Summer 2025 Newsletter
- kimberlydevries530
- Jul 16
- 3 min read
PRODUCT CHANGES
A while back someone who had received one of our encouragement bags “paid it forward” by buying a bag for her neighbor who was also going through cancer. She suggested we add a bracelet in the bags for men. To keep our costs down, I decided that if I could find one, we would take out the fidget spinners that are no longer a “hip” item and are getting harder to find, and replace it with a bracelet. I then began the search for one within our budget and found the one pictured here. I thought this is very appropriate because the compass design signifies the fact that we need to let God be our Compass and lead us in the right direction in life whether or not we are going through cancer.
One other product change is in the women’s bags. The company that manufactured the JĀSӦN lotion is no longer making it, which is unfortunate because it was so beneficial in treating side effects on the skin of those going through radiation. I didn’t want to put just any lotion in the bag that wasn’t approved by an oncologist, so in place of that, we now put the small adult coloring book, pack of colored pencils, and small pencil sharpener that are in the men’s bags into the women’s bags. By adding these, it gives the patient something to do to keep her hands and mind occupied while at appointments, treatments, etc. In both cases, the cost of the bags remains the same.
SIGNS IN LIFE
The sign pictured at right was at the trailhead of a hike we took 4th of July weekend. There
was no snow, so we knew the warning was not applicable that day. We started hiking and the trail immediately took a steep incline that didn’t let up for almost three miles and ended in an “above the tree line” bowl at roughly 11,800 feet (picture below). The views were amazing but when we got back to the truck we were rather exhausted.
When hiking you can take steps to mitigate uncomfortable situations: an extra Gortex jacket to fend off the cold and rain, food and water to keep energy up, and cans of Boost oxygen to avoid altitude sickness to name a few. In life we may face many dangers and we need to watch for warnings. No, we can’t avoid all of them, but we can try to take precautions.
Cancer is one of those “dangers” we may not see coming and may not be able to avoid even if we try to take precautions of healthy eating, avoid smoking and drinking alcohol, getting regular exercise, etc. God continues to go with us in these dangers and events in life and He places people in our lives to walk through them with us. Be aware of the “avalanche” dangers in life, but along the way, enjoy the flowers, waterfalls, grand mountain views, and the people God has us meet along the “trail” of our lives.
QUOTE FROM AN ENCOURAGEMENT BAG RECIPIENT:
“The bracelet is a GREAT reminder that though other people may not be with me God always is. Thank you for the blessing pack you sent me! I am so thankful for those who have been through it and can understand in a deeper way!”
WEBSITE UPDATES
A gracious volunteer we recently met (a God-story) did some updates and improvements to the website and we now accept Paypal, Venmo, Google Pay, and credit cards to make it easier for you to donate online. Also, you can now set up recurring donations in various amounts and frequency.
APPROXIMATE NUMBER OF BAGS DISTRIBUTED TO DATE: 2,846
If you know of someone who has been diagnosed with cancer, is under palliative/hospice care due to cancer, or you know of a caregiver who can use encouragement and you would like to send a bag, go to our website to place an order.
Contact Us
Be Still and Know Inc.
P.O. Box 563
Bennett, CO 80102
616-826-1906
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