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Resources Mentioned in Podcast

Psalm 119:13-16 For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.  Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.

Luke 14:12 He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.

Luke 14 Website – This website displays one church’s Luke 14 Party – just one way they celebrate those we might think of as “the least of these.” They started out with 55 guests their first year and now host over 500 people with special needs over a two night event each spring.

Joni and Friends – This ministry is dedicated to extending the love and message of Jesus Christ to people who are affected by disability around the world.  Learn about all the ministries they have to offer here at their website.

Joni and Friends TV Episode Showing all About Family Retreats – Katherine’s Smile “Melissa has volunteered to serve as a Short Term Missionary (STM) at a Joni and Friends Family Retreat. At this Christ-centered camp for families who have a member with a disability, an STM is paired with each disabled camper, to assist them throughout the week. Melissa has no formal disability training – just a heart of compassion and the desire to share the love of Christ. When she is paired with nineteen year old Katherine, who is severely autistic and non-verbal, Melissa is faced with unexpected challenges. But God is at work, and hearts connect. You’ll see how His love breaks the barriers of disability. And you’ll see it best in Katherine’s smile!”

More from The Busy Mom

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Caring for Yourself While Caring for Your Special Needs Child – “Looking back, I can see that I wasn’t making myself clear. My family and friends simply thought I needed reassurance and encouragement. They didn’t realize I was warning them that I literally. could. not. keep. going. any. longer. I tried to explain to them in words what I needed, but I couldn’t. I really couldn’t quite admit it to myself, and I certainly couldn’t figure out how to put it into words for someone else to hear. So I gave up. I quit trying to explain it to them. I hung in there…”

Things Not to Say to Moms of Special Needs Kids – “In my almost 20 years as the mom of a severely autistic daughter, I’ve been questioned, judged, accepted, ignored, loved, rejected, and just about everything in between! I’ve also learned a lot. One of the things I like to do whenever possible is help and support other moms of special needs kids. But lately, I’ve realized that a great way to help special needs moms is to share some of my own experiences with moms who don’t…”