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Choose Joy, Beloved

In my first book, I dealt with overcoming stressors that engulfed my daughter from the age of five through twenty-seven. Her behaviors were so extreme at times that they surpassed what I expected in the mental health arena. I turned to God for answers as things escalated out of control. To my great relief and surprise, I heard His replies. He was in the midst of every difficult day, every challenging moment. He taught my family many things. The most important was that He was with us in the fight. At the end of that book, Kelsi seemed to have a future. She had obtained a job and held it for a time.

This book covers the last two years of her life here on earth. Things began to unravel. Mental illness arose with a vengeance I had never seen and took her down. She lost her job. She began to repeatedly hit herself in the head. We prayed. We saw psychiatrists, spiritual counselors, and autism specialists. Things looked hopeless, but I expected God to heal her in this realm, not the next. The day she “went ahead of us” to heaven was the worst day of our lives. Recovery from our loss seemed impossible. Parents that have lost children would fully understand.

This is a story of miraculous rebound as we listened to the voice of God. He brought us through the horror of devastating loss. The principles in His Word were the pathway to choosing life again.

No matter what catastrophe you have experienced, it is possible to make a comeback. You are still here because God has a purpose for you on the earth. As you read my story, I pray this: May you find hope in relationship with Jesus Christ. May the Waymaker define your open road. May you never falter in pursuing your destiny. No matter what.

Can You Just Love Her?:
A Mother’s Journey With Autism: A Memoir

When I got the diagnosis that my then five-year-old daughter had “pervasive developmental disorder,” I was devastated. As a psychologist I understood that this term was under the category of autism—a disability of life-long impact. As other possible diagnoses presented themselves over the years, the pressure to “fix” her became impossible. If you are a parent of a special needs child, you know that this diagnosis is the beginning of years filled with tests, medications, and new therapies … sending your hopes on a roller coaster of ups and downs. My daughter lives in a world that is too loud, too fast-paced, and too overwhelming for her.

“Can you just … love her?” is our story. I share how God guided me and continues to hold me as we navigate our course through troubled waters. If you are struggling to understand why your child is going through this, or you are trying to cope with all the “normal” children around you, this book can help you find your way. God’s presence in the midst of a topsy-turvy life—which few can comprehend—is very real, calming and hope-filled. God has trained me to expect good things no matter what they look like to my natural eyes.

As I communicate His truths to Kelsi in her panic-filled thoughts in the moment, or Kelsi hears God speak to her directly, she calms down. Always. Nothing freaks God out, and nothing separates me, Kelsi or anyone else from His love.