Upon Every Remembrance of You...

I thank my God upon every remembrance of you...
~ Philippians 1:3

Thank you to those of you who allowed us the privilege of remembering your precious babies with you...of praying for each of you on October 15th. I was overwhelmed as I read each name, praying tearful prayers for each of you. And, I was filled with gratefulness for the lives of my precious babies who dance in heaven's glory...not only mine, but yours as well. Faith, Grace, and Thomas changed my life. Just as I'm sure knowing your little ones, who passed briefly through on their way to eternity have profoundly changed you. Life is more precious. Joy is sweeter. Sorrow is less of an unknown. Those of us who have walked there, finding comfort in the arms of the Lord, know with assurance that although we will face sorrow in this life, we will never walk alone. Our capacity to love and embrace has grown. Our ability to realize what's really important, to feel compassion, to resist wasting time on the trivial things of this life. There is an understanding...a desire to live and dance...even as we dream, long for, and miss those who have gone before us. There is a need to reach out to others, offering the comfort we have received. There is a bond between the mothers that have walked this path. And, it is a precious gift, even in the valley. I am grateful for all that the lives of our babies have taught us, and ways they have blessed our lives.

On October 14th, I was invited to speak at the Holgate United Methodist Church Women's Group. I had such a delightful time with these lovely ladies. I admit, that I (and my computer) have been "barely hanging on". My computer is still very much in that state. Thankfully, we will be ordering a new ministry computer soon. But, last Wednesday night, I was very much refreshed, renewed, and encouraged as I shared with these women about our journey, the amazing grace of our great God, and Sufficient Grace Ministries. It is always good to look back and remember what the Lord has done...to marvel at all He's brought us through...to give thanks for His faithfulness, and rest in Him, knowing He is able to provide the sufficient grace we need for each moment.

We gathered together in the church basement, decorated with lovely pumpkins, candlelight, and an array of autumn colored table settings. Becki and I were served a delicious pumpkin dessert with some cold apple cider. We laughed and cried...and shared our stories. We attempted to video the evening, but it was a slight debacle as are most of our technological attempts! We are not sure if we taped any of it, as the battery died 10 minutes into my hour long speech. We are grateful to our generous friends who allowed us to borrow the camera at the last minute, and hopeful to share what we did get, soon...if it turns out. We will try again, if not!

I met a couple families who have received Dreams of You Memory materials from Sufficient Grace. And, I was touched and humbled beyond words by the beautiful gift and note given to me by one of the mothers. It is pictured in front of the candles in the above photo.

This journey that we are on is so not about us. I am just a little girl...but I have a big God. His grace astounds me...His limitless grace that I do not deserve. I shared a couple days ago, that I didn't feel very "plugged in"...that I was just kind of being swept along by the demands of this life. But, that night...the warmth of the welcome in the room and the pouring out of His grace and the presence of His Holy Spirit, just lifted me up. I felt so blessed and encouraged, as often happens when I am invited to share. At times, I enter weary and bogged down (although no one would know that). When I leave, I feel refreshed and lifted. I wonder if these women have any idea how they have blessed me. Sometimes, I admit to being swept into the doing...the busyness. It is good to stop and remember...to read each name, thanking God for each life, to look into the face of a mother's fresh grief...to remember why we do what we do.

As a side note, just wanted to mention that Kristie is having a bible study on her blog, using the book Threads of Hope, Pieces of Joy. I have been wanting to review this study for awhile, to see if it is worth recommending to other grieving moms. So, I may be taking part, as I am able. If you would like to join in, you can visit Kristie's site for more information.

Please continue to bare with us if you have placed an order recently or are awaiting a response to an email. My computer is still having some trouble and I am very limited on time. I haven't been able to visit my blog friends as I would like, but I am thinking of all of you...and "thanking God upon every remembrance of you".