[Ken 07/03/2015] The good news is that we finally found a facility suitable for our new Distribution Center at work (it took 18 months of competition with marijuana grow houses). That means I will get to run one more project for my Xerox family. The bad news is that this will delay my retirement by about three weeks. That's 30,000 more minutes I will have to wait for retirement. Ugh! I was not planning on using those 30,000
minutes this way!!!
If the Distribution Center comes on-line according to schedule, my last day of work will now be Friday, 30 October. Today I have 17 more Mondays, which is peculiar to me because yesterday I had only 14 more Mondays?!? What's up with that?!?
It is what it is...
Somebody tell Deb for me; I don't want to be the one to dampen her enthusiasm.
.
minutes this way!!!
If the Distribution Center comes on-line according to schedule, my last day of work will now be Friday, 30 October. Today I have 17 more Mondays, which is peculiar to me because yesterday I had only 14 more Mondays?!? What's up with that?!?
It is what it is...
Somebody tell Deb for me; I don't want to be the one to dampen her enthusiasm.
.
garage salers
are krazy!
[Deb 07/04/2015] How about the lady who cleaned out my spice cabinet for $5?
The man who on the last day bought my entire table of rubber stamps and craft items for $35. He is going to make a profit by selling them on Ebay.
I remember the gal who wanted to buy our antique snowshoes for half price after she pretty much got a great deal on other nice things. I found out that she had a little resale shop to support the couple’s ministry. Admirable, I suppose.
The man who on the last day bought my entire table of rubber stamps and craft items for $35. He is going to make a profit by selling them on Ebay.
I remember the gal who wanted to buy our antique snowshoes for half price after she pretty much got a great deal on other nice things. I found out that she had a little resale shop to support the couple’s ministry. Admirable, I suppose.
What bothered me the most was the young people who came into our home and just took things as we were boxing possessions up for donation. Our sale sign had already been taken down. I call them the Raiders. I don’t know what some people are thinking they can get away with.
However, we were able to bless people with stuff. A little girl was enthralled with my clowning clothes, yellow curly wig and white-face make-up. Coincidently her sister was a friend of Mallory’s in high school. Little girls from two different families were making fairy gardens; their grandmothers were delighted to find supplies. One of those ladies said she would pray for us every time she saw the ceramic building that will house those little fairies. The other grandma also bought a lot of my craft stuff. (I gave her a good deal BTW). But, she took me aside and prayed a blessing over me for our future. I was really touched and encouraged by her boldness. On the third day of our sale she came back and bought the snowshoes at full price to give to her daughter who is decorating their new family room in a woodsy theme.
However, we were able to bless people with stuff. A little girl was enthralled with my clowning clothes, yellow curly wig and white-face make-up. Coincidently her sister was a friend of Mallory’s in high school. Little girls from two different families were making fairy gardens; their grandmothers were delighted to find supplies. One of those ladies said she would pray for us every time she saw the ceramic building that will house those little fairies. The other grandma also bought a lot of my craft stuff. (I gave her a good deal BTW). But, she took me aside and prayed a blessing over me for our future. I was really touched and encouraged by her boldness. On the third day of our sale she came back and bought the snowshoes at full price to give to her daughter who is decorating their new family room in a woodsy theme.
We shared our story with many. Ken had the opportunity to share about our marriage reconciliation and restoration with a mom of two little boys, giving her hope that God can do anything.
I think the experience of the 3-day sale where people walked through our house was enlightening for me because I met many different kinds of people that my sheltered life did not afford. We will be meeting many people from varied backgrounds, with different lifestyles, and ways of thinking. Perhaps this exercise in some way prepared me.
So, how did we attract so many folks without running an advertisement? We had an incredible sandwich sign. Two 4x8 foot sheets of plywood painted with the words “Big Garage Sale”. It was placed at the intersection of the highway and our street. I think many people put on their brakes suddenly and turned in. There were many comments about that sign. At one point a female state trooper came up the driveway and we thought we were busted, but she just came to shop. She said, “They should have let me off work earlier.”
Our belongings were practically flying out the door as Ken made $5 deals. I had a problem with that on the first day. I know he was trying to clean out the house, but I suppose I was being selfish. I had put value on things that meant something to me and didn’t want to let them go for nothing. I sometimes thanked people for paying asking price. I just couldn’t let the hand-made and painted pottery made by Native Americans go for $1.00.
I think the experience of the 3-day sale where people walked through our house was enlightening for me because I met many different kinds of people that my sheltered life did not afford. We will be meeting many people from varied backgrounds, with different lifestyles, and ways of thinking. Perhaps this exercise in some way prepared me.
So, how did we attract so many folks without running an advertisement? We had an incredible sandwich sign. Two 4x8 foot sheets of plywood painted with the words “Big Garage Sale”. It was placed at the intersection of the highway and our street. I think many people put on their brakes suddenly and turned in. There were many comments about that sign. At one point a female state trooper came up the driveway and we thought we were busted, but she just came to shop. She said, “They should have let me off work earlier.”
Our belongings were practically flying out the door as Ken made $5 deals. I had a problem with that on the first day. I know he was trying to clean out the house, but I suppose I was being selfish. I had put value on things that meant something to me and didn’t want to let them go for nothing. I sometimes thanked people for paying asking price. I just couldn’t let the hand-made and painted pottery made by Native Americans go for $1.00.
Although I said I had processed getting rid of stuff, I hadn’t done that completely. I had some tears at the end while I was packing up the old VHS tapes for donation. Many memories of family time seemed to be buried in a box for donation. However, I don’t need the VHS tapes to help me remember the family times. I have those memories in my heart.
The proceeds of the sale were unexpectedly fantastic. I do admit that the $$$ made it easier to let it all go. Sorry to say that I put so much value on things that are JUST THINGS. Simplifying materialism is one of the goals, right? Lesson learned. It makes me wonder how I will do with the sale of the house.
The Lord gave us blessings to acquire things. Now it’s our turn to bless others with things, with our stories and our caring encouragement. Once again I am learning to move on.
The proceeds of the sale were unexpectedly fantastic. I do admit that the $$$ made it easier to let it all go. Sorry to say that I put so much value on things that are JUST THINGS. Simplifying materialism is one of the goals, right? Lesson learned. It makes me wonder how I will do with the sale of the house.
The Lord gave us blessings to acquire things. Now it’s our turn to bless others with things, with our stories and our caring encouragement. Once again I am learning to move on.
a house full
[Ken 07/20/2015] Well ... we have moved out of the "Surrey House." We called it home for a little more than 25 years. For all practical purposes, the house is now empty (there are a few pieces of furniture that we left to stage the house for sale). It took a solid month of working nearly every day. There were two garage sales; and seven truck-loads that we stored in Mallory and Devin's new basement (THANK YOU!!!).
There were countless loads of things that we donated. And there were six trips to the dump. Not to mention that we painted and cleaned the whole house, too (INside and OUTside). Deb was remarkable ... she never stopped moving. Five weekends and four weeks of solid on-the-move coordination and activity. Wow! We did it.
But the house is not really empty. In fact, it is still quite full. I walk from room-to-room and remember where Mallory and I built her dollhouse. I remember the room downstairs that was [re]named The Band Room where 'Take The Track' got its start . I remember where the kids posed in their Halloween costumes, and where the Christmas trees stood with piles of presents below..
I remember where the old swimming pool was. And where the kids all played on the swing set. I remember when we roasted marshmallows on the back deck at the fire pit. I remember the bright, BRIGHT pink that Mallory painted her first bedroom. And I remember the plywood walls in the dining room which formed her last bedroom.
I remember where Robby had his Eagle Scout Court of Honor in the backyard. And I remember where the elk died in the front yard. While the house is mostly empty of "stuff" it is certainly not empty of memories. Tons of them. It is truly a house FULL of memories of raising our kids in the mountains of Colorado. It is a fantastic house with fantastic memories!
The sign of change to come!
seasons of life
The Kid. The Eagle Scout. The Academic. The Businessman. The Leader. The …?
[Ken 07/25/2015] This is one way to describe the seasons of my life. These seasons are distinct in my mind. In each season I focused on and became something new; where there is passion, there is action. In each season, the Lord has built upon each previous season. In each season, the Lord was investing in me, whether I would admit it at the time, or not. In each season, He provided, He protected, He taught me. He WAS there. I have been thinking a lot about that “investment.” “How does this all come together?” I ask as I ponder my next season of life.
I remember each season clearly. As a kid I was always exploring and getting lost. There were literal decades as a boy and then an adult leader in the Boy Scout program. A short apprenticeship as a young adult with an electrician and then a plumber. Eventually a Masters Degree in Human Resources. Becoming licensed in property, casualty, and health insurance products. I have been an author and an author-editor. A Facilities Manager. A counselor and mentor. A certified paralegal. A “C-Level” in a Fortune 150 subsidiary. And I can hang and finish sheetrock. The skills with which I have been blessed do not “fit" in a box.
What does the Lord now do with such an eclectic investment? There must be a Purpose, right? There must be a way that these skills can come together for his Kingdom, right?
This morning, Deb and I received notification of our official acceptance into the Sowers Ministry. Prayers answered! We have joined about 600 other Christian RV’ers who are in the same season of life that we are – focusing on service to others for the advancement of His Kingdom. We may be called to build, repair, fellowship, tutor, counsel, and yes, even to hang and finish sheetrock.
The next season? ...The Servant. In retirement, Deb and I will be entering the season of Servantude. In this season the focus will be on extreme service to others (“reFIRED,” not retired, I guess). It will be our pleasure to visit faith-based organizations around the country to help them by offering an eclectic set of skills that do not "fit" in a box.
On this earth, for almost 60 years, the Lord has been investing individually, and collectively, in Deb and me. He has taken us through many seasons, but in this season we stand together with arms wide and say, "Lord here am I ... send me." It is through the assignments we will get from Sowers that we will begin to see how the Lord's investment over all those years can be continued in us to further His Kingdom in new ways. It is terribly exciting for us to be available to Him in this way.
We are blessed and humbled that this wonderful ministry would have us. We told the President of Sowers this morning that we were giddy in anticipation of the opportunity to serve the Lord in this adventurous and exceptional way.
God is truly Awesome!
[Ken 07/25/2015] This is one way to describe the seasons of my life. These seasons are distinct in my mind. In each season I focused on and became something new; where there is passion, there is action. In each season, the Lord has built upon each previous season. In each season, the Lord was investing in me, whether I would admit it at the time, or not. In each season, He provided, He protected, He taught me. He WAS there. I have been thinking a lot about that “investment.” “How does this all come together?” I ask as I ponder my next season of life.
I remember each season clearly. As a kid I was always exploring and getting lost. There were literal decades as a boy and then an adult leader in the Boy Scout program. A short apprenticeship as a young adult with an electrician and then a plumber. Eventually a Masters Degree in Human Resources. Becoming licensed in property, casualty, and health insurance products. I have been an author and an author-editor. A Facilities Manager. A counselor and mentor. A certified paralegal. A “C-Level” in a Fortune 150 subsidiary. And I can hang and finish sheetrock. The skills with which I have been blessed do not “fit" in a box.
What does the Lord now do with such an eclectic investment? There must be a Purpose, right? There must be a way that these skills can come together for his Kingdom, right?
This morning, Deb and I received notification of our official acceptance into the Sowers Ministry. Prayers answered! We have joined about 600 other Christian RV’ers who are in the same season of life that we are – focusing on service to others for the advancement of His Kingdom. We may be called to build, repair, fellowship, tutor, counsel, and yes, even to hang and finish sheetrock.
The next season? ...The Servant. In retirement, Deb and I will be entering the season of Servantude. In this season the focus will be on extreme service to others (“reFIRED,” not retired, I guess). It will be our pleasure to visit faith-based organizations around the country to help them by offering an eclectic set of skills that do not "fit" in a box.
On this earth, for almost 60 years, the Lord has been investing individually, and collectively, in Deb and me. He has taken us through many seasons, but in this season we stand together with arms wide and say, "Lord here am I ... send me." It is through the assignments we will get from Sowers that we will begin to see how the Lord's investment over all those years can be continued in us to further His Kingdom in new ways. It is terribly exciting for us to be available to Him in this way.
We are blessed and humbled that this wonderful ministry would have us. We told the President of Sowers this morning that we were giddy in anticipation of the opportunity to serve the Lord in this adventurous and exceptional way.
God is truly Awesome!
