Children

  • Children Hospital Unique Ministries

    KEEPING THINGS ROLLING

    Our local Children's Hospital uses these shiny Radio Flyer wagons throughout their facility. They are a wonderful distraction for the kids---parents wheel their child around the building to give them a much-needed break from lying in a hospital bed. They're also used in place of luggage racks so people utilize the wagons to move their suitcases in and out of the hospital. Whenever I'd visit Children's Hospital, I would wonder who did the upkeep on these wagons. It turns out one of the men in my church was doing it, and he recruited several church members to join him. I was floored… Read More

  • Children Labor Special Needs

    LOVING ON KIDS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

    When I was in college, I worked for a non-profit that served infants who had special needs due to prenatal contact with drugs and/or alcohol. I was immersed in this inner city population for eight years, and I fell in love with these small children. They were such a light to my life. Once I had my own children, I took a hiatus from work, but knew I would go back eventually when the time was right. When I did return, my intention was to pick up where I'd left off, but the commute was… Read More

  • Adoption/Foster Care Children

    LISTENING TO JESUS, NOT OUR FEARS

    I have two adopted children and they are my world. My husband and I used to be a part of this foster-to-adopt-program, and the process, although absolutely worth it, was excruciating. After experiencing some very difficult circumstances, we decided to tell our social worker not to contact us for a few months about adopting. However, Jesus had other plans. Isaiah 55:8 says, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord." One day, as I was walking back to my car from my kids' school, I waved to another mom walking up, and… Read More

  • Adoption/Foster Care Children Mentoring

    BEING A BROTHER AND AN EXAMPLE

    When I was 12 years old, my parents sat me down and told me we were moving. They were becoming house parents at Big Oak Ranch, a Christian home for children needing a chance. It’s one thing to talk the talk, but another thing to actually commit your life to making a difference, and that’s what my parents decided we were going to do. My parents showed me through this sacrifice that life is all about what you do to serve others using the gifts God has given you. We stepped out of our “comfort zone” as a… Read More

  • Children Hospital Labor

    SERVING PATIENTS WITH COMPASSION

    I always had nursing in the back of my mind as a career, but I chose a different major in college. After receiving a bachelors degree, I wondered what I would do. My husband and I brainstormed my next step, but nursing kept tugging at my heart. I was nervous because I'd have to go back to school and basically start over; then once I became a nurse, I'd be liable for lives. As I searched my heart and prayed with my husband for answers, some doors started to open. The confirmation came when my husband, like a Nike ad,… Read More

  • Children Loss Of Loved One Mentoring Special Needs

    HELPING OUT OVERWHELMED PARENTS

    The challenges of caring for a child with special needs can be overwhelming. Care must be provided at all times. Our son, Aaron, had cerebral palsy, and we took loving care of him for 27 years until he passed away in 2009. Our loss devastated us, and we searched for how to make sense of it. We knew God had a plan, we just didn't understand it during that period. We didn't know what to do next, but from our personal experience, we always knew there needed to be some relief for the parents of children with special needs. While we were… Read More

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