Welcome

If you are new to our site, this blog is sort of a hodge podge of our ministry and family life, and whatever else God lays on my heart to share. The Home Page above will link you to our Sufficient Grace Ministries page. You can read more about the 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization and the outreaches of this ministry whose mission is to offer comfort and hope to grieving parents. The Blog button brings you to the page you are currently reading, featuring a variety of subjects...some ministry updates, some family news, and some biblically-based encouragement. The Walking With You page is a place for bereaved parents who have lost a baby or child to find encouragement and hope. It is an online support group created so that families would know they are not walking this path alone. On the Dreams of You Shop page, you can learn more about the products and services we offer, place an order, or sponsor a family. The Encouraging Women blog is a work in progress. There, we hope to offer biblically-based encouragement to all women. The Resource page has been newly updated with a list of resources that are helpful for grieving parents. Our blogroll is also located on this page. Thank you so much for visiting our site. Blessings to you...

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Ride 4 Grace, Meeting Bloggers, and a Hodge Podge of Happenings

Life is definitely getting in the way of blogging lately...as it should! Life is meant to be lived, after all...and living it is exactly what we've been doing.

At the end of July...We enjoyed a family vacation to the Mohican, where we camped, canoed, rode go-karts, witnessed a race-stopping go-kart wreck involving James, and both Tims, argued around a campfire about the proper pronunciation of the word creek, stayed in a teeny-tiny "cozy cabin", slept in bunk beds, experienced astounding success popping Jiffy Pop popcorn over the campfire, lost to James in putt putt, lost to the Tims in a splash fight, laughed at (husband) Tim's made-up songs, and had an all-around lovely weekend. I am trying to upload (download) pictures as we speak...ahem...blog, but may not get them all up in this post. So stay tuned...



I met a dear bloggy friend, Monica...otherwise known as The Writer Chic, and shared a delightful lunch with her and her two sweet children at The Olive Garden. I really enjoyed our conversation, and wished it could go on and on. We talked about how that will be just one of the many amazing gifts in heaven...that great conversations will not have to end. We'll have plenty of time in eternity one day to laugh and sip lemonade and chat with great friends. Won't that be wonderful? It's kind of incredible how we can meet a blogger and feel as if we know her...as if we are old friends. That's how I felt when I met Monica.



I first found her blog from a comment she left on BooMama's blog. I saw that she called herself The Writer Chic, and loved the cool name. So, I clicked over. I read off and on for awhile, and have often felt a kinship with this sweet mama. When she walked through the loss of her son, Duncan, my heart was knit together with hers in yet another way. Over lunch, we found more in common, as we shared our hearts. What a gift to have met her. I encourage you, if you have time to stop over and read Monica's beautiful account of her son, Duncan's life and her time with him. Monica is a wonderful writer, with a beautiful smile and sweet spirit.

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Ride 4 Grace 2010





Our dear friends Dave and Brooke Amspoker and Holly Haas hosted the last fundraiser event of Operation Support Sufficient Grace 2010 this past weekend. We did not have the turnout we hoped for, but we are so grateful to those who did come and share the day with us, offering support to Sufficient Grace. There were about ten riders and a few family and friends joined us for an ice cream social. A local CMA (Christian Motorcycle Association) group came to show their support, as well. The ice cream was delicious. James had a wonderful time helping to serve our guests, and Holly and I sported our Sufficient Grace Ministries T-shirts. (I've had a few people ask if they can order SGM t-shirts and thought about making them available online at the Dreams of You Shop. Let me know in the comments if you are interested!)












Thank you so much to our friends and family who continue to support this ministry, and thanks to Dave for all your efforts in planning the Ride 4 Grace and Holly for all of your help. Also...thank you to both of your families for their support. A big thank you to Randy and the folks at the First Church of the Nazarene in Findlay...what a beautiful building God has blessed you with. We are continually blessed by those who have supported this ministry in various ways. You can read more about the Ride 4 Grace event at Caring for Carleigh...

And...in other news...our band, One Way, has been busy practicing music for our upcoming appearance at the Corn City Festival on Saturday, August 21, 2010 at 11:30am. If you are in the area, we'd love for you to stop by and listen...and show us some love! I'm hoping maybe someone will try and make a dvd of the performance. Anyone out there, who may be coming and who has a dvd camcorder thingy...and wouldn't mind taping, that would be great. Then, maybe I could share it here...if it sounds o.k., that is.

Oh...here's Tim riding with Ned in Ned's Smart Car at the Ride 4 Grace. Sorry babe, that was the closest to being on the ride as you were going to get that day.



Sigh...no cool bikes for us...

12 comments:

The Writer Chic said...

Thanks for such a sweet shout out, Kelly. Right back at ya! =) I wish we'd have had more time, too. But like you said, just another thing to look forward to in eternity. xoxoxo

Lori said...

Love that you've been busy with such wonderful and meaningful events!!! Hodge podges of happenings can be amazing!!!

Caroline said...

Wow you have been busy. Thanx for sharing all this. Everything looks like lots of fun.

Caroline

Cecilia said...

That does sound like a busy time!

I would be interested in a shirt if they were sold online.

Unknown said...

Yea for the ice-cream social! And hooray for meeting people in real life :) Keep living life, Kelly!!

Kristin said...

I'm so glad you got to meet your blogger friend. I love how God just randomly (well, He knows exactly what He's doing, but you know what I mean!) will get 2 of us bloggers together and it seems as if we have known each other forever. You're so right....what a wonderful thing to look forward to in Heaven! I think of that often, how all my bloggy friends will be in Heaven and we'll get to talk to each other in person for as long as we want, like a big bloggy reunion!

Spud said...

I want shirts for the whole family! I would definitely order them online. :)

Debby@Just Breathe said...

You and Holly look so cute! Sorry about the turn out you had. Looks like some good eats too! Your vacation sounds like it was awesome.

Jenilee said...

I would be interested in a shirt! great post and yes life is meant to be lived!! :)

Holly said...

Awesome you got to meet Monica. :) I'm sure you had a great lunch!

And I would totally say I would buy a tshirt but you already gave me one. lol So not sure if my comment counts!

I hope that next year will be a better turnout. And hopefully people don't plan events the same day!

The Gerkens said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
The Gerkens said...

Just thought I would throw in a comment, too, so you would know that I would order and proudly wear a Sufficient Grace T-shirt. Not so sure about the boys in my family, but I'm positive my girls would love them, too! So ... when and where can we get them?!? ;-) Thanks, Kelly! Love you!