Just a quick update here. The yard sale is gonna be HUGE and I do mean ENORMOUS. Like 1/2 acre big. So much has been donated--good stuff, and some REALLY good stuff!
Four gals from our care group did a book study/prayer/pricing party last night. We were all punchy by about 9:30 and started taking guesses at what was coming out of the boxes. You know, the not-so-good stuff that makes you ask, "What the heck?"
Here's what you would've heard in her garage.
1) "Is this an evening gown or a shower curtain?"
2) "Does anyone actually listen to cassette tapes anymore?"
3) " Leave the battery out of the keyboard and it'll sell. It's so annoying!"
4) "How much do dry-rotted toilet rugs go for?"
5) "If Casey the Kinderbot doesn't sell, I want him back."
6) "Garden Canopy set $75. Complete except for canopy."
7) "Run me a tab, Zo. These clothes are from Talbot's!"
Stephanie Smith was asking me about directional arrows on the signs she's making. "So you want 4 signs with arrows going left and 4 with arrows going right. right, right, Miss Zoanna?"
"Yup. You are such a good ArrowSmith."
Thus went our fun till 11 o'clock when all was said and done.
But boy are we feeling it today. My back is achey. All my muscles hurt. Something feels really wrong in my abdomen. It's a localized sharp pain on the left side when I bend forward or right after I eat. Mitzy, Sarah, three kids and I went out to her parents' home (where the yard sale will be. It will probably resemble an odd twist on a family reunion). There we unloaded my van, priced her parents' contributions, and let the kids play. AT one point we did get their help. I said, "Ethan, will you please carry this garment bag?"
He looked at me very sternly and asked. "Why did you say a bad wuhd?"
"A bad word? I said will you carry this garment bag? What did you think I said?"
"A bad wuhd," and he wouldn't repeat it. (I figured out he probably thought I said "a dammit bag.") Kids!_
More answers to prayer: the skies really brightened up today!! In fact, it was warm enough for T-shirts with windows rolled down on the van. The weekend is shaping up so well. This morning was a downpour, but by 10 all was sweetly warm and sunny!
Got $250 more in the mail. Yesterday I sold the baby gates and umbrella stroller to a new grandma friend named Dana.
People are donating delicious homebaked goodies. We've got 10 mini pumpkin loaves from Krista, chocolate covered apples from Missy, chocolate peanut butter cookies from Bev, brownies from Miss Wilma and Michelle B, carrot cake from Barb C, and a whole lot more I haven't seen yet.
It's 10:09. I must go help Sarah price some more stuff. Tomorrow a girl is coming at 9 to look at a rocker I put in the Pennysaver. Then it's another loooooong day of hauling. My van is packed to the gills. Mitzy's, too. Jim is coming by for lots of big stuff and, bless his heart, more than one trip to the site which is 20 minutes from here. I am so blessed. I can't thank God enough for all these wonderful siblings in Christ!
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Almost Forgot
The Lord is sweet to remind you of Mary-like things when you're busy being Martha.
A little while ago I got a small package in the mail that I had requested from GAiN. I asked for as many brochures as they could fit into a priority flat rate envelope. (It's a lot.) These are to be put on tables at our sale.
It didn't hit me for a little while, and then like a storm surge--WHOOSH!-the Lord prompted me to pray for people coming to the sale. I asked Him to please "let me see it in her eyes" a person who needs the Word, Jesus Himself. I picture someone coming who has been searching for things money can buy, but isn't satisfied. Maybe she's getting a shopping "fix" at the yard sale, but what she really needs money cannot buy. The words of eternal life. Immediately I cried out to God to make me sEnsitIve to needs of people, not just be "dealing" with the crowd. But like Jesus to look on the multitude w/ compassion.
This is my prayer today. Please intercede that I spot the woman
(or women) I think God is gonna bring my way.
A little while ago I got a small package in the mail that I had requested from GAiN. I asked for as many brochures as they could fit into a priority flat rate envelope. (It's a lot.) These are to be put on tables at our sale.
It didn't hit me for a little while, and then like a storm surge--WHOOSH!-the Lord prompted me to pray for people coming to the sale. I asked Him to please "let me see it in her eyes" a person who needs the Word, Jesus Himself. I picture someone coming who has been searching for things money can buy, but isn't satisfied. Maybe she's getting a shopping "fix" at the yard sale, but what she really needs money cannot buy. The words of eternal life. Immediately I cried out to God to make me sEnsitIve to needs of people, not just be "dealing" with the crowd. But like Jesus to look on the multitude w/ compassion.
This is my prayer today. Please intercede that I spot the woman
(or women) I think God is gonna bring my way.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Another Answer to Prayer!
Kim from the Health Dept called a half hour ago. It was worth being awakened from my nap to take her call.
She said, "Just wanted to get back to you and let you know that we do not regulate bake sales. If you were retail, you would need a license, but since you are raising money for a nonprofit organization, and since we don't regulate yard sales from private residences, then you can do whatever you want foodwise. I would just advise not having anything potentially hazardous like we talked about--cream based items, meringues, cheesecake--or anything like that would need to be refrigerated."
I thanked her very much for calling me back. I didn't really expect she'd get back to me till tomorrow like she had anticipated, so this is not only a good answer, it came sooner than I'd thought!
Now just keep praying for sunny skies. So sunny that people will get thirsty and want to buy our soda, and so happy they want to celebrate with food, or so hungry, or so compelled by the delectables on our bake table, or so nagged by children wanting a snack....you get the idea.
Another cool thing just happened, too. I advertised an anthology on the Tapestry of Grace forum. This thing, as I stated, is old, has bent edges, lots of highlighting. I bought it that way dirt cheap a while back. A lady in Missouri asked about it today and wanted to know how much money I wanted for it. I told her all the facts, that monetarily it's probably worth $3, but that whatever amount she paid would go directly to our missions fund. I sent her the info, then took a nap.
When I awoke, I checked the status of my ebay account. So much activity there! The Lord is really blessing that little venture. Well, I saw a username in my Paypal overview that I didn't recognize. This woman had given 10 times more than I had asked for the book!
Between people we ran into today and what came in the mail today, we got $133 between noon and 3 today!
We are up to $3628. We need $6000.
Please keep praying our passports come in time for us to get our visa apps in on time. Late fees are hefty.
Pray, as I said, for sunny, but not scorching, skies on Saturday. Picnic weather. Yard sale weather.
Praise God for His favor on us. Thanks!!!!!
She said, "Just wanted to get back to you and let you know that we do not regulate bake sales. If you were retail, you would need a license, but since you are raising money for a nonprofit organization, and since we don't regulate yard sales from private residences, then you can do whatever you want foodwise. I would just advise not having anything potentially hazardous like we talked about--cream based items, meringues, cheesecake--or anything like that would need to be refrigerated."
I thanked her very much for calling me back. I didn't really expect she'd get back to me till tomorrow like she had anticipated, so this is not only a good answer, it came sooner than I'd thought!
Now just keep praying for sunny skies. So sunny that people will get thirsty and want to buy our soda, and so happy they want to celebrate with food, or so hungry, or so compelled by the delectables on our bake table, or so nagged by children wanting a snack....you get the idea.
Another cool thing just happened, too. I advertised an anthology on the Tapestry of Grace forum. This thing, as I stated, is old, has bent edges, lots of highlighting. I bought it that way dirt cheap a while back. A lady in Missouri asked about it today and wanted to know how much money I wanted for it. I told her all the facts, that monetarily it's probably worth $3, but that whatever amount she paid would go directly to our missions fund. I sent her the info, then took a nap.
When I awoke, I checked the status of my ebay account. So much activity there! The Lord is really blessing that little venture. Well, I saw a username in my Paypal overview that I didn't recognize. This woman had given 10 times more than I had asked for the book!
Between people we ran into today and what came in the mail today, we got $133 between noon and 3 today!
We are up to $3628. We need $6000.
Please keep praying our passports come in time for us to get our visa apps in on time. Late fees are hefty.
Pray, as I said, for sunny, but not scorching, skies on Saturday. Picnic weather. Yard sale weather.
Praise God for His favor on us. Thanks!!!!!
Monday, April 09, 2007
Prayer Rquests for This Week
Those of you who are intereceding for us and our trip.... please ask the Lord these things:
1) to get our passports here in time (like April 20th) for GAiN to process our visas
2) sun, not the forecasted rain, for our yard sale Saturday
3) for the Health Dept to say yes , we can sell baked goods at the yard sale. It's too long to go into detail why this is iffy because the state doesn't regulate yard sale food, but this may be a little different. Pray I get my answer by Weds a.m.
4) if the HD says no, pray our pastors say yes we can have a bake sale Sunday. Homeschoolers have never had a reason to hold one yet, but if the HD says no, that's a HUGE chunk o' change lost. 5) that no one in this family gets any of the illnesses that are going around. Joel has a cold, and Paul had a touch of a stomach thing, but nothing put us out of commission.
That's it for now.
Thanks!
1) to get our passports here in time (like April 20th) for GAiN to process our visas
2) sun, not the forecasted rain, for our yard sale Saturday
3) for the Health Dept to say yes , we can sell baked goods at the yard sale. It's too long to go into detail why this is iffy because the state doesn't regulate yard sale food, but this may be a little different. Pray I get my answer by Weds a.m.
4) if the HD says no, pray our pastors say yes we can have a bake sale Sunday. Homeschoolers have never had a reason to hold one yet, but if the HD says no, that's a HUGE chunk o' change lost. 5) that no one in this family gets any of the illnesses that are going around. Joel has a cold, and Paul had a touch of a stomach thing, but nothing put us out of commission.
That's it for now.
Thanks!
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