I have a friend who recently had someone judge her relationship with God. This person commented on my friend's FB page that the reason she has three boys, all with the diagnosis of autism, is "obviously" because God is punishing her. This "judge" doesn't even know my friend. It's so amazing how people will jump to conclusions so quickly and hold on so tightly to traditions that were faulty from the beginning. My next comments are not an overall judgment of the Filipino culture...just an observation. As most know, the Philippines is rooted deeply in the Catholic religion. In fact, besides the Vatican, the Philippines is the only Catholic country that does not allow for divorce. That's another topic... One of the old traditions and beliefs of the Catholic religion is that if someone was born with a disability, that was intended to be a curse from God. In fact, while most Catholics and priests probably do not continue to hold to it, it was believed that there were some disabilities that were connected to demon possession, such as epilepsy, mental illness and intellectual disabilities. The woman who attacked my friend with these ridiculous accusations very likely is holding on to these false beliefs. Here is the perception of Jesus: John 9:1-3 - "As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him." Then Jesus goes ahead and heals the man's blindness. How do you perceive Disability?

Whether you are an individual with a disability or a person affected by disability (family member, friend, caregiver, advocate), please share with us...who is your inspiration. For me, my initial inspiration was my 8th grade teacher, Mr. Wittenburg. He was in his 60's at the time, and was a retired missionary who served in Cuba for many years. He was born with one leg (I forgot which one) that was about one foot (no pun intended) than the other. Despite his disability, he still played college football. At the age of 50, he started using Canadian crutches to get around. He never complained about his life and demonstrated how anyone can be thankful for how God created him/her.

A BIG SHOUT OUT to one of our members of the community... @Dr. Robert Gault! He has been an active and engaging member ever since he joined. He has offered me the most encouragement to keep moving forward and not lose hope. I encourage you to check out his own community, Faith on the Move. Thank you, thank you, thank you, @Dr. Robert Gault for being such a great inspiration! God bless.

Two days in a row...WooHoo! We are on a roll now. Please join me in welcoming three more new members to our community: @Harris Mitchell , @Dolt Crystal and @Emma Dylan. Thank you for being a part of a community whose mission is to serve Persons Affected by Disabilities (PADs). Let's continue to show good to each other and to the world around us.

Please join me in welcoming our newest member @Sophia Wilson