a lesson for the kids...

Go ahead.  Grab your kids and gather 'round the computer.  This post will surely give you lots of good things to talk about!

Hello!  My name is Amy.  (and that's my baby, Jameson)

I'd like you to meet my daughter, Caroline, (she's 5) and our friend, Mark.  (he's a college student)

What do you notice about them?
Can you see something different about each of them?

That's right!  Caroline doesn't have any hair, and Mark doesn't have any legs!
You probably want to know why, so let me tell you.

Caroline has alopecia.  She is allergic to her hair.  It all fell out!
That makes her different.
But it's okay, because do you need to have hair to enjoy life?  No!

Mark was born with legs that didn't work right.  They got in his way and slowed him down.
When he was seventeen, he had a surgery where the doctors took them off his body.
(Now he can get around alot better!)
That makes him different.
But it's okay, because do you have to have legs to enjoy life?  No!


People without hair can do the same things that people WITH hair can do!


And people without legs can do the same things that people with legs can do!  Like drive a car!


This is how Mark drives his car.  He presses on special handles that push the pedals for him.  When he wants to go faster, he pushes to the right.  If he needs to slow down, he pushes on the left side.

He walks up stairs and even climbs high mountains on his hands!  (isn't he amazing?)
He swims and goes to school and has friends, just like you.
He has a job and he likes to cook.
He's so outgoing and funny- you would really like him!


God makes all of us different from each other, and that's a good thing!  
Some people have brown or blonde hair.
Some people don't have hair at all!
Some people have problems with their bodies on the insides.
Some people use wheelchairs.
Some people talk differently,
and some people don't have "thinkers" that work right.
Some people have to take medicine every day,
and some people have to wear glasses on their eyes.
We all have different eye colors and skin colors,
and they are all beautiful!

God makes each of us different from each other.  He doesn't want us to all be the same!

So what makes you different?


God even makes families different!

There are big families and small families.
Families that grow when babies come out of their tummies and families that God grows through adoption.

This is my family.
My children didn't come out of my tummy, but they are still my children.
We adopted them into our family.  (our friend, Mark, was adopted from India, too!  Isn't that neat?)
We love each other so much.

We have different skin colors.
My skin is like creamy vanilla. Caroline's skin is peachy caramel.
Daddy's skin is tan.  Jameson's skin is like rich chocolate.

Our skin doesn't have to match to be a family.


God makes us all different, and He wants us to be that way!
So let's praise Him for all of the ways He makes us special.