The Vision for 4ever3

Hello again,

Thanks for stopping by!

I pray the light of Jesus and Lainey is able to shine through this blog in its entirety.

In recent days, my heart has been pulling me to write about the future plans of this foundation. Our official mission statement reads "Bringing joy to children and families by loving like Lainey" and the definition of loving like Lainey is listed on the website under Lainey's Life, but in case you missed it, here's the excerpt:

To love like Lainey is to return to a childlike understanding of the love Jesus has for all of us. As humans, we sometimes forget that hate is taught, and love is instinctual. Lainey’s love had no limit because she never reached an age in which she learned to hate.

  Lainey played with all her classmates at daycare, leaving no one out. She was excited for her friends’ birthdays, never blowing out another’s candles. She was brave in loving critters, big and small, cute and sometimes scary. Lainey loved to share laughs with others and share flowers she had handpicked and easily turned any bad day into something beautiful. Lainey gave big hugs.. so big that her family can still feel it around their hearts, encouraging us to continue spreading her love.

I want to make it clear... OUR MISSION IS PURPOSEFULLY BROAD. My husband and I prayed for months (and continue to pray) for God to restore purpose in our life after Lainey's call to Heaven. We want to help anyone and everyone God leads us to.

When Lainey was born in 2020, there was a noticeable shift in both of us as we transitioned to parents. We mutually knew our life was not centered around us anymore, but around that little, lanky-legged baby we held in our arms. Lainey has been our purpose here on Earth. God graciously allowed us to be her Earthly parents for three beautiful years, and we are privileged that our bonds reach to Heaven and back.

“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” – Romans 8:18

Lainey-16 days old

Our short-term goals are as follows:

1) Our inaugural Princess Party- Our first event as a foundation. We hope this event inspires and empowers the little girls in our community. This is an event I hold near and dear to my heart. Lainey has had a heavenly-helping-hand in planning this event and to see it come to fruition is Jesus working all things for good. We plan for this to be a give-back as well as fundraiser and opportunity for sponsorship in our town.

2) Christmas 2025- Our board voted and approved the sponsorship of 10 children this Christmas. With the help of principals, teachers and guidance counselors in our school system, we will be able to allocate funding anonymously to 10 children in needfulness. This was started last year before the foundation came together, so we feel as though it should continue and grow each year. This will be a behind-the-scenes operation to respect the privacy of the families.

3) In 2026, the board has started planning for more fundraising events. We hope to host a pickleball tournament in Elberton in early May. We started playing pickleball shortly after Lainey's call to Heaven as something we could all do together. Avery, Wes, Mackenzie and I ended up entering a league and played as "Team Lainey." We've played together in so many tournaments now, just to be together and out of the house. We've met so many people through pickleball that prove Jesus places people in your life, at a specific time, for a specific reason. Shout out to all of our Elk's Lodge people (even though y'all ain't seen me since May).

Long-term goals:

1) I hope to see the Princess Party happen in other counties/cities on a bigger scale across Northeast Georgia within the next 3-5 years. I pray each year this event grows and flourishes into something Lainey smiles about in Heaven.

2) Along with Christmas each year, we want to sponsor children for their birthdays, back-to-school shopping, and other milestone events. Starting in our community and expanding outward, the children and families in our community are our priority. We hope to be an anchor for families experiencing life-altering experiences, as we know how life can change in a single moment.

3) Scholarship for graduating seniors- We hope to establish a scholarship for graduating seniors from ECCHS. While this is down the road for the foundation, we hope to see this scholarship granted to graduating seniors which are nominated by teachers and staff each year. A behind-the-scenes operation, but important to our mission.

4) Avery has shared his own vision with me. How fun would it be to have a "family field day!" We've been talking about it for months now and while this event may take place further down the road, the more we talk about it, the more fun it sounds. We would love to work with local vendors to have a setup of bouncy houses, food trucks, games, and all things family fun.

5) Working for the foundation daily is my 5-year goal. Doing what? Literally only God knows. He has placed me in this position to tell the world about Him and what He has done for my husband and me. He has put me in this position to support others through their grief. I have learned in the past year nothing new comes from being comfortable. God wants me to speak... unfortunately for me, public speaking makes me nauseous... I cannot even hear my voice in a recording without feeling physically ill... I'm in negotiations with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ about this currently, although I already know the outcome. He wins every time. Nonetheless, whatever direction He leads me (podcasting, leading support groups, grief workshops and all the other things He's been waking me up all hours of the night to tell me) I trust Him.

In full transparency, we are moving when and how God tells us to. This foundation is an answered prayer, a blessing from God and Lainey Bug, and we are pouring ourselves and the love the Jesus into this organization. Throughout the process of building the foundation for the foundation, God has taught me patience and not just any kind of patience... "waiting on God patience." The building of this organization has most definitely relied on His timing and not mine or anyone else working in the foundation.

I continue to pray the light and comfort of Jesus is visible and felt through our words and works. I look forward to re-reading this post a year from now to see the personal and spiritual growth of each board member as well as the growth of 4ever3.

P.S. I started this post on August 2, 2025 and now publishing on September 12, 2025..I'm moving when the Lord tells me to.

Lainey-August 2023