Feel free to cozy up with your favorite beverage (if you're like me, then maybe it's an espresso over ice with a splash of cream, or a warm matcha latte if it's cold outside!) and stay awhile. This is my place to share not just beautiful weddings or sessions, but to share my life. My hope is through this, you'll get to know a bit more about me and all the beautiful people that make it worth living!
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My sweet daughter, a talented writer in my opinion, has been the one to recently share in the previous blog posts. I feel a bit inadequate sitting here writing when I know she could do a much better job sharing than I can. But, I wanted to share this slideshow with you if you haven’t see it yet. I called it Beauty from Ashes from the verse in Isaiah 61:3. Carlton Complex Firestorm 2104 {Beauty from Ashes} In the midst of this horrific firestorm that took over 300 homes and left over 1000 homeless, I am personally seeing so much good. I trust and know that God has a purpose and I believe that He will make what we see as a tragedy into something more beautiful than we can imagine. I know Pateros will never be the same, but I also believe it will be even better. New friendships are being made, our community is showing how strong we are, how loving, how caring and how we bond together in the midst of personal grief and heavy hearts.
I sat around the dinner table last night with some new friends. . .they are a couple who lost their home in the fire and are now currently living in a trailer in our driveway. I met them at the Pateros High School gym last week as I was helping them “shop” for items they needed. For years I have looked out our windows at their home in the distance and never once met them until now. At dinner last night we shared stories, heard about their day going through the ashes and what they had found. We listened to them gasp and say “oh, my goodness. . . such and such is gone” when they realized that they had forgotten about a certain thing that had gone up in flames. It was honestly heart wrenching. And then there is the feeling of “survivor guilt”. . .like why them and not us? It’s a miracle our home is standing. And yet I have to trust there is a reason.
I am currently working on something that I hope to share soon how we can personally show love to those who lost their homes. But until then, I have some suggestions and ideas. I am getting many texts, calls and messages that I am sorry I haven’t returned yet. I know there are so many of you willing to help. I know that there is a church I trust that will give 100% straight to the victims of this tragedy. You can look it up at www.gracecitychurch.com.
- Pateros Highschool…folding clothes, organizing donations, helping fire-victims shop for goods, and packing in preperation to move. This is a great job for men, women, youth, people who are highly organized, or someone who for health reasons can’t be out in the sun.
- Cleanup & Recovery…removing metal, stacking debris, and sifting through ashes of destroyed homes looking for family heirlooms and valuables before the remains are loaded into dump trucks and taken away. This is a great job for men, women, and older teenagers. The work is hot and dirty. You will be exposed to direct sunlight in extreme temperatures, so please take this into consideration when signing up.
- Pateros Relief Center Move…on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, we need an army of bodies to assist in moving the relief center from the highschool to a new location. This will enable the school to begin the process of preparing to open in time for school to start. **Taken from www.gracecitychurch.com **
One other thing that I personally am working on is getting a house ready for someone to live in before the snow falls. . .preferably as soon as possible. With 2% vacancy rate for rentals in our area, this is a dire need. We have got to get some temporary houses for the people left without homes! Some of you know that I have a ministry for teen girls called Delight. We were given a home in January of 2014. Our family has slowly been gutting it and starting to remodel. We currently are still needing flooring, siding for the house, some yard work, kitchen cabinets, countertops, bathroom completed, fireplace fixed, air conditioning unit, etc. But the walls, electrical, plumbing for the kitchen, drywall, & paint are completed. Windows are scheduled in the next 10 days! This project has been by donation only. If you feel led to help in any way in order to get this home up and ready for someone to move in asap, please reach out. The email is delightandbe@gmail.com. The website for donating and seeing a bit more about the house is: www.delighthouse.delightretreat.com. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.
“To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.”
SLIDE SHOW OF FIRE & RECOVERY: Carlton Complex Firestorm 2104 {Beauty from Ashes}
