I think I may have to give up watching the news and soon. Not that I don’t want to be informed. It’s just the misinformation that appears in political commercials. Ugh.
It’s bringing out the cynic in me. Help.
Echoes of An Angel
Echoes of an Angel is the story of Ben Underwood, a young man who lost his eyesight due to retinal cancer and then learned to find his way around in the world using human echolocation. (Echolocation is sending out sound (clicking) and listening to the echo to find objects) Due to echolocation, Ben could ride a bike, roller blade, and get himself around without the aid of a cane, among many other amazing feats. He became world famous and made appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show, the Today Show, and was invited to speak around the world.
Ben was also remarkable for his positive attitude and faith in Christ.
Just as remarkable in my opinion is story of his mother, Aquanetta Gordon and her journey in raising her “handicapped” son.
The Lord spoke three things to Aquanetta on the morning three-year-old Ben underwent surgery to have his second eye removed due to retinal cancer, rendering him completely blind.
- Ben will live and not die
- Ben will see again
- And this isn’t for you
Aquanetta’s story demonstrates how these words played out in her life. Ben did live through the surgery. Despite total, irreversible blindness, the degree to which he was able to see, both spiritually and physically, was amazing. And she felt that the gift that was Ben was not for her benefit, but to all of those who knew him, and to the glory of God.
I was interested in this book because I also have raised children with special needs. Aquanetta’s goal for Ben was to raise him to be as independent as possible. She didn’t want him to be handicapped by his condition. She expected just as much from him as from her other children. And while she gladly worked with his therapists, teachers, and schools, she also let them know when they overstepped their bounds. She was a very good advocate for Ben.
This book provides an unblinking look at Aquanetta’s troubled past, as well as the difficulties of dealing with retinal cancer and the blindness that followed. Aquanetta tells us about her tears, her fears, and frustrations; but also about the ways that God worked in her life and Ben’s life. God used many people to encourage her, Ben being one of the biggest encouragers.
I enjoyed this book and recommend it.
***(I received a free copy of this book from Tyndale Momentum in exchange for my review).
D-Day
“When you find yourself getting cynical, think of these men.”
President Barack Obama, Normandy, France. June 6, 2014.
I woke up this morning to these words at about 5:00 a.m.
Instead of their normal morning news, Fox 17 in Grand Rapids chose to broadcast the President’s speech in Normandy, France, this morning at the 70th anniversary of D-day. A good choice in my opinion.
He called them liberators. They gave everything so that we could be free.
Never forget.
A Summer Without The News?
Seems radical, doesn’t it?
When I was in college, one of my roommates never watched the news. She said it was too stressful and interfered with her sleep. That just didn’t make sense to me 30 years ago. How could you go about your life without knowing “what was going on? ” I couldn’t imagine myself being that ill informed. It makes sense now, though.
I started this blog in an effort to reduce the cynicism in my life. I realized it was a downward drag on my life, and made me a bad influence on those around me. During the 2012 election, the cynical, lying ads from all sides of the political spectrum made me sick. So I decided that I was going on a journey – away from cynicism.
One way to combat cynicism is to control what goes into your mind. So, I stopped watching all cable TV news (which is generally an advertisement for one side or the other). Now when I turn on Fox News or CNN, I feel assaulted by either the whining or the shouting and turn it off after five minutes. Ugh. I still watch the local news, especially in the morning when it is “lighter.”
My friend posted a blog about giving up all news for the summer – a sabbatical from the news, so to speak – http://trinkaj.blogspot.com/2014/05/a-news-free-summer.html.
Could I do it? Could you?
I am thinking about following my friend’s lead.
Sowing Mercy 