Boog

Boog

Saturday, April 12, 2014

Upcoming Book Review!

I was very honored to have been contacted by Judson Press recently to review a new book, "The Spiritual Art of Raising Children with Disabilities" by Kathleen Deyer Bolduc. 

This is a subject that so many parents of special needs children struggle with. It's like one of my favorite quotes, "I know God only gives me what I can handle...I just wish He didn't trust me so much". :) I find myself thinking that a lot when we're driving to multiple places for therapy and I catch a Facebook post of someone I went to school with. 

"Oh, how fun. They're on vacation. Gee. At the beach. Wow. Shopping too, huh? Oh...and yummy places to eat..... Noooo, I'm not jealous! The stale granola bar I found in my car was a delightful lunch. Shopping? I do that too! Why, I'm going to the store today because we're out of liquid melatonin!". *bangs head against steering wheel*

But seriously, don't we all have those moments? I'm very excited to dive into this book for some much-needed tips on taking care of myself while still making sure everyone else is fine spiritually, mentally, physically and emotionally!


Here is an overview of the book:

Are you there, God? You have to show me how to raise this child. Because the skills I've learned over the years just aren't working here. I'm helpless, Lord. I can't do this on my own!

Statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau report that 2.8 million children in the United States have a disability. That means more than 5 million parents, grandparents, and caregivers have probably offered up a prayer like this. Raising a child with a disability is hard work. Where do you go for solace? For rest, refreshment and renewed joy? We know where to go for our kids, but where do we go for ourselves?

Author Kathleen Deyer Bolduc knows these feelings from experience. She and her son navigated through his childhood and now approach yet another new life phase -- adulthood -- and all that entails. In The Spiritual Art of Raising Children with Disabilities, Bolduc uses the metaphor of the mosaic to life as parents of children with disabilities. How do you rearrange the fragmented and chaotic pieces of your family into a perfectly whole and beautiful work of art? Readers are walked through the process using the spiritual disciplines to help you recognize God's presence in your life and regain the balance we all need.

In this book, writer, parent, and spiritual director Kathleen Deyer Bolduc -- with honesty and humor, wisdom and wit -- invites the caregivers of children with disabilities to steep themselves in Scripture and self-reflection.

Key features:

  • Provides a unique perspective of a parent raising a child with disabilities -- and dealing with it through faith and spiritual direction.
  • Powerful, insightful, faith-inspired stories of other families who are walking similar paths.
  • Exercises at the end of each chapter allow readers to reflect to find the beauty in the pieces of their mosaic.
You can read more at: 
http://www.judsonpress.com/product.cfm?product_id=17766#sthash.aT66ivTk.dpuf



Stay tuned for a full review!! 

And maybe a little less bitterness at Facebook vacation pics on my feed...

-Boog's Mommy