Test of book review links...

    Howard and I love to read books! This past year Howard has been reading many books and taking notes on them and saving them to share with others or to use when he teaches classes.

    If you would like to read a synopsis of what is in the chapters of the book - read on. Feel free to share and let us know if you enjoy them.

In the Grip of Grace by Max Lucado: 



                                                                 In the Grip of Grace - M. Lucado


">In the Grip of Grace - M. Lucado

Can't wait to have this fun next year!

So - Howard and I did not get to enjoy the fun at the Amazing Kids Sports Camp outreach this year - but we really enjoyed the videos that showed the fun they had this week.

I hope you enjoy smiling and laughing with the kids also! Enjoy these photos and the videos when you click on the link.







THIS LINK WILL TAKE YOU TO VIDEOS OF THE FUN THAT WAS HAD THIS WEEK:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLoJAnTefXKrP5UzjVCrmJbmSsdroZvkwO

God is at work!

      It has been a great week for Amazing Kids and the Summer Sports camp - here are some highlights from the week:

          But there were also large prayer requests needed.  God is working mightily, but someone is not happy about that, this FB message was from the church planter Rohan Crown this morning:

PRAYERS OF THE SAINTS NEEDED TODAY- PLEASE COMMIT TO PRAY FOR US TODAY!!!
What an incredible week!! PRAISE GOD!!!
God has been awesome this week, but yesterday Satan wanted to spoil the fun!!! While we were bringing home the Gospel story yesterday we had issues of lice, team members dealing with some stuff in their families, video issues, a child who I believe is spiritually oppressed and lack of focus among kids!!!
PRAYER TODAY TO FINISH STRONG!!! THAT THE PRAYERS OF THE SAINTS WILL KEEP THE ENEMY AWAY AND THAT THERE WILL BE VICTORY IN THE LIVES OF KIDS AND FAMILIES!!!
THERE WILL BE A UNITY THAT WILL EXHIBIT A POWER OF THE GOSPEL AND STRENGTH OF THE WORKING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE LIVES OF ALL WHO WILL BE THERE TODAY!!!
THANKS FOR YOUR PRAYERS!!!
Rohan

We know that our God is "...bigger than the boogie-man..." as the children's song goes, but know that prayers are needed.

Ahoy Maties....the Pirates are coming!

   Although we won't be there to participate this year, there is exciting things happening in Lethbridge, Alberta this summer.  The Amazing Kids and Amazing Grace Community Church are sponsoring a Summer Sports Camp as an out-reach to the community.

   We ask for prayers for the many people who will be involved:  Rohan and Rebecca Crown, Emily Owens, Leigh Morson, friends and members of Amazing Grace Community Church and Westminster Presbyterian church in Lethbridge; and the group of people who traveled from Chestnut Mountain PCA in Georgia to help this past week with pre-camp preparations:

   

And a welcome to the Christ Covenant Church in North Carolina who will be working this coming week with the camp. (A group photo of both churches who have helped for these 2 weeks)

    We also ask that you pray for open hearts for all of the children who will be attending this fun event - 

                           PIRATES OF THE PRAIRIE - ANYONE CAN CHANGE!

     Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. Ezekiel 36:26

*****If you are wondering why Pirates in Alberta, Canada with no oceans nearby - you will have to post a comment to find out the answer....

Wednesday visits with friends!

   We had a great time visiting friends in Lakeland, Florida who were so supportive in wanting to hear about the ministry in Lethbridge, Alberta.

The Anderson and Caylor families - we missed you Mark, Robert, Steven and Sarah - hope to see you in October.

     It was so good to see you Jayne! - And it was so much fun laughing with Bud and June and Bob and Sandy.

           We had so much fun reconnecting with our great friends and look forward spending many years continuing to serve the Lord together.

           And not last - thank you Barb and Clarke and Kelly for opening your home to us during our stay in Lakeland - sorry I didn't whip out my camera before Clarke left for work - we will be back.

Visits with friends!

  We have been having so much fun visiting our GOOD friends. Thanks to all of you for your hospitality and willingness to meet with you!

                 Good friends Kelly and Barb Freed - enjoying their hospitality for 2 nights. Julie visiting with the friends she spent many good times with.

Kathryn, Asia, Renee and Tim Lord treated us to lunch at Bob Evans with Fran Bryanton.

               A great dinner with Ken and Cindy Gatchell! Love Mexican - knowing that we probably won't see much Mexican in Canada - stocking up now.  Just noticed that we even look like we are sitting on the balcony overlooking the village square.  But we weren't, there was a terrible lightening storm happening outside.

     Laughing and sharing memories with Nonie and Sharkey Watson - forever friends.

Sweet visit with Betsy and Joyce Satterwhite - many prayers for her healing from a recent fall.

Looking forward to seeing more friends tomorrow and then on to our nieces wedding this weekend.

What special times were shared and remembered.

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!

Road Trip!!

For those who know us well - we are on a road trip again.  For those who are new to the Howard Vander Griend blog - WE LOVE ROAD TRIPS:
- seeing how cheap we can eat
- seeing how little we can stop on the way to our destination
- seeing who will end up driving
- seeing new places and meeting people.

Our most common destination is also our destination this time:

                       Always a welcome sign - done with the long drive through Georgia,

                             Free OJ!!

                          Sunday afternoon nap,

                  No - you did not see me take this selfie,

              We are privileged to have Julie with us for some of the trip.


We are going to attend the wedding feast of one of our nieces on Saturday which we are really excited about!

We are also visiting many friends and family while we are here.   We plan to be in the Lakeland area on Monday evening, Tuesday, and Wednesday, then we are heading to Palmetto and Bradenton on Thursday and Friday.  Drop us a line if you would like us to visit YOU!

Who is holding you to the flame?

 
      As we are moving along our road to Lethbridge we are learning many things - one is that we need help ...

                                       ...from God...

                                                  ...from other believers.

    We have asked a very special and dear friend to help us as we build our financial and prayer support team. We enjoyed a breakfast together at Burger King (were else?) today and she is as excited for us as we are!  The photo isn't that great - we commandeered an innocent bystander - but we want to thank her for being willing to be our accountability partner.

    Thank You Alice for committing to prayers and "holding our feet to the flames" as we raise our support.  We are blessed in many ways by your friendship.

     Truly...who is that person in your life that will speak the truth in love to you and call you to account for your actions and choices?  

  Proverbs 27:17 
       "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

Throw-back Thursday's on the blog!

  This weeks project as we prepare for our service in Canada was to get our prayer card to the printer in order to get some to hand out to all of you our supporters.  We took the photos below - Howard enjoying himself way too much in order to make me smile. (Thanks to our daughter Julie for being photographer.)

....I did not know what he was doing until I looked at photos later...

...Way too much yard and awful stilted smiles....

...We think this is the winner.

  Then we thought it would be fun to post the photo from our prayer card from 1985!

Becky was 15 months old.


We will leave you with the verse that was on our prayer card and we still hold as our family verse:

Lord you have assigned me my portion and my cup, you have made my lot secure.  The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places, surely I have a delightful inheritance. Psalm 16:5,6