Owen James

Owen James Cart

Born: May 28, 2010

Lily

Prom 2009

Samantha went to her middle school prom this weekend. So, as promised, here are her pictures!
Doesn't she look pretty? And GROWN UP?

Visitor

Meet Vandy.

He spent a few days with us this week.






Or maybe he spent a few days with Elbie.

Or maybe he spent a few days trying to toughen Elbie up.

But maybe she just isn't a tough dog!

*No, we did not get a new dog, we were dog-siting!

Please pray!!!

As I sit down to write this to night I am completely broken-hearted. My family has only been hit with cancer once, and only because of God, my Grammy is now cancer free. Yesterday, our family was once more attacked by cancer. K was diagnosed with Esophogeal Cancer. As a person who has witnessed miracle after miracle in the blog world since this year started, I am praying and believing that GOD is still in the miracle working business. The same GOD that healed sweet Harper can remove this cancer. I know that He is more than able.
Please pray for my sweet family member, K, and believe with me that our God WILL HEAL HER. Please pray that God give her strength in to deal with what is to come. Pray that her family be assured of God's promises. He will NEVER leave them nor forsake them.

Please pray.

Ephesians 3:14-21
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen

Arbonne orders...

I am SUPER pumped about Arbonne! I went tonight to place my month end numbers, and I may FINALLY qualify for district manager. If you would like to order anything, or know someone who does, please let me know. Call me, email me, or comment on here and leave your information and I will place the order tomorrow. The sooner you let me know, the better. I am so excited! I hope to make it in this business so that I can one day stay home with my family! Just let me know. Thank you!!

Guess who?

Guess who is off all her meds and the ventilator? Guess who is eating? Guess who didn't even have to have a PICC line put it?

Harper Brown Stamps!

Go check her out here:

www.kellyskornerblog.com

Keep praying that her healing continues and that babies in NICUs all over the world be healed. I am absolutely amazed at how God continues to show himself through Harper's precious life to all who have followed this blog!

How GREAT is our God!

Harper is improving day by day. Tonight, she opened her eyes for the first time! All I can say is GOD IS GOOD!

A week ago, this song got stuck in my head, and I have enjoyed it ever since!

Thankful Thursday

**UPDATE: As of this morning, January 23, Harper is at 43% oxygen! PTL!!!!! Keep praying!


I am going to be really honest in this post. It may get long, but I feel like I need to write it all out. I have had doubts about posting this, but feel that God has led me to express these things and I don't want to get in His way anymore.

I have never felt like I am living up to the person God called me to be. I have never been outspoken about my religious views and I have never really carried on a conversation about God. I have always felt embarrassed. I have always believed, but I have always doubted as well. My human mind starts thinking and wants to understand logically how God is real and how can all these things the Bible talks about be true. It is hard to understand any of it. I have recently learned that it is not my job to understand or to make sense of it all. It is my calling to fully trust and believe that God is real. It is my job to have faith that God is real and trust that HE understands everything and that is all that matters.

A few months ago I saw on Kim's website that she had done a painting for a soon arriving (and much anticipated) baby girl, Harper. My first thought was, "animal print? for a baby?" So I went over to check out Kelly's blog (Harper's mom). I was drawn to her story and her personality- but most of all, I think God sent me to that blog for a REASON. Kelly and her husband, Scott, had struggled with infertility for several years and had finally gotten pregnant. I went back to the beginning of her blog and read the whole thing! I have never seen anything negative on it. No matter what situation she blogged about, God's light truly shined through her- something I have never seen so clearly before.

I was raised in a Christian home, I went to a Christian school, I am a Christian and I have been since I was little. But I have never felt like people could see God in me because I never have let him shine through me.

Kelly posted about her pregnancy and even shared all the wonderful girly things she had received and bought for Harper. Her pregnancy was perfect and up until the day she delivered Harper everything seemed perfect. I checked the blog everyday to see whether or not Harper had made her debut. She was a much anticipated little girl! I kept checking throughout the day Friday (January 16) to see if she had arrived. I read late that night that she had in fact arrived, but that she was in critical condition. My first thought was, WHY? How could this happen? How could God let this happen to a family that has expected to meet a healthy little girl and hold her and love on her? I thought- this can't be God- Satan has gotten a hold on this family and is making himself known. Still, not once did Kelly post anything other than she needed our prayers and that they trusted God with their little girl, regardless of what happened.
Harper was born with pneumonia and was flown to Tulsa, OK following her birth while Kelly was still in the hospital to recover. (Harper weighed 9lbs 12 ounces!) Harper was placed on 100% oxygen and the future was not looking good.
Friday night I prayed more than I ever have in my life. I woke up all night long praying for God to heal Harper and to kick Satan out of the way. I have begged and pleaded with God to heal Harper and to breathe life into her little body. Slowly, each day, Harper is progressing.
Last night, Kelly posted and asked us to pray that the doctor could lower her oxygen to 95% and that she would be able to stay there. I again, along with many others all of the world, prayed once more. This time I felt led to pray for God to show himself like he never has before. See, thousands and thousands of people all over this world are praying for Harper and checking for updates everyday. God has an opportunity to show His realness to all of these people. I prayed that he touch Harper and show us that HE is in control and to show the doctors, who expected 95% that HE is the HEALER. And guess what?? HE DID!!!
Kelly posted this morning to tell us all that Harper was down to 77% oxygen!! God has proven that he is the great physician and that HE is at work here. I believe more than ever in the power of prayer and I will always be thankful to Him for leading me to Kelly's blog. I have prayed all week. I have begged God to make Himself known and He has! God is awesome, and I will never doubt him again. I know those are bold words, because I know that Satan will be working harder against me now, but God is on my side and I want him to shine through me.
Praise God for his work in Harper. I am thankful for little Harper's life. What a testimony she will have one day. She is proof that God is still in control.
I said that things "seemed perfect until she was born." They seemed perfect to me until things got bad. But now I believe that this whole process has been according to his perfect plan. I read somewhere once that "God allows what he hates to accomplish what he loves." I didn't get this at first, but it was stuck in my head. No I get it. Completely. God doesn't like for his people to hurt, but he loves for his people to pray to Him and to completely rely on Him. He has allowed this family's pain, knowing they trusted Him enough to get through this trial, in order to bring people closer to Him. It may not be many people- but even if just one person comes closer to God, I know that Kelly and Scott will be forever grateful that God used them for that purpose. That is the kind of followers of Christ they are. I want to be that one.

Prayers Needed!

After several years of trying to start a family, Scott and Kelly Stamps finally welcomed a sweet baby girl, Harper, into the world Friday. Harper is having complications with pneumonia and also some heart trouble. She is in the NICU in Tulsa and desperately needs your prayers. Please pray that God heal this miracle child and that this family would feel HIS love at this time. There are already people praying all over this world for Harper. Please join us.

You can check out Kelly's blog by going here:

www.kellyskornerblog.com


Please lift this precious child up in your prayers. Only God can heal this sweet little girl. I believe that HE can and HE will. HE is able to do more than we could ever imagine.

Update

Here is Elbie after we got home last night. She is doing pretty well today. She is learning quickly how to get around. She slept better last night and is loving all of the attention I'm sure!

Sorry about the picture quality- I took this one with my cell phone.

Prayers, please!

***We are home now and the vet was able to set her bones pretty well. She has a hot pink cast on and it limping around everywhere. She will have to wear the cast for 6 weeks. We will be going to the vet once a week to make sure that everything is healing properly.


Please pray for Elbie today, she has a broken paw and is at the vet getting it set right now. Pray for us that she doesn't need surgery as it would cost $1500! You all know how much I (and Travis) love this pup!!

I can't imagine what it will be like when we have kids... I am already worried sick about our dog!!

Will update later!

Favorite Foto Friday

Small dock in Grand Cayman Island.

I wish I could sit at this dock all day long. Grand Cayman Island has to be one of the most beautiful places on earth.

Wordless Wednesday

Not Me Monday!

So, I am going to try something new this year and participate in Not Me Monday! So here we go:



I do not still have my Christmas tree up while every other Christmas decoration is put up. I am not that lazy.


I have not spent the last two weekends organizing my house and cleaning out closets and drawers because that would mean that I am unorganized and I definately am not.


I did not let 6 loads of clean laundry go unfolded for over a week. Again, I am not that lazy.


I have not stayed up late every night for a week playing in PS and loading my 8,000+ pictures.

I did not purchase a coat for my hopefully future daughter to wear because I fell in love with the one that AC was wearing at Christmas and was not scared that by the time we have children they would no longer make them.

I did not play Wii last weekend until my sides ached so bad that I could have cried! And I did not complain the next morning when my body was still aching!


AND, I definately did not sing karaoke at Uncle Michael's with people watching because that would have been outgoing.


Happy Monday, have a great week!