Her Daddy Was Killed By a Drunk Driver

Sunday, October 21 when Mark and Sarah left their baby girl Sophie with an aunt to walk a few steps down the road to the store, they never could have imagined it would be the last time he would see his daughter. On the walk back from the store Sarah and Mark were ran over by a drunk driver. Sarah escaped with scrapes and bruises, but the accident claimed Marks life. 

Little Sophie is only a year old, she will never remember the love her father had for her... but thank God they left her behind, I don't want to imagine what could have happened had her father been holding her on the walk back. 

This family lives right next door to me, and my heart breaks for their unnecessary loss. I felt like I needed to do something... but what can you do? 

The only thing I know I'm good at... I began to sew.

I made little Sophie a name quilt... I quilted a heart at the top and stitched her daddy's name in it. I stitched a second heart near her name and placed her mommies name in it. I'm waiting for a picture of her daddy holding her and I will place it on the back of the quilt as a label, in memory of her dad.

These are the new quilts I now offer in my Etsy shop... the ones with a personal prayer hand written on a piece of muslin and quilted in with the batting. So each time this little girl wraps up in the memory of her daddy.... she's wrapped in a prayer. 

Please keep this little girl and the family of her dad in your prayers. 

I thank you. 

Personalized Name Quilts - with a prayer inside!

The newest item available in my shop... and I just LOVE the way they turned out.

It's a personalized name quilt with a prayer INSIDE the quilt!

Each quilt has a custom, personalized prayer hand written on a piece of muslin and sewn in with the batting. You can receive comfort knowing that each time your little one wraps in the warmth of this quilt, they are also being wrapped in prayer. If you do not wish to have a prayer in your quilt, I can substitute it for your own wishes or sentiments.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 - Pray without ceasing

I can accommodate almost any fabric request! If you know someone looking for a beautiful quilt for their little one, send them to me! 

GIFT IDEAS - My Shop Re-Opened!

Hi all,

I'm so sorry I have been MIA for a couple of weeks. I have been busy preparing to re-open my Etsy shop.

Custom Prayer Quilts (Each quilt has a custom prayer hand written on

a piece of muslin fabric sewn in with the batting. Each time your loved one

is wrapped in the quilt, you know they are also being wrapped in prayer.)

I am so excited to be able to start back up again. I invite all of my readers to take a peak... HERE... If you have any ideas or suggestions, I'm all ears. If there's anything you would love to see me offer... I'd LOVE to hear what they are!

If you see something you like, I'm offering my blog readers a special 15% off with coupon code ADC15!

Custom Prayer Pillow - (each pillow has a custom prayer hand written
on muslin fabric that is placed in with the stuffing. You'll know each time
your loved one lays their head on the pillow, they will be resting on a prayer.)

I offer personalized Onesie sets, Name Pillows and Quilts... the items make great gifts for Christmas, Birthdays and Showers. 

I would love to hear from you! Please let me know what you think! :)

End Of The Rainbow.

On my way home from church Sunday afternoon, the kids and I noticed a beautiful rainbow in the sky. We loved that that it was a complete rainbow...  very bright and vibrant. I told the kids of Gods promise to us, and how the rainbow came to be. As we continued to drive we noticed it looked as if we were going to run right into it!

I happened to look to the side of me, and there in the open field was the beginning of the rainbow... touching the ground! I was so excited the kids thought I was going nuts! In all my life I've before seen such a thing! It was a gift from God, I have no doubt. 

I was actually able to see the end of a rainbow! There was no pot of gold, although it was technically the beginning of the rainbow... the pot of gold may have been on the other side. 

Have any of you ever before seen where the rainbow reached the ground? Either end of it?

I grabbed my cell phone to capture a picture of it, but when I was able to, while still driving safely, the rainbow started to fade and was once again in the midst of the Cain Field... no longer in the open field. Oh how I wish I would have pulled over to take that picture when I had the chance. 

Although I'm very thankful I was able to see it. :)

This is all I was able to get.

First Chapter of my Book!

I'm writing my very first book ever! 

It's a Christian fiction, written from the view point of a young native american girl. 

I'll include the first page here... if you would like to continue on to read the rest of the chapter... let me know! 

Any advice, or critiques, are very much welcomed!

I'm thinking the title will be "Breath of Mercy"... not definite. 

Breath of Mercy

Page 1

     She shivers against the cold on her skin; the sharpness of it stings the back of her throat with every breath. The snow is falling thicker, faster now making it more difficult to see ahead. She wonders when the elders will decide to stop running, or if they will find shelter before sundown.

        With each step she takes, the snow crunches beneath her bare, numb feet. She pulls her fur shawl a little tighter around her thin body in an attempt to slow her shivering. She pictures her sandals still lying on the floor in their small hut. She wishes she had remembered to grab them.

     She looks around and can make out the forms of her family members through the falling snow. Their dark figures stand out against the white backdrop. Fear and confusion etch every face. Some are crying and others look off in the distance, perhaps wondering about their fate as she is.

     To her left she can make out the silhouette of the mountains. To her right the forest is hushed. Normal for this time of year, but it seems especially quiet today. She sighs through her shivering; the cold turns her breath into a hushed grey stream of smoke.

        At the front of the group she spots her father and the elders whispering. She wonders what they’re planning. She would give anything to be able to hear the words they were speaking.  She knows there’s no chance of eavesdropping through the whistling and howling of the wind sweeping all around. It’s so cold, she’s almost thankful her toes have lost their feeling.

aaaannnnddd.... that's the end of page 1. 

I'm sure it will be edited many times before I consider it completed.

Thank you all for reading! 

I Know That I Might Hurt You, I Know That We Might Cry...

Sit down. Be quiet. 

Children are to be seen, not heard.

We were taught this growing up… to sit still and not speak unless spoken to.

I was good at this. I liked this arrangement.

I could sit and drift off in my imagination… it was my favorite place to be. Once in a while I would listen to the adult conversations… this lead to something else entirely for me. With my wild imagination… and compassionate heart… I was able to imagine myself in others shoes.

When I would hear the adults talking about Suzie Homemaker and how her husband walked out on her and her two children… I would imagine being Suzie homemaker… I would imagine how devastated I was when I found out I would be alone with my children, no support, no helper. I would tear up with emotions.

I would imagine I was Emma Jean and just received a promotion at work… I would feel the excitement and a smile would come to my face.

Because of this, even as young as six and seven years old, I had a very advanced understanding of human emotions… and I became very aware and in tuned to those around me. Put that together with my love of writing and it made for very interesting poetry for a child my age.

I remember once when I was eight years old I wrote a two part poem. Part one was written from the perspective of someone ending an intimate relationship with someone else. Part two was written from the perspective of someone trying to comfort the person who was just dumped. (yeah, a little deep for an eight year old right.) I was proud of my poems… and so I brought my work to school and showed it to my 3^rd grade teacher. She did not believe I wrote it.

She asked me a series of questions and then proceeded to tell me that I was lying to her about writing them, and she kept asking me to tell her which book I copied it out of. 

I wasn’t sure if I was more offended by her calling me a liar, or honored that she thought it actually came out of a book.

She could see that I wasn’t going to break and tell her that I copied the poems, so she tried a different tactic. She asked me how often I write poems, in which I responded “every day”.  She asked me if I could write her a poem… in 10 minutes? I told her yes… she said “Even if I pick the topic?” I said “Yes” she said “Okay, butterflies… I’m going to set the timer… sit right here next to me and start.”

I wrote the most beautiful poem about butterflies and the way their wings glisten in the sunlight with the morning dew atop them… no seriously… I wish I had that poem today, but she took it and didn’t give it back.

After she read it she went around the school bragging on me to the other teachers. Together they decided they would enter that 10 minute written poem into some contest that was going on. I don’t think I won that one… or maybe they never entered it… because I never heard anything more of it after that day.

Anyway… I believe God gave me that talent… that ability. Not only writing and poetry, but the ability to sense the feelings and emotions of others around me. When I sense the hurt of others, I carry it around with me for days afterwards. When I’m around someone excited about an event in their lives… It excites me for them as well.

It was a blessing… those words of Sit down and be quiet.

It was also a curse.

I still want to sit down and be quiet way too often in my life.

I want to blend into the background and just absorb, and observe, and be left to my imagination. I’m thankful that at this time in my life, God is calling and pushing me out of my comfort zone. He’s calling me to step out, and talk.

I’ve a long road before that feels even remotely comfortable… but with His help I’ll get there.

Now, for that two part poem I wrote when I was 8…

Part 1

I know that I might hurt you,

I know that we might cry,

But deep deep down inside me

I know it’s time to say goodbye.

Goodbye may seem like forever

Although it’s really a fresh new start.

And I know I’ll always love you

From the bottom of my heart.

Part 2

If someone has hurt you

Deep deep down inside,

Don’t cry again

If you’ve ever cried.

If there was a boy involved

in this scene you see,

the love you had for him,

just wasn't meant to be. 

Forget about the boy.

He was dumb and no good,

And if he ever listened

You weren’t understood.

hmmm. well. that's it. Seemed much longer when I was younger :)

I wish I remembered by heart others I wrote… but this was the only one that stuck with me all those years.

Thank you for staying for my ramble. 

May you allow God to push you out of your comfort zones, and may you reach out, and react to those emotions around you. May you resist the temptation to just sit and be quiet. 

I Pour Out My All...

I take all of my worries

and I take all of my pain...

I give it all to you, my Lord

and I receive nothing but gain.

As I pour out my all,

as I kneel at your feet,

You take all that I give you

as I declair my defeat.

With your hands, you take what I've given

and you begin to twist and distort,

until there's no longer a resemblance of what I once had,

and you put it all back in my heart.

At once I feel so empowered,

overwhelmed with joy and peace.

The warmth of your love, it fills me.

Worry and pain have come to cease.

I turn around to thank you

for all you've done for me,

You look into my eyes,

and my pain is all I see.

It didn't dissappear at all,

you absorbed it as your own.

The weight of my sin on the shoulders

of the one who sits on the thrown.

The uglyness of it shocks me.

It's more than I can bear.

All of my mess on that spotless lamb

is not right, it's not at all fair

He tells me that it's o.k.

Not to forget all that he's done...

for His Father who reigns in heaven

gave me Him... His only son.

He said nothing I do could ever repay him,

so I shouldn't even try...

Just accept the love He has for me

and in that love Abide.

There's no love more powerful

than the love He has for me,

and he wants me there in paradise

for all eternity.

He said that there are others like me

holding on to pain and doubt.

He said that I should tell them

what His love is all about.

He told me that you needed to be reminded today... of His love for you. He said that you're holding on to things that you don't need to be. Things that are hurting you, things that are heavy, things that you should let go of.

He said for me to remind you of Psalm 46:1 - "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."

You don't have to go through this alone. You can give it to Him... give it all to Him, and He will take it from you and give you His peace!

You're tired, you need rest, let it go... just let it go. 

Canvas Winner Is....

The Winner of This Canvas Painting

Is......

Thank you so very much to everyone who commented.

I hope you enjoy your art, and most importantly, it inspires you. 

Pecan Praline Recipe

Pecan Praline Recipe

Ingredients: 

1 Cup white sugar

1 dash of salt

2 tbsp white Karo syrup

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup milk

2 tbsp butter

1 1/2 cup pecan halves

Directions:

Mix the sugar, salt, milk and Karo syrup in a large bowl.

Cook to soft ball stage and remove from heat.

Once it's removed from heat, add in the butter and vanilla.

Beat until cool and then drop by tablespoon fulls onto wax paper.

Once they have firmed, store in a closed container 

(if you have any to store once everyone finds out what you've made)

Makes about 2 dozen!

This is an absolute favorite of almost EVERY Louisiana family...

Sadly, I'd have to make these, and hide them, when my husband isn't home now that he is a diabetic. I can't think of a possible way to make a sugar free version of these... being they are almost pure sugar.

If you try these... let me know how you like them!!

It's NOT About Me... and free printables

Less of me... more of You.

John 3:30 – “He must increase, I must decrease.”

More of Him, less of me... less of me, more of you.

When I read this scripture last month, something inside of me reached out and grabbed it... took hold of it... wrung it out and absorbed every drop of it in a way that I've never experienced before.

It's not about me.

I meditated on this, I reminded myself daily, hourly, minute by minute. In whatever situation, whatever the circumstances... it would, in no way, ever be about me. It's about Him, it's about you.

It's about your soul, your feelings, and your needs. If you are not saved it's up to me as a daughter of the king to show you Jesus. If you are feeling down it's up to me as a daughter of the king to listen, and if possible, lift your spirits. If you are in need it's up to me as a daughter of the king to meet that need to the best of my abilities.

It's not about me.

It amazes me how, when I took the focus off myself, everything else just seemed to fall into place effortlessly.

Friendships are growing, because it's all about them. It's not about me.

My marriage is easier, because it's all about him. It's not about me.

My parenting is better, because it's all about them. It's not about me.

I've made myself available. I've put myself out there... I've explored and dove head first into community.

I'm no longer worried about what others might think of me, or how others see me, because none of it is about me at all anymore.

I came across THIS wonderful blog post today and I sat there, amazed.

She had taken the exact things I have been feeling lately and wrote it all down with words... PERFECTLY.

I loved the way she put it:

 "Opinions are like shadows, always changing depending on the angle of the sun and where the person stands. So while I haven’t licked this people pleasing thing, I am learning to turn my face from those hopscotching shadows and towards the constant Son. When I do this, I find His light reflects from me to others, and I love better.

 I’m called to love people whether or not they are all that lovely to me. Really, I’m called to especially love those who aren’t so loving in return. Remembering this helps me focus on what I’m created to do: Focus on people’s hearts, not their opinions. My faith can then rest in the good opinion of my Father, the One who has my heart. Besides, He’s much easier to please anyway."

Exactly!  See! A woman of my own heart! :)

It's not about me... it's not about what people think of me, because that doesn't matter anyway. When I take the focus off myself, and center everything around Him and all that He loves (aka YOU) things are just so much easier. I'm no longer trying to exhaustingly please everyone around me.. My only focus is on Him... on pleasing Him.

What's that you ask? When can it ever about me? When do I get to rant and rave and who can I unload on? Well... He is my Father... He is the King of Kings... He is all knowing, all powerful, and He is there for me daily... because with Him it is all about Me.

I've never before actually created a printable... but I felt I needed at least one to place above my computer at work. I’ll place them next to my Choose Joy printable, to remind me less I forget. I'm not sure if you will like them or not. I'm sure I'll play around with it and make more in the future, but for now here is what I came up with.

I Met The Boy...

I woke up at 4:30 a.m. and stared in the dark of the morning at my one year old baby girl asleep next to me. It was my attempt to embrace those last moments of her being an only child. This would be the last morning I would wake up to only her to care for.

I would roll myself, the fullest and ripest I would ever be with-child, out of bed.

At 8 months pregnant... another month left to go.

I waddled my way into the bathroom to shower… the water beating down on me I wondered why on earth did they have to make us get up THIS early in the morning to go to the hospital to be induced?

I pack the bags in the car, kiss my little one asleep and head to the hospital to give birth for the second time in less than two years.

I had spent the night at my grandmothers. She lived literally a block away from the hospital and it would give me more time to sleep in that morning. My husband was working offshore at the time and I played the last conversation we had over and over in my mind all that morning.

“Daniel, hey, umm, the doctor is going to induce labor in 3 days… you will be able to get off the boat by then won’t you?”

Daniel – “Oh baby, I don’t know… we are way out here… no land in sight. I’ll make some phone calls and see what I can do. If I can get home it might be the morning you go in the hospital at best.”

I hadn’t spoken to him since then. It was a miracle he had reception long enough for me to tell him I was going in! I wondered if he was able to make his phone calls… if they would be able to find a replacement for him… would he be there for the birth of his son?

The drive to the hospital, even though it was only about 2 minutes, seemed so long… I didn’t want to have to do this alone. I knew that I wouldn’t actually be alone… there would be a slew of family and friends there, but I wanted him… no one could comfort me like he could.

I was admitted into the hospital where they had me change into the little paper thin gown with no backing and way too many ties. I pulled my heavy self onto the hospital bed while they hooked up all sorts of monitors and IV’s… I remember the nurse telling me that my blood pressure was a little high and I knew it was because I was scared...

Still no word…

Would he make it?

The pitocin was started and the contractions were beginning… and I was still alone.

An hour in and my mind began to race… I didn’t want this to happen without him.

An hour and a half in… the door to my room opened and two large bags entered… I knew, filled with relief, who’s they were before he made his way in.

Un-showered and fresh off the boat, he made his way to his rightful place by my side.

After 10 ½ hours of labor with no pain medicine, and 1 ½ hours of pushing later… we were finally able to meet our baby boy. He was a beautiful, pink baby all of 8 pounds and 4 ounces… he had no name yet because we couldn’t decide… but he was a boy… all boy… OUR boy, and for the next two days we called him "Boy".

I love you my son, Daniel Uston...

This post was inspired by

Prompt: 2.) Describe where you were when you met a boy.

Cypress Swing - how blessed am I?

Nothing in the world could ever top this gift… of all the things I have been given in my life (aside from the Grace of God) this has to be the best, most meaningful gift I have ever received.

There’s so much love behind every detail… so much planning and work.

I. LOVE. IT.

First, he had to design the swing… he measured swings, took notes on the curves and the lengths and widths… he took notice of different swings hanging in yards, under car ports, and on front porches for ideas.

He purchased the tools he needed to complete the job.

The wood, Cypress, came from the home my husband helped his father tear down as a child… probably well over 100 years old by now. It’s amazing to me… how all those years ago, God watched as that little boy helped his father tear down an old home which housed a family many years before… and God knew, even then, that one day this little boy would use some of this Cypress to build a swing for his wife, to honor her for birthing him four children.

My husband hand selected each piece of wood he would use. He took each selected piece, cut off the old exposed surfaces to show the beauty of the wood beneath. He measured and cut each piece to the size he needed… and began to assemble the swing.

With much love and consideration he built it for me… It took time... precious time.

Everything used was stuff we already had on hand… not a dime was spend into the swing… but the time and energy put into it is worth far more than anything else he ever could have chosen to give me.

He asked me if I wanted to paint it and what color… ?! WHAT? No, not at all would I cover the beauty of this wood! He asked me what shade I wanted to stain it… although I usually love the dark color of stained wood… I wouldn’t dare mess with the natural raw beauty of this piece. I told him we would put a protective seal over it… and that was it. I wanted to keep it as natural as I could.

You know what… he hates this swing… every time he looks at it, he sees every mistake and mishap that’s in it… being his first swing.  He thinks that he is going to build me another “better” swing… one without mistakes, and we are going to sale this one.

He is wrongly mistaken… I love this swing… mistakes and all. It only adds to it’s charm in my opinion.

Oh… and here would be a picture of the flower my daughter gave me for mothers day… she tossed the pail it came in aside, and planted it right dab smack in the middle of the desolate flower bed of mine. (I’ve been meaning to plant there… really I have.)

And these… the heart shaped hand cut and hand colored confetti I walked through Mothers Day morning on my way to receive my gifts… after eating my breakfast in bed.

How wonderfully blessed am I!

Gitzen girl inspired canvas giveaway!

Hi friends,


I think most of you have read the post that I put up earlier last week about Sara from Gitzengirl.blogspot.com, such an inspiration that woman is... and I did mean is. 


I found myself scanning through the posts in her blog and I came across a number of canvas paintings she created, she would often give them away as well. I found myself coveting these paintings! I knew that I could never actually have one of HER canvas paintings, as she is no longer here to create one for me. I decided to try and re-create one of them myself... eeeak.


Having never before done a painting like this on canvas, I was a tad bit nervous about what the finished product would look like (to say the least). I printed a picture from the (in)courage web site, and used it as a guide. I didn't think it would hurt anything since I'm creating this for my own personal use and not selling it or passing it off as my own creation. I think I was able to get it pretty close! I did not, however, attempt the words "I will take joy - Habakkuk 3:18" because my handwriting is atrocious compared to dear sweet Sara's! I just knew it would mess up the entire painting.

What do you think? I LOVE it... and I didn't realize until afterwards, but the colors match my bedroom... deep reds and golds... it's as if this was created just for me!


As I made this canvas, I was praying and thanking God for giving Sara to the world, thanking Him for allowing me to stumble across her blog. Not long after that I reached in my purse for a little note book I keep... I pulled it out to write a memo to myself and happened to notice the verse on the cover. The scripture was Psalm 16:11 and read In Your presence is fullness of joy.


Wow... In Your presence is fullness of joy. I sat there looking at it, reading it, and absorbing it for a moment. It seems that's exactly what Sara was telling us when she said Choose Joy... she was telling us to choose to remain in the presence of our Lord.


How amazing is our God!


At this time in my life it seems the common theme of everything I read and come into contact with is Community! I found the (in)courage community website, which I adore... at church we just finished a new series titled "The call to community" ... community, community, community... are you trying to tell me something Lord? ha ha.


I placed the canvas I made in my bedroom, above a bed side shelf I put up a while back. I sat there admiring it for a while... it's just perfect and beautiful to me... when the thought came to my mind. I wonder how many more people out there have been touched by the life of Sara, how many of them would also like to own a canvas painting in memory of her?


I didn't want to re-create a canvas she made for a giveaway though, I didn't think it would be right... but the Lord had already given me the perfect scripture - Psalm 16:11... so I created another canvas with this scripture on it. I tried to stay somewhat true to Sara's style when painting it. I did some swirly circles, some dots, and a single heart. I'm so sorry the picture quality is poor at best I had to take this with my daughters cell phone, as my camera broke at the girls retreat. (I'm hoping for a new camera for mothers day :))

I hope you like this... and it will be given away to one blessed person, for free. All you have to do is comment on this post to let me know you would like to win it. (make sure I have a way to contact you back if you win) A winner will be randomly selected on May 18th. 


If you win, or not, you can still go to the (in)courage website here and print a Choose Joy picture to frame for yourself! 


On a side note - if no one wants my canvas... that's okay with me too... it will be right at home in my bathroom! :) 


I hope you have a very blessed, joyous day!