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Thanks for your encouraging words about yesterday's post.

I wanted to share with you an email response from one of my very best friends in the whole world.  While she's not the "wise woman" referred to in yesterday's post, she is quite wise herself.  She loves the Lord with all her heart and it is very obvious to anyone who spends more than five minutes with her!

Here's what she had to say:

That blessed my socks off this morning!  Oh, wait…I don’t have any socks on yet. J  I agree.  People often taken I Corinthians 10:13 out of context, which says, “No TEMPTATION has seized you except what is common to man.  And God is faithful.  He will not let you be TEMPTED beyond what you can bear.  But when you are TEMPTED, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.  He will never give us temptations that we cannot overcome with His power.  But He will and often does give us SITUATIONS OR CIRCUMSTANCES that we can’t handle.  And it’s only in those times that we truly understand our desperate need for Him.  Only He can turn the most difficult of circumstances for us into things we praise Him for later on, when we have the bigger picture.  I guess it’s all a part of the refining process that is making us ready for our eternal home.  Have a wonderful day, my friend.  

Now you understand why I passed it along to you.  It's a good word for all of us.

On to another subject....

There's an interesting conversation going back and forth between two bloggers and their readers.  Ellen from Love That Max, mom of a precious boy with cerebral palsy as well as a typically developing daughter, and Jill from Scary Mommy, mom of three typical children, are collaborating on a "project".

Here's how it works -

Scary Mommy readers (who tend to have typically developing kiddos) are posing questions regarding special needs which are then being answered by Love That Max readers (who tend to have special needs kiddos).

No question is off limits.  The goal is for all parties involved to learn a little something from each other.

Click here if you're interested in reading along, or even joining in the conversation.

Have a great Wednesday!

More Than I Can Handle

Today, for some unknown reason, I was reminded of some wise words that were shared with me shortly after Lily was born.

Most of you already know that our Lily Bird was a bit of a surprise for our family.

Adjustment number one.

Then on Day Two of Life, she quit breathing for about 30 seconds - just enough to shake us up, not to mention the nursing staff.

Adjustment number two.

On Day Five of Life, she quit breathing yet again, which led to a panicked 911 call, a midnight ambulance ride and the discovery of a hole in her heart requiring open heart surgery, and a host of other physical conditions.

Adjustment number three... and four... and five...... and one hundred.

Then at 18 months of age, the loss of skills such as speaking, eye contact, and smiling for a camera.

Adjustment number... infinity.

Anyway, I was sharing my overwhelming feelings of fear and inadequacy with a very wise woman and I said something along these lines to her:

"I just don't know what to do anymore.  I am at the end of my rope and I just can't take one more thing. I keep thinking of that Mother Teresa quote 'I know God's not going to give me more than I can handle, but I just wish He didn't trust me so much!' and that's exactly how I feel."

This sweet lady looked me straight in the eyeballs and said these words:

"Lana, listen to me.  That quote sounds great but it's simply not true.  God WILL give you more than you can handle.  Because He doesn't want you to handle it.  He wants you to trust Him.  He wants to take your burden and handle it.  If you could handle everything that came your way in life all by yourself, you wouldn't need Him."

Wow.

It was a true lightbulb moment for me.

I cannot tell you the sense of relief that flooded through me.

I don't have to handle everything.  Nor should I expect myself to be able to handle it all.

That's God's job and I was more than happy to delegate it right on up to Him.

Now, that doesn't mean that God's going to show up and make lunch.  Or drive Lily to yet another therapy or doctor appointment.

But it does mean that in those moments when I just don't think I can go one more minute without having a breakdown, I can keep going.

When I think my heart cannot be twisted and stretched and tugged anymore without being totally broken, my heart takes more.

On those days when I think I cannot deal with one more bit of bad news, I deal with it.

And when my prayers are nothing other than "Please, God....", He shows up.

I'm not a Superwoman.

But I am a child of God.

And He is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Amen.

Coming to a Town Near You... I Hope!

I just heard about the coolest thing.

It's called The Abilities Expo.

Think of something like a Car Show or Homeschool Convention.

But instead of cars or curriculum, this expo showcases all kinds of stuff to enhance the lives of special needs individuals, as well as their family members, caregivers, healthcare professionals, and therapists.

The Expo is also designed for senior adults to assist them in staying healthy and active as they age.

And best of all - it's totally free!

Companies can demonstrate their products and services.  There are free workshops to attend featuring topics such as how to select the best accessible vehicle, tips on traveling with a disability, or how to modify your home to make it wheelchair friendly.  There are also several special performances featuring canine assistance, adaptive sports, and dance productions.

Click here to find all The Abilities Expo has to offer adults with disabilities, special needs children or senior adults.

Click here to find out if the Expo is coming to your hometown....  or somewhere near you.

And if you click here, you can see a video of the Expo.

I'm so excited about this!  I have the Houston one on my calendar and am already looking forward to seeing what all is out there for the special needs population.

If an Expo is not coming anywhere close to you, how about emailing them to suggest it???  Be an advocate!  The worst they can do is say no.

Enjoy your Monday!

Don't Worry... Be Happy

I've been doing some thinking.

Thinking about Lily's future.

Most parents of special needs children don't like to think about the future.  We don't want to go there in our minds because we're doing our best just to get through today, let alone worry about years from now.

We spend lots of time hoping and praying that our children will lose their diagnosis or be cured of their syndrome or become "normal".

And for many of our kiddos, it's just not going to happen.

The day will come when we realize that.

And that's the day that we adjust our dreams.

And we discover a "new normal".  And I dare say - a "better normal than normal".

I've mentioned before that I go to a monthly moms of special needs kids support group.  It is truly one of the lifelines that keeps me afloat.

One of the moms is further down the road than the rest of us.  Much of our worries of the future, she has already faced.  She not only lived through it all, but came out on the other side having learned a valuable lesson.

She prayed like the rest of us that her son, J, would be "healed".

That prayer slowly changed through the years and became a prayer for her son's happiness.  A little something along these lines:

"Lord, I just want my son to be happy.  No matter how that looks to me or anyone else.  Just let him be happy with his life."

Today, J is a joyful 30 year old young man, living in his own apartment at a residential facility for adults with disabilities.  He is independent, is actively involved in his church, works a bit, and participates in activities at the facility with his many friends.

He is happy.

Oh, it may not be what the world thinks of as happy.

The world might think a 30 year old man should be a husband and a father.  A home owner.  A breadwinner.  A man who works out at the gym and coaches his son's Little League team.

But the world is not right.

J is happy.  He loves his life.  He doesn't think he's missing out on a single thing.

And you know what?

He isn't.

Playing Catch-Up

Lily is feeling good and is back at school today.  With the Memorial Day holiday and then having her home with me on Tuesday and Wednesday, it means I have quite a bit of catching up to do.

By 4 PM today, I will have:

Taken my oldest to DPS to renew her driver's license.

Delivered paperwork to the church for a summer mission trip for my middle daughter.

Taken a long overdue homemade treat to our mission's director. 

Dropped off medical request forms for 11 doctors at 4 different locations around Austin.

Sold some gently used clothes at a consignment shop.

Had lunch with my big girls and my mother-in-law.

Hunted for some serious bargains at the mall.

Looking over this list reminds me that while my day may not start that great (who really enjoys beginning the day at DPS?), it's going to end well. 

I'm heading out - see you tomorrow!

Saving a Little Time in the Kitchen

Let me start by saying that Lily is doing much, much better.  I appreciate all your prayers and get well wishes.  A hospital visit is not on our agenda this week, thank the Lord!

I only have a few minutes here since The Bird is still home with me so let's talk about food for just a bit.

I've mentioned several times now that I am removing additives, preservatives, artificial ingredients and dyes from our diet.

I just find that Lily behaves a little differently after polishing off a meal of mechanically processed meat, soy filler, erythorbate, monosodium glutamate, potassium nitrate and sodium nitrate with a side of Yellow 5 and Yellow 6, otherwise known as a hot dog and Kraft macaroni and cheese.

And I firmly believe that one of the reasons we're seeing neurological disorders such as ADHD, Autism, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and Migraines reach epidemic levels is because of all the chemicals in the food we eat.

But I don't have enough time to get going on that soapbox this morning.

The bottom line is that my family likes to eat.  And we're not willing to give up things like pancakes, cookies, hot dogs, pizza and cheeseburgers.

So I have to be smart and read food labels.  Find healthier substitutes for the things we love.  And be willing to spend a little more time in the kitchen rather than just reaching for the quickest item.  Quick prep packaged foods usually equal something that's not really a food at all.

While I like to cook sometimes, I still am not one of those women who loves to spend all day puttering around in the kitchen.

I like shortcuts.

Maybe you do, too.  Here are some things I've found to cut down on my "kitchen time" and still feel good about what I'm feeding my family:

Immaculate Baking Company - You can find these delicious, all natural and preservative free biscuits, crescent rolls, scones, cinnamon rolls, and cookie doughs in the refrigerated section of your grocery store.

Applegate Farms - Minimally processed natural and organic meats like hot dogs, bacon, sausage, and deli meats also found in your grocery store.

A weekly email menu service is a great time-saver and can help you save some money, too.

In case you haven't discovered these wonderful inventions yet, here's how they work in a nutshell:  You subscribe to the site and once a week, you get an email containing a weekly menu along with a complete grocery list.  Simple!

I used one called e-mealz for a while.  There are many options to choose from, as well as the number of people you are cooking for.  I chose the portion control menu and while it was definitely helpful and simple, it wasn't exactly as healthy as I wanted.

I'm trying one called The Six O' Clock Scramble right now.  It's kid-friendly, generally quick and simple to prepare but uses a little more fresh, whole foods, which is more the direction I'm heading in.  If a meal doesn't sound quite as tasty as I'd like, I can substitute it for another one that I find anywhere on the web and it will automatically move it to my menu and add those items to my grocery list.  Impressive.

There are many others out there.  Give one a try - I think you'll like it!

One other thing I'm going to do this summer is prep my pantry with some healthy mixes so cooking and baking can move along quickly.  Here are some mixes I'm going to try:

Bisquick

White Cake Mix

Brownie Mix

Cookie Mix

Granola

Pancake Mix

Not having to mix all the dry ingredients together every time I want to make a cake will save me a few minutes.  Which means I can be eating cake that much quicker!

Plus, it'll be so simple that I can just tell my teenagers, "Go make me some pancakes!" as I'm lounging in the bed this summer while they are scampering about, waiting to do my bidding.

OK - that's it for today!

Have a super duper Wednesday and I'll see you tomorrow!