My 10 Blog Posts of 2024

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Remember David Letterman's Top 10 lists? That was back in the day when late night TV was actually funny! This was also when music was really great, and I faithfully listened to the Top 40 countdown every Saturday. And around New Years, the DJ would play the top songs of the year! 

I guess thinking about these things inspired me to come up with my own list. As a final nod to 2024, I looked back at all the posts I have ever written and have listed the ones that had the most views this past year. I found it interesting that posts I have written long ago were still being read in 2024!  

10. Goodbye to Our Special Tomato Adaptive Car Seat 

Faith at the age of 9 in her adaptive car seat.

This post from 2012 describes how Faith had finally outgrown the adaptive car seat she needed when we did not have an accessible van. The car seat fit in the backseat of my Hyundai Elantra. The adaptive car seat was great, but I don't miss the days of picking her up out of her chair and putting her in the car. It would actually be impossible for me to do that now!

9. A Marvelous Mother's Day Weekend 

Faith and I at the Belle Mehus for the spring performance of Northern Plains Dance. 

This post wasn't written all that long ago in May of 2024. Faith had just gotten over RSV and the flu and we ended up having a wonderful weekend together. Along with going to the ballet, we were the greeters at church and then spent some time outdoors in the sunshine at my parents during a small family gathering. 

8. Faith's First Concert Experience 

Another more recent post, I wrote all about Faith going to her first concert. We had gone to Fargo for an early 21st birthday present where we got to see Matt Maher, CAIN, and Ben Fuller perform. We didn't get to see headliner, Zach Williams, as Faith was running out of steam, but she had a great time and still talks about how awesome her first concert was! 

It was so great to see Matt Maher, one of our favorite Christian artists. 

7. 50 Years Ago Today: My First Open Heart Surgery 

Me as a baby in 1974 with my parents and older brother 

I had written this post on August 7, 2024, which was the 50th anniversary of my first heart surgery. One of the reasons I write about such milestones is to give God glory for all He has done in my life. I know my life has been in His hands since the day I was born and I wouldn't have made it this far, and doing this well, without all of the prayers prayed for me. 

6. Guest Post: Who Needs Sympathy? 

In my early blogging days, I networked with other bloggers, especially parents whose children had special needs. It's interesting that many of those people are no longer blogging. I often wonder what happened to the children and the families. 

Sometimes we wrote guest posts for each other's blogs, which was the case for this post, written in 2011 by Stephen Gallup. Along with blogging about his experiences as a father with a special needs son, Stephen also wrote the book, "What About the Boy?  A Father's Pledge to His Disabled Son." 



5. Faith Turns 21! 

Another recent post, written just this past October celebrates a huge milestone in Faith's life! When she was born so prematurely, I really didn't know what to expect. I had prayed for several years that God would heal her damaged brain, thinking it was God's will to do so. Now, however, I am thankful that despite her disability, my daughter provides others with encouragement and shines her light for Jesus wherever she goes. What more could a parent possibly ask for? 

Celebrating the birthday girl! 

4. My Tetanus Shot Ordeal: A Real Pain in the Arm! 

This post, written in 2011 detailed my account of getting a tetanus shot and the negative side effects I experienced. Because of that ordeal, I am afraid of getting another tetanus shot (for which I am long overdue). Along with being a popular blog post in 2024, this is my most popular blog post ever, with over 8,200 views! 

My sore arm after a tetanus shot in 2011. 

3. Sarah Palin's Letter from God 

photo by
Gage Skidmore

 Also written in 2011, this post discusses a letter that Sarah Palin had written to   her family and friends before the birth of her son, Trig who was going to be   born with Down Syndrome. 

 Excerpt: "Every child is created special, with awesome purpose and amazing   potential. Children are the most precious and promising ingredient in this mixed up world you live in down there on earth. Trig is no different, except that he has   one extra chromosome." 

 One reason I posted this was because I feel very strongly that just because a   baby in the womb has Down Syndrome, or any other special need for that   matter, abortion should not be considered! 


2. North Dakota Becomes First State to Protect Special Needs Babies in the Womb 

I wrote this blog post in 2013, shortly after then Governor of North Dakota, Jack Dalrymple signed HB1305 into law. This bill was designed to ban abortions that were done solely for the reason that a baby had any genetic anomalies or that the baby was not the sex that a parent desired. North Dakota being a pro-life state is just one more reason I love it! 

 The amazing sunsets are another reason to love this state! 

1. Faith the Soccer Star 

I can't believe that this post, written in 2015, is still getting so much attention and that it was my most popular blog post in 2024. 

It's about one of the first adaptive sports that Faith ever did through Dreams in Motion. They used to do wheelchair soccer at the University of Mary with help from college soccer players. Since her soccer days, Faith has also done adaptive track and field, dance, and wheelchair basketball. Dance has become her favorite, but there was a time she absolutely loved soccer!

Faith having fun playing wheelchair soccer 

Thanks for going down memory lane with me! I appreciate each and every one of you who reads my blog and has followed it for many years. It's hard to believe I started it in 2009! I pray it has blessed you in some way. Happy New Year! 

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