Jerik, “The Alphabet Soup Kid”

April is Autism Awareness Month

In honor of this we are sharing “Real Life Stories of Daily Life and People with Autism”

Jerik, “The Alphabet Soup Kid”

as written by his mother.

We call Jerik our “Alphabet Soup Kid”.

Aspergers (HFA)  ADHD   OCD   SPD  EFD

These are all letters that when strung together describe what his brain goes through on a daily basis. They are a part of him. He is incredibly funny and has a very quirky sense of humor.

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Sharing Sunday #11

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Spread Awareness For E.D.S. (Ehlers Danlos Syndrome) With an Awareness Window

I must apologize for disappearing again but my daughter had another of her episodes and then life got in the way again so I have let the posts here slide for a bit but we are back and ready to help you get psyched up for EDS Awareness Month in May!

Our last awareness post suggested keeping a jar and collecting change with the motto “Change For EDS” on a yearly, daily, weekly or monthly basis.  You can learn more about that here.

Today we want to suggest something that reaches a MUCH wider group of people.

Tips on Creating Awareness Windows

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Sharing Sunday #9

Before we begin this week’s link up I need to apologize for the last two weeks missing linkups and post updates.    My youngest daughter had another “episode” and required hospitalization while we were already out of town visiting family this and the need for me to keep a constant eye on her led to me letting the blog go for a few weeks.    The good news is that while she will never be perfect and could have an “episode” at any time she is improving from this “episode”.   (I share the story of her first episode below).     In addition to all of that I chose to begin a work from home business and have been trying to get it started while taking care of her.   A bit challenging at times.    Thank you for your patience and understanding as I try to fall back into the groove of maintaining life, business, home, therapy and our family’s health.

“Sharing Sunday” Link-up is available EVERY Sunday for blogs featuring articles that will help those with a chronic illness.

This linkup is not only for the chronically ill but for everyone that has a personal story, that offers help (allergen-free recipes and ideas), adaptation ideas, testimonials or anything that would be helpful or encouraging to others, (even sharing a day in your life).

The idea of the “Get The Word Out” link-up is to spread the word about our illnesses, adaptations, short-cuts, tools, articles, stories, recipes, income earning ideas, etc… and to support each other during this sometimes, lonely journey.

Bloggers struggling with pain and challenges can visit other sites, while non-bloggers can find others like them and follow along in addition to finding recipes, tips and adaptations that may help.

I LOVE fun crafty, anything goes linkups but the “Sharing Sunday” Link-up is not one of those.

We will have a few guidelines to keep the links useful and uplifting to our readers.

Bloggers before linking up please follow our guidelines found here.

[inlinkz_linkup id=607724 mode=1]

Sharing Sunday #8

“Sharing Sunday” Link-up is available EVERY Sunday for blogs featuring articles that will help those with a chronic illness.

This linkup is not only for the chronically ill but for everyone that has a personal story, that offers help (allergen-free recipes and ideas), adaptation ideas, testimonials or anything that would be helpful or encouraging to others, (even sharing a day in your life).

The idea of the “Get The Word Out” link-up is to spread the word about our illnesses, adaptations, short-cuts, tools, articles, stories, recipes, income earning ideas, etc… and to support each other during this sometimes, lonely journey.

Bloggers struggling with pain and challenges can visit other sites, while non-bloggers can find others like them and follow along in addition to finding recipes, tips and adaptations that may help.

I LOVE fun crafty, anything goes linkups but the “Sharing Sunday” Link-up is not one of those.

We will have a few guidelines to keep the links useful and uplifting to our readers.

Bloggers before linking up please follow our guidelines found here.

[inlinkz_linkup id=607722 mode=1]

Sharing Sunday #7

“Sharing Sunday” Link-up will be available EVERY Sunday for blogs featuring articles that will help those with a chronic illness.

This linkup is not only for the chronically ill but for everyone that has a personal story, that offers help (allergen-free recipes and ideas), adaptation ideas, testimonials or anything that would be helpful or encouraging to others, (even sharing a day in your life).

The idea of the “Get The Word Out” link-up is to spread the word about our illnesses, adaptations, short-cuts, tools, articles, stories, recipes, income earning ideas, etc… and to support each other during this sometimes, lonely journey.

Bloggers struggling with pain and challenges can visit other sites, while non-bloggers can find others like them and follow along in addition to finding recipes, tips and adaptations that may help.

I LOVE fun crafty, anything goes linkups but the “Sharing Sunday” Link-up is not one of those.

We will have a few guidelines to keep the links useful and uplifting to our readers.

Bloggers before linking up please follow our guidelines found here.

[inlinkz_linkup id=607721 mode=1]

Our Change is Making a Difference and Yours Can Too.

Our Change is Making a Difference and Yours Can Too.

A year or so ago I began looking for simple ways to spread awareness and support EDS research without overwhelming myself or my family.

Simple ways that almost anyone could accomplish.

I am happy to say I came up with an entire list.  Ideas I am going to begin sharing once a week here at The Zippy Zebra.

I hope to share them over the next few weeks so that when EDS Awareness month arrives we are taking it by force in EVERY community.

I also joined a group of ladies that are working hard to bring it all together on a specific website.  Change For EDS.

Our family chose to begin simple.

We started by saving our change for EDS.

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Sharing Sunday #6

“Sharing Sunday” Link-up will be available EVERY Sunday for blogs featuring articles that will help those with a chronic illness.

This linkup is not only for the chronically ill but for everyone that has a personal story, that offers help (allergen-free recipes and ideas), adaptation ideas, testimonials or anything that would be helpful or encouraging to others, (even sharing a day in your life).

The idea of the “Get The Word Out” link-up is to spread the word about our illnesses, adaptations, short-cuts, tools, articles, stories, recipes, income earning ideas, etc… and to support each other during this sometimes, lonely journey.

Bloggers struggling with pain and challenges can visit other sites, while non-bloggers can find others like them and follow along in addition to finding recipes, tips and adaptations that may help.

I LOVE fun crafty, anything goes linkups but the “Sharing Sunday” Link-up is not one of those.

We will have a few guidelines to keep the links useful and uplifting to our readers.

Bloggers before linking up please follow our guidelines found here.

[inlinkz_linkup id=594854 mode=1]

Why do I Need Friends?

I am so excited to share that I was recently chosen to be a part of the exclusive group to participate in sharing Jill Savage’s and Anne McClane’s New Book“Better Together-Because You Aren’t Meant to Mom Alone”before it is released.  I have been asked to review and promote a few books in the past and while I was willing to share the book with others, I couldn’t bring myself to fully promote and share it’s content.  THIS book is different.  I could spend hours discussing just the three chapters I have read so far.

I must confess I am behind the majority of the team due to my family’s health complications but I absolutely love what I have read so far.  I have even found myself re-reading many parts of it.  I love it and many of the concepts she shares are spot on for any woman (not just mom’s) and that is why I am sharing it here, with you, on a chronic illness blog.

On page 20 of chapter one she discusses how “friends” can benefit not only your emotional but physical health as well.

Here is an excerpt from the book.

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I Love God: A Devotional for Tweens and Teens

Guest post by Mysti Reutlinger

I Love God: A Devotional for Tweens and Teens

by Jaden Laster

contributions by Simon Gabriel

edited by Mysti Reutlinger

As I sat at the computer checking email one early December morning, Jaden walked up behind me and said, “Mom, I think I need to do something.”  Panic set in as a parent living with and raising two children with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.  I turned as my heart raced and said, “What do you need to do, son?”  It was in that moment when his brown eyes sparkled with excitement not of this world.  He explained he felt called to write a book with stories and Bible verses… it had to be Proverbs!  As he spoke, my soul was filled with insatiable desire to help him bring this vision pressed upon his heart to reality.

I helped Jaden with a basic outline for his experiences, verses, reading, and questions.  As he wrote out stories, I read through them and asked many questions of him to guide him in elaborating with more detail; together we refined each word he meticulously typed until his heart was overflowed with joy.  After he finished every story, I set out to bring it all together as an active book; one where tweens and teens could write their responses to heart-provoking questions and journal each day.  At the end of the process, all we could do was thank God for the opportunity to serve him today – and going forward.

I Love God Devotional is written for tweens and teens by Jaden Laster, age 11, of Scottsbluff, Nebraska. Instilled with a passion and purpose for living a God-focused life, Jaden openly admits to his own mistakes, the lessons learned with poor choices, and how to celebrate a God-filled joy by listening to the spirit within him. He’s candid, lighthearted, and serious about all the things that God makes beautiful.

We would love to hear your thoughts about the devotional and how you’ve followed (or not) God’s call in your own life and the results.  We love to pray for others and welcome you to share your needs on the Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/I-Love-God-Devotional-639931566150014/?fref=ts), follow us at http://ilovegoddevotional.com, or pick up a copy of the book at Amazon (or autographed copies via the website).

Purchase on amazon

Printed book – Kindle ebook