I cried today...

There is a picture of Daddy and Pawpaw Cole on my desk at work. Sometimes people who come in ask who they are, and most times it's a conversation which occurs without tears. But today... Today was different. Not because of who asked or because today is some significant day, but because the person who asked is in a sad situation. His wife is sick with pancreatic cancer among other things. 

Ultimately that picture opened the door for me to talk to Mr. Irving about God, about sorrow and dealing with death (the good, bad, and ugly of it)... I told him about how swiftly the leukemia and pneumonia changed our lives ... How I didn't go to church for months because I was mad at God. But the part that made me cry were daddy's own words. It's a story I've told a hundred times, but today, knowing that Mr. Irving a walking through this Valley with his wife and family, it brought me to tears. 

After my friend Rose died in June of 2005, daddy told me that "God is a jealous God, and when He is done with you on earth and wants you back, He's going to take you." That one statement, which was annoying to me at the time because I was sad and upset, came back to me tenfold after he died. The realization that we don't belong to each other, our parents/ kids/ spouse/ family or friends... That we belong to God... Therefore He is just collecting his own. 

Sorrow is such and individual thing... And we all deal differently, but some times, God allows those shared conversations to happen so understandings can be found amongst people.

Tonight at Blast we began the story of Jonah. And our memory verse is quite appropriate to my interaction with Mr. Irving. The lesson was about Refuge...

Nahum 1:7 The Lord is good,a stronghold in a day of distress;He cares for those who take refuge in Him. 

So please friends pray for sweet Mr. Irving's wife... For him... For their family and the doctors that treat her. Pray that they continue to take Refuge in The Lord. 

Love y'all, 

Kacey 

Bedroom updates...

Most people who do renovations want a big Master bedroom with a walk in closet, or at least that's the impression I get from HGTV. I, however, chose the smallest room in the house for my bedroom. I only sleep in my bedroom, so it was a natural choice for me... To use the larger rooms for other things. 

I couldn't find any "before" pictures of the bedroom, but it was a purely cosmetic renovation. We removed the carpet and refinished the hardwood, and painted the walls, ceiling, and trim. I also added a new ceiling fan. 

This picture cut off the ceiling, but as I said... It's the smallest room! Like all the other rooms, the paint color is Allen+Roth "Shaken not Stirred" from Lowes. The dresser and bed have been in this house for as long as I can remember, they just moved rooms. The bed was Pap's (great grandfather) and was the bed I would always sleep in when I spent the night with my grandparents. 

The big challenge in this room was installing curtain rods. Y'all- I had to repent multiple times from the frustration I felt while trying to drill holes in wood that has been there for who knows how long!! Eventually I got the curtain rods 80% installed (some screws are a bit loose, and a few brackets were nailed in...) and put up blackout curtains (which really don't serve their purpose when Rbett sticks his head thru them at 7am every morning. 

I created some artwork with a quote from my Daddy, and notes from one of my Pastor's (Blake McCain) sermons that challenged me. 

There are two special photos in my bedroom, a picture of me and Daddy that I love, even though the wind had my hair looking rough! Te other photo is my grandmother Verna and her sister Ivloy. Thy are so young and happy in the photo, it just makes me smile when I see it!! 

So that's it for the bedroom! Say tuned for more updates!! 

Love y'all! 

Kacey 

The best investment in the house...

This small little box with bright blue screen shows a big, and very expensive change in the house... 

It's Central heating and Air y'all! 

Prior to the renovation, 2 gas heaters, 2 window units, and a few ceiling fans controlled the temperature in the house. When it was cold it was cold, and during the summer... Well it could be miserable. Now... It's just one more thing that adds to the comfort of the house! 

Decor wise the hallway contains artwork I be purchased or photos I've taken on trips. There is art from Ukraine, Honduras, Mexico, and Guatemala, as well as photos I took in Washington DC. The hallway also received update crown molding and baseboards as well as new lighting.