There is Hope! 41 Will Come

God's timing is so amazing.  Sometimes you look at a certain situation and you see God all up in it.  This situation might not be easy.  Actually I can guarantee it not but you know that God is allowing it for a reason and you pray, give it all to God, and walk by faith every moment until you find yourself victorious.

A few months ago Tyndale House Publishers graciously accepted me as one of their reviewers/bloggers of new releases and each month I will be sharing with my readers some of the amazing books that are being published.

I was so excited when my first book came in: 41 Will Come by Chuck E. Tate.

When I first read the introduction I knew this was going to be something God was going to use in my life. I've had issues I've struggled with my whole life.  Maybe God was going to open my eyes about one of those issues.  Little did I know that this book was going to help me go through one of the hardest challenges of my life.

40 is a significant number in the Bible and though the author does reference them he's more focused on 41.  What is 41?

 "The number 41 represents the dawn of a new day - the hope and promise that if you don't quit, the rain will stop, the giant will fall, and you will enter your 'promised land.'"  

Just reading that gave me hope.  All of us are on a journey.  Some of us are about to enter a storm, some of us are in a storm, and some of us just got out of a storm.  All of us!  40 is the storm; 41 is the rainbow.

A week after I started reading this book my 10-year-old son was in the emergency room then rushed to the PICU with poisoned blood and diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.

Once we got Dylan home from the hospital and fell into a new normal I picked up the book again and it gave me so much hope!  I wish I could say I'm in my promised land right now but I've got several fronts on me at the moment so it could be awhile before I'm in my promised land but that's ok!  Each story that the author references reminds me that even in the storms God is still working and oh when I hit that promised land...baby, it is on! :)

I would HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone!  Mr. Tate's writing style is wonderful and the personal stories he tells are great!  He's funny, encouraging, and heartfelt.  This is the author's first book and I'm positive it's not going to be his last.  Grab a copy! I promise you won't regret it.

NavPress/Tyndale House Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for an honest review

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NEW Verve?! Woohoo!!!

If you've read my blog or seen any of my recent creations you know that I am a HUGE Verve Stamps fan.   The obsessions started way back when they were still Verve Visual in 2007.  Julee's style is something I've aspired to for years and every time I'm on any Verve Stamps site I am immediately inspired.  PLUS it is a Christian company and I fully support my Christian sisters. ;)

This Friday is their August release and each day this week their amazing design team is showing off the goods.

I just poured me a cup of coffee and sat down to blog hop and let me tell you it was amazing!  I am SO inspired and I'm already begging Louie to let me purchase the two sets they've showed off already!

Head over to the Verve blog and start hoppin'!  I promise you will NOT be disappointed. :)

I think after I get the kiddos settled with their homework later I just might get inky.  It's been such an tremendously stressful week already and it's only Wednesday!  *sigh*  I need a little stamping therapy. :)

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First Day of School 2016

Emotional Mama over here!!!!  Yesterday was way to crazy to be blogging so I'm a day late BUT I had to show off my handsome boys on their first day of school. :) 

You know how when you think about your childhood there is a certain starting point in your mind where your memory becomes a lot more clear?  My starting point was 6th grade.  I have memories of earlier than that but they're sporadic.  6th grade was a defining year in my life for a lot of reasons and here I am looking at my own son going into that very same year.  Craziness!!

Eric is even in beginner band like I was but he is playing the trumpet which is actually one of the instruments I always wanted to learn how to play.

Despite me being a nervous wreck the entire day Dylan did wonderful!  I guess he's out of the honeymoon phase because his numbers have been low lately and were low the entire school day.  So low in fact that I'm most likely checking with the doctor today to make sure this is normal.  I've never been a worry wart mom but all that goes out the window when you have a type 1 kid.

I am SO proud of my boys and I know this year is going to be amazing!!!

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Trust in the Lord

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding..." - Proverbs 3:5

This is one of my all-time favorite verses.  When I go through hard times like I've been going through these past few weeks reading Psalms or Proverbs really calms my spirit.  It helps me focus and reminds me that God's got this!  I don't see the big picture and I don't know or understand the "why" and that's ok because God does and He's taking care of me and my family. :)

So my oldest comes in to my office Friday morning and says that he wants to make a card to send to someone.  How sweet is that?!  Of course I say yes and told him I would make a card with him so we could do it together.  With him being a pre-teen and starting to pull more and more away from me I take every opportunity he wants to spend with me and cherish every moment.

Since I've been out of the stamping game for awhile my creative juices are not flowing full force like they used to so I went to Splitcoaststampers for some inspiration.  Fridays they do the Free for All and this last Friday's challenge was "Have A Heart".  How perfect!  I paired that challenge with this week's sketch challenge, let E pick out the patterned paper we were going to use, and got started!

It pretty much took the entire afternoon to finish our cards since he was gifted with perfectionism like his mama but I am SO proud of what we accomplished.  Here is a picture of E's card:

Didn't he do a great job for his first time?  I am SO proud!  He pressed a little too hard with his sentiment but other than that I'm very impressed.  I did do the cutting since I don't think we are there yet but other than that it was all him.  Proud Mama!!

I just realized you can see my card in the background of his card! Haha!!  Well here is a better view:

E choose Pink Flamingo designer paper (retired from Stampin' Up!) and I thought the colors were perfect for the end of summer.  The sentiment is from Verve's Scripture Medley 1 and the heart is another Verve favorite of mine from the Hearts on Fire set.

Since the paper is so busy I wanted to keep the embellishments pretty simple so I opted for a scallop behind the circle and I know you can't see it on here but my white circle is actually raised up which gives it such a cool dimension in person.

I wanted to have a little bit of glitz so I used a Sakura clear star jelly roll pen on the heart and the butterfly.

A small strip of white swiss dot ribbon and a butterfly from one my Martha Stewart punches finishes off this simple and fun card.

This weekend was the first weekend that DJ was away from me since being in the hospital and it was tough but looking at this card reminded me that even if he's not with me God is with him and that's all that matters.

BTW, thank you all so much for your wonderful comments on my previous post.  Knowing that people are praying and that we are not the only family that has had to endure this means more than anyone knows.  Each comment gives me more and more strength and I thank you all for that.

Have a blessed Monday everyone!!




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My Sun and Shield

Last Monday started off like any other summer day.  The kids slept in.  I slept in.  The only difference was that my baby had been sick for a few days and I told myself if he woke up sick I would take him to the doctor. 

He woke up around 1pm and could barely even walk.  Next thing I know he's throwing up profusely and still in my pajamas I throw on some shoes, put my kids in the car, and head to the nearest urgent care.

I am not one of those moms that takes her kids to the doctor for every little thing.  On the contrary, my kids NEVER get sick so if I am rushing my son to urgent care you know its bad.

It ended up being a LOT worse than I expected. 

I was in the urgent care for maybe thirty minutes when they're telling me an ambulance is on its way to take my baby to the PICU at Cook Children's.  When we get there he already has a room in PICU and there are about 10 nurses and doctor's already waiting for us.  That's when I am informed that his tests results were positive for type 1 diabetes and that right now his blood is poisoning him.  

His dad was diagnosed type 2 about a month ago and when they first told me type 1 diabetes I thought they were similar.  I was wrong.  The doctor sat us all down and explained what was going on and how he was going to be treated for his illness.  I felt like I was in a nightmare.  All I'm hearing is "for the rest of his life" and "could've been a lot worse if you would have waited to bring him in."  I am so thankful that my Mommy instincts kicked in and I took him in when I did.

DJ spent three days in the hospital and was released last Thursday.  

Ever since then it's been a whirlwind of scheduled meals, injections, glucose monitoring, planning EVERYTHING we eat and do, testing multiple times a day including a 3am reading every morning, and a complete life change in almost every possible way.  I have had no sleep.  I'm scared to let my baby out of my sight.  This is so not me.

D and his brother are going to spend the weekend with his dad tomorrow and I am freaking out.  I haven't left his side since last Monday.  I was with him every moment at the hospital and every moment since we've been home.  It makes me feel better to be by my baby's side.  I'm sure all you moms out there understand.

Thinking about being without my baby here is really getting to me so I decided to take my mind off things this afternoon and do something that has always been a way for me to relax and escape.  I stamped. :)

I decided to participate in two Verve challenges: the August Inspiration Challenge and the Viva la Verve sketch challenge.  I turned on my classic rock and I got inky!

I'm working with very limited supplies so I am pretty proud about how this turned out.  This sentiment from the Scripture Medley 2 set (which also happens to be on SALE right now!!) is perfect for the week we've had.  God has really poured his grace out on me and my family this past week and continues to be a sun and a shield in my life.    

I still have a few sheets from my Nana's Nursery Baby Girl paper stack left which were the perfect color combo for the inspiration challenge!  I drew inspiration from not only the gorgeous color combo but also the dream catcher itself and of course those gorgeous ribbons!  I pulled out my Nestabilities for the circles and stamped the image in Memento Rich Cocoa.   A few little pink swarovski crystals and a small bit of saffron ribbon completes a very simple, but therapeutic, card. 

I must admit that I am feeling a bit better since I was able to stamp!  It's been SO long!  I forgot how therapeutic it can be.  I smile every time I look at this card (which admittedly has been something that's been hard to do lately) and I know that my stamping bug is sparked again!    

As far as having a diabetic child our family has a long road ahead of us.  Our journey is just beginning but I also know that God is in all of this and there is a reason for all of it.  It's just hard.  Life can be so messy sometimes but that's where faith comes in and I'm thankful to believe in a God that is bigger than any mess this life can throw at us. ;) 

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