by Emily Colson This is a guest post by my friend, Emily Colson. After reading the post on her blog, I asked her if we could also post it here. —Colleen We came to see a movie. But I never imagined that we would become the entertainment. Patty and I found our pre-assigned seats and […]
Category: Family Life/Caregivers
Making Prayer Simple
It was a typical morning drive to school. My son Jon and I were singing loudly like professionals but with the windows up. In mid-song Jon said, “Mom, look, I see the lights!” Sure enough, about half a mile ahead emergency lights were swirling. Since 2010 when I was in a near-fatal car accident, my […]
What You Need to Make It Home
I had a full-on cry last Friday morning at 11:45. In fact, I sounded like I needed a sinus flush after 15 minutes of bawling. While finishing a fantastic book about hope and repairing our broken lives . . . like patchwork . . . the author spoke of her friend whose disabled son had […]
God-Worthy
One week before we celebrated the birth of Jesus Christ, I had lunch with my two older children, now ages 19 and 21. We laughed, talked, and enjoyed our time together. After lunch I sat quietly in my study reflecting on the week before their births. I thought back to the swell of my tummy, […]
Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward Men
It began in August . . . fever, chills, headache, sore throat, swollen glands . . . all the signs and symptoms of the seasonal flu. But no one gets the flu in August, which was reason enough to avoid going to the doctor. School got underway, and the symptoms continued. I tried over-the-counter stuff […]
Underdogs
I had been sorting through stacks of papers for six hours; it was now 1:00 in the morning. Twelve years of my son Jon’s educational tests, medical reports, teachers’ notes, and therapy summaries—once organized in chronological order—had become stacked in disarray on my study shelves over time. Reviewing twelve years of material is overwhelming for […]
Truth on a Picture Card
The old theme song from Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood echoed in my ears as I dropped Jon off at school . . . “It’s a beautiful day in this neighborhood, a beautiful day for a neighbor. . . .” Jon and I had left for school on time, reviewed Jon’s affirmation page created for our commute, […]
Every Second Counts
My son Jon was 9 years old at the time, and we were returning from a doctor’s appointment I will never forget. In the previous three weeks, Jon had regressed so significantly that he could not go to school. All the tests came back unexplainably abnormal. The appointment lasted two grim hours. We left with […]
The Class You Can’t Miss
It was a full house. Parents, students, teachers, and tutors had prepared a day to celebrate students in the summer art class. The students attended classes once a week for six weeks and learned about famous artists such as Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Vincent van Gogh, Rembrandt, and Claude Monet. Then the students sat at […]
How to Find Your “Me Time” as a Caregiver
An Interview with Cindi Ferrini
Most caregivers today find it nearly impossible to take time for themselves. Statistics prove that caregivers are more likely to have compromised health, shorter life spans, emotional and physical struggles, and lack the time to attend to their own needs. But there is hope! Cindi Ferrini has lived as a caregiver for more than 33 […]
Continue readingMore TagIt Wasn’t about the Gifts
√ Birthday cake √ Plates √ Napkins √ Cake with Smurfs √ Candles (16) √ Punch √ Ice √ Plastic utensils √ Cards √ Balloons √ Final gifts (still looking) I strolled slowly up and down the same aisles I had for years, looking for a few final gifts for my son Jon’s 16th birthday. […]
When God Gives Detours on Your Road Trip
It was a road trip vacation for the Swindoll-Thompson family . . . a 2,288-mile road trip to be exact. At 1:00 a.m. on the morning we were to leave, I was doing some last-minute packing. I reached into my clothing drawer, never expecting to uncover a little framed school picture of my son Jon […]