All That I Am Today
(A ministry for THIS moment)
"Offering everything we are to the Lord."
most writing is by South Dakota author BJ Reese
VISIT OUR FACEBOOK GROUP
Bonnie (BJ) Reese
Co-Founder
Jan Suntken
Co-Founder
Kelly F. Miller
Ministry Partner
Amy K. Ellis Ministry Partner
"For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace." ~ 1 Corinthians 14:33
~ MEET THE TEAM ~
I was born in Spokane, Washington, and, along with two brothers and a sister, was raised by my mother. I have three sons, five stepchildren, and a large number of grandchildren (30, I believe) and great grandchildren (a dozen and counting).
My journey as a writer began early in my childhood, when I first learned what words were. Learning to read and write was like magic: you could construct the words you knew, using these things called letters. That was it for me! The wonder and awe of that discovery has lasted a lifetime. For me, words have always painted pictures. They weave themselves into these amazing tapestries of our lives.
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In 1999, after 26 years as a military spouse on the East Coast, I moved West and settled in South Dakota. God had led me here after the death of my second husband. One by one, all of my sons have also made their homes here.
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Never once have I regretted making this move. I've been led to an amazing church home, with a loving and devoted church family. I have an extraordinary circle of friends, and a job I adore. To top it all off, the Lord brought new love into my life in 2002, and we've been together ever since.
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Every time I stop to think that life couldn't get any better, God proves me wrong. It is to His Glory that I bring you this web site. Today, everything I do as a writer is done for Him. It is, by far, the greatest joy I have ever known in my life.
Thank you for visiting! I hope you'll stop by often . . .
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To His Glory . . . BJ
About BJ Reese
ABOUT JAN SUNTKEN
Jan moved from Iowa to South Dakota in the summer of 2015. When she began driving by our church on the way to visit her daughter, she would look up at it and say to herself, "I'm gonna go to that church some day." She and Jeff moved to Hill City in 2019 and they did, indeed, begin attending our church.
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I met Jan in September, 2019, when she signed up for a women's study group I was leading. It wasn't long before we discovered a unique connection between the two of us. We could talk freely . . . easily . . . and neither of us got lost when the conversation drifted. By early 2020, we were meeting on a regular basis. In February, we began to sense that God had more in mind for us than a simple friendship.
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We began to feel we were being led into some sort of a ministry. We strove to listen hard for God's will to be spoken into our minds and hearts. As 2020 progressed, God made good use of the time we spent at home. He made His wishes more and more clear to us as each month went by. In August, we knew.
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Our Purpose, Mission, and Vision statements were written, and we awaited further instructions. On November first, we felt compelled to invite Eileen - a woman from our church - to become a prayer partner to cover our ministry. Six days later, we were led to invite others - from the Black Hills Christian Women's Conference - to pray for us. A week before Thanksgiving, God laid the unction on my heart to announce our ministry here, on this web site.
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Jan and I spend a lot of time eagerly waiting for further instructions. We constantly remind each other to wait quietly for the Lord to choose the time and direction. That this journey is nothing if He is not in charge. We have no idea what comes next, or where this new adventure will lead us, but we are enjoying the journey!
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Jan, thank you SO much for coming alongside of me during this amazing adventure. Thank you for sharing your enthusiasm, your confidence, your tireless encouragement, and your unique connection to God. You are the anchor which helps me stay focused on the goal, and to see things clearly when my mind gets muddled. I cannot imagine what this journey would have been like without you . . . I'm not sure I would ever have gotten this far. Welcome aboard, my friend! I look forward to the future God has planned for us . . .
(Jeremiah 29:11)
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To His Glory . . . BJ ​
ABOUT KELLY F. MILLER
Kelly moved to South Dakota in October of 2017, and began attending our church in January, 2020. That is where we first met her. Then, in the summer of 2020, we had the opportunity to visit with her at the gift shop where she works.
While we chatted there, we had a chance to tell her about the new ministry God was inviting us to build with Him. She showed a genuine interest and offered enthusiastic prayer support. She even offered to hand out some of our business cards to her customers. At the time, we had no idea she was interested in joining us.
When we had first met Kelly, we were instantly drawn to her bubbly, upbeat personality. On February 26, 2021, that bubbly enthusiasm led to her being invited to attend one of our Ministry Team Meetings. She was curious to learn more about what we were doing. By the end of that meeting, Kelly had excitedly accepted our invitation to join us.
When we all parted company that day, Kelly was an official member of the Team. Over time, it has become obvious that she has a definite heart for listening to God’s Voice in her life. Learning how to totally surrender to His will carried her through a very dark season in her life. In turn, Jan and I are learning more and more, each day, about what it means to totally surrender your life to God's will.
Kelly, your commitment to obeying God is a perfect fit for our team! We are thrilled to welcome you to the exciting work that is unfolding before us . . . and are so glad that you will be with us wherever God leads us next. Thank you for openly bringing your enthusiasm and excitement to the table. It feeds our energy levels every time we meet. Thanks to you, we are learning how to truly listen for God’s leading on any given subject . . . and how to follow that leading with joyful enthusiasm and excitement.
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To His Glory . . . BJ
ABOUT AMY K. ELLIS
I met Amy in 2000, when her family became friends with my son Kevin. Amy was born in Rapid City and, except for a year or so early in her marriage, has lived here all her life.
Several years ago, Amy’s battle with cancer changed her in some unexpected ways. Always one who gave all she was to those she loved, cancer taught her to slow down, and pay more attention to herself. During that first year of uncertainty, Amy found herself being drawn closer to God. Longing for His presence in her life.
By the time Amy was declared cancer-free, she began to notice other changes in herself. Her growing faith, and a strong desire to help others, soon became a personal mission to help other cancer victims find their way --- with God’s help. The confidence she developed began to lead her to seek out sisterhood, which she found through selling Mary Kay products.
That hunger for sisterhood eventually led her to an All That I Am Today team meeting. She had been attracted to what we were doing since we first began. What she saw and heard that day caused her to feel more and more drawn into what we were doing. As her awareness and confidence continued to grow, Amy felt God moving her in a new direction. That direction brought her back to us and, during our May 2, 2023, Ministry Team meeting, Amy became an official member of the Team.
Welcome aboard, Amy! We are thrilled to have you as a part of our team! Your caring nature, your natural empathy, and your compassion for others, will help all of us grow in ways that we have not yet begun to imagine.
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To His Glory . . . BJ
WE WOULD ESPECIALLY LIKE TO THANK PRAYER SUPPORT TEAM
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Our most profound thanks to all of you, for taking on the task of supporting this ministry with your continued prayers. May God bless each and every one of you, and your families, abundantly.
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Anne Case
Candice & Ken Bruns
Carol Walker
Denise Nay
Eileen Hamm
Lynda Pringle
Mike Paul & Roseanne Hilton
Pastor Mike Reese
Patti Reese
Teena Conrad
We thank God, for bringing these amazing people into our ministry. Their prayers and emotional support mean more to us than we can possibly say.
If you have a question for any of us - or a topic you'd like to have discussed in Precious Legacy, please fill out the form below. We will get back to you as quickly as possible. If you would like us to call you, please include your phone number.