The Most Wonderful Time of the Year - In Honor of Ellie Kate

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year - In Honor of Ellie Kate

You've seen the decorations in stores and ads on TV, and your children are already giving you their lists. You might even be thinking of getting that tree down from the attic in this mild November weather.  You know what all of this points to, don't you?  It's not "just" Christmas, although that is approaching faster than I would like!  It's almost DECEMBER, and with December comes, "In Honor of Ellie Kate - A Month of Reckless Love"!  THIS is OUR favorite, most WONDERFUL time of year!  

As many of you know, our gorgeous eldest Daughter, Ellie Kate was born December 4, 2005 and she took her last breath on earth December 23, 2012.  Ellie Kate was born with a rare and terminal genetic disorder, the same disorder that Lucy Belle has.  This disorder causes Our Girls to essentially make too much glycine within their little bodies.  The effects are extremely damaging and deadly.
There are less than 600 people living in the world today with NKH.  Most children die within the first few months, but we had SEVEN, GLORIOUS YEARS with our EK!

Ellie Kate ROCKED OUR WORLD, and in a GOOD way.  It's through Ellie Kate's life that the Lord gave us a mission as a family - to love and serve fellow special needs and medically-fragile families just like ourselves.  Through Ellie Kate, we also learned how to recklessly love others, including our Daughter who could not walk, talk, hug or show many signs of true affection..  Now, this is very much a "Mike and Ryan"-type of word and definition, but we stand by it and agree with it 100% . . .

• "Love" should be a verb, an action; it's not just a feeling, because our feelings pass and fail us.  

• "Reckless" means to be unconcerned with the consequences of an action; to test the limits and not worry about what might happen, be it good or bad. 

Reckless Love is taking intentional action in order to benefit the life of another without worrying about the consequences. 

For the past three years, at the beginning of November, I have posted an Amazon Wish List in order to collect specific books and toys for children inpatient at OU Children's Hospital during the holidays. Those who felt led would look at the list and purchase items that would in turn, would be given to patients at OU Children's. This has been a precious tradition and we've proudly passed out gifts for three years now, all because of YOU and your overwhelming generosity!  

This year, the Lord has laid something completely different on our hearts and we hope you will be equally as excited and involved as you have been with our efforts in the past!  

This year, our Reckless Love Challenges will include the following:

1.Grant wishes for fellow NKH Families - We have a special Amazon Wish List dedicated to "NKH Families called, "Ellie Kate's Wish"

NKH Crusaders has created a special fund in Ellie Kate's name.  Through this fund, fellow NKH families are encouraged to submit needs such as medical equipment, medical bills, and other things that may lessen the burden of the family.  These needed items will be posted on the Wish List for you to help provide. 

2. Family Christmas Adoption - An Amazon Wish List will be dedicated to the Williams Family from Shawnee.  This list will include "needs" of the family as well as a few "wants".  Their needs however, go way beyond that of an Amazon Wish List . . . 

This small family  has become very dear to us and they are in great need.  Dad isn't in the picture at the moment, so it's just momma and her two children.  Mom needs a job and is looking for one at the moment.  They do not have a car.  They do not have bed-frames (their beds lay on the ground).  They do not have proper furniture in their home and many times do not have money for groceries and bills. Our desire is for this momma and her kids will get to TASTE and SEE that the Lord is good and that He will provide for their every need.  It's exciting because you and I can be a part of that this year!  

3.  Hope Link Christmas Adoption - There will be an Amazon Wish List dedicated to a precious family within our Hope Link support group.  This list will include "wants" and "needs" as well with the main goal being that we meet those major needs.  We will be "adopting" this family alongside of OKC Hope Link, the non-profit Mike and I helped to start in Ellie Kate's name.  This particular family has three children with disabilities and medical needs.  We want to show them that Jesus cares about the tiniest details in their life!  

So, you have a few questions . . . 

• Why am I posting info on this special event  at the beginning of November? Posting now gives you enough time to look at the Amazon Wish Lists and purchase items. It gives time for the gifts to be mailed and gives time to beautifully wrap and deliver each and every gift.  
• Once I purchase a gift online, where does it go?  Each Amazon Wish List will be different. 
• Items purchased for the NKH Families will be mailed to Boston and then on to their specific family.  
• Items purchased for the Adopted family in Shawnee will come directly to our home where they will be wrapped by a group, of lovely ladies and delivered by hand
• Items purchased for the Hope Link family will also come directly to our home, where they will be wrapped by a group of lovely ladies, then delivered by hand to the family
• Can I get a tax-write off from this purchase/donation?  Yes! This IS possible if you do so through Amazon Smile (check our their site for more info).  

One Last Important Thing . . . 

Whenever you order from Amazon, be sure to do so from Amazon Smile!  By doing so, you are giving a small portion of your gift to the OKC Hope Link Foundation.  Those small gifts do add up, so please take the time to purchase your items in this way - even make it your habit from now on! 

About AmazonSmile

"AmazonSmile is a website operated by Amazon with the same products, prices, and shopping features as Amazon.com. The difference is that when you shop on AmazonSmile, the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price of eligible products to the charitable organization of your choice.

Every item available for purchase on www.amazon.com is also available on AmazonSmile (smile.amazon.com) at the same price. You will see eligible products marked "Eligible for AmazonSmile donation" on their product detail pages".

December is a month we look forward to because we celebrate Ellie Kate with those around us and for a time, we hear her name more often and see her name in print.  It's a beautiful thing to us as parents, and we give the Lord ALL the glory for what has been done through this in the past three years and we ask Him to richly bless our efforts this year as well!  In the days to come, I will be posting more information on this special time of the year, giving you ideas on how to love those around you in recklessly loving ways, while also honoring Ellie Kate. More details to come later this week!  

Thank you for praying about how God would have you participate in this year's Month of Reckless Love.