the drop box.

"The Drop Box" - Documentary PROMO from Brian Ivie on Vimeo.

happy 2o13.

"Every Moment in 2013, God Will Be Doing 10,000 Things in Your Life"
  written by: John Piper

 “God is always doing 10,000 things in your life, and you may be aware of three of them.” That was one of our most widely spread tweets in 2012. So we want to say it again for 2013 and make this promise even more solid.

Not only may you see a tiny fraction of what God is doing in your life; the part you do see may make no sense to you.

• You may find yourself in prison, and God may be advancing the gospel among the guards, and making the free brothers bold. (Philippians 1:12–14).
• You may find yourself with a painful thorn, and God may be making the power of Christ more beautiful in weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:8)
• You may find yourself with a dead brother that Jesus could have healed, and God may be preparing to show his glory. (John 11)
• You may find yourself sold into slavery, accused falsely of sexual abuse, and forgotten in a prison cell, and God may be preparing you to rule a nation. (Genesis 37-50)
• You may wonder why a loved one is left in unbelief so long, and find that God is preparing a picture of his patience and a powerful missionary. (Galatians 1:15; 1 Timothy 1:12-16)
• You may live in all purity and humility and truth only to end rejected and killed, and God may be making a parable of his Son and an extension of his merciful sufferings in yours. (Isaiah 53:3; Mark 8:31; Colossians 1:24)
• You may walk through famine, be driven from your homeland, lose husband and sons, and be left desolate with one foreign daughter-in-law, and God may be making you and ancestor of a king. (Ruth 1–4)
• You may find the best counselor you’ve ever known giving foolish advice, and God may be preparing the destruction of your enemy. (2 Samuel 17:14)
• You may be a sexually pure single person and yet accused of immorality, and God may be preparing you as a virgin blessing in ways no one can dream. (Luke 1:35)
• You may not be able to sleep and look in a random book, and God may be preparing to shame your arrogant enemy and rescue a condemned people. (Esther 6:1–11)
• You may be shamed and hurt, and God may be confirming your standing as his child and purifying you for the highest inheritance. (Hebrews 12:5–11)

There are three granite foundation stones under this confidence for 2013: God’s love. God’s sovereignty. God’s wisdom.

Love: In the death of Christ on our behalf God has totally removed his wrath from us (Romans 8:3; Galatians 3:13). Now there is not only no condemnation (Romans 8:1), but now God is only merciful (Romans 8:32). Even his discipline is all mercy.

Sovereignty: There is no power in the universe that can stop him from fulfilling his totally good plans for you. “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted” (Job 42:2).

Wisdom: God’s infinite wisdom always sees a way to bring the greatest good out of the most painful and complex situations. “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!” (Romans 11:33).

Therefore, no matter what you face this year, God will be doing 10,000 things in your life that you cannot see. Trust him. Love him. And they will all be good for you.

(article here.)

unconditional love.

this is a job for a professional organizer.

In the 90's, I had a small professional organizing business (see business card). I worked in closets, kitchens and even helped people electronically "retrieve information." I still LOVE organizing my life and all its contents. I am actually a little intense about everything having a "space" (see PAPER cabinet, PARTY cabinet and WRAP cabinet).

But, I will soon take on the biggest (and most-important) organizational job of my life: my daughter's nervous system.

I heard of Nina Jonio a week ago, chatted with her on Monday and on November 8, Pin and I will head to Raleigh to meet her in person. She is based in Portland and is a Neurological Re-organizer. Nina meets up with all her clients in various cities, every three months, on appointment "tours." She is experienced and successful and has tons of HOPE for our little Pin. And boy, do we love hope.

Here is a lengthy, but very informative overview on Neurological Reorganization: https://vimeo.com/45993430


xoxo.
s.

a holistic hope.

April 2011, a college friend who was following Pin's story, asked if she could contact me. She called me shortly after and began to share her story of Oral Systemic Balance. Her body, a very busy homeschool mom of six, had had it. Worn-down, anxiety-filled, she set out on a two year quest trying to get answers. Her journey ended when she met a radical dentist (go figure) in Tacoma, Washington.

He took one look in her mouth and declared that her tongue was blocking her airway and wreaking havoc on her body's systems. With much skepticism, she thought she would give his belief and procedures a 'try'. Her success and the countless other stories she witnessed while sitting at her appointments, led her straight to us.

I called that dentist's office that same day, a year and 7 months ago. I spoke several times to an admin whose daughter had seizures and now is seizure-free, thanks to that dentist. The admin sent me two names of dentists "in my area" that were familiar with this procedure. One in River Falls, Wisconsin and the other in Fredrickburg, Virginia. 

I thought about Pin and the observations I made early on (day ONE of life), how she hated things in her mouth. She refused a paci, her suck was weak, etc., to me it almost seemed like a defense mechanism.

I was dead set on trying OSB for Pin. But the timing wasn't right. 

Jeremy wasn't on-board. We lived in Chicago. And Pin was unstable.

Then, a year and a 4 months later, after searching nation-wide,  Jeremy got his DREAM job in Richmond, Virginia. A short 55 miles from Fredricksburg and all the pieces fell into place. 

Last week, Pin started Oral Systemic Balance. 

update on life.

I will make this short: the past six months have been a living hell. 


It all started in April when Pin's movements came back. I freaked out.

I was "on-duty" full time (Jeremy was in VA already) all while trying to pack our entire condo, wrap-up therapists & doctors and say goodbye to our closest friends and family.

A quick overnight hospital stay in Illinois and "more" medicine offered no more insight.

Then, we moved.

We bought our first home. It is 109 years old. She is a beauty...full of personality and charm but needs some serious botox. And probably a "lift and tuck" but, who doesn't?

More medication. More movements. More medication. More movements.

Then, an ER visit and three-day hospital stay in North Carolina. I freaked out again, literally YELLING AT DOCTORS THREATENING TO YANK MY DAUGHTER OUT OF THE HOSPITAL WITHOUT DISCHARGE PAPERS (clearly, I am the one who needs the meds). Then, an at-home EEG in NC. Finally, movements were caught on the EEG and we were told they "were not seizures." What?

Then, my amazing grandma died.

Then, an ER visit and two-day hospital stay in Virginia. Again, movements were captured but had no epileptic correlate. More freaking, more questions.

In three hospitals, in three states, I begged the Lord that He would show grace and mercy on us. I pleaded with Him that He would not have us walk down the "infantile spasm" road again and that they would ONLY be "seizures." He did one better:

ACID REFLUX.
(apparently our daughter has a bad case.) 

A GI study last week confirmed this information and we are now pulling off seizure meds and upping antacids.


To say we are THANKFUL (and in need of a tan), is an understatement. We are beyond grateful for the Lord's kindness and love towards us. We still question, we still are disappointed, we still have pain BUT we still pray, we still have faith and we still believe there is a God who is good. So, we still wait.

Xoxo.
Steph



I NEVER did go on those meds and I'm happy to report I'm still as crazy as ever. 

someone invite me somewhere so i can get this.

grove avenue (so far)

pin's room (so far)

things i love right now.

elaborate cardboard arcade.

sweet video of a boy. and his dream.

http://cainesarcade.com/2012/04/caines-arcade-short-film/

easter with cousins.

new shoes: natives.

boo boo bags: mama and bebe.

nine glorious months seizure-free.

fun with cousins in north carolina.

playing with stickers.

parties.

pin + pei wei.

lecrae tweets.

I follow the Christian rap artist, Lecrae on twitter. His powerfully, thought-provoking tweets often stop me in my tracks. Here are some of my favorite recent tweets:

-"If we aren't grateful what we already have, why do we constantly ask for more?"

-"Make plans today, but remember plans don't accomplish things, God does."

-"When your expenses are lower than your income, your stressing decreases. And when your car breaks down, you don't."

-"You can impress people from a distance, but if you want to impact them, get up close."