A little Background and Before pictures...

From the time I decided I wanted to move back home a few years ago, I also decided that I wanted to renovate and live in my Mawmaw and Pawpaw Cole’s house. Like most kids who grew up next door to their grandparents, I spent an obnoxious amount of time at their home instead of my own, and though I have traveled the world, I have never seen a better Sunset view than that from the Gallery (front porch) of their house. 

This house has a lot of history… a lot of tears have been shed but many celebrations have occurred.

My great grandparents on Daddy’s side, Charlie and Ruth Robertson, built the house sometime in the 1940’s… I still haven’t figured out when. Even my Uncle Bo who grew up in and helped build the house can’t remember the exact year. Pap and Mamaw Ruth had 6 kids: Cassie Ray, Walter, Clyde, Verna (my grandmother), Ivloy, and Herman (the aforementioned Uncle Bo). Unfortunately, Uncle Clyde died in a car wreck in his 20’s, and Uncle Cassie Ray is still listed as MIA in Italy in WW2 (he never came home, but I’ve been told that Mamaw Ruth always held hope that he would…) 4 of those 6 children did have kids, grandkids, and great grandkids. I’ve tried to do the math, and think I have remembered everyone… Pap and Mamaw had 6 kids, 10 grandkids, 22 great grandkids, and so far… 21 great great grandkids.

… and I’m the one who got their house???

It’s a blessing… an honor really to take on this project. I'll be the 4th generation of my family to live in this house as mom and dad lived there while they were building their house. It is a home where so many have felt the love of the Robertson family, stopped by to have a cup of coffee with the Cole’s, and now… well, now y’all can come watch that pretty sunset with me and my dog Rhett and have a glass of sweet tea. 

So here you can tour the house via the BEFORE photos. The demo has begun and already we have discovered some very interesting flooring and wallpaper. It is safe to say, especially after viewing the photos of the bathroom, that my great grandmother was a fan of Pink! 

Living Room/Dining Room

Kitchen (... and yes, I'm keeping the knotty pine original cabinets!)

This room is off the living room, I will use it as a Guest Room

I call this one the "Pink" room... though that will change. In the past this room has been used as a bedroom, but I plan to use it as an office/library/craft space

There's that pink toilet and sink in the bathroom... it is a really nice size bathroom and will be getting a total upgrade! Adios pink toilet/tub/sink!!

This is the laundry room, it was used a a bedroom many many many years ago. I plan to use it for laundry and build in some storage.

This is the "Blue Room"... I plan to use it as my bedroom.

So there is the Before... I can't wait to see and show you the After. More to come in that regard...

As for the house itself and the treasures we found inside... those are stories I want to take time and tell. There are also lessons I am learning in all of this. Correlations of things I am seeing and stories Daddy and Pawpaw told me that are fitting together and making more sense than ever... I want to share those with you as well.

After all, I am one of many in a family that this house is "home" to... it will never be just "my" house... I don't want it to be... just like it has been for generations before me, I want it to be a gathering place where people feel comfortable and loved... just like I always felt when I was there.

Love y'all,
Kacey

New Year... what happened to 2013?

Well, 2013 has come and gone... and evidently I didn't make time to blog about any of it... which is ironic since the majority of the year was an answer to a lot of prayers.

I got a new job.

I moved home.

I got a dog.

I've inherited a house.

... but a lot of those same old issues, those lack of priorites are still present.

God blessed me off the charts this year. My life has changed so much - I left home, to come home. Birmingham, without question, is my second home in this world. It was hard to leave my best friend, it was hard to leave my church, it was very hard to leave my job...but it all happened so fast that I had no question God's hand was in it.

Now I'm home, literally. I'm 30 years old and living with my mom... still out of suitcases in some circumstances, though I have been home for 8 months. My new job has opened my eyes to a lot of things, and a lot of different types of people. I came to live in the "bubble" that's so stereotypical of Samford, and that bubble burst quickly back in Hattiesburg. But I know I have grown a lot already in this job. My pool of influence is smaller... but I'm doing my best to let these kids know that I care, and that I truly am interested in their lives. They have influenced me and my perspectives on some social issues are developing.

Ive decided to not make a resolution this year... I never actually keep them, so why waste the time. Instead I am choosing a word to focus on this year... and that word is Restore.

re·store

[ri-stawr, -stohr] 

verb (used with object), re·stored, re·stor·ing.

1.to bring back into existence, use, or the like; reestablish: to restore order.

2.to bring back to a former, original, or normal condition, as a building, statue, or painting.

3.to bring back to a state of health, soundness, or vigor.

4.to put back to a former place, or to a former position, rank, etc.: to restore the king to his throne.

5.to give back; make return or restitution of (anything taken away or lost).

Why? Well - because I need to be restored... because I am going to be restoring a house, because restoration is comforting in so many ways. Over the last 8 months I have not done much more than work and come home. I need to spend more time restoring relationships and building new ones. I need to invest in myself by making some physical and mental restoration... and there is an 80 year old house to throw in as well... it needs a lot of restoration.

But then again... don't we all? In some way, shape, or form?

It's okay though y'all... because He takes care of this kind of thing... if we let Him.

 
 Let's let Him do his thing in our lives this year. I know I won't regret it... 2013 was a big year for me... I can only imagine what will come next.

Love y'all,
Kacey  

A lesson from a Blind Man...

Luke 18:35-43

New International Version (NIV)

A Blind Beggar Receives His Sight

³⁵ As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. ³⁶ When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. ³⁷ They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”
³⁸ He called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
³⁹ Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
⁴⁰ Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, ⁴¹ “What do you want me to do for you?”
“Lord, I want to see,” he replied.
⁴² Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.” ⁴³ Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.

This passage was the subject of our sermon today at Shades... and the story struck quite a chord with me. Today was one of those days at church when I was really emotionally... those happen sometimes and I just start crying when I pray, when I sing, when I reflect on the word. It all started because the first song I heard this morning was "I want to stroll over Heaven with you" which was sang at Daddy's funeral. From the beginning this morning I was missing him. Then at church we were asked to pray for our nation, and all I could think of was my sweet dear friend Ryan Rayborn who has been in Afghanistan for a little over a month... we were praying in groups within the congregation, and I literally couldn't say the words I wanted to because I was overcome with emotions for my friend. I worry about him so and all I can do it pray for him, so that is what I do... pray for safety, encouragement, and for the opportunity for him to be the amazing example to his fellow soldiers that he has always been for me. 

Chad, our Minister to University Students delivered the sermon today, and he has a great way of relating God's Word to His people. The passage, which you can read above, tells the story of a blind man who had faith that God could heal him, and even though he could not see him as he traveled by, he shouted for the Lord not to pass him by, and to have mercy on him. 

As I listened to the sermon and the story of the man of such faith, I pulled a Danny Cole and wrote a poem while in church...

Do Not Pass Me By

1/27/2013 by Kacey

---

Do not pass me by Lord, 

do something in me.

Teach me your ways Lord, 

so that I can be what you want me to be.

On the days when I'm sad and the times that I'm blue, 

I pray that I will not seek comfort from things of this world, 

but that my hope will remain in You.

I know the storms will come and the wind will blow, 
for those are the words my daddy dedicated to me...

and I know you will see me through those storms, 

because you, my Father, sent your Son so that I may be free.

You know my heart Lord, better than me

so please dear Lord remind me always that by You I am free. 

Free from doubt and self-consciousness, 

because you created me unique, created me the way you need me to be.

Don't pass me by Lord, please show me your ways,

for by them is the only way I will survive the rest of my days.

Priorities...

The beginning of 2013 has come and over the last few weeks I have been pondering a few things, and God has been laying several of them on my heart. I continue my constant desire for knowledge of His Will (or my skewed interests which are the next place I will live, job I will have, etc...), but I realize that my desire is without action. I may make it a priority to want to know... but I have not made it a priority to find the truth.

The truth about me is this (among many others)... I waste too much time in my life, and don't use the time I am given wisely. I work about 9 hours a day and come home to cook dinner and TV, maybe read a book, and then go to sleep way too late. Some nights I'll have dinner with a friend and on Wednesdays I help out at church... but all of this stuff... it does nothing for my relationship with the Lord .

To put it simply, I give Honey Boo Boo more time than God.

I admit it, I love reality TV like Honey Boo Boo and Duck Dynasty. I enjoy reality competition shows like Project Runway and The Voice, and watch HGTV like it's my job. I don't watch real news to find out what is going on in the real world affecting other people, instead I watch E! news to find out celebrity gossip. It's really sad... the more I think about it, these opportunities I am wasting to spend time with God in prayer and study or making memories with other friends and neighbors. Additionally I am wasting time that could be spent learning something new, meeting new people, or bettering myself physically through exercise.

This past weekend, and I don't know for what reason, God really impressed upon me the need to spend more time in prayer. I have so many friends who need prayer for a variety of reasons, and that time spent talking to God should take much precedence over the Real Housewives of Wherever...  What I have come to realize, which has always been truth and I have been to ignorant to realize it is that the things I do during my day should be for His Glory and if it isn't... then I shouldn't be doing it. Now I don't think that means no TV or to necessarily spend every moment I am not at work with my nose in the Bible, but I do believe that based on this realization I need to prioritize my days... Each day, in some way, should include the following:

1. prayer
2. study
3. exercise
4. communication/spending time with friends, family, 
5. encouragement of others

These things may not come in this order, and frankly I don't know what form they will come in... but it needs to happen. I want my 30th year to be a special one. I have a list I am working on of 30 things I want to do in my 30th year, and I believe through working on my priorities some of those things will just happen.I hope so anyway...

So here's to being a better Kacey in 2013 by being a better Christian. Let's be honest, I'll still watch Duck Dynasty but maybe not as much Honey Boo Boo and Real Housewives. After all, at least they pray at the end of each episode of Duck Dynasty. I hope to spend more time right here, posting my thoughts for Aunt Lanell to read and me to reread when I need to.

On a final note, one straight from the Lord himself (remember, I don't believe in coincidence) ... as I was struggling with some thoughts today the words to "I don't know about tomorrow" came to my head... after I sang through it not too long later I began singing "Just a closer walk with Thee."

Yes Lord, I get the point.

Love y'all,
Kacey

Lessons from Habakkuk...

Here are some lessons gleaned from the book of Habakkuk:

Habakkuk 1:3
"Why do you make me see iniquity,
    and why do you idly look at wrong?
Destruction and violence are before me;
    strife and contention arise"

- You will not always have good leadership. You will probably (at some point) have a coworker who causes "strife and contention."
- Realize this (potential lack of good leadership) and plan accordingly. God will not always place us in comfortable situation. We may face unfairness and unrighteous people - but plan ahead and make god decisions about what situations you put yourself in. 

Habakkuk 1:13
"You who are of purer eyes than to see evil
    and cannot look at wrong,
why do you idly look at traitors
    and remain silent when the wicked swallows up
    the man more righteous than he?"

- if you see something fishy or dangerous - don't be afraid to speak up and say something. If you don't say anything you are a part of the problem. 

Habakkuk 2:1
"I will take my stand at my watch post
    and station myself on the tower,
and look out to see what he will say to me,
    and what I will answer concerning my complaint"

- Set yourself up to look for God's guidance, and expect Him to answer. Just be sure to remember that God will answer in His time, and the answer we get may not be the one we want. 

Habakkuk 2:3
  "For still the vision awaits its appointed time;
    it hastens to the end—it will not lie.
If it seems slow, wait for it;
    it will surely come; it will not delay."






- God's timeline for our lives may not coincide with the timeline we plan for ourselves.

Habakkuk 2:5
“Moreover, wine^[b] is a traitor,
    an arrogant man who is never at rest.^[c]
His greed is as wide as Sheol;
    like death he has never enough.
He gathers for himself all nations
    and collects as his own all peoples.”

- Be satisfied with what you have. Anything and Everything you have is a blessing or gift from God. You do not deserve it. When we seek worldly thing to satisfy ourselves, our focus is off God. 

Habakkuk 2: 6-8 

⁶ Shall not all these take up their taunt against him, with scoffing and riddles for him, and say,

“Woe to him who heaps up what is not his own—
    for how long?—
    and loads himself with pledges!”
⁷ Will not your debtors suddenly arise,
    and those awake who will make you tremble?
    Then you will be spoil for them.
⁸ Because you have plundered many nations,
    all the remnant of the peoples shall plunder you,
for the blood of man and violence to the earth,
    to cities and all who dwell in them."

- Know your limits financially. When you increase your means without the money to back it up, you dig yourself into a hole. You will have people (creditors, lenders, etc) shoveling the dirt in on top of you. Make wise choices and don't be put in this situation.

Habakkuk 2:15-16

¹⁵ “Woe to him who makes his neighbors drink—
    you pour out your wrath and make them drunk,
    in order to gaze at their nakedness!
¹⁶ You will have your fill of shame instead of glory.
    Drink, yourself, and show your uncircumcision!
The cup in the Lord's right hand
    will come around to you,
    and utter shame will come upon your glory!

- Do not tempt others (competitors) with their weaknesses... especially if you are willingly doing this for personal gain.

Habakkuk 2:19-20

  ¹⁹ Woe to him who says to a wooden thing, Awake;
    to a silent stone, Arise!
Can this teach?
Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver,
    and there is no breath at all in it.
²⁰ But the Lord is in his holy temple;
    let all the earth keep silence before him.”

- Do not put your faith in symbols that cannot respond ("wooden" or "stone" gods). Instead have faith in the Lord who is alive and willing to respond to your requests!

It's amazing the reminders we are shown from our own thoughts sometime... I'm thankful for those reminders from the Lord. 

Love y'all - KC  

Lessons on Leadership - from the book of Micah.

A few days ago I found this notebook... in 2008 I started reading through the bible and writing commentary based on what I can learn about leadership from the bible. I started rereading it and am thankful for the notes I wrote, because they pertain to me in my job, and anyone else who supervises others. Ultimately though... I think they maybe observations that may serve any Christian. I hope so... 

Since I have not been blogging as I should lately... I thought that posting these would be a good way to get back into it... and if nothing else, they would all be typed up. :) ** Also - I would like to point out that this commentary is not meant to be a political statement in anyway... they are my observations from the Word of God not my impressions of any leader in our country.**

I started these notes with the book of Micah. I will not post the entire chapters of reference, but the verses from which the specific lessons are derived. If you need a quick/easy online Bible reference... just click on this link... 

LESSONS FROM MICAH 3&4 (verses 1-5)

"And I said: Hear, you heads of Jacob and rulers of the house of Israel!
Is it not for you to know justice?—
²     you who hate the good and love the evil, who tear the skin from off my people^[a]     and their flesh from off their bones,
³ who eat the flesh of my people, and flay their skin from off them,
and break their bones in pieces and chop them up like meat in a pot,
    like flesh in a cauldron.

⁴ Then they will cry to the Lord, but he will not answer them;
he will hide his face from them at that time, because they have made their deeds evil.

⁵ Thus says the Lord concerning the prophets who lead my people astray,
who cry “Peace” when they have something to eat, but declare war against him
    who puts nothing into their mouths. (Micah 3:1-5)

- How can we expect rulers (non-believers) with no moral code/compass of reference to be moral and just leaders?
- A leader should not cause their people to be unwisely unprepared for any situation (based on their pride or ignorance) - in doing so you only create chaos and confusion. 
- Throughout chapters 3 and 4, God had a plan for the good AND the bad. The bad were destroyed and the good were given instructions as to where they should go. Regardless of who or what faith you are (or are not) God is in control of you and your destiny.

LESSONS FROM MICAH 5: (verses 5:2-3, 7-9 ESV)

Micah

 ² But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
    who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
    one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose coming forth is from of old,
    from ancient days.

- Big things don't necessarily have to come from big places. The Messiah was from a tiny, seemingly insignificant town called Bethlehem - He, well He did big things... *LEADERSHIP COMES FROM EVERYWHERE*

  ³ Therefore He shall give them up,
Until the time that she who is in labor has given birth;
Then the remnant of His brethren
Shall return to the children of Israel.

 - God does not forget those who feel forgotten. No matter how small or insignificant a person/group may feel - they are important and significant to their Maker.

⁷ Then the remnant of Jacob
Shall be in the midst of many peoples,
Like dew from the Lord,
Like showers on the grass,
That tarry for no man
Nor wait for the sons of men.
⁸ And the remnant of Jacob
Shall be among the Gentiles,
In the midst of many peoples,
Like a lion among the beasts of the forest,
Like a young lion among flocks of sheep,
Who, if he passes through,
Both treads down and tears in pieces,
And none can deliver.
⁹ Your hand shall be lifted against your adversaries,
And all your enemies shall be cut off.

A remnant is by definition the leftovers... scraps... well, in this case, God used the remnant of Jacob to do big things. He used a small group and ensured defeat of their enemies... I think this is definitely a Quality/Quantity example! 

LESSONS FROM CHAPTER 6: (verses 1-2, 6-7, 8, 15 NKJV)

6 Hear now what the Lord says:

“Arise, plead your case before the mountains,
And let the hills hear your voice.
² Hear, O you mountains, the Lord’s complaint,
And you strong foundations of the earth;
For the Lord has a complaint against His people,
And He will contend with Israel.

- There will always be other people who can speak up for your actions (good or bad) if you refrain from doing so... dirty laundry will be aired, so you might as well speak up and take responsibility for you actions. A leader should be willing and able to admit fault. 

 ⁶ With what shall I come before the Lord,
And bow myself before the High God?
Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings,
With calves a year old?
⁷ Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
Ten thousand rivers of oil?
Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

- Attitude is everything. It doesn't necessarily matter what you are bringing to the table, but rather how (in what attitude) you are bringing it.
- Remember when working as a group - if you bring the right attitude to any situation your news/opinions/etc... will be more readily accepted.

 ⁸ He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?

 - Be an example of living, breathing Christian worship every day: 

1.  Do justly:  Do the right thing/ be accountable
2. Love mercy: Love others despite difference just as Christ loves us despite ourselves
3. Walk Humbly: As Pawpaw Cole told me once, "Remember who you are, what you are, and where you're from." Don't go throughout life acting like you deserve anything. In order to be a servant leader you have to put yourself on the back burner and sacrifice for others.

 ¹⁵ “You shall sow, but not reap; You shall tread the olives, but not anoint yourselves with oil;
And make sweet wine, but not drink wine.

- Recognition is not the be all, end all... and it should never be your motivation. As a Christian living in an unchristian world we often contribute to projects wholeheartedly, but we do not get equal support or recognition. A Christian should not be upset because of lack of recognition - for what do the accolades of the world equal in comparison to the recognition by Christ.

LESSONS FROM MICAH 7 (v. 4, 7, 14, 18) NKJV

- Rather than focusing your attention on the watch for enemies (negativity)... 

⁴ The best of them is like a brier;
The most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge;
The day of your watchman and your punishment comes;
Now shall be their perplexity.

- Focus your watch on the Lord (positivity). 

 ⁷ Therefore I will look to the Lord;
I will wait for the God of my salvation;
My God will hear me.

 ¹⁴ Shepherd Your people with Your staff,
The flock of Your heritage, Who dwell solitarily in a woodland,
In the midst of Carmel; Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, As in days of old.

 - "Shepherd your people with your staff, the flock of your heritage..." In leadership positions you work to shepherd others in the right direction. You leadership (or lack thereof) will ultimately leave behind a legacy or heritage, and we must always be conscious of our heritage and how it speaks for us.
 

¹⁸ Who is a God like You, Pardoning iniquity
And passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage?

He does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights in mercy.

- Don't burn bridges, hold grudges, or stay mad. 
- Be merciful and show grace to those under your supervision who have failed/disappointed in some way.  

The impact of your leadership does not stay in one city or on one campus. As those you lead move and travel, the lessons you teach go with them. Always look for a chance to make any situation a teaching situation. 

I know this was long... but I hope someone gathered something from reading it! Leave me a comment and let me know what you think! 
Love Y'all,
Kacey

A lesson from those who are radical...

As I have been reading more and more about the radical Islamic protests which were spurred by an anti Islamic christian's video, I have really had to think about my position regarding radical christians as well... because I don't think there is much of a difference in the man that made this video and the people who killed our Ambassador to Libya. The reason I believe they are similar, is because I actually watched the 13 minute video that has caused riots throughout the Middle East and was disgusted by it. I understand the outrage it caused... not to the extend of murder... but if the subject of that video was Jesus and not Mohammed I'd be pretty pissed off too.

So... what's my position here... well, I think the best way to describe it is this: 

I'm not anti - Islam... 

... and I'm not anti-Hindu. 

Nor am I anti - Buddha or anti -Taoism... 

or even anti - Scientology or anti - Krishna.

I'm Pro-Jesus.

that.is.all.

Because here's the deal - we were told to spread the Gospel... and Jesus is the Gospel. Why do we tend to tell people why what they believe is wrong when we should be telling them, and focusing on, why what we believe is RIGHT! Jesus sells himself in His Word... and we should show Him in our actions.

The Gospel is faith, love, hope, forgiveness, service... and so many other things. The one word that does not fall anywhere close to the Gospel though is Hate... and Hate is what feeds these radical religious extremists. 

But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness 

and walks in the darkness, 

and does not know where he is going, 

because the darkness has blinded his eyes. 

1 John 2:11

These radicals who hate... regardless of the G/god they follow are in the dark. And as for me, well...

"Again Jesus spoke to them, saying,  

“I am the light of the world. 

Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness,

 but will have the light of life.” 

John 8:12

love y'all - KC