NEW RELEASE – Autism in Hindsight by Monica Cane with Isaiah Cane

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Isaiah was eighteen years old when he was diagnosed as being on the Autism Spectrum along with having OCD. It was a relief for the young man to finally have a name for what he had been feeling and experiencing for so long.

For his parents, it was a different story. They had never observed any signs or symptoms that would have led them to believe their son might be autistic. At least, there were none they knew to look for.

Autism in Hindsight is a conversation between mother and son about getting diagnosed, working through it the process, and learning to connect the dots. Along the way they discovered it is often only in hindsight that you can move forward.

AVAILABLE NOW ON AMAZON

https://www.amazon.com/Autism-Hindsight-Candid-Conversation-Between/dp/1962218287/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

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One Word…Cups

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I have quite a few coffee cups in my kitchen cupboard that are meaningful to me.  So meaningful in fact, that everyone in my family knows that they are not allowed to use any of my cups without me getting just a little bit crazy.  Let me tell you about it.

There is my weekday cup that I fill with delicious hot coffee before starting work. This was given to me by a coworker-friend.  The cup says, “People Person” on it, which is a perfect description of me, so naturally, no one else in my family needs to use this cup.  

Then there is the cup I typically use on Saturday mornings.  My husband bought me this one and it says “Caffeine First, Talk Later.”  My husband clearly understands me so why would anyone else think to use this particular cup.  

I have a bright neon yellow cup that I use on occasion that someone gave me years ago.  This cup says, “Everyday is a Gift from God.”   I save this cup for when I’m really feeling down.  One sip from this bright, inspirational mug and my gloomy perspective can’t help but change.  Now that I think about it, I probably should let others use this one and be encouraged as well. But I’m not promising anything.

There is also my brown Cal State Fullerton cup that I drank from every day when my son first went away to college as a way to feel connected to him. I don’t drink from it as often now that he’s back at home but in case it hasn’t been established, it’s mine.

It was my son in fact, who kicked off this whole obsession with coffee cups when he was little. He picked out a cute ceramic cup with bright orange and blue flowers painted on it from the Dollar Store as a Christmas present.  To this day, this cup reminds me of the beauty of a child’s love. So does the “Best Mom Ever” cup I received from one of my daughter’s a few Christmases later.  

All these significant associations with my cups is why I am the only one who is allowed to drink from them. It seems simple enough, even though my family thinks I’m a little crazy.  

Today is Sunday. Sunday’s are a pick whichever cup you are feeling day.  As I scanned my cups in the cupboard, contemplating which cup would best fit my mood.  I knew exactly which one I needed to pick.   It is a 16 ounce, plain aqua colored cup that was given to me by a former boss who became a dear friend during our time of working together who has since passed away.   This is the cup I always tend to reach for when I’m feeling a bit vulnerable.  

Feelings of vulnerability hit me most when God seems to be stretching me and growing me in one area or another.  The last few days He has been giving me a good stretch and teaching more about myself.  It’s a good thing but it’s also hard.  Drinking from this large cup reminds me that I can sit with my uncomfortable feelings of vulnerability and trust that God will see me through to the other side.  He literally has done so every single stretching time. Still, I need to slow down and sip from a cup like this for a calm reassuring reminder.

I’m finding that cups are a bit like our heart and soul.  They can be big and beautiful or small and dainty.  Whatever the shape or size they can go from being completely empty one moment to being filled to the rim and even overflowing the next.  If not careful they can break but with a little effort they can also be beautifully repaired.  

Sometimes my heart and soul feels like a full cup of joy, other times it feels like an empty cup of sadness.  Regardless, God continues to show me that each cup has its place in my life and He is present for it all. 

One Word…Accomplishment

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Word of the day: Accomplishment

Oh the things I have accomplished in my fifty-eight years.  I have been faithfully married for over 31 years, have had four beautiful children, survived the loss of one, owned four homes, ran a successful restaurant and catering business, owned a coffee shop and have worked countless jobs since I was thirteen. I’ve participated in programs to help the youth, facilitated bible studies, spoke at various ladies groups and have written and published six books to name just a few.  Out of all the things that I have accomplished thus far in my life, my biggest accomplishment is and will always be that one private moment, thirty years ago, when I had the courage to invite Jesus into my heart. When I surrendered myself and asked Him to not only be my Savior but to be my Lord for the rest of my life.  The One who leads, guides, provides, corrects, protects, heals, and comforts with His infinite love every moment of every day. Surrendering ones heart to Jesus, that’s our greatest accomplishment.

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One Word…Words

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Of all the words to reflect on, the word “words” is one of the most significant.

Words are powerful.  One simple spoken word can encourage, lift-up, inspire, heal and bring hope.  While one careless spoken word can quickly teardown, dishearten, wound and cause great sadness. 

Words are powerful. Not just the words we say out loud to others, but also the words we quietly, subconsciously say to ourselves. 

Lost. Dumb. Boring. Hopeless. Unworthy. Fat.  What a waste of words to consume our thoughts.

How many times have we allowed negative words to take up space in our head, in our heart?  Or is that just me?   I have allowed negative words, negative self-talk to float around my mind without even realizing it until eventually a sense of grief settles over me.  That’s when it dawns on me that I’ve been wasting time by allowing the wrong kind of words, words that serve no purpose to clutter my thoughts for far too long.

Fortunately, it only takes a moment to turn our words around. Life. Health. Whole. Joy. Smart. Beautiful. Loved.

These are the kind of powerful words worth speaking, worth meditating on, worth flooding our own minds with and worth sharing with others.

Hustle. Oh how I can love that word.   I’ve been one to hustle for as long as I can remember. 

How about you?

Personally, I’m not the “climb the corporate ladder” type of hustler, I’m more of a “keep it moving, do good, and make a difference” kind of hustler. 

What about you?

In all my hustle over the years, particularly as a believer, my sincere desire has been to honor God through it all  But here is a question I have had to ask myself a lot lately. 

Am I really doing all this hustling for the glory of God or am I doing it for another reason?

I would like to  believe that I do all things for the glory of God, but I have noticed too many times that when I finish that great thing I felt God wanted me to do,  my joy about bringing Him glory can quickly fade into an anxious discontentment. Before I know it, I’m looking around for what’s next.   If I was truly doing all things for the glory of God, would I really be anxiously longing for the next hustle so soon? 

Have you ever felt that way, or is this just me?

This anxious discontentment happened so many times after completing something, that I finally got the courage to ask myself a hard question: Is it possible that I don’t feel quite enough without the hustle?  

The more I asked myself this question, the clearer the answer became.  For me, yes, it is absolutely possible to not feel enough without the hustle because I easily confuse my “do” with my “who.”   

Thankfully, asking hard questions and diving into God’s word can bring clear answers.   

Am I enough without the hustle?  Are you?

According to God, the answer is: One Thousand Percent, Yes! 

He gets us, ya know. We are His creation, His handiwork. There was no anxious hustle when He made us. He knew what He was doing with us then and He knows what He is doing with us now.  

We are enough without the hustle.

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” – Ephesians 2:10

One Word…Hustle

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One Word…Cornbread

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Is cornbread really a good choice for the word of the day? I mean as soon as you hear cornbread, you can’t help but have images of hot melted butter and drizzled honey flash through your mind, causing a bit of drool.  While that is a delightful image, that’s not actually why I chose cornbread for the word for today. It actually has to do with a person I recently learned about.

Cornbread, is actually the name of an artist.  His real name is Darryl McCray and he is credited as being one of the first graffiti artists from Philadelphia in the 1960’s. Cornbread is his tag name and as the story goes, Cornbread wrote his name, in block style on walls everywhere throughout the city of Philly in order to impress his crush, a young lady named Cynthia.   

I have no idea if he ever won the girl’s heart but expressing himself in such a creative fashion got me thinking.  We are all artists in our own way.  God created each and everyone of us with various gifts, talents, and passions.  We may or may not have been given the gift of painting on walls, but perhaps we have been given the gift of listening, or a warm smile that causes someone to feel safe, or maybe the gift of baking literal cornbread.  Whatever the gift is, you can be assured it is from God and it is for the distinct purpose of expressing His love and kindness to others.  Like our friend Cornbread, we are artists in our own way and we are gifted and called to share the beautiful art of God’s love everywhere we go.

One Word…Stones

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I gathered a handful of smooth stones on a  sandy beach sometime back.  I tucked my favorite ones in my pocket then placed them in a special cup for a keepsake when I arrived home.  Today I felt inclined to look at them.  I stack three similar looking stones on top of each other.  As I admire them, I am reminded of my husband. His personality, his nature– Solid, Strong, Steady.   I then create a separate stack of three different looking stones one on top of each other. When one stone topples, I consider them and see myself.  My personality, my nature.  Unique, Complex, Varied. And it is good.

Two contrasting stacks of stones, individually delightful by themselves but so complimenting-ly beautiful together.

Fruit of the Spirit—Goodness

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Fruit of the Spirit—Goodness by Lauren Abraham

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23)

What is Goodness?

“As the Holy Spirit works in our lives, our character is transformed. In the areas of our lives where we once held onto sin, which reflects our human nature, we can now possess the fruits of the Spirit and reflect God’s character.

One of the fruits of the Spirit is goodness. So, what does this mean, and how can it be applied to our lives?

Growing up, we were often told to “be good.” Maybe this looked like helping your mom with the household chores or getting good grades in school.

I think the true meaning of the word “goodness” is commonly overlooked, though. Goodness is action; it’s not something we do only for the sake of being virtuous.

When we strive to be “good” only for our own benefit, it is not truly goodness that we possess. In Greek, the word goodness, “agathosune,” means “an uprightness of heart and life” (Thayer & Strong, 1995).

Goodness & the Life of Jesus Christ

When we act out of true goodness of the heart and reflect the fruit of the Spirit, we are obedient to God’s commandments and seek the benefit of others. Our actions come from a place of selflessness, and we place the needs of others before our own.

Does this sound familiar?

The life of Jesus Christ is the perfect example of goodness, as He died on the cross for the sins of humanity in order to give us the gift of eternal life. His ministry and sacrifice is an example of God’s goodness toward mankind. After all, the term “gospel” means “good news.”

Peter, a disciple of Jesus, talks about the goodness of Jesus’ ministry in Acts 10:38: “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.”

In addition, Jesus is called the “good shepherd” in Scripture, because He laid down His life for His sheep.

Conclusion

We are called as Christians to live in a way that reflects the character of Christ. Matthew 5:16 says, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

Goodness is not about doing elaborate things to gain recognition. Oftentimes, it is the small acts of goodness we do throughout our day that mean the most to those around us.

Is your friend having a bad day? Write them a note to let them know how much you care about them. Is someone putting you down? Pray for them.

It is in these acts of goodness that we reflect Christ’s character and possess an the fruit of the Spirit. While it may seem like no one notices, God does. Ultimately, when we show goodness, we bring glory to God’s name.”

One Step too Far

Monica Cane

Summary

Sometimes taking one step too far can have consequences.

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