{"id":2466,"date":"2012-01-26T05:55:21","date_gmt":"2012-01-26T10:55:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/simplelife\/?p=2466"},"modified":"2012-01-26T12:14:49","modified_gmt":"2012-01-26T17:14:49","slug":"in-survival-mode","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/simplelife\/2012\/01\/in-survival-mode.html","title":{"rendered":"In survival mode"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Each year in Florida, there are threats of budget cuts to the services of people who are mentally challenged. \u00a0More and more, these cuts are a reality. \u00a0These are lean times. \u00a0In most states the same thing is happening. \u00a0Many states are broke or going broke.<\/p>\n

While it appears that other budget items either stay the same or they are increased, the intellectually disabled community receives the projected cuts. \u00a0Placing blame does little good. \u00a0However, we have learned that being proactive does help, especially if the advocacy is done by self-advocates.<\/p>\n

Last year, a group of self-advocates traveled several times during the legislative session to petition the legislators to stop the proposed changes and cuts. \u00a0While walking the halls of the Senate office building, these men and women “bumped into” the president of the Senate. \u00a0They asked for an appointment to speak with him and got one. \u00a0Some are saying their advocacy made the difference in legislation being altered in the favor of the consumer.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Last evening, several people who are involved in Special Gathering from a couple of states met for dinner. \u00a0We are a ministry whose mission is evangelizing and discipling people who are intellectually delayed. \u00a0One of the SpG volunteers also heads an agency. \u00a0“We only get paid for three days of rehab now for Jill and others. \u00a0Therefore, we have to be pretty creative with the days for which we are paid. \u00a0The other days have to be even more creative,” she said, laughing. Even though she was laughing, I have seen the toll this financial strain has taken on the agency and their employees.<\/p>\n

This agency is determined to not enter a “survival mode” mentality. \u00a0However, others have had to simply try to find ways to exist. \u00a0 The uncertainty of funding does play on the minds of people who are mentally challenged. \u00a0They are aware of the pending difficulties.<\/p>\n

Job loss, increasing food and gas prices, elections and war put a strain on all of us. \u00a0It may be good to give ourselves daily pep talks. \u00a0Our stability does not depend on the government or any other circumstance. \u00a0Our stability comes from the Lord. \u00a0 Perhaps the main thing we can do is to continually reassurance ourselves and others that God has a plan and that He will protect us if we remain faithful to Him.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Each year in Florida, there are threats of budget cuts to the services of people who are mentally challenged. \u00a0More and more, these cuts are a reality. \u00a0These are lean times. \u00a0In most states the same thing is happening. \u00a0Many states are broke or going broke. While it appears that other budget items either stay…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":387,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,5,182,40,186,49,16,8,4,41,268],"tags":[21,688,7,699,715,701,694,6,355],"class_list":["post-2466","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-autism-spectrum","category-christianity","category-disability","category-faith","category-hope","category-inspiration","category-intellectual-disability","category-mentally-challenged-community","category-simple-truths","category-spirituality","category-survival","tag-christian","tag-christianity","tag-developmental-disabilities-2","tag-faith","tag-hope","tag-inspiration","tag-intellectual-disability","tag-simple-scriptural-truths","tag-survival-mode"],"yoast_head":"\nIn survival mode - 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\/2012\/01\/in-survival-mode.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"In survival mode - A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Each year in Florida, there are threats of budget cuts to the services of people who are mentally challenged. \u00a0More and more, these cuts are a reality. \u00a0These are lean times. \u00a0In most states the same thing is happening. \u00a0Many states are broke or going broke. 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Howard\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"In survival mode - A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/simplelife\/2012\/01\/in-survival-mode.html","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"In survival mode - A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith","og_description":"Each year in Florida, there are threats of budget cuts to the services of people who are mentally challenged. \u00a0More and more, these cuts are a reality. \u00a0These are lean times. \u00a0In most states the same thing is happening. \u00a0Many states are broke or going broke. 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