Blogless in Brevard

For those of you who follow my blog, (a few people I hope, maybe my sister :)) I apologize for not writing anything for the past month.  I'll blame it on computer complications and etc...  Really the time has flown and by the time I get Joshua in bed my brain slips into neutral and that's it for the night.

Joshua started a new school and it has been good for him and for me.  This is a Christian private school that wants to especially help students who may not fit perfectly into a public school.  And, they are so happy he is there and tell me wonderful, positive things about him everyday.!!

You would think I would have so much more time on my hands with him in school for a few hours a day, but there seems to always be a myriad of things to do.  With Allan so busy with his job, a lot of things fall into my lap.  However, I don't want to complain because God takes such good care of us every single day and we are blessed abundantly beyond what we could ask or think!!

watching "Tangled"

This past weekend we had some family come spend the night and I would like to tell you about two little girls that love Joshua and that he loves also.  Trinia and Joyah are my niece, Kristen's daughters.  I think their ages are almost 2 and 5.  They both have beautiful golden hair and contagious smiles.

three on a skateboard

What I love most about Trinia and Joyah is that they teach others how to love unconditionally.  To them Joshua is not a person with special needs, but someone who is fun to be with and they have a great time together.  Joyah told her mom that Joshua "rocks" (literally) "and I like that".

family fun!

I wish  we could all love and accept others like little children do.  Jesus tells us in the Bible to be like that and to come to Him as a child. It was a little like heaven this weekend, and ... I'm still savoring the memories.

Not Just Another Sunday Morning

Sunday morning everything was against me.  I was trying to get our house ready to show potential buyers, getting ready for church and for going to St Augustine after the service, all before 8:30 A.M.  By the time we arrived at church I was stressed.  I watched all the beautiful, perfect people enter the building with their perfect kids and felt totally inadequate.

It's very hard going somewhere new with Joshua.  We had visited this church one time before, but I was not ready to face the stares from strangers who always seem to have this expressions like they are not sure what disability Joshua has, but if they stare long enough, maybe it will come to them.

Somehow, we manged our way through the crowd and upstairs to a remote loft with tables and chairs and a large TV screen on which we could watch the service without worry of causing too much distraction.  (I know, I am very self-conscious.  I'm workin on it.)

It was a great message on finance.  This is Allan's cup of tea, so to speak - he loves and is well educated in the is area.  Joshua enjoyed a coffee smoothie and drew on a paper.

When it was time to go, we decided to slip out early as we had to hit the road to St. Augustine.  As I walked past a teenage girl, she motioned to me to come over.   Pointing to Joshua she said, "I just want to tell you that I see so much light coming from him".

I wasn't even aware anyone was watching him.  I thanked her and told her that was really encouraging to me.  Wow!  She must be an amazing girl, herself.  It was worth coming just to hear those words.  Thank you God, Light of the World,  for that gift!!  And help me not be afraid to shine some of Your light too!

WHO WILL STAND?

Joshua hugging bear!

Joshua started a new school this year.  It is a small private school and we are praying he will learn much and make new friends.  Allan is back to work, Jeremy is back to college and Lauren is at work.  This is my first time in weeks to sit down with my new laptop and post a blog.

Unfortunately, I am being pulled in many directions at this time in my life so THE JOSHUA JOURNEY may be limited for awhile.  I would love to have the leisure to write and tell you more about Joshua and all the ways he amazes me everyday.  He is such a loving and insightful boy who is quickly growing into a young man.

One thing that amazes me the most is Joshua's love and acceptance for other people.  He has a passion for life and people no matter who they are, where they are from or what they look like.  I echo the words of Brandon Heath for God to,  "give me Your eyes so I can see everything that I keep missing, give me Your love for humanity".

As I start this new year I want to be like Joshua and have that passion for others and for this world.  It's so easy to walk past someone on the street you know is hurting, to drive by a homeless person holding a sign or overlook a family member who is struggling. 

Another Christian artist, Matthew West, sings, "I don't want to go one more day without Your all consuming passion inside of me.  So, I decided to make that my prayer for this new year, to ask God for that kind of passion, which will require time and energy from me to spend everyday in God's word and prayer.  Also, time and energy to do what He tells me to do, and like Joshua, to stand for Him.  Will you join us?

Near To Me

Joshua loves to be near people.  He loves to hold hands and give big hugs to everyone.  Some people don't like this, but others give him a big hug right back.  I think he loves everyone.

Most people want to be near the ones they love.  In the movie "The Ultimate Gift", a little girl with cancer tells about her perfect day.  She says that it is being with people that she loves who also love each other.

Joshua hangin with Dad and "bro"

I spent the past couple of days with my family.  I loved being with them and I think just being together was the best part.  We watched some movies, made cookies and  some of us even went swimming in our pool. Let me insert how wonderful it is to live in south Florida where we can swim in December 2 days before Christmas.

All of this started me thinking about how God must want to be near us.  By sending His son to come live with us, He provided a way for us to always be with Him.  Emanuel means:  God is with us.

My favorite verse in the Bible is Psalm 73:28.  It says:  But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all Your works.

I hope that this Christmas you will be able to be near to your loved ones and that you will celebrate the "nearness" that we have to God.

Merry Christmas from Joshua and the Goulet Family!!!

"Here I Am"

                              


Joshua wears a tracking device around his ankle.  If he ever gets lost, someone can call the police and give the frequency number and a helicopter would be dispatched to locate him.  Fortunately, we have never had to do this even though he has left the house on his bike a few times.

We have alarms on all our doors so we will notice when someone comes in or out.  But, on occasion, the alarms get accidentally turned off.  I am always on the alert as to his location.   I make sure his bedroom door has something in front of it at night so we will hear him if he gets up.

It can be hard always being on call, like minutemen, ready at any moment to go into action.  I have tried to teach him to answer me when I call him.  He can say "mama" but he speaks it so softly, like a whisper, that no one would hear him unless they were a few feet away.

He doesn't really like wearing the tracker and has gotten into the sicssors a few times and cut it off.  To help him feel better about wearing it, his older brother, Jeremy, wore his watch around his ankle for about a year.  I try to make sure it is comfortable when they come to change the battery each month.  Maybe one day he won't need to wear it.  It would be so wonderful if he could just say, "here I am, mom," so I wouldn't be frantic everytime I can't find him.

I think God must have a tracking device on us all, because the Bible tells us that He knows every detail of our lives.  He knows every hair on our head.  He knows when we rise up and when we are sleeping. In the Bible we learn that God never sleeps or grows weary.  I guess He keeps track of us because He loves us so much, even more than I love Joshua.  That's good to remember, especially on those days when I am feeling really lost and alone.  He is always there and He will hear me call.   Even if it's only a whisper.

   

Our Aunt Craigge

"Don't let him forget me,"  Aunt Craigge would always tell me referring to Joshua.  She said once when she told him she loved him, he signed back, "I love you too."  She was so moved she said.  "He has a special place in my heart.  I love that little fella."

And you have a special place in my heart Aunt Craigge, and not just mine but in the hearts of your family and friends.  You were my dad's younger sister and I know he was so proud of you.  I have always admired your hospitality and you have to be the sharpest dresser in our family.

Your faith has been strong.  You have told me many times how thankful you are for your relationship with Jesus, our Savior, and how you are looking forward to being with Him and our other loved ones who have already gone.  We just didn't know you would be leaving so soon.

I will miss your sweet phone calls to check up on me.   I will miss hearing you tell me how special I am to you and how much you love me.  I am so grateful to be a part of this family that you love.  I have felt your strength and have been reminded by you that the best is yet to come.  Truly, you have been a faithful servant in this world and we are suffering a great loss.

I love you Aunt Craigge, you have blessed us so much with your life.  I will make sure Joshua remembers you, and until the day we meet again; I will miss you.

Joshua's Best Friend Forever

One of Joshua's best friends is his Aunt Joyce, who is also my sister.  He has a special hand sign to let me know when he wants to go to her house.  There are days he will sign every ten minutes that he wants to go see her.  She is kind of like his BFF.  She sits patiently with him on the couch as he tries to communicate with her through sign language what he wants or is thinking.

On occasion his BFF doesn't understand what his signs mean, but they don't always need words to understand each other.  They hold hands between smiles, hugs and their visit.  I think he just enjoys sitting there knowing that she loves him and cares about him.

Often words cannot express the deepest feelings of our heart.  They can only be felt by the ones who takes the time to listen to the unspoken words.  In the story of Job in the Bible it says that after all his afflictions, his friends came and "sat down on the ground with him for 7 days and 7 nights with no one speaking a word to him."  Their mere presence spoke volumes to him.   However, any consolation was interrupted when they began to speak.

I'm wondering if I have the qualifications to be a good BFF and if not, why not?  Joshua has encouraged me to be patient and  hear beyond the words that a person is speaking.  My sister reminds me that true listening takes time and practice.  Something I need to develop because every heart is worth hearing.