Personal Heroes - Eleanor & Aleisha

Yesterday I watched a video that somebody posted on Facebook.  It was incredibly disturbing.  I can't get it out of my mind.  Here it is.



This video is upsetting on so many levels.  The whole interview is not available to view but apparently Ms Ironside, throughout the course of the interview, lumps "the fatherless", and "the disabled" into the category of unwanted children.  In her pro-choice worldview, this is all it takes to deem a child unqualified to live.

I hardly even know where to begin with this and I have to admit, I had to pause and take a moment to breathe and reflect so I could prayerfully respond to this woman's foolish remarks.  Instead of spending my time pointing out how (deeply) flawed her reasoning is, I thought I would, instead, draw a contrast and use this as an opportunity to highlight a couple of my personal heroes.

Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless;
       maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.
Psalm 82:3 (NIV)

I have had the great privilege of knowing many disabled and special needs people throughout my life.  They are a constant source of inspiration as they meet life's challenges with a sense of joy and wonder and overcome the obstacles of everyday living.  Behind the scenes, tirelessly cheering them on, is a team of parents, teachers, and caregivers who are devoted to caring for these precious souls.  One of these was Eleanor Prime.

Eleanor was a force to be reckoned with.  She devoted her life to caring for the developmentally disabled and worked as a special education teacher in Orange County schools for over thirty years.  When she retired she came to her pastor, my dad, and asked what she could do to help serve in the church.   They discussed the great need for a ministry geared toward developmentally disabled adults.  At the time, no such ministry existed in a church in Orange County and Eleanor knew how desperately the families of these precious people would benefit from such a program.

The call went out from "Mrs. Prime" and before long former students and their families were gathering together on Sunday mornings and throughout the week for various social events.  We never imagined how much these incredible people would impact our congregation and they became vital, integrated members of the church body.

As an extension of this ministry, Eleanor wanted to build a group home to house these adult children in the event of the death of their parents.  So many of these parents had expressed their fears to her over the fate of their children as they were aging.  With tireless determination, the Eleanor Prime Group Home became a reality.

There are some people who you expect will live forever.  Eleanor Prime was such a person.  Her sudden illness and death left a gaping hole in the lives and hearts of those who loved her and knew her best.  Personally, she helped me navigate the maze of 504's and IEPS's within the public school system.  She was someone I could always count on for sound advice, a helping hand and a warm hug.

Mrs. Prime is with her heavenly Father, but she lives on in the Eleanor Prime Group Home and the sweet group of ladies who reside there.  When we are privileged to have them join us at church on Sunday, I see the legacy of my dear friend living on.

We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
I Thessalonians 1:3


My other personal hero is my niece Aleisha.  She is a non-stop OMG on-fire ball of energy~ LOL!  She doesn't answer a question in single syllable responses - ever, but in rapid-fire stream-of-consciousness dialogue.  BTW, she is beautiful, sweet and generous, to a fault.

Aleisha is an Educational Assistant (EA), and works with kids who have special needs or learning disabilities.  She is also a respite caregiver to one very special boy.  His name is Caleb and he is my nephew and her cousin.

Caleb is autistic and Aleisha is the angel who provides Nadine and Randy with the much-needed breaks that every parent of an autistic child so desperately needs.

Aleisha is a miracle child.  She beat the odds when she was born severely premature and despite the doctor's dire predictions for her health and her life, is a living, breathing testimony of God's answered prayers.  She should not have survived her mother's traumatic pregnancy.  She was not supposed to survive the first days of her life.  I remember her tiny little body in the hospital and how we all prayed every day that she would make it through one more night.

 

Clearly, Aleisha made it through.  She's a fighter and now she is fighting for those with special needs and the disabled.  She's an Eleanor Prime in the making.  

The contrast is clear between my two incredible heroes and someone like Virginia Ironside.  She is to be pitied and to be prayed for.  She lives her life with hopeless resignation and fatalism.  My heroes have lived and are living their lives with faith in the One who gives life, with determination to make others lives better and make every life count.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. 

John 10:10 (NAS)

Houseguests

We had a few overnight guests last Friday.  It has been a while since my kids were toddlers and it is amazing how much excitement three little people can bring to a home.

Our daughter offered to host a sleepover for her nieces and nephew-to-be so their mom could enjoy a night out and a peaceful night's sleep.

Lauren, Asia and Kahlil livened up our house with their questions, chatter, chasing the dog, chatter, endless energy and did I mention chatter?  It was a delight having them over.

We had plenty of toy options for them to play with but the three things that entertained them the most were (in order of importance)

1.  the dog

2.  a magnifying glass

3.  Ashley's Pilates ball

I forgot that there was a time  in my own children's lives when a cardboard box would create endless hours of amusement.

One of the funniest moments came when Lauren had something that her big sister Asia wanted.  Asia approached her and in a sing-song voice said, "Sweetie! That's dangerous.  Give it to me."  Lauren frowned and clutched it closer.  Undaunted, Asia grabbed her in a death-grip and repeated, sweeter than ever, "Sweetie!  It's dangerous.  Give it to me."  So cunning and charming at the same time.  I like this girl!

I wanted to get a group picture of everyone there.  Let's just say, it took a while.  Here are my attempts.

There's that darned Pilates ball!

I got one!

Not quite...

Keep smiling Steve.  We'll get there eventually!

Success!

It's been a while since I mentioned my personal heroes, so today I want to honor a group of people who are heroic in my eyes.  To Hosanna, the beautiful mother of these three children, and all the other tireless single parents out there.  You attempt the impossible every day.  May you find friends who support you, strength for the task and the grace to forgive yourself when you stumble (as all parents do)!

 
"Be prepared. You're up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it's all over but the shouting you'll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You'll need them throughout your life. God's Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other's spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out."
^{Ephesians 6:13-18}

When in the course of human events...

I just stumbled across an incredible site today.  I was looking for a photo and transcript of the Declaration of Independence and found the government archives where images and transcripts of all our government's most cherished documents are cataloged.

If you want to get lost in history, go to the National Archives site www.archives.org.  Besides the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and The Bill of Rights, they have Edison's patent for the light bulb, the canceled check for the purchase of Alaska, the Apollo 11 flight plan and more.  I had to keep pulling myself out of this incredible website to refocus or you would be staring at a blank page right now.  Well, not really, you would be looking at yesterday's post, but you get the drift.

I just read the Declaration of Independence.  I thought I had read it before, but when I went to the archives, I realized that I had only read or heard snippets.

It is wordy, cumbersome and over half of it is devoted to a list of the colonies' grievances against 'The King of Great Britain'.  In spite of this, I felt overwhelmed and emotional as I read the words and realized their full impact.

"We hold these truth to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness..."

This page looks so unassuming - stained, faded and smudged with fingerprints.  Copies of this beloved document have sold for over $8 million dollars.  It is impossible to place a monetary value on the original parchment.

The members of the Second Continental Congress in 1776 were considered rebels and traitors by the King.  Rewards were posted for the capture of prominent rebel leaders and at that time a British armada was assembled outside New York harbor.  56 members of Congress (one of them a Rutledge!) from all 13 colonies signed this document and pledged their lives, their fortunes and their honor to freedom's cause.

I am honoring these men and others like them, who pledged their lives to secure our freedom.  They are my personal heroes.

God bless America!

Personal Heroes - Chapter 4

My hero today is an incredible young lady.  I know once you read her story you will fall in love with her as I have.  The first two things you notice about her are her height (tall, like me!) and her fabulous smile.  I met her when she was a teenager and have watched her grow and blossom into an incredible young woman with a deep compassion for the poor and the abandoned in the country of Romania.

These are the facts - in 2005

~ 4000 babies were abandoned at birth in maternity wards in Romania, Bulgaria and Ukraine
~ another 5000 babies were abandoned in pediatric wards
(Unicef Romanias 2005 report)
~ in 2009 those living in poverty increased from 369,000 to 1.59 million.  351,000 of these are children.

These numbers are staggering and I find it hard to wrap my mind around what this truly means and how it must impact a whole society.  Most of us hear figures like this, see a picture that tugs at our hearts and feel a moment or two of heartache but then we move on.

When Raegan Glugosh was faced with the impact of this poverty and abandonment, she could not move on.  In 1996, Raegan, an RN licensed in California, went on a short term missions trip to Romania.  God stirred her heart to minister to the needs of the forgotten children and become his hands and feet extended to these hurting souls.

In 1998 she moved to Romania permanently, leaving behind the affluence and comfort of Orange County and trading it for the challenges of daily life in a developing country.  Out of this obedience was birthed the ministry Touched  Romania, continuing today in a children's cancer hospital and facilities for abandoned babies throughout the city of Bucharest.

In 2006, the ministry expanded to include Hagar Home maternal center for the prevention of baby abandonment.  This aspect of the ministry empowers and disciples women in all areas of their life.  As a result, they have seen a decrease in abandonment by dealing with the source of the problem, working with mothers and families.

God has placed it on the hearts of Raegan and the staff at Touched Romania to become a voice for young mothers.  These single mothers have no government assistance in a society that requires little accountability from the biological fathers.  By working in the areas of advocacy and lobbying within the Romanian government, their plan, with God's help, is to effect a change in Romanian society.  Wow!  What an incredible goal.

This is the challenge that is facing Raegan and her team.  Touched Romania has an individual in mind to fill the position of lobbyist/activist.  They need funding to assist paying this extra salary.  If your heart has been stirred by the plight of these women and children, please consider giving toward this worthy cause.

   'I was hungry and you fed me,
   I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
   I was homeless and you gave me a room,
   I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
   I was sick and you stopped to visit,
   I was in prison and you came to me.'
  "Then those 'sheep' are going to say, 'Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?' Then the King will say, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.' 
Matthew 25:35-40 (MSG)

Personal Heroes - Chapter 3

I had another hero in mind for today, but in honor of Father's Day I have chosen to share with you a profile more dear to my heart.  


I called him Poppy.  The general population knew him as Pastor Eugene Vaters.  He was a circuit preacher, a spiritual pioneer, a gentleman, a poet, and my grandfather.  My dad, the eighth child in the family, was born on Poppy's 40th birthday.  He was and remains, my greatest hero.

To me, he was bigger than life, and time with him was a rare treat.  He lived on the Atlantic Coast on the rugged island of Newfoundland, much too far away from our home in Toronto.  My grandmother, who we called 'Mom Vaters' (she did not like to be called 'Grandma') is the Jenny of Jenny and Pearl.

There is one particular time together that I recall most fondly.  When I was just a little girl, about 7 years old, we went on vacation to visit my grandparents.  Our favorite cousins, Elizabeth and Sarah also lived there and my sister and I were so excited at the prospect of spending time with them.

"I have decided" Poppy pronounced one day.  "I am taking my girlies to the Cabin for an overnight stay."  We squealed with excitement at the prospect of a road-trip.  My Aunt Pauline objected.  She couldn't imagine how her 73 year old father could possibly manage four energetic tow-headed little girls, but she was overruled and we were on our way.

Now, you have to understand that the Cabin, as it was called, was little more than a one-room wooden shack in the middle of a rocky outcrop in the remote little village of Victoria, where my grandmother was born.  There was no running water, one bed and a bare bulb hanging from the ceiling.  None of that mattered to us.  We escaped from our parents and the boys, the four girls together with our adored grandfather.  It was an adventure!

Our first meal at the Cabin was peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and Poppy made us all scream with disgust when he opened a can of sardines and plopped them in the middle of his.

Because it was their summer retreat, he had a garden planted at the side of the house.  He asked us all to come out and assist him for a while and we happily trooped outside.  The soil on the property was more rocks than earth, with a profusion of wild blueberries, but difficult growing conditions for any other crop.  The task slated for the afternoon was removing rocks that sprouted up every year, faster than weeds.

We set to work digging and raking while Poppy began removing some of the larger rocks.  The sun was shining brightly at first but was soon hidden behind a bank of low clouds.  The fog rolled in from the Atlantic, thick as pea soup and it wasn't long before the other girls begged to go inside, away from the damp and the cold.  They called to me to go inside and I hesitated at first.  It was cold and I was getting a bit tired, but I declined as I saw an opportunity to have my grandfather all to myself.

The fog settled around us like a misty curtain and our breath came out in cottony puffs.  I immediately set to work beside my grandfather, pulling out the biggest rocks I could find, determined to show him I was a big girl.  The only sounds were the muffled laughter from inside the Cabin and the chink of metal against the rocky soil.  I couldn't imagine anyplace I would rather be at that moment than in that tiny garden working side by side with the grandfather that I adored.

The air became colder and the mist fell like rain, dampening our skin.  The minutes turned into hours and time was suspended as my hands grew numb prying rocks from the stubborn soil.  Throughout the afternoon, my dear Poppy would encourage me, touch me gently on the shoulder and smile at me approvingly, spurring me on.  He was planting seeds of love in the stubborn soil of a hard-headed little girl.

Years later, a young lady received a letter from an old man.  "Do you know, Karen, I could see again those nice, little fingers following my digging fork at Victoria, hooking out the stones?"  he wrote.  "That is so vivid.  You were so determined and you stayed with me all the while the girls were warm and cozy in the Cabin."  He saw my determination and stubbornness as an attribute and not a great character flaw.  What an incredible gift.

Poppy has been gone for over 20 years now, but I often reflect on that precious time together, remembering it fondly.  Thanks Poppy, for believing in me .

'Rise in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God. I am the LORD.'
Leviticus 19:32


P.S.  Dad, Happy Father's Day!  Thanks for being the best grandpa ever to my kids.  I love you.

Personal Heroes - Chapter 2

I received such an overwhelming response from my first post on Personal Heroes that I have decided to make this a weekly entry.  If you are interested in nominating someone to be profiled here,  read the directions at the end of this post.  Today's post is brought to you by a guest blogger - my son.  This is something he wrote for school and I thought it was an appropriate entry for our Personal Heroes series. 

 The Best Dog Ever

Do you have a dog?  Many people do, just like me.  I have an amazing dog.  She helps me to always keep a positive attitude.  To explain her fully will take a while, but don't worry, it won't be boring.

First, I should tell you about my dog.  Her name is Casey.  Casey's original name was Lisa.  "What do you mean by an original name?" you ask.  Why, the reason I say this is because she was adopted.  But I will get into that later.  Casey is a very energetic dog.  She likes everything from playing 'chase' to just cuddling!

I got Casey (aka Lisa) at the Irvine Animal Shelter.  The date was July 22, 2007.  Also, at the shelter they said we were very lucky because she was just put up for adoption on that day and beagles are adopted very quickly.  I'm super happy that we got Casey.

I care for my dog by walking, playing, feeding her food, and picking up poo.  My favorite thing is playing, while my least favorite is...yep, you guessed it, picking up poo!  Ewwww!  I also like going for walks with her.  It's a lot of fun.  My favorite part of going for walks is whenever I say 'walk' she gets really excited and happy.

As you have guessed, owning a dog is pretty fun, but there are still a lot of responsibilities.  Don't worry though, because it's all worth it at...

the end.


"I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love.  For me they are the role model for being alive."  ~Gilda Radner



Now, I have an assignment for you.  This is an audience-participation blog.

My son and I have shared with you about personal heroes and I have plenty more.  However,  I want to hear from you.  Who are your personal heroes?  They could be living or not, man or woman, famous or living in obscurity...you get the point.  Give me a couple sentences telling me who your hero is and why.  Leave it in the comments section below and I will pick one entry (or two, if I feel like it - this is my blog) to highlight here.

Be sure to leave your name or email me if you left it anonymous and let me know which one is yours.  I will contact you and get the scoop on your hero and give them a shout-out here.  I can't wait to hear your stories.

Personal Heroes - Chapter 1

Who are your heroes?  Are they political figures, sports stars, television personalities?  While I admire many people in these arenas (and scratch my head over the popularity of others), my heroes are less well known.  They are the 'unsung heroes' around us.  Over the next several weeks, I want to introduce you to some people who are my personal heroes.  You will find out they are ordinary people, like you and me, but they are making a difference with their lives.

I would like to introduce you to Randy & Nadine.  I picked them today because they are my brother-in-law and sister-in-law and today is their 21st wedding anniversary.  This is my gift to them!

As they started their life together 21 years ago, they had no idea of the challenges that lay ahead for them and their family.  A year and a half after they were married, they gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Megan, followed shortly by their handsome boy Josh.  They dealt with the challenges of living on a ranch and raising children and several years later welcomed another beautiful boy, Caleb, into the family.  It became apparent early on, that something was different with this sweet little boy.  He didn't respond like they felt he should and his development was delayed.

After many years of struggling to find answers they received a diagnosis they did not want to hear.  Caleb has autism.   I have known many people who have children or loved ones with challenges.  But I have never met a family that has risen to the test of raising such a special child, like they have.  Whenever I am around them, I am touched by the patience and tenderness that they show.  I know there are times when they feel unequipped for the task, but it is beautiful to see a family united in caring for someone with so many special needs.

This extends beyond Randy and Nadine to their two other incredible children.  Josh is a big brother with a big heart.  He shared a room with Caleb for years and treats his little brother with tenderness and respect.  Megan is a lovely young lady whose love for horses is second only to the love she has for her family.  She is always proud to show off her little brother with the latest pictures she has taken (she took the beautiful black and white picture).

A couple years ago they welcomed one more member into the family.  His name is Kane and he is a service dog.  He has the sweetest disposition and is Caleb's constant companion.  He is my # 1 canine hero!

You can see why I picked this incredible family and why I am proud to be related to them.  They exemplify God's love in action.  They are my heroes.

"Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love."
1 Corinthians 13:13

Mother's Week

On Monday my daughter gave me a kiss and wished me "Happy Mother's Day!" again. I suggested to her that maybe we needed to make it Mother's Week instead. I think I could get some steam going on this. There may be a few other moms out there who would agree. I don't know who makes the final decision on these things, but it's worth looking into.

In honor of Mother's Week I would like to tell you about Jenny and Pearl and a few moms that have influenced my life.


Jenny was my paternal grandmother. Her given name was Sarah Jane but she was 'Jenny' to my grandpa and those that knew her best. She was, at times, a milliner, a preacher, a mother, grandmother and so much more. She had a wonderful sense of humor with a twinkle in her eye, even after she became blind.



Pearl is the translation of my maternal grandmother's name 'Helmi'. She was a Finnish woman who baked the most delicious 'pulla' (sweet cardamom bread), was a prayer warrior and a pillar of her church.

I have chosen to name my site after these two women because I strive to be like them. I know they dealt with illness, disappointment, death and tragedy, but their faith remained strong. Neither of them are with us anymore, but their legacy lives on through their children, their grandchildren and even great-grandchildren.

I am blessed to have this kind of legacy.

There are a few other women I am thinking of as Mother's Week draws to a close. These are just a few

My mom - a prayer warrior like her mother before her. I know she is always there for me!

My mother-in-law - she exemplifies 'grace under pressure' and is someone I have grown to love and admire more with every passing year.

My sister and sister-in-laws - when I think of all the heartache, illness and 'LIFE' that they have had to deal with and how gracefully they have done it - I am challenged to 'keep the faith'!

My Aunt Pauline - her passing this year left another little hole in my heart that will not be filled until we get to heaven.

So... as Mother's Week draws to a close (I feel this catching on already!), take the time to thank all the women in your life who have impacted you and determine to BE that kind of woman (or man) - one who 'keeps the faith' whatever life throws your way!


"You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors."
James 1:3