I have many times referred to my girl as my "little flower"... I planted 130 tulip bulbs in my garden this fall in memory of Rachel...hoping that in the spring the burst of new life and color will bring her to mind and a smile to my heart. I was 8 months pregnant and told her all about it while I worked. I'm glad she was with me for that and I'm pretty sure she liked the idea cause she was dancing when I told her. :o) I am going to take some from my garden to plant at her grave as well. I also have comitted to keeping fresh flowers (at least one always!) in my house to represent the beauty and uniqueness Rachel displayed and her permanent place in our home and hearts; she was a fragrant, rare, beautiful gift created by and cared for by God. Through this journey, God has continually used flowers to encourage me...to remind me of how he carries me - to show me beauty in my pain.
All that to say that I think it says "Rachel" very well to do a flower bulb fundraiser. I am hoping that in addition to supporting our efforts at building Rachel's Ark, you will also plant some bulbs in your yard in her memory. (and/or give as a gift for a friend's yard) I would be so honored to know that each year, as the winter fades and the spring returns, as well as in the warm days of summer, you will be again reminded of my little flower and the joy she brought to this world in her short time here.
There is a song by David Crowder, "Wholly Yours"... I put it on as the first song so you can hear it...it's awesome. Here are the lyrics to the first verse... the bottom line gets me every time. I usually spend the entire song in tears every time I hear it. I am just so undeserving of His love, and yet he offers it freely. It's a beautiful thing.
"I am full of earthI guess in a way, I relate to the broken ground. Not very pretty, not full of life, kind of covered with dirt... but I serve a God Who can make flowers come from that! I will be reminded of that Truth every single time I see a flower... and along with that Truth, I will be reminded of my little flower...my sweet Rachel.
You are heaven’s worth
I am stained with dirt, prone to depravity
You are everything that is bright and clean
The antonym of me
You are divinity
But a certain sign of grace is this
From a broken earth flowers come up
Pushing through the dirt"
We will make a 50% profit from anything you order. I have set a goal of $2500, obviously, I would love to go over that! This fundraiser will close on April 17th, the day we found out we were expecting Rachel. PLEASE pass the link along to your friends and family and help us make this a success... I would also LOVE to see pictures of your flowers when they come up! :o) You know me & pictures...
You can order your bulbs online and it will ship directly to you. Here's the link... thank you!
http://www.dutchbulbs.com/fg/rachelaliceaube (I just figured out that it keeps track of where we're at and the number it counts is the portion we'll actually get towards the playground!)
**As a little note of gratitude... this is the first "fundraiser" - and yet, we already have almost $4300! That is from her baby shower, her funeral service and the donate button on my blog! I am so humbled by your generosity. Rachel is so loved. Thank you.
Stacy I wanted to let you know I am spreading the word on Rachel's Fundraiser and am praying God provides way over your Goal of 2500.
ReplyDeleteSuch a great idea! Good Luck!
ReplyDeleteStacy,
ReplyDeleteFirst, I would like to say that this is a beautiful way to raise money for Rachel's Ark.
Second, Desirae is a beautiful child with a matching soul. She did a wonderful job in coming across this fundraising opportunity and it goes to show what kind of child you are raising. Tell her how proud she should be of herself, as she's just the greatest big sister.
Lastly, I have been wanting to contribute to Rachel's Ark for some time now. While I could have just hit the donate button, I really wanted to give something that was a little more meaningful (for me) than just cash. (*Please understand that this does not mean that I wouldn't contribute money to the Ark, far from it- I would in an instant. I just wanted to give you something tangible, that you can see the love for Rachel through. I had initially, before this fundraiser, wanted to take part in funding of the landscaping which is something you can see every day.)
This fundraiser has given me an idea, and I would like to know what you think:
I have not been graced with a green thumb, nor an appropriate place to plant such beautiful flowers. My family would like to contribute as well, love the flowers, but also don't have the time to tend to such beautiful flowers. I'd like to note that the climate here in Florida also makes growing such flowers that much more difficult.
Would you be opposed to having the bulbs ordered and given to you (shipped to the church, etc)? I believe that you mentioned to me (in Walmart, before Christmas) that you are currently only fundraising for the actual playground and not for the landscaping part as of yet.
Reading your blogs and knowing the correlation between flowers and dear Rachel, I thought that this would be a wonderful way to give. I could contribute (as could my family), you would gain money toward the Ark, and you could use those bulbs that we purchase on the playground, therefore eradicating some of the flower cost portion of landscaping.
Furthermore- I know that my money would be well spent on flowers if they were under your loving care. I can't do flowers the justice they deserve, but I believe you can. Your love for Rachel is so profound, and I know that if you even spent a little bit of that same energy on these flowers then they would be well served.
I wanted to ask before I assumed and did. I don't know that you want the "hassle". However, I did consider your hands on approach and your love for making things beautiful. I assumed that you would be instrumental in this playground and that you would be doing all that you could to help build it in all aspects, including the landscaping and tending to it.
Please, share your thoughts with me (us). If you would rather not have the bulbs, do not feel ashamed to say so. I look forward to hearing your thoughts.
With love for your entire family,
VaNessa, Lee, Mason, and Devon
You can never have enough flowers!! And you're right...I did have plans for how I was going to show her beauty in the landscape :o) That is a very thoughtful offer, thank you! love, Stacy & Rachel <3
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