God has given us a story of tragedy and crisis... healing… and victory! We now strive to see other families in crisis empowered by hope and relieve. (the what of our ministry)
We hope to see this by sharing our story of crisis and the restorative work of Jesus Christ, through engaging in effective mentorship, providing helpful resources, and steering people towards respite. (the how of our ministry)
Sharing the Restorative Work of Jesus Christ
The Gospel is restorative. Our story is a small glimmer of a reflection of that restoration.. We have shared it at multiple churches, universities, schools, and on the radio. It is a story that demands a heart response. We try daily to embody 2 Corinthians 1:4
...who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in
any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.
One of our primary goals in this ministry is to share our story in every venue possible... big or small, and to see other families restored through the power of Christ.
Engaging in Effective Mentorship
Another key element of is getting families in crisis involved in effective mentorship. Sometimes this is through a direct partnership with Josh and Shelly, but it is also through finding other couples who are real, broken, and who have seen a powerful restoration through Christ that they want to lead other people towards.
Providing Helpful Resources
At various points throughout our story, we just wanted to hear someone say that they had been in our shoes and that things would get better. We wanted them to give us a book and say "this made a big difference in our journey." We wanted to find a blog or a website that would speak to us right where we were. We now want to be these things for other people in crisis. A hopeful phone call. A poignant blog. A transformative book.
Steering People Towards Respite
At key moments throughout our story, people have provided us with true Sabbath/respite moments. Not the least of which was a free beach house for two weeks right after the death of our daughter. We had a couple move in with us to help with the kids while Josh was in the rehab hospital for three months. The house that nine churches came together to build and give to us also could be considered sabbath because of the incredible blessing it has been in our lives. We consider it a life's work to do for other people what has been done for us.
Call us! Write us! E-mail us! The list below are things we have done and are aiming to do more of.
- We speak at marriage retreats and conferences
- We speak at church services
- We speak at college and high school chapels, in-services, and convocations
- We do phone interviews
- We spend time snuggling in bed with our kids
- Josh goes to Civil War battlefields with his brother-in-law
- Shelly runs a lot (even in the snow)
- Josh eats a lot of Greek food with his brother
