URGENT- PRAY FOR CHARLIE

More details later.
In Him,
E

Beautiful Jobe

Beautiful, sweet baby Jobe Sydney. Tiny but strong.

My newest nephew born December 28th (his mommy and daddy's anniversary:).

The details of his entrance into the world are a bit scarey, but my sister is feeling better today and is working on healing.

Please, join me in praying for our angel.

The pediatrician has some concerns about the bones in his head.

He is being watched and "they" will discuss further treatment (if any:)

at the end of the week before discharge.

Our God is THE Healer and has mighty plans for our Jobe.

He is perfect in every way.

In Him,

E

Free Chic-fil-A Biscuit

Happy Monday! Just wanted to pass this deal along, but YOU MUST REGISTER TONIGHT! Sorry for the late notice. Visit here to receive your coupon for the new spicy chicken biscuit. We love Chic-fil-A!
In Him,
E

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JESUS!!

Merry Christmas!

For some of you, sharing this on such a day of celebration may be odd, but I think it is the perfect day. This is indeed a time of celebrating the ONE TRUE KING and ALL He stands for. The day would be incomplete if we did not remember the orphans. My heart breaks over and over. I cannot wait for the day that He uses our family again- what an honor that will be!!

Praying love over each of you this glorious Christmas season!

In Him,

E

Favorite Christmas Songs

Just a very small sampling of what you may hear ringing through our house each Christmas season. MERRY CHRISTMAS!
In Him,
E

UPDATE ON BABY BOY!!

HIS FAMILY HAS FOUND HIM!! PRAISE THE LORD!

Merry Christmas, sweet angel!

In Him,

E

URGENT NEED- FAMILY FOR NEWBORN!!

Only moments ago I received an email about a treasure (you will find a copy of the email below). I received the first email about this little guy a few days ago. Evidently, a family committed to him but has since had to back out of the adoption. PLEASE, pray that his forever family will come forward quickly. If that family might be yours, email the address listed at the bottom of this email. Pray for this angel to have a family waiting to love him FOREVER this Christmas.

Also, the adoption will be handled by an attorney chosen by the adoptive family meaning NO agency is currently involved. What does this mean? #1- Fees will be MUCH less than a "typical" adoption. #2- Fees MAY be negotiated due to the nature of the situation and the little one's special needs. (that part it total speculation on my part:)

Allow me quickly to review his situation. He has myelomeningocele spina bifida, which is considered to be the most serious of the types of spina bifida. Spina bifida results in complications and difficulties that are almost entirely physical in nature, such as partial paralysis, urinary and/or fecal incontinence, and scoliosis; children with spina bifida develop normally with respect to their cognitive abilities. The only complication of spina bifida that can result in cognitive delays or difficulties is hydrocephalus. The doctors involved have seen no sign of hydrocephalus so far, but they are going to monitor him closely after he is born so that they would be able to treat it in time. He is expected to remain in the hospital for 1-2 weeks after birth.

Because the birth family has already been severely disappointed once already, we are asking each of you to consider this baby's situation very, very carefully. He needs a family urgently, as he is to be born in just nine days. Time is of the essence right now, and so any family interested in adopting him needs to have several pieces in place before they can even be considered for placement. Here are the things that we are looking for:

1. The adoptive family has to have a completed, domestic home study that approves them to adopt a newborn with a special need (such as spina bifida). We initially said that a family who could have a home study completed by the 30th could be considered, but that is no longer the case. With the holidays fast approaching and the ever-present possibility for difficulties in updating paperwork, families can only be considered for this boy if their home study is already finished and current.

2. The adoptive family needs to be aware of the potential complications of myelomeningocele spina bifida. I have outlined some of those above, but we ask that any interested families do their own research and pray about the potential impact on their families. He needs a family to love him, care for him, and advocate for him in situations where he cannot speak for himself, including his medical needs.

3. The adoptive family must be available to be in Columbus on December 27th for the birth of their son, and then to remain in the hospital with him for the duration of his stay, which is expected to last 1-2 weeks.

4. The birth parents would prefer to have an open adoption, although their primary concern is that this baby be placed with a family who will love him and care for him.

If, after prayer and serious consideration, you feel prepared to move forward with his adoption, please submit a family profile and picture to sb-ohio-baby-boy@theshepherdscrook.org. Please join us in praying for this little one, that God would bring his family forward soon.

In Him,
E

What's left

This is it. All I have left. Can I hear a thunderous applause?!?! I had signs coming out of my ears and though I love doing them, I am so glad they are out of my house!!

The following signs can be shipped tomorrow. The price under each sign is the total cost including priority shipping. I MUST have your order and payment by 8pm EST TODAY in order for shipping to take place tomorrow (Saturday)!! Email me at nogreatergiftmom@yahoo.com to claim your sign.:)

I've heard from so many people who have ordered or received a sign that say the pictures just don't do them justice. I can't seem to get them right and will be working on that over the next few weeks. So, if you don't believe me, believe those who now have signs when they say the colors are so vibrant and the signs SO big! I can send you references if you really need them.:)

"shine" $50

"serve" $50

"kneel" $52

"crazy love" $65

"mercy" $50

"eat" $37

"freedom" $65

"miracle" $62

"america" $65

In Him,
E

Announcement

Okay, I know I'm a slacker and the first step to recovery is admission, right? We've had so much going on here and not a whole lot all at the same time.....which seems to always keep me busier!

My announcement? It's funny because since I wrote that I've felt as if I'm being stalked. And while some of you have sent me emails and others have called (Mom, threatening me.....out of love, of course!:), I must admit that it's nothing as grand and HUGE as you must think.

GLASSES!!

Now, I'd love your "Mom experiences and thoughts" on this. His prescription is pretty strong- 350+ (mine is 175- and I feel as if I'm almost blind without my glasses or contacts). That means he is farsighted. His Pediatric Opthamologist performed test after test to check his eyesight on 2 different occasions before moving forward with the glasses. My concern is that while I have no doubt he has some vision issues as well as strabismus, how do we know that's really his prescription? He was exploring and progressing just fine without them and seems to be doing the same with them (not necessarily better). We've seen no immediate change/improvement in any area.

So, your thoughts and bits of wisdom are appreciated. What's the right thing to do? Glasses or no glasses? Now or wait?

In Him,

E

These days....

....this is my view. Just look at that face- what in the world?!?! But it's the face we get every time he sees the camera come out. Weird. He looks like he is in pain, but oh no. He begins cackling after every shot.

Can I say that I am afraid? Afraid of what the days ahead of me might hold? I never had these thoughts with the girls, but they never crawled into the bathroom just to lick the toilet bowl scrubber either. Did I just say that out loud?! Oh yes!! He DID! Moving on...

He is everywhere these days and we can hardly keep up!

Christmas came last Friday when my friend, Danielle, stopped by "with a few toys for Charlie". Uh huh. TOY EXPLOSION in our family room!! Thank you, Danielle, for thinking of our guy and blessing us! I think maybe he loves them.:)

And there it is again- that goofy smile.

Stay tuned for an announcement tomorrow...

In Him,

E

Zulily

Just wanted to let you in on a wonderful discount site I discovered recently that offers infant, children and womens items up to 70% off retail. Zulily carries some wonderful, unique everyday items as well as gifts. We're talking toys, clothes, Melissa and Doug, maternity clothes, baby equipment, shoes, accesories, etc, etc, etc.

Check out the site here and join for free! By joining, you will receive daily emails listing new deals. It reminds me of Groupon but the deals last for much longer- usually around 10 days. What you see here is such a tiny sampling of the items you will find!

In Him,

E

Time4Learning

Disclosure-
I've been invited to try Time4Learning for one month in exchange for a candid review. My opinion will be entirely my own, so be sure to come back and read about my experience. Time4Learning can be used as an online homeschooling curriculum, a web based afterschool tutorial or an online summer program. Find out how to write your own curriculum review for Time4Learning.

In Him,
E

The winner is...

Maggie!

Due to privacy issues, I will not be posting Maggie's story submission to our "Give It Away". I will tell you that she is a strong lady who has overcome more than I can even wrap my mind around and continues to PRAISE HIM!! Her story and her life have changed mine. Thank you for allowing me to hear.
In Him,
E

LAST DAY!

Good morning, lovely people! Just a reminder that today is the LAST DAY to order a sign with guaranteed Christmas delivery. After today I'm hanging up my scissors for a while in exchange for a cup of hot chocolate and a little person's hand. I will complete custom orders already placed, then take a break. My kiddos and husband are ready to have me and our basement family room back.:) And my hand needs time to heal.

If you would like to order a sign that is still listed as not "**sold**" in this post, please let me know before 8pm EST TODAY!! I have a show tomorrow and any unsold signs I have on hand are heading to the show. The already made signs ordered and paid for today will be shipped Monday morning.

If you are interested in ordering a custom sign today or an already made sign, email me before 8pm EST at nogreatergiftmom@yahoo.com.

We are SO grateful for the generosity that so many have shown us. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

In Him,
E

Truth

Today is World AIDS Day. Get the facts. HIV is not what society fears it is.
In Him,
E

DEADLINE THIS FRIDAY!!

Just a gentle reminder that if you are thinking about ordering a Sign of Faith and want it in time for Christmas, the time is NOW! All orders received by THIS FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3rd, are guaranteed for Christmas delivery (email me nogreatergiftmom@yahoo.com)! And I do have a limit on how many orders I will accept between now and then. Just keep that in the back of your mind. I am not going to take away precious time snuggling little ones under the Christmas tree to make signs this season. These treasured moments will be gone all too soon.

And thank you for your stories. I am lovin' reading them all.:)
In Him,
E

Give It Away...I Need Your Stories

**Please, read all the way to the end and let's be blessed together!**

You all have succeeded in knocking our socks off, and we stand in awe. In just over 2 weeks, enough signs have been ordered so that we are now over $1,000 closer to our angel!! Crazy, people! Now you see why I had to climb out from under the mounds of signs and why I am drinking caffeine by the gallons. I make every sign by hand and have the blisters to show it. But it is a labor of love and the time I spend creating these signs for each of you allows me to pray and think about how AWESOME OUR GOD IS!!

During this time I have heard Him say it over and over...."GIVE IT AWAY." Um...excuse me? Give what away?! Don't you realize we are trying to earn money to bring home another treasure? And so, I continued to seek His guidance. Then it came to me. Give it away. I am so blessed every time someone sends me their story along with a sign order. What starts out as simple letters on a piece of wood turns into something beautiful when I read these stories. I am blessed every time, and I want to "GIVE IT AWAY".

I want to hear your stories or those of people close to you. I want others to be blessed by these stories. And I want to bless you or someone you love. Stories of triumph. Of love. Of beauty from ashes. Of sacrifice.

There are only 2 way that I can't think of to do this-

1. Simply leave me a comment including your story written out or a link to it.

2. Email me your story (nogreatergiftmom@yahoo.com) with permission to publish it here.

I need stories by THIS SATURDAY because Sunday afternoon we will GIVE IT AWAY! We will pray over each and every story and choose a winner of a custom sign! A sign that will SHOUT God's never ending love and grace for them.

Please, join us in our December "GIVE IT AWAY!" that God kept whispering in my ear. Feel free to share this post with others so that we may all be blessed by stories of hope this Christmas season.

In Him,

E

We have a winner!!

Golly geez! Finally, I've climbed out from under the MOUNDS of signs you all have ordered long enough to have a moment to think and draw a name of a winner for the Rubies and Pearls Sugar Scrub. And the winner is.....

Becky P.!!!

(Becky, I'm sending you an email now)

In Him,

E

The little dark face

I've seen it many times. The little dark face with big, round eyes. They just stare at me. I'm not sure if they stare in wonder or out of desperation, but it doesn't matter why. Those eyes beckon me and cry out. I see them over and over. God shows them to me in my dreams. And that is where they ask me "when?".

What do I say? Do I say, "Not now. I don't have time."? Do I say, "I can't. We don't have the money."? Or is it, "Wait a bit longer. Someone else will come.".

I pray God will give me the right answers. Until then, my tears fall....along with the tears from those beautiful eyes on the little dark face. And oh how I long to tell him- I LOVE YOU.

In Him,

E

Forget Christmas Gifts...

Tears. Oh my heavens tears! Please, join me in praying for sweet Anton. What an angel! He needs a family NOW!

Anton was born with a genetic skin disease called Epidermolysis Bullosa or "EB". Anton lives in pain probably almost constantly. EB causes his skin to blister and literally fall off. He is a twin, but his twin was not born with EB. The healthy twin was taken home with Mommy and Daddy while Anton was left alone in the hospital. He is now an orphan, and his life is what you see in the video combined with excruciatingly painful bandage changes. He does it alone without the comfort of someone who loves him.

I am guilty and get wrapped up (literally!) in giving. I love it! But then God decides that I need a not so gentle reminder, and He whacks! me upside the head with something like this. I need to change my life so it doesn't take such a reminder to get me back on track. This should be my life- not finding the perfect gift, wrapping it just so, spending too many minutes deciding whether or not to send Christmas cards this year. UGH! I can't stand myself at this moment and cannot believe I've let myself drift so far from what truly, TRULY matters.

This little boy matters. HIS LIFE MATTERS! And he needs us. He needs us to pray for him....we are all he has. PLEASE join me. Let's cover this treasure in constant prayer. And please, show his face to everyone. Maybe you know his future family. Follow the links (and click the little "translate" button) to learn more.
In Him,
E

Sugar Goodness by Rubies and Pearls!

I know, I've posted lots lately about my signs. Thank you for bearing with me as I ask for your support. Today I'm going to advertise about another product that is near and dear to my heart.

Officially introducing...

Rubies and Pearls

all natural sugar scrubs

She is more precious than rubies;

nothing you desire can compare with her.

Proverbs 3:15

I'm so proud! Our middle daughter is officially an entrepreneur. I love my girls' creativity! Earlier this year we hosted a giveaway including one of her "Brown Sugar Vanilla Scrubs". Brown Sugar Vanilla is heavenly and leaves skins feeling absolutely delicious! For my dry skin, it has been a staple. At a show she recently participated in, someone told her that she just wanted to lick her hands after washing with the scrub. Too funny!

Three different scents are now offered in several sizes- Brown Sugar Vanilla, Rose and Lemon. Our daughter is running 2 specials this week.

1. With every $25 sugar scrub purchase, receive a free, soothing warm/cool rice pack. These packs are perfectly warm for those aching muscles (heated in the microwave) or the exact thing needed for little ones with booboos (cooled in the freezer). I keep one in my freezer for emergencies because they are not so frigid cold that little ones won't keep them on an injury.

2. Scrub Giveaway- With any scrub or sign purchase, your name is entered into a drawing to win a free Rubies and Pearls scrub! So for all of you who have ordered a sign in the past couple of weeks, I will absolutely enter your name in this giveaway. OR spread the word about our Signs of Faith or Rubies and Pearls (blog, email, Facebook, etc) and recieve an entry into the giveaway. So, no purchase even necessary!

Rice packs are $5 each if purchased individually (includes shipping)

Scrubs range from $8-18 depending on size. Just send me an email if you have questions or would like to purchase and I can give you more details- nogreatergiftmom@yahoo.com.

In Him,

E

Ready...Set...Go!

**Update- I am still taking custom orders. To guarantee Christmas delivery, orders MUST be in by December 3rd!**

Please, email me if you are interested in purchasing one of the signs below- nogreatergiftmom@yahoo.com. I will mark *sold* to the first person who emails me requesting a certain sign. Every sign pictured is ready for shipping and will be mailed this Saturday. Price and dimension information is listed under the first picture of each sign.


And the "s" word- shipping. I detest it and detest it even more than I have to share shipping costs with you lovely people. I want nothing more than to send each of you a treasure at not cost really, but that would negate the entire reason I work into the wee hours of the morning and drink caffeine by the gallons. :)

I'm not sure if it's my camera or my computer but the colors I'm seeing just aren't true and look a little wacky. I want to assure you that the colors are bold and vibrant on most signs and truly just pop!


Again, thank you for the outpouring of support for our family. I can't wait to share more about our next angel rockin' a little something extra!! I wish I could hug each of you!


In Him,
E

**SOLD**

"abide" 26 inches long x 9 inches tall

$35 + $8 shipping

**SOLD**

"forever" 33 1/2 inches long x 9 inches tall

$45 + $8 shipping

"miracle" 32 inches long x 9 inches tall

$45 + $12 shipping

**SOLD**
"welcome" 36 inches long x 9 inches tall $45 + $12 shipping

**SOLD**

"believe" 32 1/2 inches long x 9 inches tall
$45 + $12 shipping

**SOLD**

"be still" 33 inches long x 9 inches tall

$45 + $12 shipping

**SOLD**

"i am" 18 inches long x 9 inches tall

$25 + $8 shipping

**SOLD**

"love" 20 1/2 inches long x 9 inches tall

$35 + $10 shipping

"believe" 32 1/2 inches long x 9 inches tall

$45 + $12 shipping

"america" 35 1/2 inches long x 9 inches tall $45 + $12 shipping











"kneel" 25 inches long x 9 inches tall
$35 + $10 shipping

**SOLD**

"home" 27 inches long x 9 inches tall

$35 + $10 shipping

"shine" 25 inches long x 9 inches tall

$35 + $10 shipping

"crazy love" 43 inches long x 9 inches tall

$45 + $12 shipping

**SOLD**

"blessed" 33 1/2 inches long x 9 inches tall

$45 + $12 shipping

"mercy" 29 1/2inches long x 9 inches tall

$35 + $10 shipping

**SOLD**

"home" 28 1/2 inches long x 9 inches tall

$35 + $10 shipping

**SOLD**

"eat" 17 1/2 inches long x 9 inches tall

$25 + $8 shipping

"eat" 15 1/2 inches long x 9 inches tall

$25 + $8 shipping

"freedom" 38 inches long x 9 inches tall

$45 + $12 shipping

**SOLD**

"home" 28 inches long x 9 inches tall

$35 + $10 shipping

**SOLD**

"eat" 17 1/2 inches long x 9 inches tall

$25 + $8 shipping