Go for the Highs!



My father always told me, ”Kelly, avoid the highs in life, and you’ll avoid the lows. Be realistic in your dreams.”

Dad urged me to be a teacher, an honorable profession no doubt, but I knew in my soul that I was a writer. But the dream of writing a book? Too unrealistic!  I might as well believe I will be an Oscar-winner.  Instead, I chose a “safe” way to continue to write and studied advertising and marketing.

From 1991 until 2007, I churned out proposals, slogans and web copy. I penned the best marketing fluff I could muster. Funny, but the writing left me empty inside.  Was I adding anything to the world that made a difference?  One night about three years ago, God called me back to the floor of my bedroom to my old dusty journals from my school years.  Pages and pages of poetry sprinkled the hand-penned stories of my life. As I read the entries on bedroom floor they brought tears to my eyes. I felt the old pains of growing up as if each event took place hours ago.

Then I heard Him whisper, “This is what I created you to do.  Write for me.” “Okay,” I thought.  ”but God, it’s too hard to be published.  Think of the odds! ”  A year later, I had a publishing contract.  The next year my first book was released, and guess who inspired me in the writing phase, calling every few days to encourage me?  That’s right, my dad.  He’s been my biggest supporter since.

Why am I telling you this story? Because I now know that we only have one life. We need to make it count.  My advice to you, then? Go for the highs!

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“The Lord Led Me”: Rescuer James King credits Divine Intervention



Wonderful story of divine intervention to find missing girl, Nadia Bloom. Miss Bloom has Asperger’s, a mild form of autism. This Today Show interview is a must see!

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

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Faith’s Ability to Uncover the Gifts of Autism: A Review of “Autism & Alleluias”:



Are you looking for additional faith-based support in raising a child with special needs?  Then pick up a copy of Kathleen Deyer Bolduc’s Autism and Alleluias.

Kathleen’s new book is a series of vignettes from her life with her autistic son Joel.  Don’t expect a sugar-coated view of life with a special needs child.  Her experiences are painfully familiar, as she describes in each chapter a daily hurdle in mothering her son Joel. Her frustrations are written in beautiful prose, creating a strange mix of beauty and pain.

Mothers of special needs children will find Kathleen’s struggles familiar:  quiet holiday church services loudly narrated by a boy who can’t be still, the daily phone calls to pick up her son, the need for “me” time, and the feelings of not being or doing enough for her family.

But here is the part about the book that I most enjoyed:

As Kathleen so perfectly describes her frustration and pain in different situations, and as she surrenders her situation to God, it is almost as if her eyes are opened to a new understanding.  As she turns to God for spiritual support, He opens her eyes and she suddenly sees each challenge in a new light: God’s light.  In that instant, the day’s challenges produce wonderful blessings: understanding, patience, love, appreciation of beauty, and quiet joy.  Only God can do that.

I was encouraged as I read this transformation of perspective so beautifully recorded in each chapter. This books shows that the most difficult of days offer special blessings.  In Joel, we find hope, meaning, and a spirit that cannot be crushed.  In Joel, we find God’s child.  In Kathleen, we find a strength that is beyond human ability. This kind of strength to endure is only found when we surrender ourselves- whatever the challenge- to God.

God has a heart for families living with autism.  This book provides a glimpse of the precious love God holds for children with special needs, and for those who care for them.

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Scholarship Contest for P31′s She Speaks Conference (and get published, too!)



Ladies: Do you dream of becoming a writer? Here is a great opportunity for you:

Right now, Glynnis Whitwer is featuring an exciting opportunity to win a Cecil Murphey (The Man Behind the Words) scholarship to Proverbs 31′s She Speaks Conference. And for the cherry on top? The winning article will be published in P31 Magazine. This is a great conference and an inspiring magazine. Get all of the details at the link below!

http://www.glynniswhitwer.blogspot.com/

You can also read about my experience at the She Speaks conference at this link:

“Not for the Faint of Heart: P31′s She Speaks Conference”

Best of luck!

Unique visitors to post: 27

Post a Prayer for World Autism Day: Friday, April 2, 2010



Autism parents:

What is the single most passionate prayer that you have for your child? Do you pray for your child’s acceptance? For finances and provisions to care for him or her? For better education? For friends?

This Friday, April 2, is World Autism Awareness Day. I’d like to celebrate the day with you by asking you to choose and post one single prayer for either your child–or for all children living with autism– on my Autism’s Hidden Blessings Facebook page.

I know that God’s heart is full of compassion for families living with autism. Even though the road is hard at times, His love is able to reach each and every child. I know that He hears every prayer.

Would you lift up your most heartfelt prayer for your child with me? Post them at:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Autisms-Hidden-Blessings-Discovering-Gods-Promises-for-Autistic-Children/45180573635

If you are a parent or if you know someone who deals with autism, feel free to share your story, too. I’d love to share this day with you.

Kelly

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Not for the Faint of Heart: P31′s She Speaks Conference



So you want to be a writer?  Or, maybe a speaker?

I have a simple truth that I want to share with  you: Dreaming about a desire is easy.  Taking the steps to make your dream come true–something you can hold in your hand like a book, for instance–that’s the hard part.

This truth you probably know.  But let me share another truth that may surprise you: When God takes you by the hand (or sometimes the scruff of your neck) and plants you and your dream smack down in middle of His will, it can be downright scary. Why?  Because when God has a plan for our lives (and our talents), He is going to require us to lean entirely on His wisdom, His strength and His provision in ways we never have before.  If He is going to use us to bring glory to His name, we are going to come to a place of need.

That is why I want to share with you my experience with Proverbs 31′s excellent She Speaks conference. When I walked through those conference room doors back in 2007 I had no idea what I was walking into.

I’ll never forget it. As soon as my feet carried my introverted self into that room full of hundreds of women, all carrying their hopes and dreams and talents to offer to the Lord, I literally felt a wave of the Spirit wash over me. It was as if I had jumped into a warm ocean wave on an hot August day, a wave so strong that my knees felt too weak to withstand it.  I stood there shaking, taking it all in. The words that came to mind were these: This feels just like coming home after a journey of years. I know God is going to show up in a big way.

He did.

Whenever we encounter the presence of God, as I did during that 2007 conference, we will be immediately humbled.  I was floored.  What do I have to offer a God so great? And yet, He had called me there. Of this I was certain beyond a shadow of a doubt.

That is why I say this is conference is not one for the faint of heart.  You will experience God there.  You will see Him in the eyes of the women, many having experienced lifelong hurts, carrying their pain in on their faces, women who desperately desire to be used by God to spare other women of the mistakes they have made in their own lives.  You will hear Him in the messages and scriptures shared by the electrified P31 Speaker Team.  You will feel His arms wrap around you in a love that leaves you both delighted and trembling in awe in the same moment.

This conference is not for the faint of heart. It’s the real deal.

If God has placed a dream in your heart and you can afford to go, get there. If God wants you there, He will provide a way.  I know my God. He is Jehovah Jireh: The Lord Who Provides. When you go, go expecting something wonderful. Expect God to show up. I promise you, if you go there looking for Him, you are going to find Him.

So what happened when I was able to attend back in 2007?

God had given me a dream to share scriptural promises with parents of children with autism (like me) in a book.  I had no means do it myself. Yes, I have a journalism degree, but mostly I am a marketer.  No one knew my name. I had no connections, no money to self publish, and not a lot of time with an autistic child at home.  But I had a God Who loves to choose the least likely of persons to do some amazing things.  I am certainly qualified as one of the least.  I pitched the proposal to two publishers.  The following September I was awarded a book deal.  In March of 2009 that book, Autism’s Hidden Blessings: Discovering God’s Promises for Children with Autism and Their Families was released.

I wish I could tell you that the journey was easy.  It was anything but easy.  Writing the story was sometimes excruciatingly painful, as God worked His truths through my soul and then out through the keyboard as I typed.  It was humbling. I often felt overwhelmed, doubting I had anything of value to say.  (Thankfully, God provided the words.)

However the most surprising thing happened after the book was released.  Again, this is something I did not expect.  After walking on that mountain during the writing process in such intimacy with God, I came down off of it with a crash. When I experienced a taste of God’s holy power and presence and suddenly I could only hear silence, it was almost more than I could bear. I have struggled with the silence for much of the year, making 2009 the hardest year of my life.

There are significant lessons that God has been walking me through since the book was released. In the book, I promised readers that “If love is all I have to give my autistic son, then God would see to it that love is enough.” I want you to know that every promise I shared in the book is being tested in my life right now.  It’s almost as if God is asking me, “Do you really believe what you wrote? Do you really believe I am enough? All that you need?”

When I wrote that love would be enough, I didn’t expect to have to find it out for myself!  But with the downturn in the economy and with half of the household income that we had in 2007, God has proved to me that yes, HE IS ENOUGH.   When we can’t afford to take Alec to his specialist, HE IS ENOUGH. When we can’t afford his medicines, HE IS ENOUGH.  When I look at our list of needs and wonder how we are going to make it, I have learned and continue to be reminded that HE IS ENOUGH.

As I write this post, I am preparing to speak to a group of 150 autism moms in Pennsylvania. I cannot wait to share God’s love with them!  I am about to burst with excitement: Yes, God is speaking!

When I walked through the doors of the 2007 P31 Conference, I had no idea what God was about to do in my life.  If I had known, would I have walked in anyway?  I would like to say, YES. God’s way–no matter how watered with tears- is always best.

Yes, I would like to go again.  But know this: This conference in not for the faint of heart. You are going to meet God there.

Are you ready?  Say a prayer. See what God is speaking to you.  If you feel His nudge, Get going!

You can register here:

http://www.shespeaksconference.com

I forgot to add:

There is a contest to win a scholarship on Lysa TerKeurst’s blog. Hurry and enter by Friday!

Unique visitors to post: 39

Authenticity Challenge: Christianity in the Raw



Tomorrow I will be posting a recap about the two week journey I have been on with my two blogging companions, @AndreaMoriarty of Autism Unplugged and
@PaulaWiseman of Sage Words: Engage, Enlighten, Encourage.  Paula, Andrea and I have been writing about the Christianity in the raw: What it really looks like on any given day.  The good – like finding 10 reasons to praise God – and the bad – like keeping it cool when your son smashes your iPhone — each day brings new challenges that test our Christian faith.  But what does it all mean?

Let’s talk tomorrow!

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Who Let the Dog Out?



Ever notice how the flavor of any given day can turn sour on a dime?

In today’s Authenticity Challenge post, I have to fess up and get real here.  Sometimes I am amazed at how quickly a small incident can change my attitude.

Let’s take a look at today: Everything was running smoothly.  Matt was off on a trip. The kids had been exceptionally good, and everything was under control.  Elise was invited to a birthday party and it was nearly time to go.  Just as I was about to give the call for coats and shoes, the doorbell rang.  I looked out of the upstairs window and saw three neighborhood kids at the doorstep.

“We’re late for the party. Don’t answer it!” I called out to Elise and Alec. I waved at the kids and called through the window that we were leaving and that my kids could not play.  Just as I was doing that, however, I heard the front door open. Apparently, Elise had not heard me.  As I watched my little Shih Tzu scuttled past her legs and bolted out into the muddy front yard.

The kids squealed and began chasing our dog, Pogo, up and down the street. Elise ran out in her party clothes to join in the chase.  Unfortunately, two other neighbhorhood dogs were out, too, and were eager to play.  By the time I got out the door to join in the mud parade, Pogo was bounding up a hill after a dog into a neighbor’s backyard.

Now mind you, it has been raining here – no, let me rephrase that – it has been pouring here for two days. The ground is drenched.  So here we were, four kids and one mom, chasing three unruly dogs up and down hilly front “yards” (actually mudhills) trying to catch a little runt of a dog who can run like a jack rabbit.

Here is where I could have stopped and had a good belly laugh at how idiotic we all must have looked, coated in mud, running from house to house after a pack of wild dogs. But no, I was exasperated, yelling to all of the neighbhood kids, “GET THAT DOG!” at the top of my lungs.

By the time I could get my hands on Pogo I must have had steam coming out of my ears.  I grabbed my little guy and trudged back down the neighbor’s hill, through the muddy front lawn and into my front door.  I looked down and notice I was wearing heels… muddy, soggy heels.

Mama was not happy.

But now, I’m thinking it probably was a funny scene to watch. Life is messy.  I need to learn to roll with it.

Right now, I need to sign out and give Pogo, the muddy pile of fur in the corner of the room stinking something awful, a good, long bath.

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Living an ‘Upside Down’ Kind of Live: Authentic Christianity



Paula Wiseman and Andrea Moriarty are teaching me a thing or two about authentic Christian living! They’ve been writing about how their faith plays out each typical day, giving readers an inside look at real Christianity.  Each day as I have read their posts, I have learned something new.

Today Andrea posted a clip from Mary Poppins. I hope she doesn’t mind, but I going to pick up on that theme and include my favorite clip from this movie, one that reminds me of the contrast between worldly living and Christian living.  Here, executive and father Banks has just been fired from his banking job and is bemoaning the loss of his dream:

So, what does this have to do with authentic Christianity?  Let me explain:  Authentic Christianity means living in an upside down world.  Things that seem important in the typical world are usually the least important things by Christian standards.  For example, power, prestige and money mean little when compared to showing compassion and love to those in our circles.  Christian economics is based on a heavenly exchange rate, one the world simply does not understand.

But here is where things get tricky for me as I live out my faith:  I can’t shut out the world.  The pressure to succeed and get ahead is preached at me every day through commercials, magazine articles, on billboards and in all of the over-the-fence conversations with the Jones’, you know, that family down the street that I can never quite keep up with.  So it is often a daily struggle to keep my priorities in check:

For all the pagan world is [greedily] seeking these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Only aim at and strive for and seek His kingdom, and all these things shall be supplied to you also. Do not be seized with alarm and struck with fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom!

Luke 12:30-32 (Amplified Bible)

Almost every day I wonder if I am doing all that I could be doing. I wonder if I am missing opportunities because I choose to work out of my home as a part-time consultant (rather than work full time) so I can be here to help Elise and Alec with their homework after school.  We have financially struggled so much this year that I have nearly thrown in the towel and sought full-time work.  I have questioned myself and my motives.  But all the while I know that God has me right where He wants me: here at home.  Working part-time may not be your God-given calling, but it is mine.

Authentic Christian living is upside down living:

“But among you it will be different. Those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant.”

Luke 22:26 (New Living Translation)

That kind of living makes no sense to the world.  It’s crazy living.  Radical living.  But living this way brings the divine into life.  It’s like God miraculously squeezes more life into each day. By living this way, Christians find joy that is often missed by others, as God makes sure that we don’t miss out on the sweetest moments of life.  Our friend Burt (in the clip above)  knows this truth and as he shares the following precious advice to Mr. Banks:

You’ve got to grind, grind, grind
At that grindstone
Though child’ood slips like sand through a sieve
And all too soon they’ve up grown
And then they’ve flown
And it’s too late for you to give…

When I look around and fear that I am not getting ahead, I have to remind myself that I don’t have to measure up to the world’s standard of success.  My treasures are not of this world, but every bit as real.

Unique visitors to post: 26

Authenticity Challenge: Overbooked



Whoops.  I did it again. I’ve overbooked my time for tomorrow. Again. I need to make a decision about which appointment to honor, and which to let slip.  I hate missing appointments, but authentic Christians mess up sometimes. Thankfully, Jesus sends grace, grace, grace.

How to decide? One appointment for tomorrow is located at my home church and feeds my spirit immensely.  I long for the comfort of being with the ladies who share this appointment with me each Tuesday morning.  The other appointment involves donating some of my professional skills to a worthwhile cause that is very close to my heart.

Which to appointment to honor? Today’s Bible study helped me decide:

I’m completing the “Experiencing God” study this winter. Just this morning, the study asked me if I would interrupt my personal plans–even plans that meant a lot to me– if God called me to do something for His Greater Plan. Hmmmm. Authentically, I probably would want to go do my own thing.  I would reason away God’s call to His work around me.

And then today comes the test. (I should have seen it coming!) Sometimes I wish God would come and sit on my sofa with me and spell it out for me, tell me exactly what He wants me to do and why, but He doesn’t work that way, does He?

So tomorrow, I am going to go and serve.  I will miss my Church at Charlotte ladies, but will see them next week.  I am sure that God will meet me there.

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