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Renee Swope

Encouraging and equipping moms to parent with God's grace and confidence.

My Girl

In August 2011, our daughter Aster was diagnosed with a severe speech disorder, and was recently confirmed as  having Apraxia**. At the age of two and a half she could only say fifteen words. At the age of three she could barely say five, and those five were very hard to understand.

We didn’t know what the future held; we just knew we’d been praying and waiting for two years to hear her precious voice. And now it was diminishing. I was in shock. And honestly my heart broke a little more each day for the first several weeks.

I knew God was in control and that He could completely heal her. But my mommy-heart hopes and dreams for hearing my little girl’s voice were shattered. And my world turned upside down for a while.

When we shared our story on Facebook and at some speaking events, many of you spoke hope, grace and truth over our hearts. You comforted us with your prayers and claimed God’s promises over our little girl.

Aster has been going to speech therapy two times each week for six months. Her progress has been very slow. In January we discovered her two year molars never formed enamel so a little over a week ago she had surgery, and little silver crowns were put on them.

What happened next was almost miraculous! The crowns must have relieved severe pain we didn’t know about because she couldn’t tell us. And she never indicated it either. (Her pain threshold is incredible!) Her progress in the past ten days has been amazing. Then last weekend, when they came to get me from the airport after a speaking event, Aster started babbling a ton.

So, I got out my iPhone, turned it to where she could see herself when it was filming and we witness a break-through on camera!! Here’s a sweet little peak into God’s faithfulness! {Note, she had never done this before!}

I can’t help but celebrate the “good things HE planned long ago” for a little girl who needed a family to help her find her voice – and for a family who needed a little girl to help them experience the depth of God’s love!

Thank you Lord for the gift of our precious little Ethiopian princess!

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Comments

  1. Thank you for sharing this video of Aster. What a beautiful little girl you have. Aster has been so blessed to be in your love.

  2. She is beyond precious…God Bless Her! We began therapy with our son Chance, he is currently just over 2 yrs..he briefly said a few words…ma, da & uh oh….but those disappearer.. He is a twin and his brother is very vocal & he has a younger brother that turns one in a couple weeks (as well as a 14 yr old brother and 12,yr old sister)…I so look forward to the day that Chance finds his voice…but until then I will praise God for the beautiful boy that he is right now…Thank you for sharing this video, it truly warmed my heart!!

  3. We belong to an amazing God! Small steps but a huge journey, full of a whole lot of blessings. Praise God!

  4. Dear Renee, I feel so blessed that you share your family with us and real life situations. She is so precious. I started reading chapter 9, I was right with you when you went into the 15 year old son’s room and saw the clean laundry mixed with the dirty, what mom hasn’t? My church ladies started Lysa study on a Bible Study girl. My husband has some serious issues and now that my children are all of the age to recognize these things, it is very hard to keep the lip on sometimes. Setting in my study tonight and talking about Worry I recalled Matt.6. I read the 10 or so verses out loud to the group and most of us just said, “That about sizes it up”.
    Thank you for doing this online study. I hope more women in the study will be encourage to start a group in their area, neighborhood, on their facebook…what ever social network they have to have another study after this one.
    ~Shalom~

  5. You have good reason to rejoice Renee! God has blessed Aster abundantly by placing her in such a loving
    family and I have no doubt that He will bless you all greatly through her. I can so identify with what you’re
    experiencing as my little South African princess (just turned 4 in Feb.) has been in speech therapy on and off since she was a little over 2 . Ellie has a mild -moderate speech delay and I know how excited we all get when she’s able to pronounce a new or challenging word correctly.
    Thank you for sharing such an uplifting little video!

  6. Having worked as a speech and language assistant for 21 years I know the hours of hard work the family has to put in to help their child improve. But even more, the hard work it is for the child! It looks and SOUNDS like you both are having fun and doing a wonderful job! And did I hear daddy’s voice reinforcing some speech sounds too!! None of this is a surprise to our Lord. Aster is exactly where He wants her to be!! God Bless you All.

  8. How precious and cute. Yay Astor!!! Praying God will continue his work … Thank you for sharing!!

  9. we love you, little Aster! What a delight! I think it’s no coincidence that God led me to read this/watch this just now…I have been battling that old stronghold of rejection all day & I’d asked Him to remind me who I am…and this is who we are…beloved daughters, loved just as we are & delighted in deeply!

  10. What a blessing she is. My son has learning disabilities and I keep holding on to the promise that God has something more amazing than I can imagine for him. God knows our children and knew them before they were knit together.

  12. No wonder her favorite letter is “o”. Because it is the anchor letter for God and joy! Both of which are evident in aster’s life.

  14. Thank you the wonderful praise report! Aster is beautiful . God is s amazing. She will have an incredible testimony.

  15. Very sweet! I just love how she says gramma…must melt gramma’s heart to hear that!

    • I totally agree when she said granmama it flowed together soooo cute I think she’s an amazing child and will be fine! Praise Jesus for such a blessing & Renee you are such an amazing Godly woman and I’m so happy your able to share your story and your life with us! By the way her smiling at the end had me smiling and laughing with you both! Made my morning bright! Xoxo blessings, Lindsay

  17. How sweet, Renee! Thanks for sharing your little princess with us. I pray God will continue to restore Aster’s speech processes, and that he’ll also continue to give you patience and peace (and JOY!) as you delight in her progress. I’m so glad you have been able to identify the problem and get her the help she needs.

  20. Awesome! Praise the Lord, she is so cute! Thanks for sharing this wonderful video!
    Blessings,

    • Renée, little Aster is such a wonderful, miraculous work in progress. From what you have shared, it’s obvious she is growing and changing every moment of every day, much as we should be growing and changing through the gift of sanctification. I will put Aster and your family in my book of prayers, and pray that the Lord will continue to grow Aster everyday.

    • Great job Aster! Thanks for sharing. The video touched my heart. Blessings for the future.