My Story

My Father Is The Creator

This is a post I did for the Scrap Girls Blog:

One day I asked the Lord..... why is it so easy for me to express myself in art? Why is it so comfortable for me? Even if I'm not an "artist" it's so natural for me to create.....He said.....Because your father is the Creator..... Of course, it's so simple.....revelation usually is.

If my heavenly father has such a strong attribute of creation, then of course I do also. Everyone of us has the desire to create, weather it be art, music, cooking, gardening, etc. the list is infinite. Find your creation language and express yourself! It feels so right.

Materials:

Atelier Collection
Overlayed Collection
Life Journals Paper Mini
Scrap Simple Embellishment Templates: Paint Palette
Tints & Tatters Collection Biggie
Brush Set Splotches

I can't believe we are actually going! I have been waiting soooo long for this. Our house is the yellow one. It has the bay on one side and the gulf shore on the other. I'm just ready to go and have some quiet time. To just relax and make things stop for a while.

I always seem to connect with the Lord in a major way when I'm at the beach or in the mountains. Something about His creation just seeps into me. I am looking forward to spending some quiet time seeking Him. I'm taking my journal and my paints and my bible. So pray for me when you think of me, I really want to come back with some answers, peace, and a new strength and determination for the journey ahead!

Of course playing on the beach with the girls will be great too! And spending time with all our friends (we are sharing the house with 3 other families) I can't wait for the nights of game playing and fellowship. The huge relaxed breakfasts and watching the girls (10 children and their all girls!) play in the sand, oh the pictures I'm going to come home with! We are also planning on having our family photo taken while we are there, it's been years since we have had one done.

So I guess I'll be spending most of the day making more lists, doing laundry, packing and preparing! I'm sure I'll be able to make a couple of posts from the beach, they are supposed to have wireless in the house, and there will be no shortage of laptops! :D Talk to you soon!

Is it really possible? I didn't realize how much I rely on the internet on a daily basis until.....we lost our connection for about a day and a half. Not really a long time right? I can't even tell you how many times I sat down at the computer to........look up a great fish recipe for dinner, check my email, send a birthday e-card, track my WW points, look up the cause of inner ear infections, check the weather at the beach, leave a message for a friend on Facebook, turn in my layout assignment that was due YESTERDAY, and many...many....many more things! I just realized how much this virtual world has opened up for us! Especially us stay at home mom's who just don't get out that much! And really how much money does it save on buying cook books, stamps, magazines...not to mention the phone bill! Who needs to call when you can MSN. Anyway just my little muse about the world wide web.....am I crazy? Wait, don't answer that! :D

Well I think I'm about done with blog redecorating! The only issue I'm having is with the background fitting all screen resolutions...it looks great on my screen, but it seems people with bigger monitors are seeing a white border....bummer! I know there has to be a way to fix it! If you know a secret HTML code...clue me in! Anyway....off to bed now, and a real post tomorrow! :D

You know.....being a digital scrapbooker, I can't be fully satisfied with anything until it's been sufficiently scrapped! So a lot of prayer and a few tutorials later, I'm getting closer to my version of a blog! It would really help if I spoke HTML....but I will not give up! I'll be working on the side bars tomorrow.....pray for me! I need all the hair I have! :D PS.....did I mention this is fun? Oh....and there are more credits to be posted for the supplies used too....but now I need to go to bed!

We have been so blessed with fabulous weather.....well for the south that is! Every year around this time we gather at the "top of the hill" at church to play and fellowship after lunch on Sundays. It's what I look forward to all week. All the kids descend upon the sand pile and go bug and lizard hunting. There is volleyball for the athletic (not me) and lots of visiting for all the mommies! Oh, and how could I forget the "New Hope Internet Cafe" for all the guys? They all congregate in the Musician's room in the church where there is a coffee machine and wireless Internet, we usually don't see them till it's time to go home! I usually get home with very filthy, very tired, but very happy children. Sometimes it just doesn't seem real that we get to live in such a wonderful place and call such wonderful people our friends. Really it's more like family

A lot has happened since I posted last, and to tell you the truth it was just to painful to post blow by blow. I think everyone that has ever been pregnant has thought about miscarriage. You don't think about it much, and you certainly don't ever expect it will happen to you.

I experienced some strange symptoms almost 3 weeks ago. I didn't think much of them at the time, but Steven insisted that I go see Michelle my midwife. I really went just to satisfy him, not really thinking anything was wrong. When I got there Michelle couldn't find the baby's heart beat. We hadn't heard it at our previous appointment either, but it was still a little early at that point. This time however we should have heard it loud and clear. She sent me up for an ultrasound trying not to alarm me to much, I had a feeling what was going on though. The ultrasound lady didn't say a word the whole time, and I didn't see that tell tale flutter on the screen. When I went back down to see Michelle she gave me the news. The baby had no heart beat. It only measured 8 weeks and I was then about 10.5 weeks pregnant. She comforted me and told me how common it really was for this to happen, I was to much in shock to really comprehend what was going on. She told me we had two options, one was to have a D&C where they surgically remove the fetus, and the other was to wait for my body to do it on it's own, both of which have risks associated with them. I made the decision to wait for my body to do what the Lord designed it to do. Michelle told me she would give me two weeks and after that it became dangerous for me to wait any longer and I would have to come in for the D&C.

I was totally in shock, Steven was out of town on business. I called him and he really comforted me and made arrangements to come home that evening. I told the girls what had happened when I got home, there was no hiding that something was wrong. They took it hard and I found it hard to comfort them when I didn't know how to feel myself. It was a church night, but being so raw I just couldn't bring myself to go to church. Steven went over at the end of the service and the church prayed for us. It blessed me so much when Brother Shelley came by to pray for us. He said that he had told the Lord that he was willing to be the voice of Resurrection if that would be the Lord's perfect will and I appreciated that so much. You see I was ready to believe for a miracle, but at the same time it is to late of an hour to question why the Lord would allow certain things to happen, and the last thing I want to do is to pray against his sovereign will in these last days. I praise God for a pastor that is sensitive to the spirit. If the Lord wanted to take this baby home, I was ready and willing to surrender my will for His. That whole night the chorus to this song ran through my head almost as a prayer.

It's all about you Jesus, And all this is for you
For your glory and your fame
It's not about me, as if you should do things my way
for you alone are God and I surrender to your ways

The time fast approached when I was going to have to schedule a D&C, I was scared and frustrated at the same time. I really wanted the Lord to take care of things not the Dr and the hospital. If I had to go through this I wanted to do in in the comfort of my own home. When Tuesday came and nothing had happened, I called Michelle to see if she would give me more time. She said sometimes your body just won't do it and it was time for me to schedule the D&C. I trust Michelle and I know she wants whats best for me. So I told her I would call and make an appointment the next day. That morning I just felt I needed one more day, so I waited, I was so disappointed by that night when nothing had happened, but I was blessed when early the next morning it happened naturally. The Lord was really with me and it wasn't nearly as bad as I was expecting. I had already spent so much time grieving that I was just so relieved that this part was over, I felt that now I could go on with life and the grieving process. My body can heal and so can my heart.

Through this all I have had such awesome friendship, prayers, and support from so many places. I'd just like to thank my family for all the prayers, phone calls, and love.....My church family for checking on me, sharing personal experiences, praying and seeking the Lord on my behalf and loving me.....and my awesome friends at Scrap Girls. I can't believe the messages, emails, and phone calls I received. The openness and personal, painful stories that were shared with me, I have learned and it's so true....there is prophetic power in a testimony....it's just incredible. There are not words to describe how I feel about all that has been done for me and my family during this time, and the word thank you just doesn't seem sufficient. God bless all of you.

I know this has been a very long post, but I think it has been part of the healing process. Now I feel like I can go on. We will be seeking the will of the Lord on trying for another baby. It is the desire of my heart, but I only want His perfect will and timing. Please continue to pray for us.

I'd like to share a song with you that one of my friends at Scrap Girls shared with me. She said it comforted and ministered to her during her time going through this same thing. And it blessed me more than she will ever know.

Well to say the least life has been a bit crazy for the past few weeks. For one thing....and the biggest thing, we started school. It really has been going well though. Kendra is taking Spanish over at the Greeley's house. Joyce is an awesome Spanish teacher, so she has Charity, Kendra, Emily and Brother Greeley.... her most challenging student I'm sure! So she goes over there in the morning and then back home to finish her day. So far the grades have been good, and I think she really has a good mindset this year to finish well. Lena is hanging in there.....she really doesn't like school. It's kind of a struggle with her on a daily basis, but she gets it done. Praise God the twins aren't in school yet!

Which leads me to the second big event.....am I crazy???

Anyway, think the word has made it around, is that the Lord is blessing us with baby #5!! I'm due March 21st. So please pray for an uneventful, healthy pregnancy and of course a healthy baby! I know everyone has the question will this one be a boy?? Well we won't know the answer to that question till the end of October, but it will be here before we know it! And as soon as I have any kind of ultrasound photos I'll post them here for you all to see!

I've been feeling a little yucky, been taking naps almost daily.... but that part should be over soon and I hope to be posting more regularly!

About a week ago we found out that because the crook that broke into our house denied the whole thing of course (he just got the machine from some guy in the walmart parking lot...ya right) they were only going to be able to charge him with possession of stolen property. A slap on the wrist really. We were pretty disgusted, but then Steven got a call from the sheriff's office and it turned out that the guy's girlfriend came in and confessed to the whole thing, she was driving the truck that night apparently. So they then had enough evidence to charge him with breaking an entering, a felony charge because of the value of the machine. As if that wasn't good enough......he then confessed to the whole thing too!!! Can you believe it! That is just God!! He confessed that he sold my laptop to some lady for $90.00 so it's pretty much gone forever, and he left the rest of the stuff in his hotel room so there is a chance we could get that back, but we haven't heard anything yet. I do miss my laptop something awful, but the Lord knows! I am just so thankful that he was caught and will be prosecuted for the crime he committed. It's so rare that things turn out this way! He has a drug problem, that's why he broke in in the firs place, he needed money. I really hope he gets help. I do forgive him and I know that the Lord can deliver him. So all in all a happy ending to the crazy story!

Well after a crazy week of Camp Meeting/Conference I am just getting a chance to sit down and tell y'all what's been up.

The first night of our camp meeting Paul Keith was preaching on the justice of God and taking things back from the enemy that have been stolen in our lives. It was a masterpiece! Well that night we got home and found our home had been broken into and Steven's machine among a few other things had been stolen. Talk about putting what you have just learned into practice! We immediately went to the Lord in prayer, coming before the Ancient of Days, the Just Judge asking for a judgment in our favor. Asking for the return of our machine and restitution (Pro 6:31 But [if] he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.) A lot happened that week, the whole church took this event as an attack on all of us. They interceded with us for the return of our belongings and the restoration of peace in our home. Long story short.....the thief was caught with the machine trying to pawn it. The police restored the machine to us. The first night was a little rough, but there has been so much peace since. The girls haven't lost any sleep and have hardly talked about it. Our other belongings haven't been found and the police said he probably traded the other things directly to the drug dealers. But I believe that restitution will be made, whatever form it comes in, the enemy owes it to us.

I have never before had so much faith that the Lord was going to do what he said. I was so sure that no one was going to talk me out of it. I knew that we would have the machine back. I praise God and give him all the glory. He is the just judge. If this was just another mile stone of learning in our lives I am thankful. What an awesome opportunity for the girls to see the Lord at work too. I do miss the laptop, that was stolen too. I have little hope of it's return, but maybe we'll get a better one. I have been wishing for a Macbook Pro! Why not right?

Thankyou to all my family and friends who joined in the prayer and intercession in this situation!

But as for you, ye thought evil against me; [but] God meant it unto good......Gen 50:20

This was a valuable lesson in claiming and standing on the word of God. The rest of Campmeeting was precious and I am just beginning to understand what was acomplished. To God Be The Glory!

It is always amazing to me the charge that is in the air the first meeting of Summer Camp. The saints gathered from all over the world in this little place expecting the Lord to do great things and He always meets us. It's such an intense time of worship, warfare, and learning. When the week is over I am both relieved and saddened. I am so blessed to have men of God that seek Him for a timely message for us. It is always exactly what I need at the time.

There is so much going on in the spirit right now, it seems so unsettled. When things are like this it makes me anticipate even more what the Lord is going to do. I know by the end of the week I will have taken another giant leap forward in the spirit. It's scary in a way, because I know it's not going to be easy.....or maybe it will. But I have to have it. I will have it.

If you would like to join us either in person or via live stream webcast click HERE for more information, the conference schedule, and registration information. I am expecting great things.

Something that Bro. Enzo said in the worship service Tuesday night really hit me like a ton of bricks. He said, it's all about worship, in order to have that intimate relationship that we want with the Lord...to go to that higher place with Him....We need to spend time in worship. It's what we are made to do. Worship is us returning to Him the love he has given to us. It's so simple. It's not about our works......did I read my Bible today, did I listed to a cd, did I play music.......all those things are important, but they follow worship. When we have that intimate realationship with the Lord, then all those things and more follow naturally. So we need to get our eyes off all the things we can do for God and start spending some time in His presence.

It's funny when we know something in our mind, or we have learned something, like book knowledge or head knowledge......It's just awesome when the Lord shines a light on it and it becomes so real. It's hard to put into words for other people what the Lord has revealed to you. There is nothing more precious than a revelation from Him.

On Sunday evenings PBS has been showing Jane Austin movies. Being a family with 5 girls, we have been in our glory! But watching it in parts just wasn't getting it! So last Sunday Angela borrowed the Pride and Prejudice DVD from April and we watched the WHOLE movie! It was so fun! With Angela, Me and all the girls there were 9 of us watching.....if you include Ellie! Of course Kary and Steven had to quickly find something more masculine to do.....Golf.

So for the past week all the girls have been sporting an English accents and names like Jane and Lizzie. I love their imaginations! So this Sunday......I think maybe we'll watch Emma. I see the beginning of a great tradition in the Valente house! (dont' tell Steven)

Do you remember these?? I saw it when I was grocery shopping the other day and I had to bring it home for the girls! They had a blast! The twins won't slide on their tummies, but they still love it. We put some dish soap on it the other day and Lena is so light, she went sliding off the end! It was great! Steven even tried it! And now he and Kary have a great idea to make a giant one out of black plastic used for construction, dig a hole and line it with plastic to land in, and of course a gallon of baby shampoo! How much you wanna bet they do it?? You can be sure that I'll have pictures and video!!

I just got around to scrapping these photos, but I thought they were too cute. The girls are always up to something and this day I looked out the back door to see them with their umbrella and all having a picnic in the yard. Just thought I'd share!! 

Hope has a voice. When we had Shabbat this week, Bonita played another one of her "games" with us. I like to tease her, but she has this way of making you think and go deeper. I appreciate it so much, I need to be pushed to do things like that, it defiantly is out of my comfort zone. She used the phrase "hope has a voice" and asked us what the Lord had done personally in our lives that we could minister to others? She said that you can't give what you don't have. The most powerful thing you could minister to someone is what the Lord has done for you. 

Steven just found out that he won't be getting the tile job in HUGE house he just bid. It was going to be a really good job and provide for us for a lot of the summer. We both have perfect peace about it, but it just makes us wonder what the Lord is up to?? I know He has a plan, but sometimes it's hard to wait around and wonder what it is! So he has been working an ABS special and trying to get some ultrasounding lined up. Maybe we'll get some tile calls too. Somethings up in the heavenlies! 

I just uploaded this page to my Scrapgirls Gallery but I thought I'd share here too. I loved these photos! This is of Lena doing some laundry at the tent town during the "diggin's" in Columbia National Park. The kids had a blast! I hope we make it back again sometime!