How was your weekend?
Around My Place it was busy, exhausting, satisfying. Did I say it was exhausting? It’s the same every year at our church’s Yard Sale for Missions—and this was the 22nd year!
Saturday started very early. When Renaissance Man and I pulled up to the church at 5:45 AM, others were already there, scurrying around doing their tasks in the dark. We parked and began our own.
See that sign across the yard? It says Silent Auction. That’s where I’ll be hanging out.
Eventually we all started gathering inside for a short time of final announcements and (most important) prayer for the events of the day, dedicating ourselves and our work to God.
We are blessed to have high school and college students to help with the final set-up (and take-down!) of the shops, and so the moment the devotional is over, the action begins.
In every possible nook and cranny of the church are yard sale treasures awaiting delivery. . .
Shop directors go to their spaces . . . and the “parade” of boxes commences. From every door of the church, a line of students appears, each person delivering their assigned goods to the proper shop in the church yard.
I’ve been part of the delivery parade in the past, but this year I stood at my shop awaiting its arrival. It’s actually quite a site to behold!
Finally, my Silent Auction baskets were delivered by the dozens, and I got to work arranging them—by flashlight.
Children
Seasonal
Kitchen
Useful… gift cards for food, pampering, car care—and a purse to put them in!
Sports of all kinds… Fly fishing, golf, football, baseball, basketball. Click the picture to read about this one woman’s impact.
All told, there were 75 Silent Auction items, most of them baskets. They were a hit—as usual—with many selling at the Buy-It-Now (I don’t want to wait!) price.
The caramel apples were a big hit as usual, too. How could they not be as pretty as they are?
Both items (along with toys, housewares, furniture, finer things, linens, “guy stuff”, clothes, and books) are part of our church’s “something old” tradition that has no end in sight.
But this year, there was “something new” . . .
and Renaissance Man pulled it off beautifully. When we arrived at the church in the pre-dawn darkness, we were pulling a trailer on which stood a smoker full of meat and many ice chests loaded with already-frozen smoked turkey breasts and ribs for sale.
40 turkey breasts and 18 racks of ribs later . . .
By Saturday night, our bodies reminded us we’re getting older, but our minds knew: the sale is for a good cause.
Doing everything we can to support mission work both locally and globally is always a good use of time!
The grand total isn’t yet in, but we already know over $20,000 was raised again this year. This time, half will go to a missionary working in the Congo; the other half stays local and benefits a food pantry and community center. The recipients change annually, but the mission is always the same: to share in being the hands and face of Christ to those in need.
Interesting thing is, we get to share the same with the people who come to the yard sale—our neighbors—who need a kind word, a friendly smile, a helping hand, a hot meal.
FEEDING SHEEP
by Ann Weems
He said, “Feed my sheep.”
There were no conditions:
Least of all, Feed my sheep if they deserve it.
Feed my sheep if you feel like it.
Feed my sheep if you have any leftovers.
Feed my sheep if the mood strikes you.
if the economy’s OK . . .
if you’re not too busy . . .
No conditions . . . just “Feed my sheep.”
Could it be that God’s Kingdom will come
when each lamb is fed?
We who have agreed to keep covenant
are called to feed sheep
even when it means the grazing will be done
on our own front lawns.
Looks like it was a success.
What a treat to find your blog this evening while reading a post on Leslie’s (Gwen Moss).
this is an inspirational post.
Laura
White Spray Paint Blog