ministers and small group participants. </li>
<li>There are countless examples where people have stepped out into an arena of vulnerability that was too large and they were not prepared for the insensitive consequences that it brought. The first example that comes to mind is Jenn Hatmaker. </li>
<li>So when I say, "mutual respect without vulnerability", I am not talking about all of my relationships, just 99% of them. 😉</li>
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So now that we are on the same page (or at least you know where I am coming from), I want to focus on the idea of mutual respect. What would it take for all of our relationships to be based on mutual respect instead of the other "go to" options like intolerance, fear, selfish ambition, anger (a big one in today’s political climate), or passivity?<br />
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I have made a list. It's not exhaustive so feel free to add to it. Someone somewhere should take this as a framework for a book chapter or employee training. You have my permission.<br />
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<b>What Is Mutual Respect:</b><br />
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1. Mutual Respect takes into account that I don’t know what is going on in your life right now and I need to remember that when I interact with you.<br />
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2. Mutual Respect acknowledges that I don’t know everything about where you came from or what you had to overcome that made you who you are.<br />
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3. Mutual Respect says I may disagree with your viewpoint but you are not equal to your viewpoint. I can separate your identity from how you stand on an issue.<br />
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4. Mutual Respect says you may have been really rude to me and everything in me may want to write your existence out of my head but that is not reality and I can still function around you and respect your role in my life in a mature and productive way.<br />
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5. Mutual Respect says that just because you are not safe for vulnerability does not mean that you are to be feared. If I can truly grasp that most people really are doing the best that they can then I can be free from fearing their perception of me or reaction to me. I can view their relational struggles with me as likely their issue and not mine. <br />
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6. Mutual Respect begs me to listen more than I speak. It recognizes the value of the other person and their story even when I have one of my own that I am jumping up and down inside to express. <br />
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7. Mutual Respect consistently honors the time, emotional energy, physical energy, and relational energy of other people. <br />
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8. Mutual Respect considers where someone may be in that moment and understands that tomorrow they may be in a different place.<br />
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9. Mutual Respect combats dehumanization. (Brené Brown has some good thoughts on dehumanization, and how it relates to issues like racism and sexual assault, that are worth reading)<br />
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10. Mutual Respect places compassion before judgment. <br />
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So I ask myself now - What does it look like to mutually respect this person? Here’s the deal, I don’t win at these all of the time. Heck, I don’t even win most of the time. I had someone tell me the other day that I need to be a better listener, and you know what? They were right. I also need to do a better job at relating to people that I would prefer to write off. This is me being moderately vulnerable as I tell you that I made this list to hold me accountable and I share it because I imagine that it might help another person (or organization) as well. <br />
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Happy Mutual Respecting. <br />
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<br />Ginnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16410062421039388842noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434265307063515235.post-48152385592097385022017-11-28T17:07:00.001-08:002017-11-28T18:59:45.406-08:00Fighting For WomanhoodLast Monday morning, I was sitting in a Dallas hotel room
with Ruthie (my 10-year old) watching TV.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She chose an OLD Christmas cartoon that I let stay on about 45 seconds
after the moment where the cartoon man up the mountain looked down on the village to spot the
prettiest girl and determine (based solely on her appearance) that she was
worthy of being wooed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The scene then switched to the cartoon maiden who sat and hoped of being chosen by such a man. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I flipped it off and had an immediate
conversation with Ruthie about how we have - thankfully - evolved as a culture and thus
she will never have to exist in that world.<br />
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I can’t help but think of Ruthie and Maggie when I flip on
shallow old cartoons or take a moment to catch up on the headlines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know what the women who have gone before
me have given me through their sacrifice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When I reflect on that, I think about my daughters. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They too will find their purpose and define
themselves with the tools that have been earned and given to them by
generations of women.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I decided to
process it out loud and make a list of what I want them to know about this
journey to define womanhood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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WHAT I WANT MY DAUGHTER TO KNOW ABOUT THE FIGHT<br />
TO DEFINE WOMANHOOD:</div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>1.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You stand on the shoulders of generations of
women who have fought for you. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What you
see as womanhood was earned with hard work and great sacrifice.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<u>Your Great Grandmother’s generation </u>- <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>fought to claim your rights</u></b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Women have neither always had the right to vote nor
were they encouraged to go to school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Your great grandmother only had an 8<sup>th</sup> grade education, but because of the sacrifices and hard work of the women of her generation, her
daughter earned a master’s degree and became one of the first women executives of a
major corporation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That didn’t just
happen by chance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That opportunity was
earned by a generation of brave women. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<u>Your Grandmother’s generation </u>- <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>fought to prove your worth</u></b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The women of her generation excelled at jobs in male-dominated industries while continuing to take care of their homes, husbands, and families.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we look back on
that generation, we think of women who proved their worth and were left
exhausted. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They worked to raise sons who
desired to play a more involved role in the family and at home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your dad is a product of that paradigm shift
and we are a better family because of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
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<u>Your Mother’s generation</u> - <b style="text-decoration: underline;">is fighting for your voice and to redefine your value</b> – This is
really divided up into two arenas. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The first
arena is one that we are witnessing in the media today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Women are using their voices to declare their
inherent value in opposition to years of objectification.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These brave women are stepping out of their
trauma to speak up for themselves and eventually for you so that you don’t have to
endure what they have experienced.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
are perhaps the boldest group in this multi-generation journey.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The second
arena is the one I am most familiar with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Like a lot of women in my generation, I observed how my mother and her
peers were exhausted from trying to measure up at home and at work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were constantly trying to prove that
they were good enough moms, wives, and employees in a world of performance and
comparison that left no time for self-care.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I have seen a shift from this pattern as the women of my generation are
finding that they don’t have to prove their value by their achievements. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are free to live from the value that is found
in their identity (hopefully as called followers of Christ) instead of their
performance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are walking through the doors their
mothers opened for them but doing so on their own terms and with balance. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>2. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not everyone progresses at the same rate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You will most likely still encounter men who
will attempt to objectify you or won’t see your worth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
temptation is to draw the conclusion that if a few are like that then they must
all be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we don’t want them to
generalize us then we cannot generalize them. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The key is to look for a man (like your
father) who respects and honors women, keep the ones who don’t in safe circles,
and please don’t settle for one who is inconsistent in his behavior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In other words, a man can’t objectify women
at lunch and then come home and respect them at dinner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You need to look for a man who respects and
honors women in all settings. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That will
be a true reflection of his heart. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>3. Your generation has a responsibility to honor the
battles of previous women and then take on battles of your
own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is important that you conduct
yourself in a manner that is worthy of the respect that was earned for you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Then, as you walk out your calling, be sure to preserve the gift of
womanhood as a strength and not a weakness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Don’t let the perversion and ignorance of a few take away all that you
bring to the table. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Show them that your
womanhood is not something to be devalued or objectified but is, in reality, a
greater contribution to your culture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
world needs the strengths of a woman.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Don’t conform to its expectations in order to fit in, but instead be
strong in who you are and faithful to all that has been gained on your behalf.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
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My sweet daughters, the world awaits you, and all that God has
gifted you with, to make it a better place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>May you find peace and purpose as you walk in a manner that honors the
sacrifices of generations of women who fought for your right, your worth, your
voice, and your value as a woman. <o:p></o:p></div>
Ginnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16410062421039388842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434265307063515235.post-34144892416070586752017-11-04T09:53:00.000-07:002017-11-05T14:10:33.244-08:00Sweet Restoration<br />
I have long said that my favorite attribute of God is that of Redeemer. Heck, I even wrote that in my bio for my book. I truly love seeing God take a tragic situation and then do His work to redeem it while I cheer from the sidelines. It is a “go God” and a “take that Satan” kinda moment that I look for in times of tragedy. My faith, how I pray for people, and the lens through which I view the world all revolve around God as Redeemer. Then last weekend came and God rocked my understanding of how He moves.<br />
<br />
I am still processing this but I wanted to go ahead and write my first post because I think there are people out there who will feel the same and can draw some kind of encouragement here. After Maggie’s illness, we saw God do incredible things in our family, our church, and the adoption community to redeem her illness. I could see it, cheer for it, and find comfort in it, but yet I still felt unsettled. God’s redemption took place quickly but it took 3 years for Him to restore my soul. <br />
<br />
I traveled to Boerne Texas last weekend for a women’s conference at a friend’s church. On the way up, I was praying and still trying to wrap my brain around this journey that I have been on for the last 3 years. It was when the speaker opened her 2nd session that I knew why God had brought me there. She spoke on Redemption versus Restoration. <br />
<br />
My mind continually jumped from our experience with Maggie, to some sweet friends who are struggling, and then to our community post Harvey. I took pages of notes and recorded my thoughts on my phone during the drive home. I am still unpacking all of that mentally but I want to share some starting points here. <br />
<br />
* <b>Redemption is an exchange</b>. God exchanged and redeemed our sin for salvation. Redemption focuses on circumstance. God redeems the tragedies of our lives for His Glory. Redemption stories are the miracles that we love to testify to. They give us hope and remind us that God is in control. <br />
<br />
<u>Redemption is exciting</u>. When we are on the outside looking in, we have energy for redemption and motivation to play a role in seeing it carried out. When we are in the thick of the tragedy personally, redemption can feel like a Band-Aid. Those on the outside are cheering for what God has done but your heart is still weary, because when it is personal, restoration still needs to occur. <br />
<br />
If we stop at redemption and miss restoration, then we are only allowing God to address our circumstances and we are missing the opportunity for Him to walk with us personally to full healing. Yes, Christ died to redeem our souls but it is the transforming power of a personal relationship with Him that makes us more like Christ every day. Entering into restoration is yielding to that transforming power.<br />
<br />
*<b>Restoration is a process</b>. It is about returning something to its original or a better condition. The speaker at this conference used the illustration of a damaged painting that is lovingly restored over several years. Once the restoration is complete, you cannot see that it was damaged from the front but you can see the evidence of the love it took to restore it from the back. She also pointed out that a restored painting is actually worth more in the art world than a painting that was never damaged because of the love that it takes to invest in its restoration. That's cool.<br />
<br />
<u>Restoration is hard</u>. It requires that we recognize our brokenness and then desire for God to play a role in the restoration of our souls. I think this next statement is important because many might feel like entering into restoration would negate the significance of their loss. I get that. A restored soul (like a painting) still carries the scars of its affliction. It is not in denial of what it experienced. It is instead in a better place where it can move forward from suffering to a state of restored purpose while displaying the workmanship of love from the One who restored it. <br />
<br />
<br />
<b>SO HOW DO YOU ENTER INTO RESTORATION AND HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN IT IS COMPLETE?</b><br />
I am not a counselor so I really can only speak from my own experience what I feel like the Bible supports. Here were the steps for me. <br />
<br />
1. <b>Recognize the Need</b>- 2 Cor 13:11<br />
I had to recognize that I needed restoration and that I was not okay with where I was spiritually and emotionally. <br />
<br />
2. <b>Rest- </b>Matt 11:28<br />
I had to rest. I cut back on my photography. I quit the job that I had worked at for 8 years in exchange for a schedule and environment that was supportive of my family and that I had more control over. This may be the biggest step for some people.<br />
<br />
3. <b>Catch the Lie- </b>James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:8<br />
I had to combat the lies of the enemy. When you are broken, the enemy comes after you with a firestorm of lies to keep you down. For me, it was about my value as a mother and a wife. For you it may be about what your future holds. <br />
<br />
4. <b>Stay in your Bible-</b> Psalm 19:7<br />
There is a temptation to look other places for tools of restoration but you have to stay focused on the truth and check those resources against the truth of Scripture. <br />
<br />
4. <b>Know Who You Are</b>- Psalm 139:13-15; Luke 12:6-7<br />
I had to see my value in Christ and who He created me to be apart from all of the places where I felt like I was failing. The statement “I am enough” became very powerful for me. <br />
<br />
5. <b>Its Really Not About You- </b>Col 3:12<br />
I had to recognize that most people who I saw as not accepting of me were struggling with their own demons and that it really wasn’t about me at all. What if they were doing the best that they could? That realization changed my lens of how I viewed others from one of fear and hurt to one of compassion. That was HUGE for me. <br />
<br />
6. <b>Don't Walk Alone- </b>Gal 6:2<br />
God gave me someone, who was completely safe, to walk along beside me in my restoration. She was a gift and she gave me a place to capture the lies that I chose to believe so I could exchange them for truth. <br />
<br />
7. <b>Take Action Steps Forward- </b>Eph 3:12; Rom 8:15; 2 Tim 1:7<br />
I stepped back into those vulnerable “places” that I add avoided with a new sense of purpose and value.<br />
<br />
8. <b>Rejoice in your Restoration- </b>Psalm 138:3; Psalm 5:11; Phil 4:4-7; Rom 5:3-4<br />
I knew my restoration was complete when I saw my value again, could relate with health and compassion to those around me, and had regained my boldness for life and ministry. It is a wonderful place to be. <br />
<br />
I pray these steps resonate with someone who is in need of restoration. I was visiting with a friend this week and she referred to wanting to learn how to exist in the “white space” of her life. I loved that mental picture. Sometimes the first step of restoration is to step away from the craziness and enter into the white space. Yes! Sign me up!<br />
<br />
For those of us who are fortunate enough to not be thick in the need of restoration, this final statement is big. How many times have we looked at someone who has experienced God’s redemption in their circumstance and judged them for not being okay now? How many times have we wondered why they haven’t moved on? It is either because we don’t appreciate their need for restoration or we are uncomfortable with the vulnerability that it takes to stand with them in their brokenness. I am flipping my lens on that now too.<br />
<br />
That really leads me into the next blog and what it looks like for us as a church to not just play a role in redemption but also in restoration. I pray this has been as encouraging to you to read as it was for me to process and write. I still love to celebrate God as redeemer but I am finding that walking with Him through restoration is even sweeter.<br />
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Ginnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16410062421039388842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434265307063515235.post-4639518090139872132017-10-28T15:45:00.000-07:002017-10-29T12:01:38.530-07:00When God Says "Not Yet"<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">He is not necessarily saying “not ever”.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I have struggled with what to write to kick off this moment
because I desperately wanted it to NOT be about me but instead about HOPE.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My prayer for <i>Conquering Mountains</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(the book) is that it would be an agent of
hope and so it is fitting that I testify to what God did to bring it to
completion. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you find yourself in a circumstance where God
is telling you “not now” then you can find hope in my experience that it
doesn’t necessarily mean “not ever.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I completed<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(or at
least I thought I had) <i>Conquering Mountains</i> in October of 2014.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maggie was home from the hospital and we were
putting our lives back together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><i>Conquering Mountains </i>was God’s gift to me as I sat alone in her hospital
room and tried to understand what we were experiencing, walk authentically in
that with the Lord, and find an avenue of healing for my exhausted heart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While the words are mine, they flowed like
water out of my heart to my fingertips and I felt like I was sharing them both
for myself and for the next person who might walk this road. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">When we got home, I read a publishing guide for Christian
authors and reached out to a few publishers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The feedback that I was given was that publishers wanted to invest in
someone with a platform or in someone who would continue writing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew neither of those were where my heart
was for this book nor my future.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After
all, the book was written in the center of my tragedy and I certainly wasn’t
signing up for that again in order to win a book deal. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also had no desire to be the next name in
Christian writing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That wasn’t my
calling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Encouraging others through this
story was my calling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I looked into self-publishing and learned that it would cost
several thousand dollars to move forward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My other reality in those months was that we were drowning in medical
bills so the expense of self-publishing was not an option either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As doors seemed to close around me, I felt an
extreme peace about shelving it until God told me otherwise, and perhaps forever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all, it was His work in me, not my
effort to put forth a product during my darkest days that brought this
about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He gave me this desire and the
ability to bring it to pass, He could take it to completion if it was His
will.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Three years passed by, we walked through heart surgery and
another four agonizing months in the hospital.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When the book would cross my mind, I would pray and hear “not now” so I
left it in my Dropbox untouched.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then
this summer God brought my healing to completion. You see he had <u>redeemed</u>
Maggie’s story but <u>restoring</u> my soul would take longer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During that time, I read <i>Rising Strong</i> and
<i>Daring Greatly</i> by Brené Brown and they rocked my world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the midst of <i>Rising Strong</i>, I heard God say very clearly, “Now is the time.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I
pulled <i>Conquering Mountains </i>back out and re-read it from cover to cover and
reflected on God’s faithfulness in the midst of that storm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Trent and I had many great conversations
about what God did and how He carried us through the unimaginable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As I looked into self- publishing again, a friend told me
about how Amazon had created a self-publishing company that published your book
for FREE.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They just take their part off
of the sell of each book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was
overwhelmed by what I thought was the reason God had told me to wait.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He wanted to save me upfront costs (so I
thought).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While that part was certainly
awesome and no doubt a blessing, it wasn’t even the beginning as to why God had
told me “not yet” so many years before and “now is the time” this summer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Here is where it gets crazy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I decided to add one last chapter as a testimony of where we are now, and
how our mountain had changed us for the long haul.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was sitting in my favorite Ikea yellow
chair, completing that chapter, when Trent informed me that the roof was
leaking in the garage as this rain event called Hurricane Harvey was making
landfall 200 miles south of us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We knew
it was going to be a long night of tropical storm force rains but we had no
idea that God was placing our next mountain at our feet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I completed the book that night, went to bed, and then woke
up the next morning to find our city flooded.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When I logged into Facebook to see how everyone was, a memory popped
up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was the 3<sup>rd</sup>
anniversary of the day we brought Maggie home from the hospital after her
strokes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I sat in my yellow chair again
and wept because I understood God’s perfect timing in having me re-read those
words in the days leading up to our next mountain and His loving reminder of
His faithfulness 3 years ago to the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We were now fully prepared to take the first steps up our next
mountain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><u><b>Here are 3 points of direction and HOPE that I pray you take
away from this: </b></u><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />1. <b>It is important that we don’t take God’s plans into our own hands and move <br /> ahead of Him in our journeys.</b><br />Perhaps the best biblical example of this is the story of Abraham, Sarai, and Hagar in <br />Genesis 16. Sarai took God’s promise into her own timing and the consequences of that <br /> action played out for generations. Now taking God’s timing into your control <br /> might not end with the creation of an entire people group but it could very well rob you <br /> of the opportunity to see the fullness of God’s blessing in His perfect plan.<br /><br />2. <b>We have to let His voice be louder than our desire. </b><br /> I write a lot about hearing God’s voice and I am confident that throws some of you for<br />a loop. For me, God’s voice is not an audible sound but is instead a passionate<br />assurance. He speaks to my heart in ways that no one else can. His voice can give me<br />extraordinary energy and extraordinary peace. Learning to hear and respond to that<br />voice was one of the greatest gifts of the Holy Spirit for me. I am also a passionate </span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">“getter done” type A personality so I have had to learn to discern what is God’s voice and<br />what is my personal desire for resolution. Anytime I am uncertain which I am hearing, I<br />stop and wait.<br /><br />3. <b>Trust that His timing is perfect. </b><br /> Oh this part is so hard. If you are in the middle of your “not now” and your heart <br /> longs for a different word, I want to encourage you to return your desire and your <br /> control back to the Lord. If He truly gave you those desires, the process of bringing <br /> them to completion will be so much more beautiful in His perfect timing. I could not <br /> have fathomed three years ago that our experience with Maggie would play out in how <br /> we responded to the greatest natural disaster that would ever hit our city and likely the <br /> greatest ministry opportunity that He would ever place before us. Only God in His <br /> sovereignty knows the reason for your “not now.” You have to trust His timing. <br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As I write this, I am listening to Spotify and the song, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Do It Again</i> by Elevation Worship is
playing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The lyrics speak to God’s
faithfulness to move mountains and how He never fails us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It says, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">You
never fail me yet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I never will forget</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Seriously, I can’t make this stuff up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I am going to post the link to the song here because if you
are hearing “not yet” from God right now, I know you must be disappointed and
confused.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take these moments to remind
yourself of His faithfulness. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ZOBIPb-6PTc/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZOBIPb-6PTc?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">DO IT AGAIN by Elevation Worship<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Conquering Mountains is available on Amazon now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is Maggie’s story and lessons we learned
along the way about how to prepare for and navigate your mountains.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you know someone who might benefit from
her story, please pass it along.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">You can order it <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Conquering-Mountains-Practical-Familys-Miraculous/dp/1975690311/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1509230465&sr=8-1&keywords=Conquering+Mountains+Ginny+Henderson">HERE. </a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Conquering-Mountains-Practical-Familys-Miraculous/dp/1975690311/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1509230465&sr=8-1&keywords=Conquering+Mountains+Ginny+Henderson"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="333" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirj18R1d3wpgygqN84n9UZXqzpgQbBefBXEKpfWZkU2x6unFGt_DaB2CzHEGTrrFcK0nAauF6XGKN2Lv-Io6I0a7u4F4gxewPac8KpZ8THB5R1CM1c6nRYxiWQW7F13hIO9N9Q02uI9Mw/s320/51RUls7pXTL._SX331_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="213" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> The presence of your
mountain does not define you. Be defined
by how you conquer it. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Ginnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16410062421039388842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434265307063515235.post-14164047400649520552017-10-05T18:53:00.000-07:002017-10-05T19:11:50.640-07:00Trading Comfort for Ministry<div class="MsoNormal">
I ran track in high school and I was terrible at it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would get ½ way around the first lap and
basically give up<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> (</span>I told you I was
terrible).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Consequently, my coach moved
me from the 400 to the 200 because I was clearly not going to run the race
beyond the point at which it became uncomfortable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I said in my last post that we are ½ way through our climb
of Mt. Harvey and today I would like to say that we are ½ way through the
race.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It feels like the theme that Trent
and I have continually run into this week is one of desire to return to that
which is comfortable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is not a shot on anyone because we are
all human and I believe our tendency as humans is to pursue safety and
comfort.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is truly natural but it is
not what God is calling us to in this hour. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A friend of mine shared a video testimony with me today in
which he was talking to the photographer and telling his Harvey recovery
story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In it he references the church
and says, “I don’t even go to church there but they brought faith to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They brought faith to me.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We did not bring faith to this precious man
in the comfort of our Sunday school rooms and programs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
brought faith to this man in the depths of our discomfort, when our own faith
was tested, and Christ’s love shown as light in a dark place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If we choose to return to lit places of comfort faster
than God has called us, I fear we will be cutting our race in half and only
performing at the capacity that we are able to perform by our own merit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s put in check all of our desires to get
back to normal against the incredible call that God has placed before us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There will be plenty of days to return to the
security of our buildings (and frankly I fear those) but for now let’s run the
race (the entire race) that has been set before us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s lean into our discomfort while trusting that
our faithfulness will produce character in us and fruit in this community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“They brought faith to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They brought faith to me”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKn2fCJlWHAAMV7fVOnay72zWYPX_ux4zzNwLbqrYC5dOfZFfNjI_ayKkPpuL1lHuUHsyZf2z9DadUqC73ZR6M7eJB18XlJAtKLb_e7_g4emIzr_QdUFaLNfHtnhWrOvjONEm65ZlrJIM/s1600/c5347fdf0d267f32ce714c3d51e55fe7--fitness-inspiration-quotes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="490" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKn2fCJlWHAAMV7fVOnay72zWYPX_ux4zzNwLbqrYC5dOfZFfNjI_ayKkPpuL1lHuUHsyZf2z9DadUqC73ZR6M7eJB18XlJAtKLb_e7_g4emIzr_QdUFaLNfHtnhWrOvjONEm65ZlrJIM/s400/c5347fdf0d267f32ce714c3d51e55fe7--fitness-inspiration-quotes.jpg" width="261" /></a></div>
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Ginnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16410062421039388842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434265307063515235.post-63713114463219251382017-10-01T16:04:00.000-07:002017-10-01T16:04:25.414-07:00Harvey in Phases<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am a categorizer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is just how my brain is wired.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I see things in rows, stages, and pictures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Harvey has been no different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like other struggles before, I have seen it
as a mountain and the recovery process feels like it fits comfortably into 3
phases.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would love to share those
phases and some cheesy illustrations with you so you can see where we have been
and where we are headed as a church and as a community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I also secretly hope that you see yourself
somewhere in there too. :)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Foot of the
Mountain<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga4acb-u0N5hidGhfQ5gSo4Lp7kP_wglX1imTLhHmUExvLjS46GTVfPfr1u2KCpt0_fkIQOIY5ESh4qL50UC6mEcZlT6JKZ-NqR8SX8hJWEAAek0bp1cZ6egkvgTX9V6wYEme9h-NXLac/s1600/phase+foot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga4acb-u0N5hidGhfQ5gSo4Lp7kP_wglX1imTLhHmUExvLjS46GTVfPfr1u2KCpt0_fkIQOIY5ESh4qL50UC6mEcZlT6JKZ-NqR8SX8hJWEAAek0bp1cZ6egkvgTX9V6wYEme9h-NXLac/s320/phase+foot.jpg" width="320" /></a>The foot of the mountain is your oh crap, honey white-out
the calendar our plans just changed, what are we going to do, Jesus take the
wheel moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I say in my book (not out
yet) that most of our mountains are not chosen but are given to us instead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was certainly true with Harvey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No one could have possibly anticipated the
challenge that was about to be handed to these individuals and this
community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It took us a few days,
standing at the foot of the mountain, to recover from our shock and start
making our plan for scaling it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am
especially proud of our church for how quickly they sprang into action with a
solid, organized response.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That led us
to Phase 1. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Phase 1- Climbing Mt.
Harvey <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz_-UVUcxRT26mVeI1qIVqR8X1xoHoLAH_-di17wxeFMgCbxrzr2Y0mOzK_xRHEgf66wblIhKpbKpCOYlCVfL7E0lTu4z3ZDhZPXNKDyuciEswIpSe6xL_BV4FlxNW52f00lof7WKFjTY/s1600/phase+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz_-UVUcxRT26mVeI1qIVqR8X1xoHoLAH_-di17wxeFMgCbxrzr2Y0mOzK_xRHEgf66wblIhKpbKpCOYlCVfL7E0lTu4z3ZDhZPXNKDyuciEswIpSe6xL_BV4FlxNW52f00lof7WKFjTY/s320/phase+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Add caption</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The theme of Phase 1 was to meet people’s immediate needs in
the most efficient way possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To do
that, we had to recruit the help of churches, non-profits, and individuals from
all over the country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were amazed at
the compassionate response that we received as we mucked out homes and provided
people with essentials like food, clothing, and toilet paper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you can bear with my illustration for a moment, phase 1
is like climbing a mountain for several reasons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is best to consult those who have climbed
it before as a preparation for what terrain lies ahead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We did just that as we formed a list of advisors,
who included pastors from Louisiana and organizations who had experience with
flooding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We also made a solid plan,
packed the necessary tools, and positioned ourselves to be flexible to respond
to unexpected challenges on the journey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">At the Top of the
Mountain- Where We Are Now<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifce7YDsvqjZ2A8pbQRdBN3LfohYFlLMj13G-OuM0Ckd91bbiVZRg2MvmHd28qzq9KLaKgi_uwAt-wlspYOwXjlYdXoXlw5O9isszEErpRVLzC8qV_alf9iapXqSV8FsD1jGAQGwMyWq4/s1600/phase+now.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifce7YDsvqjZ2A8pbQRdBN3LfohYFlLMj13G-OuM0Ckd91bbiVZRg2MvmHd28qzq9KLaKgi_uwAt-wlspYOwXjlYdXoXlw5O9isszEErpRVLzC8qV_alf9iapXqSV8FsD1jGAQGwMyWq4/s320/phase+now.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Last week, we completed the clean out of the last home on
our list.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This weekend we have a team
down handing out Bibles as we take a moment to rest and
regroup.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are truly sitting at the top
of Mt. Harvey, catching our breath, reflecting on the journey so far, and
preparing for Phase 2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Phase 2- Descending Mt. Harvey<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Eu_BwEfcFb15zaWjLOzLVhyphenhyphenVPNyDBXAbcZr2q3b2YjHvq4w2J2mIjxMLp16cBp6Q2CUee-eHogryDiXe5paDf3tWphK1MkNm4kSs7-aTV3_G3d8aMyxQjlYAfPeVlwf0vcPSkkvZGHQ/s1600/phase+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Eu_BwEfcFb15zaWjLOzLVhyphenhyphenVPNyDBXAbcZr2q3b2YjHvq4w2J2mIjxMLp16cBp6Q2CUee-eHogryDiXe5paDf3tWphK1MkNm4kSs7-aTV3_G3d8aMyxQjlYAfPeVlwf0vcPSkkvZGHQ/s320/phase+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What we realize from the top of the mountain is that
descending Mt Harvey will require as much help as ascending it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our church cannot insulate and sheetrock 91
houses (our current list) without some serious out of town support.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just as people donated clothes and toiletries
in phase 1, we will need people to donate household essentials in phase 2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please don’t think this journey is over just
because we finished taking people’s possessions to the curb.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Phase 2 is about rebuilding and we will need
help to get there. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Phase 2 is like the
redemption of Phase 1.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What we tore out
in Phase 1, we get to return in Phase 2. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p><br /></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p><br /></o:p></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p><br /></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Phase 3- Celebration and The Good Stuff<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirtHDA6jKuhGg1w7NbxvUCl4_gBTUrIULGQcIuFvp1O5-qFrQcNypWyPr7YIO2BG95var6ymZ5xtldLsbs4bBmCpP-7iYVweQbl7BQHERM2VAjzsVLIZ_DdOfJcGuZqGDjmErwjfwqEQY/s1600/phase+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirtHDA6jKuhGg1w7NbxvUCl4_gBTUrIULGQcIuFvp1O5-qFrQcNypWyPr7YIO2BG95var6ymZ5xtldLsbs4bBmCpP-7iYVweQbl7BQHERM2VAjzsVLIZ_DdOfJcGuZqGDjmErwjfwqEQY/s320/phase+3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I told someone the other day that Phase 1 is traumatic for
everyone involved, Phase 2 is necessary (like the fork you get as a wedding
gift), and Phase 3 is celebratory like the gift that you keep forever and pass
down to your children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Phase 3 is the
other side of the mountain where you celebrate where you have come and add the
finishing touches. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Let me depart from my overused illustration for a minute and
give you some examples of just some of the ideas that I have for Phase 3.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What if you and a couple of friends could
decorate the bedroom of a kid who was flooded?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What if we could put basketball goals in the driveways of kids who could
not afford them before the storm?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What
if we could deliver large potted plants for people’s front porches or wreaths
for their front doors?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What if we could
make wood signs for their living rooms that say “Home” or something even more
meaningful?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Y’all I could come up with
20 more ideas of ways that we can help families not just live in but love their
homes again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So that is where we have been, where we are as we catch our
breath, and we are gearing up to go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
still need your help.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God is doing
incredible things through this mission field and I pray that you will get as
excited as I am about joining us on it. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Ginnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16410062421039388842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434265307063515235.post-11733641824173377102017-09-27T08:27:00.000-07:002017-09-27T08:53:49.585-07:00THAT WHICH CONNECTS US<div class="MsoNormal">
I see a lot in the media today about that which divides
us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t have to mention the topics
here because, if you are like me, just the sight of some of them will make you
click the X in the top corner of your screen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Am I right? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Good news - this is
not about that. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am NOT interested in what divides us because I am so
amazed by all of the signs around me of that which links us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A statement hit me yesterday and I want to
share it and unpack it here. It will change the way that I forever look at my
days.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">There are few events in life that exist for just
that moment, few connections that occur for just that relationship, and no
situation where God can’t bring them all together to advance His purposes. <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here are a just few of the post-Harvey stories that have stopped me in
my tracks and illustrate this.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">CHINA MEETS WEDGEWOOD
ELEMENTARY<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In July of 2013 I traveled to China with a group of
strangers to love some kids in an orphanage in Baoji.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A woman named Toni Benton, who I had never met,
led that trip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We spent 10 days together
in China and then stayed in touch casually through Facebook.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When Harvey hit, she sent me a message saying
that her brother and nephew wanted to come serve and could she send them my
way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I said absolutely and to have them
contact me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hit return and did not
think about it again until 3 days later when I received a phone call from a man
telling me that he was ½ way to Houston from Virginia and that he was hauling a
cooker, tents, and enough food to feed 4000 people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh, and that his Aunt Toni had sent him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After
I regrouped and caught my breath, I connected them to Wedgewood Elementary,
which is in our church’s neighborhood and sits in the middle of one of the
hardest hit areas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The men set up in the
parking lot of the school and fed families who had no means of transportation
but were able to walk to the school and get a meal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What blows me away is that I went to China with Toni
thinking our time together was all about China.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After all, that would have been enough because we did some good work
there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>BUT GOD had more in mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He knew that 4 years later a massive flood
would hit my area and that He was laying the groundwork for meeting the needs
of His people before the waters in the Gulf even began to churn.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiahJl2OyzLyUdVAfJHogYhdsEL7NIQOW1tkM0X6RMx9SfC62mJQ450zS7L-8ljpPHJ8FT7uVj0nWXmXMvm6xmr1YuBT5vTAhZqFzSDhfhiUfTQjL2GuOV3INcmfKtvVjd_edTA5_KO3g/s1600/21585647_10103800111353273_421406023_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiahJl2OyzLyUdVAfJHogYhdsEL7NIQOW1tkM0X6RMx9SfC62mJQ450zS7L-8ljpPHJ8FT7uVj0nWXmXMvm6xmr1YuBT5vTAhZqFzSDhfhiUfTQjL2GuOV3INcmfKtvVjd_edTA5_KO3g/s400/21585647_10103800111353273_421406023_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">MY WHITE CHRISTMAS
MEETS MY STORM<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In December of 2010 my family won a contest with the Weather
Channel to bring snow to our home for Christmas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those who are like, “Say what?!?!” can read
about it <a href="http://houston.culturemap.com/news/city-life/12-17-10-let-it-snow-league-city-family-will-have-a-white-christmas/">HERE</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is another amazing
story for another day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anyway, I have
kept casually in touch with one of the producers who we just fell in love with
as a family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When Harvey hit, she
checked on us multiple times and then just recently passed our name on to
another producer who is in the area looking at follow up stories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have been able to share with him some of
our greatest needs in this area and he is hoping to spotlight some of those in
upcoming segments. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So here is where I have to sit down again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>GOD KNEW when we won that White Christmas event
that He was laying the foundation for a relationship that would serve people
years later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thought my Guaranteed
White Christmas was just about God blessing my family after a hard season but
it was so much more than that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God was
laying the groundwork for helping our community in its hour of greatest need. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNGtB6p2hGygnpS7Q0WO6GCRH90JRxjRFYRpxE0dEysdUcJIpYvGd3a7bsZ7xydGNPIRNPS-JqePx5Iai-HFerpKT0wBzbciIXhNmqyuLMedMbtw7SEV3B_Ed3cB2fcdUnG6FSorC3CdA/s1600/White_Xmas_0279.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNGtB6p2hGygnpS7Q0WO6GCRH90JRxjRFYRpxE0dEysdUcJIpYvGd3a7bsZ7xydGNPIRNPS-JqePx5Iai-HFerpKT0wBzbciIXhNmqyuLMedMbtw7SEV3B_Ed3cB2fcdUnG6FSorC3CdA/s400/White_Xmas_0279.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">PHOTOGRAPHY MEETS
DISASTER RELIEF<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So this one is more of a compilation of stories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of my photography business comes from
friends, neighbors, and church members.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Then there are the ones that I wonder how on earth they found me and it
is always a crazy chain of events and connections.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When Harvey hit, I was able to see on
Facebook that several of my photography clients were flooded and many were
the families that were mysteriously connected to my business.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our church was able to step in and serve
those families by cleaning out their homes and providing furniture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I can see now that God was strategically placing them in my path, through photography, so they could be served even greater during
their time of need.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To go along with that, I am feeling like my
time as a professional photographer is coming to close.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It makes me wonder if this is the wrap up of
the purpose of that business. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK0m5x_iXcSujWjrNJacpVigdm1_Yg5XJNQ1Q0PbfzodMxpd7wcKXFMueXwUM_XFAWpjlCkxe3nVXlH_2c47eJQoDlnOjCMkfxSdOucWf9plsxONnHwqXeVDRlSB6LZt_21G4w7xgFLx0/s1600/IMG_2896.JPG.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK0m5x_iXcSujWjrNJacpVigdm1_Yg5XJNQ1Q0PbfzodMxpd7wcKXFMueXwUM_XFAWpjlCkxe3nVXlH_2c47eJQoDlnOjCMkfxSdOucWf9plsxONnHwqXeVDRlSB6LZt_21G4w7xgFLx0/s400/IMG_2896.JPG.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Y’all I have at least 10 more stories like this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I shared these because I think the lessons
that God is teaching me are good for all of us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Here are a few takeaways:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">We can find peace and hope in knowing that God
is strategically working to redeem our greatest trials before they even occur.</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">It is important to stay in contact with people
who pass through our lives because you never know when God may bring you back
together to achieve His purposes.</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">God is moving around you.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Open your eyes and see it.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Don’t get so busy in your tasks that you miss
the opportunity to see God working in your life.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">It might just take your breath away.</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">We
have the ability to be more connected than divided if we keep our eyes fixed on
Christ and His purposes.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">I don’t know if
the people we have served or served with are Republicans or Democrats.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">I don’t know if they kneel or stand for the
national anthem.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">I don’t know if they
own guns or support Obamacare.</span><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </b><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I just know that God is moving in them or through them
and that is something that I want to be a part of with them.</span></b></li>
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Ginnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16410062421039388842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434265307063515235.post-27090761381317576072017-09-09T19:16:00.002-07:002017-09-09T19:25:55.480-07:00Manna Saturday<u>Manna</u><br />
Today was a productive day at the church and probably one of the coolest for me personally. We have been given a generous amount of donations so we decided to pack bags that we could deliver straight to the neighborhoods. It also gave us a way to check on the families that we had served in the week before to see if they had other needs.<br />
<br />
I sent the teams out before lunch and most came back with incredible stories of gratitude, tears, and unfortunately more need. We were able to then load people up with those specific items and send them back out to meet those needs. On 4 different occasions, I had someone walk up with an area of great need at the exact same time that someone approached me offering to volunteer to go somewhere. It was crazy to witness God meet those needs immediately. <br />
<br />
<br />
<u>Phase 2</u><br />
From the beginning of this recovery it was clear to us that this would be a fluid process and that we would need to be one step ahead of the change. Our stationary distribution center has now served everyone who can get to us and we want to transition to a more mobile distribution plan where we deliver products directly to those who need them. That will help us to minister to families better and meet their exact needs. We found earlier today that there are a lot of families who don't want to ask for help or are so stuck in their devastation that they can't even process how to go about finding what they need. We want to reach those people better in Phase 2. <br />
<br />
As we finish cleaning out homes soon, we will be transitioning to mold remediation and helping people prepare to put their homes back together. This will include rebuilding but it will also include some cool projects like building furniture. We are still working out those details but I am excited about the potential there. Please stick with us and keep sending teams because we will need you in this phase as well.<br />
<br />
<br />
<u>My Battle- just a final thought</u><br />
I was up at the church last night at 9:00 helping to unpack the last shipment. I was beat and honestly beyond my sanity window. I walked out into the hall and saw a couple walk in with their bags. They had just arrived to stay for the night before donating their time this weekend. I looked in their eyes and I immediately identified with the excitement I knew they were feeling to be there and be able to get started helping.<br />
<br />
I have been on several mission trips and I am always somewhat giddy when I arrive. I can't wait to step into their battle and fight for them for just awhile. It occurred to me last night that for the first time, I am the resident missionary. I am the exhausted full timer who needs to hand some part of her battle over to the giddy weekender. They are entering my battle. <br />
<br />
I am grateful for every volunteer, team member, and servant who walks through those doors to back us up. I have been honored to see family, friends, and former coworkers step in to help us. We are not alone and neither are the people of this community. This is a battle for sure, but we are in it together.<br />
<br />
<br />Ginnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16410062421039388842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434265307063515235.post-45788092276922674952017-09-06T19:54:00.003-07:002017-09-06T19:54:50.120-07:00Manna Moments Post #2<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our church continues to see God move in miraculous and encouraging ways as we recover from Hurricane Harvey. We are calling those "Manna Moments" and I am sharing them here. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have 3 Manna Moments to tell you about from the last 2 days:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. SILVERWARE MANNA</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The first was with our kitchen. I asked our kitchen lead, Miriam, to tell about it in her own words and this is what she wrote:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oh my goodness!!! It was about way more than
just silverware and it really was just the icing on the cake!!! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These people drive up- someone came and got us. Each evening I would make a list of how we could
improve what was being done by us along with things we needed. Each day we
tried to write a list of our needs and post on our "work board" that
way when someone called or walked in we had it ready... </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My prayer that morning</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> was to provide
Gatorade (our field peeps were requesting), water (we WERE) running low and
silverware (we only had limited amount remaining). That truck (with just people
from Pearland as they said) had water, Gatorade, much more and these
two humongous boxes of silverware... tears just rolled down bc I have never
witnessed so many miracles and they had just been coming in day after day as we
prayed, God provided and then that happened!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. A PIANO</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This morning one of our families that we served posted this amazing video of their daughter playing a piano while the flood waters were rising around her. As I shared it, I initially wrote "I would love to find someone to replace that piano". I then felt prompted to remove that and pray instead. So I did and I prayed specifically for someone to give them a piano without me having to ask. A few hours later I received a Facebook message from a friend stating that she wanted to donate her piano to the family in my post. It brought me great joy to share that story with both the family and the individual donating that God was answering prayers for them and through them. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. A LESSON FROM LONG AGO</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yesterday I woke up to the most unexpected Facebook message. It was this picture from my 1st grade teacher's son who I have never met. I remember this day clearly. The local newspaper came and ran a story on my teacher's classroom economy system. What surprised me most was what her son wrote. He said,<span style="background-color: white;"> "</span></span><span style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: -0.11999999731779099px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You were the first student to put that idea in motion! Because of you and Mom, they are doing it Nation Wide!!"</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: -0.11999999731779099px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Okay so I have no memory if being an entrepreneur at 6 years old so I have to think one of two things is true- either my mom helped put that in motion with my teacher OR my behaviors was so bad that it prompted such ingenuity. :) Regardless, if what he says is true, the classroom economy system that my children participate in today was kicked off by my 1st grade teacher in like 1982. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: -0.11999999731779099px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I walked away from that post encouraged </span><b style="letter-spacing: -0.11999999731779099px; white-space: pre-wrap;">that we have no idea how the steps that we put into action today will impact generations to come</b><span style="letter-spacing: -0.11999999731779099px; white-space: pre-wrap;">. When we volunteer in a home, we are making a generational impact. When we give someone supplies in the name of Jesus, we are making a generational impact. When we serve a meal to a volunteer, we are making a generational impact. Mrs. Book, my first grade teacher, will never know that her efforts impacted the children of her students and I believe that the fruit of our efforts today will extend far beyond what we will ever see too. </span></span></span></div>
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Ginnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16410062421039388842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434265307063515235.post-29037595357553197422017-09-05T15:43:00.001-07:002017-09-05T15:43:28.849-07:00Manna Moments Post #1<div class="MsoNormal">
We are 9 days post Hurricane Harvey hitting Houston.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of us have experienced moments of shock,
moments of great motivation to participate in recovery, and other moments of
profound sadness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What has helped me
move forward, when my heart wants to get caught up in the devastation, is to
reflect on the moments that I have seen God move before and after this
storm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My husband calls them manna.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We might just label them “manna moments”
here. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I would love to record some of those stories so you can find
your own encouragement in how God demonstrates His love for us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Here are the first ones:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<u>Manna Moment- Preparing us for Harvey<o:p></o:p></u></div>
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Did you know that Trent took his first ever sabbatical this
summer? It lasted 4 weeks and ended the week before Harvey hit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe God knew that we would need to be
well rested going into this recovery phase.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Some might call that coincidence but then what about the fact that our
youth minister, who was filling in for Trent, taught those 4 weeks on loving
your neighbor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Was that preparation of
our church for response also a coincidence?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Nope.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Here is another way God prepared us and it requires a little
backstory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When Maggie had her strokes 3
years ago, I wrote a book and titled it, Conquering Mountains.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the time I felt like it was just a place
for me to process all that God taught me. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So instead of self-publishing it, I just
stored it away on my computer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
honestly did not think about it again until about a month ago when I felt like
God was telling me that it was time to pull it back out and reconsider
publishing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I re-read the entire book
and recounted God faithfulness as I made a few changes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wrote the last sentence as Harvey was preparing
to make landfall on Saturday, August 26th. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On Sunday, August 27<sup>th</sup> we woke up
to find our entire city flooded.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On
Monday, August 28<sup>th </sup>, as the water was still rising around us, a
reminder popped up on my newsfeed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
was the 3 year anniversary of the day we brought Maggie home from the
hospital.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God was reminding me of his
faithfulness with Maggie’s mountain so he could lovingly prepare me for Mt. Harvey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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I believe that the God who so lovingly prepared us for this
storm is still present to lovingly guide us through the recovery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t wait to see how He moves and I look
forward to sharing those stories with you here. <o:p></o:p></div>
Ginnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16410062421039388842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434265307063515235.post-47736848498540385412017-09-01T05:44:00.002-07:002017-09-01T05:44:53.214-07:00SURVIVING POST-HARVEY<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmrCJDoGe-tK9NcMUIYjHnmPRb8MKkQg789t6Nflhwr8ft6OvhU2RxqUlAeG3qsQdajQ48CUys7wwxeWwAxpIiRiWyeo7cKnAMBR5K_SPGngTLuycl9k6pplYCXEnnphKC7hU3aU6eJBQ/s1600/gettyimages-840239148.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmrCJDoGe-tK9NcMUIYjHnmPRb8MKkQg789t6Nflhwr8ft6OvhU2RxqUlAeG3qsQdajQ48CUys7wwxeWwAxpIiRiWyeo7cKnAMBR5K_SPGngTLuycl9k6pplYCXEnnphKC7hU3aU6eJBQ/s400/gettyimages-840239148.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Joe Raedle/Getty</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I am not a counselor and I have never experienced a natural
disaster of this magnitude before, but I have experienced trauma and I was on
the grounds of Haiti shortly after the earthquake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Trent and I have noticed many similarities
between what our community is experiencing now and what we have experienced in
the past and I hope that I might have some words of wisdom and encouragement
for you:<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<div style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"> 1.<span style="font-family: helvetica neue, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: 'helvetica neue', arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">ADRENALINE IS A LIFE-SAVER AND A KILLER.</span><span style="font-family: 'helvetica neue', arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: 'helvetica neue', arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Most of us are running on
adrenaline right now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a life-saver
and helps us find the energy to get what we need done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What I experienced after Maggie’s strokes
though was a post adrenaline survival crash when I returned home from the
hospital.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My body rhythm had adjusted to
its new best friend and did not know how to function without it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One of the first signs, for me, of
living on adrenaline is when I wake up in the middle of the night wide
awake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I noticed this in the last few
days and started taking steps to break it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I have cut out any power naps in the middle of the day and started
taking something to help me sleep all the way through the night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You need to figure out how to keep your body
on a normal sleep cycle and not become dependent on adrenaline.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'helvetica neue', arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: 'helvetica neue', arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><br /></span></span>
<div style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: 'helvetica neue', arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: 'helvetica neue', arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER IS REAL AND MOST
OF US WILL EXPERIENCE IT AFTER THIS.</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: 'helvetica neue', arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When I returned from Haiti, my
entire body broke out in hives and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could
not fathom stepping back into life as I knew it before my trip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My family had a counselor call me at 6 am one
morning and I remember him saying, “Of course you are feeling this way. Your
eyes have just witnessed what no one should ever have to see.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What you are feeling is COMPLETELY NORMAL for
what you have experienced.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ya'll I was
50% better when I hung up that phone because <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">normalization gave me permission to not be okay and it gave me freedom
to move forward at my own pace.</b> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If I can offer you any comfort in
this moment, let it be the encouraging words that were offered to me. What you
experienced was unfathomable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our bodies
are overloaded with sights and smells that we simply do not have the ability to
process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is okay to not be okay right
now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>YOU WILL BE OKAY AGAIN.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It may just take a little while and a little
help. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">3.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>TAKE BREAKS!!!!!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I remember the permanent
missionaries in Haiti experienced extreme burn out and fatigue. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They had to build in intentional breaks even
though the need was still great.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When
Maggie was in the hospital, Trent and I switched off daily to give us a time to
step away and regroup.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe this
was critical for our ability to walk that road for 4 months.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We have a command center at the
church were the same volunteers are working 12-15 hour shifts taking in
requests and connecting them to those who are ready to serve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Right now they are running on adrenaline but
I have already arranged for relief to come in and put them on a 3 day
rotation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can only go this hard for
so long before we crash.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you need to
get in your car and leave town for 2 days then come back, do it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you need to turn off your facebook and TV
and say I am not available again for 24 hours, do it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There will be work to be done for years but
you won’t be available to do it if you burn out in the two weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Like I said in my intro
disclaimer, I am not a mental health professional but I am pretty good at
taking on mountains.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I told a friend
today that I think I was able to spring into action while everyone else was
still in the shock phase because not much shocks me anymore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are going to get through this friends but
this is a marathon and no one wins a marathon without pacing themselves and
taking care of themselves along the way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You got this. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
Ginnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16410062421039388842noreply@blogger.com0