Yard Sale Bummer....

Okay, okay, okay. So you were all wondering and waiting.... "WHEN is Katie going to update her blog!??!?! Haven't the Collett's done anything since Easter, for crying out loud??! " ;)

Well yes! As a matter of fact, we've been busier than ever..... evidently wasting time.....

We spent about an entire month cleaning unused items from each room of our house. Plus we pulled everything out of our storage unit we were renting for what just went up to $55/ mo.!

That'll save us $600/ year! Whew!!

I had mostly tons and tons of baby furniture in there and all the kids' clothes from birth 'til now. -Did NOT want to part w/ it. But it IS costing us money just to keep it, so off it goes. I saved a bunch of goodies for "just in case the time ever comes". ;)

I was looking so forward to blessing my husband w/ some extra money... Thought maybe he could afford to stay home w/ us a bit.... and go do something.... put some money into savings, and give some......

I spent almost an entire day and made stand-out, quality yard sale signs that NO body would miss! (No, not just the 3 either... TEN!!) That costed money too, for a giant marker, paint, and giant flourescent poster paper.

I put an ad in the paper........

I got a money box....

I bought a case of paper bags so I could have the clothes all neatly organized according to age, sex, and size.... oh... and season too! DUMB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That didn't help any... ;(

Dumb, dumb, dumb...

Meaningless!! EVERY thing is meaningless! Does that sound familiar?

Well, anyway.... Friday was an okay day, and Saturday was horrible! People wanted me to sell them everything for a nickel!! I'm not exaggerating MUCH-- let me tell ya!

Chris & I both agree we'd much rather GIVE it to someone in need, and that we care for, than to let others take advantage of us. I didn't put all this time into this project NOT to make some money back! :(

I had even been praying for months for God to bless our yard sale.....

I did also pray God would send some help w/ the yard sale. I prayed for Him to just even send someone to keep us company. That would be nice.

I'd also been praying that God would help me to do a better job at reaching out to the neighors.

Well, low and behold I did get help and I did get company. Our neighbors of 3 1/2 yrs, and us-- we finally met, and got to know eachother and chatted for the 2 days of the yard sale. They expressed wanting to know more about God and the Bible, and I'd expressed my anxiousness to be the one to tell 'em!

This didn't turn out to be as wonderful and easy, as I always seem to think it's going to be....

But they did want to come to our church... and they did come... and we did talk alot about God, the Bible, the right way..... etc....

And I won't put all the other stuff here on the blog, 'cause that just wouldn't be nice. ;)

They were quite helpful and appreciated too, though.

I sure couldn't wait to have my house back to normal. What a mess it was!!!! Have you ever had a yard sale PROJECT!! Man! It IS a project!!

See how messy our house was??? Whew!!!

Our house is clean (almost- still got a bit more to finish up) now. Thank GOD!! Our house has lost a TON of weight!! ;) We took a load off!

After dealing w/ all stages of this nightmare yardsale project..... I am sooooooo tired of STUFF!! STUFF! STUFF! STUFF! I don't want any more stuff! Meaningless!! We have been given so much stuff, we don't know where to put it! I thank the Lord we are so blessed though! I do! :)

I hated getting rid of all our baby stuff for many reasons.... but I know GOD DOES have a plan!! I just wish He'd come down and share it with me! :)

I'm not really sure what the outcome of all this was to God, or what HE meant for it to be... 'cause I sure don't understand it. It seemed it had alot more to do w/ meeting my neighbors and being in their life, than anything I'd planned.

How to I fit more people into my life? I don't know....

Will all my ministering really do any good in these particular people?

What IS the Lord's plan?

I don't want to waste my time. Neither do I want to be used. (Except by God.)

If anybody has an abundance of "easy" "fruit" to grow, please call me at 1800Katie.

God has a plan.....

May I do nothing in vein. Shall I do it all in the Lord, for the Lord, by the Lord.

It's the Lord's plans that always prevail.

To GOD alone be the G-L-O-R-Y!!! AMEN!!! ;)

What a wretch am I! Thank the Lord I am saved!!

Please forgive me folks, for what a grump I've been these last 2 days! ;(

Taste and see that the Lord IS good!! SO good!

God has a plan! God has a plan!