Thanks so much to all of you who have read our family’s story. I have loved reading your comments and emails, and talking with some of you as well. You are all a great encouragment to me!

I’m so excited about what is next for this blog…I will be doing a short series on helping struggling readers this week. There are  many solutions for common reading issues that we can put in place quickly and easily (and inexpensively, too!) I’ll be circling back to behavior management soon, too, in order to share some tried-and-true  strategies for making Sunday mornings work smoothly. I’ll also be discussing some ideas for raising mission-minded kids.

I’m beginning to work on a new series called “She’s Let Herself GO.”  I’ll be sharing stories about some women who are raising exceptional children in unique circumstances.  Their journeys of faith will inspire you, and help  all of us understand God’s design for special needs ministry, and our place in it! Stay tuned for this series…I’m so excited to share these stories with you!

l-r Sheri Halagan, Katie Wetherbee, Gail Oberkircher at the Disability Resource Conference

Last week, our team was in Des Moines, Iowa for the Special Needs Resource Conference. This conference is sponsored by five churches, all of which have special needs ministries. They work collaboratively, reaching out to families in their communities and providing safe, welcoming programs. We were amazed by the folks we met~ so many fabulous ideas and such passion for kids with disabilities! Congrats to Gail Oberkircher from Valley Church, and the rest of her team for planning this great conference!

While we were in Iowa, we had a chance to chat with our friend, Connie Hutchinson. Connie is a leader in disability ministry,

Connie Hutchinson and Katie in Des Moines

 and her wisdom, humor and experiences have helped countless families and churches. Connie summed up the call to ministry by quoting her daughter: “God doesn’t care about my ability or my disability. He cares about my availability.”

Can I get an “AMEN?”