Breaking Barriers - Summer 2016

Living with seizures. About 2 percent of adults have a seizure in their lifetime, and one-third of them experience more than one. The stories are written by individuals or their loved ones who have experienced seizures.

Fall 2016 — Disability and employment. The unemployment rate of people with disabilities is about double that of people without disabilities. We would love to hear three kinds of stories: churches that are assisting people with disabilities in finding employment; employers that are seeking out people with disabilities for employment; or, people with disabilities with an employment or unemployment story to tell. Please send us a note (not to exceed 400 words) by August 26.

Winter 2017 — Disability and spiritual practice. As someone who belongs — body and soul, in life and in death — to Jesus Christ, how has living with a disability shaped your own spiritual practice? Where do disability and your devotional life intersect? Please send us a note reflecting on your experience by November 1.

We Don’t Know, but God Knows
Rachel Daining wrestles with difficult questions about her daughter Natalie’s seizure disorder, and finds strength trusting that God holds each day Natalie’s life.

Support, Surgery a ‘Saving Grace’
Ginny and Charlie Haas describe daughter Dawne’s journey with epilepsy including getting married, having children, and being seizure-free since 1995.

Angie Knows the Love of Jesus
Bob and Jean DeJong’s daughter Angela began having up to 30 seizures per night starting at age 18 months. Now 37 years old and living with significant limitations, she still knows the love of Jesus.

Recovery, Discovery, and Grace
Anita Brinkman’s nocturnal seizures have prompted her to find reasons to give thanks to God.

Saved from Death to New Life
After nearly dying due to severe seizures after birth, God allowed Jon Rink to graduate from college, marry, and raise children all while living with a seizure disorder.

Parenting and the Body of Christ
For Ryan and Sophie Landt, living with a child diagnosed with epilepsy has been an extended exercise in learning to trust God.

Well Done, Advocates and Friends!
Breaking Barriers co-editor, Terry DeYoung, thanks readers for the excellent articles we receive, which have allowed us to receive the newsletter Award of Excellence from the Associate Church Press. 

More Articles Below
We received many more articles about living with seizures than we could squeeze into the printed/pdf version of Breaking Barriers. Find additional articles below by Reinder Bouwma, Al Hoekstra, Yvonne Hoekstra, Crystal Laney, Jeannie Murphy, Bonnie Roda, and Linda Roorda.