By The End, I Loved It!

Today I finished reading, my grandmother asked me to tell you she's sorry by Fredrik Backman.  It wasn't just a story; it was an experience.  I was left with the feeling, "Wow!  What just happened?"

Much like life, it started with too many characters and too many elements.  Being a big picture person most of my life, I found the details overwhelming.  But by the end of the book, I absolutely loved it!

I put the book down several times because it was too different from me.  It was too much for me.  But I am not a quitter.  I wanted to find the beauty in the story.  I walked through a third of the book and then...I was swept up in the magic, the beauty, and the purpose and I couldn't put it down.  And once you love a novel, deeply love a novel, it becomes a part of you and it always will be.

I have run across a great many people that are just like this book.  They were too different from me.  There were too many things to try to understand.  But there was always a part of me that wanted to find the magic, the beauty, and the purpose.  I would pick up the person again and listen to the words and all of a sudden I wouldn't be able to put them down again.  I loved them and I loved them deeply.  They became a part of me.

Top Ten Things I Have Learned From "Retirement"

We all have the same amount of time and we all fill it up!

We all have time to stop if there is a crisis so we need to take the time to stop to relax.

Education is just as important in your 50's as it is in your 20's.  

Early in our lives we start to wonder how much time we will have.  In your 50's you know it is most likely half over.  Plan the second half of your life, don't let it just happen.

Stay current with technology so you can be close to the next generation, but remember the ways of the past so you can share it's wisdom.

Be a voice for positive change for those in the margins and give thanks  for the changes that have already occurred.

Set measurable goals for yourself and surround yourself with people that will encourage you on the journey.

Embrace the "failures" in your life as well as the successes.  They both make you a better person.

Be confident enough that you can do anything God asks of you, yet humble enough to realize it is only because of Him that you can.

When you rise in the morning, pick everything up with dreams of the possible; when you lie in the evening, lay everything down with faith and trust.

Disability Ministry Online Training!

For the last two Januarys I have ordered a planner from ibloom.  https://ibloom.co/planner/

I love the size of it (large) so I am pretty sure I won't loose it and I love that it asks me to set four goals and then holds me accountable to meet the goals.  I have just completed my second goal for the year and I am so excited.

We have wanted to take a next step and offer training online so training can be accessed anywhere in the world.  Maybe you are a little curious about disability ministry.  Maybe you want to offer it but you have questions.  This will be the place for you!  

We have just launched our first training, "Grace Without Margins:  Elements of Disability Ministry."

After the Grace Without Margins training, you will have a better understanding of why people with disabilities are vital and need to be welcomed, nurtured and assimilated into your church body.  I share my personal journey in disability ministry.  I share scriptural support, spiritual truths, and perspectives of disability ministry.  For next steps, getting leadership on board, recruiting and training volunteers, and sharing the gospel are a few of the topics that will be covered.  By the end of the training, you will understand what it means to make your ministry so large, you can no longer see it.

We are currently working on additional modules:

• Buddy Training
• Associating Neuroanatomy With Observable Behaviors
• Behavior Management and Classroom Management
• Insights On Aging Parents and Loss

We hope you will join us at your convenience, any time of day or night, in the comfort of your own home, or with a group of volunteers.

https://gwm.digitalchalk.com/dc/learn/grace-without-margins-elements-of-disability-ministry

Deana Boggess

Grace Without Margins

www.gracewithoutmargins.com

specialneeeds-deana.blogspot.com

theboggi@aim.com

512-673-0187