Breathtaking Church Wedding Locations, In Michigan!

This week, our intern Kurt Karas was inspired by The Life Chest Wedding Week Sale. Over 50% off select chests! He explored some of the elegant local chapels in southeastern Michigan. 

First, Kurt visited St. Mary's Queen of Creation Church, located at 50931 Maria St, New Baltimore, MI. This church is said to be filled with friendly people and has a great atmosphere. He was inspired by the elegant displays of stained glass and gorgeous monuments. This would be a perfect place for any couple looking to get married! For more information on the church and upcoming events, visit their Facebook page here. The church was founded in 1876 and has been around ever since!

Kurt continued on to visit the Christ Lutheran Church just up the road. It is located at 50750 Walpole St, in New Baltimore, MI. He was amazed by the delicate design of the building, the narrow stained glass windows and triangle design are very unique. A perfect example of a Life Chest Moment! To view their Facebook page, click here. This church offers services at 8 and 10 AM on Sundays during the summer. Youth activities are also available!

Saving the best for last, Kurt went to visit the Immaculate Conception Church. Their Facebook page has everything you need to know about the church. In addition to being a church, it is also a Pre - 8th grade school! It is located at 9764 Dixie Hwy, Ira Township, MI. This beautiful church has an amazing garden and decor to surround it. If you were ever looking for a place to get married, this would be it. Here are a few photos that Kurt took during his visit:

They also had a banquet room, perfect for any occasion, especially a wedding.

Simply Amazing! To shop our Wedding Week Sale click HERE

I Now Pronounce You

Planning for a wedding can be stressful. So much revolves around making that special day so perfect. After all, it is claimed to be the most memorable day of your life. However, sometimes people get caught up in the situation, causing them to forget an abundance of details. The Life Chest offers a perfect solution to that dilemma! SAVE HUNDREDS on select chests now!

By storing all of your most cherished memories inside an elegant chest, keepsakes will last forever! These elaborate, delicately crafted chests will make your jaw drop. From The Aristocrat to The Glamour, our chests offer a heirloom quality residence for your most valuable treasures. 

In Memory -- A Detroit Hockey Legend

Gordie Howe's legacy will live on forever. Not only in Detroit, but all across the world. Gordie Howe is known as one of, if not the most legendary hockey player of all time. He was known for his infamous "Hat Trick." Although, this hat trick did not consist of 3 goals. It was equivalent to getting into a fight, getting an assist, AND scoring a goal. 

Gordie Howe passed away today at the age of 88. Even though this is a sad day for people all around the world, it is also a day to remember how great of a man he really was. A day to celebrate 88 years of astonishing accomplishments. 

In his NHL career, Howe finished with 801 goals and 1049 assists. Not to mention the 500 goals that were scored in leagues below the NHL. 

Not many people can say they had the opportunity to play a professional sport with their son. However, Gordie Howe did. Howe played hockey with his two sons, Mark and Marty, in 1973. Gordie is a unanimous hall of fame player. He is without question one of the most talented individuals to ever play the game. 

Gordie has left an embedded footprint on the game of hockey, the city of Detroit, and sports fans across the world. Rest in peace, Mr. Hockey.

Sources:

lbkmetroleader.com

www.pinterest.com

Lindsay Bradford & Her Legacy Life Chest

Lindsay Bradford is not ordinary by any means, she is an amazing woman with a heart of gold. Nothing has ever gotten in the way of Lindsay, the wife of Navy serviceman Jordan Bradford, she knew she would impact the world in a positive way from a young age. She has helped military spouses gain valuable experience in their careers, and her ability to demonstrate real world help to military spouses is exponential.

Lindsay received her Life Chest and we want to share her kind words with you!

"Came home after three weeks not he road to finally see this beauty up close and ultra personal!! Look at how BEAUTIFUL this The Life Chest is. It is HUGE!! There are so many fun and personal goodies in it (including a mug - and we all know how obsessed with collecting mugs I am)!! So blessed and thankful for this. Stunning. Thank you Donna!! ‪#‎msoy16‬‪#‎navysoy16‬ ‪#‎navyspouse‬ ‪#‎navywife‬ ‪#‎navylife‬ ‪#‎milspouse‬ ‪#‎blessed‬" 

THE LIFE CHEST with BeRemembered.com

An All-Inclusive Legacy Product

Now offered with BeRemembered.com, The Life Chest is the first all-inclusive legacy product, providing a lasting, meaningful way to share both tangible and intangible memories.

Save your high school yearbook? Share your high school memories in My Biography and reference classmates and teachers in your yearbook. Serve in the military? Include your years of service in My Timeline and place your ribbons, medals and challenge coins inside your Life Chest. Planning a road trip? Add your destinations to My Bucket List and save your mementos in The Life Chest.

Amelia saves her heirlooms in her Life Chest and then shares its significance in My Favorite Things on BeRemembered.com

Mike Elliot records his memories and most valued possessions from everyday life, to his time serving in the military and for his work with the All Veteran Group, of which he is the founder.

Mike Elliott’s mission is one of hope and inspiration, “With AVG, we are changing directions and changing lives. We provide a blueprint to translate aspiration for change into action, and a new sense of freedom. Traditional values of teamwork, effort, accountability, trust and selflessness are the cornerstones of AVG’s Programs.”

With The Life Chest & BeRemembered.com you can take the tangible items you’ve preserved and link them to a digital place to both store and share with friends and family. Together your Legacy will live on through both your memories and most personal items.

For more information please visit our website:  www.thelifechest.com

Testimonial video: https://youtu.be/LtFO0CMLIvI

BeRemembered.com video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ee_z6LuUYw

Wigs 4 Kids Gala

Wigs 4 Kids Wellness Center and Salon is a non-profit organization that provides wigs and services at no charge to children and young adults experiencing hair loss due to cancer, alopecia, trichotillomania, burns and several other disorders. Every wig provided is custom-fitted, age-appropriate, and individually cut and styled as requested by a child or teenager to help them feel comfortable and confident.

The staff and team of volunteers at the Wigs 4 Kids Wellness Center and Salon know hair loss can be devastating for young patients. Many of them may struggle with the emotional, social, and psychological side effects of their disorder.

Last weekend, our CEO Donna Yost and her husband, Kim donated an Aristocrat Life Chest at the Wigs 4 Kids Gala! The Wigs 4 Kids Gala is a gala that is organized by the CEO of the organization, Maggie Varney. Maggie Varney, Founder & CEO of Wigs 4 Kids has been in the beauty industry for over 40 years and has been a successful business owner and entrepreneur for over 25 years. As a Michigan certified technician of the national Look Good Feel Better Adult & Teen Programs for over 20 years, Maggie volunteers her time and talent to teach cancer patients how to deal with the appearance-related side effects of chemotherapy and radiation. The event was a very good time and supported an amazing charity with a great mission!

http://www.wigs4kids.org/

End Grain Wood Working Co.

We are so proud to be working with Endgrain Woodworking Co. on the Hometown Heroes Chest.

Chris Behm and Sam Constantine founded End Grain Woodworking Co in 2011. They started their company by working out of a two-car garage in their spare time. In 2012, they participated in the Detroit ReNailed Reclaimed Materials Building Competition. This competition was their first public event and they had a great response. They won the competition and invested the prize money into their business and they quickly started to see their company grow.

Chris Behm and Sam Constantine are prime examples of individuals that truly love what they do. There are many challenges they face with creating their products however, the challenges do not prevent them from dong what they love.

The wood that is used to make their products is native, and from Detroit. They use the wood that Detroit has to offer because it “adds a story to every piece that we have to offer”.

End Grain Woodworking Co offers an array of products. From Frames and mirrors, to coat hooks and flower vases. The skilled craftsmanship that has been put into each product. Visit their website to learn more! http://endgraindetroit.wix.com/tegwc

PTSD Awareness : Combat Injured Troops

In honor of June being PTSD Awareness Month, we at The Life Chest want to call attention to some of the issues our American soldiers face as the realities of combat. The statistics are jarring, but we believe that there is power in being informed, and understand that there are many who are unaware of the spectrum of problems that may follow our troops home.

For every US soldier killed in World Wars I and II, there were 1.7 soldiers wounded. In Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, for every US soldier killed, seven were wounded. Combined, over 48,000 servicemen and women have been physically injured in the recent military conflicts.

In addition to physical wounds, it’s estimated as many as 400,000 service members live with invisible wounds of war, including combat-related stress, major depression, and PTSD. Another 320,000 are believed to have experienced a traumatic brain injury while deployed.

PTSD is claiming the lives of 22 veterans PER DAY. The numbers continue to rise and we must remember that without our veterans we would not have the freedoms that have become the norm of our everyday lives.

22 a Day – An Image from Combat Injured Troops

Transitioning back into “normal” life can be difficult for veterans upon arriving home, and that transition may prove to be even tougher for those injured in combat or dealing with PTSD. Luckily, there are many charities and organizations who strive to make a difference in these wounded veteran’s lives.

One such organization is the All Veteran Group. They are focused on representing military veterans through parachute demonstrations, tandem parachute experiences, brand ambassador programs, sponsorships & special events. They have a program called Therapy in the Air, where combat-injured troops have the opportunity to skydive with the All Veteran Group founder, Mike Elliott. Therapy in the Air is both therapeutic and rewarding to veterans. The All Veteran Group’s Therapy in the Air skydiving program “… helps warriors thrive through post-traumatic growth (PTG)…  [It] inspires individuals during rehabilitation, reintegration and during the healing process.”

The All Veteran Group

One such positively impacted combat-injured veteran is Todd Love, a testament to both the power of the human spirit as well as the impact that Therapy in the Air produces.Todd Love was a U.S. Marine, and was injured in an IED explosion while he was deployed in Afghanistan. As a triple amputee, Todd dreamed of being able to skydive with Mike Elliott; however, his doctors told him it wasn’t a possibility. With the help and training of Mike Elliott, the invention of a special tandem harness, and the joy of the jump, Todd proved them wrong. Todd has completed over 200 skydives with Mike Elliott to date, and the happiness it brings him is incredible.

Mike Elliott and Todd Love

Todd Love is a USMC veteran who lost both of his legs and his left hand to an IED in Afghanistan, who's determined to not let that get in the way of ANYTHING (Watch Todd's story: http://vimeo.com/23424390). He has been surfing, skiing, scuba diving, wrestling alligators, and now learning to skydive.

The Life Chest is currently holding a CrowdRise campaign in order to raise money to donate Life Chests to combat-injured veterans. Life Chests serve to provide a special place for those who have served or are currently serving in the military to keep their most treasured mementos and keepsakes. By having their very own Life Chest, they will have the opportunity to constantly be reminded of major milestones, and intimate memories. With the help of your donations, after the combat-injured solders complete their skydive with Mike Elliott through Therapy in the Air, they will be presented a Life Chest.

Save a life and leave a legacy… Please donate today to The Life Chest and give our incredible veterans something special. Visit our CrowdRise page at CrowdRise.com/LeaveaLegacy and make a difference!

PTSD Awareness Month

At The Life Chest our soldiers are very important to us. That is why, this month of June, we would like to recognize that it is PTSD awareness month.

PTSD is known as post-traumatic stress disorder. It can occur following a life-threatening event such as military combat. Those who suffer from PTSD often suffer from nightmares, flashbacks, difficulty sleeping, and feeling emotionally numb. The disorder is the catalyst for many difficulties within a person’s life.

According to the National Center for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, about 60 percent of men and 50 percent of women will experience a traumatic event in their lifetime and the numbers are even higher for members of the armed forces.

It has been reported that our veterans are committing suicide at a rate of 22 lost each day, a staggering statistic that means we’re losing a hero every 65 minutes. At The Life Chest, we have partnered with the All Veteran Group to combine the healing potentials of our Chests with their amazing skydiving program called Therapy in the Air. With programs like Therapy in The Air, our veterans are getting the support they need to find hope in the aftermath of traumatic events and live their lives to fullest.

It is important that those suffering from PTSD can be reminded about the happier moments they’ve had throughout their lifetime. The Life Chest is currently holding a CrowdRise campaign in order to raise money to donate Life Chests to combat injured veterans who have served in the military. Our Life Chests serve to provide a special place for those who have served, or are serving in the military to keep their most treasured mementos and keepsakes. By having their very own Life Chest, they will have the opportunity to constantly be reminded of major milestones, and intimate memories.

The All Veterans group and the LifeChest is hoping to donate LifeChests to soldiers after completing the Therapy in the Air program. Therapy in the Air is “…[a skydiving program that] helps warriors thrive through post-traumatic growth (PTG). PTG refers to positive psychological change experienced as a result of the struggle with highly challenging life circumstances… Therapy in the Air inspires individuals during rehabilitation, reintegration and during the healing process… they have the power to tell new stories that will help them overcome adversity and move forward. Through telling new stories, warriors are able to rebuild a sense of self—to reconstruct an understanding of who they are, their place in the world and what their expectations of the world are.” After the combat injured solders complete Therapy in the Air, they will be presented a LifeChest with the help of your donations.

Everyone has a story worth telling, and we can’t think of anyone better to help preserve his or her most treasured moments than our American veterans. Your donation ensures that their legacy lives on. Save a life and help our veterans leave a legacy! Donate today in any amount you can, and give our incredible veterans something special.

Fundraising Websites – Crowdrise

NPR: VA Steps Up Programs As More Veterans Enter Hospice Care

This is a great article about the We Honor Veterans Program and about the care needed for Veterans who haven’t yet approached their PTSD.

“Shreve says only half the community hospices nationwide are taking advantage of the We Honor Veterans program, which is free. He’d like to see more of them get on board. That’s because half a million veterans will be needing end-of-life care each year for the next five years.”

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2015/01/28/381938804/va-steps-up-programs-as-more-veterans-enter-hospice-care?utm_source=npr_email_a_friend&utm_medium=email&utm_content=20150128&utm_campaign=storyshare&utm_term=