My sister, Joanna, and I have created social media pages

for our jewelry!!!!

All funds go directly to our missions trip. Will you go give it a like and a follow?!! 

We are excited to be vendors at our women’s Made For conference today!!!!

JC Creations

Created on purpose and for a purpose 😍🔥🙌

IM GOING TO KENYA!!

 I am writing to tell you about an incredible opportunity I have to serve abroad this spring. During the month of May, I will be traveling to Nairobi, Kenya to work with World Serve. While there, I will be serving in many capacities in remote parts of the country.

Some of the opportunities I will have are; serving in an orphanage, doing street evangelism, visiting homes to pray and minister, and laying hands on the sick. But the greater portion of my trip is what I'm truly looking forward to! I am so excited to be going into the schools to work with young girls of menstruation age. In Africa a woman's monthly cycle is taboo. So not only are a lot of these girls unable to afford items every month, they are equally uneducated about their own bodies. And thus, fearful of something so natural. Something that's very common to the rest of us, ignites fear, confusion, frustration and shame for these girls. I will be bringing supplies, compassion and equipping them to understand how their bodies have been created. Could you imagine if your daughter was so afraid of her period that she brought bodily harm to herself? Or was forced to sell herself to pay for basic supplies like pads? My heart shudders at the thought of my Pyr old sweet Anna ever feeling that way towards herself.

In order to make this trip possible, I will need to raise $3700 by April 15th to cover the cost of airfare, food, lodging, in-country expenses, and some supplies needed. $2000 of that is due no later than March 20th to secure lowest airfare. More importantly, I am hoping you will join me in prayer for this trip. I am looking for prayer partners who would be willing to lift our team up daily. Here are some specific areas to pray:

• Travel safety, both in the air and on the ground
• Favor with the local communities we serve
• Wisdom and understanding as we treat physical needs
• Opportunities to share the Gospel

If you would like to support me in prayer or contribute financially to my trip, please fill out the bottom portion of this letter and send using the envelope which has been included for your convenience.

In order for your gift to be tax-deductible, please make checks payable to Bethels Rock and include my name, Crystal Beilke, and "Kenya" ni the memo.

Or you may give online directly through my church:

Bethels Rock Richfield Campus: www.BethelsRock.org/give

Also ni the notes include my name, Crystal Beilke, and "Kenya".

Please let me know when you give so that Ican update my trip funds asap. Otherwise it may take up to 2

weeks for it to be credited to my trip.

fI you're not comfortable giving to a church, you can give directly to me via cash app, Venmo, check or cash. Both of these have current updated profile photos of myself, so you'll know it's me.

Venmo: https://venmo.com/u/Crystal-Beilke Cash App: $CrystalBeilke

Finally, I will be updating a private blog. It will include adventures leading top to my mission trip, pictures and stories during and final updates afterwards. This link will be sent to al those who supported me so that I can share with you what you have done, through me.

Blessings!! 

Crystal 

Kenya Fundraising

 Come buy some earrings!!! 

IM GOING TO KENYA! 

I am raising funds for an upcoming missions trip, will you help me get there?

I am selling earrings I have custom made to raise money for this mission.

The trip costs $3700. $900 is due this week. 

So these gorgeous, sparkly, super lightweight earrings are yours to purchase! Solid colors, ombré, custom designs available! 

2” Teardrops(dangles 3”) - $18

1.5” Heart(dangles 2.75”) - $18

1.5” Teardrops(dangles 2.5”) - $15 

 Limited quantity ready and available now!

Venmo: 

https://venmo.com/u/Crystal-Beilke

Last 4 of phone number 5098 😍🔥

Autism and seizures. How a simple Wednesday changed our family dynamic. 

(Picture from that morning)

Wednesday May 30th was suppose to be a fun filled day leaving our kids exhausted and crawling into their beds full of giggles and amusement park rides still swirling in their heads. And probably a little whiny(let's be real). 
The reality was I took 4 kids(10yrs, 8yrs, 3yrs and 5 months old) to MOA by myself for their end of the year school field trip, and that ain't easy. Ethan was suppose to go to Valley Fair but it was cloudy and rainy out so he decided to join us inside at Nickelodeon Universe instead. Baby Mila was fussy off and on all day, Elijah and Ethan ran themselves ragged and Anna rode the same 4 rides over and over. Just before lunch time I got a call, one I had slightly expected and yet hoped wasn't coming. 

(My oldest son Elijah and I) 

(Reading about Aspbergers)

"Hi Crystal. This is Kim. Just wanted to let you know before we meet, so you have time to process, Elijah very much tested positive for autism. He's high functioning but we can see clearly where ASD is interfering with his ability to learn and interact." 
Much more was said on that call but not much stuck in my head. 

We had started Elijah in counseling by the suggestion of some friends because he's struggled so much. After our first intake session the counselor said "I would suggest getting him tested. I suspect he may have autism". And I nearly fell out of my chair. Autism?! What? How on earth could I have missed that for 10yrs?

I left the office confused but ready to prove her wrong. I dove into researching everything I could get my hands on. And within the first 24 hours I found my son amidst these confusing symptoms in Aspergers. Things that never made any sense to us about him and yet never caught us enough to look deeper. 

Things like repetitive sounds and words. Awkward posture and body movements. His epic ability to tell the truth, to a fault and even if it meant he was going to be punished. And yet his inability to see his role in making a situation worse. His oral fixation to suck or chew on anything he could get in his mouth, one sided conversations and obsessive love for sharks, legos and drawing. And how his friendships have died off the older he gets because when he was little everyone was friends with everyone. And he could make kids laugh. Now his friends are maturing, and he's not, so things that were once funny are now obnoxious/annoying/frustrating to them. And so much more. 

So while in that first week I knew in my heart we'd found our son, I hoped that I was being paranoid and the tests would come back inconclusive. That they would say, "nope. He's just a regular boy who likes to be defiant". 
Standing in the middle of the park that Wednesday, expecting the call I hoped wasn't coming, it felt like the world was spinning. I fought back tears as we said "OK, we will meet tomorrow to discuss this further". Tomorrow's meeting would never come. 

I hung up, shook it off, texted my sisters and simply said "pray for me. I can't think about it right now. We are suppose to have fun today". 

We ran around the park for the next several hours and the kids and I were beat. So we headed over to my friend Sarah's house to pick up Sheldon. He works for her husband and we are down to one car so we figured it would be easiest to meet there. 

I got there about half an hour before the men did so Sarah and I chatted casually. Baby Mila had felt a little warm that morning so I asked Sarah if she though she was warm as I was holding her in my lap. She came over and touched her and said "no, definitely not feverish. But she looks weird!". 

And as I glanced down I noticed her color was off and she wasn't moving. I called her name, "Mila...Mila?" Nothing. No movement whatsoever. 
So I turned her towards me and she was completely stiff. I lifted her in the air and gently shook her to get a response, "Mila?!". It didn't look like she was breathing so I blew in her face expecting the inhale reflex that baby's do when air hits them. Nothing. And as quickly as the thought, "she's choking" came to my brain she turned blue, slowly went limp with her eyes rolling backward.  

Then I panicked. I rolled her into my arms and sat up and called her name looking to see if she was breathing. Before I could decide on my own, she slowly faded back in and took some deep breaths and started moving. And then sweetly smiled at me. Sarah and I looked at each other, and I was like, "did you see that?! Did I just imagine that?!".  She goes, "yeah no, that was weird." But Mila was now interacting like nothing happened. Wiggling and smiling. So I thought, for sure I must be paranoid. Maybe I imagined her color fading. Maybe she just was so tired she fell asleep. And as we sat there trying to figure out what just happened we decided I should call the nurse line, just in case. 

After 20 minutes on the phone with them they suggest a trip to the ER. I wasn't sure it was that serious, still convinced I was paranoid. Sheldon walked in the door moments later clueless to what happened.  We rounded up the kids into the car and as we were pulling out of their driveway I turned to him and said, "we need to go to the ER. She's ok now, but Mila had a weird moment and I called her Dr's office, they said bring her in". He goes "WHAT?!!"

As we drove to the hospital I explained everything. I also said I doubt they'll say anything so just drop me and the baby off and you and the kids go get some dinner. 

As we walked into the ER Mila was giggly and happy. The nurse at the counter said laughingly, "Don't you just love when you show up to the ER and kids just bounce back like they are totally fine?! Follow me, let's go to triage". As we sat down and she asked me to explain, she interrupted my story and said, "did she look like that?" And I looked down at my sweet baby who was again frozen stiff and turning blue. Shocked, startled and afraid I began to cry and stifled out a "yes! Mila?!! Mila come on baby, take a breath!!" At that moment I had no idea she was having a seizure, all I knew was she wasn't breathing and my heart feared the absolute worst. 

The nurse jumped up and said "follow me!" She called something out to her colleagues that I didn't hear and we ran/walked to a room that became flooded with people. As I laid her down she slowly faded out for about 5 seconds and then just slowly came back and smiled sweetly at all of us.  

(staring off as her color fades)

And all I could muster to say was, "so I didn't imagine that?!" One of the nurses said "no hunny. I'm glad you brought her straight here". And there began a whole series of tests and a long 7 day hospital stay. 

Mila had 8 seizures in that first hospital within 2 hours, so we agreed on having her transferred to a hospital better able to handle seizure activity, one staffed with a neurologist. At 1030pm I took an ambulance with her downtown to the Minneapolis Masonic Children's Hospital. As I held my baby girl I was texting like crazy trying to get someone to go be with our other kids so Sheldon could come be with me. He was able to get there around midnight and We had barely been in the hospital room for two hours with multiple seizures when she had one that they couldn't get her oxygen back up. It dropped to 34% and even with a nasal cannula blowing oxygen in her face they couldn't get it above 50%. So we were moved to the pediatric ICU. 

At around 4am in the ICU, wired, tired and worried, we sat next to our sweet girl covered in wires; heart, oxygen Flo, oximeter, IV. They told us she couldn't eat until after they were able to do an MRI, so she was fussy and hungry. And we felt helpless. With my head leaned against Mila's bed I said slightly above a whisper, "I got the call today." Sheldon said "what call?"  I replied, "Elijah's officially been diagnosed with autism". He simply replied, "OK".  

(Daddy and her Granddad praying)

I got up, turned some worship music on and just let God saturate the atmosphere. 

The next 7 days all melted into one, practically no sleep, lots of seizures, many tests, trial medications and lots of unknowns. We shared most info through Facebook and tried keeping up with texts and messages. So many people were praying, one of the reason I absolutely love social media!

As the Dr's stood confused in our room multiple times, our faith strengthened. They said they didn't know why the meds weren't working. They couldn't figure her out. And they said the cyst they found in her brain will never go away. Sheldon and I looked at each other, smiling and said "Watch God". A friend reminded us, as we sat in the hospital room feeling weak and worried, about what we had shared with our church just three weeks before. 

God had spoken to Sheldon that this year was going to be the "Year of Miracles." That Sunday morning during our team prayer time we shared this with our Frontline crew. And we said, "buckle up! Cuz you can't have a miracle without an obstacle that man can't overcome!" Little did we know we'd be talking to ourselves. But isn't that how God works? Through us? 

So we have buckled up. We don't know the journey we have ahead of us. Autism and seizures, specifically Aspergers and infant epilepsy. Two worlds we know absolutely nothing about. But get this. Our baby girl Mila? 
Her name comes from the Spanish word Milagros. Can you guess what that means? MIRACLES. 

THIS IS THE YEAR OF MIRACLES. AMEN. 

Leave a prayer request and we will pray for your miracle as well. Impossible Doesn't Stand A Chance!! 

(Many praying)

(Oldest, youngest)

(Mila, sweet as can be)

(the cyst-like spot)

(this is us)

 Thank you for all your prayers!

Grateful.... even for snow

Snow. Right now we dont need any other word to bring sighs, groans and slumped shoulders... just the word snow. We are so ready for spring, sunshine, warmth, signs of new life.... that the thought of another week in a winter freeze can be downright depressing. And its something that everyone relate to right now. Just yesterday I talked to at least 5 different strangers at the gym, and what did the conversation involve? Snow. All about snow and almost all grumbling. "Im so sick of snow", "April is almost over, what is this?!", "I cant wait for summer!", or the most common, "Im moving to Florida! No seriously, I really am!". Have you grumbled about it? I know I have, even if just a little. Last week during our Moms prayer group at school, we spent the first half hour talking about the weather, and then jokingly said that this was no longer a prayer group but a "Weather" therapy session. We all desperately crave warmth and sunshine, there's something about that happy feeling that it gives us. But in the midst of a snowy day, lets be grateful for other things.

I would have loved to wake up to a snow day with school cancelled, but I didnt. I would have love to have had my husband snowed in and have to work from home, but he wasnt. I would have loved to ignore the alarm clock and sleep in, but I couldnt. I could have complained about all of that, plus having to take our neighbors son to school on top of my own kids, but I didnt. And I really could have added a groaner to the fact that when I did drop off my neighbors son, another parent in that school backed into my van trying to get out of the parking lot. But I didnt.  I chose to have the peace only God brings. I chose to sing this morning to the kids, I chose to greet our neighbor warmly and with a huge hug. I chose to take in the absolute beauty of all the snow covered trees contrasting a bright blue sky. I chose to smile at the guy who hit me, look him in the eyes and tell him it was ok, that he was gonna have an amazing day and God bless him.

So I challenge you today. STOP IT. Stop complaining, stop grumbling, JUST STOP IT. Choose to see the good in your day. How do you want your day to go? Do you want it joyful, full of life and fun? Or moody, slow and long? Think about whats coming out of your mouth, or swirling around in your head and choose to make it positivity. Yeah I could have spent the morning in bed sleeping, but I got the chance to be a blessing to someone else in the midst of a cold "winter" day. Praise God for that!
Do you accept the challenge?

Philippians 2:14-15 "¹⁴ Do everything without complaining and arguing, ¹⁵ so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people."

Life is not pointless

My heart hurts. The emotions are so mixed. And although there is a joy indescribable for my dear friends gain, the pain of the loss of such a gem in this world literally takes my breath away.

But thats not what this post will be about. Not about the pain or loss, but about the example that an amazing, very young man left behind. I will NEVER forget the day Nick Reed came into my life.

In September of 2011, our brand new church plant hosted a booth at the North Central University church fair. In the sea of college students, our team handed out Ramen Noodle and talked to lots of new people. Most of them asked questions like, "What kind of worship do you have? What kind of message do you give? How many people attend? Where are you located? Do you have a youth group".

 But not Nick. As I greeted Nick, my first thought was, "Wow, He is way older than most of the people here." We talked for a good 15 minutes, which is incredible considering most of the conversations all morning had been about 30 seconds long. After explaining some of the history of how God called us to plant this new church, Nick said he was willing to help anyway he could. I asked him what areas he was good in and he replied, "Just give me a brush and Ill scrub the toilets and the bathrooms. I want to serve." Then He explained to me that he was sick of hearing of churches using all these gimmicks to get you to come, that He wanted to find a place and just serve. Then He promised to be there waiting at 745am on our first launch day of South Oaks. He met our team that day, and as He walked away all of us marveled at such an amazing guy. We talked about him all week long, prayed for him and at our next meeting told everyone all about this Nick guy. We even debated on his age, because there was something about him that was so much older than the other students.

On our first Sunday, September 18th, 2011, Nick was one of the first, if not the first person to arrive. Ready and waiting to help set up and tear down. And He came every Sunday after that, bringing even more people with him every week, even with a limp.... and then eventually crutches. He served with all his heart. We didnt even know right away what a talented musician he was, or his amazing healing from the first bout with cancer. But we didnt have to, we knew from the moment He walked up to that booth that He was a one of a kind guy, someone unique and powerful. Adding in all that incredible testimony just increased our respect for him. If it wasnt for Nick, I wouldnt have met the awesome Brandon, or the beautiful Jessi, or any of the other amazing NCU people who are now a part of my life. And all the way up to the point when He had to go back home from surgery, He set the example and the bar for truly living for Jesus Christ in our church. Even from his hospital bed this past September, he sent a thank you video to the church for our 1yr anniversary. He never gave up, through pain and trial, through the toughest parts of life, Nick plowed through. Even more amazing to find out that He was only 19 at the time, He carried a wisdom far beyond his years.


I remember one time walking out the door at the same time He was, and he was on crutches. I tried to hold the door open for him, and he laughed and said "Im not paralyzed, girls dont hold the door for guys." And he put his crutch up on the door and blocked it, till he could get in front of me to hold the door for me and my boys. I remember giggling with Jessi as she crushed on him, and watching the two of them exchange glances.... I even gave up a seat next to Nick and forced them to sit next to each other. This was obviously before anything became official between the two of them, and Im pretty sure I made them both blush and very uncomfortable. lol But Im glad I did.

The church, My husband and I and our boys, just like everyone else, poured massive hours into prayer for Nick. I am overjoyed that He is now healed, whole and in heaven.

I have never met someone like Him, I believe He was a real angel sent her to show us how to serve with everything we have. The last words he wrote show his heart, "The seeds we sow in this life will be the crops we reap after we die. See, our bodies may die and all the things we worked so hard to get will be equal to nothing. But our souls will live on........ Life is not pointless. So live like it has a point."

The heart, the passion, the love for God, the way he treated Jessi.... all examples to live by. We call him the Warrior Nick... and his is a story I will tell over and over again my whole life. The story of a man, an angel, a servant... whose time here we all feel was too short, but was designated with a mission by God. I know that the evening of January 31, 2013, Nick Reed heard the words, "Well done, my good and faithful servant."

The Beilke's love you Nick. Thank you for impacting our lives, by just being you. I am grateful to have met you.

1There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under heaven:

2a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot,

3a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build,

4a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,....
11He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end
Ecclesiastes 3:1-4, 11

Nick Reeds BLOG:
http://thepilgrimman.wordpress.com/

(Nick and the team at a babyshower)

Do not grow weary in asking

My 5yr old son Elijah has already proven that He is quite prophetic. He has seen things, heard things and spoken things out that have happened. Its pretty incredible watching him grow up. Theres this silly, hyper, crazy little boy who is just like any other 5yr old, and then out of the blue He does something that make Sheldon and I take a step back and go, wow.

Two nights ago He had a dream that He remembered quite vividly. As far as I can remember, its the first time He has remembered a whole dream, and the night before was New Years Eve and we prayed special prayers over each of our children for 2013. He woke up slightly disturbed and told us all about it. He was in the ocean and a skeleton was teasing a shark. Well the shark ate up the whole skeleton and and spit out its bones and left. Thats it.

But the timing of the dream and the stuff in the dream is not coincidence. In the last week we have paid out over $1800 in vehicle repairs, and not one dime of it came from our personal pocket books. What we had need of, we prayed and the next day checks came in the mail. This van has been broken down since June! Would it have been nice to have it fixed before now? Sure! But God is always perfect in his timing, never late! We survived just fine with one car, it was tough and there was lots of switching, Sheldon taking the bus a two hour bus ride at 5am, and Elijah staying at school late, but even through the stretch and stress, we survived just fine. However, with our exchange student coming, we need the second vehicle, and God provided right on time for a situation we had given up on. Its so amazing that Sheldon and I have been totally in awe since last week. Then comes this dream.

To me the skeleton represents lack, starvation, emptiness, sickness. Well we have definitely struggled with sickness this month, and we have always been just under the cut for bills to income, even with the most basic bills you can have. But in all, we remain faithful to God and to giving to Him.

Now to the shark, He is the powerhouse of the ocean. He is the equivalent to the ocean, as what the lion is to land. He is fierce, Hes a hunter, and does not back down from attack. As He chews up and spits out the skeleton, to me it represents the destruction of lack and sickness.

For 2013, I claim that promise. Just as God has provided every cent needed to fix what the van, which we had given up on, He will provide for every need this year, as always. And I claim to stand as boldly as a shark in my walk with God. I will be bold, I will not back down in seeking and sharing Him, and I will fiercely love. 


'For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.“Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" Matthew 7:8-11