MY Blessing Child

All children are a blessing, yet so many parents take them for granted or treat them as an inconvenience. I myself have been guilty of this. Never have I treasured my “Mommy Moments” more, than I have since the loss of my third baby. I have found myself losing perspective many times over the past few years but when I think of Faolan, I am reminded that one cannot chose who gets to stay or who gets to leave  this world. Jesus is the giver and taker of life. And even though I don’t understand his thoughts or reasons, I know that he wants what’s best for me. I have seen it over and over again since that day three years ago. Even though he took my baby, he gave me a constant reminder of his blessings. My daughter.

Now, every time she wants to sit on my lap or read a book, I find myself stopping to spend time with her. I  take the time to ‘play’ because I can. Nothing else is more important than investing in the lives of the three little people under my care. I don’t deserve her but I am so thankful that God saw fit to give me a blessing, a rainbow, to remind me of his grace despite my unworthiness.

I have learned to be kinder with my words to those who have suffered loss, infertility or those struggling through a trial. I have learned to re-think the cliche phrases that society throws at us in our time of pain. I have both said them and have been on the receiving end. But most importantly, I have learned to pray for those experiencing these types of pain. Although we can’t take the hurt away in a single phrase, laced with sympathy, I can pour out my heart to the Creator, the only one who understands and can heal the cracked pieces of a Mother’s heart.

So today, Ponder your blessings!

Creating The Layout

Inspiration

I have started a new art journal centered around my daughter. I have not made a single piece of art for her to-date and she just turned two, so I decided it was time. Since I love using photographs in my art journals I thought, “Why not use my daughter?”

The Process

The pages were torn from a journal of handmade paper with flowers pressed into the pages. This paper takes paint beautifully and I am loving how it doesn’t wrinkle or shrink quite as much as papers that I have previously worked with. I am thinking that I will not return the pages to their original binding but will instead think of something else when the time comes. I know, I am procrastinating again.

I used Lindy’s sprays in the background as well as PaperArtsy Infusions. I stenciled the Lacy Lotus Repeat Stencil by StencilGirl and colored it in using Distress Paint. I also stenciled a checkerboard stencil and embossed it. The background has been stamped with a Chevron by Unity Stamps.

The photo is one of the first’s that I have taken of my daughter. I used some fabric scraps, chipboard, thread and stamps to embellish.

Kate

Challenges Entered:

Simon Says Wednesday: Sparkle and Shine

More Mixed Media Challenge: Anything Goes (Optional Yellow)

Mixed Media World: Anything Goes (Spring)

(Crows Nest Copper, Wake Me Up Before You Go Gold- Retired)