HE is Enough

     Many people do not realize that I struggle with depression.  That there are areas of my life that come back to haunt me and that I worry about what the future holds..  I read and study my Bible and journal about what I go through during many periods in my life.  Today, I saw a post by my Pastor who posted a song on Facebook.  It was a song that he wrote.  Not to encourage someone else but a song he wrote for himself to remind himself that God is in control and No weapon formed against him would prosper.
     It made me stop and reflect on all the things that I have written about.  Poems and words that the Lord has given me over the years to encourage me.  I went through this blog and read a few excerpts.  I found myself encouraged.  Sometimes, I just have to stop and recall that if He brought me through tough times in the past, He will most certainly bring me through this time.
     Two years ago in my journal I wrote this:

Lord, you are there!

You are here!

I feel You

I feel your presence

I feel your peace

I am not falling apart

I am strong in Your mighty power

Not me

But YOU!

Before I wept as though my heart would break

Before I hung on to myself, my way of fixing things, my way of loving people

Thinking I could fix the troubles around me

Thinking I could heal those hurting around me

But I couldn't

But I cannot

I stepped away

I came back to it and tried again

I cannot mend

Only YOU can!

I cannot heal

Only YOU can!

I am yours LORD

I am part of the vine- the branch - attached to YOU!

I continually go back to giving YOU

care of this precious family YOU have given me

They are in YOUR HANDS!

     Have I grown since I wrote these words or am I still trying to pick up the broken pieces and fix them myself?  I really must take the wisdom and words You have so faithfully given me and apply them continuously to now!

Today, out come these words:

I am fickle

unsteady

unsure

unable

unbelieving at times

unwilling

unfaithful

under pressure

LORD

YOU ARE THERE

YOU ARE HERE

YOU WERE THEN

YOU ARE NOW

YOU ARE BEFORE

YOU ARE AFTER

YOU ARE STEADY

YOU ARE CONSTANT

YOU ARE!

and now my prayer is

But you God!

Come in

Fill me

Heal me

Hold me

Contain me

Comfort me

Draw me in

Hold me close

FOR YOU ARE

ENOUGH

Fisher Price Collection

 

 

I have a confession to make!

I have been holding out on everyone!

 I figured it was time to get it out in the open and

 share something......

 

 

Don't get mad!

 

 

I have a collection!

An extensive collection!

I might even have most of

everyone's fondest memories

stored away here at my house.

 

 

 

See!

I have three toy chatter phones!

Aren't they sweet?!

 

 

 

 

oops

 

 

 I mean 4!

 

 

And this little merry go round!

I don'tremember this one as a

 child but I found it at an auction!

I couldn't resist!

 

 

 

 

 

And then there is this one!  A combo!

Merry-go-round/record player

The cutest!

I believe Paul found this one for me at Abbots auction

in Enosburg, Vermont

 

 

It all started back when I was a little girl.  I remember

 playing with the

circus, on the living

room floor of my childhood home on 638 Montello Street,

which ironically, I do not have in my collection,

I believe that Mama did not like that set because

the trapeze part of it was a stick

and she did not like us kids playing with sticks!

 

 

 

The other really sweet part of my memories of

Fisher Price were when my Mom would  visit her

friend, Ray Crowley.  While they hung out in the kitchen,

talking over coffee,

I spent many a happy hour playing in the playroom with a huge

assortment of Fisher Price toys.  I would line up the cars and

people and play all morning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 I found this mini Snow mobile at a yard sale in Vermont. 

 I believe it was even before I met Paul. 

A foreshadowing of all the many hours we would

spend snowmobiling on the trails of Vermont!

 

 

The best memories I have of Fisher Price is of my

children spending just as many hours playing with them as I did!

I know they love them too so I will never part with them!

 

 I hung this in my sun-porch cause

 it always brings a smile to my face.

I love their happy little faces.

Actually, in our travels, I do believe

I am missing two specific people.

You wonder how I can remember?

One is a little lady who goes with the western town. 

She has  a hat on.  And the other one is an Indian.

I just can't find them anywhere and that makes me

 

 

 !!

 

 

 

 

 

This is not Fisher Price but it is a

sweet puzzle that I found at

a yard sale for a dollar!

 

At one time in my life I was suffering from a lot of anxiety 

 It was hard to find joy in things.  Paul

came home one day and told me

he had a surprise for me.  He brought me out

to his car and opened the trunk.

He had a big box in there.

 When I opened it, I found it full of

Fisher Price stuff.  I can't even remember all the stuff

that was in that set.  It was a busy time in my life, raising

all the kids.  But I just remember how thoughtful

and sweet he was to bring me that gift.

He had talked to an old friend who was cleaning out his attic.

He ended up selling Paul all the toys.

This Sesame Street Play set was in there.

I love how Oscar is peeking out at us!

And I love that sweet memory!

 

 

 

 

 Well, this is just a small portion of all the FP toys I have.

Now that my secret is out I will share more later!

Magnificent Magnolia

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I took Grover on a walk/me on my bike the other day.

  We took a different route and what a surprise

to find this enormous tree!! 

 I could not resist going back the next day

with my camera and get some shots of it! 

 It is a magnolia tree I believe.

 

 

 

 

Grover makes a great model! 

 Plus, when I tell him to stay, he does just that!

I just thought it was completely magnificent!

He's getting a little impatient! 
 Don't jump G!

 

 

 A good place for a nap!

He does look pretty comfy
and he's ever so tolerant when I tell him to wait!

To think that a tree can grow from such a small seed.

 

 

I am reminded of this Bible verse.
" Blessed is Janet  who walks and lives not in the counsel of the ungodly nor stands in the path where sinners walk, nor sits down where the scornful gather.  But her delight and desire are in the law of the Lord and on His law she habitually meditates by day and by night.
  And she shall be like a tree firmly planted by the streams of water, ready to bring forth its fruit in its season; its leaf also shall not fade or wither; and everything  she does shall prosper
(and come to maturity) -Amplified)Psalm 1:3
How am I to do this?
  To meditate and ponder His word.  When I put my name in Bible verses and personalize the promises of God, they become more real to me. 
Yes, I want to be fruitful for God. I want to be strong and beautiful like this tree!  I want to be a light, a source of truth and love because that pleases Him.  Also, I need Him!!!  Oh how I need Him!   I need His reassurance of love and the meeting of  my every day needs.  I have come to a point in my life where financially things have been quite difficult.  It would be easy to throw my hands up and be discouraged and angry and disgusted.  But I have to seek Him in His word even more at this time.  "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you." Matthew 6:33  
By this, I am not just hoping He will supply my physical needs but that by seeking Him first, He will meet my spiritual and emotional needs. 
 Only in reading and trusting in His promises will I be like this tree!  Hopefully, bearing good fruit for HIM!

Snow in NC January 3, 2018

 

  Last week we had a snow storm here in NC!  I believe we got about 5 inches here in Castle Hayne.  Not much by Vermont standards but here, school was cancelled even before the first flake flew by!  Anticipation of the icy roads and dangerous driving conditions actually caused more than schools to shut down.  Even the mail wasn't delivered for two days.  Coming from the state of Vermont, I was quite surprised at how different people responded here.  There just is not equipment  to clean and sand the roads.  Nobody has snow tires  to drive in these conditions!  So Faith got to enjoy an extended Christmas break from school and even Paul and I had the option of staying home from work if we so chose.  Paul chose to drive on the slippery roads and entertain me with blowing donuts in the parking lots!

     The morning after the storm, the sun shone brightly and the sky was as blue as can be.  I walked Grover down the dirt road by our house and he just leaped through the snow!  He has the best heavy fur coat and is quite used to cold weather.  Actually, I felt a bit as if I were back in Vermont.  The air was crisp and cold and the familiar crunch of the snow beneath my feet made me feel quite nostalgic and homesick. I soaked it in and enjoyed it!

    

 The snow reminds me of this promise.

For as the rain and snow come down from heaven,

And do not return without  watering the earth

And making it bear and sprout,
And furnishing seed to the sower,

and bread to the eater,

So will My word be which goes forth from my mouth;

It will not return to me empty,

without accomplishing what I desire,

and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.

Isaiah 55:10-11

So yes, Lord, my provider!  Let your rain and snow shower

your provision upon us!

 

 

 By the end of the week the temps were up in the 50's

so we went out to build a snowman!

 

                         Grover was happy to have us outside with him! 

 He gets extra frisky in the snow!

He tends to grab our gloves right off of our hands!

                         

 Happy pair!

Snowman face kit is helpful!

 

 Little Hat?

 

  Or lamp shade hat?

 

By the time we were done rolling out these huge snowballs,

 Frosty was about 7 feet tall!

Very ambitious height I must say.

Paul was down to his t-shirt!

 

Faith made a mini snowman and puppy!

A Bike For Every Child

 

     Deep, down in the hidden recesses of The Harrelson Building Parking Garage you will find something unexpected.  Enter on 4th street and follow the signs and here you will find the wonderful organization called A Bike for Every Child.  Founded by Kelly and Clint Cascaden in 2016, this place is the reality of their vision to provide children with a bicycle.  A child who might not ever get to ride a bike, let alone have their own bicycle will be able to receive a special gift this Christmas because of the dream and hard work of this special couple.  You wouldn't expect to find a bicycle shop down here but it is like Santa's factory!

                                                 

                                              From dark garage to bright and beautiful!

 

                               

 

 

 

 

     Enter into the old county jail and you will be pleasantly

 surprised to find a brightly decorated, cheerful

 work environment where workers and

 volunteers take old bikes and fix them up

so that they are safe to ride and also put

 together new bikes and prepare them for

the Bike Giveaway scheduled for

December 16th.

 

 

There is a lot of space down here and

 every square inch is covered with bikes and bike parts!

 

 

 A mural is painted on the wall leading into the office here.

It speaks of the gift that God gave us by sending

HIS son JESUS to die for us.

So at this season of Christmas,

this organization seeks to give gifts to others

in love as HE taught us to do!

 

 

 

 Life is like riding a bicycle

To keep your balance

you must keep

riding!

 

Certainly a true statement.  That is what they do down there at the Harrelson building! In October, I had the privilege of looking on Craigs list and finding a job listing in the non -profit section.  Needed: Lead bicycle Mechanic.  Paul had been looking for a job here in NC since we moved here last June.  He has his own bike shop at home and that is his passion; restoring old bicycles.  So this was a perfect fit for him.  I sent in his resume and signed him up to volunteer and he got the job!

  Here he is in his "office."

 

 

 

Using the sponsored Park Tools!

 

 

He started in October

and began plugging away at fixing up bicycles.

 It was a thrill to watch how

 the bicycles just multiplied down there. 

It seemed that it wasn't going to be possible

 to reach the goal that Kelly had set

 to donate 750 bicycles for Christmas!

 

 

 

John Robbins also works at A Bike for every Child. 

Here is Paul and John getting stuff done!!

Getting the bikes loaded to bring them to St James Parish

 for the big bike giveaway on Saturday December 16th!

 

Volunteer Bryan! 

How many of these bicycles

 have you put together Bryan?

Every bicycle had to get here in this gymnasium somehow!

It was not magic.

It was an amazing amount of volunteers



who loaded bikes on trucks and trailers and got them

there.  One by one!

 

I don't know about you

but to me, this was a pretty

AMAZING

SIGHT!

 

 So how did this happen?

Well it's like the loaves and fishes!

Kelly and Clint had a vision of

giving 750 bikes away.

GOD

did what HE does.

HE took the vision and made it

happen through their faith.

 

Who will get this sweet Barbie ride?

 

 

 

"And taking the five loaves and two fish,

 He looked up to heaven and praising God,

 gave thanks and broke the loaves and kept

on giving them to the disciples to set before

 the people and He also divided the two fish among them all.

And they all ate and were satisfied"

Mark 6:41-42

 

And the vision fulfilled!

Not sure of the exact number of

bikes ready for the giveaway

but God in his abundance

PROVIDED!

On the day before the giveaway,

donations were still pouring in!!

Here is Alli Lockadoo and her family,

Ryan, Grady and Asher

and also Jodi Adams.

They came with a few car loads

 of a dozen brand new bicycles from Walmart!

Thank you for your donation!

 

 

      Kelly leading the volunteers!

 

So many volunteers!

Thank you to each

and everyone of them!

There are the ribbon cutters!

Before the doors were opened at 11 to start giving  the children

their bikes, Kelly gave her volunteers final instructions.

Here is Cookie Cantwell who had a huge hand in the

whole process of getting the bikes to

the church, where they were stored for weeks ahead of time.

She also organized them by size

to make the giveaway run smoothly!

She led us in a prayer of thanks and

blessings on all of the recipients of

the bicycles.

 

 

So many to choose from!

Volunteers at the table all day checking the names off

of those who were pre-registered to

receive a bike.

A bow for every bike!

Just think how many bows were cut and tied

by volunteers!

No small act of kindness will go unnoticed by God!

Outside, volunteers set up a course

for the children to ride through and learn about

the importance of wearing their helmets and

riding safely!

People are lined up down the

 block on this beautiful

Saturday in Wilmington, NC

to receive a bicycle!

First Station

Getting fitted for a helmet!

By far, the best part of the day was watching

the children pick out their own bike.

This little one is looking a bit shy.

Look at that happy face!

Volunteer adjusting bike seats and sometimes

 putting training wheels on.

 

Look at this sweetheart!



 

Seat up or down?

Just Right!

 

My favorite bike was this Ninja

Turtle one.  Look at that

numchuck handlebar!

There's my little girl Faith

helping out!

 

 



 

 

Paul had fun teasing this girl.

  Putting her handle bars way too high!

I think she likes it!

 

 

SISTERS

 

BEAMING!

 

GOD IS GOOD!

 

 

A Bike for Every Child

20 N Fourth St

Wilmington NC

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