Julie Hornok – Author, Speaker, Event Planner, Autism Advocate

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Hope, Humor and Help When Life Takes an Unexpected Turn

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If we believe people with disabilities were put on

If we believe people with disabilities were put on this earth only as an opportunity for us to show kindness to them or learn patience from them, then we have embraced a completely limited view.

Just after communion was observed at my church, a young lady in the row in front of me named Larsen turned around and, without a word, simply handed me this painting. She gifted me her most precious handiwork, smiled, turned back around, and continued praising Jesus. Larsen did not know me, so this left me a bit confused.

Do I keep it?

Should I pay her for it?

Was she asking for something from me?

Did she mean to hand it to me, a stranger?

As the songs continued to play, Larsen never looked back. Because we live in a world where nothing is given without strings attached, it took me a little while to allow myself to fully accept her gift. I realized I had just been the recipient of the purest, most beautiful form of love: a love that mirrors Jesus’ love for all of us.

Larsen wasn’t asking anything from me for her gift.

Larsen wasn’t giving me this gift with an ulterior motive.

Larsen wasn’t needing to get to know me before offering her gift.

Just like…

Jesus asked nothing of us before dying for our sins.

Jesus offered His gift of forgiveness without any strings attached.

Jesus chose to love ALL people even before we were born.

Life gets messy, and we tend to make it way more complicated than it needs to be. Larsen and others with disabilities remind us that the most beautiful life is lived LOVING PEOPLE the way Jesus first loved us.

#disability #disabilityawareness #jesuslovesyou

Thank you @southwestair for the donation and suppo

Thank you @southwestair for the donation and support of our work at @labeledandloved
The world will label. We will love.
🏷❤️
#labeledandloved
#SouthwestHeart
#HeartinAction
#southwest50

MERRY MERRY CHRISTMAS from our family to yours! T

MERRY MERRY CHRISTMAS from our family to yours!
This is still my very favorite Santa picture of my kids. (The third child is behind the camera melting down.) Even the most frustrating moments become good memories over time. I hope you are able to intentionally enjoy the ones you love most no matter how untraditional your day may seem.

Christmas is supposed to be magical. When I was yo

Christmas is supposed to be magical. When I was young, I spent hours dreaming about the wonderful gifts waiting for me under the tree on Christmas morning.

When I had kids, I couldn’t wait to bring the Christmas magic from my childhood into their lives! Then autism entered the picture, and my daughter, Lizzie, had no ability to understand the things I loved about Christmas.

On Christmas morning, my boys ripped opened their presents before the sun came up, and squealed with delight as they saw each of their new toys. Sadly, my daughter’s toys were still sitting under the tree untouched, unwrapped, and uncared for.

I couldn’t do Christmas that way again. I couldn’t sit on the sidelines another year watching my children, pretending to be joyful, all the while my heart was breaking inside because I couldn’t share the season with my daughter. There had to be another way.

I decided to take all the things Lizzie did enjoy and incorporate them into our “new and improved” Christmas! If she couldn’t enjoy what we were doing, then we would enjoy what she was doing!

Instead of singing Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer, we sang the theme song from the Dora the Explorer TV show. Her eyes lit up as the whole family joined in and showed excitement for her favorite song!

Predictability and sameness were comforting to her so we began “operation opening presents.” We took her favorite toys, wrapped them up and then opened them right in front of her so she could understand that there was something wonderful inside. We found that opening boxes was too confusing for her, so we threw out the boxes and put the wrapping paper directly around her toys. She could now see their shape and get excited because she knew what she was opening.

On Christmas day, we wrapped those same favorite toys, and when she opened her favorite musical octopus, she smiled and danced for hours!

I realized the real joy in Christmas was not in the actual traditions but in sharing time with my family during the season. It didn’t matter that our Christmas didn’t mirror the Christmas of my youth. The smile on my daughter’s face and the excitement for the things she loved was the true magic of the season.

This girl….She’s fun. She’s spunky. She’s

This girl….She’s fun. She’s spunky. She’s the reason I do the work I do. And she’s turning NINETEEN today! How did it go by so quick?!? Lizzie, I am so thankful I get to be your mom! Happy Birthday!

I co-founded the non-profit @labeledandloved to br

I co-founded the non-profit @labeledandloved to bring hope to women who were falling through the cracks. When you feel isolated, unseen and unheard, taking care of a child who has been given livelong disability label can seem daunting.

Labeled and Loved cares for these caretakers exactly where they are right now through our:

Weekend Retreat
200 special needs moms from 26 states and Canada registered. Of the caregivers who attended:
-a 236% increase was felt in the sense of true community after the retreat vs. before.
-97% were likely to recommend the L&L Retreat to a friend.
-96% felt equipped with valuable perspective and support tools.

Virtual Sisterhood Circles
Launched in 2021, 263 moms registered to gather together in small groups to find hope and healing in the midst of their grief.

Sunshine in the Spectrum
76,000 video views of quick parenting tips for all abilities.

Sticky Notes for the Heart
41,000 inspirational texts to date have been received as a random act of encouragement in the midst of caretakers’ most vulnerable days.

Virtual & In-Person Moms Mingles
2,813 RSVPs for these fun evenings that serve the deeper purpose of connection. Yearly, hundreds of moms meet other moms who are living the same life and become their lifelines moving forward.

Podcast
1,200 minutes showcasing stories of hope, inspiration, and experts in the field. Interviews with guests such as Jen Hatmaker, Chris Norton, Temple Grandin, and more.

Will you help us continue to bring hope to families with special needs?

Join our Labeled and Loved Giving Tuesday Campaign:
LINK IN BIO
https://unitedinautism.networkforgood.com/projects/148018-labeled-and-loved-giving-tuesday-2021

This is one of my very favorite Thanksgiving memor

This is one of my very favorite Thanksgiving memories. Happy Thanksgiving to YOU!

Exactly three years ago on National Author’s Day

Exactly three years ago on National Author’s Day, I was in NYC celebrating my book on display as a billboard in Times Square. What an incredible experience it was to interview inspirational families living with autism all over the globe and put their stories into “United in Autism: Finding Strength Inside the Spectrum.” The icing on the cake was that Dr. Temple Grandin believed sharing our stories would make a difference so she wrote the foreword.
Every book started with an idea inside the author’s head. Today I celebrate the many authors I am proud to know who had the boldness and grit to turn that idea into published pages.
#nationalauthorsday #nationalauthorsday2021 #nyctimessquare
#autismawareness

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