The Spiritual Art of Raising Children with Disabilities


Book Description

Author Kathleen Deyer Bolduc knows these feelings of helplessness from experience. She and her son navigated through his childhood and now approach yet another new life phase -- adulthood -- and all that entails. In The Spiritual Art of Raising Children with Disabilities, Bolduc uses the metaphor of the mosaic to life as parents of children with disabilities. How do you rearrange the fragmented and chaotic pieces of your family into a perfectly whole and beautiful work of art? Readers are walked through the process using the spiritual disciplines to help you recognize God's presence in your life and regain the balance we all need. In this book, writer, parent, and spiritual director Kathleen Deyer Bolduc -- with honesty and humor, wisdom and wit -- invites the caregivers of children with disabilities to steep themselves in Scripture and self-reflection.




Sharing Love Abundantly in Special Needs Families


Book Description

"With a frank and honest observation on how disability can unravel family unity, this book inspires and equips us to live out our faith as we interact with those we love." -Joni Eareckson Tada, founder & CEO, Joni and Friends Between the worry, the doctor’s appointments, and the thousand small challenges of everyday life, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and exhausted. The idea of showing abundant love to every member of your family can feel like a daunting task. Jolene Philo has been there. And in this wise, warm, practical guide, she and Dr. Gary Chapman show you how the 5 love languages can help strengthen your marriage and family life—whatever your needs. Sharing dozens of stories from parents of children with special needs children, they teach you how to: protect your marriage amidst the stress discover and speak the love language of your child—even if they’re nonverbal accommodate the love languages for children with special needs and disabilities show love to every member of your family when you have limited time, money, and energy Having a special needs child shouldn’t mean sacrificing a full family life. Learn to share love abundantly no matter your circumstances.




Disability and the Gospel


Book Description

Michael Beates's concern with disability issues began nearly 30 years ago when his eldest child was born with multiple profound disabilities. Now, as more families like Michael's are affected by a growing number of difficulties ranging from down syndrome to autism to food allergies, the need for church programs and personal paradigm shifts is greater than ever. Working through key Bible passages on brokenness and disability while answering hard questions, Michael offers here helpful principles for believers and their churches. He shows us how to embrace our own brokenness and then to embrace those who are more physically and visibly broken, bringing hope and vision to those of us who need it most.




Millennial Nuns


Book Description

More and more people-- especially millennials-- are turning to religion as a source of comfort and solace in our increasingly chaotic world. Rather than live a cloistered life of seclusion, the Daughters of Saint Paul actively embrace social media to evangelize, collectively calling themselves the #MediaNuns. In this collective memoir, eight of these Sisters share their own discernment journeys, struggles and crises of faith that they have overcome, and episodes from their daily lives. They offer practical takeaways and tips for living a more spiritually-fulfilled life, no matter your religious affiliation. -- adapted from jacket




They Don't Come with Instructions


Book Description

In They DonÂt Come with Instructions, Hollie M. Holt-Woehl offers wise companionship for the journey with a developmentally challenged child. The mother of a son with an autism diagnosis, Holt-Woehl recognizes that parenting is never easy. Challenges abound as parents help children grow up and find their place in the world. But she knows firsthand that adding a developmental challenge makes parenting far more complex. Drawing on her own experience and that of nearly forty other parents she surveyed for this book, Holt-Woehl shares stories, information, and insights about tending to the pain, recognizing the joy, and finding ways to keep hope through the ups and downs of this path. The book focuses on the challenges of parenting children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD/ADHD), and/or Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). Not only parents, but friends, family, and members of faith communities who seek to understand what it is like to live with a developmentally challenged child will appreciate Holt-Woehl's down-to-earth and compassionate approach.




Unbroken Faith


Book Description

When a parent hears that their child has a disability, hearts and hopes are often broken. But faith doesn't have to be. In Unbroken Faith, Dianne Dokko Kim comes alongside you as a fellow special needs parent to help you reconcile the premise of a good God with the devastating realities of raising a disabled child. Kim courageously articulates deep-seated, unspoken doubts and fears you may have but are afraid to voice: Will my child still have a full life? Can I do this? Where is God in all this? As you are adjusting to your new normal, Kim's biblical-based encouragement will help you understand that you are not alone, that God gets it, and that God's Word is entirely relevant to the raw and messy yet hallowed spaces of special needs parenting.




The Bridge Home


Book Description

"Readers will be captivated by this beautifully written novel about young people who must use their instincts and grit to survive. Padma infuses her story with hope and bravery that will inspire readers."--Aisha Saeed, author of the New York Times Bestseller Amal Unbound Four determined homeless children make a life for themselves in Padma Venkatraman's stirring middle-grade debut. Life is harsh on the teeming streets of Chennai, India, so when runaway sisters Viji and Rukku arrive, their prospects look grim. Very quickly, eleven-year-old Viji discovers how vulnerable they are in this uncaring, dangerous world. Fortunately, the girls find shelter--and friendship--on an abandoned bridge that's also the hideout of Muthi and Arul, two homeless boys, and the four of them soon form a family of sorts. And while making their living scavenging the city's trash heaps is the pits, the kids find plenty to take pride in, too. After all, they are now the bosses of themselves and no longer dependent on untrustworthy adults. But when illness strikes, Viji must decide whether to risk seeking help from strangers or to keep holding on to their fragile, hard-fought freedom.




Welcoming Children with Special Needs


Book Description




Big Picture Parents


Book Description

Being a parent in the modern world is tough. We are often overwhelmed with fear about damaging our children, guilt about our imperfections, and confusion about our role. Harriet Connor knows these feelings well. But hers is not just another parenting book full of "shoulds and shouldn'ts" to make you feel worse. Rather, she invites you to step back and consider the bigger picture: What is the purpose of life and parenthood? What are our human limitations? How can we cope with our guilt and fear? What are our family's values and how do we pass them on? What is our family's structure and place within the wider community? When she was desperate for answers, Harriet Connor turned to the ancient wisdom of her ancestors--the Bible. She went looking for little pieces of grandmotherly advice, but what she found was a grand vision--a big picture--that made sense of both life and parenthood. Whether you are new to the Bible or have read it before, you will not regret taking time to reflect on its message, which has given comfort and guidance to generations of parents just like you.




The Art of Autism


Book Description