How does "hope" transform you from a word? Hmm, herein lies a deep secret that few find, yet it is a simple treasure to be mined. The answer lies at the start of the Book of John, "In the beginning was the Word..." This morning I tried to imagine this: just God and the Word, nothing else. This is the beginning of all things. The mystery of this passage lends us more clarity as we continue on, "...and the Word was with God, and the Word was God". God and the Word are one. This

The bumper sticker said, "Wag more, bark less". I observed it on a recent morning walk. Now I see it daily since I walk by this car on my route. I laughed out loud the first time I saw it. How delightful! Then I wondered what a waging tail signified in doggy language. I found that it doesn't necessarily mean they are happy. It's a little more complex than that. If their tail wags more to the left (as pictured above), it is a sign of negativity and you should not approach the

Sometimes I run and hide. Sometimes I fight. This is the normal reaction to stress. Lately, I have been experiencing a transformation. Like the caterpillar, inching his way along in life before hiding away in his chrysalis, I have been on a similar journey. I stopped blogging for the month of July. After my 3-1/2 year book writing journey, I had reached burnout. Creating my business and writing my book has cost me dearly, on all levels. It has been a very frustrating path to

In last September's blog, "The Magical Medicine of Music", I detailed a list of benefits imparted to us though music. Some of these benefits included lowering your blood pressure, improving your mood, reducing your stress, and even decreasing your level of pain. Today I want to highlight some amazing benefits for children displaying delays in speech and motor development. Although the concept of using music for healing has been known since Aristotle, our understanding of the

Pictured here on the right is my sister, Arlene. I'm still in a state of amazement! Over ten years ago God whispered an impossible idea to me, "Write a book about your faith journey." I practically yelled back, "Are you serious? Are you kidding me?" I was barely handling life as a mom with two special needs boys. I was never sure how much strength and energy I would have to survive the next day. I was always in survival mode! I did, however, promise God to at least ponder the

I have a love-hate relationship with social settings. Growing up painfully shy sprouted many painful social memories. Yet having a fairly large extended family eventually taught me to be more comfortable. As I wrote in my May 3rd blog, anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S. About 15 million adults are affected by Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD). Interestingly, the symptoms usually begin around age 13, in junior high. (1) Since this is the average age o

I wasn't diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder until I was in my fifties. After my counselor shared her professional opinion with me, I was stunned. I had spent the last 10 years concentrating on our two boys' ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) challenges. I could hardly believe I had missed labeling my own difficulties. "Perhaps my impulsiveness was due to my being so busy. No time to think things through," I would reason. Now it was all starting to make sen

I'll readily admit it. I am spoiled. I'm a California gal who loves the sunlight. I complain if it rains for more than two weeks. When I observe the national weather, my complaining immediately stops! On a serious note, I was very curious about light as a therapy practice for depression. Since there are many companies out there touting their wonderful results, I decided to investigate the medical community's results. We're familiar with the successful use of light therapy to

Sometimes it's our children and teens. Sometimes it's us. We see it in our friends and neighbors. It seems to be infiltrating our whole world. Hopelessness is growing. Hopelessness is a by-product of depression. Depression is rooted in anxiety. "About 20 percent of all teens experience depression before they reach adulthood." (1) Although anxiety and depression often appear together, let's briefly look at them separately. Anxiety Disorders affect over 25 percent of teens bet

I remember when we met. Like the Pavlovian dogs, every time I heard the Helm's truck whistle as a child, my mouth would water in anticipation of those freshly made doughnuts. Sinking my teeth into the glazed icing, my heart would do the happy dance. I never dreamed my favorite friend would turn into my worst enemy. I feel so betrayed! Slowly over time, I would become dependent upon my friend for a good ending to every meal. Look around. You see people walking stiffly. Many ti

I'm not going to lie. This is an uncomfortable subject. As parents of kids with autism, bipolar disorder, sensory processing disorder or other special needs, we sometimes feel like failures. We're embarrassed that we don't know how to control our child. Well I have good news, there is help! This problem is more common than we thought, but there is a reluctance to talk about it. We struggled with our son's aggression for many heartbreaking years, but I've learned a lot along t

Mine has. It was devastating. I felt so helpless when it happened the first time. My emotions ranged from outraged to depressed. Of course my son was a mess too. At school, this is more common than we realize. "According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 50% of children are bullied and 10% are victims of bullying on a regular basis. Kids who have learning disabilities are especially vulnerable to bullying problems." (www.wrightslaw.com/info/harassmen

In my ignorance as a mom with a young special needs son, I made many mistakes when it came to discipline. When he would cry, scream or act out, I would wonder whether it was related to his special needs or if he was just rebellious. There was no internet to run to in those days! Now that I'm older and wiser I can clearly see the differences. I sure couldn't then. I hope my past mistakes will be a rich well of information to help you! Meltdowns are often of a sensory nature. I

Welcome to my first video blog! This video is a companion tool to my February 17, 2019 blog titled "The Road to Peace, Calming Techniques." You will see some of the actual techniques in the video. The most important thing to remember is that you must have a plan when taking your kids out in public. If you have a plan, you will be proactive instead of reactive when your child acts out in public. God bless and have a fantastic week! Come visit me next week at www.sparklingho

Although it's been decades, the memories of frustration are still fresh. My son missed recess many times by different teachers over his elementary school years. I would finally come to realize that because he was diagnosed with ADHD and other disabilities, he would qualify for this to end by writing the goals in his IEP (Individualized Education Program). We're familiar with some of the symptoms of ADD/ADHD: focusing issues, poor listening skills, forgetful, fidgety, restless

I love gazing at beautiful scenes of nature like this one. Whether it's a photo or I'm actually there, I immediately start to feel my muscles relax and my breathing slows down. The road to peace involves a plan. When I'm in the midst of a stressful situation, whether it's my children or a work situation, a cross-brain activity can be used as the first line of defense for anxiety. Science has shown that cross-brain activities calm down your brain and alleviate stress. Some cro

There were days when I should have put a "Caution" sign outside my front door in case someone should be brave enough to ring my doorbell. Chaos and confusion were frequent flyers at our home when the boys were young. I was still trying to solve the mysteries of their unusual behaviors. After decades of observation and research, I concluded that Sean's negative behavior was quite predictable. I decided to create a document that would describe this observable predictability. Th

Without fail, every few months I would need to go into my younger son's room armed with a couple of trash bags. I always practiced this ritual while he was in school. He was very attached to his odd collection. As I opened a drawer I would spy useless items such as a toilet paper roll, a shiny gum wrapper, a dirty penny, a discarded catalog. It became routine to put my hand in his pants pockets before throwing them into the washing machine. One day I jammed my fingers into a

Music and its many benefits have been woven into the fabric of my life. Sunday mornings from my childhood overflow with memories of my mom's sweet humming as she prepared our after-church meal. I believe this was my first "music appreciation" class! In fourth grade our summer school class learned to play the song flute. The plastic instrument produced harsh notes at first while eventually blending into soft, chirping songs. I was hooked on music. I was fortunate to be blessed

I've recently learned that there is a connection between trauma and addiction. The trauma can be from childhood or from anytime thereafter. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) has been a hot topic with regards to veterans. One third of veterans seeking treatment for substance abuse also have PTSD. Our personal story deals with childhood trauma occurring in the first years of life. Often children adopted from other countries have endured some form of trauma. Our son, althoug