So.... things are getting busy. What's up? Well, we are planning a Grocery Sac drop for Christmas. Trying to get the night nailed down, but likely next Tuesday we'll put together 20 or so grocery sacks and deliver to addresses we feel their may be a need at. I'm praying this will be God led and will light or spark someone to move forward in their walk.

We are also getting ready for Simple Talk - the first Monday at noon in January. The first ad ran this week, and we're hoping for several to sign up to join us!

All Kids Can is getting some good sporting good donations. We are also at a point where we can sponsor a couple of more if they come to us!

We also recently did an interview with the Northwest Iowa Review. Not sure when the article will run, but hoping the highlight the ministry well.

So, enough of the technical updates. I want an update on how each of you are doing spritually as you prepare for Christmas. I challenge you this weekend to not get so lost in the presents and the wrapping and the parties that you forget about Jesus. Find some quiet time to reflect on Him this weekend. Really pray about the season and the start of the celebration of his rising from the grave.

We love each of you and pray that your holiday may draw you closer to our God.

Wow... where has the time gone? Simply Grace is blessed to have been blessed in many ways in the past couple of months.

First of all, we celebrate in the answer of prayer for the Kredit family. Precious Maryn has joined their family through adoption and is a true gift from God, Precious in his sight!

We have had the opportunity to meet and help the Hernandez family of Sioux Center, whose business and home burnt. Thanks to all of those who so graciously dropped off cold weather clothes for this family. I believe that I have taken 7-8 boxes to the family in total. They are very appreciative and have loving hearts. I'm proud of each of you for sharing and being obedient to our call.

In addition, the All Kids Can program is up and moving. We've been able to sponsor and help 4 kids. 1 with Dance, 2 with Hockey and 1 with a medical need. We had a generous donor that has made this possible and we greatly appreciate their support of this ministry that keeps our kids as a primary focus! Look for a fund raiser in the near future so that we may enable more kids to do the things of their hearts desires!

We pray that God is blessing each of you, and that he will put our next opporutnity in front of us.

All kids Can!

We are lifting up All Kids Can this week as Mel is rocking this ministry out! They have a team, a plan, advertising and hopefully some money and some kids who need stuff to participate in extra-curricular activities.

Simply Grace is simply some women with a passion to do something extra for God, to give God glory by helping others...Simply Grace is not just being doers but reminding ourselves and others that it is simply about the Grace. No conditions, no economic equality, no justification...few expectations...grace. We need to demonstrate it because Jesus gave it freely when he gave his all for us...

These girls are sold out to make a difference. Join me in blessing them and lifting up the Simply Grace efforts and especially the All Kids Can as we gear up for school and all the programs we offer in the community.

Show us favor, Lord, and teach us more about who you are and how to share your love.

-respectfully, humbly submitted by Niki...the pray-er, not the do-er.

what's up?

Simply Grace girls are gettin' busy, that's what's up! Mel has a meeting for All Kids Can tomorrow. Lifting up prayers for that ministry. Lord, let the people who come to the meeting be inspired to help make it possible for kids to sign up for sports and activities even without the money to buy equipment. Let there be a spirit of generosity and sharing the burden so that those who have can share with those who have not. Keep it holy and humble, Lord, and bless the kids who will benefit from this program. Help them to know that it is because of you and your kingdom work that we want to be the hands and feet of Jesus.

Also praying for Danielle as she puts the women's retreat together for the fall. God, just make the path straight and help her to navigate the planning stages. Give her passion and enthusiasm and confidence and a sense of what you want from this, what you desire to reveal to us in Romans 12.

Praising you, Lord, for the speaking conference Jen attended and the amazing connections you made for her, confirming her desire and place right where you want her to be learning and growing. Thank you that is was possible for her to do that and now speak to her, God, in the big and small ways, so that she can form the words you would have her share with others.

Me? Keep me praying. Keep my posture kneeling before you on weak knees with feeble arms lifted high. Help me to speak less and listen more and to cling to you, Father, to line up with you every time I think of it and to do less and less for the world and more and more for the Kingdom of Jesus.

Bless Simply Grace if it would give you glory, Father God. Amen.

sorry, I messed this up...read by time, not by posting...I accidently hit publish before I was done, then was in a hurry. apologies.-Niki

Several days since that day I have walked the path and there was no water cooler and it was fine. Today I went out walking in haste. I was frustrated and overwhelmed and needed to burn some negative energy and pray and think. I was distraught. It was 3pm and it was hot. I found myself wondering between pounding steps if the water cooler would be there. I thought to myself, 'this would be a good day for the water cooler to be there' and not just for a drink. As I pictured the cooler standing in the shade on the picnic table, I also wondered if there would be a new verse on the bottles. What might God want to tell me today?

Before long I was thirsting more for the scripture on the bottle than the actual water and wondering and hoping...I rounded a corner of the path and could then see down the way to the tree and the table and There It Was! The blue cooler, resting quietly in the shade...I began to weep. I walked and I cried and I marvelled at how thirsty I was, how hot it was, how near and how far I was to the wonderful water and I just knew there would be words from the Lord inside. I just knew it.

"Do not let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in faith, and in purity." 1 Tim 4:12

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We have a long bike path in our town that wraps around the east side of town. I walk it often, as do most other residents of our town. Last week I was walking on a hot morning and came upon a cooler standing on a picnic table with a sign that read "help yourself". Inside the cooler were bottles of cool water with a bible vers stuck to them. How refreshing and suprising and delightful! I did help myself and said a prayer of thanks for whoever was thoughtful enough to be a silent blessing to me on my walk. A small gesture that did big things