Silent Moments, My Story

Updates!
Silent Moments, My Story Hi Everyone!It has been a while since I posted on here. There have been lots of changes (good changes) in our life over the last few months. If you want to see more of my journey, check out my Instagram page @davidbcluff.Here are some of the changes that have taken place:1. After many years of working with a construction business here in St. Louis as an office staff...
Sat, Sep 16 2017

Moments Like These
Silent Moments, My Story I have been wanting to get into videography for some time and about a month ago, I decided to really start to learn more about it. Last weekend, I gave it a shot and filmed moments with my family and what my oldest son likes to do these days. Between the moments and the song, it was a perfect production. I am so excited to film more and learn more about the vlogging w...
Mon, Jun 26 2017

Happy Father's Day!
Silent Moments, My Story Lucas has grown up so much this year and is a great big brother. I am so blessed to be their father and grateful for the many lessons I have learned. We're also blessed with wonderful grandfathers who are great examples to our boys. Happy Father's Day!
Sun, Jun 18 2017

Keep on Trying!
Silent Moments, My Story When I watched this song for the first time, I was speechless. Everything I am today goes back to "If I would try..." it has not always been easy but it has been worth it. When I first lost my hearing, it was a hard time, but through trying, I am able to hear with a cochlear implant and have a greater appreciation for life. If you had a rough day, keep on trying! You...
Fri, Jun 09 2017

How Do I Hear?
Silent Moments, My Story I  often get asked about, "How do you hear?" or "How does the cochlear implant work?" This past week, I got to create a video answering those questions. Check it out!
Sat, May 27 2017

3K in 3 Days!
Silent Moments, My Story Wow! I don't know what other words to say other than all of you amaze me! The goal, $3,000, has been reached in about 3 days time. I was thinking it would take a lot longer than that. Thank you so much! My heart is so full right now!What's Next?At this point, we have done everything we could do to prepare for what we expect the outcome to be from the insurance. The fu...
Sat, May 20 2017

Walking Among Angels
Silent Moments, My Story These past few days I feel as if I am walking among angels. Just as this little girl is guided along her path, I feel that God is doing the same for me through many of you around me. In a 24 hour period, we reached 1/3 of our goal. This is amazing and very humbling for me.A step closer to making sure I am still able to hear my son's laughter! 
Thu, May 18 2017

Facing The Truth • Part Two
Silent Moments, My Story Remember last years post titled "Facing The Truth?" It feels like yesterday that I wrote that and now it is time to face the reality. Consider this part two of "Facing The Truth." In that post, I spoke more about my right ear and the need to have surgery to get the upgrade. That will still happen but not just yet, at least not for another few years. (I hope) BUT, m...
Tue, May 16 2017

Remember the Miracles
Silent Moments, My Story  This past week my son reminded me to stop, reflect and remember the miracles. Between work, school, family and life it is easy to forget to do that. As I watched my son play in the yard and take the time to smell the flowers, I began to list some of the miracles I have witnessed over the last few months. Recent Miracles:  The birth of our second son.  T...
Sun, May 07 2017

Meet Baby Henry!
Silent Moments, My Story Happy Monday!A lot has happened in the last few weeks!Our second boy, Henry, joined our family on the 19th. We are still adjusting to being parents of two kids, but we love our new normal. Lucas loves his little brother and will check on him multiple times throughout the day along with giving him kisses on the head. It has been interesting to watch Henry's personalit...
Mon, Apr 17 2017

1000 Videos for the Deaf
Silent Moments, My Story I find pleasure working with individuals and organizations that work to help make a difference in the community. So every once and a while you will see a post highlighting groups that I get to meet.  Recently, I have been collaborating with a non-profit organization, Deaf Kids Code and it has been fun to learn about what they are working to achieve. Deaf Kids Co...
Fri, Mar 10 2017

Behind The Lens
Silent Moments, My Story Ever had a moment where you took the time to know someone or a story behind a project and your perspective about that individual or project changes? I had a moment like that when reading the story behind the song “Forever” by Nathan Pacheco. For a long time, I found his songs beautiful but once I took the time to read the story behind this song, I developed a per...
Tue, Mar 07 2017

Twins & Happy Sunday!
Silent Moments, My Story Happy Sunday!Today, my son and I got to be twins! Check it out! We are expecting our second child in a few weeks and could not be any more excited. Want to follow more of our journey? Follow me on Instagram: @davidbcluff or https://www.instagram.com/davidbcluff/ Have a great week!
Sun, Mar 05 2017

It's Important. Be You!
Silent Moments, My Story Over the last few weeks, I have been able to collaborate with Renee, Founder & CEO at Olive Devices as a guest writer. It has been fun to work with Renee and learn about what they are trying to accomplish. A theme I noticed about her is that she is not afraid to be who she is. Below is the article I wrote titled, "It's Important. Be You!" You can learn more about Re...
Mon, Feb 27 2017

Finding Clarity
Silent Moments, My Story Sundays are one of my favorite days of the week! As a family, we attend church and it is a challenge to keep a toddler calm and entertained during services and while my wife plays the organ. I have found that it is in those simple moments where God reminds me that everything is okay and that He is aware of our stage in life. Sometimes, it does not take a huge event to...
Sun, Feb 26 2017

Something's Off
Silent Moments, My Story Ever have a moment where you know something is just off and you are not sure what it is exactly?!? That happened to me over this past weekend. The weekend started off great and I got a lot done but I began to notice that there was something's off about my hearing. Of course, I am deaf and wear cochlear implants. But, something was really off with the way I was hearing...
Thu, Feb 16 2017

Happy Valentine's Day!
Silent Moments, My Story Happy Valentine's Day!  - From the Cluff Family -
Tue, Feb 14 2017

Flash Back - From Silent Moment to Silent Day
Silent Moments, My Story Today I kept thinking about some of my upbringing experiences and the challenges I face and continue to face as an adult. I am grateful for all those in my life that help me find the blessing in each day. The last few weeks my son has been learning sign language and it is so fun to watch!  Enjoy a post from the past!  July 10, 2010 Most of my posts are abo...
Wed, Jan 18 2017

Laughter
Silent Moments, My Story Laughter is one of my favorite sounds. Especially from when my son laughs. What are your favorite sounds? 
Wed, Dec 28 2016

Hands and Voices!
Silent Moments, My Story Last week David's Story appeared on the Hands and Voices blog! David shares his story as well as the becoming of deafteens.org. Go check it out! [link below] Hands and Voices Blog Read more about what David is up to here: www.davidbcluff.com 
Wed, Oct 12 2016

Facing The Truth
Silent Moments, My Story Finding out that I lost all my hearing at a young age was a hard truth to take in. It changes your life in more ways than one. However, when I got my Cochlear Implant and was able to hear again, there was joy in the air. Like any product, we don’t like to read or hear about the possibilities of product failure. Before getting my Cochlear Implant the doctors and audi...
Wed, Sep 07 2016

New Video!
Silent Moments, My Story I am excited to present to you a new video about “My Story!” I got to work with talented Caleb Cook on this project.Caleb is one of my brothers best friends and he recently got interested in videography. I asked him if he would help make a new video that tells my hearing loss story. We all got up early one Saturday morning and walked the streets of Eureka, MO and ...
Thu, Jul 21 2016

deafteens.org is back!
Silent Moments, My Story After lots of work and support from family and friends, deafteens.org is now LIVE! Check it out! www.deafteens.org
Thu, May 19 2016

Finding My Advocate Within
Silent Moments, My Story Last week I was speaking with a father who has a deaf son and one of his questions was, “When did you learn to advocate for yourself?” I thought about that question and I was trying to think of that one moment where I was okay and confident in advocating for myself with my hearing loss. But, there was no one moment that stood out to me, rather it was a series of e...
Fri, May 13 2016

Lucas Laughs!
Silent Moments, My Story Do you need a good laugh on this Friday morning? Check out this video about me trying to feed Lucas. Enjoy! 
Fri, Apr 08 2016

My Story Continues
Silent Moments, My Story www.davidbcluff.com Hi Everyone,   I am making some changes to where I blog and share my life experiences! I built a new website where it brings everything to one site. I am excited about this change and hope you will come take a visit. www.davidbcluff.com See you around! David 
Tue, Apr 05 2016

Finding The Next Chapter
Silent Moments, My Story Ever have those moments where you feel as if you are looking at the end of one chapter and not sure where the next chapter starts? It could be anything from trying to figure out what to major in, career path you want to take or what goals you want to achieve. The last few months I have been thinking about what I want to achieve in my next chapter of the year 2016. Ov...
Mon, Feb 15 2016

It's a New Year!
Silent Moments, My Story It’s a New Year!The days approaching New Year’s Eve and following have been a learning experience as I watched my own backyard (the town) make national news about the floods here in Missouri. The main highway and most roads were shut down which made it almost impossible for me to get to work. There was one route that could be taken, but would make it a 2-hour comm...
Thu, Jan 07 2016

Merry Christmas!
Silent Moments, My Story Can you believe it? Christmas is only days away!?!? Last week I seemed to have lost track of time with a busy week at work, studying, taking final exams and late nights with Lucas. The weekend finally came and I am on a break in between semesters. I can't believe that this Friday is Christmas and I feel like time is just going by too fast.  Over the weekend, I kept...
Mon, Dec 21 2015

Falling into Place
Silent Moments, My Story  On Monday morning, I was driving to work and contemplating what the day will bring. As I was doing so, a song came on the radio titled, "Just be Held" by Casting Crowns.  As I listened to the words, this phrase stood out to me the most, "Your worlds not falling apart, it's falling into place."  It got me thinking about the time Lucas spent in the NICU. The d...
Wed, Dec 02 2015

Journey to Fatherhood: Lucas' Arrival
Silent Moments, My Story On Monday night after work, my wife and I went to my parents house for a bonfire where we would roast hot dogs, sit and talk around the fire, play games and have dessert. It felt like it had been a long time since we had a night like this. For the last few months, I have been busy with school, work and getting ready to welcome our little boy. While we were sitting ...
Mon, Nov 09 2015

16 Years!
Silent Moments, My Story Earlier this month I wrote a post titled "Secrets to Greatness" and I mentioned that I had my right Cochlear Implant for 16 years. It is kind of hard for me to believe that it has been 16 years already. Sometimes I feel like I was born with Cochlear Implant as it feels so natural to me. I forgot about this tender picture of my mother and I, shortly after my surge...
Thu, Oct 29 2015

He Hears Me
Silent Moments, My Story Just shy of 9 months ago, I found out that I was going to be a daddy. A greater sense of responsibility also came over me along with an urge to be better in everything. The thought of being perfect in everything is rather daunting. In my graphic design class, we talked about this quote which has been on my mind a lot lately, "Don’t try to be original, just try to be...
Thu, Oct 22 2015

Forgot something...
Silent Moments, My Story Ever have one of those mornings where you are rushing out the door and you forget something? Well, I had one of those mornings. I got all ready for the day, made my lunch, and left for work. Shortly after I left, I then realized I forgot something. I forgot my *left ear! How often do you  hear someone say that?!?! I had my right ear on and forgot  to put on my le...
Mon, Oct 19 2015

You Know
Silent Moments, My Story The other day I was looking at some of my past writing and found this piece from last year. I realized that I never published it on this blog. I now smile when I think of the experiences I describe in this entry. Enjoy!  Written in June 2014    Being deaf and wearing Cochlear Implants is not a walk in the park or an easy life. It takes work and dedication t...
Thu, Oct 08 2015

“Secrets to Greatness”
Silent Moments, My Story   Recently I read “Secrets to Greatness” from the Fortune Magazine for one of my classes. The article talks about what is it takes to be great. After reading this article, I gained a new perspective on greatness and talents. Though many of us are naturally gifted in one or two things, we can become great in more. From the article, these three principles stood ou...
Mon, Oct 05 2015

35 Weeks!!
Silent Moments, My Story    Right now our little boy is very active and I get to feel his kicks when I come home at night -- best feeling ever! Here's to 35 weeks! My sweet wife is amazing and puts up with my little photoshoots in between work, school and making dinner. Can't wait for our little boy to arrive next month! She is so beautiful!     A little story behind the photo...
Fri, Sep 25 2015

"Home" by Phillip Phillips in ASL
Silent Moments, My Story I saw this video the other day and I love the way they filmed this! I think it is pretty cool and makes me want to improve my sign language. Check it out!
Wed, Sep 23 2015

Six More Weeks!
Silent Moments, My Story Soon to be grandma found herself in the baby clothes section at the store yesterday and got some more clothes for our little boy! Can't believe we are six weeks away from his due date! I already think baby Cluff is the coolest dude ever. Stay tuned!  six more weeks! 
Thu, Sep 17 2015

Rome Was Not Built In a Day
Silent Moments, My Story     The last few weeks I have been thinking about my journey to hearing. At the end of next month it will mark 16 years since I got my first cochlear implant and witnessed the miracle of sound. It has not been a easy journey. Just as I toured England and France this past spring, I stood amazed at the castles and major landmarks that stand as wonders of the world. Ju...
Mon, Sep 14 2015

Love One Another -- NEW VIDEO
Silent Moments, My Story The past few Sundays the kids in church have been practicing signing and signing "Love One Another". These practices remind me of when some missionaries and I did the same song. Check it out:
Sat, Sep 12 2015

Cochlear Implants & Paperclips
Silent Moments, My Story At 5:30am I am usually getting ready for the day with very little light as I don't want to disturb my wife. This morning I drove to work with this paperclip between my head and external magnet. This is what happens when I put them on in the dark. Looks like I will look more closely at what I place on my nightstand, where my Cochlear Implants rest each night. The ev...
Wed, Aug 19 2015

They Call Me Uncle
Silent Moments, My Story        When I married my wife I received the following names: husband, son-in-law, brother-in-law and uncle. I love all these names, but one name that I have become very fond of is “uncle.” My nieces and nephews are the BEST! All my life I wondered how my in-laws, nieces and nephews would take me in as the “deaf one.” I have been blessed to be surround...
Fri, Aug 14 2015

Traveling & Cochlear Implants
Silent Moments, My Story    3 cars and 11 of ustraveling the country!     I love to travel and this year my wife and I were blessed to be able to travel in five different countries. Earlier this year we did a two-week trip in England, France, and Wales. Visiting England was a dream come true and we got to travel with people we love and cherish. It was also my first time trave...
Tue, Aug 11 2015

Hearing in The Classroom
Silent Moments, My Story     Last September I enrolled into a college program through BYU-Idaho called Pathway. The program is three semesters long and last week I finished the last semester of the program. Wahoo! It was a great experience and now I am waiting for acceptance into the Online Degree Program with BYU-Idaho. The Pathway program was online and on Thursday nights we gathered w...
Mon, Jul 27 2015

Photography // Wedding Guest Books
Silent Moments, My Story     Last week I got to create this lovely Wedding Guest Book for this newly married couple. The couple had their wedding in San Diego and then an open house a week later in St. Louis. During the week, I was working on this masterpiece with the photos that Mary Clair Photography took on the wedding day. Take a look! The story behind the Wedding Guest Books ...
Wed, Jul 01 2015

Moved!
Silent Moments, My Story     Last week my wife and I moved into our new apartment. It was very rainy, but luckily it stopped during the time we loaded up the truck and again when we unloaded. Wahoo! Once everything was moved in and unpacked I was able to hang our favorite piece of artwork. This is a large standout print from our wedding in Utah. I think this new spot is perfect and gives a ...
Sun, Jun 28 2015

Sounds of the Night
Silent Moments, My Story    Last week one of my co-workers asked me if I sleep with my Cochlear Implants at night. I responded, "No, it would be uncomfortable and the batteries need to charge every night." He asked a few more questions and I asked a few back. One of the questions I asked was, "What sounds do you hear in the night?" His response was, "I sometimes hear the train miles away f...
Tue, Jun 02 2015

News about deafteens.org
Silent Moments, My Story     Since August of 2010, I have been the Founder and Director of deafteens.org. This was my eagle scout project and a step to showing me what I am passionate about. It has been a great learning experience and a very memorable journey. Sadly, in January of 2015 the hosting company had technical difficulties with deafteens.org and it somehow got erased from the ser...
Mon, Jun 01 2015

Beautiful Heartbeat
Silent Moments, My Story Between school, work and traveling to England, France and Wales there has not been very must time to sit down and write. But, I guess it is preparation for our new addition to the family in October! Yes, my wife and I are expecting our first child this October. We are beyond thrilled and excited about this next chapter of our life. I have been learning a lot f...
Mon, May 04 2015