Call for Prayers for my family...

Oh... my mom called last night and her sister, Sharon, is in ICU. Last night, the news was that her brain was very swollen and that there was a large mass underneath her brain. Today, the news is that she has five tumors... two on top of her brain, a very large one beneath her brain, one in her lung and another in her stomach. Sugery will be Monday. They are going into the skull to see what exactly they are dealing with... but in simple words... it doesn't look good.

Please pray and I ask for specific prayers... thank you. Please pray for Sharon. Pray she will have ease of pain and be given the peace of God through this dark moment. Please pray she will be surrounded with love and God's light and will be touched with healing. Please pray for her two daughters, Candi and Jamie, as they walk this valley with her. Pray that God gives them strength, energy, faith, hope, courage, wisdom, peace and fills them with His presence. Please pray for her doctors. Pray they are given wisdom and eyes to see what God would have them to see and that God will guide their thoughts and actions.

Please pray for my mother, as she is in Virginia and it is hard for her to be so far away. Pray she can get her business and life in order and be able to be there when needed... pray for safe travels for her this weekend and for God to fill her with strength and courage and peace to be His love to her family during this time. Please pray for her heart as she has lost a sister and her mother just earlier this year, two weeks of each other.

Please pray for all the other family members involved who also have been through so much pain just months earlier... my aunt Cindy, my grandfather, my uncle Clay and his precious wife Jennifer.... pray God gives them all strength and that they seek and focus on HIM during this time.

Thank you... thank you for your faithfulness in praying for my family and for your love and support and encouragement.

Miley Cyrus

I can not believe I am actually posting this, but I just feel I should. I have been planning a "Miley" post because I am just crazy about her song, "See you again" (you can play it in my playlist). It's just a bubble gum, teeney bopper, fun song! Every time I hear it in the car... or on my playlist now... I crank it and dance like...well.. a teeny bopper! Thankfully, I haven't pulled anything out of whack yet! :0)

But I am very saddened by what Miley is going through right now and I think it relates GREATLY to what our young people are going through EVERYDAY and I believe it is a HUGE attack on our youth.

Sexuality permeates our culture and it is ridiculous how much it affects our young people... sad and outraging really. Here is this young girl, trying to have a career in an industry that promotes and distorts sexuality and she is so QUICKLY falls victim to the viscious reality that is so many times hidden... or tried to be hidden. "You are a money maker."

You are not a person anymore. You are sales. You are ratings. You are advertising bait. I feel Vanity Fair did what any other magazine would do... they got the shot to sell their magazine... and it's disgusting. What's even more disgusting is how our culture feeds on this mess. What is the motivation behind this. I AM GUILTY. I look at People magazine and I am intrigued by celebrities. I am intrigued by their life, their power, how they choose to use it, and what they are doing. WHY? WHY? WHY? That is my question today... to myself... and to you... WHY do we care?

I am hoping that the media (also a viscious money making sick machine... and yes, I once was apart of that and it IS ALL ABOUT THE RATINGS... which is ALL ABOUT THE MONEY... which is why I left it!) will BACK off and not do to her what they have done and continue to do to Britney... can't believe I am posting about her as well... but they destroy people in the quest for money and it really maddens me. I just want to get a hold of those girls (and many more in Hollywood) and shake them! They are so deafened by the lies and surrounded by the wrong people and influences... oh it saddens me.

Miley has an opportunity to USE this lastest episode of exploitation to BE a good role model and admit she fell for it... fell for the trap, was hooked, and caught. She can also protect herself and speak out against it... but that would be speaking against the very thing that propels her career. It's sad... so sad.

So that is my soap box today.

Healing Hands

Don is coming home with his brother, Kevin, today. He had surgery last week to remove a large amount of cancer in his colon and will be here with us for a few weeks to heal and recover.

Our hope and prayer is to be the Light of the Lord to him right now. He needs direction, motivation, guidance, love, and basically a God intervention! So we are going to be God's love to him right now.

Our prayers are for his strength, his physical healing, and a spiritual awakening. God brings us to places along this journey for certain reasons and we are prayerful this "wake up" call will speak to Kevin's heart and soul. I also pray my husband can have some intimate time with his brother to build their relationship with Christ as the foundation.

Please pray that this time in our life will glorify the Lord and that our family will be protected from attacks. Please pray that Abby will know the difference in being "sick" as we have told her and "having cancer" like Kevin. Her heart being protected is also one of my greatest prayers. I do not want fear to enter her heart about being sick so we are really trying to make Kevin's illness very different from her own.

Thank you so very much for your prayers and support. I also ask you to lift up my friends brother in law, Andy, as he has been fighting cancer and is now fighting a very hard and long battle against phenmonia. He is very young but struggling in this fight. I also ask prayers for a family in Winchester, friend's of my parents. The husband is in the hospital and may have not even made it through the night. He was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago but has spiraled down very quickly. He has three children, one in his twenties, one in high school and one in junior high... and a wife... and a mother...crying by his bedside.

There are so many people out there hurting... pleading with God for healing... asking for answers and hanging onto hope. In this time, I can hear people's confusion about God and I know that feeling so very well. It's a desperate and very lonely feeling... very frustrating and exasperated. I just want to encourage those, going through these tragic times in life, that God is good and He remains good and sovereign... even when our circumstances are bad... dark... and tragic.

Bad things happen because this is a temporary life... in a world full of consequences. Consequences for actions against our earth and resources (pollution, chemicals, waste), consequences against our body, (what we eat, how we do or don't take care of it, what we are exposed to) and consequences against our Lord. It happens because it is life... not because God has neglected us or doesn't care.

The hope and truth in all this is that God can still be glorified in all this tragedy. We may not know how immediately... because we do not understand His ways. But we can hold on to the truth and look for the good in all sad situations... it is there. Whether someone comes to accept Christ and receives salvation, whether a child sees his/her family lean on and trust in the Lord and a strong foundation is laid that changes his/her life, whether people are brought into communion with the Lord in prayer... God is there and He can and will be glorified... SOMETHING beautiful is going on in the darkness because Christ has already won the battle and GOOD has already beaten evil! Praise God for that... thank you... thank you.

It is this hope and truth that shines the light into the darkness. It is hard to hang on to during times that cause us fear and pain. But you must remain focused on the Lord and not on the circumstances... that is where the peace that surpasses all understanding comes from.

"Oh, the depth of the riches both of wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His counselor? Or who has first given to Him and it shall be repaid to Him? For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen." Romans 11:33-36

"Be anxious in nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Phillippians 4: 6, 7

I pray God can be glorified and that the pain in my past and God's sovereignty in it, can encourage others and direct them to the Lord's feet. Be blessed today in knowing your are loved by and in the hands of the God of the universe!

Another store... 50 more disks to stamp... and more...

I am so sorry I have been out of "blog world". I am immersed in stamping land! I got the store I had another appointment with this past Monday and am filling that order for this coming Monday. I've had to hire and extra set of hands... I have my first employee. Whew... it was so cool to have her doing all the jewelry cards while I worked on other things... very cool getting things done in half the time!

I have two other stores I am working on. They both are in Florida. I've made contact with one while I was there and spoke with the owner. She is expecting samples and I must get them out soon... like tomorrow! The other one I am waiting until next week. I am fearful she'll say yes and I'll have another huge order... crazy... catch 22! Anyway, I am hopeful they both will happen. There could be one in Alabama... hint, hint... if she wanted! :0)

In the meantime, there is not much time for me to play on my blog. I've also had a very large amount of etsy sales in the past two weeks. I sold a pair of earrings last night, relisted another pair of them this morning and they were sold again by lunch! BRING IT ON!!! I need a lap top!

Life wise... Abby continues to progress and we are getting very excited about some things we are seeing in her processing ability and just her ability to understand things. She is blooming and I adore her. She is over three months seizure free now and we have an appt. on Tuesday with the neurologist to discuss starting to SLOWLY wean her off one of her anti-seizure meds... we'll see.

Don is in Florida right now as we just learned last night that his younger brother is in the hospital with colon cancer. Please pray for him, his name is Kevin. Our prayer is that he will make wise decisions and take better care of himself. We also pray that he is able to get the chemo he needs and will recover. We also pray that we are guided in how to be God's love to him during this time and that he will become aware of his true need for the Lord in his life. Thank you so very much, as always, for your prayers.

I had my first physical therapy appointment this week and will be going twice a week. It left me feeling worse than I did when I went in... ughhh. But I am hopeful that in some time, I will not be in pain every day. My therapist also told me I could return to Pilates in a few weeks... maybe just two! If I could only figure out how to make jewelry while on the Pilates ball.... hmmmmmm... could be a fun class!

Lastly, we have just been preapproved with an adoption placing agency in California. They work to place adopting families with birth mothers and children here in the states who need adoption. Some of the children they have placed are toddler age. Please pray we are guided by God through this process and we are open to where He may lead us. We are hopeful this may be the way to our Caroline. We will keep you posted!

Have a wonderful weekend!!!

I HURT!

WOW! My entire body hurts. There is very much extra pain in my sliver wrapping thumb... both thumbs are numb... fingers ache... back aches... body aches.... But I got another store Friday! And I got my delivery done for the store I got Monday. And I have another appointment and delivery this Monday. And samples to be mailed to the store in progress in Flordia. Plus I made and mailed etsy and personal orders for Mother's Day Necklaces... just three more of those to go. OH, and I have physical therapy on Monday too... yeah for my neck and back!!!!

My treasury on etsy!

I love making these collections on etsy called treasuries. They are collections that etsians make of things they like. If you are LUCKY, your treasury might get picked to go on etsy's front page for a few hours! I think this one is very front page worthy! Basically, not only do I get to spread some love by promoting some fellow designers, I get to MAKE something else! Oh, how I miss doing page layouts! That's why I like to blog so much... it's my minimag! If only I could get this treasury onto a tank or t-shirt... that would be cool. Then I'd have to put in one of my own pictures (a treasury "no no").

Possible Opportunity!

Oh... I have to blog a little bit about this today because it "could" be an important date for me. I have a dear friend on a trip in California to meet and have dinner with someone very cool. I have FedExed her a package to give this very cool person that "could" open a door of opportunity for me. Oooooo, I don't even want to dare think it... anyway... it cost me $35 to send these two special necklaces and it "could" be the best $35 I have ever spent... we'll see... it's in God's hands now... (and the Fed Ex driver!).

I have stumbled upon a beautiful treasure!

I was at the book store the other day. I often go there during Abby's brain balance therapy sessions since it's close to her office and gives me a nice mental break to play in the magazines! (also helps me not subscribe to any anymore). I spent my 45 minutes looking through "Simple", "Cottage Style" and "Cottage Living"... and yes, I must confess, I glanced through "People".

As I was walking out, there was a PILE of magazines someone had left on one of the benches and I thought to myself, "How rude... I should put those back." And then something caught my eye. Peeking out of the stack was one half of this cover... of course the style and photography caught my eye. I pulled it out and realized I had just been given a gift! It's a magazine about FAITH and LIFE and HOME... ALL IN ONE!

I mean, there are pages about recipes and there are scriptures printed on the page with the photograph of food! It's a dream come true and I am SO jealous someone beat me to it!

One of my favorite features is the calendar section. There are pages of calendars (since it only comes out quarterly... bummer) in the front of the magazine that you can pull out and each day has three to four scriptures on it... it's like your devotion. There is a section on exercise, books to read, music, recipes, and wonderful features! It would be one of my dreams to work for this magazine!

So check it out and subscribe! Maybe if they get enough subscribers, they publish monthly!!!! When you pull it up online, be sure to read the feature article, "About Face"... it's pretty powerful.

http://www.lifebeautifulmagazine.com

Today's scriptures: Joshua 11: 1-12:24 Luke 17: 11-37 Psalm 84:1-13 Proverbs 13:5-6

Be blessed!!!!!!

What is it about this little piece of heaven on Earth?

Is it the warmth of the sun and sand? The sound and coolness of the ocean? The kiss and whisper of the salty breeze? The laughter and pure joy of children? The aura of relaxation that permeates the air? The lack of a time schedule? The happiness that overcomes you in the moment of waking on your own (minus alarm clock!). The streets of perfectly constructed and painted houses? Riding your rented and rusted bicycle anywhere you want? NO... it is all these things that make our visits to Seaside and Sea Grove Beach linger in our hearts and leave us yearning for just one more day!

As soon as we arrive and I start seeing the colorful houses, my heart just skips a beat and I feel as giddy as a child. "We are here", I announce to everyone in the car, "We are here!" Envy also starts to set in as I start announcing, "I'd take that one, and that one, and that one!" The area looks as if you have stepped into a movie set. Everything is so perfect and colorful and tranquil. Here is the house used in the "Truman Show". Need I say more?

On our past visits, we have always stayed in condos in the same area of the beach. But this year we took along our precious friends, the Pickett Family, and we rented a house for the first time. We rolled into town Sunday evening and made our way to the house. I'll speak of this briefly, as our motto quickly became, "We're so blessed to be here... that's all that matters... we are here and we are not in a roach hotel!"

As soon as we walked in the house, we were greeted with a... shall I say... FUNKY smell. We all felt out the moment and could quickly see the house was pretty dirty. I HATE other people's mung. My friend Shelley was the bravest as she leaned down and took a whiff of the very stained arm of the sofa and almost lost her breath. LUCKILY the sofas were slip covered and so within the first ten minutes of being in the house, we had the sofas stripped and washing in the washer! Just a little more sweeping of sand, vacuuming, bleaching and cleaning of counters, walls, and appliances... we were ready to get settled in! That's all I'll say... I'll skip the moody dishwasher and... no... that's it... we were blessed to be there! Seriously... we were. And they let us take Dusty!

After doing our grocery run on Sunday night and meeting the hilarious and irresistible Roofus (drunk man in funny hat letting Shelley and I know we could have had him instead of chocolate) we were ready to hit the beach on Monday. We started the day slowly with a relaxing breakfast, good conversation, and bicycle hunting. Around noon the sun decided to come out for the day and we made it down to the sand. The water was FREEZING. YIKES. I thought I was going to shrivel up when my toe came into contact with the first wisp of wave debris. The sun couldn't make up his mind either and so it was a bit cooler than we would have preferred but hey... we were there!

After about five hours of sand and sun (clouds), we went back to the house and Shelley made her wonderful fresh salsa and fish tacos! YUMMY! The kids were wiped and went to bed pretty quickly and we, of course, stayed up for hours chatting.

Day two was pretty overcast but it was our bike day and so it worked out fine. The poor guys spent way too much time just trying to locate bikes... everyone was pretty sold out. Luckily Fred Sanford and Sons were in town and we ended up finding some wind up bikes. (giggling uncontrollably!) We needed these cool attachments for the two youngest children to ride and...well... poor Shane was riding sideways for a few blocks before we convinced the guys to go back and try again. The owner of this salvage bike shop was really digging in scraps in the back... giggling again! Finally... they found one (without a chain!) that would sit straight and we were off!

Abby thought it was the coolest thing and just laughed as she peddled... it was really cute. I am hoping we can find one of these one wheel bikes online so we can ride trails here at home with them. Anyway, we rode like crazy for miles! It was so much fun. There is just so much to see and biking itself is relaxing. The place we wanted for lunch hadn't opened for the season yet... sad... and so we back tracked and ended up having a great lunch at a little place called "Sugar Pies". Our menu items included Veggie Panini, freshly oven baked pizza, and a chicken salad wrap... all very tasty!

After our biking adventure, we went home briefly to make a picnic dinner to take to the lawn in Seaside. There is a stage there and they hold events almost every night, including plays, concerts, and movie viewings. The lawn is a huge area and is covered with families. Children are running every where. Daddies are dancing with their daughters, playing football with their sons, and mommies are keeping them all in eye shot! It's awesome. I think this is one of the things we love most about this beach... how family oriented it is. Abby and Shelley were getting their groove on! "Shake your booty Mommy!" says my little one.

Day three is really our last day as day four will be packing and leaving. Sadness starts to set in as soon as we awake... :0( How fast these little vacations go by when you are having fun! We head down to the beach again and soak up a little more sun than on day one. The water, funny as it sounds, was actually a tiny bit warmer too! Sand castles were made, shells were collected, and snacks eaten. All too soon it was time to head back to the house and it was my turn to make dinner... sun dried tomato, artichoke hearts, and sauteed chicken pasta with salad. YUMMY again!

As always, it was very nice to be down at the beach. It's funny how just being there makes me feel so differently than I do anywhere else. I miss living in a beach community and I always forget until I am back. We always leave trying to figure out how we can make another trip down in September. But the craziness of life takes us over when we return and we never make it back. But I do feel very blessed that we have been able to go four years in a row now. We never took vacations when I was growing up. I think it is wonderful that we are able to share such fun times and make sweet memories with Abby. I can't believe how much she has grown since our first trip. We planned this trip before Abby got sick again this year. While we were in the hospital, I was wondering if we'd even get to go. And we did... we went and had a blessed time. Abby got to ride a bike with us. She was able to play in the sand and water with her friends. Praise God for His hand of healing upon her!

"I will make them and the places all around My hill a blessing; and I will cause showers to come down in their season; there shall be showers of blessing." Ezekiel 34:26~

Thank you Lord... we so love and adore you.

I LOVE DOGWOOD BLOOMS

We have these amazing dogwood trees in our front yard and they are just bursting with blooms right now. I think they are some of the most beautiful blooms. They also remind me of my mother. When I was very young, I knew she loved them. So my little feet went tromping into the woods one day and I pulled several limbs from a dogwood tree. I took them home and dug a small hole in the yard... just big enough for the stem to go down into. I then "planted" the "tree" for my mother and went in to get some water to help it grow.

There is a picture, somewhere, of me squatting down watering the "tree" with a tea pitcher. But the thought just makes me smile. How much I loved her then... I love her even so much more today.

So here is a picture of my precious dogwood blooms that make me smile every time I look outside and see them peeking through the windows. I hope they make you smile too. God is such a wonderful artist!

Be The Church!

"For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another." Galatians 5:13

Last weekend, our church (Heritage Christain Church), did not hold church services! Instead, the congregation was involved in community service projects through out the community! It was the end of the "Taking it to the Streets" series we'd be going through and was really very cool.

Don, Abby and I went into downtown Atlanta and, along with members of another church, cleaned up a city street in a neighborhood. It was very moving. It was Sunday and our spirits were so filled with worship and thanksgiving. As we picked up trash, lawn debris, and raked sidewalks that had not been touched in years... I was so overwhelmed with the knowledge of knowing not only was I trying to bless people who lived on this street... but I was doing it in the name of the Lord. It is such a wonderful and peaceful feeling to allow your hands to do God's work.

It was also wonderful to share it with Abby. She was very much into it and knew we were doing it for God. It was very sweet and she touched many people there with her spirit and story.

So try and remember that we are the church... not the building. We, children of God, are to "BE" the church to those around us every day. Whether you let someone in front of you in a line, extend grace in traffic, smile at strangers, volunteer some time, or send a note to someone... YOU are the hands of God in this world. You have no idea what a simple smile can do to someone. You may never know but I do believe you will know once you are in heaven. If you touch one person for the Lord... that is something BIG and wonderful!

Mother's Day Necklace and Other Ramblings

This is my Mother's Day Necklace... I love it! I made this one for part of a friend's baby shower gift and I am thrilled with the way it turned out.

The sterling silver disks are hand stamped with names, oxidized, and then hand polished. The cluster of beads add color and texture and have meaning! The pearl is for the Lord, the silver beads represent each parent and the peridot represents life (green stone).

I have made several of these and they always sell before I can get them on etsy. I have two store showings coming up and so the ones I have I have to save and can't put on etsy either... :0( So I thought I'd at least post this one here in case anyone wants to order one for Mother's Day for your mother, sister, grandmother, spouse, friend... or for yourself!

I've also sold several with colorful bead clusters that say; "Be Love", "Be Real", "Miracles", "Create", "Believe" and "Faith". So they almost can say anything you want!

Single Silver Disk necklace with two to four bead cluster- $39
additional stamped silver disks are $12 each
Just message or email me and I'll contact you back for the order!

Other Ramblings:

I saw a website last night that has just rubbed me... baffled me... saddened me...
It's run by a woman who is about as raw and brash as they come. She says things that are just inappropriate and she is rewarded by people, mass numbers of people, who read her website, sponsor her, and she pretty much supports her family from the sponsorships and sales from her site.



Now she is talented... in several ways. But what comes out of her mouth is just... well... unnecessary. But isn't this just the thing that feeds our society? This is what had me thinking last night. Here is someone who doesn't need to be this way and really does offend many people... but yet, like rubber neckers... people go back to her site and really support and reward her. Would her site be as popular if she didn't speak the way she does...? Probably not... shock factor gone... 3/4 of what people "enjoy" would be gone. Now don't get me wrong... there are probably as many, if not more, people who enjoy her and think it's cool. Well, that's just another story. Anyway, I won't be going back for more and just needed to speak my peace on how sad it is that we live in a world that feeds off of and rewards such nonsense.

Abby News:

Abby is completing her fifth week of brain balance. It's also been this long since we have eliminated her food allergens. It's been kinda hard to see quantitative results so far. There have been very evident things such as behavior collapses... ughhh. Apparently, with the stimulation of the right side of her brain (social and rational skills) kinda explode and all of the sudden they start buckin the system. Funny enough... we were told this would happen around week three... it did... and would last about two to three weeks and then level off and Praise God... I am seeing some light at the end of this rebellious tunnel! Her behavior the past two days has been remarkably better than it has in about three weeks! Yeah... lets go day three!

In addition, her precious teacher told me today that she is seeing some remarkable improvement in her testing at school! I have been seeing this a little with our workbook pages we do at home, and her ability to process and verbally express more, but to see it coming out on tests too is just VERY exciting!!!! So I am very hopeful and excited to see what the next few weeks bring for her.

She also remains seizure free now for over two months! Praise God and please do continue to pray that He keeps this hand of blessing and healing upon her! She remains a trooper and a fighter!

I met a woman at Wal-Mart

Yesterday, I met a woman at Wal-Mart. We hugged and cried... and we were strangers.
I was stopping by to print some photographs for a friend. As I walked up to the photo printing kiosk, I noticed this woman at the one next to mine. There was a memorial pamplet in her buggy that caught my eye. There was a photograph of a beautiful young girl and below was her name, "Amanda Dawn" and her date of death, March 25, 2008.

As I stood there, the newness of this passing of life overwhelmed me. I put in my camera card and noticed she was just standing there, in front of her screen, staring at a collage of photographs of this young girl. My heart started aching and I could physically feel this woman needed to be hugged. Abby was with me and I kept telling myself, this is SUCH a private thing, don't bother her. So I started going through my pictures and just continued to feel such pain and longing to hug this woman... mercy. So I am fighting with myself and trying to figure out what I needed to do and before I knew it... words just came out of my mouth.

"Have you lost someone special?" I asked. She turned and looked at me and said, "My daughter." In that moment, my heart swelled and tried to come out of my throat and I struggled to say, "I am so very sorry." She turned towards me and continued... "She was my best friend... the other half of me. I found her dead on the floor... you just can't imagine what that's like." I could not hold myself back any longer and just embraced her and we both began to weep. I told her that my daughter struggles with an illness and I have feared on several occassions being where she now stood and my heart just hurt for her. She squeezed me tighter and told me that my hug was an Amanda Dawn hug. She said that she felt Amanda had sent me to hug her because she didn't want her to be sad.

We talked, hugged, and cried a little more and then we went our seperate ways. Her name is Judy. She has lost her precious daughter whom she simply said was very sick. She was 21 years old. She told me she feared she'd not done enough for her daughter and I begged her not to blame herself and reminded her that Amanda was and had been in the Saviors hand. She said she found comfort in knowing that Amanda had seen the face of God and was being comforted and loved.

Please say a prayer for this precious mother. As I watched her walk across the parking lot... I was overcome at how she was just trying to get through the day... trying to act normal in the midst of such loss and my heart was and continues to be so saddened for her. So I am asking for prayers for this precious woman, Judy. Please pray that she will see God each and every day and with each day she gets through, God will give her more and more comfort, strength, and peace.

A Burden Lifted Today!

I hadn't really understood how much pressure I was enduring until I heard the words, "You don't have an unstable spine" today. Oh PRAISE the Lord. I guess I was just internalizing the stress because once I got into the car I almost just broke into pieces at the relief of not having to have rods and pins put in my neck!

So the MRI shows two vertebrae degenerating. That's a bummer and genetic and there isn't anything I can really do to make it stop. But I am going to start physical therapy and have been given the go ahead on being active again!

So to celebrate, I am going to buy this gorgeous photograph from one of my favorite etsy artists... http://www.phoebec.etsy.com I have been ooogling it for a while and I just want to stare at it for hours!

Welcome Spring! My NECK is going to stay on!!!!!!!!

NO HOUSE FOR YOU!

Well, we aren't moving into the house of my dreams... (Oh so dramatic!). The sellers decided to stay (God's sense of humor in full force!). Yes, I guess they realized what a great house they had, how wonderful the laundry room was on the second floor, how beautiful the craftsman trim was, and how open the living space... and decided to stay. Naw... really, their story is they told their kids the deal might not happen and they rejoiced. They told them they didn't want to move and leave their friends. So they are staying. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Anyway, back to... well... limbo where we normally remain with much in our lives right now... (drama alert again... can you tell I am tired and pouting!?)

In the mean time... this new bracelet I made makes me very happy!

Coffee Woes and Other Such Nonsense

I am perplexed as to why I can't make a good pot or cup of coffee anymore. Once upon a time, I eagerly anticipated my morning cup of coffee. Now it feels like I am trying to solve some trig problem or something. I mean really, how hard is it to make a good pot of coffee? How can you once be so good at something like that and then lose it!? It's like forgetting how to boil water or something... which luckily I can still do.

So the past several mornings my cup of coffee has gone into the sink as it tastes... bad. I have even dumped the pot and tried a whole new pot. Bad again. So it's either the coffee out to get me... or my neck pain has caused me to lose all sense and know how of coffee making.

So after two glasses of chocolate soy milk, I am over wanting coffee this morning. And on another note... we may not get this house we want. We should know today. If it's a no... I am going to struggle. But I will know it's God's will and that it's for the best. But I still won't be happy.

Now I am off to, yes, clean and declutter more AND dive into my taxes.... I'd rather gather Dusty's droppings from outside than do these taxes and inventory.

If you feel the need for cheese with all this whine/wine.... try a nice mozzarella with basil and sun dried tomatoes on some olive oil toasted freshly baked bread from your local bakery. :0)

Horton Hears A Who

We have been working like mad hatters this past week to get our house ready to put on the market. I have decluttered closets like never before. I am proud of my husband for following suit in his closet, although he has no clothes left!

So yesterday was a "Girl's Day" for Abby and I and we went to see "Horton Hears A Who". It was wonderful. It always delights me to go to the movies with Abby. The theatre is a bustle with little voices whispering, "Is it starting yet mommy?" and "There he is! There's Horton!". The excitement of so many little ones is just adorable. To see little boys walking hand in hand with their daddy's just brings a smile to my heart!

The movie was wonderful in every sense of the word. It was truly a classic (to be) children's movie without the raw "adult" humor permeating every other line. The color was fabulous, the characters were very lovable, and the story was precious. It will be a purchase when it comes to dvd. As we walked out of the theatre, Abby said, "Thank you mommy for the movie... can I have it for my birthday?" Yes, you can little one! I can't tell you how many movies have been put in the thrift store box after being purchased and I did call Wal-Mart back to give them a head's up on my return of "Hunchback of Nortre Dame". Mercy, that movie was so dark and full of evil and sexuality.

OK. On to other things... our house has never looked better! After watching the market for a couple of years, getting numerous estimates on projects for this one, and the twists of life... we have decided not to keep pouring money into this one and to move and simplify. I am excited and nervous at the same time. We live in a wonderful neighborhood and since we have lived on two streets of the neighborhood, we know at least a fifth of the people in it! There is a mix of new families and people who have been here since the beginning. It's also in a great location and we can get anywhere on our golf cart.

Having said that, we have lived in fixer uppers and older homes for a while now and we are looking forward to a change. We are in the contract back and forths on a three year old house that we both love. It's not the best time to sell by any means, but it is a good time to buy. So we are hoping they will balance each other out ok and that God will continue to lead us on this path. We are going to counter a counter offer tonight and hopefully we'll know by tomorrow night if we get the house! I'll keep you posted.

God Glorified.... Only in the South...

How fortunate we are to live in the South where God is more freely spoken of than many parts of this country. As I mentioned before, I have really been convicted lately to share the stories of the major things God has done in my/our life/lives. I have received some major confirmation for this and feel it is what God wants me to do.

So with the help of a very wonderful reporter at our local newspaper, Ben Nelms at the Citizen, God has been glorified and praised openly for what He has done in Abby's life. You can read his powerful and God-filled article at http://www.thecitizen.com/node/26362 . When I read it online last night, I was so overwhelmed at the boldness and extent Ben spoke of God in all of this. I had told him I wanted it to be the largest theme in the story and I feel he delivered past my expectations.

For those of you who really know us, I told Ben that we felt the vaccines Abby received caused the onset of her initial downward spiral. I didn't mention the additive that was in the vaccines at the time because we never researched that... we were so busy in trying to manage and figure out what was going on... we just stop immunizing her. So anyway, he is going to have a clarification added to the website article about that.

God never promises us a bed of roses... hey that's a song. But the promise He gives us over and over is that He will never leave us and that He will walk with us and that He will carry our burden and that He has already won the battle... just trust in Him... and that He is soveriegn and that ALL THINGS... not some, or many, or most... ALL THINGS come together for GOOD for those who love the Lord. "Good" does not always mean healing, it doesn't mean that we will get our way or what we want or even pray for... it means "good" in the overall and eternal picture. It means "good" as in the fact that God brings beauty from ashes and can be glorified even in the darkest of times... HE IS THERE... that is "good" in itself. "Knowing" God in those times is also "good".

A Note of Encouragement

This is an alert for mushiness to follow! We had an amazing sermon yesterday. It was on seeing with God's eyes and even more so with His heart. It was powerful and challenging and I was moved to write the following letter to our pastor.

I have been very moved lately that God has and continues to do such amazing and big things in my life and it is my desire and heart to use them to glorfiy the Lord and proclaim boldly the power He uses in our daily lives. So I was prompted to share the letter here on my blog. This is one of the outlets I have to proclaim God's love and power and so I hope you are encouraged and that my gracious, precious and loving Father in heaven is glorified... PRAISE HIM.

Dear Greg,

I wanted to tell you how much I appreciated and related to your sermon yesterday. I also wanted to share something with you. Hopefully it will encourage you.

God opened my eyes and gave me clearer vision in February of 2007. It was a very dark time for me as Abby had unexpectantly started having seizures again just two months prior. Don had sent me “home” to stay a week with my parents for some “down time”. It was my hope that rest and the love of my family would help refresh and encourage me during such an uncertain and challenging time.

In addition to being emotionally spent from Abby’s illness and the rollercoaster it kept us on, it was no secret that my marriage was suffering as well. One of the main goals of my trip was to speak with one of my spiritual mentors and counselors who lived in Winchester. I met with him the second day I was there and started unloading my list of pains. He has such a heart for the Lord and such knowledge of His truths, just talking to him alone has often made me feel better in the past.

After laying it all out on the table, so to speak, he looked at me and simply said, “Dawn, in all this pain I see one glaring reality that is the heart of this turmoil… I feel that with your knowledge of God’s word and your faith that you “believe” God loves you and has forgiven you, but you do not “know” this… you can not “see” this in your life and it creates a constant turmoil in your spirit that is just wearing you out.” He spoke as if the Holy Spirit were telling me exactly what was wrong and I realized he’d nailed it. In tears I asked him what in the world I could do about it. He suggested that he would like to lay hands on me with two or more people who really loved me and pray for spiritual healing and for my eyes to be uncovered so I could see the love and grace God has for me.

The next day, my parents and I sat in his office for a few hours and prayed and prayed and cried and sobbed and prayed. Words were spoken, wounds were revealed and healing began. It was one of the most intimate experiences with the Holy Spirit I have ever had and it changed my life and was the TURNING point in my marriage. From that “session”, I was able to see my parent’s unconditional love for me for the FIRST time in my life. Upon seeing and “knowing” this love, I was able to comprehend and imagine God’s unconditional love for me. My past loves had always been performance based, conditional, and sometimes taken away.

On the plane ride home, I started asking God how I could use what He’d shown me in my marriage. And right there, that moment in my seat, He suddenly opened my eyes. In my marriage, I had always been able to see myself as one who was struggling to make it work, struggling to become closer to God and struggling to be obedient to God and just struggling in general… but I had NEVER seen my husband through that same filter. Satan had so filled me with lies that when I saw my husband, I saw someone who judged me, was out to damage me, waiting for me to disappointment him, control me… basically I saw an enemy. My eyes opened in such an instant that I started to cry as I saw him as God sees him. I saw a little boy, who carried his own hurts and pains through childhood and tried to figure out how to make it work. I saw a little boy who was struggling to be a man of God in a world full of distractions and lies. I saw a man trying to love a woman who pushed him away, didn’t trust him, didn’t respect him, and often didn’t like him. I was able to see the grace and forgiveness and love he had given me time and time again that I had been so flippant with and often destructive. I was humbled and convicted to the core that I had hurt him and failed with what God had trusted me to do. God chose this man for me because He trusted me to BE HIS LOVE to him. Christ lives inside me and when Christ wants to physically love Don, He does so through me.

I was so overcome with my own sin and blindness that I could hardly breathe… and I vowed to never lose sight of him, through God’s eyes. This “sight” in itself has given me a heart of compassion, love, tenderness and understanding for my husband that I have never had before in the 15 years we’ve been together. This sight is something I cling to with both hands and pray that God always blesses me with. Satan tries to come in with his lies and distractions and tries with all his might to cloud this vision. But my God is strong and HE has already won this battle and with His help and guidance and protection, my eyes will continue to see.

Thank you for your sermon. Thank you for your passion and your heart and the love you have for people. People have to know they are missing something before they can pray for God to deliver them from or to it. You gave clear sight to the fact that many of us are missing God’s eyes. I pray that many who heard your words will pray for God to give them eyes to see as He sees because with this, lives will be transformed.

IN His PRECIOUS and GRACIOUS Love,
Dawn Sullivan

A call for my prayer warriors

I got some not so great news today from my chiropractor. The additional x-rays they took appear to confirm a condition they were hoping to rule out called unstable spine. Basically, on top of two of my vertebrae degenerating and two bone spurs... I have three vertebrae that move out of spinal alignment when I move my neck.

What that means is pain... knew that already... and things getting pinched and pulled and aggravated... which leads to swelling and headaches and such. But what it also means is that any sudden movement, jerk, or ect... could be very dangerous... including damaging the spinal cord and leading to things such as paralysis.

So... my MRI is scheduled for March 14. Until then, I can not have my neck adjusted anymore, have to be very low in activity, and wear a neck brace during activities that could involve sudden movement of my neck. Icing is also helping the swelling and is relieving some of that pain. I also revamped my bed with a 2 inch nova foam topper and got a nice pillow and so I am sleeping better and able to remain on my back.

If the MRI confirms what these x-rays are suggesting, I may need surgery to have pins put into place to try and stabilize these three bones.

So, there is my "day in the life of" for this morning. :0)

I am relieved to have some explanation for the episodes and pain I have been having. But I am nervous and a little scared about what is ahead. BUT, my God is good and sovereign and has shown me time and time and TIME again that HE can move mountains, heal the sick, bring children back from the clutches of darkness and I KNOW He will deliver me through this. I praise HIM for what He has shown me in my life to strengthen my faith. It is this knowledge and hope that comforts and strengthens me now. How THANKFUL I am to have Him as my father, friend, savior, healer, and refuge!

Please pray I can remain focused on these truths and have strength to endure the next few miles on this road ahead. Please also pray for wisdom for the doctors involved and clear guidance in what can and should be done.

Thank you so very much for your faithfulness in praying for my family. Thank you for your friendships and for your trust in the Lord. Much love... Dawn

My Latest and Greatest

Wow. I have had a day today. It is the second day in a row in the past two weeks that I am feeling better, actually good. That is a blessing and I am very thankful... Thank you God.

In honor of my cousin, Teecy, who has blogged a "day in the life" I am sharing my day today. She and her friends are doing this on their blogs and so Teece... this day was for you!

5 a.m. Awake to an all too familiar sound of Abby awaking for the day and wanting to get up.

5:30 a.m. Plead with Abby to stay in bed another hour and "Let mommy sleep."

6:30 a.m. Get phone call from my precious husband to rise and shine, as he is already on the road for his trip.

6:40 a.m. Get up and start Abby's morning routine for getting ready for school.

7:30 a.m. Grab Abby's jacket and announce it is time to go. Abby replies, " I need to go .... doo doo." Of course... "Go, go, go... please hurry, I don't want you to be late," I answer. I hear the toilet flush first, Abby needs a fresh bowl, and then nothing.... nothing... nothing. "Abby, what are you doing in there?" I ask. She opens the door and looks out and says, "I want to go potty in my bathroom." "No, you are in this bathroom, I don't have time for these games, just go to the bathroom ABBY," replies the now anxious mommy! She closes the door... and still... nothing.
After several more moments of nothing, I march over to the door, open it, and find her standing there in front of the toilet with her pants around her ankles and in her socks. "Mommy, there is water on the floor," she says with a little cautious smile. I look down and there is water and THEN SOME all over the floor and she is standing in the middle of it in her socks. If you know me well, you know I HATE toilets and think they really should be back out in the yard as in "olden times". This is my worst nightmare of toilet drama.

7:45 a.m. Pull Abby out of the mess, drop her in the kitchen, remove her clothing from the waste down and carry it to washer. Wash her feet with anti-bacterial wipes and send her to HER bathroom. Clean kitchen floor, CLOSE bathroom door for later, redress Abby and walk out the door.

7:50 a.m. Find the wind shield of the car iced over... yes... again, of course. Remind myself that God's timing is sovereign, scrape windshield and get out the driveway.

8:00 a.m. Return home to deal with the war zone of poop. I will spare you these details... although they are almost as comical as the events thus far!

8:15 a.m. Scrub my skin off in the shower and wash my hands for the 5th time.

8:45 a.m. Go down stairs to work on price list for jewelry client and find one of Abby's pull ups (dry one thankfully) ripped to shreds all over the sun room floor with the guilt party standing by with his head between his legs.

8:48 a.m. Scold dog, yell at dog, make mental note he will be up all night with diarrhea, and vacuum up the new mess.

9:00 a.m. Work on price sheet and presentation for Georgia Jewels client.

9:45 a.m. Leave for appointment, call mom for prayers, stop by Staples to buy tags.

10:20 a.m. Arrive at clients store and make the biggest sale I have had yet! I just love her. I was so excited with my new concept for my Spring line. I have a "Casual Collection" line with glass and metals and then a "Semi-Precious" line with the stones and sterling pieces. She bought the entire collection and asked for more! Thank you God. I lay this before you and you bless me time and time again. I just adore the relationship I have with Amy too... she is one of my biggest fans and I am so thankful to know her! (The picture was taken in her office and so the lighting is awful but it's a glimpse)

11:20 a.m. Head back to PTC to pick Abby up for school and call my friends to share my excitement!

NOON Pick Abby up from school and take her to McDonald's for lunch. She has chicken, apples and apple juice and I have the Asian salad and water. She plays on the play set, I watch Brett cry his eyes out as he retires (broke my heart) on the tv there and then see the story about Hannah Polin. My mouth drops to see she has mitochondrial disease and I am struck with thought.

2 p.m. Drop Abby off at Brain Balance. This is going so well! I am so excited about the changes we are seeing in her. PRAISE GOD and thank you so much!

2:10 p.m. Head to the bookstore for a moment of down time and to gather numbers of newspapers.

2:50 p.m. Go back to pick up Abby and start calling reporters to tell them Abby's story.

3:00 p.m. Go to friends house to drop of jewelry to be given to a woman who has lost everything in a house fire. Angie is a Cabi consultant and she gathered clothes from "gals", as she says, from all over the country to give this woman. I was honored she asked me to donate some jewelry. You go girl!

3:30 p.m. Pull over on the side of the road to continue a FASCINATING conversation with a reporter. He is very interested in Abby's story and we've schedule an interview for tomorrow. I am excited out of my mind and will have to share more later on this.

4:30 p.m. Come home, have a coffee with my husband and start blogging. We are having dinner tonight at our favorite local restaurant, Thai Spice. We love to have "family night out".

OK... so there it is so far. Hope you enjoyed a small glimpse into a "Day in the life" of this mommy!

Love to you all.... Dawn

A Good Night

Wow, I had a good night last night and that is the first in a long time! After icing for an hour while watching an awesome movie, "Elizabeth... the Golden Age"... I actually felt "good" for the first time in two weeks. I was tempted to do a back flip but opted not. I enjoyed three thin mint Girl Scout cookies along with some hot chai tea with gingerbread coffee cream.... mmmmmmm. I actually sat there and thought... "This is a good moment!"

After my night in at the movies... I guess I was so stoked about feeling good that I couldn't go to sleep. UGHHH... my thoughts were going 90 to nothing as usual and I was overwhelmed with sadness over the loss of Lodie. I was thinking about the night we had to put her down and was getting so upset I had to sit up in bed and then it hit me... it was March 4th.... the year anniversary of losing her.

So after that, and another hour of tossing and turning, I got up at 1 a.m. and started getting the stuff out of my head. I made my new jewelry cards, wrote a note to Abby's teacher, emailed Don, and designed some new tags. FINALLY at 2:30 a.m. I had emptied enough from my brain to sleep!

As for the back and neck drama... I am awaiting an MRI appointment and then we'll go from there. This is the short version! :0)

I've got a showing at the store I sell to tomorrow and I am very excited about the line... I'll share tomorrow!

Spring is coming soon!

Our jasmine is blooming... little purple flowers are springing up all over the yard and my hibiscus has come back from the dead and is wearing (and showing off) three blooms!

We have had three days of amazing weather but I fear the coolness is on her way back in tonight.

I finally have started taking pics of some of my new Spring items. I've got a showing at the store that carries my items this Thursday. After that, I'll be posting more!

I am going to a bone specialist tomorrow. I am still enduring pain and my neck is just not getting better. My chiropractor sent my x-rays off to a radiologist for a second opinion and there are some iffy looking things. I'll spare the details until the specialist looks at them tomorrow.

Until then, I am popping my alieve and taking my magnesium and trying to take it easy... trying!

Weight of Life

The weight of life seems to be bearing down with a vengeance right now. I want to scream, "No more!" It has been crazy, really, since December with Karina's arrival and stay. Then just days after she left, Abby spiraled. Then after that came recovery. Now after two deaths in the family, my body has just had it and has decided to pretty much fall apart.
On several occasions I have woken up and endured much pain to even move. This happened again this past Monday. I tend to have a high tolerance for pain, but when it hurts in several places to walk, it makes daily life a little trying! Wau...wauu..wauuu....

So I struggle to lay it down... lay it down before God and ask for guidance. I am have an appointment with a bone specialist next week and am just hoping to find some sort of answers.
I am also trying to lay my stressors before Him, as they weigh on me and can be having some sort of affect on my muscles.

One of which is our effort to find and adopt Caroline. My heart breaks every night as Abby prays for her to come. Now that Abby's health is so unstable, we can not leave the country with or without her for several weeks... much less six weeks. So we had to stop and cancel our adoption process and we won't be traveling to Kazakhstan after all. This thing has been such a roller coaster and not going now has broken my heart. I feel as if she is there and I have abandoned her. I have to trust that is it God's plan because we have remained faithful in prayer about this situation from the beginning. The hardest part is that all three of us still have a strong desire for another child in our family... that part has never changed. So... here we are... waiting. Abby asks about Caroline almost every day and we have no answers for her. So we are being honest with her and telling her that we can't go to Kazakhstan anymore and we are waiting for God to show us where Caroline is...

SO I am feeling a bit lost and I HATE being in this place. This is where I struggle... when the plan falls apart and I am left empty handed. So I am GUESSING I am in a season of trusting God right now! The only thing that helps me get through this is KNOWING how sovereign my precious God is... even when I don't understand. And so I cling to that... and to Him... and wait.

My Grandmother

1928-2008

My grandmother died last week. She was 79 years old. She'd been not doing well at all for several months, so her death was some what expected. But death is death and it is so final. To bury her youngest daughter just a few weeks ago and now her, death seems more real and final to me than ever before.

The finality of death, of course is just for our body and our life here on earth. However, it is not final at all in the fact that our soul lives on. I should say that the seperation of soul and body is more real to me... and it has impressed on me, even more, the importance of decisions we make in the brief moments of this life we are given.

As I look at this picture of my grandmother at 9 years of age, I see a young girl with a life time ahead of her. Many moments lie ahead to make decisions that will affect the life of herself, her friends, her children and her grandchildren. Decisions that will have affects for generations. Looking at this picture, she doesn't appear to know the magnitude of those choices... what 9 year old does?

The only way to make choices that are good choices is to do it in the presence and with the guidance of a God who has promised to guide us well. Even then we mess up... but God can and does bring beauty from ashes.

My grandmother had a heart that held on to her childhood with clinched fists. Her heart held on to the dreams and to the pain that came from and forever remained there. As an adult, she often talked of her childhood and her room looked like a child's, full of pictures from her childhood, dolls, teddy bears, and small trinkets. When she talked to me about these items, I could see on her face and in her voice that they carried memories of pain... and it broke my heart.

This pain followed her and tormented her. It caused her to lash out at people she loved. It sorrows me to my core to see how pain can cause people such torment. This same pain carries on throughout this family... through many, many family members. The healing hand of God awaits... waits opened and ready. His healing hand is the only source of healing and I pray that this family can embrace the God of the universe who offers such refuge and freedom.

My grandmother's favorite color was blue. Her favorite flowers were tulips and pansies. Her favorite movie as a young girl was "Golden Earrings". She loved my grandfather with her whole heart as he loved her. She had four girls and raised one of her grandsons as her own son. She walked through this life the best way she knew how and she loved the best way she could... and now she is gone.

Venting on Valentine's Day!

Today is the day of love. It should be renamed the "Day of being ripped off!" I have made several calls to some of our favorite restaurants (we are going on a date tonight) and they all have these "packages" for like $80+ per couple... RIP OFF! They know people are going to want to go on dinner dates and so they try and make a quarter's worth of sales in one night. And they don't even give you the option of the package or the menu... if you eat there, you pay $80 to sit in their seat! Oh, and wine is extra! Well, I am not having it! We will not do it... and you shouldn't either! It will be a sushi date or pizza for us tonight and we will still have a wonderful time!!!!!!!!!! I am not even mentioning the rip off the florists pull today... I'll send flowers tomorrow!
Thank you for listening... I feel much better now! :0)

Happy Valentine's Day! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

The Good and the Bad of It...

Well, I'll start the with the good, because, well, good is good! :0) ha

Abby is doing GREAT! Oh how my soul leaps with happiness when I see her smile or open her eyes wide with happiness ( a new face she does). Her new diet, minus the eggs and milk and caesin and dairy is much easier than I thought it would be and within a week we could see a difference in her appearance! Amazing. YEE HAAA

She has also adjusted well to the medication and tomorrow will be two weeks without a seizure! PRAISE GOD!
Her teacher told me today that she was seeing a difference in Abby too! YAEHHHH She is more alert at school and is "getting it" much more than she really has all year!!!!!!!!!! :0))))))
Happy... Happy... JOY... JOY... JOY!

On one down side, I have been having major back and neck issues now for over a month. Sometimes it is so bad I can hardly move. Lately, my neck pain has been joined with a very unfestive headache the runs along the entire right side of my head with my eyeball wanting to explode. It's very hard to be cheerful when you feel like this! :0(

I believe in my chiropractor very much and so back I have gone and we took some x-rays this week. I have scoliosis pretty badly... I knew this though. My curve is in the lower region which causes pain down there. I also knew my neck was not curved right. But this time one of my vertebrae doesn't look right...:0( It looks, actually, concave... maybe like it's degenerating... Oh great! Or there could be something going on inside the bone... oh festive! AND the little wing things on each side of it are practically gone... these help balance the spine in the neck... double great. SO the good news here is that I am walking and functioning! Merrrrcyyyyyyyyy.....
So my x-rays are being sent to a radiologist to be reviewed and I should have more info in a week. So we'll see..... yuck!

On an even downer note: you can stop reading if you just can't take anymore!, we have had a very unexpected death in the family. My mother's youngest sister, Kim, who was just 43, died last week of a massive heart attack. My mother's mother could die any day but this was a great shock.

It has caused me grief in my soul to see so many people reeling with regrets and sadness because of things that could and should have been said and forgiven. It has saddened my soul greatly to see some one's life gone and others left still looking to cause drama, looking for someone to blame, and not looking to the Lord. I mean, that's it in a nutshell... the Lord is not present in many of the people's life involved and it is so very evident and it just saddens me to the core.

As I talked with one of my aunt's, she mentioned a friend, Susan I think, who reads this blog everyday. She doesn't know me, but reads this everyday. I pondered that thought on the way back to the hotel. I have been struck by emails from several people I don't know who read this and wanted access to continue reading it when I went private. I realized that people are drawn to this blog. They are drawn to something and the something they are drawn to is the LORD. PRAISE HIM. I was overwhelmed with compassion for people who come here because they can see the Lord alive in our lives and they are drawn to that.

It moved me to just simply state, that anyone reading this blog, and anyone moved by how God moves in our lives can have this same God of the universe moving and active in yours. John 3:16 says, "That Jesus so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." God longs to be active in your life. He longs to have you talk to Him, to cry out to Him, to rely on Him, and to seek Him. He longs to be your Father and He longs to bless you. But you have to seek him daily and call out to him for guidance daily and He will answer... and you will be moved to see the God of the universe be so personal and sovereign.

If you do not belong to God, please do not let another day pass without considering who He is and what He has done and offered to you. Life is temporary and can be gone in a moment.

So there was my moment on the soap box. How I would love to see healing and God's light shinning in the lives of so many. This life is not about us. It's not about stuff. It's not about being seen or standing on our rights. It's not about judging everyone and being hateful and self centered. It's about reflecting the love of our Lord who sent Jesus to die to cover our sins. How simple and how beautiful if we could only stay focused on Him.

BIRTHDAY TOES...

My mom and I had to be out of the house for a while and so we treated ourselves to some birthday pampering... a much needed and over due moment of pampering! We found this new place open on a Sunday and I got the best manicure and pedicure I'd ever gotten.

The whole experience brought back memories of my WORST manicure EVER that oddly enough was last February. I had gone to Winchester for a break because Abby had gotten very ill again that past December. I was in much need for a manicure.

So my mom had an appointment at Merl Norman (sp?) for a stone manicure and it was going to cost over $30. Being the thrifty girl I am... Iwalked down a few doors to "Nails R US" to get mine done for $15. When I walked in, I got the standard... "What can we do for you?" "I'd like a manicure please," I responded with much anticipation. "Pick color." Yes, yes, I know... so I picked my color. I was then directed to a stool that sat in front of a U-shaped table (clue number one) where two other women were sitting.

Well, I must have disrupted the party because my little nail lady was very disgusted I was even there. She slid over on her stool and started looking at my nails. As her nose drew up in judgement, I felt myself justifying my horrid nail condition... I mean my daughter was very ill and I was falling apart... not much more information needed here.

So she starts trimming my nails and is moving in fast rapid fashion. The other women are just watching and I am starting to feel a little hot. She then grabs her cuticle trimmers and starts her work. "You nails are BADDDDDDD," she says LOUDLY in her precious accent. My eyes open wide in disbelief and I get out a meek, "It's been a while since I've been able to do this." She keeps ripping the cuticle off and it's piling up on her tool and then she brings it in close to my face... "Look how much this is." The knot is finding it's way up my throat and I answer with a little distain myself, "Yes... I know... that's... WHY... I... am... HERE."

Now she has just peeved me off and I am getting hotter by the minute. Where is the love? I mean... can't she just talk badly about my nails in her private language that they normally chat in while you get your nails done!

So she SLAPS my polish on and my head is starting to spin. Do I tell her what I think? Do I cry? I mean I just needed 15 minutes of papmering and I got the five minute hateful Jiffy Lube of Nails!

Then... she finishes and takes one of my hands and holds it up in front of my face and says, "Look what I do for you!" Are you kidding me? Am I on candid camera? Have I just been PUNKED? My mouth hangs open and I get out again... "Yes, thank you, THAT'S WHY I CAME HERE!!!!"

Oh... my heart is pounding again just thinking about it.

So, I did what any good girl would do... I PAID HER, tipped her not, and left. I rehashed the story while my mom got her STONE manicure and massage and gave them all a great laugh!

To this day we cry out, "You nails are BADDDDD," anytime we even mention the word manicure! So if your nails need some love... GO... GO and get it done before it's too late!

Happy Birthday To Me!


Oh, my 34th birthday was this past Sunday and it was fun to have a birthday. My parents were here and I had a wonderful afternoon of pampering with my mom! My husband and dad went all out and decorated for my party, while I was gone, with crepe paper and balloons! It was very FESTIVE! We had a nice little party with some Super Bowl action... how lucky am I?

If my cake looks "funny" to you... it WAS! Since Abby has a egg, milk and dairy allergy... I asked Don to try and find a pie or make jello jigglers or something. WELLLLLL, He really wanted me to have a cake and so he and my dad pored over lables in the grocery store for WAY TOO LONG and found a cake mix and some egg substitute. WELLLLL, the cake wasn't "feeling" the substitute and so it rebelled and just didn't stick together! It was a CRUMBLING cake! My precious friend Shelly had the TASK of TRYING to frost it... can you picture it... and needless to say, gave up! So we had chocolate crumble cake (new dish at our house!) with the frosting on the side! :0) The funniest part was that Abby was all upset... yes, upset... because her cake was falling apart and didn't want to it.... GO FIGURE! When she saw that EVERYONE'S cake fell apart... she finally gave in. And I must say, it tastes GREAT!

I am so blessed to have my precious little one rebounding so QUICKLY from her illness! We are over joyed with THANKSGIVING for God's gracious and bountiful blessings upon her!

Helmet Day!

Abby returned to school this Wednesday for half days. We have a helmet for Abby to wear at school when walking in the halls and on the playground for protection. Her first day back, her entire class and her teachers (and the school nurse) wore helmets to make her feel welcome. It was precious. I stayed with her this week and was just amazed and touched with how loved she is by her school family and friends. Children were coming up to her with so much concern on their faces and in their hearts... I was blown away. Many children prayed for her and were thrilled to see her back.

It was a great week for Abby. We found out some wonderful things from her blood work with brain balance. I say wonderful because they are big things we can go after that are already making a difference. The huge one is that she is allergic (very much so!) to caesin, milk, eggs and dairy. Caesin is a dairy product found in may foods and her numbers were off the charts... 900 being high of the high and she scored 1800! So immediately we have removed those things from her diet and I am thrilled to be doing something that can make her feel so much better.

We also saw that her body is not eliminating toxins very well and really has just been in crisis mode. We have increased her Co Q-10 intake by doubling it and are awaiting suppliments made specifically for her results and her body needs! I am thrilled about this. There were lots of other things it showed that just gives us so much hope to see definate things we can address... which is a gift with Abby.

She is also on a rotation diet right now where she doesn't get the same food more than once in a four day period! I have become a meal planner (like my sweet friend Karen) for the first time. I am planning all three meals for four days and it's actually nice to know what the next meal is going to be! Who knew!? (Karen did! :0) So our fridge is FULL of food. It is hard to have fresh fruits and vegetable each day and not repeat them in a four day period! If it's a fruit... we've got it!

Her seizures also seem to be ALMOST under control... PRAISE GOD!!!!!!!! THANK YOU.

She was down to one a night. My parents are here for the weekend and my mom has slept with her the past two nights to give me a break... THANK YOU!!!!!!... and hasn't heard/seen any. So I am sleeping with her tonight to see. We are THRILLED and so very THANKFUL for the quick rebound she has had from this. She has gained back most of her balance and strength in her legs. She remains a bit weak on the right side but is VERY GOOD about her daily therapy routine!

So for now, she'll go to school next week for half days again to work her endurance back up. I'll be going with her and staying with her again and it has been such a blessing to be at school with her.

I can't thank you all enough for the HUGE outpore of love and support and PRAYER we have received from you all. PLEASE KNOW You have been a HUGE part of this precious child's recovery because of your faithfulness to prayer! We love you all.