Making Connections.

       Okay usually I'm not the quickest person on the planet, and I have no problem admitting that.  Witty people blow my mind. A fair amount of remarks or comments just roll right over my head. In school it takes me a review session or two to grasp some concepts in class...However! This week in class we discussed a topic that clicked right away! Hahaha, I went to bed feeling accomplished that night....
       Developmental delay. That's where this all started. Developmental Delay as we learned in class are "a diverse group of server chronic conditions that are due to mental/ and or physical impairments." These conditions can apply in one of 5 areas, cognition , communication, adaptive behavior, social/ emotional and physical motor. What qualifies a child as being developmentally delayed is to have 1 standard deviation below average in two areas, or 2 standard deviations below average in one area. Whatever delay is prominent (whether in one area or multiple) a plan can be created and implemented from a young age!! If caught early enough an adviser/ counselor can enter the home and work with the child to aid and monitor their development. Cool huh? There's so much that can be done these days it amazes me.
        Now I tell you about my connection. I have a sweet little niece, who will turn two this year, who I think is just the most darling little thing on the planet. Since she'll be two this year, she was born back when I was in the ending months of my mission. I remember clearly opening the email containing the first picture I'd ever see of her. Something was terribly wrong and my eyes immediately filled up with tears. This sweet little girl who was going to be a perfect little blessing in our lives had some complications at birth. I distinctly remember seeing her tiny new born body hooked up to all kinds of machines with tubes wires and cords surrounding her. What had happened was during the delivery my sister's umbilical  cord burst. Small chance right? Anyway, to make a long story short, my little nice went a little longer without oxygen than she should have. Now almost two years later she's just as perfect as we could have imagined her and growing just as she should be. The connection I made was how she went from having a traumatic birth to where shes at now, came from God's graces and the help of the worker visiting my sisters home to ensure my niece was hitting the developmental milestones she should be. Perhaps I'm a geek for learning but I thought it was so cool to have learned about something that affected my family in a positive way!
       God blesses our lives in the most awesome ways. From blessing my sister and her daughter to even just helping me understand my class work! I never cease to be amazed at how involved the Lord is in the everyday little affairs of my life. GOD. IS. GOOD.

-- Julie