updates and blessings

These past few weeks have been crazy for our family and I have been trying to write this post for a few days now, feeling like I want to share a tiny glimpse into our world because I love to share here with my readers but it's feeling difficult to know how to do so fully. So bear with me or skip over this post if you want I promise to have more creative fun stuff here in the near future!

I have fallen pretty behind on several exciting collaborations in the works and my inbox is a nightmare but we've had so many things vying for attention and so I have been working on being present with my family fully when I need to be and have let the to do list pile up a bit.

Our littlest guy had some routine surgery a little over a week ago and he has been recovering really well from that (praise Jesus) and our two middle children have celebrated birthdays - lots of full life happening...but nothing could have prepare me for the crazy day we had this past week when our 18 month old took a nasty spill early in the morning and ended up needing to be rushed to two different hospitals throughout the day. It was a day for the books full of tests and scans and worrying that stopped me in my tracks and has centered my heart more clearly on the most important things in this most fragile life.

Zeb is going to make a full recovery with only a dramatic concussion - a diagnosis I do not take lightly and a true blessing from above! But the events of this week really rocked me to my core seeing your child in danger is so very gut wrenching. But the most incredible gift through it all was the body of Christ rallying around our family during the time we were at the hospital. The text messages and phone calls and prayer chains, the warm meals that friends brought over that night, the tears of joy that baby Zeb is totally fine...those things "wrecked my heart for good" as I put on Instagram.

The night before the accident Chris and I sat at our kitchen table talking about prayer and spiritual warfare. About all that God is doing around us - the things God is calling us to. He read a few scriptures over me that a friend of his shared with him, specifically for my heart. For some personal things I have been battling through from my childhood over the past 3.5 years. We talked about the future and Chris's job at the Union Gospel Mission here in Seattle and his heart for joining all the hands of the local churches to come together and serve our city and the poorest of the poor in tangible ways.

And during the ordeal on Wednesday we talked more about how amazing it is that through trials and attacks love suddenly floods to the center of all relationships. The silly differences and quips, the things that really don't matter at all but keep us from being close to one another - they fly out the window and we cling to each other in hope. I have a new view on trauma, on inner trauma on the things we battle silently each day. How would we treat each other if we knew what was going on on the inside for our friends. Would we reach out differently? Would we love one another and listen more intentionally would we cast off our own need for acknowledgements and hurts in order to embrace one another in our humanity?

Oh Jesus thank you for protecting our family once again I know that so often hard things happen and a happy ending is not always the way, so for that I am so deeply grateful to God that he allowed us to smile again when Zeb made the "meow" noise at the silly stuffed animal the hospital brought him. And the "cheers" he gave grandma and grandpa with his bottle when we brought him home! But feeling deeply more and more that I want to lean into my fears and faith and go big - love big - dream big - for this is the only life we have, this is the only today we have and God is a big God so we need to stretch out and have big faith!

I am so hoping to be more present in this space in this coming holiday season. I have a new prompt for this months Ten on Ten to share and lots of fun collaborations too. But you know, life happens and I know for many of you you're battling through tough life right now too. I just want you to know that above all I care about that stuff. As much as I love creating DIY's to share and recipes and giveaways, I actually really care about you and want to be available as much as I can. As I wrote on Instagram I feel so compelled to pray for you if there is something specific on your heart that needs prayer. Don't hesitate to email me and let me know - now I can't promise a quick response but I will try - but know that I do pray to a big God who loves so wildly and deeply and has set us free. I hope you're having a great weekend...I will be back with more soon I promise! xoxo