Josh Hijacked Emily’s Blog
June 19, 2009
Hello to all of Emily’s faithful readers! Josh here. I just wanted to give you some of my thoughts/observations from this week’s conference in bullet form. (I will surely spill out more fully formed thoughts on you when we get home, hope you are ready)
~Emily and I have both found it very interesting to attend a “secular” conference. We have both been to more christian conferences than we can count, but this is quite different. I am thankful for hope. Many of these people have had none until this week, it is nice to know the author of Hope (and no I don’t mean Barack).
~I have long held the opinion that Emily is the most beautiful pregnant woman in the history of pregnant women. It was nice to have that confirmed by the numerous women who have come up and commented the same this week.
~How most schools/institutions/people approach Autism and treating autism is backwards. A lot in our lives will change when we come home and some may not understand, but someday we are going to look back and say, “remember when Gavin was autistic?”
~Both Emily and I have commented how we want to help other families affected by autism. I just happen to be reading a book recommended by a good friend called “Irresistible Revolution” by Shane Claiborne. I don’t think it is coincidence that this book has been in my hands at this precise moment 
~God gave me and awesome opportunity to be a light for him that is too long for me to write about here, but I’ll be happy to tell you about if you ask.
~I have talked to everyone from single moms to couples who have NO support system. Because of distance or just having no family or friends who are able or willing to be a support to them. I AM SO THANKFUL for our family and friends, you who are reading this, who have given us so much love, acceptance, & support. We don’t take you for granted!
~There are two people in particular who deserve their own bullet point for this one. Mom, I cannot ever put into words what your endless love, patience, prayers, acts of service, & joy have meant to us. Katie, here they call it the “3 E’s” here. Energy, Excitement, Enthusiasm, and it is one of the key things we need to have w/ everything we do in order to recover our kids from autism………and God gave us Katie There are so many of this programs principles that our family already does, just by nature!
oh, tears in my eyes! i’m so glad you guys were able to be there this week. i can’t WAIT to say “remember when Gavin was autistic?”!!!
I love you, josh and emily!
Awesome post Josh! Here’s my bullet pointed comment:
~ Let’s face it, Emily is one of the most beautiful women I know whether she is pregnant or not!
~ From your experience, why do you think so many families with autistic children don’t have that hope? I have had this discussion with one of my very closest friends here who has a son who is autistic – she has talked about how divorce is common, and as Em mentioned, couple stop having children after they get a diagnosis. Why do you think these couples who are obviously seeking hope through this conference don’t have a hope in Jesus Christ?
~ As someone who deals with MANY families with children who have autism on a weekly basis, what can our “institution” (the church) do to NOT “treat autism backwards?” We have been really working on this as it seems to be a direction our church is moving!
~ Not sure where your advocacy on behalf of families affected by autism will end up, as it is obviously a call on your lives, but if you ever get the urge to help the local church with how to bring hope to families, PLEASE let me know – I might have some ways for you to get your message out on a larger scale. I want to hear what you ahve to say – I know others do too!
OK – so ends the world’s longest comment. You guys are amazing!
What an honor it is to be even a small part of this incredible journey. Amazing.