Quote of the Month
"Sometimes I go to God and say, "God, if Thou dost never answer another prayer while I live on this earth, I will still worship Thee as long as I live and in the ages to come for what Thou hast done already. God's already put me so far into debt that if I were to live one million
millenniums
I couldn't pay Him for what he has done for me."
-A.W. Tozer
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Happy Birthday
Carole Isaacs
8/1
Sara Riggs
8/1
Stephen Paddock
8/4
Elizabeth Martin
8/10
Joe Haas
8/10
David Miller
8/12
Jeffery Dyer
8/13
George Roney
8/17
Steven Stone
8/17
Tim Wix
8/18
Larry Evans
8/23
Tim Boschen
8/24
Demetric Wilson
8/26
Matthew Williams
8/28
Sara Ann Bryant
8/29
Briana McKenzie
8/30
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"Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood." Hebrews 12: 3-4
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A Letter from LLM Leadership
Being in a position of seeing LLM as a whole and it's little  pieces all at once it seems there is a paradox that we are fighting to reconcile. Countless times we are hearing about our great reputation, how the supports we provide are top-notch, surpassing other providers in the area. Our heart and mission are distinct. We operate with a high degree of professionalism, sacrifice, and integrity. It is our joy. As a whole, we seem to be doing well. Especially compared to others (we've been told), but we only have one marker to compare ourselves to and that's Christ.
So the paradox is this: Our supports are great, we know that, but we can't help but ask ourselves the same questions that many of you have asked over the last few months: "Why is turnover so high and where, for the love of all that is good, are the staff!"
Where to begin to answer this? --with transparency. There are inherent difficulties built into the system of supports that contribute to this, various regulations and red tape that slow the wheels down, and not to mention the careful consideration we take in finding the staff who, we hope, will have the correct schedule, be a good match personality wise, and operate with high integrity. It take about two full weeks to equip staff with the necessary skills before they can work independently with your loved one. A necessary and in-depth training process. Our leaders will never put a staff with your loved one if there is doubt in their ability and integrity. Period. The selection process can take a long time. In a moment we can receive a resignation, news of a family emergency, a school schedule change, another job with better pay discovered, and we're back to the drawing board.
So the questions becomes how can we get quality staff through the door faster, and how can we stop them from leaving so quickly. To put it positively, how can we give them more of a reason to stay?
Of course, there is the financial end of it. Again we will offer transparency. 80 percent of everything we make goes directly to payroll. That's 20 percent for all other business expenses. This is not a lucrative business model. We're not concerned; we're a ministry. But the issues we face with this includes Medicaid reimbursement rates largely remaining the same since we opened in 2007. We pay above a competitive rate for the industry and offer substantial room for increase based on performance.
Then there is the systems end of it. The last few months we have been reanalyzing the Human Resource department, digging in and seeing what is and isn't working with our systems. We've been running faster, training better, and seeking harder. While those expected and unexpected situations that require staff to leave are often out of our direct control, what is in our control is our ability to increase our selection of staff coming in, equipping them properly to serve, and reestablishing the culture and DNA of our ministry by communicating that clearly to all the staff. Already we have been seeing positive changes regarding this. But we're a big ship, and turning it takes time and diligence. We're getting there.
We no longer want the paradox of having quality supports and a great reputation, while, at the same time, knowing that families are going long periods without service. Trainings in the community make statements like, "The DSP workforce is shrinking." We believe, if we are diligent enough, we can completely destroy that mentality.
Many of the staff we hire are young, intelligent college students who tend to connect well with those they are serving. Though they tend to move through quickly, they are forever impacted be the experience, giving them a glimpse into the population and instilling a love and passion in them. Our world grows a little larger. We can never guarantee how long a staff will stay with your loved one, nor how long it will take us to find a good match, but we will work harder to give them a reason to stay. The inherent problems will remain, but we refuse to throw our hands up and just say, "This is how it is in this industry."
So we want to thank you for your patience with us, and for believing in us, even when staff leave. Know that when we say we are looking for staff, we are truly looking. Few people are equipped to do this work, and even fewer are equipped to do it well. We want those few, not the others.
In Christ,
The LLM team
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Celebration Baptism
Like a wedding, baptism is the outward display of an inward affection, but unlike a wedding, it is more starkly a symbol of death, burial, and resurrection. It is a public declaration that we have died to ourselves and have been raised anew with Christ and will live the rest of our lives as those who have been set free by the blood of our savior.
For some, to stick with the marriage metaphor, physical barriers have prevented accessibility to the alter. For those who have been united with Christ in faith and have otherwise been unable to be baptist due to those barriers, let's overcome them together.
If there is anyone who is a believer in Jesus, but did not have the opportunity to be water baptized due to physical and/or accessibility reasons, we would like to welcome you to this celebration. Adaptive equipment will be provided to remove the barriers. If you have a pastor who has led you to Christ, they are welcome to participate in the baptism.
If your loved one has already been saved or baptized, they are invited to enjoy the celebration with their friends. This event is open to the community.
Celebration Baptism will take place at Bethel Harvest Church on September 19th from 1PM-3PM. If you'd like to be baptized or have question on what it means to be baptized, please contact Meg at megann@lordslegacyministries.org or call 859-245-2233. Light refreshments will be provided.
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Direct Support Professionals
You are cordially invited to...
A formal banquet
In your honor
October 24th at Asbury Seminary
6:30PM-8:30PM
Fine Dining and Awards
RSVP to Meg
Your heart of giving and sacrifice for those we serve is the essence of LLM's mission. It is our wish to honor and bless each of you for your service. Please join us.
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Holding Grace - A Blog from the Heart
Walking in Freedom
Hebrews 12: 1-2
 The closer I walk with God, the more truth permeates my being. Where there was once doubt or unbelief in an area, truth reigns greater. Our life is a gift and with each day we have the ability to walk closer with our King.
Hebrews 12:1-2 talks about stripping off every weight that tries to slow us down. The passage says:
"...and let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting Him, He endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now He is seated in the place of honor beside God's throne."
The sin in our lives loves to tear us down, and prevent us from looking into the eyes of our Champion. Through Jesus enduring the cross, He created freedom for us through salvation by believing in Him. Jesus is the Author and Finisher of our faith. Anyone who believes in Him will have abundance of life. We can be sure that no matter what the sin, it's through Jesus that we will overcome.
Daily surrender and daily victories is where we obtain a lifestyle through freedom.What if there was no baggage or sin? How would you run your race if nothing had the power to stop you? We have a God who has given us help through the Holy Spirit. We do not face our day alone. Jesus perfect our faith in Him.
"Father in heaven, I thank you for the reader of this blog. I thank you that you help them in whatever situation they may be facing. I pray that they would allow the Holy Spirit to help them throw off any sin and baggage that may be weighing them down and I pray you would give them vision of the race you have ahead of them. Thank you that their freedom becomes greater every day. Strengthen their hands and feet, clearing their eyes of distraction, as they run with purpose and endurance with you being their everlasting prize."
Jesus' name, Amen.
Much Love,
Meg
*For more info on Holding / Giving Grace please contact: Megann@lordslegacyministries.org
859-245-2233
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LLM Presents: Olivia Wackerly
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| | Olivia (right) with sister April (left) |
Most of you know the cheerful face that greets you when you first walk into the building, but perhaps fewer know that April's sister, Olivia has been a shining star at Lord's Legacy since February of 2014.
Olivia first came to LLM while still in high school, looking to volunteer. She quickly built great relationships with the participants and has recently spent the summer rocking the residential homes. Her services are of such high quality and she is in such high demand, that there has been frequent talk of cloning, but it is more likely we will just recruit the other two sisters. Yes, there are four of them!
Olivia is currently attending Berea college where she is pursuing a degree in nursing. In her free time she enjoys hiking and biking. Her favorite part about working at LLM are the participants she gets to serve. April, while talking about Olivia, said that her best quality is that she makes everyone she comes into contact with feel special.
LLM is honored to have such a gifted and high quality member of the team serving with us.
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Knickerbockers Fundraiser
 Knickerbockers is a fundraiser that grants any ticket holder a free professional photography session and 19 free portraits for only 10 dollars per ticket.
How:
Purchase your tickets from from Meg at our Central office by September 3rd. Called 859-245-2233 or email her at Megann@lordslegacyministries.org.
When:
You will be assigned a time to come in for the photo shoot at LLM. The shoot will take place on September 11th or 12th.
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Upcoming Staff Training
Autism Training: August 27th, 1P - 4P, at Lord's Legacy Central Office
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Now Hiring!
Affiliates, friends, families, cohorts, and comrades, Lord's Legacy needs staff. Not just any staff, staff with a purpose. We know you know someone who knows someone who has a heart of gold and the spirit of a saint and we want to know them. Your friend who is a neurosurgeon? They'll want to come here. The neighbor who teaches at the local high school? Fulfilling work, but they'll still want to come here. Your nephew in college who is living off Ramen Noodles but is somehow still putting on the "Freshman Fifteen," send 'em our way. The LLM family is like none other. So grab that now hiring sign off the door and come on in. We'll offer you a place to stand and room to stretch out your hands; we'll give you a fire that can't be contained in a hearth. Join us as we change the world.
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