I want to SMELL LIKE SHEEP.

My rambling thoughts of being a Shepherdess for my Jesus

by Angel Thompson on Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 10:34am ·

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In the past 4 years I have had the most humbling ministry. I get to shepherd our kids from Kindergarten – 4th grade in our KIDS Church. I have watched them grow, struggle and ask amazing questions about God, Jesus, life, family stuff and spiritual warfare that they have faced in their young lives. I have been a witness as God has grabbed their hearts and have heard them confess HIS NAME and tell everyone that they are making HIM the leader of their lives and from that moment forward that their hearts are HIS.

When I reflect back on the last 4 years I can only think of one ACTION word regarding shepherding kids…INVEST.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary States:

In`vest´

v. t.

1.

[imp. & p. p. Invested; p. pr. & vb. n. Investing.]

3.

To clothe, as with office or authority; to place in possession of rank, dignity, or estate; to endow; to adorn; to grace; tobedeck; as, to invest with honor or glory; to invest with an estate.

4.

To surround, accompany, or attend.

5.

To confer; to give.

6.

(Mil.) To inclose; to surround or hem in with troops, so as to intercept reinforcements of men and provisions and preventescape; to lay siege to; as, to invest a town.

I LOVE THIS PART OF THE DEFINITION AS WE AS SHEPHERDS DO THIS TO BRING SAFETY AGAINST THOSE THINGS THAT ARE RAGING ALL AROUND….WE INVEST IN THEM, SURROUND THEM……AS TEACHERS WE ARE LIKE A TROOP HEMING OURSELVES AROUND THEM TO KEEP THE ENEMY OUT AS THEY GAIN STRENGTH AND LAY HOLD OF GOD’S POWER IN THEIR LIVES.

8.

To expend (time, money, or other resources) with a view to obtaining some benefit of value in excess of that expended,or to achieve a useful pupose; as, to invest a lot of time in teaching one's children.

WordNet Dictionary

Verb

1.

invest - make an investment;

Synonyms: commit, put, place

2.

invest - give qualities or abilities to

Synonyms: endow, endue, gift, indue, empower

What happens however if the shepherd does not INVEST but has become….complacent?

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Com`pla´cent

a.

1.

Self-satisfied.

What view and action will you take today in the areas God has placed you?

We are called to invest.

Matthew 28:18-20

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Father, may all of our kids at YTWO feel your warmth today and may those who come in contact with one of your warriors experience something different and want to know more about you. Help all of the kids to BE THE ONE for you today. Protect them in the name of Jesus and grant them UNITY. In the name of Jesus ~ Amen

www.gccytwo.blogspot.com

www.churchofsecondchances.com

A PANDAS GLIMPSE

In 2004 our son was dx with Autism. In January of 2010 he was dx with PANDAS D/O after he contracted Scarlet Fever earlier in 2009. You can find out more by clicking the pages regarding PANDAS on this blog or go to http://www.oasisautism.org/

This short clip is from Joshua. It is a 2 minute glimpse into his life with PANDAS. You are only seeing 2 minutes of what he lives daily. The body tics you see are only an outward part of what has attacked his brain. When he comes in contact with anyone with strep it increases swelling in his brain that increases his symptoms....tics are only one symptom. Last Summer God opened a door and I was able to share with Joshua what PANDAS has been doing and why things were changing in his body. He get's it now....there are days of tears for him, yet he continues to press on. Our way of getting through it is saying "PANDAS ALERT!"

The son you hear in this clip is one that he chose to share with you as it is one of his favorites. The movements you see Joshua doing are not to the music as it was placed in later...these are the body tics he lives with. What you are seeing is mild today. He is on another round of antibiotics aside from the preventative he takes weekly.

He is amazing....he finds joy each day....and we love walking with him in the midst...there is always hope.

"Hearts" Journey with the Thompson's

Hey all.
Wow...to quote an amazing man, Matt Thompson.

Matt and I started an incredible journey back in 2001 when we promised to be there for each other through good and bad times. Laughter and tears. Sickness and health. I remember the day I talked wtih him on the phone and before we ended the call he asked if he could pray with me and I was hooked. I remember the day he peeked around my car port to pick me up for our first date. I was hooked. I remember when he asked me to move back to Ohio and the night he asked me to be his at a rest area. I remember sitting with him when his father died a month before we married and I remember walking down that isle to my side to become his rib.

Since those earlier days we have had interesting adventures and through all of it the constant has been our Lord.

Now we are still within the chapter of his failing heart and we have finally been given the news of a valve replacement will FINALLY take place the first week of January or the second. He will go through some prep work prior and then he will get his "overhaul". :O) (open heart to replace his aortic valve)

As I think of our journey so far....and what I desire for the future and that I plan to have him in it....I also know that ALL OF US....ALL OF US are only given this moment.

Each second is a blessing and I look at my strong man and am blessed with each breath i hear (each snore).

Matt, you are loved. Faithy, Joshua and I look to God giving you new strength with this valve. Don't push the recovery....just soak it in as we rest in HIM.

much love,
Angel


________________________

I need of humor: My rendition of the 12 Days of Christmas
by Angel Thompson on Tuesday, December 21, 2010 at 4:48pm


On the first day of Christmas my hubby received, a new heart valve replacement

On the second day of Christmas my hubby received 2 heparin shots and a heart valve replacement

On the third day of Christmas my hubby received 3 bowel movements
2 heparin shots and a heart valve replacement

On the fourth day of Christmas my hubby received 4 nice green salads
3 bowel movements
2 heparin shots and a heart valve replacement

On the fifth day of Christmas my hubby received 5 enemas
4 nice green salads
3 bowel movements
2 heparin shots and a heart valve replacement

On the sixth day of Christmas my hubby received 6 diet cokes
5 enemas
4 nice green salads
3 bowel movements
2 heparin shots and a heart valve replacement

On the seventh day of Christmas my hubby received 7 heparin shots
6 diet cokes
5 enemas
4 nice green salads
3 bowel movements
2 heparin shots and a heart valve replacement

On the eighth day of Christmas my hubby received 8 princess Faith kisses
7 heparin shots
6 diet cokes
5 enemas
4 nice green salads
3 bowel movements
2 heparin shots and a heart valve replacement

On the ninth day of Christmas my hubby received 9 Joshua “rocks”
8 princess Faith kisses
7 heparin shots
6 diet cokes
5 enemas
4 nice green salads
3 bowel movements
2 heparin shots and a heart valve replacement

On the 10 day of Christmas my hubby received 10 youths a caroling
9 Joshua “rocks”
8 princess Faith kisses
7 heparin shots
6 diet cokes
5 enemas
4 nice green salads
3 bowel movements
2 heparin shots and a heart valve replacement

On the 11th day of Christmas my hubby received 11 heparin shots (cause they BURN)
10 youths a caroling
9 Joshua “rocks”
8 princess Faith kisses
7 heparin shots
6 diet cokes
5 enemas
4 nice green salads
3 bowel movements
2 heparin shots and a heart valve replacement

On the 12th day of Christmas my hubby received 12 “naked day” reign checks
11 heparin shots (cause they BURN)
10 youths a caroling
9 Joshua “rocks”
8 princess Faith kisses
7 heparin shots
6 diet cokes
5 enemas
4 nice green salads
3 bowel movements
2 heparin shots and a heart valve replacement

a moment to breath...

I’m sitting here listening to “Jesus Music”, as Joshua calls it…wanting to escape away from all noise, mess, chaos and just sit in silence and the only thing I hear are the waves gently hitting the beach, feeling the cool warm breeze off the water with an occasional sea gull. A moment where life is not all consuming, a moment where my husband has a strong physical heart and strength, a moment where my son does not have PANDAS D/O that seems to consume his very thoughts and actions…just a moment to breath....an OASIS.

I want to be STILL AND KNOW! Oh, I know that my Lord is God…I just long for just a moment. There……thanks Lord for that moment and that reminder that your plans and purpose prevail. That you store our tears. That you have a plan for us. That you are God and in You, through all circumstances, I praise You for you are GOOD.

PHOTO: GUADELOUPE

Life is....fragile

Life is truly fragile, isn’t it? Because we are young we have this strange feeling of invincibility at times; as if anything could bounce off of us. Nothing could possibly harm us…as if we could truly conquer the world and all of it’s elements. Then something happens and you realize how fragile you really are. How you truly rely on people in your life, and when they are gone God shows you that your source of dependence needs to be on HIM. That your trust cannot be in the “fragile”. Not saying that we should not “trust” those around us…but remembering that our Sustainer is not a spouse…or a relationship here on earth. How the only ONE who will sustain us through the most difficult of situations in Christ.

This has truly been a testing time for our family. Four years ago Matt was diagnosed with a heart condition. A condition that is a birth defect, yet a part of his condition is still unexplainable….his weakened heart. His doctors are now working with him to strengthen his heart, with us knowing the reality that he will have surgery at some point to replace that valve…just not now. I wish I had more to tell you regarding his physical heart, yet they continue to run tests and are looking at 2 procedures to help his heart function. (When he stands up and can do the happy dance I will "dance" with joy)

So, here we sit in “fragility” knowing the only sustainer is Christ. My “strong man” having to find his strength from within and not with the physical. What a journey this has been. God has His time frame. Could He heal Matt tomorrow? Sure. Yet during this time our dependence on HIM is growing. Faithy and Joshua pray for daddy every night. With Joshua’s Autism, and now PANDAS D/O he is having a hard time with daddy not being home. Yet I am amazed with how God has been comforting him in unique ways. (Thank you Kimberly for taking him to play legos with Ben!)

Life is so fragile, isn’t it? So, here we are…in our fragile state….standing….no wait, face down at His throne. Knowing that only there will we find rest and comfort during these moments of uncertainty….moments of fragility.

There is a truth I know…God is never fragile, He has never left us, He has His timing, He is our Father….I hold tight to his promises…even in the midst of this fragile life.

No matter where you are in your journey I urge you, and I can almost hear my grandfather in my voice when I say, don’t take any breath or moment in your life for granted. I love something that Jim Elliot once said, “Walk as if your next step would take you over the threshold of Heaven.”

Life is fragile. I am glad there is one who walks before me planning my course. One who walks with me and at times carries me. I am thankful for how He has expressed Himself through people and how I have seen and experienced Him in some truly unique ways this year. I am learning so much how life is fragile...and so precious.

Take time this week and reflect on how He walks before you and what it truly means to depend. Has anything happened where He is telling you to sit, rest, be still and just trust Him and not react to what is happening around you?

Know you are all loved. Know that you are ever in our thoughts and conversations with God. Know how much we appreciate all you do and how you are truly an expression of THE BODY!

Much love,
Angel

From the THOMPSON'S to our Family @ GCC

There truly are no words to describe our love for you. You amaze us as a family, how you have accepted our son with his Autism and now with his additional diagnosis of PANDAS D/O. To put it simply, Joshua had Scarlet Fever last year and then he ended up getting strep throat at the beginning of the school year. The “strep” never left his body and ended up going to his brain which has caused him to have difficulty functioning. He has been fearful, anxious and sad. He has had an increase in impulsive behaviors and irrational thinking. He has not wanted to leave my side. He has had thoughts that people are wanting to hurt him and kill him, which happened a few weeks ago at church. He has had hours of crying, screaming and asking me, “Mommy, what is happening to me?” Faith has been such an incredible little sister, yet it has been hard for her to see her big brother withdrawing from her. Joshua began treatments with preventative medication and just finished a week long intense treatment of steroids to which I took a leave from work to be home with him to monitor the treatments. We have spent many nights without sleep, feeling drained and yet God has worked through your cards, letters, text messages, meals, cleaning our home….you have touched our hearts. You truly are living the scripture when we are exhorted to “lift one another up”, to “encourage one another”. Thank you all for your love and support during this PANDAS D/O journey that has gripped Joshua’s life and us as a family. You ARE our Family, and we love you.

If you would like to follow Joshua’s journey, you can at www.4jart.blogspot.com

Love,
Matt, Angel, Joshua & Faith

"IT'S OKAY TO DROP THE BALL"

It has been a while since I have sat at my computer to write my thoughts. Our summer was filled with constant activity. School has begun with both kids going everyday and the Lord opened the door for an incredible position for me to work with Children Services as an assessment caseworker. Huge changes.

Today as I sit here I am reminded of something I wrote in 2006, something Christ challeneged my heart and life with through my son and I just want to share it with you.

Section from:

THE TRUE INTIMACY OF BECOMING A WATER WALKER

Author: Angel Thompson

Copyright Year: © 2006
Published by Unleashing Potential Ministries, A.Thompson

All Rights Reserved.

"IT'S OKAY TO DROP THE BALL"

It is not uncommon or out of place to see Joshua with his hands full of items, everything that makes him feel comfortable and "intacted". He has Autism, and the things he clutches in his hands bring him a sense of "stability", a sense of peace.

Something interesting happened the other day that impacted my life and made me reflect on my walk with the Lord. Joshua was walking towards me and his "things" kept falling as he tried to make his way to me. I could see the desperation in his eyes as he tried to slowly make his way to where I was. At that moment I threw my arms open and said, "Run to me." As I said that he threw his "comfort" items down and ran to my open arms.

Hebrews 12:1-2a states, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith…"

As I think of my son running to me hindrance free, I am humbled once again. From Joshua I am reminded that in order to run this race, in order to make it towards the Prize, which is Jesus Christ, in order for me to have that intimate relationship with God, I need to "throw off everything that is hindering" me. All of those things that keep me from His embrace of love, grace, mercy, compassion, protection…If I would only let go and look up, I would see that He has my race marked out for me.

Don't you just love that part? Our race has been marked out! Do you think the Israelites realized that when God was going before them in a cloud during the day and fire at night? He was scouting the path, marking the way.

What are the things in your life that you are trying to "run" with? For me, it is the worry over finances and wondering "how God, are we going to make it this week? Where are we going to live? How will Joshua transition?" My worries and incessant need to figure out what to do entangles me and keeps me only inches from His embrace.

Joshua has realized he needs to throw everything aside to be in my embrace. This morning he was dressed in his OSU football outfit. Shoulder pads, helmet, football…he is a miniature line backer. As I threw my arms open, he came running and just before he lost himself in mommy's embrace, he dropped the football.

What is the "football" that you are holding on to, that entangles you, which keeps you from that intimate relationship with God? What are the things that give you that "false" sense of security to where you cannot see the path He has marked out for you?

Our walk is not a football game, you can drop the ball. He will pick it up and show you the path, the race He has marked for you as you walk in His intimate embrace.

Because I love HIM.

I don’t know what sparked the question that led to her prayer. Was it that she hears about God daily? Was it the prayer that I fervently pray for her? Or was it just GOD’S timing for her?

As she danced around the kitchen in her princess dress and gloves she said, “Where does God live?”

“In heaven”, I answered. As I began to ask her questions about Jesus and what He did for her, she danced into the other room to look at herself in the mirror. Our conversation continued talking about following Jesus and having Him in your heart, and I asked her what that would mean. She said, “You then will live in heaven.” I asked her what happens if you don’t follow Jesus and have Him in your heart?” From a distance by the mirror I heard, “Ooooo, then you go to hell.”

She came back into the kitchen and continued to spin and twirl. As she did she said she loved Jesus and wanted to live in heaven. As I shared with her what she needed to do…. in a twirl she said with a smile as she looked up, “Jesus come in my heart.”

At that moment began more questions from me. I wanted to see if she was truly grasping. She shared that she knew Jesus died for her on the cross. She stop mid twirl when I said Jesus name again and she said to me, “You mean God?” “Yes, honey.” (She gets that God and Jesus are ONE. Last year she put that together.)

So, we then prayed and she decided that she wanted to use “Bibleman’s words to pray.” Apparently his words sound cooler than mine. So with a simple nod she prayed and asked Jesus into her heart. When I asked her why she asked Jesus into her heart she simply said, “Because I love Him.”

Her journey begins.
I will not doubt the authenticity of her prayer. I will continue to lift my little girl and boy up to Jesus and pray that He gives me wisdom and knowledge to continue cultivating HIS LOVE AND PASSION into their lives. That they grow as HIS.

Lord, I just had a great conversation with Faith, and I know you heard it and that you also had a great conversation with her. Please guide her footsteps and may they continue towards you and in you. Help her to grow with Godly integrity, character and discernment. Give me wisdom to always point Joshua and Faith to you and teach them your truth!
Wow…is all I can say!

He meets Him in a yard filled with dandelions...

My son has this unique relationship with God. I could sit here and say that I am envious and that I long for that, and yet the truth is…I can have that...I do have that…one that is individual and totally and fully “ours”. (Mine and God's)

The other day as I drove around on the lawn mower cutting our "field", I could not help but to be captivated by my son who stood in the grass, dandelion “fuzz” flying around him, arms stretched upward with his face towards the sky. He would stand still and then spin and then stop and sway as if hearing some sweet sound of music only known to him.

Later he asked to ride with me and as he nestled his head on my shoulder I asked what he was doing with his arms up in the yard and he said, “Talking to God and praising Jesus.” When asked what they talked about he said “I cannot tell you, because that was God and I talking.”

He had found his “prayer closet” and went there to talk with Jesus. Uninhibited by what was happening around him, he was able to “sift” through it and find solace with God.

To understand how profound that is….individuals who have an Autism Spectrum Disorder have a hard time “sifting” through all the noises and sensory things that invade our lives daily. As you are reading this there are sounds happening around you and yet you are able to sit and concentrate to comprehend what is on your screen. For people like my son, it is like the GRAND FINALE at the 4th of July happening inside their head all the time and they have to “sift” through it…so…you can understand why I sat in awe as God and Joshua met in that yard and he and Jesus talked and sang together. It was so intimate that Joshua did not want to share the details, only that they "met"…because it was HIS TIME with HIS KING.

My son grasps the meaning of Ephesians 3:19, 20. He knows the power Jesus has in his life and he soaks up the fullness that he has been given because he belongs to HIM.

Do you know that you can know that fullness….that power….if you are HIS…it has been promised to you because HIS SPIRIT lives within you!
I challenge you today to read Ephesians 3:14-21. Meditate on it, soak it in….then go find your “yard” and meet Him there…..He’s waiting!

The Parable of the Ear of Corn

I don’t even know where to begin. I have started this entry twice. First to talk about the God encounter this past Saturday at a ladies retreat that God orchestrated me being able to go to….

Learning about rest and what that really means to rest in God. Continual learning about worship and what that entails in my relationship with Jesus….

I was so blessed to be able to spend the day with an incredible group of ladies, and during that day we were asked to take an hour to be quiet and rest. If any of you know my life and our family, you know that “rest” is something not in our vocabulary. My rest usually happens when everyone else is asleep and yet that is also some of my “busy time” to catch up. Ahh!

So, we were asked to have quiet time….resting in God. I walked to my van to find a piece of pink paper on the windshield telling me to move my van immediately because it was blocking the road. So, I drove to find a place to park….finally found a spot at the front of the camp site. By that time I had 30 minutes left for my “rest” time with God. I decided to go for a walk with my MP3 to focus on Him. Music opens my soul and He has a unique way of capturing my heart. On my walk I noticed something….an ear of corn left in the now empty field that once harbored acres of corn filled stalks. I actually stood for a while staring at this corn cob as the words played from Casting Crowns:

She is running A hundred miles an hour In the wrong direction She is trying But the canyon's ever widening In the depths of her cold heart So she sets out on another misadventure just to find She's another two years older And she's three more steps behind Does anybody hear her? Can anybody see? Oh does anybody even knows she's going down today Under the shadow of our steeple With all the lost and lonely people Searching for the hope that's tucked away in you and me Does anybody hear her? Can anybody see?

As the music played, I pulled my phone out of my pocket and took a picture of this corn cob. I then thought, “Walk back to the van and get your camera.” So, I made a mental view of where I was, found a marker and quickly walked back to the van to get my camera (in my time of rest)…when I came back I could not find the ear of corn. I looked at every marker and could not find it. I was now on a mission. I walked back to my van and began scoping down the drive along the field…looking for this ear of corn. I can only imagine what those in the camp office thought.

When I finally stopped and got out of my van three things hit me…three things that God showed me in my “rest time” with Him through an ear of corn in an empty field.

First was the field was white unto harvest, and yet there was one left and no one cared to come back for it.
Two, how easy it is to miss an opportunity to touch someone’s life for Christ when we are in a hurry to get somewhere or do something. We think we can just come back to our “marker” and it will still be there.
And three…I couldn’t stop looking…I wanted to find it. I was reminded of Christ parable about leaving the 99 to look for the 1 sheep and did not return until He found it.

How many of us only view life with Christ in the bigger picture that we run through ministry and miss those who are left bruised, hurting, seeking, longing…
How many of us rush in our lives, thinking we can come back to our “marker” and miss an opportunity…only to find them or it gone?
How many of us would search for the one?

I don’t know what “rest” means for you in you walk with God? I do know that He wants to give us HIS fullness and in my walk He showed me something about that fullness.

“All the Way Across to China”

I love being able to share my thoughts and life with each of you. I love it even more when a friend sends me their life story and I have the opportunity to enter it with them and celebrate. I asked my friend if I could share the story she sent to me about her son, Nick. Nick has Autism and what she describes left me celebrating with tears...how incredible is our God in the lives of our kids! Thank you, Kathy for allowing me to share a part of your life story with AFF!



“All the Way Across to China”

My experience with Autism has taught me that figurative speech is very hard for Nicholas to understand. He doesn’t really follow things like “It’s raining cats and dogs”, or “I feel under the weather today”. He is a visual thinker, so he probably sees actual cats and dogs falling from the sky, or someone under a thunderstorm. For him, “It is really raining a lot today”, or “I am sick” would be better ways to express those situations.


My two “neurotypical” children, however, use figurative speech easily. My son Alec, 8, started a routine at bedtime in order to express “how much” he loves me. He would tell me, “I love you, Mom”, and I would tell him “I love you more!” and he and he would think about that, then say, “I love you this much” and stretch his arms out as far as they could go. Then I would stretch MY arms out, and say, “ I love you this much times 10”. One night Alec was having trouble finding an amount high enough, so he said, “Mom, you know how many stars there are in the sky? Well I love you all that much and then triple that.” Amazed by his ability to think in such terms, I laughed and said “Wow! Triple stars! I’m not sure I can beat that!” So ever since, Alec has said “I love you triple stars”. It is such a sweet thing to hear coming out of his mouth. I hope he never stops saying it.

Kaitlyn is younger but she is not one to be outdone. She watched all this and came up with her own cosmic measurement of love, and simply tells me “I love you outer space”. This also makes me laugh out loud and she likes to tell me this not just at bedtime, but often, which often draws quizzical expressions from people when they hear her say it.

Nick, however, has difficulty thinking in such a way. He would watch all of this from his bed, and mostly he would interject with reminders of things he wants. “Mom, you need to buy me a guitar”. “Mom, I want you to buy me a Cleveland Browns uniform”. “Mom, you need to get me a train and build a train track”. It was a continuation of the list of nearly a thousand things he recites to me all day, every day. And my response was always the same, “Ok, Nick, we will try to get the things you want the most. Goodnight, Nick.” To which he would just say “Goodnight”. “I love you, Nick”. “Love you too, Mom”. “How bout a good night kiss, Nick?” And of course he would give me a kiss. Then “How bout a hug, Nick?” Which was followed by a hug. Children with autism are often uncomfortable showing affection, and Nick is really no exception. He has his moments where he will spontaneously hug me, but they are usually at times when it is not expected, like when I am cooking dinner. He can surprise me with a hug which involves his whole body, and he literally climbs up my body with his arms anchored around my neck. Since he is nearly 5 feet tall it can be a painful experience. But his expressions of love are not taken for granted by me, and I will drop what I am doing and return his hug.

So these “figurative” expressions of how much love we have for each other went largely unnoticed by Nick, and he never offered up his own comparison. Until the other day. He surprised me! I was talking to him on the phone while I was away for a week on vacation and he was staying with his dad. We had a conversation which existed mostly of Nick telling me (again) what I needed to buy for him while I was away. Right at the end of the call, Nick said, “Bye, Mom, I love you all the way across to China”. I laughed out loud and said “Wow, Nick! All the way to China? That is a lot of love”. And I could tell by the tone of his voice that he was pleased.

Moments in time...that is one that will be forever frozen within me. Little snapshots of progress made for Nick in this journey of autism. It seems that recently I have been seeing more and more of them, which fills me with hope for his future. I recently read “Born on a Blue Day” by Daniel Tammet, an adult with Aspergers syndrome with savant abilities. The book was very uplifting to me, as it explained from real experience what growing up with autism is like for someone. They don’t feel as isolated as we fear. Social interactions with others are just something that really aren’t a need for them. And a lot of the things that make them different, their odd behaviors and obsessions, are the things that as an adult make them unique and sometimes help them fit in and function as an adult.

I don’t know if Nick will continue to use his descriptive term. But even if he doesn’t, and if his affection has to be prompted by reminders from me, that’s ok. I know he loves me. All the way across to China.

Kathy Wood
www.25kids.com

I never tire of seeing God's moving

No matter where I am, I never get tired or tearless when I witness God's moving in peoples lives.
The below clip was filmed a year ago. Matt, along with other Pastor's from New Hope Community Church stood in Round Lake Christian Assembly Camp and baptized around 100 people.

Can I be president....?

I need to be cleaning for tonight’s meeting, yet I am drawn to sit and record something my son did last night on the way to soccer practice.

When Joshua arrived home from school he took a work page from his back pack with a picture of Pres. Bush and began talking to me about the President. He showed me the picture and then talked about wanting to be like the president. He then asked me if he could be president someday and if he could live in George Washington’s house. I explained that the new president would live in the White House in January. He rationalized in his mind that if he were president that he could live in GW’s house. Yet, since a new president would live there he asked if he could be Abraham Lincoln and live in his house. He asked if he could also have a wife and have children. I shared about Pres. Lincoln’s house being a museum now and that “Yes, when he is older he may marry and even have children." He thought that was interesting. (Okay, the conversation with my son who has autism, was amazing enough...yet, keep reading and you will see why I was even more amazed and humbled.)

On our way to soccer I heard Joshua in the back seat praying. This is what he prayed for, “For sticks to build a house so he could have a place for his wife and children.” Okay, why am I inspired by this?
One, I did not say, “Why don’t you pray to Jesus about that.” Joshua did that on his own. He went straight to the Lord, whom he has asked and left many things at His feet before and has witnessed the Lord’s moving in his world... and he believes it will be done.
Two, He prayed that God would provide for him and his future family. Did you catch that? He prayed for God’s provision for his future.

How often do we try “ to make a way and fix things” in our own human attempts and never ask God for HIS help?
He tells us in scripture to “ask, seek and knock and it will be given unto you.”
In these days of uncertainty with the economy, and how many families and individuals are facing financial difficulties, here was a little boy, in his own words and petition to God, teaching his mommy once again to ask, to seek, to knock…..to trust.

Lord, thank you so much for the treasure in our son. Thank you that he has such an understanding of Your love for him and that he never even hesitates to talk with You and seek You. I pray that his passion to follow You continues to grow and that he continues to gain godly character, integrity and discernment. Also, thank you for the Trust In Your God Relationship 101 lesson. Great reminder! In the midst of it all....we give it to You!

House photos by http://www.fotosearch.com/

...the inspiration is our son...

This entry is not filled with words of wisdom. It is just a simple, short story of God’s moving in a young boys life, and how God once again shows Matt and I that through HIM all things are possible. As we watched our son today we saw the words in Jeremiah 29:11 come to life…again.

The story…the inspiration is our son….and there is nothing I could ever write that could inspire my walk more than watching my son beat the odds of Autism that he lives with daily.

Below this clip you will read a short paragraph about this incredible ministry in sports today.

Upward, where Every Child IS a Winner!
Sports are a great way for children to learn about teamwork, respect for authority and sportsmanship. The sad part is all those things are being lost in today’s sporting society. With an Upward sport, these key essentials are included to create the best sporting experience for every child that participates. Each Upward Sport is designed to reveal the winner in every child. Every child plays. Every child learns. Every child IS a Winner!

www.upward.org

Cardboard Testimony

This is truly one of the most powerful things I have seen in a long while.
There are no words that I can say to add to this....just watch.