Tag: Life

We Need Better Caregivers In Calgary

Let me start by saying my wife and I have some incredible caregivers who care greatly for us and are immeasurably skilled in knowledge and experience for looking after our health needs as quadreplegics here in the city of Calgary. We could not survive out here in the community without them! But, it seems as though this community of caregiving has been drastically shrinking the past several years and culturally changing with fewer skilled employees who seem to only care about receiving a paycheck rather then bringing dignity and care to those with disabilities. Last June, AHS announced they would be canceling their community caregiving contract with CBI Home Health and renewing it with a new company here in Calgary called Caregivers Home Health Care...

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Warfare, The 1st Sunday In Advent, & Hope For Those With Disabilities

It seems inescapable these days. Images and news about war and gun violence is everywhere. A few weeks ago I was watching as pictures of children in the middle east, bloody and crying in pain, were being carried frantically to any place of refuge that might be found. With horror flooding the pit of my stomach, I began asking myself the question; what happens with the disabled in places of violent war?

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Disability & The Deeper Self

This post is part of a series that starts here. Most times when we approach the subject of understanding our deeper selves, I think our first thoughts go to the question of, "Are we religious?" From there we then move towards our inner beliefs and struggles between religion and spirituality. The problem is, by polarizing... Continue Reading →

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Bearing Through The Pain

The last few days have not been easy. In fact, the word that comes to mind is excruciating. It's really in both of my hands and forearms. But more so in my right as my carpal tunnel syndrome sends shockwaves of pain shooting out my right pointy finger knuckle and up through my arm and bicep every time I try to lift myself up in my chair for pressure relief or push myself around in my wheelchair. The answer seems simple... STOP lifting yourself up all the time, right?! Ya, not so simple. If I don't keep doing my pressure relief, I run the risk of developing another pressure wound. So I push through it. I grimace and try to ignore the pain as I push through the excruciating electric shocks from my nerves. Well, that, and pop Tylenols every 4 hours. An interesting thought came to mind though yesterday. I found myself pondering, in what ways does the imago Dei (image of God) reflect pain?

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Doing A Whole Lot Of Nothing

It feels as though lately I have been doing a whole lot of nothing. Not really by choice, but by the dictations of the slow life of disability. Truth be told, doing nothing is hard on me. I am my own worst critic! My mind is on fire with things I'd like to do and creative possibilities to pursue during these times. But day in and day out it seems like all I manage to accomplish is the struggle to get house chores done, workouts completed, and health requirements finished that take way to much time out of my life. It feels like a never ending perpetuation of liminality! Whenever these seasons seem to hit me, I begin the internal struggle of judging my failures in self expectations. No matter how hard I try to keep up the workout routine, my gut keeps sticking out like a basketball waiting to give birth. The collection of writing projects and ideas still sitting in my draft folder reminding me why I will never be able to publish a book despite...

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Three Miracles In Capernaum: Belonging, Believing, & Behaving Pt. 3

I personally really don't think we truly get this story in North America. Our society is still blinded by an Ablest mindset making this story about the paralytic and not the real miracles that Jesus was performing that day. I mean, just look at the title most of our translators still give to the story -- The Healing of the Paralytic. If this story is simply just about a paralyzed man getting up and walking again... I can't help but feel like, how boring is that?! No, I'd rather like to think Jesus performed three miracles that day while breaking down the barriers of Ableism in 1st century Capernaum; the miracles of a radical sense of Belonging, courageous actions in Believing, and a amazing transformation in Behaving...

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