Waiting in line with a TV nearby, I watched two triathletes cross a finish line. One collapsed in exhaustion while her coach quickly wrapped a cool wet towel around her neck. The other trotted by with energy to spare. The sound on the TV was turned off which should have made it nearly impossible to… Continue reading Who is Disabled? The Paralympics and the Question of Identity — Nicole O’Meara
Category: Devotionals
DEVOTIONAL: Come to Me — and rest — Nicole O’Meara
Are you weary? Worn out? Overwhelmed? I sure am! I worry about my children—should I call the school for more academic support? I worry about my parents—should I help Mom more? I worry about my health—am I being careful enough? Should I teach Sunday School again? Should I give extra to this ministry or that? My heart needs… Continue reading DEVOTIONAL: Come to Me — and rest — Nicole O’Meara
It Takes Time For Hearts to Heal — Nicole O’Meara
When I woke up from a routine procedure unable to move my legs, I could not understand what had happened. I understood the facts but the whole situation was surreal. Staggering. Preposterous. It literally felt like my mind was breaking. In time, logic set it and I began the process of accepting my disability. However, my… Continue reading It Takes Time For Hearts to Heal — Nicole O’Meara
Suffering is Perplexing — Nicole O’Meara
I regretted not grabbing a thicker sweater the second goosebumps rose on my arms and my body began to shake. Chris draped his jacket over my shoulders, then moved strategically to block the chill wind. The temperature dipped with the sun’s last rays. At just the right moment, my sister, our photographer, shouted and we all… Continue reading Suffering is Perplexing — Nicole O’Meara
We are the Blind Man — Nicole O’Meara
She counted ten fingers, ten toes, and declared her firstborn daughter “perfect.” But she couldn’t escape the feeling that something wasn’t right with her precious baby. Soon, doctors confirmed her suspicions: a rare form of blindness in one eye. Experts agreed nothing could be done; it was incurable. That woman was my mother. I am… Continue reading We are the Blind Man — Nicole O’Meara
What Matters Most This Christmas — Nicole O’Meara
I missed Christmas last year. It’s a holiday steeped in long-lasting family traditions, but those traditions didn’t happen. Instead, I spent the holiday in a hospital bed while my children woke up on Christmas morning in a friend’s home, joining in their Christmas traditions. And that’s okay. I am prone to placing too much importance in traditions.… Continue reading What Matters Most This Christmas — Nicole O’Meara
The Breath of God – 13 Worship Songs {playlist included} — Nicole O’Meara
“Zephyr knows he’s not supposed to get into the garbage. Is he sinning when he does that?” “Does Zephyr need to confess his sins?” My daughter has a fierce attachment to our beloved Aussiedoodle. She was very little when we brought him home as a puppy and they’ve sort of grown up together. More than… Continue reading The Breath of God – 13 Worship Songs {playlist included} — Nicole O’Meara
When God’s Ways are Higher Than Our Ways — Nicole O’Meara
“Are you serious?! A broken foot is the last thing you need.” “Haven’t you been through enough?” “Just when you were making real progress—“ Those were the most common responses to the news that I broke my foot. While sweet, they implied, perhaps unintentionally, that God was being too harsh, maybe even uncaring. It had… Continue reading When God’s Ways are Higher Than Our Ways — Nicole O’Meara
We Need to be Known — Nicole O’Meara
I’m standing before the living room window in my aunt’s home which is situated on a steep hill in the mountains. Being that the living room is on the second floor, my view out the window is of fat leafy branches of the large oak tree in her backyard—I think my aunt lives in a… Continue reading We Need to be Known — Nicole O’Meara
How to Live an Anchored Life when Rare Disease Untethers & Overwhelms You — Nicole O’Meara
My body is having an inflammatory reaction to something as yet undetermined. Sometimes, when I experience a new symptom or my doctors order a new test, it feels like being tossed about, untethered. I have so many questions, yet I rarely get answers to them. I want the security of knowing that an answer is… Continue reading How to Live an Anchored Life when Rare Disease Untethers & Overwhelms You — Nicole O’Meara