The Grass Is Green Enough

Okay. So I'm going to be brutally honest. My next door neighbor annoys me. Truly annoys me. It's not her fault, though. She has an intellectual disability. Lisa has been my next door neighbor for 17 years. She's basically a "child" living inside an adult's body. When we moved into our house in the summer of 1999, my daughter Valerie was just 7 years old. She used to bounce over to Lisa's and watch Disney movies or play with her dog. At that time, it seemed like they were at the same intellectual level. Val, now 23, is away at college. She's growing up, maturing and becoming a woman. Lisa, well, she hasn't changed or aged a bit. That's not the part that bothers me, though. After all, I've worked in special education. I've worked side-by-side with many kids with special needs, and I'm currently employed by the Disability Determination Service Division. I get that Lisa is impaired. At least I have the head knowledg

I just got back from our annual women's retreat in beautiful Lake Tahoe. The weekend was powerful, awesome and lovely as usual. One of the "nuggets" that I took home this year was the message in a new worship song we sang written by Pat Barrett and Tony Brown called "Good, Good Father". Oh my gosh! This song just slays me. Pass the Kleenex, please!  The chorus says: You’re a Good, Good Father It’s who You are, It’s who You are, It’s who You are and I’m loved by You It’s who I am, It’s who I am, It’s who I am What a beautiful picture of God's identity - and even more powerful is my identity in Him. I believe the song is especially sweet for those of us who had an Earthly father who was less than stellar. For someone whose father was harsh or abusive or critical or absent, it's often hard to unlearn that image of "Father" and to learn who our Heavenly Father truly is. The Bible tells us that God is loving, kind, compassionate, merciful, p