Goodness Weekly 7.13.26
"Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much."
—Helen Keller
WHAT’S GOOD
🌸 Flower Power is Back July 25th!
Artist Suz Browning is returning to the Art Room at Sunset Ridge Collective for another Watercolor Wellness Workshop on Saturday, July 25th from 11 AM - 1 PM! All supplies are included and sessions are just $15—but please note that space is strictly limited to 8 participants and advanced registration is required. Walk-ins cannot be accommodated, so be sure to grab your spot now before it fills up!
Stronger Bones, Stronger Community
Taylor Bates, Deputy Director, Sunset Ridge Collective
For the last six months I've been strength training consistently for the first time in my life. My doctor called it non-negotiable after diagnosing me with osteopenia, an early stage of bone loss. Thankfully, following through has been convenient because Kim Turner of NYX Wellness has a fitness studio right here on the Sunset Ridge campus. I want to tell the story of what is underneath that connection.
I first met Kim a couple of years ago after she commented on an Instagram post our organization had shared telling the story behind the butterfly bench in Charis Park—a memorial honoring Ava Lowry, the stillborn daughter of our Executive Director, Jess. Kim commented on the post to share that she, too, had a stillborn baby and was grateful that we were helping shine a light on pregnancy loss.
I reached out to Kim because I had also experienced stillbirth. We met for coffee on campus and shared our stories with one another. Kim had lost her daughter, Lilith Nyx, in 2020 during the pandemic. I had lost my son, Ellis, in 2018.
Pregnancy loss often remains hidden. Many families grieve privately when a miscarriage happens early, and even when a loss is visible—as in the case of stillbirth—it can still feel profoundly isolating. I remember feeling ashamed, confused, and dismayed by how little grief support was available after Ellis died.
Taylor and her sister after a recent strength training class with Kim
One person who showed up for me that night was Jess. She came to the hospital after Ellis was stillborn, and we formed an immediate bond through our grief. Looking back, that shared experience became part of the foundation for the work we now do together at Sunset Ridge Church.
During my conversation with Kim, she told me how important exercise had been to her healing and how she dreamed of creating a fitness business in honor of Lilith. At the time she was teaching classes out of her family's garage in Terrell Heights. Not long after our first meeting, she launched NYX Wellness in the church’s building, giving her a much larger, more accessible space to serve the community.
It is an incredible mystery how so much light can come from this chain of connections that emerges from darkness. Every week I go to Kim's studio to build stronger bones, but I'm reminded that communities are strengthened, too—through shared stories and the courage to enter the dark parts of one another’s lives. It’s still wondrous to me that something as simple as an Instagram post could lead to friendship and ultimately a wellness business that now supports so many neighbors.
Kim specializes in women's fitness but offers classes for everyone, including seniors. If you've been thinking about incorporating strength training into your life, I encourage you to check out NYX Wellness. I'm so grateful she's part of the Sunset Ridge community.
Coming Up…
Daily, NYX Yoga & Fitness
Daily, One Another Coffee
Wednesdays, Mission Compost Pick Up
Thursdays-Sundays, Scott’s Pizza, Charis Park
Saturdays, 9 AM - 1 PM, Sunset Ridge Farmers Market, Charis Park
Sundays, Worship at Sunset Ridge Church
Mondays & Wednesdays, 6:30 - 7:30 PM, Garden Club, Charis Park, Community coming together to care for Charis Park. Welcome to all ages—come visit with neighbors while we tend to the gardens & clean our communal spaces.
Saturday, July 18, 9 AM - 1 PM, Sunset Ridge Farmers Market, Gardening + Workshops, Charis Park
Saturday, July 25, 9 AM - 1 PM, Sunset Ridge Farmers Market, Mercado + De Boca En Boca (Bilingual Storytime + Activities), Charis Park
Saturday, July 25, 11 AM - 1 PM, Flower Power Watercolor Wellness Workshop, The Art Room, Space is limited and registration is required
Friday, July 31, 7 - 9:30 PM, Full Moon Friday,Charis Park
Friday, August 14, 5 - 9 PM, Parents’ Night Out, Sunset Ridge Church, Open to kids up to 11, Register here
Event Rentals - Interested in hosting your event at Charis Park or in our facilities? Please email rentals@sunset-ridge.org
Community Partners: For updated schedules and events please follow One Another Coffee, Sunset Ridge Farmers Market, NYX Wellness, Scott’s Pizza, Mission Compost, Sprouts School, Good Acres, and Community First Food Pantry.
