Learn About Compassion and Change the Story

Most of you know that our family is a big fan of Compassion International. We have supported our dear Marcelo from Bolivia for nearly four years now. It's been a little while since I have blogged about Compassion International however, today I noticed that Compassion had put out a brand new video about their new Change the Story tour that is now going on and coming to a city near you. The Change the Story tour brings poverty to you so that you can experience what living in a third world country as a child is like. Watch the video, check out the website by clicking here, find a place near you where the tour is coming, then visit and Change the Story!



Gun Control - My View

 

This was a response that I wrote to a friend on Facebook when we were discussing gun control. I thought I would repost it on my blog with only a few slight changes.

I've given gun laws a little thought. At first I thought, “Well, what's wrong with banning these assault rifles or other automatic guns that fire multiple rounds in seconds? After all, they aren't used for hunting or anything like that." Then I thought about another controversial ruling from 40 years ago or so - Abortion.

At first abortions were made legal to "keep them out of the back alley" or to be used as the last resort and for the safety of women. Most advocates didn’t intend for them to be used for birth control or because the pregnancy just wasn’t convenient. Today, in some places, abortions can happen almost up until birth. For that matter, look at partial birth abortions.  All that is left in the  mother's womb is the head. The rest is out of the womb before the baby is “aborted”. Today some doctors will determine the sex of the baby and, if the parent doesn’t like the sex, abort the baby! There are even some “doctors” in other countries that advocate for “aborting” babies that are BORN with severe birth defects. After all, let’s put them out of their misery! What’s going to be next? “Aborting” children that mental challenges, like Downs babies or maybe even kids with autism like mine?  I’m not saying that all who agree that abortion should be legal agree with all of that, but, like it or not, that’s what abortion has become.

That’s what I feel will happen with guns. First it will be the assault rifles and such, then, after time, it will start to trickle down to hand guns, rifles and shotguns. In fact, that is exactly what some folks are hoping will happen. I know, some folks reading this are rolling their eyes and thinking how dumb I am, but am I really? Could that really happen? In 20, 30, 40 years down the road could it truly just be the criminals that have guns?

Positive Thinking!

 

 

The thought occurred to me that some of you might be wondering what all of these positive posts that I've been posting are all about and what Sarah and I are doing. Let me reassure any of you who may have any questions that we are still, without a doubt, full time BCM International missionaries and we still are the directors of our ministry here in Livingston to the low income folks. We love our ministry and the people we minister to and have no plans of doing anything different.

A few months ago, however, a very part-time opportunity basically fell into our laps for us to save money and earn money. Like most missionaries, we are very under supported so saving money and earning some extra money on a part time basis sounded like it was a God send (and it really was!).

Through learning about this great company and how it works, I realized how many negative thoughts and ideas that Satan (and myself) had poured into my mind over the past years (decades). I realized what a negative person I had become. God has no use for negativity. He has such great plans for us. Remember what Jeremiah 29:11 says:

11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

God has great plans for us. He has great plans for Sarah and I and our family. He has great plans for you. He has wondrous plans for us. I think that part of the reason that we never see all of the fantastic things that He has for us is because of belief. We don’t believe that God could ever do great things with us and we don’t believe in ourselves.

I am through with being negative. I have had enough of negative thoughts. That’s why you are seeing a lot of positive posts on my timeline lately. I am allowing God to change those negative thoughts and allowing Him to work in my life. He is bringing some of the “dead” areas back to life again. This year is going to be a positive year.

Many folks are asking God to give them a word for the year that He wants them to live out. I asked God to give me a word and He actually gave me two words – expanse and immense. I don’t know what that totally means, but I think God is getting ready to immensely expand my territory. It is going to be a great 2013!

 

Goals2Go - My New Year's Resolution

 

 

I have never thought much about motivational speakers, programs, books, etc. because my mindset was that I only needed God and the Bible. Really, that is all that we need. However, I've been realizing that a lot of my struggles in life and ministry have to do with plain old me and that I needed to work on myself more. So, I prayerfully began to search for books, tapes, programs, etc. that would work on my problems and what is keeping me back from reaching my goals. I promised, though, that if anything that I found was not compatible with God’s Word then it wasn’t going to be used and I feel like I’m spiritually grounded enough to follow through on that promise.

 

I found a program called Goals2Go - http://www.goals2go.com/home/ and absolutely love it! It has really been eye opening. I somehow signed up for the free basic version which I can’t seem to find on the link that I am providing, but even the basic version has been fantastic. I have had tears in my eyes many times thinking about all that God wants me to be and wants for my life and how I can still accomplish and achieve those things. I really encourage you all to look into it.

 

This program, along with a lot of prayer, Bible reading and soul searching has really started to make a difference. You all really need to look into it. Remember what Jeremiah 29:11 says - For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. God doesn’t want us to live in the doldrums all of our lives. If we keep our eyes on Him, we can live a happy, prosperous life.

Okay, It's Better Late than Never!

I have been very negligent this year in sending out holiday greetings to everyone. Please don't feel bad, blog readers, it hasn't just been you all. No one has received a Christmas card or letter from us. I guess it will have to be a "beginning of the year" letter that we send out this year. Anyway, since tomorrow is New Year's Eve and since Christmas and New Year's is considered the "Holiday Season" then I guess it will be okay to wish everyone a...

 

 

 



Autism and the Media



Just like the rest of you, I was completely taken aback and distressed by the Sandy Hook tragedy this past Friday. I grieved for the families, cried, and hugged my own children.

After a couple of days, though, something else was added to my sadness for the victims and their families. Almost immediately the media began to latch on to the fact that someone said that the shooter had Asperger's Syndrome and suddenly the talk was all about autism and mental illness. People began to almost demonize children and adults who are on the autism spectrum - specifically who have Asperger's. I even read comments where children like this should be locked away and that people with this type of mental illness should never be trusted. Autism, by the way, is classified as a neurological disorder, NOT a mental illness.

People also began to demonize the mother because she supposedly took her son out of school to homeschool him for a little while and she taught her son to shoot. Well, I guess that means that Sarah and I are horrible parents. Not only do we homeschool our two autism spectrum children (along with their older brother) but we also teach them to shoot! Many of you know that my two oldest children, John Allen and Joshua (our Asperger's Syndrome child) are excellent marksmen and have done very well at shooting competitions. John Allen won an award for being the best shooter at a state competition a couple of years ago and Joshua is probably just as good as John Allen was (if not better) at his age.

I hurt for my children and other autistic children and their parents when I hear people say how terrible this mother was and what terrible choices she made for her son. It seems like whenever they say this the terms "Asperger's Syndrome" and "mental illness" are used almost interchangeably. Let me just state that there have also been many experts that have said that Asperger's Syndrome is not a mental illness and that their is absolutely nothing in the definition of an Asperger's child that talks about violence of this nature. Asperger's Syndrome DID NOT cause Adam Lanza to do the things that he did! By continuing to perpetuate this notion, the media and others are causing unwanted fear toward our children. As on of my friends who also has an Asperger's child put it, "Years of work on the part of so many to educate the general population about autism, and then such careless and ignorant statements from the press take us 100 steps back for the 10 taken forward."

I pray that folks are now not going to look down on my children and other autistic children. Are they going to be allowed to participate in the things that they love to do? Are people going to include them in activities? Or, are they going to be shunned because some individuals will think, "heaven forbid, we don't want those type children mixing with our children. They could snap, become violent at any moment, and hurt someone."

Just the other day my wife posted on Facebook about a conversation that she had with Joshua. It went something like this...

I was watching the news last night and it was talking about the shooter of the Newtown, CT shooting and how he had autism/Aspergers. Joshua, my 12 yr old Aspergers son, said "Mom I am afraid. I have Aspergers and I hope my Aspergers doesn't make me do something like that." My heart broke. I tried to explain to him Aspergers didn't make the young man shoot others. He had other problems and issues. I wished the media would become better informed before they started stereotyping certain groups. This causes more harm than good when you don't know what you are talking about!! There are a lot of precious, loving and compassionate Aspergers children and adults who don't deserve to be stereotyped because of one persons senseless act. After we talked I prayed over Joshua and told him that he was fearfully and wonderfully made and that mommy and daddy loved him and would do all that they could to help him to be what God has created him to be...an Aspergers young man after God's own heart.

My heart goes out to the victims and their families as well as the other children and teachers that were involved in this terrible tragedy. As each day goes by and they hold each funeral, I pray for those dear parents, relatives and friends who will never see their loved ones again this side of Heaven. I can't imagine losing a child. The grief must be unfathomable.

I pray, also, that the recent media coverage doesn't, indeed, stereotype children and adults who are on the autism spectrum. I pray that people will look at them and realize that, just as God is working in every one's life, God is working in their lives to make them everything that He has created them to be...young men and women after His own heart.

Memories from my past...The Kent Family Chronicles

 

 

I started posting the following on Facebook earlier this evening, and when it got to the length that it began to look like a blogpost, I...well...decided to turn it into a blogpost! Here it is.

 

I was at one of my favorite used book stores, Mr. K's in Oak Ridge, the other day when what should I find in their free book bin but almost the entire set of The Kent Family Chronicles by John Jakes. http://amzn.to/12eA4Rm I remember fighting over each new volume with my brother, David, when they were released. Those were good books.

It was one of my classmates who got me interested in those books when they were reading them in Miss Mogart's PA History class in 9th grade. I remember asking her about what she was reading and then began reading them myself.

 I was never good at remembering dates and things like that in school, but I have always loved history - especially U.S. history. It didn't hurt that the Bicentennial was around that time and U.S. history was really big. My dad was a big history buff as well and always took us to places like Gettysburg, Williamsburg, and Boston/Plymouth for vacations.

Anyway, guess who grabbed up the books, to my wife's chagrin, and has started to reread them? They are still as good as they were back then. Perhaps not something I would pick up and read today unless they were something like this from my youth. There's a little bit of language in them but not too bad. There are a few inappropriate sections but nothing too graphic. They are certainly not like some of the modern garbage that is now being published. If I can recall, the history was fairly accurate as well. Of course, it's fiction, so not all of it will be exactly true, but, for the most part, the history isn't watered down or "rewritten". I believe that the Bicentennial was before political correctness was invented.

 

At any rate, if you are a big history buff like me, I would recommend looking into them. I wouldn't recommend them to a child under high school age, but I began reading them in ninth grade and didn't have any problem with either the reading level or the language/inappropriateness. Kids today are exposed to much more graphic things on a daily basis than kids were in 1976 so, unless you are extremely careful about what your teen reads and don't allow any questionable things at all, then I think you would be safe with these. If I come across anything major that I haven't remembered from reading them 35 years ago then I will revise this and let you know. Happy Reading!