For a long time, it has felt (I'm going to speak for Teri here too), like we were kinda doing this on our own. For a long time, there were only a handful of people who were helping us, and we had just a few wads of cash that people had donated. And, don't get us wrong, it was enough, we were lacking nothing...except patience.
You see, we have been dreaming these enormous, crazy dreams for about two years now. We have moved painstakingly slow, or so it seemed to us. Now...
We have our SECOND mommy class planned for August 1.
The book bus has been in "business" for more than a year.
We had a very encouraging conversation with the county manager this week.
We changed our book bus schedule, and several High Ridge residents noticed.
We received a check made out to Seeds of Grace, our first.
We have realized we need to get an image designed to use on letterhead, thank you notes, etc.
A small, quiet group of women have been working on a Seeds of Grace cookbook for us to give away to our book bus friends, and they hope to go to print in the next two weeks.
It may not be directly related, but it has still been part of our dream- there will be a parent resource room at KHES this year!
We still have lots of big dreams and many are unfulfilled, but we are moving! A big thank you to all of you who have faithfully prayed, dreamed with us, worked on some little/big task, donated time/money, and spread the word about what we are doing! Keep dreaming with us! It is starting to get exciting!
Monday, July 23, 2012
Monday, July 16, 2012
Sometimes It Takes 9 Months
It may take 9 months to have a baby, but it took us 9 months to put together a
baby class for young moms. It was definitely worth it, though. The four girls
that attended agreed and are excited to come back for the next gathering.
Episcopal Children's Services shared two DVDs that
touched on the importance of touch, conversation, reading and
basically interacting with your child. It encouraged young parents to turn off
the TV and put down their cell phone and spend time bonding and playing with
their newborn. The girls enjoyed the information that was shared as well as
snacks and a special gift bag for each of them. The class ended with some
conversation, and all the girls excited to meet again. We are excited too- not
just for the opportunity to teach, but to encourage and become a part of a
support system within our community both for these girls and their babies.
baby class for young moms. It was definitely worth it, though. The four girls
that attended agreed and are excited to come back for the next gathering.
Episcopal Children's Services shared two DVDs that
touched on the importance of touch, conversation, reading and
basically interacting with your child. It encouraged young parents to turn off
the TV and put down their cell phone and spend time bonding and playing with
their newborn. The girls enjoyed the information that was shared as well as
snacks and a special gift bag for each of them. The class ended with some
conversation, and all the girls excited to meet again. We are excited too- not
just for the opportunity to teach, but to encourage and become a part of a
support system within our community both for these girls and their babies.
 |
| The "Moms to Be" were thrilled with their gift bags. Thanks to Suzie, Deb, and Jenah for all their efforts to put them together. |
 |
| Everyone loves a cupcake |
 |
| One of our new moms and grandma to be! |
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Could You Help?
You know the mail
carriers have their creed. Here is the Book Bus creed: Neither tropical storms,
road construction or mud will keep the Book Bus from sharing books with eager
readers! At least that was the case on Saturday. We were a bit worried at the beginning of the
week but by Thursday we knew it was a go. Not only did we do our six stops in
High Ridge but we also added a Melrose stop at the apartments behind Melrose
Elementary off SR 26. We were thrilled with the response of the residents and
plan to make it a regular stop.
I am not able to
find the words to describe to you the emotion that fills me when we pull up to
our Book Stop and there are cars and people everywhere waiting on us! There are
always words of appreciation, sometimes there are requests for certain authors
or types of reading material. I feel safe in saying that Carey and I both
believe that our Book Bus is “God driven” . I am amazed at all He has blessed
us with over the past year and I don’t just mean books. The people we have met
and the things we have learned are priceless.
There are a few
things that we are in need of. The Bible says, “ Ask and you shall receive” so
we’re asking. We have noticed that preschool and board books are very popular.
We are always running low on these. We have recently been offering cookbooks
which have been a big hit, but our supply is running low. We also had a
specific request for Monster Truck books. I didn’t want to leave that out. If you
have anything you would like to donate please contact Carey or Teri. Thank you
for caring about and sharing how God is
using us in our community.
 |
| They came inspite of road blocks and construction! |
 |
| Time out to read :) |
 |
| Our Melrose Stop! |
Monday, June 4, 2012
We are official!
So, I received our certificate of incorporation in the mail last week.
So, it's official, we are Seeds of Grace, Inc.
And...I use the word "so" way too much. Ha.
So, it's official, we are Seeds of Grace, Inc.
And...I use the word "so" way too much. Ha.
Saturday, May 26, 2012
1,000
On our next book bus tour, we will have been driving down those dusty, dirt roads for a year.
We have more books in our closet than we can give way.
We are talking about expanding and wondering what's next for this adventure.
We have filed articles of incorporation and are looking at filing for federal non-profit status.
For the last few weeks, I have had at least one person a week tell me they are interested in volunteering.
And we have had more than 1,000 page views. I know some people get that much traffic in a day or even in an hour, but for me...it still seems like we ought to celebrate. It is a milestone.
We might not be big. We might not have any power or money to speak of.
But...we are moving, we are thinking, and God is using what seems so little to us.
We are grateful and excited about the movement we see!
We have more books in our closet than we can give way.
We are talking about expanding and wondering what's next for this adventure.
We have filed articles of incorporation and are looking at filing for federal non-profit status.
For the last few weeks, I have had at least one person a week tell me they are interested in volunteering.
And we have had more than 1,000 page views. I know some people get that much traffic in a day or even in an hour, but for me...it still seems like we ought to celebrate. It is a milestone.
We might not be big. We might not have any power or money to speak of.
But...we are moving, we are thinking, and God is using what seems so little to us.
We are grateful and excited about the movement we see!
Friday, May 25, 2012
Agriculture
A couple of weeks ago I went to the Storyline Conference and heard Donald Miller say,
"The spiritual life is like agriculture, not commercialism."
And today, I read these quotes...
Oscar Romero wrote, "It helps, now and then, to step back and take the long view. The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts: it is beyond our vision. We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of the magnificent enterprise that is the Lord's work. Nothing we do is complete, which is another way of saying that the Kingdom always lies beyond us. No sermon says all that should be said. No prayer fully expresses our faith. No confession brings perfection. No pastoral visit brings wholeness. No program accomplished the Church's mission. No set of goals and objectives includes everything. That is what we are about. We plant the seeds that one day will grow. We water seeds already planted knowing they hold future promise. We lay foundations that will need further development. We provide yeast that affects far beyond our capabilities. We cannot do everything and there is a sense of liberation in that. This enables us to do something, and do it very, very well. It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for the Lord's grace to enter and do the rest. We may never see the end results, but that is the difference between the Master Builder and the worker. We are workers, not master builder; ministers, not messiahs. We are prophets of a future that is not our own."
May we remember this as we plan, and write vision statements and business plans, and apply for 501c3. May we remember this as we watch families continue to disintegrate. May we remember this as we work and minister.
"The spiritual life is like agriculture, not commercialism."
And today, I read these quotes...
Oscar Romero wrote, "It helps, now and then, to step back and take the long view. The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts: it is beyond our vision. We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of the magnificent enterprise that is the Lord's work. Nothing we do is complete, which is another way of saying that the Kingdom always lies beyond us. No sermon says all that should be said. No prayer fully expresses our faith. No confession brings perfection. No pastoral visit brings wholeness. No program accomplished the Church's mission. No set of goals and objectives includes everything. That is what we are about. We plant the seeds that one day will grow. We water seeds already planted knowing they hold future promise. We lay foundations that will need further development. We provide yeast that affects far beyond our capabilities. We cannot do everything and there is a sense of liberation in that. This enables us to do something, and do it very, very well. It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for the Lord's grace to enter and do the rest. We may never see the end results, but that is the difference between the Master Builder and the worker. We are workers, not master builder; ministers, not messiahs. We are prophets of a future that is not our own."
May we remember this as we plan, and write vision statements and business plans, and apply for 501c3. May we remember this as we watch families continue to disintegrate. May we remember this as we work and minister.
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Could a day at the beach change the world?
Disclaimer: I am not, nor do I claim to be, the perfect parent. I screw it up as a mom all of the time. Also, for many of the parents of my students, life is so complicated and tough, that even a trip to the grocery store can be a real challenge. I'm not blaming anyone or saying if I were in their shoes I could do it differently. I am saying, "there has to be a better way, and how can I help?"
For the most part, I would say I haven't spoiled my children. I expect them to do what they are asked, to use their manners, to think for themselves, and I love each of their little steps towards independence (dressing themselves, brushing their own teeth, going up the stairs by themselves to get whatever it is they left behind). We don't buy the newest toys, we own no gaming system, and although they may have a lot of clothes, many were worn previously or picked up on the clearance rack. But...there is one way my husband and I have intentionally spoiled our children. We have spoiled them with experiences.
We go to the library about once a week.
Both of our girls have been to Haiti.
We have taken our oldest daughter to live theater productions.
Today we went to the beach, and on the way Isaac and I talked about a trip we are planning to take to Washington D.C.
For being six and two, they've done and seen a lot.
Today when we went to the beach, we picked up rocks and shells and talked about how old they might be or how they got to the shore. We stopped to notice a rabbit hopping around the dunes. We built a sand castle and talked about how important it is to have the right mixture of water and sand. These are the same things my parents did for me, and they are things many of my friends would do with their children without even thinking.
On the way home from the beach, my mind drifted to the dreams Teri and I talk about and the plans we are trying to make. And, I thought...here is another example of how different My children's lives are from many of the students I see every day.
You see today was a day I could have easily taken for granted, that my children quite possibly took for granted...but for at least half of the students I see at school, it would have been an extraordinary day.
Teri and I often say we wish parents realized how important the "little things" are. If we could somehow get parents to feed their children healthy meals, read to them every day, give them a bath, and put them to bed on time consistently; we think this would be a different world. And, then I wonder if you could add a trip to the beach or a museum every once in a while on top of that regular, basic care and attention...
I don't know of any fix. I don't know how to "make" any of that happen. I just know that if we could help a few parents learn how important these things can be, we just might change a few kids lives.
For the most part, I would say I haven't spoiled my children. I expect them to do what they are asked, to use their manners, to think for themselves, and I love each of their little steps towards independence (dressing themselves, brushing their own teeth, going up the stairs by themselves to get whatever it is they left behind). We don't buy the newest toys, we own no gaming system, and although they may have a lot of clothes, many were worn previously or picked up on the clearance rack. But...there is one way my husband and I have intentionally spoiled our children. We have spoiled them with experiences.
We go to the library about once a week.
Both of our girls have been to Haiti.
We have taken our oldest daughter to live theater productions.
Today we went to the beach, and on the way Isaac and I talked about a trip we are planning to take to Washington D.C.
For being six and two, they've done and seen a lot.
Today when we went to the beach, we picked up rocks and shells and talked about how old they might be or how they got to the shore. We stopped to notice a rabbit hopping around the dunes. We built a sand castle and talked about how important it is to have the right mixture of water and sand. These are the same things my parents did for me, and they are things many of my friends would do with their children without even thinking.
On the way home from the beach, my mind drifted to the dreams Teri and I talk about and the plans we are trying to make. And, I thought...here is another example of how different My children's lives are from many of the students I see every day.
You see today was a day I could have easily taken for granted, that my children quite possibly took for granted...but for at least half of the students I see at school, it would have been an extraordinary day.
Teri and I often say we wish parents realized how important the "little things" are. If we could somehow get parents to feed their children healthy meals, read to them every day, give them a bath, and put them to bed on time consistently; we think this would be a different world. And, then I wonder if you could add a trip to the beach or a museum every once in a while on top of that regular, basic care and attention...
I don't know of any fix. I don't know how to "make" any of that happen. I just know that if we could help a few parents learn how important these things can be, we just might change a few kids lives.
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