Into the Grove

“Into the Groove,” remember that 80’s song by Madonna?  Well, I can relate to this, being back into our routine and school as well as numerous other activities and groups.

It feels good and it feels bad – you know what I mean? Gone are the carefree summer days when all I had to think about was, “will we go swimming or paddle boarding?”  

It is good to be back into our normal everyday life.  I look at both of our children and I am so very proud of them.  Our daughter is in her second year at university and even though she faces many challenges, she seems to have settled into her new schedule without too many issues. Our son had many challenges last year with one of his teachers at school and I am so happy to see that he is not anxious about going and he is enjoying all his classes.

I thank God every day for the teachers and EA’s and all of the people that He has brought into our children’s lives. I pray every day that they will both get positive influences who can help them grow and develop into thriving young people.

I trust God and I know that this is possible. But as a parent of two teens on the autism spectrum, our normal is not the normal of everyone else. Our daily challenges are different and some of the decisions we have to make with or for our children can be difficult.

Autism never takes a day off. In the early years, I was totally consumed and challenged on a daily basis. Now I feel much more equipped to handle challenges, changes and whatever else may come our way.  I know that this is only possible through God’s grace.

Just to tell you how far we have come, when our son was in grade 4, he was supposed to be in a portable. But, because of his need to always move around and possibly escape, instead of being in a portable, they put him in a grade 4/5 split class. It was in the school and they did not want to have to worry about any safety issues.  Today, in high school, this is the first time he has been in a portable and he is doing amazing!  It’s a little thing that most people would not even think about, but for him, it is a huge gain and improvement.

I believe with my whole heart that God does have a plan. He watches us, and He wants us to lean on Him especially during our most difficult circumstances. He makes a path through for us, while being by our side. I guess that’s what faith is all about. I know that my faith grows, the more that I lean on God.

I don’t know what it is today that you may be struggling with. It may be something to do with your children – it’s hard and especially harder when you throw autism into the mix. But, I hope that you will lean on God and the church family. Let us support and help you. We are all part of God’s bigger family so if you are feeling alone and isolated, I am here to tell you that you don’t need to be. We are here for you. God is here for you and no matter what your situation is, He is always in control of everything. He sees you. He hears you and most of all He loves you.

In the Bible it says,

“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you;
he will never leave you or forsake you.
Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” 
Deuteronomy 31:8

Take care, until next time…..

Shelly Wedge
Exceptional Family Ministry Coordinator
Amberlea Church

Here We Go Again!

“Here we go again!”

Whenever I hear this phrase, I think of the Abba song, which by the way is one of my favourites!

Where did the summer go? It seems like just yesterday, we were so happy to be free from the routine and looking forward to some summer fun.

Well, it has already come to an end! I guess that’s as the saying goes, that all good things must come to an end.

But just as we look forward to something enjoyable, we must be grateful for fun times we had during the summer months and anticipate what is to come.

So, “here we go again!” Yes, I sing the song in my head especially when I think about lunches, homework, teachers, activities – you name it. It is coming……….

Fall is such a great season. For those who are in school, it means getting back into the school mode schedule and for others, it may just be back to some regular scheduled activities or regular meet-ups with friends.

Whatever it may be for you, it is happening now.

For those with autism, routine and schedules play an important role in their lives. They decrease anxiety and create a comfort of what to expect next. School is one of those things that provide calmness in people with autism at least that is what my experience has been.  So as much as I am not looking forward to jumping back in, it is a very good thing to be going back for all of us.

We’ve had some stress in our previous school year, so I am personally a bit apprehensive about it but I know that with God’s help, we can get through anything.

That’s the great thing about being a child of God. You can always count on Him to be with you at all times and even in the hardest moments of your life.

Whatever the fears or concerns are for your special needs child, always remember that God is there, He cares and He will never let you down.

I like the verse Deuteronomy 31:6:

“Be strong and courageous.

Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you.

He will not leave or forsake you.”

As you move in the fall season, move forward with peace and calm and remember how much God loves you!

Shelly Wedge

Exceptional Family Ministry Coordinator

Amberlea Church

Gratefulness

When you hear the word grateful what do you think of?

When you think of things that you are grateful for, do you find it easy or hard to name them?

When I used to hear the word “autism,” it felt like a curse had come over our family.  I associated the word with pain, suffering, stress, anxiety - just to name a few.

It took me many long years to learn to be grateful for autism. There was much soul-searching, in between all of the appointments, therapies, and endless nights of hardly sleeping. I wanted to hide from the world for so long. I wanted to just crawl up in a ball and never leave my house. I had so many emotions and I felt up and down like a yo-yo for so long – years in fact.

I had to come to terms with all of the things that took over our lives and I had to do a lot of soul-searching to figure out what God wanted me to discover all along. I learned to be grateful for autism. Once I accepted that fact, I have never looked back. I never think about what it would be like if our children were not on the spectrum. I am truly grateful because it has changed and enhanced our lives in so many positive ways.

God works in very mysterious ways and this has been one of them.

I can’t even begin to explain how much autism has enriched our lives. First of all, I would not be writing this blog. I wouldn’t have such amazing people in my life whom I have learned to love and count on and I perhaps wouldn’t be able to appreciate all of the uniqueness in both of our children.

So, I am grateful each and every day for everything – big or small. I am grateful for the closeness of the little unit of people that I have around me that I can totally trust and I am even more grateful for the amazing children that God has blessed me with. I am grateful for what each of them teaches me each and every single day!

God is amazing! He blesses us and he teaches us all of the time and I am so grateful that God knows me and what I need better than myself.

I love this verse,

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

No matter what your circumstances are today, God knows. Be grateful and follow God’s promises and He will protect you and be a force to be reckoned with in your life.

Shelly Wedge

Exceptional Family Ministry Coordinator

Amberlea Church