Happy Memorial Day!

Bits of Grace -End of Another School Year!

This month has been filled with many treasures that want to tuck deep in my heart! The end of each school year is always bittersweet...its the end of one season but the beginning of a new one!

Looking forward to what summer holds!

Please continue to pray and support!

Please keep the Hoffman family in your prayers as they are walking through some of the hardest days. Pray and if you feel led to, donate. 100% of the money goes directly to the family.

For every $1 you donate you get one entry in our drawing to win a free doll, Matilda Jane dress, and more. CLICK HERE for all the details!


 I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. ~ 1 Timothy 2:1, NLT


Thank you sweet friends!

Too Cute...Tuesday!

Here is a picture of our daughter Clara on her first Easter with her BBB kitty.  She is 3 months old:)  Her sister has a scripture lamb and doll:)  Love them! ~Audrey S.


--Oohhh!  She is SO CUTE! 
Thanks for sharing your sweet Clara with us!!


Schools almost out! Starting June 5th, I thought it would be fun to run a series "Too Cute Tuesday...Summertime Fun!" on the blog!


Where do you take your Baby be Blessed dolls in the summer?

The park, pool, a picnic, Grandma's, on Vacation or to VBS?? How about backyard activities...blowing bubbles, playing baseball or sidewalk chalk?

Have fun capturing your babies with their babies this summer or Give your child a camera and have them capture some summertime pictures with their doll/animal.

We will post them on our Too Cute Tuesday post and you will be entered to win a $56 Baby be Blessed gift certificate!

~The only rule is that your photo must include a Baby be Blessed doll. YAY!! Can't wait to see them!!

New Finished Items!

We have some new finished items available on our ETSY page. 

Hope you all are having a beautiful day!

Preschool Graduation!

I know that I've mentioned this probably a thousand times before...but I love this boy! 

We celebrate another year of preschool!

Too Cute...Tuesday!

Carly is in love with her new doll. Her doll was totally designed by her, so it is extra special. We went to the website and I showed her all the dolls. She was immediately drawn to Mary Margaret. She LOVED the braided pigtails, but wanted wave in the hair like Libby. I tried to say "but look at her, she has short hair like you.." Nope, she knew what she wanted. She even wanted dark skin. Next, we went moved on to the scripture. She has been singing "This Little Light" in preschool and also for our church choir. So we talked about Matthew 5:16, "let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." That was the one. She knew next came the name. Then I showed Carly her name in all kinds of fonts. It was fun for her to see her name on the patch. She watches me make scripture patches for the dolls and she always asks "who's name is that?" Then I had an idea, why not have her write her own name for the doll. I scanned it in and designed it and she loved it.

She kind of forgot about her doll for awhile until Tina called asking about clothes. We knew her doll would be coming soon. The day it arrived we picked up her older brother from Middle school and we pulled in the driveway, there was the box. Carly dashed out of the car and got her new baby. She is SO proud that she wrote her own name. She has taken it just about everywhere and showed everyone. I love that we will have a treasured reminder of her precious 5 year old writing. 
 
~Laura
 
 {Please scroll to the bottom of page and pause blog music}



I'm sooo in love!  Thanks for sharing this special moment with us! I rarely see the other side of opening the gift so it is so very precious to watch her! Love you Carly!

Thanks so much for all you do, Laura!

Give a Blessing

 On July 23rd 2008, Carley Hoffman was diagnosed with high risk, stage four Neuroblastoma. Neuroblastoma is a childhood disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the nerve tissue of the adrenal gland, neck, chest, or spinal cord.  She went through 6 rounds of high dose chemotherapy, 4 surgeries, an experimental phase 1 stem cell transplant, 12 days of external radiation, 5 rounds of antibody therapy, and 6 rounds of Accutane therapy.

In December of 2008, Carly became one of our very first Give a Blessing recipients.  She was three years old at the time and their family just celebrated the birth of their third child, Ethan.

I remember praying for them...reading their words and seeing their faith.  They walked through such a hard  journey but shined Christ so brightly through it! 

On December 6th, 2009 they received word that Carley was N.E.D. (No Evidence of Disease)

Oh how we Pra​ise God!!!!

Last week, the lives of the Hoffman family were yet again rocked as a drunk driver slammed into the back of their van just miles from home. In the moments to follow, Carley, Emily and Zach were airlifted to local Fort Wayne hospitals. Ethan, and Christina were taken via EMS. One year old Emily, has a broken leg. She has a cast from her waist to her ankle on one side and waist to her knee on the other. Five-year-old Zachary, has two broken legs and had surgery to put plates in. Seven-year-old, Carley has a broken big toe. Christina's (mom) back is very sore. Her 3 year old brother, Ethan did not survive the crash. The funeral was last week. As the broken bones and bruised bodies continue to heal, the journey of their mending hearts has only begun. The Hoffmans have great faith and are experiencing the peace and comfort found only in the Hands of Christ.

When I first heard of this accident, it took the wind out of me.  My heart hurt and my eyes welled up in tears as I asked the Lord why??  Why them?  How much can one family endure?  Gently, His Spirit reminded me that we will never really know or understand why...but need to focus on the truth of who He is.  He is loving, righteous and true.  He takes the brokenness of this world and turns it into something beautiful and we will never understand this side of heaven. 

Once again they walk a hard journey with such an honest but strong faith.  

We are asking our Give a Blessing friends to stand with us, arm and arm, as we raise awareness and funds for the Hoffman Family. They are in need of our prayers, our support and our love.

Click Here to follow their updates.

 If the Lord would lead you to contribute please donate through the chipin below.  Funds go directly to the Hoffman family.  More details can be found on our Give a Blessing page concerning the giveaway we are offering to help raise funds. 

...and if Joel and Christina are reading this, I want you to know we are praying and you are loved so deeply!

Yay...Free Friday!

Whoo Hoo It's Friday!! 

Do you want to win our $56 BbB Gift Certificate this week? 

To enter, simply leave a comment below!

Winner will be randomly chosen Monday!

Romans 12:13

Verse 13
distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality. ~NKJV

Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. ~NIV

Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality.  ~MSG


Praying for opportunities today!  I love the wording...distribute, share, help those who are in need.  Give, practice & be inventive in hospitality! 

Holy Spirit lead...

Romans 12:12

Verse 12
Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation,
continuing steadfastly in prayer; ~NKJV

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. ~NIV

Don't quit in hard times; pray all the harder. ~MSG

When I read verse 12...with a smile, I think of our horse Shiloh.  Oh how we love her!!  When we discovered that Cocoa (who was only green broke) wasn't going to work for 4H this year, Natalie and I started praying.  Many MANY prayers have been spoken over this horse -even before we knew who she was!  When the door opened to purchase her the whole family was thrilled!  We were so excited! 

Natalie chose the name Shiloh...which means, His gift.   I could have cried when she told me.

Little did we know the obstacles that laid ahead.  There were so many in fact that I questioned if we were wrong for buying her...though I prayed and prayed for the Lord's will. 

Around the same time one of my dear friends purchased a house.  They had no doubt that the Lord opened the door for them to do so but after the closing ran into a ton of obstacles....just one right after another.  As we stood there in her brand new living room I couldn't help but smile and think of Shiloh.  Two totally different situations but yet the same principle. 

It's so easy sometimes to question whether you made the right choice especially if troubles start coming your way.  Lord did I fall out of your will?  Is that why we have all these troubles?

I have no doubt that the Lord allowed us to purchase Shiloh and THAT is what I keep bringing my mind back to when those doubts pop up.  He has placed wonderful people around us to lead us through the difficulties.  We have learned a lot of patience and continue in prayer, trusting that the Lord works all things out for good.  He has provided and guided us each step of the way.  

Just because you have trials in front of you doesn't necessarily mean your not within the Lord's will for your life.  Its the tough times that allow us to lean into Him even more and depend on His guidance.

May we not give up but steadfastly pray --and rejoice!
This is an amazing adventure!

Romans 12:11

Our Fellowship is committing this week to fasting and prayer. I am seeking the Lord to speak through His word. Oh how my heart desires to just steep more and more in His truth!! One way that I try to do that is to take a passage of the Bible and soak in it one verse at a time. Just ponder it all day long. This week I will be going through Romans 12:9-21.  {Will you join me?}

Verse 11

Not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; ~NKJV


Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord ~NIV

Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame.
Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. ~MSG


<sup>This morning I sit in the second hand, big red comfy chair I found last weekend through craigslist.  It sits here in my sewing room, my Bible lying open on the arm.   The window is open and a cool breeze floats in on the curtains.  I hear birds, squirrels and the chatter of many children in the next room. 

I'm sure it's no coincidence, because simply -there are none...but I am just plum tuckered out this morning.  The day ahead leaving me feel a bit overwhelmed and here I sit with these words from Romans in front of me.

Honestly  I struggle with diligence, zeal and feeling burnt out.  I push push push and then I have a tendency to crash.  Mainly emotionally because I don't have a choice but to keep going physically.  This frustrates me!  Makes me flat out mad! 

But maybe instead of getting mad maybe I should just view it as a sign that today I simply need more of Him.  Sometimes our struggle and weak moments are self inflicted...sometimes its just the result of living life in a broken world.   Its days like these that I need to find my strength in Him. 

This, I believe is how we become steadfast and not lagging in diligence.  We will always have those days we don't want to move from the big red comfy chair but we choose in faith to get up and push on....and Lord, may I do this in a manner that glorifies you!</sup>

Romans 12:10

Our Fellowship is committing this week to fasting and prayer. I am seeking the Lord to speak through His word. Oh how my heart desires to just steep more and more in His truth!! One way that I try to do that is to take a passage of the Bible and soak in it one verse at a time. Just ponder it all day long. This week I will be going through Romans 12:9-21.

Will you join me?

{Today we will look at verse 10}

Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love,
in honor giving preference to one another; ~NKJV

Be devoted to one another in love.
Honor one another above yourselves.  ~NIV

Be good friends who love deeply;
practice playing second fiddle.  ~MSG

Sometimes its hard to put others before ourselves.  We remind each other of that a lot around our household.  It's part of raising a family.  Not taking the biggest cookie.  Offering cups to everyone else first.  To focus on  J.O.Y.  Jesus, Others and then Yourself.  I remember once when Lola was talking to me about it she said, "Well, you know...it's that sin nature in us that makes us want the best first".  She's so right.

But what if we kept our hearts tender, loving one another DEEPLY?  View people as Christ views them.

For me personally I think that it means giving people more of my time.  Up town at the market or at the post office.  I'm always rushing from one task to another.  What if I offered more sweet hello's.  A bigger smile to those walking by?  A chat by the deli?  Would it really take away from my day or add to it?  And it's not that I never do these things...but I find my mind always busy on the next thing and being focused on that instead of opportunities around me.

I'm praying for and watching closely for moments given.  There just might be a lady wearing a red hat somewhere needing encouragement today! 

May we be intentional to give preference to one another...