No television. I never thought two words could be so revolutionary. But in America, television is a way of life, it is a necessity, it is like food and water. People can't picture life without a television. I hear things like, "NO TELEVISION, well what do you do then?!" I must admit that at first it was a bit tough, I really like the show 24, and PBS's Saturday morning cooking shows. (I am a dork)
We started to notice that TV had a negative influence on Isaac, not in the crazy sheltered Baptist kind of way, but in the background noise was too much for his Sensory Integration Dysfunction to handle. He would start to get really "floppy" and rag-dollish, and trip over lots of things, and not have a good focus. The background noise of a television made it so that he could not focus on things like walking, eating, drinking, playing, and other normal functions very well. It is like two people trying to have two different conversations with you at the same time.
Our entertainment center is now filled with games, blankets, craft things, and a laptop for the occasional sesame street DVD for Isaac when he wants some sit down time. We have adapted to this new way of, life well. The only trouble is when we go to other people's houses who have television on, Isaac gets floppy and disoriented, and people just don't understand why something as normal and common place as a television could have this effect on him. I find that when I go over a house with the television on, I am now finding it hard to focus and concentrate too. It is loud, and I get headaches, and I can't focus.
I don't think that television is evil, or even wrong. I think that it can be an addiction like alcohol or caffeine, or sugar. But life has been really good with this change, a change that I may not have considered if Isaac had been born "normal" and not "handicapped" by this worlds standards. I find that I have no time for television even if we had one, we are too busy playing and reading and eating dinner as a family and talking and having relationship that I think many people use TV as an easy substitute for relationship.
Relationship takes work and let's face it sometimes it can be easier to sit down and stare at a box that will entertain us and call it family time that interact. Sometimes I find myself thinking, "I am really tired today, maybe I can pop in a DVD for Isaac and just sit together." Sometimes we do that, and sometimes I make myself get up off the couch and get onto the floor and play and interact with my boys. I am finding that the latter is more rewarding as a family, and in the end I never regret it, no matter how tired I am.
My brother and sister in-law bought us a frame with a saying on it that was so appropriate for life, and is becoming more and more my motto for living, "Everyday is a Gift." Everyday with each other is a gift, every breath is a gift, every second on the floor playing with my boys is a gift. At any time, God may call Isaac, Nolan, Kara, or myself home to be with Himself, so I must cherish the time that I do have now.
We almost lost Isaac a handful of times in his lifetime, when that happens, it tends to put things in perspective, the challenging part is keeping that perspective fresh and a way of living, and not sitting wasting life and precious time with each other by not treating each second as a gift. I pray a prayer every day to help keep this perspective, "God thank you for the time I have had so far with ________ (insert family member name here). I know that you could take them home today, so thank you for the time that we have had, help us to cherish it."
Showing posts with label life with isaac. Show all posts
Showing posts with label life with isaac. Show all posts
Friday, January 11, 2008
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Life With Isaac Part 2
The video posted below is an amazing ministry that a group called Young Life had going to kids with disabilities. The lady in the video, Elizabeth Thompson was fired from staff on November 30th. The reason for the firing was as Tony Jones writes:
"she refused to tell developmentally disabled teenagers that they are depraved and separated from God. You see, Elizabeth ran YL’s Capernaum Ministry in Durham/Chapel Hill. She was presented with the Non-Negotiables statement from YL (an earlier version) and asked if she could assent with all point in the 9-page document. She said no. She said that the kids with whom she works cannot understand “separation from God” as it is dictated in the penal substitutionary theory of the atonement. So she was fired."
This is an interesting topic that our Jr. High team just discussed at our last meeting. Can Jr. High students grasp the idea of salvation and repentance and substitutionary atonement and the kingdom of God? My answer to them was, "I don't know." These are massive ideas that my mind cannot fully grasp. The fundamental evangelicals voted last year to raise the age of accountability from eight to ten. So that means that before the age of ten, children are not accountable for their sins.
That is weird to me to have that hard of a doctrine. Luke 12 says,
"The servant who knows what his master wants and ignores it, or insolently does whatever he pleases, will be thoroughly thrashed. But if he does a poor job through ignorance, he'll get off with a slap on the hand. Great gifts mean great responsibilities; greater gifts, greater responsibilities!
God knows what each is able to grasp and comprehend. I believe it is our responsibility as adults for our children to be the best gardener we can. We have to provide the best environment for our kids to grow in God, at home, church, school, wherever. Do everything within your power to raise your kids in an environment of God awareness. If our homes are proper greenhouses and we are proper gardeners, good results are the most likely outcome, even though it is never guaranteed.
Is Isaac capable of understanding salvation and human depravity and atonement? I have no idea, but he will grow up in an atmosphere and environment of God awareness, prayer, Bible stories, love, knowledge of right and wrong, as much as possible. I think Young Life will be much poorer without Elizabeth and her ministry to the "disabled" kids.
"she refused to tell developmentally disabled teenagers that they are depraved and separated from God. You see, Elizabeth ran YL’s Capernaum Ministry in Durham/Chapel Hill. She was presented with the Non-Negotiables statement from YL (an earlier version) and asked if she could assent with all point in the 9-page document. She said no. She said that the kids with whom she works cannot understand “separation from God” as it is dictated in the penal substitutionary theory of the atonement. So she was fired."
This is an interesting topic that our Jr. High team just discussed at our last meeting. Can Jr. High students grasp the idea of salvation and repentance and substitutionary atonement and the kingdom of God? My answer to them was, "I don't know." These are massive ideas that my mind cannot fully grasp. The fundamental evangelicals voted last year to raise the age of accountability from eight to ten. So that means that before the age of ten, children are not accountable for their sins.
That is weird to me to have that hard of a doctrine. Luke 12 says,
"The servant who knows what his master wants and ignores it, or insolently does whatever he pleases, will be thoroughly thrashed. But if he does a poor job through ignorance, he'll get off with a slap on the hand. Great gifts mean great responsibilities; greater gifts, greater responsibilities!
God knows what each is able to grasp and comprehend. I believe it is our responsibility as adults for our children to be the best gardener we can. We have to provide the best environment for our kids to grow in God, at home, church, school, wherever. Do everything within your power to raise your kids in an environment of God awareness. If our homes are proper greenhouses and we are proper gardeners, good results are the most likely outcome, even though it is never guaranteed.
Is Isaac capable of understanding salvation and human depravity and atonement? I have no idea, but he will grow up in an atmosphere and environment of God awareness, prayer, Bible stories, love, knowledge of right and wrong, as much as possible. I think Young Life will be much poorer without Elizabeth and her ministry to the "disabled" kids.
Life with Isaac Part 1
This is a series that I have been wanting to post for some time now. So here goes.
My son Isaac who just turned 4 years old is a miracle. He is the most amazing little boy in the whole world. He has taught me so much about what it means to be a father, a Christian, and a man of God. As many of you know, my son has had a long track record of medical difficulties. I won't go into too much detail so I will highlight some of the things:
Isaac has a chromosome deletion on the 6q end of the chromosome arm. What does that mean? That means that some of Isaac's DNA and genetic blueprint was missing when he was being formed in the womb. This resulted in some of the following issues:
Heart defect that led to open heart surgery at 6 months of age.
Macular scarring on the eyes, results are to be determined.
Dysmorphic features of the brain resulting in Epilepsy and mental and developmental delays
Microcephaly, Sensory Integration Dysfunction, Failure to Thrive, etc...
This does not define Isaac though. Isaac as I know him is a happy healthy boy who loves to play, get piggyback rides, cuddle, go to Sunday School, talk on the phone with anyone, pray, read his Bible story books, listen to Bob and Larry sing Fishers of Men over and over, give kissed and hugs, run, jump, go to McDonalds and eat a cheeseburger, swing on the swing, go down slides, climb on anything that will or will not hold him, sing, chase someone and get chased by someone, bounce and throw a ball, visit family, pretend, help out, cook, and so much more.
This world labels Isaac as handicapped. As I live and learn with Isaac, I am noticing that he is not as handicapped as what the world labels "normal." Isaac lives with absolutely no insecurities or fears or cares about anything other than being who God made him to be, and that is what we just defined above, the Isaac who loves to walk up to a stranger and say hi, the Isaac who will start to pray right in the middle of a conversation "Father we just come up to you...", the Isaac who will run into the middle of a dark room not caring about anything other than playing, the Isaac who will start to sing and dance in the middle of a room without caring who is watching.
David Crowder writes in his book, Praise Habit:
"We instinctively knew what it was to praise something It's always been in us. We were created for it. It;s a part of who we are...but as adults we become self-conscious and awkward. Something gets lost. I think we do it to each other... The moment I see a hill painted in greenest of grass, with long infinite blades waltzing in the wind, and make up my mind to sprint to the top, to give myself to gravity and let it roll me down, I hear, "Dork!" shouted from behind me somewhere and I stop. This is what we have done to one another."
I believe that I am more handicapped that my son. My insecurities stop me from being who God made me to be, from doing what God wants me to do, from praising how God wants me to praise. Isaac doesn't care about what others think of him, he just does what he does, he just is Isaac, without reservation. What if all of us could live life from that perspective? What if we loved, lived and laughed without a care of what others thought, just our Father in heaven? I am trying to learn from Isaac, and I have been making some slow progress. I hope that Isaac will have patience with me as I learn to let go of insecurity and live as he does.
My son Isaac who just turned 4 years old is a miracle. He is the most amazing little boy in the whole world. He has taught me so much about what it means to be a father, a Christian, and a man of God. As many of you know, my son has had a long track record of medical difficulties. I won't go into too much detail so I will highlight some of the things:
Isaac has a chromosome deletion on the 6q end of the chromosome arm. What does that mean? That means that some of Isaac's DNA and genetic blueprint was missing when he was being formed in the womb. This resulted in some of the following issues:
Heart defect that led to open heart surgery at 6 months of age.
Macular scarring on the eyes, results are to be determined.
Dysmorphic features of the brain resulting in Epilepsy and mental and developmental delays
Microcephaly, Sensory Integration Dysfunction, Failure to Thrive, etc...
This does not define Isaac though. Isaac as I know him is a happy healthy boy who loves to play, get piggyback rides, cuddle, go to Sunday School, talk on the phone with anyone, pray, read his Bible story books, listen to Bob and Larry sing Fishers of Men over and over, give kissed and hugs, run, jump, go to McDonalds and eat a cheeseburger, swing on the swing, go down slides, climb on anything that will or will not hold him, sing, chase someone and get chased by someone, bounce and throw a ball, visit family, pretend, help out, cook, and so much more.
This world labels Isaac as handicapped. As I live and learn with Isaac, I am noticing that he is not as handicapped as what the world labels "normal." Isaac lives with absolutely no insecurities or fears or cares about anything other than being who God made him to be, and that is what we just defined above, the Isaac who loves to walk up to a stranger and say hi, the Isaac who will start to pray right in the middle of a conversation "Father we just come up to you...", the Isaac who will run into the middle of a dark room not caring about anything other than playing, the Isaac who will start to sing and dance in the middle of a room without caring who is watching.
David Crowder writes in his book, Praise Habit:
"We instinctively knew what it was to praise something It's always been in us. We were created for it. It;s a part of who we are...but as adults we become self-conscious and awkward. Something gets lost. I think we do it to each other... The moment I see a hill painted in greenest of grass, with long infinite blades waltzing in the wind, and make up my mind to sprint to the top, to give myself to gravity and let it roll me down, I hear, "Dork!" shouted from behind me somewhere and I stop. This is what we have done to one another."
I believe that I am more handicapped that my son. My insecurities stop me from being who God made me to be, from doing what God wants me to do, from praising how God wants me to praise. Isaac doesn't care about what others think of him, he just does what he does, he just is Isaac, without reservation. What if all of us could live life from that perspective? What if we loved, lived and laughed without a care of what others thought, just our Father in heaven? I am trying to learn from Isaac, and I have been making some slow progress. I hope that Isaac will have patience with me as I learn to let go of insecurity and live as he does.
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