This week was incredibly hard for so many good people.  We lost a sweet friend and very new momma!  My dear friend had her sweet baby boy (early) on July 16th and passed away 9 days after giving birth to her beautiful son Timothy.  As I have prayed I have asked God what I can do in her honor over these last few days He placed a special task on my heart.  Today I woke up at 5am thinking about her wake.  Last night as I was walking to the door of her wake I felt the rain begin to trickle down from heaven.  It caught my attention because it has been sunny and hot here for quite some time (this is west Texas so rain is glorious).  I turned away from the front door and looked up.  I noticed a few beautiful things…1) The rainbow…Oh My Goodness it was beautiful!  2) I noticed a heart through the clouds! Due to these few things my (mother) heart was so incredibly overwhelmed! I felt not only the presence of God but the presence of my dear friend.

Today in her memory and honor of her husband and new son I would like to give away nine photo-shoots “Glitter Shoots”!

Why nine?  My sweet friend Casaundra was able to set her eyes on her son and feel the immense love that a mother has for her baby for nine days. There are so many things that are heartbreaking about the loss of my sweet friend and I cannot express to you the fight I have had in me to focus on those things over the past several days.  I refuse to let bitterness win.  I  refuse to side with darkness.  I want to celebrate Casaundra’s life and the new (life) she loved so very much during those short nine days. She called me and asked me to pray for this sweet baby boy.  She specifically asked me to “be praying that he grows stronger and stronger”.  Those were her exact words!

Why Glitter?  One of my friends Sarah Elizabeth Turner calls the joyful things in life “Life Glitters”! Isn’t that just a beautiful picture!  I want to celebrate the LIFE of my friend and the LIFE of her baby boy!  I want to capture nine life glitters in her honor!  Just as her sweet Timothy was her little life glitter I am reminded how much GLITTER my little ones bring to me! Timothy means Honoring God!  Isn’t that Beautiful!!!  Casaundra Washington I honor God today by honoring you sweet friend!

HOW: Nominate a MOM who glitters in life!  Message me via email at stephanie@simplyencourage.com! I will choose NINE moms and will do portraits of them and their family or just the life glittering “kiddos”…whatever brings mom the most glitter! These moms will be chosen in nine days!  August 10, 2015! This is to celebrate life, ALL life!  ANY mom can be nominated or her family can be nominated in her memory if she is no longer with us on earth! There is no age limit…lets face it…they will always be our KIDDOS no matter how old they get!!!  Please remember a mom who glitters life is not a translation for perfect mom!  It means someone who sees or was able to see the joy in life no matter the trials this life brings!  Make sure you include an example of this in your nomination email!

Father, I pray this baby boy grows STRONGER in body, mind, and spirit!  I pray that Timothy grows STRONGER in YOU! I pray he will know the Love of his mother through feeling the presence and love of you!  I pray that he never feels void because he is loved so well both by biological family and many brothers and sisters in Christ!  Father bless him with health as he journeys through life!  I pray strength to make healthy decisions in the face of temptation.  Father I pray you give this special boy courage and boldness to be a brave leader!  Father I pray as temptation comes to his family to feel bitter or to struggle with sorrow that you would replace the bitterness with JOY and help them to see YOU in this!  I pray Strength to walk in the Valley as it deepens and to shine every step of the way.  I pray for many mountain top experiences along the way to encourage Timothy!  Father I pray that you would help this sweet boy to excel in school and to make the best of all circumstances in life.  I claim victory over his life.  Father I pray for Timothy’s daddy.  I pray you will give him the strength to rise up and walk with you during this incredible struggle and immense pain!  I pray as baby Timothy is released from the hospital today that you would give his daddy a glimpse of you and that he is overwhelmed with JOY!!!  Father give them “Life Glitters”!   Father RIGHT NOW I am asking for you to touch the hearts of ALL of baby Timothy’s family members and bond them (both biological and through marriage) together in her absence.   I pray the enemy does not gain access to this sweet family.  Strength comes from you LORD!  I pray you take over and strengthen all of us in our weakness.  I pray all of this in Jesus name! Amen.

Thank you for helping me honor my friend by sharing this post and nominating a mom!

Love, Steph

http://www.simplyencourage.com

stephanie@simplyencourage.com