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Return To Book 3 Table Of Contents Truth… Or Consequences – And Individual Choice So much of what I had once known to be true, had so completely been turned upside down. There were many times the pain I felt was almost – truly – too much to bear. Yet, through it all, the one anchor I had, was my faith in Christ and His words of hope. The one thing I knew without a doubt to be true had been the love of Christ and the truth found in His word. There were many in the world that saw “religion” as a crutch. Yet, I knew that, for me, personally, I was not at my weakest on my knees – but at my strongest. Just over three years ago, I had prayed deeply as I had begged God to give me the answers to my son’s autism. At that time, I knew only that “autism” was a horrible disorder that resulted in the slow – painful – slipping away of a child – a child I so loved. As I begged God for answers and help that night I had been on my knees – in such complete desperation – I had promised God that if He gave me the answers I needed to understand my son – that I would share them with families of children with autism – for free. As such, all of this – everything I do - especially for the families of children with autism – I do because of that promise. Through faith, I came to understand my son and see life so very differently. I came to understand the power of forgiveness and the hope that is in Christ. My son, I know, will never be healed from “autism” – but, each day, with each little step, there is more joy. My ultimate joy, however, comes in knowing that one day – Zachary will be perfect – forever in heaven with me – of that – I had no doubt. I knew many did not believe in God – in heaven – or in hell. What man believed mattered not. I could personally believe that the Earth was square – but it was not. My beliefs did not change reality. To those who felt religion was but a crutch, and God but a myth, well, all I could say was that when we died, if God did not exist, then, I simply would have lived an illusion while on Earth. If He did exist, however – as I was sure He did - then the implications of that, for the non-believer, were much more serious. The creation verses evolution debate was certainly still alive and well. But which was the truth – and which was the deception? “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me”. John 14:6 There was no doubt that “evolution” – a theory – was now being taught as “fact” in our schools. It had been as a result of this indoctrination that so many had left their belief in God and, either had, or now, potentially, faced losing their souls – for eternity. Evolution taught that death was a thing to fear and that as such, survival of the fittest was key. Yet, the fact remained that death of the physical body was not to be feared – unless one knew not Christ. Death for the person who knew Christ as his Savior was but a promotion or step into a better life. Indeed, I suspected that only those who did not truly know Christ as their Savior – truly feared death – and had good reason to do so!
“If you tell a lie long enough, loud enough and often enough, the people will believe it”. Adolf Hitler “Let me control the textbooks and I will control the state”. Also… Adolf Hitler The theory of evolution – survival of the fittest – taught to children from the very lowest levels through the highest – in our school systems! Theory – taught as fact – a theory completely unsubstantiated by fact - and a very dangerous theory indeed! If there was a “missing link” in all of this – surely, in my opinion, this had to be it! “We cannot order men to see the truth or prohibit them from indulging in error.” Max Planck, Philosophy of Physics, 1936 My best tool for preventing “deception” was the Word of God and the family of God. I knew many professed to believe in God, but there had always been a passage that had troubled me, a passage, that perhaps, I now understood a little better: “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, hae we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have cast out deveils? And in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” Matthew 7:21-23. Did we have many “saying” they were Christians… absolutely… Yet, with so many warnings regarding “false prophets” in the bible, and so much deception in the world, truly, it could be difficult to know “who to believe”… but, the one truth that had not changed for me - was the Word of God - and in determining “who to believe”, one need only remember: “Ye shall know them by their fruits”… Matthew 7:16I knew there would be many “irritated” by what this book had put forth… but, my intent had not been to irritate, but rather put forth issues I felt had to be brought to light. Yes, there were those who stated: Ignorance was bliss. But, there were also those who stated: “If a nation expects to be ignorant and free… it expects what never was and never will be.” Thomas JeffersonDeception and forgiveness… two very powerful concepts… one with the power to destroy… the other, providing a door to eternal life… If you, also, wanted to know the power of forgiveness, the peace that could be found in Christ, and wanted assurance of your eternal salvation, and you had not yet accepted Christ as your Savior – I urged you to do so by simply praying, in sincerity, and asking Christ to be Lord of your life. Your prayer should simply say that you accept Jesus Christ as the Son of God and as your personal Savior and that you knew you were a sinner and that Christ died for your sins in order that you may have eternal life. Ask for forgiveness of your sins and turn from them. Consider becoming a member of your local church and being baptized. Although baptism is not a requirement for salvation, Christ instructs new believers to be fully immersed in water when baptized – as a symbol of rebirth. If you sincerely want to know Christ, He would be there for you to help you through the difficult times of this life and to provide hope for the future. The bible had a great deal to say about healing. It stated that healing came with forgiveness. Learn to forgive to find not only peace, but joy once again. This was something I hoped for all mothers – and fathers – for all! Truth or deception… and which to believe …Truly, – an individual choice! Could I sell my book for $5.00… or $2.00… or $1.00… even just .25 cents to get a horse for my daughter? Perhaps, but, my riches were no longer measured in dollars or “things”. Unlike the pharmaceutical industry – I had no “bottom line” to worry about other than the truth. I imagined there were many in government agencies and in the pharmaceutical industry who preferred this book had never been written – who would have preferred to see this book in the trash rather than on the Internet. Yet, I suspected there were many more – families actually impacted by these disorders – who were glad they finally understood, as I now did, how so many of these issues fit so completely together. It had taken me years to understand so much in autism – years I could have spent better helping my son had this understanding been there much earlier on. I knew Zachary had been born for a very specific purpose and through this little boy – his many frustrations, his many struggles – I was sure many families would come to understand their loved ones a great deal more and that, to me, was – priceless! I had more hope than ever for my son because I finally did understand so much now when it came to autism. The road so far had been very difficult, but it had not been without reward. The journey and the pain of autism could truly make one appreciate even the smallest things in life and teach one to find joy in those things that truly mattered … be that something as simple as a butterfly kiss, a first hug, a first word, a first “I love you, mom”, a first smile, a first look of true understanding, a first breakthrough. There was no doubt in my mind that so many with mental illness, and so many children with autism were so very, very intelligent and that in discovering how to reach them, how to make that first crack in the outer shell… we could quickly come to see, reveal, and appreciate - the pearl – so clearly hidden within! The autistic child… once the forgotten child… now the key – to so much! In providing this text, I truly hoped to help others see… not only autism in a new light, but also… The power of love… for a child… for a brother… the power of hope… the power of forgiveness… and, most of all… the power - of the cross! This work, I give to you for the glory of my Lord and Savior - Jesus Christ. |
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