Joy In The Midst of Struggles

As I go back to work tomorrow I like to reflect on what this season of summer has meant to me. The theme that stands out to me is this season I learned to be in love with who I am and where I am. I learned Jesus is the love of my life and we could go nowhere without His love. The month of June was filled with adjusting to the quiet, low key life of summer. It was trying to learn what God had in store for me this summer. It was starting a new Bible study book with some new girls and preparing myself for Kenya and celebrating my best friend's birthday. It was a month of adjusting and figuring out what to do. The month of July was a month of realizing I am enough and I am called to inspire those around me by which I learned in Kenya.  It was learning that I am truly not ashamed of my disability and realizing God has given me the strength to be proud of myself and showing that God can make anything possible. I turned 25 this month and that was a scary number. I used to say I would...

Oh dear my friends. My heart has been wrecked ever since Kenya. The Lord has opened my eyes to a world of ashamed, broken, hate for the disabled population. I am not going to lie I have been having a hard time recently with the fact of people not seeing the love a disabled person gives out. My heart is so heavy. I am shedding some tears while I write this. On Monday of this week CBS News did a segment on how iceland is eliminating Down Syndrome ( https://www.cbsnews.com/news/down-syndrome-iceland/ ). I am beyond devastated after hearing of this. The fact that people think the world is better without the love of a Down Syndrome individual is gut wrenching. I am at a lost for words. Why are people so ashamed and afraid of individuals with disabilities? I see it in Kenya, in Iceland and here. I mean I have often thought about this. When I go to target, the mall, grocery shopping how often do you see a differently abled person like me walking around...not too often. I recently saw anot...

Today as I sat in the office of my academic advisor registering for my classes for my MASTERS of Special Education I could not help but just realize how the Lord has walked beside me and clung to me saying you can make it my dear. As I walked away from my appointment I could not help but feel emotional. I have been fighting for my rights in education to be treated like a "normal" human being my whole life. I have so many people tell me I am not going to make it. They judge me for my outside and assume I am incapable mentally. I asked my mom later did you ever expect me to be going for my Masters? She answered me honestly and said when you were little no I did not but since you have been in your 20s it doesn't surprise me. My advisor asked me today why I wanted to be a special education teacher and this is what I told him. Hope Individuals with different abilities need hope, love, and encouragement that they can become confident, independent, and beautiful peopl...

A S H A M E D This word has wrecked me. This word is nasty. This word hinders. This word prevents people from being themselves. This word has has been on my mind ever since Kenya. You know one thing I did not expect when I went to Kenya is that I would get to work with the disabled population. I got to go into homes and visit and pray with differently abled individuals and their families. One thing that has wrecked me is how ashamed  they are of differently abled individuals. They do not let them out of their houses, they do not have resources for them, they do not have individuals to encourage them to seek help. They are ashamed and hide them from the world. My heart has been broken ever since then.  I don't think that word ever crossed my mind throughout my life. Yes I have hated or been frustrated with my disability but I don't think I have ever felt ashamed . I have been talking this through with many individuals trying to grasp what I am feeling. ...