"When you don't get a miracle, be one." Nick Vujicic

     Tonight was so uplifting.  It was an incredible time of worship and ministered to my soul.  I had the wonderful opportunity to hear Nick Vujicic preach tonight.  Nick is 29 years old and was born, for no apparent reason, without arms and legs.  As a child he continually prayed that God would give him arms and legs.  He prayed for years and was very discouraged as kids teased him in school.  He soon realized though, "What is the point of being whole on the outside when you are broken on the inside."  He later prayed to receive Christ as his Lord and Savior.

     Nick shared the powerful verses:

Jeremiah 29:11 - "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."


Philippians 4:13 - "I can do everything through him who gives me strength."


Philippians 1:6 - "...being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."

     Nick was very honest about his struggles but he was also passionate about his love for Christ.  At times he questioned God about why he was born without limbs, but he also trusted God.  Nick has an amazing platform because of his physical limitations.  He travels around the world speaking to youth in particular to encourage them to trust in Jesus Christ and trust Him with their future.  He addressed the issue of teasing and bullying and said, "Do you tease people?  If you are, you do not know the love of God because you are teasing God's kid."  I loved that part!
     The phrase he used that stands out the most to me, however, is, "When you don't get a miracle, be one."   We may not fully understand the plans God has made.  We may have to wait awhile for our miracle, but we can be one starting right now.

     I encourage you to visit, www.lifewithoutlimbs.org

May 1, 2012

     I fondly call this school year, "The Year of the Butterfly."  After our class traced, cut, glued and wrote on thousands of butterflies you would think we would take a break, but it continues to blissfully be, "The Year of the Butterfly."
     We have had four caterpillars in our room, watched them build their cocoons, and now have watched the beautiful butterflies emerge.  We set them free yesterday, including the wounded butterfly.  The kids wanted to pray over him and sing, "Fly, little butterfly" as he left us.
     The kindergarten class had about 60 monarch butterflies in their classroom and they were gracious enough to share them with us by putting them in the hallway.
     Today we watched a presentation on YouTube called, "The Beauty of Pollination."  If you love beautiful photography and videography you might want to watch it. (The beauty of pollination
www.youtube.com).  The kids loved it and asked to watch it several times.
     I keep thinking about pollinators and how as believers, and as an advocate for those with disabilities, we are "pollinators" so to speak.  We have the opportunity to share the gospel with those around us and encourage others to minister to our friends with disabilities.  I am watching the children in my classroom continue to share what they have learned about how to be a friend to someone with a disability and I find it inspiring.  Their excitement, compassion, and support is as strong as ever.

A Teacher's Perspective

As a grandmother I am continually amazed by how much my two year-old grandchildren absorb, think about, and apply to their lives.  I think when you are a mother you are so busy taking care of everything that you don't notice the details, but as a grandmother I notice so much more.  They are amazing people with often more insight than adults have.  It is truly no wonder that God said in His Word that we must come to him with the faith of a child.

As a teacher, I marvel at the same thing.  I teach a class of five year-old children which from a distance are little kids, but how I wish you could have experienced this last month with me.  They continually shared stories of people they encountered with disabilities and what they could use to help them or the amazing things they were doing in their lives or talked about their friend with such compassion and empathy.  They worked so hard and continually sacrificed.  It didn't matter how much money they had earned, as soon as they had tooth fairy money they brought it in.

They have taught me to not be surprised by what God does.  Of course, He is going to provide BIG!  They have taught me to not sacrifice a little, but EVERYTHING.  They have also taught me to find JOY in every moment.

A Student's Perspective

Here is my first perspective to share with you.  One of my parents shared it with me and I thought it was pretty cute.

     "Tonight at dinner Hailey said, 'Mom, do you help people that have a disability?'. I said, 'Well, of course I would help someone with a disability.'  She said, 'No, I mean are you like Kathy (an OT) and do you help people?' And I said, 'Well, no, I don't help people everyday.'  She then said, 'Mom, you need to have a plan, like Kathy.  You should help people and then come in on Friday and tell my class about it.  So can you come talk to my class on Friday?'
     That's one smart kid!  Guess I should get to work on my plan!"

Perspective

I have missed blogging every day about "The Butterfly Effect."  I feel like a good friend has been at my house for a month and has now gone home.  I miss her.

It has been a great couple of days though.  Yesterday the kids and I received a precious letter from Joni, along with an autographed book that she illustrated.  What a blessing!  I never cease to marvel at Joni's paintings and drawings.  God has truly gifted her.  It helps me believe that I can do anything God asks me to when I watch her draw and paint with a pencil or paintbrush in her mouth.  

Today I started reading another book by Andy Andrews, The Noticer.  His work empowers me as well.  He lost both of his parents at a young age and lived under a bridge for awhile and now he is a well known speaker and best selling author.  More than that, he is influencing people all over the world.

Andy's book is about perspective and I think that is what I am going to write about for awhile.  Perspective has a great deal of power behind it.  It can destroy or empower.  It can stagnate or affect change.  I look forward to bringing you a lot of perspectives on the issue of special needs.  See you soon...

The Butterfly Effect Continues

     This morning when I arrived at school I was still flying high form the celebration yesterday.  The change in all of us is hard to explain, all I can do is smile about it.  One of my moms came in and told me that she cried through the whole party, all afternoon and tried to tell her mom about it and she just cried.  I was too excited about it to cry....until this afternoon.

     When I gathered the kids for "Circle Time" I told them we would do the calendar and all of the other things we do to start the day but then we would watch our last DVD clip from Joni.  One of the boys looked at me with the sweetest face, then his eyes started to turn red, then little tears started to form and he said, "Please don't let this be the last time we see Joni.  Please?"  All of the other kids started saying, "We don't want to leave Joni."

     I played the clip and they all said they wanted to see her every day.  They wanted to know if I had more clips to show them.  I told them they could go online and see them but they all insisted they watch them together.  Joni, they all love you so much!

     I am so grateful for all of the sacrifices the kids and parents have made but absolutely want to communicate that it is all because of God.  God initiated it, God had the plan, God multiplied the results and God is honored.

     When I came home last night I was so excited about all that I had witnessed firsthand, but this afternoon, I cried.  My poor daughter, I couldn't stop crying.  I think it is from all the emotion of this month.  I am so thankful for God.

The Butterfly Effect - Day 21

     Besides getting married, watching my children come into the world, and loving my grandchildren as they came into the world, this has been one of the most exciting days of my life.  I don't even know where to begin...

     Towards the end of school we gathered together to celebrate what God has done in our classroom and in our hearts over the last month.  I had been going over things in my mind all morning, worrying that I had forgotten something and praying that the kids would feel celebrated.  I am just so incredibly proud of them.  Anyway, I walked into the party and I could see my hero, Joni Eareckson Tada on the computer screen.  I thought one of my parents was playing one of her DVD's.  Then Joni started talking to me!  I was stunned.  One of my awesome moms had surprised me and set up a skype visit.  I am still in shock!  I truly cannot think of a better blessing!  Joni, you are an amazing lady and I am so touched to have had some time with you today!!

     I took the computer and Joni out in the hall (so I could keep things a surprise) and told Joni how many wheelchairs they had raised money for.  She was surprised, delighted and celebrated with us!

     When I went back into the party, I asked the kids if they wanted to know how many wheelchairs we had enough money for.  They all yelled, "Yes, how many?"  I told them they couldn't know yet and handed out the surprises "Joni and Friends" had sent to me.  Then I had the kids line up and I handed each of them a balloon as the parents counted out loud.  I gave out 15 balloons to represent 15 wheelchairs!!!

     Then one of my blessings in life, Jabe, came up and shared his story with the kids.  Jabe was born with spina bifida.  I met Jabe a few hours after he was born.  Some friends of ours had shared with us that he was about to be born and would have the challenge of spina bifida.  We wanted to go celebrate his precious life with his parents and we have been friends ever since.

     Jabe talked to the kids about being in the wheelchair.  He shared about all of the things he can do and showed them pictures of himself on a zip line and all kinds of other things.  Jabe is ten years old and is such an incredible inspiration to me.  He told the kids how happy it made him that they had raised money for so many wheelchairs for kids that needed them.  I asked Jabe if he was happy and he said, "Yes, really happy!."  I said, "Could we make you happier?"  I then grabbed four more balloons out of the closet and handed them out...

16, 17, 18, and 19 wheelchairs!!!!

We all cheered and were so excited!  We talked about the amazing things that God had done over the month and I asked Steffani, the director of the school, to close things off.  Steffani came forward and brought out a giant butterfly balloon and a check.  The butterfly balloon represented the

20th wheelchair!!

The check was for $3, 036.59!

I am so proud of these incredible kids and their incredible parents that helped make everything possible!

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations for ever and ever!  Amen.  Ephesians 3:20, 21

Remember...

"That means every little thing You do matters:  what you did yesterday, what you do today, and what you do tomorrow.  God made your life so important that every move you make, every action you take, matters....and not only for you or the people around you.  Everything you do matters for everyone and for all time!  When you think about it like that...WOW!  That means YOU can be the kid who changes the world!"  by Andy Andrews