Embrace Grace Update
By: Patrice McLaughlin, Embrace Grace Coordinator
It’s the end of summer and fall is here! That means we have welcomed a new generation of Embrace Grace Blooms.
It sounds cliché, but our word for this semester has been GRACE. God has poured his unmeasurable grace over this ministry this semester. He provided a wonderful leadership team that has formed great unity and utilized their different gifts, talents, and abilities. He provided so. many. volunteers to cover our needs for the semester at the Ministry Fair for meals, Princess Day help, and baby shower help. Thank you church for your generosity!!
We began with ONE BRAVE Bloom the first week. We praised the Lord for the one! As the first couple weeks passed we grew to five and then later to SEVEN brave ladies who are choosing life for their unborn children. The Blooms have come to the circle with hard backgrounds and God has met them where they are by providing women who have walked down some of those same paths to come meet with them, share testimonies, and minister to them to heal deep-seated hurts. For the first time, we have a momma carrying twins! We can’t contain our excitement but also have met her with prayer over the safety of each baby and her as they grow and develop.
Princess Day was one for the record books. Their gleaming faces said it all at the reveal of a spa pamper day planned just for them. Julia Lopez hosted us for the day in her beautiful home. “Wow, this home is beautiful. I need to set goals so I can be here one day.” The Lord revealed a word for each Bloom that reveals how He sees them. Shame was traded for Confidence. Forgotten was traded for Chosen. Damaged for Pure; Unworthy for Worthy; Not Enough for Sufficient. They were crowned as Daughters of the Most High...The King. We dined as royalty. I love how the Lord uses this day to break down walls as we use our hands and feet to care for the physical needs they may have. “I’ve never been cared for like this.” “I can’t believe this was planned for us...for me.” “I feel so relaxed.”
“Come to me all you are weary and heavy burdened and I will give you rest.” — Matthew 11:28
We then have a night to focus on forgiveness and a night when we invite our GHOP team to come pray over these ladies called FREE. We break chains this night. Spiritual battle and healing. Breaking off generational trauma, sin, and fear.
“If the son has set you free, you are free indeed.“ — John 8:36
Our semester ends in GRACE. One more note of his love and pursuit of them. He sees them. He loves them. He died for them. The invitation to invite him into their hearts. We finish our semester with a beautiful baby shower to celebrate all the goodness and faithfulness of God and these ladies are rewarded for their commitment to 11 weeks of transformation. Blooming into motherhood. This semester has been beautiful to see unfold as the Lord captured hearts and we have a few Blooms commit their lives to Christ and be baptized. The Lord is gracious!
“Praise the LORD! I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation. Great are the works of the LORD, studied by all who delight in them. Full of splendor and majesty is His work, and His righteousness endures forever. He has caused His wondrous work to be remembered; the LORD is gracious and merciful.” — Psalm 111:1-4
