I sit here today in my own little piece of the world and thank God for the many blessings I have, especially those I take for granted daily. I have an amazing husband, he is gentle, loving, patient (most of the time LOL) but most of all he has never given up on me. I have two HEALTHY kids, who, even though they are teenagers, are smart, caring, & good hearted. While we aren’t rich in money, we are truly rich in family and friendships. I get up every morning with no real worries, least of all something as seemingly simple as my kids school. Which leads me to the point of this post…

My sister, the only sibling I have and whom I once thought would never be a real part of my life, has some major struggles. Now, for the most part, she and her family are happy and healthy. However, my nephew is autistic. While that in and of itself is not a major catastrophe, it does present itself in some difficult ways. Right now, they are struggling with what they are going to do with his schooling next year. Middle school changes the rules for him. He is a very smart child and just a joy to be around, and although he needs certain things that aren’t usually offered in middle school, he doesn’t need to placed in a ’special needs only’ school. From what my sister has told me, he has made great progress being around ‘normal’ kids (is there such a thing???) Then you have to factor in that middle school students have a very bad rep for being the meanest of all ages. It is a proven fact, that middle schoolers, with all the changes they face, are just not nice.

Anyway, all this to say that I feel helpless in this situation. I can NOT imagine what my sister is going through. I can only pray for God to guide them and show them the right path for my nephew. It wouldn’t hurt if you said a prayer for them too, if you feel so inclined. They would welcome the care and concern. And while we each face our own daily struggles, take a minute to look at them, REALLY look at them and see if they are as bad as they seem or only bad to us. (wait!! before you throw tomatoes at me) I realize of course that there are real problems out there and I’m not saying that the problems you are facing are not valid or real. What I am saying is, if you are like me and your problems consist of a dirty house, lack of money at times and maybe even depression, then look to someone around you. Think about the friend who has a child with pretty bad health issues, or the sister who would do anything to protect her son and help him grow any way he can. Yes, your problems are real. But are they insurmountable? Are they life altering? Or are they just a pain in the rear end?

No matter what our problems are, if we give them over to God, He will help us. He may not always give us they help we want, but He will give us what He knows we need. I will keep all of you in my daily prayers. Take care and God Bless.