{"id":2149,"date":"2011-11-18T10:55:05","date_gmt":"2011-11-18T15:55:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/simplelife\/?p=2149"},"modified":"2011-11-21T16:47:39","modified_gmt":"2011-11-21T21:47:39","slug":"thankfulness-lives-at-jills-house","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/simplelife\/2011\/11\/thankfulness-lives-at-jills-house.html","title":{"rendered":"Thankfulness lives at Jill’s House"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Thankful Response<\/h4>\n
\"Photo<\/a>
Photo by Nevin Communications<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

At 40 years old, Brenda Solomon got pregnant with Lon and Brenda’s fourth child. Thrilled, their baby girl, Jill, was born beautiful and perfect. \u00a0At three months old, however, Jill began to seizure. \u00a0Quickly, the malady turned into grand maul seizures which were continuous. Pastor Lon Solomon is the successful senior pastor at McLean Bible Church in metropolitan DC. \u00a0Their family was active with their boys’ sporting events and continual teen\/preteen activities. \u00a0“Our lives stopped. \u00a0Life became one seizure after another. \u00a0Everything else was erased.”<\/p>\n

After two and a half years, the family, especially Brenda, was exhausted. She had no sleep. \u00a0Nervous energy and acute awareness of her daughter’s critical condition kept her going. \u00a0Sitting in the middle of the floor one morning, Brenda was singing to Jill as she seizured. \u00a0Brenda broke down. \u00a0Her weeping transformed into prayer as she pleaded with God, “Father, if my daughter must go through this suffering, please use her life in a mighty way for Your glory.”<\/p>\n

<\/h4>\n

Thankful Answer to Prayer<\/h4>\n
\"Photo<\/a>
Photo by Victoria Ross\/The Connections<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In desperation, Brenda Solomon, wife of Pastor Lon Solomon, at McLean Bible Church, had prayed that the Lord would use her daughter’s life and disability in a mighty way. \u00a0She and her family were exhausted from two and a half years of concern and sleepless nights. \u00a0After the prayer, that afternoon the phone rang. \u00a0It was a stranger whom the Lord directed to call. \u00a0Brenda felt this was an answer to prayer; and she poured out her heart. \u00a0The stranger responded with help. \u00a0A corps of volunteers was organized by this Christian messenger-of-mercy. \u00a0These folks poured through the Solomon home for years. \u00a0As a thankfulness response, the vision of Jill’s House was born. The Solomon’s know the desperate need for a safe place for families to bring their children with disabilities, thereby giving them time to rest, regather and recoup.<\/p>\n

Thankful Birth of a dream<\/h4>\n
\"Photo<\/a>
Photo by Victoria Ross\/The Connections<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After years of prayer, a corporation was formed to build a respite facility. \u00a0 But Mrs. Brenda Solomon, mother of Jill who is a child with special needs, admits she knew nothing about constructing a facility to accommodate the respite care needs of fragile children and their families. \u00a0After seven years of research, study and fund-raising, the $12.7 million respite center was built without government funds or support. \u00a0Jill’s House is a 43,000 square foot, 30 bedroom, state-of-the-art facility. \u00a0The accommodations \u00a0include a play ground, an indoor pools and a music room. \u00a0Jill Solomon was assisted by her parents in cutting the ribbon to open the facility in October 2010. \u00a0Brenda’s voice smiles as she recalls the event. \u00a0It was a wonderful day, filled with thankful joys.<\/p>\n

<\/h3>\n

Thankful Parents<\/h3>\n
\"The<\/a>
The McNeil Family<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What better way to celebrate Thanksgiving than remembering the care and love children with special needs receive at Jill’s House. \u00a0From the day of the grand opening in October 2010, this cutting-edge facility strives to provide quality care that insures that families feel secure about leaving their children for a few days. \u00a0Shannon McNeil and her family are enthusiastic supporters of Jill’s House. \u00a0They are involved in the fund-raising activities as a thankful response for the care their daughter Waverly has received.<\/p>\n

“There are hours of preparation to be accepted as a participant at Jill’s House,” Shannon McNeil reported. \u00a0“But the result is that when Waverly walked into the door the first time, the staff and volunteers knew her complete routine. \u00a0They were able to meet her needs and anticipate her desires. \u00a0Waverly was totally comfortable at Jill’s House.”<\/p>\n

Thankful Memories<\/h4>\n
\"Waverly<\/a>
Waverly enjoys life<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Parents and families who give birth to and live with special needs children each day, do not hide their sorrows. \u00a0They quickly express the pain that haunts their lives. \u00a0Shannon McNeil shared on one of her blog entries, “I miss Waverly’s voice.” \u00a0Because both her children–Waverly who is eight and Oliver who is four–have a progressive disease called San Fillippo Syndrome. \u00a0These children appear to be progressing normally until they are about 12 months old. \u00a0At that age they start to lose their physical and cognitive abilities. \u00a0But it is not the pain and hurt that reaching into the deepest parts of their spirit. \u00a0It is joyful thankfulness for their exceptional children. \u00a0Most parents say, “I could not understand unconditional love until my child with special needs was born. \u00a0He loves me unconditionally.”<\/p>\n

Thankfulness Fills the Lives of Families of Children with Special Needs<\/h4>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The Solomon family and the McNeil Family from Washington DC are a minute sampling of the millions of families in our nation whose children have disabilities. \u00a0 They readily share the joy and love these marvelous children bring into their lives. \u00a0For the McNeil’s, Jill’s House has become an important extension of her joy-filled life. \u00a0“Waverly has been able to stay at Jill’s House four weekends. \u00a0She has also had four week-long camp experiences. \u00a0This facility has brought such joy to her. \u00a0Additionally, rest and peace of mind to us.” \u00a0As the San Fillippo Syndrome rips Oliver of his abilities, Shannon McNeil said, “We are able to give him one-on-one time while Waverly is cared for with love.” \u00a0When you speak to and live with these courageous parents, there is unspeakable love and a deep abiding thankfulness to the Lord for his gracious provision. \u00a0 “Our children are our greatest joy,” Shannon McNeil reports. \u00a0“We thank God each day for their lives.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A Thankful Response At 40 years old, Brenda Solomon got pregnant with Lon and Brenda’s fourth child. Thrilled, their baby girl, Jill, was born beautiful and perfect. \u00a0At three months old, however, Jill began to seizure. \u00a0Quickly, the malady turned into grand maul seizures which were continuous. Pastor Lon Solomon is the successful senior pastor…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":387,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,20,3,182,40,186,49,331,329,330],"tags":[690,21,688,699,715,701,694,735,6,736],"class_list":["post-2149","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-christianity","category-church","category-developmental-disabilities","category-disability","category-faith","category-hope","category-inspiration","category-jills-house","category-san-fillippo-syndrome","category-thanksgiving","tag-autism-spectrum","tag-christian","tag-christianity","tag-faith","tag-hope","tag-inspiration","tag-intellectual-disability","tag-san-fillippo-syndrome","tag-simple-scriptural-truths","tag-thanksgiving"],"yoast_head":"\nThankfulness lives at Jill's House - A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/simplelife\/2011\/11\/thankfulness-lives-at-jills-house.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Thankfulness lives at Jill's House - A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A Thankful Response At 40 years old, Brenda Solomon got pregnant with Lon and Brenda’s fourth child. Thrilled, their baby girl, Jill, was born beautiful and perfect. \u00a0At three months old, however, Jill began to seizure. \u00a0Quickly, the malady turned into grand maul seizures which were continuous. Pastor Lon Solomon is the successful senior pastor…\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/simplelife\/2011\/11\/thankfulness-lives-at-jills-house.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2011-11-18T15:55:05+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2011-11-21T21:47:39+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/specialgathering.files.wordpress.com\/2011\/11\/solomons.jpg?w=179\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Linda G. 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