New Resources!

Last week I was able to expand my library thanks to some wonderful gift cards given to me by my student's parents and some extra money I had set aside.  I thought I would share some of my purchases with you.  I know I love learning about new resources!

Disability Ministry:

• Including People With Disabilities in Faith Communities by Erik W. Carter
• helping kids include kids with disabilities by Barbara J. Newman
• Hearts In Motion A Four-Lesson Bible Study for Disability Awareness by Joni and Friends
• Life In the Balance by Joni Eareckson Tada
• Nonverbal Learning Disabilities at School:  Educating Students with Nld, Asperger Syndrome and Related Conditions by Pamela B. Tanguay
• It's So Much Work to Be Your Friend:  Helping the Child With Learning Disabilities Find Social Success by Richard Lavoie (Book and DVD)
• The Motivation Breakthrough by Richard Lavoie (DVD)

Helping Those That Are Suffering:

• The Healing Path:  How the Hurts In Your Past Can Lead You To a More Abundant Life by Dan Allender, PH.D.
• A Path Through Suffering:  Discovering the Relationship Between God's Mercy and Our Pain by Elisabeth Elliot
• Don't Waste the Pain:  Learning to Grow Through Suffering by David Lyons and Linda Lyons Richardson

I am on week 11 out of 16 in my course on "Beyond Suffering."  To say it has made an impact on my life is an understatement.  I truly will be a different person as a result of this course.

I don't know that the course has changed my thinking, rather it has enhanced it.  I believe the same things but with greater conviction.  I desire the same things but with greater passion.  I am humbled just as I was before, but with more tangible grace.

More than ever I believe that every person is created in the image of God, without exception.  I believe that people affected with disability need to be welcomed, assimilated, nurtured, and valued in the community of Christ.  I believe that God can reveal His power through our weaknesses.  I believe that we are called to not only welcome those with disabilities into the church, but we are called to actively seek them out, find them, and bring them into the church.

With greater passion, I desire for every child in a classroom to be valued, to be given a platform to tell others about God, and to reach their greatest potential.  With greater passion I desire for the family portrait of the church to be a mixture of races, cultures, backgrounds, and abilities to name a few.

I am humbled because I realize how much I don't know, how much I limit others, and how much I have to learn from every person that crosses my path.  It is only through God's grace that we can make a difference in the world.  It is through God's grace that we see our own limitations and the power of God that can be shown through them.

A Child's Point of View

I am enjoying my grandchildren so much.  They are six now.  I love this age because they have so much innocence and yet so much wisdom.  Next year I am looking forward to having more time to visit my J at school and volunteer if I can (I will have to brush up on my Spanish since he is in a dual language program!) I love how much he cares about people but he is so much more sensible than I am.  One of the things I love about J is he doesn't see color but he does see culture and he enjoys different cultures.  His mom and dad are doing such a great job of exposing him to a variety of cultures, languages, and economic situations.

C is one of my students this year which I am enjoying.  Tonight she told me that she sees Mrs. Boggess a lot but she really needs some Meme time.  She said Mrs. Boggess is the "best teacher ever" but Meme is fun to play with.  C asked me if she could give a speech tomorrow in class.  She said, "I have been thinking about something.  It is like this rock I have.  People aren't always beautiful on the outside but if you look on the inside you will see how beautiful they really are!"  Her parents are giving her such confidence and opportunities to express herself.  I am looking forward to her speech tomorrow and I hope the other students will want to give a speech as well.  I love giving them a voice.

I am amazed by how children "get it" so much better than adults do.  They don't have prejudice.  They don't put people in boxes.  No, unfortunately, we teach them how to do that.  I will miss teaching next year, I truly will.  I have had 165 students teach me so many lessons over the years that an adult never could.