Forward Day By Day – December 21, 2020

They were sitting across from my table at the local library. “Look at her, Mommy! Where are her hands?” The utterly mortified mom stared at her five-year-old daughter. I wheeled over to them and explained, “God created me this way, and I can do a lot ….(View...

Forward Day By Day – December 20, 2020

Last December, I helped lead a retreat. However, the center where we were staying wasn’t accessible for electric wheelchairs, which made things a little complicated. My co-leader’s teenage daughter assisted me with my personal needs. She was kind—but ….(View...

Forward Day By Day – December 19, 2020

Last year my mom received a thirty-day challenge from a Facebook friend: Make a gratitude post every day. Mom started doing it immediately. What she intended to be a seasonal experience has become a daily exercise. She is grateful for all the adults who...

Forward Day By Day – December 18, 2020

A rolling cart full of cleaning supplies and dirty dishes blocked the hallway between the bathroom and the front of the restaurant. As I worked my way around it, my purse got caught and CRASH. There was a mess everywhere. “Well, that’ll cost you about $….(View...

Forward Day By Day – December 17, 2020

From the Archives: June 29, 1956Esther is a curious book to have a place in the Bible. The name of God does not occur in it; neither is there any mention of prayer. It is an entirely secular romantic tale celebrating the deliverance of the J….(View this reading...

Forward Day By Day – December 16, 2020

I raced home to avoid being drenched by an oncoming rainstorm. On the way, I ran through some mud that ended up embedded in my wheelchair tires. I wasn’t strong enough to clean it out of the treads of my tires or the pile of the carpet…..(View this reading and...

Forward Day By Day – December 15, 2020

Even though I loved decorating my face with makeup as a small girl, my little arm wasn’t steady enough for details. Lipstick and blush smeared, and my eyeshadow dusted everything. Childish joy eventually became teenage and young adult frustration. Through painting and...

Forward Day By Day – December 14, 2020

In my small town, there are no sidewalks on most of the main streets. I recently had a near-death experience while attempting to cross a busy intersection with no crosswalk or stoplight. I began to go forward when there seemed to be a break in the traffic. Suddenly a...

Forward Day By Day – December 13, 2020

As I was getting a sponge from under the kitchen sink to clean my painting pallet, the wheelchair actuator stopped working. That meant that my chair would no longer rise up or down. I was stuck. Mom was out, and I was home alone. There was nothing to do...

Forward Day By Day – December 12, 2020

A friend told me about a recent conversation with her son: “Mom, how come Carrie doesn’t have to do the dishes, and I do?” My friend answered, “Because Carrie is five, and you are eight. She’s beginning to have her household tasks. When she sees you doing your chores,...