This morning in church, a friend of mind for the past 10+ years told me that her grandson is in need of speech therapy. This same friend's daughter, the aunt to this child, spent so many volunteer hours last summer tirelessly painting the first murals in our facility - the ones that brighten the faces of so many children who enter for the first time and need some reassurance that they've come to a friendly place. Oh, the ways that our lives intertwine. Who knew that down the road, this same family would turn around and need the services of The Therapy Place?

And today, I'm going to a baby shower for my cousin's little girl who will be born in a few months. She and her husband already have the knowledge that she will be born with Down Syndrome. What brave parents they are. They have been researching the available resources and have already made up their minds to provide every tool and therapy there is to this little girl while at the same time not giving her any excuses or feeling sorry for her...they told me that...already...how can people be so strong? God knows to whom he gives these precious little children...of course I'm stating the obvious but it's so beautiful to be a witness to His works. I'm so blessed to be a part of The Therapy Place and see these blessings on a daily basis and be able to help these families in whatever small way I'm able. God put me in this wonderful mission and I thank Him every day.

For so long, I had no idea of this world. Problems were of a different nature...so shallow, now seemingly so insignificant. And yet those things that could be seen as heartbreak that I am surrounded by now, these families see as God's gifts. Precious little angels...God's way of opening their eyes, slowing their pace and reminding them of their purpose...to serve Him, to love one another. I'm so grateful to be witness to it all.

Success

In looking at our successful numbers...our caseload has already grown to serving 30 children with physical, occupational and speech therapies - starting another session of conductive education on Monday to serve 6 children (1 new child!), is that how we measure success? I'm thinking not my kind of success...that yesterday's comments the therapists made about how happy a new little fellow is in our center, in our low-sensory room, created with him in mind is a sign of our success. I'm thinking the grandmother that visited yesterday to see for herself what her daughter had told her about our facility - the warm, friendly environment - THAT is success. The smiles on the children's faces as I see them taking steps with their Physical therapist (Lisa) around the brightly colored building, the playdough competitions with the occupational therapist (Juliet) and the speech therapist (Liz) playing a game not afraid to be silly with a band of cards wrapped around her head. We have the best jobs around! And, after working an incredibly long day of evaluations and therapies back-to-back, they come back for more! Unfortunately, these stories don't pay the bills, but somehow, God finds a way to put these stories in the right spotlight and into the right people's hearts so they find a way to give to The Therapy Place and keep us going!

After a busy day at Disabiity Advocacy Day at the State House with my own son who has benefited so much from unlimited therapies, it was so needed for me to sit down with a young man, my son's same age, who needs the therapy so much more...thinking about the cuts and the hoops his mom will have to jump through to plead with strangers to allocate additional visits. I am so thankful for my role at The Therapy Place - that God has put me in this position to help where I can. A close friend of about 15 years told me that she has watched my faith growing through my involvement with The Therapy Place - isn't that just the way? As we struggle, it can have a way of bringing us closer to God. I am so thankful for each child that I get to know...their precious souls are so dear to me. Thank you God!

We are fulfilling our mission and serving SEVEN children in our Conductive Education class. The afternoon class is most full due to children coming after school (2-5pm). We have an intern in both morning and afternoon but Krisztina (our Conductor) shared with me that she really needed another person to come every day to help with the children. So, I'm racking my brain trying to think of who could come Mon-Fri, 2-5pm and make this type of commitment...NO ONE comes to mind. I ask around, pray about it, etc. Then, the next day, I get an email from the professor who sent the 2 interns we already have that she has another intern needing hours! Prayers were answered! The intern starts on Tuesday!

Amazing

We reached out for help and the cry was met with more than we ever could have imagined! After receiving news that we were not getting a $135,000 loan that would have set all of our construction and hiring plans into motion, we realized God had other plans...we have received over $70,000 in private donations (much thanks to WIS-TV for airing our plea!) and private loan for $50,000 plus another private pledge for $50,000! The Lipscomb Family Foundation has provided a 2nd year $10,000 donation and pledged a 3rd year for 2012! Nothing short of amazing! We have nearly completed our renovations - scheduled to occupy mid next-week and have hired a director of rehab services and 3 additional therapists!

And we have received so much from the community - donations of time, materials, prayers, etc! The list is staggering! We have offers for 3 fundraiser-events to take place from now until March and our annual golf tournament will be held this year at Spring Valley Country Club - we already have a gold sponsor (BlueCross BlueShield of SC) and 5 teams have already signed up! God is good, and don't you forget it!

Today, I need help remembering all the many times God has given me strength through the journey that is The Therapy Place. Today we received word that a large funder is not going to be able to help us out like we had thought. A lot of our dreams hinged on this happening...we receive calls daily from families wishing to sign their kids up for traditional as well as innovative therapies...we have received word that yet another pediatric therapy center is closing in the midlands...we have therapists ready to be hired because they like the family-centered philosophy as opposed to what they called "assembly-line" therapy. So many are depending on us to get the doors open - I feel we are letting them down. I know God has gotten us to this point and I have faith it is going to work out - perhaps even larger than my own expectations...but right now it is a hard pill to swallow...because so many are waiting, so many are desperate to find services for their children...

There is so much stacked against these families - medicaid restricting the number of visits per day - the most expensive therapy, they'll pay full amount, any others only half...making families split up the days of therapy - more trips, more effort and hassle on their part...it gets depressing...must remember the good times and the good that we have done...the minacles listed here help me remember how we KNOW that God is at the helm. And I wish we had posted everytime we experienced a minacle during this process...trying to remember now...to uplift me during these times...

this one isn't ours...but WOW, had to share...

Amazing story from ESPN's "Outside the Lines" - 72-year old amputeee befriends 10-year old boy..."chance" encounter as the boy is going to have his own leg amputated starts friendship...get the kleenex...

Clocks on the computer don't lie

So, I'm sitting at my "desk" looking at our bank account online thinking of our upcoming bills and how we won't be receiving reimbursement for our grant for a few weeks...how are we going to make ends meet? I am all about having faith as this entire journey has brought me so much closer to God and I can certainly see His hand in every step we've taken...but sometimes, you just have to say "how are we going to do this?" I sent an email to Susan and a couple of others saying that we are teetering on the edge. No sooner had I clicked send (12:49pm) than in came a paypal donation receipt of $1,000 from a friend of my mom's (1:02pm). Mary Beth told us that she didn't sit down at the computer to make the donation, she was doing other things and she is not what you would call a wealthy philanthropist-type. She has been following The Therapy Place and said she felt something come over her (holy spirit) and clicked the donate button on our web site...this had to have happened at the same time I was stressing on the other end of that computer string of emails...Amazing Grace, how sweet thou art!