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A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith

During the 20 years that I’ve lived and worked within the mentally challenged community, one thing I’ve seen again and again.  These brave parents learn to find goodness and joy in the circumstances in which they are forced to live.  No one plans to have an intellectually disabled child.  Each mom and dad groans with…

It is difficult to understand how much God loves us.  While few of us will admit it, much of our lives is spent waiting for God to slam the judgment hammer into our skulls.  Working within the mentally challenged community, I’ve come to understand a bit about unconditional love.  I am area director of Special…

As they entered the bus, everyone was happy and excited to be going home.  Even though the four days at The Special Gathering spiritual retreat had been great fun, the members who attended were nearly as ready to go home as the volunteers.  Special Gathering is a ministry within the mentally challenged community.  We form…

It was the annual gathering of Special Gathering members.  Each year nearly 200 mentally challenged people meet in Vero Beach at Life for Youth Camp for Retreat Agape.  For almost 30 years, we have met there from Friday morning until Monday morning each Memorial Day weekend.  It’s a gloriously fun place for our members who…

  Through the Roof Disability Ministry Summit is designed to give you practical training and education while equipping churches for disability ministry. Sign up and be a part of this enriching event, which will be held May 18-19, 2012 at First Church of the Nazarene of Pasadena.  For more information regarding this important summit convened by Joni and Friends, click…

Within every ministry or business, there is wiggle room.  Before we examine “the how” for learning about and becoming comfortable within your ministry’s culture, there are several things where there can be no wiggle room. Jesus’ disciples knew that he was not only their leader.  He was their example.  Before he sent them out in…

We all understand that our federal government is divided into three co-equal branches.  There is the executive branch, the legislative and the judicial branches.  The purpose of these three branches of government is to insure that the people of the US receive justice.  You see, very few people (masses or individuals) are just.  We tend…

For more than 20 years, I was a stay-at-home mom.  During those years, I wrote five books.  Two of them were best sellers.  Together they sold over a million copies.  I was an award-winning, free-lance writer working with several different magazines.  Additionally, I was the room mother for my children’s school classes.I baked cookies and…

Several years ago, as a few staff from Special Gathering were driving to lunch, we saw a man with a broken leg.  His cast extended from his toe to his hip.  With great difficulty, he was loading a lawnmower into a trailer.  There was a edger on the sidewalk, patiently waiting to be reloaded on…

There are two stories in the Bible that have fascinated me all my life.  The first is a parable that Jesus told.  It is the story of a merchant who found an extremely valuable pearl.  After finding this magnificent pearl, he went and sold everything he had to purchase it. I was always taught that…
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