Joy Suckers Revisited

Joy Suckers Revisited

by | Dec 13, 2013 | Current Events

joy suckers

Joy Suckers first posted on this blog in  early January of 2013. With the first anniversary of the Sandy Hook shootings upon us and Christmas celebrations about to begin, it seems right to post it again.

And the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid;
for behold, I bring you good news of great joy,
for today in the city of David there has been born to you a Savior who is Christ the Lord. Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”
Luke 2: 10–11,14

Joy suckers. During the weeks before Christmas, the news was full of them.
Polio eradication workers in Pakistan killed by terrorists.
Fire fighters in Webster, New York shot when they responded to a house fire call.
Children and teachers gunned down at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

“How,” the watching world asks, “could Christians rejoice over the birth of Jesus in times like these? Why did they feast and give gifts as though nothing happened?

“How indeed?” Christians wondered. “How can we celebrating light in the midst of such darkness? Shouldn’t we sit in the dark and grieve instead?” And so our guilty thoughts began, along with doubt and fear and self-loathing.

Joy suckers, all of them.
Waiting to extract every bit of gladness from the hearts of God’s people.
Eager to settle on our shoulders a mantle of gloom and sadness.
Ready to burden our hearts and bow our heads, so we succumb to dark despair.

Two thousand years ago, into a world as black as ours seems today, God sent his Son as a light in the darkness. And the joy suckers could not comprehend it.

They could not comprehend that God would allow a baby born in a manger to become a man who would be killed for doing what was right.
They could not comprehend that God would allow the healer of the sick to die at the hands of terrorists.
They could not comprehend that the Father loved the world so much, He willingly experienced the heart-wrenching death of his own Son.

But two thousand years ago, the Lord of hosts understood it all.

He understood that on Christmas Eve of 2012, the families of two fire fighters in Webster, New York would need the assurance of a God who knew what it felt like to die for doing the right thing.
He understood that on December 19, 2012 the loved ones of nine dead health workers in Pakistan would need the comfort of the Great Physician slain by an angry mob.
He understood that on December 14, 2012 the parents of twenty dead children would need a Savior who, like them, had anguished over the death of a child.

The joy suckers couldn’t comprehend such light, such love. But we, His broken children, can.

The entrance of God’s light and love into our darkness is why we feasted with our families,
why we gave and received gifts, why we joined hands and sang carols.

Silent Night
Joy to the World
Hark the Herald Angels Sing.

Because, when we raised our faces to His light and sang,

the darkness tried to hide.
It trembled at His voice.
How great is our God!

Will you sing with me?
Jolene

 

photo credit: www.freedigitalphotos.net

Holiday Tapioca Fruit Salad Is Back!

Holiday Tapioca Fruit Salad Is Back!

by | Dec 11, 2013 | Recipes

tapioca fruit salad

Our extended family will celebrate Christmas the weekend between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. And Grandma Josie’s tapioca fruit salad will grace our table. The recipe for this delectable family favorite debuted on this blog in January of 2012 and is making a return appearance for two reasons: it’s making the round on Pinterest and I’ve been to busy for the past few weeks to try any new recipes.

Today’s recipe comes from my mother’s mother, Josephine Newell Hess. She made huge batches of this tapioca fruit salad when her 8 children, their spouses, and her 39 grandchildren gathered for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Once she was unable to host the gatherings, the recipe was lost for many years. Finally, my sister and I were so hungry for it, we recreated the dish with help from Mom. Now we serve it at Thanksgiving and Christmas and eat it as greedily as hobbits do mushrooms.

Though the recipe below doesn’t make as big a batch as Grandma whipped up in her prime, it’s still enough to fill a large Tupperware bowl. Why make so much? Because we love to eat what’s left over the next morning for breakfast!

Holiday Tapioca Fruit Salad

1 box (8 ounces) large pearl tapioca
4 cups water, divided into two equal parts
1/2 cup sugar
1 20 ounce can pineapple tidbits
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup sugar
1-2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups seedless red grapes, halved
1 cups chopped walnuts
2 apples, cored and diced
2 bananas, sliced
2 oranges, diced

The night before the meal, put tapioca in a medium bowl. Add 2 cups of water to the tapioca, cover, and let soak overnight.

Several hours before serving, place soaked tapioca in heavy saucepan. Add 2 cups water and the sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until most of the tapioca is translucent and the mixture is very thick. Pour into a large bowl and immediately add pineapple (juice and all) into the thick tapioca. Stir thoroughly. Put in the refrigerator or on the porch to cool.

An hour before serving whip the cream. Add sugar and vanilla. In a large bowl mix the tapioca, fruit, (except the bananas), and whipped cream together. Immediately before the meal, slice the bananas and stir them in, along with the nuts.

Just the Successes: Special Needs Christmas Advice

Just the Successes: Special Needs Christmas Advice

by | Dec 10, 2013 | Different Dream, Holidays, Special Needs Parenting

Just the Successes: Special Needs Christmas Advice

Guest blogger Becky Hallberg offers a welcome holiday suggestion to parents of kids with special needs. Her wise words are guaranteed to lower your stress, put a smile on your face, and encourage you to focus on the reason we celebrate Christmas. So read on…

Just the Successes

The holidays are a tricky time for our family. This time of year is full of traditions, the sparkle of lights, and the melody of Christmas music. But how do you cope when these exact things, which we all look forward to, when they are possible triggers for a family member? How do you deal with all of the “what-if’s” that the season brings?

We live near a major city and so the opportunities for enjoying the holidays, and all the glitz and glamor that go with them, are pretty much endless! It’s the perfect place for a Christmas-lover like me! I would love to take our kids to all of the light displays, musical productions, festively-decorated areas, and soak in the goodness of time spent together!

And then the big, glaring reminder of all the sensory issues sneaks in to smack me in the face. We have one who can’t always tolerate those things – but sometimes he can. What do you do, as a parent, when things may go exceedingly well, or they may fall apart horribly?  What’s the right choice to make?

I wish I had the answer, all perfectly-figured, decisively-calculated, and beautifully-packaged, to hand to you. That would be quite a gift, wouldn’t it? I’d love to receive that gift, and I’d love to pass it along to you!

I spend time each year, wondering—worrying, even—about our decisions as they pertain to our son and what he may or may not be able to tolerate.

Are we pushing too much?
Not pushing enough?
Will he survive waiting in the line?
Will he miss doing (whatever it may be) if we don’t try?
Are we doing something wrong?
Are we doing anything right?

That’s a lot to wrestle with, in just considering whether or not to go on an outing. I often find myself figuring that skipping something may be the easiest option—no lines, no hassle, no sensory overload. And then the mommy guilt sets in.

Can I attempt to encourage you? Our feelings, as parents—mine, yours, his, hers—they count. They matter. They are valid—every last one of them. If I feel this way around the holidays, I’m sure many of you do as well. I am so grateful to have my faith in a loving God, who I can share my feelings with, openly and honestly. Let’s face it—He is God, He already knows how I feel.

I’m learning that my child’s ability to cope does seem to get a little better as he gets older. However, his age is no guarantee for success in any situation.

And that one word—success—is such a key word in all of this.

What if you and I decided that we would only accept being defined by our successes this Christmas season? What if our yardstick for measuring our enjoyment of the holidays was only made up of the successful moments? We could do that, you know—just count the successes.

Chances are, we know there will be moments that aren’t successful—maybe even whole days. But what if we shook it up a little this year and decided in our hearts that we wanted to measure only the successes?

What if I shared my successes with you, and you shared yours with me, and together, we held those precious gifts as reminders that all that we do as parents matters. It’s vitally important. But we don’t need to carry the sting of things going wrong. Take the hurts, the shattered plans, the missed opportunities, the doubts, questions, and worries and leave them with Jesus. Let Him heal the hurts and mend the wounds.

Let’s sit with Jesus in the warmth, love, and delight of all that you are doing well. Let’s measure our enjoyment of this time of the year by the successes and thank Him for those times. I will cling to those as we move through the holidays and into the New Year. Will you join me?

Remember:
just the successes

Becky and I invite you to share your successes in the comment box. To read more from Becky visit her blog, Shar Sharing Redemption’s Stories.

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Author Jolene Philo

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Christmas Miracles of the Special Needs Kind

Christmas Miracles of the Special Needs Kind

by | Dec 9, 2013 | Different Dream, Holidays, Special Needs Parenting

Christmas Miracles of the Special Needs Kind

Guest blogger Stephanie Ballard and her sons are getting ready for Christmas. Today, she shares a poem about recognizing Christmas miracles of the special needs kind…and all year long.

Miracles

The hustle and bustle of the holiday season is upon us once again. It can be such a stressful time, with a never ending list of things to get accomplished. Let us remember to look for the Christmas miracles. They are evident everywhere…but easiest to see through the eyes of our children.

Outside the snow was falling
In a white, and wintry flurry,
Mom was baking cookies
And she seemed in quite a hurry.
The shopping was all finished
The tree was decorated
Tomorrow Christmas would be here
The children were elated.
And soon the youngest tapped his mom
His face…a bit forlorn
“Are miracles for real Mommy,
like when Jesus was born?”
“Of course they are,” his mother said
While picking out a book
.
“Miracles are everywhere
You only have to look.”

And so, he sat up in the chair
And snuggled in her lap
So cozy…warm and comfy
He was ready for a nap.
Then Mommy read the story
More important than the rest
About the Christmas miracle
Which still remains the best.
She read to him of Mary
Who said, “God’s will be done,”
Of how the angel told her
That she would have a son.
“
Do not be afraid,” he said
,
“You have found favor… thus
You’ll call your son Emmanuel
And this means, ‘God with us.'”
She read of all their struggles
Of no room at the inn
Of how we needed someone
Who could save us from our sin
Of how the very brightest star
Was shining far and bright
And shepherds got to witness
God’s miracle that night.
And wise men came to worship
This most amazing birth.
Then mommy closed the book and said
,
“God’s miracle on earth.”

“

Does God still perform miracles?”
the boy asked hopefully…
“I know he does,” his mother said.
“
Just look at you and me.
Why love, it is a miracle
,
as is determination
–
finding a reason to smile each day
in any situation.
Seeking to be hopeful,
treating each day as unplanned
.
a simple prayer…a thankful heart
.
Now do you understand?
Make each day a miracle,
keep your eyes open wide
for almost anything can have
a miracle inside.”

The child kissed his mommy’s cheek
as he had grown tired
.
His mother put him in his bed
Her heart had been inspired.
At times she found it hard to smile
when the long day was done.
But grace…had touched her heart today
through the words of her young son.
God still performs miracles
ff every shape and size
.
But sometimes the miraculous
lies right before our eyes.

Does Stephanie’s poem give you eyes to see the miracles–Christmas, special needs, and otherwise–right before your eyes? If so, give your miracles a shout out in the comment box.

Do you like what you see at DifferentDream.com? You can receive more great content by subscribing to the quarterly Different Dream newsletter and signing up for the daily RSS feed delivered to your email inbox. You can sign up for the first in the pop up box and the second at the bottom of this page.

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Stephanie Ballard is the mother of two sons, her youngest son, Braeden, was born with Kabuki Syndrome and congenital heart defects. Her oldest son, Colin is in the military. She enjoys writing poetry and life lessons about her journey in life.

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Clothed In Humility

Clothed In Humility

by | Dec 6, 2013 | Church Newsletter Columns

Clothed in Humanity…and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another,
for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.
1 Peter 5:5

Do you remember the children’s story from grade school? The one about the emperor who was conned into preening down the street in what he believed were the fanciest duds ever, when in reality he was parading around in his birthday suit. Everyone around the monarch went along with the deception, except for one little boy. When that honest little guy spoke truth, the emperor’s self-deception was laid bare, and he ran away to hide.

Not too long ago, I felt as though God had cast me as the lead in an updated version of the particularly revealing saga. Not in a literal sense, mind you. My physical clothes were in place throughout the experience. But as for my spiritual duds, the ones I believed were woven of 100% humility? Well, God spoke truth and stripped them away, revealing what lay beneath layers and layers self-deception.

God’s truth exposed pride. Prideful thoughts. Prideful words. Prideful attitudes. Prideful actions. So much pride, my first desire was to run away and hide. But God made it quite clear, through the words of Hebrews 5:13, that hiding from Him is not an option. And in 1 Peter 5:5, He clearly stated what needed to be done: put on different clothes.

I wasn’t to keen on the idea of complete wardrobe change after a lifetime of struggling to unzip pride and button down humbleness…only to discover that my version of humility was 100% fake. So I argued with God. I can’t do this on my own. I’m not sure I can do it even with you leading the way. Therefore. I. Give. Up.

Having dealt with the matter, my fickle mind wandered on to less taxing, more mundane thoughts. The grocery list for Thanksgiving dinner. Hauling Christmas decorations from the attic. The column for the December newsletter. Not one hopeful writing idea came to mind until a wisp of Christmas story from the gospel of Luke wove its way into my thoughts: And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Jesus, the Son of God, the Creator of all things came to earth as a humble baby wrapped in humble cloths. His mother laid Him in a manger because there was no room at the inn. Why on earth did God’s Son humiliate Himself so completely? To save prideful sinners like you and me, wrapping us in His humility when we cannot clothe ourselves.

The words of a simple, children’s Christmas carol threaded their way into my consciousness.

Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask thee to stay
close by me forever, and love me, I pray;
bless all the dear children in thy tender care,
and fit us for heaven to live with thee there.

I closed my eyes as hope blazed in my heart, as bright as the star over Bethlehem so long ago. Lord Jesus, I prayed, please change my clothes. Clothe me and all your children in your humility so we are fit to represent you on earth and to live with you in heaven when you call us home. Amen.

Photo Credit: www.freedigitalphotos.net