It's been a couple weeks since I posted anything, but it's been a busy two weeks.
One positive thing that has happened, though:
PJ5 said "I love you", spontaneously (without prompting), for the first time!! (And, yes, I'm speaking of my son here and not my husband!) He has said it a few times when I try to get him to repeat the words after me, but not on his own initiative. I was leaving him in the nursery and gave him a kiss over the "half-door" then waved and he said 'I love you' in his little sing-song voice. It was very sweet.
There have been a few other words he has spoken, as well. Last night, when I put him to bed, as soon as I said "amen" to my prayer, he said "ni-night" before I said it. He has been saying 'bye-bye' a lot more lately. And the other night as we were walking up the hall at the hospital I was telling him (as I have each time we go up there) "we're going to go see Mema and tell her 'hi' and 'I love you''. He is always looking all around and I never know how much attention he's giving me, but this time he said "mema", very clearly. That was a first!
These may seem like small accomplishments, and for a typical kid they might be(especially at 4 years old). But for a child with autism, every small step is actually a huge step. And I praise God for every progress that is made.
11.20.2008
11.07.2008
It's official
I am now "officially" the mother of two autistic children. Nathan got a diagnosis yesterday. He is on the autism spectrum; on the mild end.
It was a profitable visit, though. The doctor asked how she could help us, or what we wanted from the visit. So we were able to ask specific questions and get detailed answers.
We were not surprised, really. And in the whole scheme of all the things that have happened this week, on a local level as well as national and global events, this diagnosis seems like a small matter. I am not in despair. I haven't cried (though there may be days I will--I am human).
I told PJ once that for the parents of autistic kids, the pains and sorrows are bigger than those with typical kids; but so too are the joys. Who else rejoices over their child jumping off of a step without holding on to something? Who else marvels over their child pointing at and identifying letters? Some of the small steps in a typical child's growth that are taken for granted are huge leaps for an autistic child. And every success is cause for celebration.
I'm not sure how to end this post, but I do want to thank every one of you who have been praying for us. That does bring tears to my eyes when I think of all the love and prayers of our friends and family. I know that God is still in control. My hope is in Him.
"But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love;
for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.
O my Strength, I sing praise to you;
you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God."
Psalm 59:16-17
It was a profitable visit, though. The doctor asked how she could help us, or what we wanted from the visit. So we were able to ask specific questions and get detailed answers.
We were not surprised, really. And in the whole scheme of all the things that have happened this week, on a local level as well as national and global events, this diagnosis seems like a small matter. I am not in despair. I haven't cried (though there may be days I will--I am human).
I told PJ once that for the parents of autistic kids, the pains and sorrows are bigger than those with typical kids; but so too are the joys. Who else rejoices over their child jumping off of a step without holding on to something? Who else marvels over their child pointing at and identifying letters? Some of the small steps in a typical child's growth that are taken for granted are huge leaps for an autistic child. And every success is cause for celebration.
I'm not sure how to end this post, but I do want to thank every one of you who have been praying for us. That does bring tears to my eyes when I think of all the love and prayers of our friends and family. I know that God is still in control. My hope is in Him.
"But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love;
for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.
O my Strength, I sing praise to you;
you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God."
Psalm 59:16-17
11.05.2008
I had my say, but I found someone who has put things very well. This is from Joel Rosenberg's Weblog
This man has a unique insight and wisdom when it comes to seeing current events through the lens of God's Word. He pays particular attention to what is happening in the Middle East. If you haven't read his book "Epicenter", I encourage you to do so.
"Congratulations to Sen. Obama. His victory last night was an historic moment, further evidence of how far Americans have come in moving beyond the racial divisions of the past. This is good, and should not be underestimated.
It is now our solemn responsibility to pray faithfully and consistently for him, his wife, his family, and his advisor. We must pray for their safety, their wisdom, and their discernment. This is the right thing to do and honors the Lord. As the Apostle Paul teaches so clearly in I Timothy 2:1, “I urge that entreaties, prayers and petitions and thanksgivings be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.”
We must also pray faithfully for the safety of our nation, for the peace of Jerusalem, and for the advancement of freedom and security throughout the world, and particularly in the Middle East. I am very concerned about what the next year to 18 months may hold. Vice President-elect Biden warned us that the world will test this young new president. We must therefore pray for peace while we prepare for war.
I’m paying particular attention this morning to how people in the epicenter are reacting to Sen. Obama’s victory. Leaders in Iran are thrilled since the likelihood of decisive U.S. action to stop Iran’s nuclear weapons program has just dropped dramatically. Leaders in Iraq, by contrast, are trying not to be worried given that the likelihood of rapid withdrawal of U.S. forces has just increased dramatically.
Palestinians seem to be thrilled, since they seem Obama as pro-Palestinian and open to dividing Jerusalem and pressuring the Israelis to make further concessions of “land for peace.” Many Israelis feel quite unsettled this morning, concerned that they will be all alone in the Middle East as the U.S. begins to pack up and go home from Iraq. They are also concerned that Obama and his team do not appear to fully understand or appreciate the seriousness of the threat of Radical Islam. Sen. Obama told us during the campaign that Iran was a tiny country that did not pose much of a threat. Israelis are not convinced he will stand with them in a nuclear showdown with Tehran.
A senior political strategist in Israel emailed me last night with this thought: “The State of Israel is now facing the most unfriendly American administration ever….Israel’s will to live will be tested in ways that will not e pretty. Many of Obama’s foreign policy team and Middle East advisors see Israel as the obstacle to peace. And we can not count on Jewish supporters of Obama to have any standing in setting policy in this administration.” A new poll released yesterday also caught my attention: 46% of Israelis would have voted for McCain, while only 34% would have voted for Obama. That tells us something about the concern from Eilat to Haifa and from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem about losing a great friend of Israel and the Jewish people in President Bush to someone who has not indicated convincing support for Israel in the past.
I know many of you are very worried about the direction of our country. I certainly understand this sentiment, but as I wrote yesterday, let us not lose heart. The Lord knew who would win. He allowed it to happen. He has a plan. He has a purpose. And now He is calling us to serve Him faithfully — to do whatever He tells us to do, to go wherever He tells us to go, to say whatever He tells us to say. Now is the time to draw close to Christ, to advance His kingdom, and prepare for His return. He is, after all, the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Now is certainly no time to forget, or to be discouraged."
This man has a unique insight and wisdom when it comes to seeing current events through the lens of God's Word. He pays particular attention to what is happening in the Middle East. If you haven't read his book "Epicenter", I encourage you to do so.
"Congratulations to Sen. Obama. His victory last night was an historic moment, further evidence of how far Americans have come in moving beyond the racial divisions of the past. This is good, and should not be underestimated.
It is now our solemn responsibility to pray faithfully and consistently for him, his wife, his family, and his advisor. We must pray for their safety, their wisdom, and their discernment. This is the right thing to do and honors the Lord. As the Apostle Paul teaches so clearly in I Timothy 2:1, “I urge that entreaties, prayers and petitions and thanksgivings be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.”
We must also pray faithfully for the safety of our nation, for the peace of Jerusalem, and for the advancement of freedom and security throughout the world, and particularly in the Middle East. I am very concerned about what the next year to 18 months may hold. Vice President-elect Biden warned us that the world will test this young new president. We must therefore pray for peace while we prepare for war.
I’m paying particular attention this morning to how people in the epicenter are reacting to Sen. Obama’s victory. Leaders in Iran are thrilled since the likelihood of decisive U.S. action to stop Iran’s nuclear weapons program has just dropped dramatically. Leaders in Iraq, by contrast, are trying not to be worried given that the likelihood of rapid withdrawal of U.S. forces has just increased dramatically.
Palestinians seem to be thrilled, since they seem Obama as pro-Palestinian and open to dividing Jerusalem and pressuring the Israelis to make further concessions of “land for peace.” Many Israelis feel quite unsettled this morning, concerned that they will be all alone in the Middle East as the U.S. begins to pack up and go home from Iraq. They are also concerned that Obama and his team do not appear to fully understand or appreciate the seriousness of the threat of Radical Islam. Sen. Obama told us during the campaign that Iran was a tiny country that did not pose much of a threat. Israelis are not convinced he will stand with them in a nuclear showdown with Tehran.
A senior political strategist in Israel emailed me last night with this thought: “The State of Israel is now facing the most unfriendly American administration ever….Israel’s will to live will be tested in ways that will not e pretty. Many of Obama’s foreign policy team and Middle East advisors see Israel as the obstacle to peace. And we can not count on Jewish supporters of Obama to have any standing in setting policy in this administration.” A new poll released yesterday also caught my attention: 46% of Israelis would have voted for McCain, while only 34% would have voted for Obama. That tells us something about the concern from Eilat to Haifa and from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem about losing a great friend of Israel and the Jewish people in President Bush to someone who has not indicated convincing support for Israel in the past.
I know many of you are very worried about the direction of our country. I certainly understand this sentiment, but as I wrote yesterday, let us not lose heart. The Lord knew who would win. He allowed it to happen. He has a plan. He has a purpose. And now He is calling us to serve Him faithfully — to do whatever He tells us to do, to go wherever He tells us to go, to say whatever He tells us to say. Now is the time to draw close to Christ, to advance His kingdom, and prepare for His return. He is, after all, the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Now is certainly no time to forget, or to be discouraged."
Sound Off
Well, I want to have my say about the election.
I am disappointed. I still have a hard time believing that this nation has elected a person who wants to redistribute money from those who work hard to those who have their hands out; who wants to talk to leaders of terrorist-friendly nations without preconditions; who sat under the preaching of someone who preaches that America is a terrible country for 20 years; who has said there should be a "civilian national securty force" with funds equal to the military; who said in an interview "my muslim faith" and was corrected by the reporter, "your christian faith"; who has been friends for years with a person who is an unrepentant domestic terrorist; and I could go on. This is not about race, it is about important issues and the future direction of our country.
That said, I must also say this: I will respect his position and authority as God's Word tells me to do, and I will pray for him that he will have wisdom as he leads our nation.
Some people think we should not speak against the nation's president because that's not showing respect. I can respect his position and our nation, but I don't have to agree with what he says and does. Because I live in this nation of wonderful freedoms, I can speak my disagreements (at least for now I still can!) with his policies and ideology.
We have the privilege and responsibility as citizens of a democracy to cast our votes and to elect the persons we believe will be best for our nation into positions of power and authority. It speaks volumes about our nation today that we have elected this man into power.
Our pastor encouraged us to pray that God would give us the kind of president we need instead of what we deserve; and to pray for His will instead of just what we want. Our Sovereign Lord knows what is best and he sees the bigger picture. We don't know what the future holds but He does and He has promised to be there with us, to the end.
I am disappointed. I still have a hard time believing that this nation has elected a person who wants to redistribute money from those who work hard to those who have their hands out; who wants to talk to leaders of terrorist-friendly nations without preconditions; who sat under the preaching of someone who preaches that America is a terrible country for 20 years; who has said there should be a "civilian national securty force" with funds equal to the military; who said in an interview "my muslim faith" and was corrected by the reporter, "your christian faith"; who has been friends for years with a person who is an unrepentant domestic terrorist; and I could go on. This is not about race, it is about important issues and the future direction of our country.
That said, I must also say this: I will respect his position and authority as God's Word tells me to do, and I will pray for him that he will have wisdom as he leads our nation.
Some people think we should not speak against the nation's president because that's not showing respect. I can respect his position and our nation, but I don't have to agree with what he says and does. Because I live in this nation of wonderful freedoms, I can speak my disagreements (at least for now I still can!) with his policies and ideology.
We have the privilege and responsibility as citizens of a democracy to cast our votes and to elect the persons we believe will be best for our nation into positions of power and authority. It speaks volumes about our nation today that we have elected this man into power.
Our pastor encouraged us to pray that God would give us the kind of president we need instead of what we deserve; and to pray for His will instead of just what we want. Our Sovereign Lord knows what is best and he sees the bigger picture. We don't know what the future holds but He does and He has promised to be there with us, to the end.
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