Six (Precious) Reasons to go to the Special Needs, Special Families Event!

Think about it...for 10 years you've had a child...a very special child.  You walk in your child's room each morning to be greeted with a big smile, no words though, because your sweet child can't talk.  Your child "talks" with her eyes.  Her eyes smile at you, letting you know that she is ready to begin her day.  You look at the clock and realize, wow, you only have 45 minutes to get her diaper changed, g-tube feed disconnected, dressed, up in her wheelchair, teeth brushed, hair combed out, and a communication notebook to write in before the bus comes! You hit the snooze button one too many times this morning - understandably so, as you can count on one hand the amount of times that you have slept the whole night through in 10 years.  You look into those smiling eyes, and you give that precious child kisses and tell her that you are happy to see her.  And then you hustle!!  As you are doing that "normal" morning routine, in your head, you thank God for another day, another day to love her and care for her. Then you begin to make a mental checklist of phone calls and emails that you have to make as soon as your daughter is on the bus. The neurologist's office needs a phone call to get in for an appointment as soon as possible (those seizures seem to be happening a little too often these days), the billing office at the Children's Hospital needs to be called (they copy your insurance card every time you go to the doctor - so you love getting those $500 bills!), email the school transportation director, call and follow-up with  the wheelchair company to see when your replacement parts for your daughter's wheelchair will be in, and write an appeal letter to the insurance company for the shower chair for your daughter that they have denied three times (how can showering not be medically necessary?!)...lots to do today.  After all those phone calls, most of which will be you leaving voice mails, leaving you with the inability to scratch that "to do" off your list, you take a deep breath and get excited that around 1pm, you'll get to go have lunch at Panera Bread with your friend - she too has a special child. The bus is here, give her a kiss, tell her to be a light for Jesus today and to do her best at school! She goes up the wheelchair lift on the school bus.  You smile as you see her face light up...she loves school.  You are so happy to see her happy that you are almost oblivious to the line of cars going both directions that are waiting (some patiently and others not so much) to get past the school bus.  Off she goes.  You'll see her again at 2:15, when she arrives home today to give you just enough time to jump in the car, jump on I-77 and rush downtown to the Children's Hospital for her 3 p.m. physical therapy appointment.   

Ladies, this a just a 45 minute snapshot of the life of a parent with a special needs child...and this is a good snapshot.  I didn't throw in walking into a bedroom to find that the g-tube feed leaked all over the bed...lol!  I am sure you can understand that in that 45 minute morning, although this precious mom found so much joy in seeing her daughter and caring for her, she was probably REALLY looking forward to 1 p.m. when she could sit with her friend, who is a mom to a special needs child as well, have a good meal and chat about life.  I am sure you can see why that relationship would be so important, even vital, to both of those moms!

Brooke Taylor, me, Sarah Shust, Michael Shust,
Aaron Shust at last year's 'Speical Needs, Special Moms' event.

Last year, was Special Needs, Special Moms.  This was the FIRST time that The Fish had an event like this...a night dedicated to encouraging the mothers of special needs children on their journey.  I had the amazing privilege of being the keynote speaker that evening, along with worship music by singer/song-writer Aaron Shust.  Aaron's wife, Sarah, spoke that evening as well.  That night was exactly what it was intended to be...encouraging, inspiring, and uplifting. It was a room full of almost 300 mothers and/or family members who are living this special needs journey day after day.  

I am thrilled to share, that if you haven't heard already, The Mom Squad and 95.5 The Fish will be presenting 'Special Needs, Special Families'  on Friday July 11th at Grace Baptist Church in Brunswick from 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.  This event is completely FREE!!!  And, this year, it is open to FAMILIES - not just the moms!  

Last year, after the event, a young woman came up to me, and said, "I don't have one friend who has a child with special needs who is a Christian...."  In so many words, she asked me to be her friend.  And I was genuinely excited to be her friend!  

My "six precious reasons" to attend this year's 'Special Needs,
Special Families' event!  

This kind of just happened with a handful of ladies from that evening.  And now, there are seven of us who are just kind of "doing life"  together.  We do bible study once a month and every couple of months we go out to eat with our whole families, and we message a ton on Facebook!   Relationships are great for the moms, but are just as important for the dads.  Our husbands talk sports and "guy stuff."  The women talk doctors, therapies, we laugh (and of course we cry), and we share our struggles, our joys, our fears, etc.  And MOST importantly, we are all Believers in Jesus Christ and so we get to encourage one another, pray for one another, and treat each other as family.  It has been a PRECIOUS experience this past year, one that I had no idea God was going to orchestrate a year ago.  These ladies are my six precious reasons to attend this event! We all need support, encouragement, and love!  On a journey that can be very isolating, it is exceptionally important to seek out these friendships.  I am so grateful to have friends who love Jesus and can relate to parenting a special needs child - or multiple special needs children.  

For this year's 'Special Needs, Special Families,' it is our sincere desire to come up with a creative way to not only have one night of encouragement, but to encourage that life long friendships be made too.  

If you have a special needs child, family member, or you are a caretaker....this event is for you!!!  If you don't have a personal connection to the special needs community, but know of someone who does, PLEASE share the information about the event with them....it could be life changing!!!

Join me, Brooke Taylor, and the rest of The Mom Squad 

Friday, July 11th

Grace Baptist Church

3480 Laurel Road, Brunswick, OH  44212

Musical guest Ginny Owens and speaker Ms. Wheelchair USA Ashlee Lundvall
will take you through a night of encouragement at Grace Baptist Church in Brunswick!

The event is FREE, but you do need to register. To register Click Here!

I look forward to this amazing event and to meeting you!!!

Many Blessings,

Christine

Show the World What You Can Do





"God made HISTORY with salvation, He showed the world what He could do." Psalms 98:2 (MSG)

When I think about my purpose and the reason that I was created, many things come to mind. I first think about my role as a mother and how I need to rear my children in a way that they will achieve nothing less than success. Next, I think about my role as an ambassador for Christ. I make it my business to speak life into every lost soul that I come across. Lastly, I think about my role in society, falling underneath the title of an African American woman. Although I only listed a few, I wear several hats. I believe that I do a decent job at balancing my different titles but nothing that I consider to be extraordinary. My desire is to impact our world in a life changing way. So I asked God, "how can my existence influence the future generations that follow me?" The Lord responded without hesitation. "In order to have influence in the future you must look back at the past." I began researching individuals that I believed made HISTORY through the lives that they lived. In honor of BLACK HISTORY MONTH I would like to recognize a very influential woman who helped pave the way for me as a writer and speaker.

 

Frances Ellen Watkins Harper is best known for her abolitionist poetry and activism. She is also known for fighting for equal rights for African Americans and women. Harper was born September 24, 1825 in Baltimore, Maryland to free African American parents. At the age of three her parents died and she was then raised by her aunt and uncle. Her uncle ran the Academy for Negro Youth which she attended until her teenage years. Harper was educated in rhetoric, literature, and the Bible. After completing her mandatory education she became a maid and studied literature and poetry often from her employer's library. Soon after, she began writing prose and poetry of her own. She was very passionate about political and social issues and she used her biblical background to assist her as she expressed herself on paper.

 

At the age of 21 Harper published her first book of poetry, Forest Leaves. In the 1850's she moved to Ohio as a teacher and became the first woman faculty member at Union Seminary(Wilberforce University). Through her teaching she continued to travel around the states and became involved in the Underground Railroad and the anti-slavery movement. During the 1860's she married Mr. Harper in Cincinnati, Ohio where they bought a farm and had their daughter, Mary. Four years later he died. Focused on providing for her daughter while pursuing her calling, Harper went back to lecturing. Her focus was the need for equal rights for women and the "Colored Race". She became a leader in the Women's Christian Temperance Union and founded YMCA Sunday Schools. Harper also participated in the First Congress of Colored Women in the United States and several other organizations.

Throughout her lifetime she lectured frequently on abolitionism, published her writing in magazines and newspapers, and sold more than 10,000 copies of her work. She was an author of fiction and poetry, a professional lecturer, and an outstanding journalist. Harper used her speaking and writing to fight racism and to build up women. Her passion for progression and change assisted her in being one of the strongest writers and speakers of her time. Harper lived an extraordinary life by showing the world what she could do. HER STORY is my HISTORY.

 

Mothers, I am asking you to now do some research of your own. I suggest starting within your family and discover which of your relatives have had some kind of impact on the world today. Also look into the women and men that have gone before you in your career field or ministry. Learning from our past is key to having a successful future. I don't know about you but I am trying to make HISTORY and SHOW THE WORLD WHAT I CAN DO! Blessings to you all!



Works Cited
Graham, Maryemma. The Complete Poems of Frances E.W Harper. New York: Oxford University Press, 1988
Hanafor, Phebe A. Daughters of America. August, Maine: True and Co., 1882
poemhunter.com
poetryfoundation.org