Decoration Day

my nephew Alex, my brother Gary and my sister Kathy

I grew up calling it Decoration Day. 

A day to remember the men and women that died while serving in the United States Armed Forces, by decorating the graves with flowers and flags.

This is my Dad's headstone in our church cemetery back home in Wisconsin.

Such a beautiful, peaceful place.

my nephew Parker

We now call it Memorial Day ~ 

a day set aside to remember all who served our country in the military.

Thank you for serving, so we could have freedom today.

And where else do you find cows grazing next to a cemetery? 

Well, in Wisconsin of course. :)

Please take a moment and read THIS post about my Dad's service to our country.

Oh, and come see what my Dad did in 1968 to welcome home two local farm boys that were returning home from Vietnam ~ click HERE.

Life's better on a deck

... especially if your life is not going as planned.

So you get in your vehicle and head north. Desperate for clarity. For peace.

You sit. You commune with nature... with friends that understand.

You find nourishment for your soul.

And although nothing has changed, you clearly see your need to depend on God for your security. You see your need to give up the control and put your trust in Him. For His plans. 

I recently found this quote in the book Crazy Love by Francis Chan, that stopped me in my tracks. This is me to a tee. But God saw fit to allow everything to change. Everything. And it has rocked my world. It has revealed things about me that I did not know till my security was taken away... jobs, health insurance, savings, retirement, my health. 

"Lukewarm people do not live by faith; their lives are structured so they never have to.  They don't have to trust God if something unexpected happens- they have their savings account.  They don't need God to help them- they have their retirement plan in place.  They don't genuinely seek out what life God would have them live- they have life figured and mapped out.  They don't depend on God on a daily basis- their refrigerators are full and, for the most part, they are in good health.  The truth is, their lives wouldn't look much different if they suddenly stopped believing in God." 

I'm not handling it well. I have a long ways to go. It's one step forward, two steps backwards. 

But I remain in the race, however painful it may feel at times.

Thank you for remaining a faithful reader... and for your prayers. Means a lot.

little bits of this 'n that

• the Estate Sale I've been working on since March was a huge success.
• the family worked the 2-day sale with me, which made it so much easier.
• finally sold the antique chandelier I've had listed on Craig's List for many months. 
• it didn't sell at an earlier Estate Sale I did in December.
• still had the original 92 glass crystals.
• perseverance really does pay off.
• we've been doing life with one vehicle and so far so good.
• not sure what we'll do when my husband finally gets a job.
• watching Friday Night Lights on Netflix ~ so addicting.
• Starbucks Frappuccinos are 1/2 off this week from 3-5pm.
• and I have a couple dollars left on a gift card. yes!
• I have Tendonitis/ Bursitis in my right shoulder. 
• the pain has been unbearable since December. Sleeping is the worst.
• needless to say, I process everything through a grid of pain & sleep deprivation.
• oh, and fear... we have no medical insurance.
• I'm not the most pleasant person to live with as of late.
• went to my first Vintage Market by Junk in the Trunk. Chris & I had so much fun!
• OMG ~ I came away with oodles of repurposed inspiration galore!!!
• Randy & I attended a beautiful wedding over the weekend. 
• at the very same venue my daughter got married exactly 6 months earlier.
• very emotional remembering that magical day.
• I sold another Estate Sale item at my yard sale a couple months ago,
• and recently got an email from the lady showing me what her daughter did with the side table ~ I was blown away! check it out ~ The Hankful House blog
• my 24 year old son Tyler introduced me to Duck Dynasty ~ I'm hooked!
• check out Phil Robertson's powerful testimony.

These are a few of the items that I still need to sell from the Estate Sale over the weekend ~

Wedgwood Amherst Platinum Bone China ~ 12 place settings 

19 Limoge luncheon plates ~ made in France