Luv'N Lambert Life

Mental Health, Homeschooling, Epilepsy and More

Love

God Loves Mommy & Me {FrontGate Review}

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God Loves Mommy & Me is a beautifully written and designed book for young children.  Bonnie Rickner Jensen has gone beyond to share the story of God’s Love for us and our children.  Laura Watkins has created some of the most beautiful images that truly speak to your heart.
God Loves Mommy & Me is a soft cover board book designed to be easy to hold and read together.  The pages are glossy and easy to clean but thick enough for your little one to be able to easily turn the pages.  Each page features the beautiful artwork of Laura Watkins, sharing the Mommy and Baby Rabbits and how God loves them no matter what they do.
This book teaches forgiveness, prayer and love from morning to night.  My children and I truly loved the imagery and story shared within this book.  It was easy for us to relate to the loving moments and discuss how Baby and Mommy Rabbit felt.
You can purchase your own copy of God Loves Mommy & Me online for $7.54.

You can join in with the Harper Collins Children’s Books Giveaway for this book as well.

Month One {Thoughts From Me}

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Today makes a month that Don and I have been married.  The month has passed so fast I can hardly believe it.  Being married has been pretty great so far.

My husband is the greatest man I have ever known.  He does all he can to take care of me and my children.  He’s really stepped in where others in the past have failed.  I’m truly blessed to be his wife.

We don’t have any special plans for this weekend.  Spending time together at home with the kids is the main thing, simply relaxing before Don returns to work this week.  Sometimes relaxing is the best thing you can do.

We did make a quick run to Starbucks today for Don a dark roast coffee and me a Double Choc Chip Frappe.  We shared a chocolate croissant.  Such an inexpensive yet fulfilling little date.

I’m hoping for our second month of marriage we will be camping somewhere with the kids in celebration.  Maybe an adventure to the zoo or a trip into the mountains to look for rocks.  An adventure that creates memories for us all.

Until next time…
Dana Lambert-Hodge

Choosing Life {Epilepsy Awareness}

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Many years ago, I was asked to write a post that I have put off until now.  My reason for not completing the assignment as asked was simply that I am always to busy.  But recently this topic has weighed heavily in my heart and I feel it’s time to speak.

I was born with a disorder that affects my day to day life.  For years, my Mother could not understand why.  She only knew it was a terrible disorder that left me lifeless for long periods of time and terrified her greatly.  This disorder is Epilepsy.

Growing up, we had no answers and we were thankful when I did outgrow the tonic clonic episodes.  My Mother beyond thankful to not have to watch her daughter helplessly suffer.  It was everything she spent her life praying for.

At 19, I married my ex-husband.  At 21, I had my son, who does not have Epilepsy.  At 23, I had my daughter, Emmalee.  At 3 months, just two weeks after her first vaccines, she began having seizures as well.  They continued until she was 5 when she also outgrew them.  God is amazing.

As Emma grew, I became pregnant with my third child, my daughter Laycie.  Having Emma, I thought, okay we have this disorder, she has it and so my next child will be fine.  Not true.  At 4 months, just two weeks following her vaccine series, Laycie also began to have seizures.  At 4 1/2 months, Laycie went Status Epilepticus with 9 tonic clonics and over 23 absence and complex partials.  Honestly, I lost count.  The seizure lasted 13 hours straight.  I truly thought my baby was dead.  But God had much bigger plans.

When Laycie was 3, at her birthday party, I began to have seizures again.  This time a complex partial took control of my mind and body and left me without control.  Several more have followed since but I haven’t let them stop me.

4 years later, I became pregnant with my 4th child, a boy: Jackson.  At this point, I already knew I would not vaccinate as it is an obvious trigger for my children’s seizures.  I didn’t and his seizures held off.  At 10 months, he began to have Involuntary Breath Holding Spells which trigger Epileptic seizure.

It was at this point that we began to seek genetic testing to find a reason for all these seizures and the link between us because it was obvious this was genetic.  It took over 2 years to get answers.  The first panel didn’t show any genes.  The much bigger panel for Epilepsy did pinpoint a gene for me, Emma and Laycie though not for Jack.  We still have no reason for Jack’s seizures.

Through all of this, I never once considered not having my children.  I never once considered them a burden, but instead a blessing from God.  I never once considered being their Mother a burden either, though sometimes it’s challenging.  But God knew.  He knew what he was doing when He blessed me with each one of them.

For me, abortion was never a thought or an option.  I believe that God will equip us for our needs.  I believe He alone gives us our beautiful children and He alone knows just what we can handle.  I could have never chosen that option as it wasn’t in me.

See even if you have Epilepsy, even if you feel like you just can’t do this Motherhood thing, even if you see more challenges then you may feel it’s worth, don’t give up.  Hold strong to God’s Love.  Know that He’s chosen you for a special mission, a mission of Love.  Choose life.  Choose to have Faith for God will not fail you.

Abortion is the easy answer for us.  It’s promoted to be a quick solution but it’s not.  The ache in your heart is never healed.  The missing child cannot be replaced.  It’s something that will remain in your soul forever.

So I beg you to pray, to search your soul before you make this decision that will affect your life permanently.  I beg you to ask God to show you the truth of the light and His word.  I beg you to allow Him to show you the plans He has made for you.  Though, at first, it may seem impossible God can make things happen that you cannot imagine.

Had I known what I do now about my life and that of my children, I still would change nothing.  My children are a blessing.  They hold my heart and there is nothing I would not do for them.  They truly changed my life.  I know it will be the same for you.

Many blessings,
Dana Lambert – Hodge

Welcome to April {Thoughts From Me}

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Welcome to April!

Our April began with the Devil shining her ugly face at us.  Petty spite and anger from another at our wonderful life became the focus for a few days.  The law has been contacted and shall be handling that as necessary.  I refuse to be bullied, stalked, or slandered any more.  Mama has always said I should have been a lawyer.  Maybe one of these days I’ll listen.

The other month, I posted that I was having writer’s block.  Well, the good Lord has seen fit to allow thing to happen that have given me lots to talk about!  Talk I will with His guidance.

It was brought to my attention that some of you assume my blog is a “homeschooling” blog.  It’s not.  It’s a family-life blog that I write as a journal, to share with others who are like us and to spread the word for Epilepsy Awareness, Involuntary Breath Holding Spells Awareness and the other health issues we face.  This includes my recent battles for my own health with undetermined female bleeding issues.  Homeschooling is a just a part of the mix and always will be.

It was also brought to my attention that some of you don’t know how to pronounce my children’s names.

Winston is pretty simple.  He was named for his Papa, my Dad. Win-ston.  It’s an easy name.

Emmalee is NOT Emily.  It is Emma Lee pronounced all together, though she was named for one of my dear friends Emily.  I just really dislike the “ILY” spelling of that name so I changed it to something I liked much better.  She’s also named for her Great-Grandmother Elma and the Lee for her bio-Dad’s family name.  Her Great Great Grandmother’s name was Emma as well.

Laycie is pronounced the same as Lacy though her spelling is different.  “Lay-cee”. I wanted her to be different so I gave her a unique spelling like her sister.

Jackson is just that: Jack-son.  Simple like his big brother’s name.

Each of these names were chosen for unique reasons for my children after I prayed about them for a long time.  Some of y’all know the story of how I chose Jack’s name when I was unsure about it.  I had a photo shoot that day and when I arrived his name was written on a wall.  It was then and there I knew it was to be his name.  God provides signs everywhere.  Just today Jackson was telling me he is Jackson and not any other name.  God knows who we are meant to be.

Our life is just that.  Our life.  I share it for others who are like us that just need someone they can relate to.  I know there were many days in my life when I felt like no one understood my life.  I know there were others who were like me but I couldn’t find them.  Blogs weren’t a thing then and growing up people definitely didn’t talk about Epilepsy.  Things have changed now.  People are generally more open-minded though there are still many who are not.

Now you can judge me on every single word I post here.  You can bash me.  You can nitpick all I have to say.  But really what good is it going to do? I’m still going to write what I feel.  I’m still going to say what I think.  I’m still going to be me and keep being me.  After all, opinions are like assholes, every one has one.

I, personally, try to keep my opinions on others and their lives to myself for the most part.  I am not here to judge and condemn anyone.  There is a bigger presence for that and we will all face the truth one day.  I’m not the one you need to be worried about because I’m just a little insignificant person on this Earth trying to make it through life just like the rest of you.

So here’s the thing.  You live your life and we will keep living ours.  We are happy, in love, high on life and there isn’t a soul in this world taking that away from me this time.  My children are the light of my life.  They bring me indescribable joy.  As does my husband.

No one’s spite or jealousy or negative remarks will change that.  I know his heart and he has never lied to me.  He has changed from the person of his past and he is becoming the person he’s always longed to be with my help and his determination.  I’ve done my medical research and I will stand beside him and not give up because I know the truth of it all.

“Sometimes the love of your life come after the mistakes of your life.”  (I know mine and Don’s both have.)

We all have mistakes in our past.  Every single one of us. There is no one better than another.  It’s how we choose to live after these mistakes that make a difference.

I have personally chosen to learn from the mistakes of my past and move forward but some people chose to dwell on these mistakes and allow them to destroy them inside instead of embracing what God has blessed them with.  They become so wrapped up in the “wrongs” they fail to find the “rights”.  They feel owed.  But let me tell you.  None of us are owed anything from one another.  None of us are owed anything in this life.

We all start from nothing and we are hear to learn God’s Love, Mercy, Grace, Faith, Hope and all the things He wishes us to know.  But even He doesn’t owe us anything because we were given the greatest gift we could ever receive: Life upon the Death of God’s Son.

God Forgives.  God Loves.  God gives Grace in our mistakes.  God gives Mercy even to those who we feel do not deserve it and He expects us to do the same.  Not an easy thing, I know but it can be done.  I personally live my life trying to do just these things.

It’s easy to hold a grudge.  It’s easy to let the hatred we develop when we feel wronged overtake us.  It’s hard to follow God’s guidance and allow ourselves to let go, lay it as His feet and Forgive others.
Life is a learning process.  We come in this world to learn, to develop, to follow the things He is teaching us.  Sometimes we fail.  Sometimes we succeed.  But no matter we continue to live.

Being consumed with the life of others does us no good because we are here to live our own lives.  Being upset because someone has gotten the better of you and acting out does no good because that person is still going to get the best of you in the future and their words really should not matter.  We are all just people.  Just here living.  Make the best of it and let go of the rest.

God bless all of you,

Dana Lambert – Hodge

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