It's Amazing What God Will Give You PASSION for, WITHOUT Your PERMISSION!!

You know, I’ve heard for many years the following statement, “If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.”  In response to that I would say, “that’s a silly statement because whether you love it or not, it’s still work”.  Well, now that I’m older and I’m doing what I ABSOLUTELY love….I Get It.  When I do anything related to Autism, Advocacy, Special Needs, Awareness, Volunteering, etc. it’s not work….It’s my life.  It’s what God gave me Passion for, without my permission!!

Think about your life and the things you are passionate about.  You are generally passionate about it because you are directly affected by it because of a family member, a friend, your neighborhood, your upbringing, your childhood, your experiences, etc.  You tend to be passionate about things that bring you joy and happiness easily.  For me, having a positive affect on the Special Needs Community and the families affected by Special Needs (including my own), brings me joy.  It’s what God gave me Passion for, without my permission!!

My outlook on my son’s autism and how it affects our family and friends is that God Chose Me.  This is not just a phrase; it’s a way of life, OUR way of life!!  It’s our way of thinking.  It’s how we cope.  It’s what we believe. It’s what is TRUE!!  Having a child with special needs is not easy; we just make it look that way.  Teaching a child with special needs is not easy, but the talented teachers that do (and have worked) with our son; make it look that way.  The God Chose Me book and message was given to me by God because it needs to be said boldly and fearlessly; and that’s who I am…Bold and Fearless.  It is a heartfelt message that will some day help millions.  It’s what God gave me Passion for, without my permission!!

Friends, family and acquaintances are helping me fulfill my goals for the Differently-Abled community and have afforded me many unforgettable moments.  Most of the time, (without even asking); they have helped me spread this message of acceptance and advocacy by notifying me of events, recommending me for speaking engagements and arranging celebrity introductions.  My passion for God Chose Me is GENUINE.  Those who recognize it are moved and want to do all they can to be a part of this powerful message.  I truly believe that everyone I have spoken to about God Chose Me, will not forget what the book is about, that my sons autism inspired it, that my daughter is the illustrator or that my husband is our strength.  Because, It’s what God gave me Passion for, without my permission!!

Find your passion; find out what gives you joy and find a way to do it so you can have that happiness. Don’t make your passion, MY passion; make it YOURS.  Your passion may be shopping, cooking, dancing, exercising, organizing, cleaning, etc.  Make what you love your hobby.  After that, make what you love your job. Then, “if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life”.  Find YOUR Passion, I know mine; God gave it to me without my permission, and I’m so glad he did!! 

Laugh Loud Storyà The literal thinking of a child with Autism. My husband and I were walking my son into school hand-in-hand; my husband on the left, me on the right.  We are working with my son on the “Wh” words; Who-What-When-Where and Why.  I figured walking into the school was the perfect, teachable moment with Mommy and Daddy.  I said to him; “JP, WHO are you walking into school with”?  He proudly looked up at me as he continued in stride towards the school and answered my question with this answer……"Feet"!!  lol, you gotta laugh lol

  

Take Care!!!  Laugh Loud, Think Positive and Dream Bigg!!

Pam MINES

Twitter -> @Pam_Mines

Facebook -> God Chose Me  http://www.facebook.com/pages/God-Chose-Me/121443461203414

Website -> www.GodChoseMe.com

ADVOCACY does NOT have a look…. because its an ACTION!!

Hi Everyone,

Today I want to talk about Advocacy and being an Advocate. Webster defines Advocacy as “the act or process of pleading in favor of or supporting a cause or proposal” and it defines an Advocate as “one that supports or promotes the interests of another.”

In all that I do publicly, to promote Autism awareness, Special Needs awareness, legislative changes, sensitivity from the able-bodied community, sensitivity from the differently-abled community, and educational inclusion; Advocacy does not have to look the way it looks when I do it.

You can advocate from home, from work, on the phone, through the mail, through the internet or in person.  In my mind, advocacy means that you are standing up for what is right based on what YOU believe.  My passion is Autism and Special Needs, but that may not be what you are passionate and advocating for.  It doesn’t really matter because Advocacy is Advocacy; you are standing up for what you believe.  Don’t compare what you do as “not enough” or “too much” for your cause, based on what you see someone else doing or not doing.  Advocacy comes from your heart and does not have to be vocal, public, or known by others if you don’t want it too.

I got an email from a friend the other day that made my heart smile.  It read, “I don't know if you hear this enough but congrats on all the wonderful things you are doing to support Autism.  We are all advocates for all children of Autism and not just our own child but all children, but we can't all get out there to the public and do it as you can.  So from all of us Mom's that are doing it from our hearts and home, we thank you for speaking out for our children.  I don't believe our children have special needs, they are just SPECIAL in our hearts.”

It made me think about all those parents of children with special needs who are out there advocating for their children in their homes daily by working with them repeatedly on tasks that may seem simple to others but are hard for our children.  By keeping in touch with teachers constantly on their child’s progress, and what to work on next.  By calling and emailing legislators to make their concerns, known about pending laws that may affect their children.  By explaining their child’s different-ability to neighbors, friends, and family member so that they are educated on the condition; and in turn create more advocates through them.  By spending thousands of dollars to get their child the services they need (some paid by insurance, some not).  By educating themselves so, they can better teach their child.  By doing all kinds of things, in all kind of different ways, to advocate for their child and their cause.

So to all you parents, family members, friends, teachers, therapist and legislators who are advocating for what you believe in; I thank you for making your opinion known, in whatever way you are doing it.  Your voice is heard through your actions.  Therefore, I say to you all of those advocating for children with Autism and Special Needs, the same thing my girlfriend said to me “I don't know if you hear this enough but congrats on all the wonderful things you are doing to support Autism/Special Needs.”  So Glad God Chose Me to appreciate your advocacy and you being an advocate.

Laugh Loud Story--> JP and Michelle went to JPs Special Olympics-Young Athletes class this weekend.  He was a little over stimulated at first because there were a lot of children there, (much more than usual); after a while (walking around with hands over his ears and standing in a corner) he soon warmed up and was comfortable with his surroundings.  I asked him and Michelle if they wanted to play with a Hula Hoop.  They both said “Yes,” and immediately Michelle took it and started to Hula.  She was doing a great job and Hula-ing for a long time.  JP was desperately trying to imitate her, but was quickly getting frustrated.  I saw how annoyed he was getting and told him to “keep trying.”  He kept trying and all of a sudden I heard him yelling, “Mommy-Mommy, I got it….I got it.  I can Hula Hoop------ I found my wiggle”!!  Hahahaha, he sure did, he was very excited and got better and better as the class went on.  Needless to say, virtual Hula Hooping on Wii-Fit will no longer keep him content.  Off to Toys R’ Us we go, its Hula time lol!!!!

Take Care!!!  Laugh Loud, Think Positive and Dream Bigg!!

Pam MINES

Twitter -> @Pam_Mines

Facebook -> God Chose Me

Website -> www.GodChoseMe.com

A Life Like MINES™: Positive "Pam-isms"

A Life Like MINES™: Positive "Pam-isms": Hello Everyone and Welcome to 2012, In 2012 I'm looking for PLENTY of "Red Light Good News". Ohhhhhhh, let me explain this Pam-ism (m...

Positive "Pam-isms"

Hello Everyone and Welcome to 2012,

In 2012 I'm looking for PLENTY of "Red Light Good News". Ohhhhhhh, let me explain this Pam-ism (made up words/phrases OR real words/phrases that I use often).  Whenever I get a new text, email, Facebook Notification, Twitter Notification or Voice Mail, the light on my phone blinks Red.  When I see the Red light blinking, I get soooo excited, because I always think its good news of some kind, hence the term "Red Light Good News".  You have to think positively and that's why I get excited when I see the red light blinking.  I never think its an advertisement, junk mail or just regular email.  I ALWAYS think it is SPECtacular news that is going to change my life or give me that "feel good feeling".  I always expect good things to happen so they do. On the same note, because I am positive and expecting good news, I also expect satan (in all lowercase because he gets no power) to try to derail the good news because he knows all of what God is doing or about to do. Am I a hypocrite if he succeeds and puts doubt (and possibly negative thoughts) in my mind, if only for a minute? No, because my spiritual mind is always on God and what he can and will do.  As long as I have faith the size of a mustard seed, satan will be defeated.  Praising God and being positive is what makes you a target to satan but; Praising God and being positive is also what defeats satan.

This year I encourage you all to speak things as though they were.  You have to see what you want, in order to get it.  I've heard this for a while and I thought I was already doing it, until I seriously started "seeing" myself where I wanted to be and applied this thought process daily.  When I truly began to see things as though they were, my SDSF4L (SupaDupaSistaFriend4Life) Tracy and I were chosen to be in the Oprah Show Bestie's Audience, and Oprah gave the entire audience of Bestie's a Spa Get-A-Way in Tucson, AZ.  I was chosen as one of Richmond, Virginia's Top 40-Under 40. Toni Braxton, Holly Robinson-Peete and Jodi Gomes received a copy of God Chose Me and tweeted about it.  I met Ron Devoe (member of BBD and New Edition) backstage and gave him a signed copy of God Chose Me and got BBD’s autograph.  I met Earnest Pugh and was able to give him a signed copy of God Chose Me and get his autograph.  My daughter Michelle got an autograph from President Barack Obama on the "Barack Obama" book she bought to his speech at University of Richmond.  And, my husband Perry and I met First Lady Michelle Obama, I was able to give her a signed copy of God Chose Me, we took a PIC with her and we got her autograph beside President Obamas in our daughter's book.  These things happened because I saw them happen first.  I didn't know when, or how, but I knew it would happen.  I also know in my heart of hearts that God Chose Me will be known worldwide and will change Zillions of lives, (that's right Zillions...that's what I see lol).  When that happens, I will be able to give away more money, gifts, resources and services than I can imagine to those families in need.  

Please know, you cannot speak things as though they were without doing work to make it happen, faith without work is dead.  Nothing will "magically" happen, you have to do what you can to make it happen, you have to put out there what your desire's are, you have to pray and you have to ask for help; you have not because you ask not.  Right now, I am typing this post on a laptop that was GIFTED to me because I asked if anyone had one they weren't using.  Had I not asked, I wouldn't have.  If you do those things, what you "see,” will "be".  It may not happen immediately, but it will happen.

You are always only, one person away from the person you need to meet to help make a difference in your life. From life's-little moments to life's life-changing moments.  Maintaining relationships is so very important.  Without relationships, none of the things I saw to be, would have been.  Not because I know a lot of people but because the people I do know, I have a good relationship with.  They know my intentions and the things I want to make happen for myself and why.  They know my passion, my purpose, and my heart.  They know me as genuine (because that’s what I am).  In your life be a good person, be positive, be genuine, don't use people, don't gossip, and form your own opinions not just follow the opinions of others.  Be an addition to people's lives, don't take away from lives with negative thoughts, conversation or drama.  If you are a positive person, doing positive things, people will want to positively impact you and they will want to be around you because of your positive energy.  Good people, know Good people.  

Lastly, laugh loud.  Laughter is the best feeling in the world for me.  A good belly, make you cry, can't catch your breath laugh is my favorite kind of laugh.  In our home, in our life we laugh loud and often even when we have to deal with some of the behaviors that come with my son JPs autism, or as I call it "tism".  When we can laugh, we do and we don't do it disrespectfully by laughing "at" my son, we do it together and laugh "with" my son.  Because of our laughter and the time we spend together as a family, our children are very happy, they smile, they laugh, they make jokes, and they have a sense of humor.  With everything my son may have to deal with in his life because of his Autism and, the things my daughter may have to deal with because of his Autism, they need to know and understand humor. And more importantly, they need to know when its appropriate.  Autism is not all of what we are about, but it is a BIG part of what we are about. 

Laugh Loud Christmas Story-->As most of you know, my son JP has autism, and because of his autism, there is a delay in some of his areas of understanding.  In 2011, for the 1st time JP met "Santa", gave him his list, and took a PIC with him.  For some you may not understand the significance of this but at 7yrs old, for the first time, JP was excited about opening gifts, and understood that some of the gifts under the tree were for him.  He was excited and screamed with every gift he opened saying, "Ahhhhhhhh, it's a ____________".  The thing is, JP screamed for every gift he got, even if he didn't really want it or if he didn't know what it was, he just figured he's supposed to scream when he opened his gifts.  He opened one of the gifts that was really meant for me, from my little cousin Sydnee, and he didn't know what it was so he screamed "Ahhhhhhh, it's a --- it's a --- it's a..........SQUARE!!!!" lolol. It was a Pot Holder.

The Christmas Story points out that some things that happen with "tism" is funny, and when it is, we have to laugh. Everything that happens in "A Life Like MINES" isn't funny, but when it is, we LAUGH LOUDLY!!!

Take Care and I'll Blog you soon!!!  Laugh Loud, Think Positive and Dream Bigg!!

Pam MINES

Twitter -> @Pam_Mines

Facebook -> God Chose Me

Website -> www.GodChoseMe.com