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!

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