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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...

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Announcing a New Women's Bible Study, Christmas, and How Are You Doing?

As we settle in to a New Year, I just want to share how grateful I am for this community of women and the friendships we have come to share in this blog world. I know the Christmas season can be a difficult one for many, and I hope that there were some moments of comfort and peace for each of you this year.

To kick off the year with a fresh start, we will be doing a bible study on Nancy Leigh Demoss's book, Lies Women Believe and the Truth That Sets Them Free. It is one of my favorites, and I'm so excited to delve into it in the coming weeks. I hope many of you will be able to join in, as well....even if just to read along and share your heart as you feel led.

This book is not specifically about grief, but it does address many of the areas we struggle with as women. So, I think it will be helpful...whatever you are facing. We will not be doing a weekly Walking With You, as I will be doing the study on The Beauty of Sufficient Grace blog, beginning Monday, January 3rd, and continuing each Monday after for several weeks. You can tune in there to participate and/or read along.

In an effort to keep in touch and share what's on our hearts, though...I would love to hear how you are doing...how this Christmas was for you and your family...what prayer requests you have...what's on your heart for the coming year. Please share in the comments of this post...or leave a link to a blog post you may wish to share, and I'll get over to visit.

My Christmas was busy, as always! We usually have what I call a Marathon of Christmas celebrations over the course of a few days. This year was no exception. In the frenzy, I try to grasp moments of peace and reflection as I think of the reason for all of the celebration...the gift of our Savior. There were moment's like that...standing at the candlelight service, listening to my husband's guitar and the voices of our church family blending with mine as we sang Silent Night. And there were moments of laughter with family and friends...good food, fun presents.

There were also, moments of missing...as there always are. The time after the children open their presents on Christmas morning...when I would normally call my mother to give her my recap of the morning and chat with her while cooking Christmas dinner to prepare for the evening celebration at my house. I ache for her with a fresh longing each year, wishing desperately to hear her voice. I dreamed that I was talking to her on the phone. But, the dream ended so quickly. Times when bittersweet memories wash over me, as I hung ornaments on the tree in memory of Faith, Grace, and Thomas and my mother's ornaments. Reminders that while we celebrate here, there are some missing from our celebration...ones we love who celebrate in heaven.

Angie Smith calls it The Sacred Dance of Grief and Joy....and rightly so. That's exactly what this life is. A dance of grief and joy, interwoven into the tapestry of our lives. They are not completely separate...one from the other. But, they dance together in the moments we walk through. They dance together, and we must find a way to dance along with them. I don't claim to have the answer to that...and truthfully, I'm too clumsy to try and learn the perfect steps, and, therefore, ill-equipped to teach them. I prefer to take my Savior's hand, and follow His lead...knowing that the best I can hope for is to be carried along life's dance in His loving arms.

Oh...I almost forgot...there was one special moment I wanted to share. One that was sacred and touching. Tim and I received a precious gift from his grandmother this Christmas. It had three sweet baby angels on the sides of a lovely bowl. It was a gift in memory of our three babies in heaven. What made it even more precious...more meaningful than I can even convey...was that it is the first time our babies were remembered at Christmas on that side of his family...the first time in fourteen years. We received it with tears in our eyes...touched beyond words to know that our Faith, Grace, and Thomas were acknowledged and remembered. I won't lie...it touched places in my heart that are so tender, I prefer to keep them covered with layers of protection. But, it was good. Good to have that place of tenderness touched. Good to know they were remembered. Good to see God's grace washing over all of us...gently healing deep wounds, reminding us that He sees...that he values each life...that we are all precious in His sight.

Please know you are in our hearts and in our prayers as you continue this process of healing, missing your sweet baby and other loved ones, and take steps into  a New Year...

Love to all...

5 comments:

Kathryn @ Expectant Hearts said...

I'm hoping to swing by Lifeway today and pick up "Lies Women Believe" with the 50% off coupon. We'll see.. I feel like God is calling me to truly spend time with him on a deeper level and I do that best if someone else structures it!

I shared with you earlier but it DID hold true, this has been my best Christmas of the last 3.. (Since Seth got to start celebrating them in heaven). Seth was remembered on a couple of ornaments, one from a family member and one completely unexpected from a friend. I'm a little saddened by the fact that I havent been to the cemetery lately but have been intentionally staying away due to the HUGE amount of snow we've had..

My kids had a good Christmas, provided by their parents.(US). We had lovely moments of peace and joy. All in all, it was a good end to 2010 and I"m eager for 2011! Yay!

Henninger Family said...

So happy you had such a beautiful moment during Christmas! We had a very nice one as well. There was something just simply amazing having Heidi there with us this year.

No one even mentioned Hudson. I wonder if it was because no one wanted to make me sad. After all our family left John and I sat and talked about Hudson and missing him. How he would be into everything and probably really into the gifts this year. Its crazy to think its almost 2 years since he was here. I remember being in a rut this time last year and the same rut in my life has come back...

It did seem easier though this year, not much but just a little. Maybe its a sign of my heart letting itself heal more...

Betty said...

Christmas for us was...quite. My god-childeren were supposed to spend Christmas Eve and morning but at the last minute plans changed. A silent prayer answered. This year I am hoping..praying for another pregnancy...a healthy pregnancy. My husband and I are ready. But ither then that I am trucking along. (((hugs)))

Jennifer said...

Going to download the bible study book on my Kindle now. Looking foward to getting started! How sweet that you got the bowl with angels! How very sweet to know that others remember also! It means so much just to have that acknowledgement!

Holly said...

Hi Kelly!

How very sweet that your 3 precious babies were remembered from family. I bet the bowl is beautiful.

Christmas this year went well. This was the first year we spent Christmas Day just us and not with our families up north. Kyndra is getting older so it's time to start spending the day just us. Because we were home I was able to visit the cemetery on Christmas and I liked that. Carleigh wasn't really mentioned by either of our families this Christmas.

I'm hoping that this year will be a good year for many, esp those who have suffered heartache this past year. 2010 was a good year for us in the birth of Lainey. She's made us very happy.