What do you recommend?

I'm loading products onto the new website so if all goes well we'll launch National Autism Resources by the end of this month. Hooray! I've been putting up the products we have found to be helpful for our family. That got me wondering... do any of you have a special toy or book that has been really helpful to your child that you would like to recommend? If so let me know about it!

The Secret is Out...

No yesterdays are ever wasted for those who give themselves to today. ~Brendan Francis I read this quote and loved it. As stated before I've been working on a secret project... well the time has come to reveal it:

National Autism Resources

Yep I'm expanding my company to sell only the tried and true inexpensive, easy to use, durable toys, fidgets, games and books for families who have a member on the spectrum.

So friends have been giving me advice like don't tell people you have depression. (Ooooops I did it I know I'm going to see e-mails...) Yes I suffer from depression, so much so that I start my day every day with what I like to call "Vitamin P" better known as Prozac.

Friends have also said don't talk so much about religion. Well I agree I won't talk about religion, I'll just keep talking about the most fascinating relationship in my life, my friendship with Jesus.

I am no super Mom, there are many a day I want to retreat to Mexico for a month... I will not portray myself as anything except who I am. So if people are turned off to my company because of preconceived notions of what a person of faith is like, or because I suffer from a "mental illness" all I can say is I wish them well. However, I will stay uncensored and honest.

My God is Jealous

I have a dear friend from India that I met over 10 years ago. Her kids are my kids "baby friends." She is a Sikh. Our differences in faith have led to many very interesting conversations, for example she is the first person I have met that truly believes in reincarnation... Her youngest boy turned nine and she invited me to her Gurdwara, their version of a church. She had some time off, which is rare, and wanted to take him there for a prayer of blessing, and then celebrate with dinner. I was interested to go and share her life, but also very cognizant that I follow Jesus and Jesus has told me to only follow him...


So I had to explain to my friend that my God is jealous, I can only worship him. I could go but could not participate in the worship of any other god or teacher.

She said that was fine, so I went and observed.

When we drove up she explained that the domes were built in Italy and donated by a very rich Sikh who lives there.

When we arrived we were asked to cover our hair. When I asked if this was something her god demanded my friend replied that covering one's hair is done for modesty reasons. It would be the same as someone not wearing a bikini top to church...


I came into their main meeting room. Sikhs bow and pray to a book called the Guru Granth Sahib, not sure of the name here... They enter bow, pray and then leave an offering I saw people leave money, and another person left milk. Elderly men from their faith spend the day by their book and are available for prayer or readings of the book. When they heard it was J's birthday they uncovered the book and read it. It was in Punjabi, but instead of reading they sang the words.



After the prayers we went downstairs to another room, there is always food and tea available to eat there. So we had some wonderful Indian food and talked. I could tell my friend was so happy that I had come. She mentioned that many American people become Sikhs. At that moment I thought to myself so this is what it feels like when someone wants to convert you...


My dear friend loves me so much. She would love for me to become a Sikh, but the truth is I believe I have found the greatest teacher that ever lived, Jesus. I am so attracted to Him, I can't fathom any other way. I would love for her to meet Jesus and follow him, but for now we have chosen different ways...

Autistic and Proud

There's a short article on the Autistic's rights movement here. As stated before I've been struggling with the idea of labels. Labels, labels, labels... There are pros and cons to labels. In this article the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network, says Autism and Asperger's syndrome aren't diseases, but different ways of being.

As I think about it what bothers me about the "autistic" label is that the media has made it synonymous with disability, tragedy. What I see in my son is someone uniquely and beautifully different. He has a different perspective and I so enjoy him just the way he is and I am excited to see how God will continue to work in his life.

Early intervention is important no doubt, but acceptance is also. Again I go back to the beautiful quote from The Glasser's: "I am not trying to stamp out personality traits, but I am helping her to be more functional in the world so she has the chance to be her own person." I so much want my son to be his own person. I also want the world to embrace him as he is...