Explaining the Terms
Dweller
A person dwelling in ongoing or intermittent storms of physical challenges, especially invisible disabilities and chronic illnesses.
Deluges come. Storms recede. Lightning flashes. Fog rolls in. Rainbows appear. Winds gust. Showers drift down. Sunbreaks shine. Such is the life of an invisibly disabled person. Always changeable.
Observer
Anyone observing storms of physical challenges from the outside.
PS: A dweller can also be an observer of someone else’s storms.
Available Here!
Who are dwellers? What are their lives like? Discover answers here.
Explore tips for living a stormy life. Find encouragement. Emotions, practical issues, relationships, and spiritual questions covered here.
Research links and resources written by others.
Wonder what other Observers have done? Ideas for individuals, groups, and churches appear here.
See special section for caregivers, an extraordinary sub-group of Observers. Check out kudos by dwellers for their caregivers.
Delve into the resource page about Dwellers.
Test Your Knowledge
You may be surprised how many people with invisible disabilities people live in the US. I was. I thought I was one of only a few. Maybe, Dweller, you feel alone, too. Or maybe, Observer, you have no idea there are so many! Navigating the Storms is an effort to get the word out. Please help us by letting your friends know about it. Join as a Follower of the Storms, so you can keep abreast of what’s happening here.
Statistics on disabilities are hard to interpret since people define disabilities differently. The best stats I can find derive from a 1997 US Dept. Of Commerce study. I’ve found some updates, and the percentages stay about the same, so as the population increases the numbers get higher.
What Else You’ll Find
Have questions about what a Christian is?
Confused about divine healing?
Find info about these and other spiritual questions.
Devotions available.
For myself, God is the bedrock of my existence, so I share information about Him. I offer God Connections as a place to begin or deepen a relationship with God.
You’ll notice geese here and there all around the website.
What do geese have to do with navigating our storms?
Learn about how the teamwork of geese offers people an example of how we can help our hurting friends and family.
We’re here to share your load.
Can you turn around and share another’s load?
Sharing the Load represents people who agree to seek out someone to help share their load. Ongoing help or a one-time event. Simple action or involved aid.
You’ll only be accountable to yourself. No reporting requirements.
FJ and Connected Carole teamed up to write Sunbreaks in Unending Storms.
Similar to this website, it offers helps and tips for Dwellers and Observers. It includes their story plus stories of 3 other families. It talks about emotions, practical issues, relationships, and spiritual questions.
Have questions?
Comments?
Suggestions?
Contacting Connected Carole is easy!
Click the button.
Fill out the form.
I’ll answer as soon as I’m able.
Who Is Connected Carole?
She is an invisibly disabled person writing for the world, sharing from her 40+ years of living in these storms.
She presents stories, examples, ideas, and resources so others may thrive in the storms.
Connected Carole doesn’t forget storm observers who care about and help the ones who dwell in storms.
Join her so that together we can provide encouragement, strength, and community for persons struggling with invisible disabilities and for those who care about them.
Her dream is that each of us will form teams to help our families and friends “fly further and easier” through this experience we call life.