Just Because You Could - Doesn't Mean You Should

 Today, I was brought back to some of the thoughts that ran through my head before I decided to really pursue building my own business, instead of working for someone else. Without Jesus, I would not be here. Those prayers, back then, were a kind all their own....fervent, desperate, FULL of fret and worry, talking out loud ALL....EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. OF. MY. CONCERNS..... Jesus knew them. Even though He called me, I was not able to recognize it right away. I questioned EVERY thought. I thought of EVERY scenario....EVERY possibility.....REALLY sat with the less than favorable possibilities, let it saturate me and then decide if I was willing to make the sacrifice and FOLLOW Jesus's call. A TD Jakes sermon & The Holy Spirit snapped me into action back then and......here I am....more than a decade later.....and TD Jakes has once again motivated me with one of his sermons and I felt that familiar feeling. The feeling of ALLOWING God to show me. To put all my plans, thoughts, ideas, limited knowledge to the side and....well....BUCK UP BABY & RIDE WITH JESUS!

This brings me to my most beautiful lesson this week. In business.....just because you COULD, does NOT mean you should. Sometimes.....we are SO hard-headed that God literally has to LET US recognize for ourselves our weaknesses. He let's us FEEL the discomfort, angst.....He lets us struggle in our limited knowledge. 

I am a person that likes to be in motion. Sitting still, focusing on numbers, piecing things together, and trying to figure out how to make a program work.....that's not my thing. Yes. Once upon a time that was my thing....because I was curious....engaged....interested....learning. That being said, I identified years ago, that - that was one of my least favorite parts of the business and taught, encouraged, hired, and/or trained others to do that very thing. NOW.....as I sit in the middle of my reset, fumbling my way through what's next...wanting to BE REAL SURE I need a person to do X, Y, Z....I have never been more sure of anything in my life.

My brain was SOOOOOOOOOO tired that once I struggled my way through programs and documents and process manuals, and FAQ web pages, then double, triple, & quadruple checking my numbers (which BTW....as I sit at my daughter's music recital, realize I forgot a very important deduction that was accounted for, but not notated) I realized that....when I work myself to a place where basic addition and subtraction is a struggle......it's time to let it go. AND...if that wasn't enough to convince me....after ALL the corrections and THINKING I was printing page 9 of a 9 page document.....I take a call and, by the end of it, have NINE FULL COPIES OF A NINE PAGE DOCUMENT....that is not where I'm supposed to be.... THUS, just because you could, doesn't mean you should. 

God gives us such AMAZING gifts. TRULY, when I started this whole journey FRUSTRATED with my J.O.B. at the time....I HAD NO IDEA that I would one day become a Texas Reserve State Champion Auctioneer, learn how to sell EVERY type of asset under the sun, and HELP RAISE MILLIONS for non profits! In fact, when I started this journey....being an auctioneer was a thought written in a journal out of frustrated prayer. I reached a point where I did all I knew how to do in my own knowledge and ability and I did not know what to do. I AM SO THANKFUL FOR MY OBEDIENCE. 

God knows that sometimes we have to wear ourselves down to the place where we will be obedient; where we have exhausted all we know & we SURRENDER. 

And as I type that, I think to myself....knowing all this....why is it still SO HARD? I'd like to think that God is teaching us how to trust Him the way we will, one day, need to trust Him. Every time we get ourselves to these places we trust God a little more. AND....it is not that we don't want to trust Him...it's that we don't know how and He is teaching us. It gets easier to say yes. It gets easier to step into the unknown and LET HIM paint the road as you walk. We can't rush it. We can't make plans. We can simply EXPERIENCE His goodness and His grace and His mercy towards us & LET HIM SHOW US!

BUCK UP BABY & RIDE WITH JESUS! GO where He takes you. No questions and no expectations. 

Declutter & Make Money

 Two years ago, I signed up for a Declutter Challenge. It was truly overwhelming AND freeing at the same time. It was a 12 week challenge &, to make a long story short, it eased me into the psychology & process of decluttering. By the end of it, I had donated over 20 bags of items, several pieces of furniture & found a way to implement certain aspects of the challenge to daily life, PLUS my home was cleaner, more organized, & less cluttered.

What I found interesting were the very distinct “categories” my stuff fell into: 

• Trash
• Give Away
• Keep
• Sell

The Declutter challenge I did, had a solution for all of those categories, except “Sell,” so those items have been piling up in my storage building.

When COVID-19 disrupted our world we had a large influx of calls where people had under 30 items to sell. This is not our typical personal property client. As the calls kept coming, and the need was becoming more and more apparent, our wheels started turning.

We created the Buck Up Marketplace Online Auctions to meet the increased need. In that, I realized; we also created a solution for my 4th decluttering category- “Sell.”

Since the launch of Marketplace we have thinned out the clutter in our storage building AND have close to $1000 in our vacation fund.

I’ve talked to other sellers that have earmarked their earnings towards home updates & DIY projects.

Buck Up! Join us in the Buck Up Marketplace Online Auctions Facebook page. The Buck Up Crew is going to take part in a Declutter challenge & we will share our journey along the way! We are also, currently building auctions in the following areas: Carmine, Round Top, Lexington, & Waldeck. If you would like to become a seller in these areas or start one in YOUR area, reach out to us at marketplace@buckupauctions.com or text or call us at 979.451.8725. 

They are designed to allow people to move at their own pace. We will launch an auction once we reach 50 items or more, per area. If you don’t finish we can start building another!

Rhythm

About half way through last week I realized I had gotten out of rhythm. Let's be honest, we are all a little out of rhythm with our "normal" being interrupted. I noticed the NEW rhythm was off.

My husband works shift work and I am SUPER grateful that his position is still essential, but getting used to his shift schedule was an adjustment. I felt like I was finally getting into a rhythm with it & THEN.....Covid-19.

I learned that things are relatively consistent when he's off or working days, but those night runs.... The effect it has on me is....I wear myself out the first couple days & then I FINALLY pick my head up and realize that I can't do the same amount of work those days as I do others. I'm not saying that is how it works for everyone, but that is what it's like for me.

Then....what I felt like I was FINALLY getting a handle on was: not completely loading my workdays up on Kyle's off days. That was a bad habit I picked up, but not on purpose.....just trying to balance my workflow.

I really had to be a student of it for several months before I learned these things & then....many times...I'd get halfway through a night run before I realized it.

I bring all this up because we are such creatures of habit. The Covid-19 pandemic has rocked EVERY habit, every schedule, every process, every rhythm....

Even the things that SEEM to have not changed, have changed, because EVERY. SINGLE. PERSON. HAS. CHANGED.....which changes the rhythm.

There is something about the awareness I have of the rhythm and the constant struggle I find myself in to maintain the rhythm....when really.....EVERYTHING around me is trying to knock me out of rhythm...that is sticking with me.

I believe SO strongly in Christ....as much as I possibly can & know how to....and I believe there is SO much divine power, in taking what the world sees or perceives & turning it on its end....like the cross. The cross was meant for death & destruction & suffering & punishment & JESUS turned it into LIFE, REDEMPTION, HEALING, & ABUNDANT LOVE & BLESSINGS. Our God colors outside the lines...OR He sees lines that we cannot.

I just finished a meditation course on acceptance. 10 minutes of meditation for 10 days. The words "LET GO" keep coming to mind. The main lesson was: identify what you are resisting & do simply that...IDENTIFY IT & watch how identifying the resistance automatically causes you to accept it.

Listen....with a combination of ALL kinds of things that have been happening & spending SO. MUCH. TIME. trying to create a rhythm....and I mean trying; to the point of wearing myself out.... I think I'm going to BUCK UP & LET GO.

In rhythm or out of rhythm....something is gonna happen. For once it is "okay" to not be what others expect you to be OR what you expect yourself to be. It's okay if you are, but its also okay if you're not....because we are ALL trying to figure it out. You wouldn't think that accepting is as hard as it is. In fact, it doesn't really make ANY sense to TRY & create a system....we should just allow it; let it flow from us and trust that we are equipped to handle what comes next & not try to plan for a future calamity, but more for the here and now. ENJOY IT. What can we each do here & now?

Car Parades!

One thing that is "new" since social distancing was advised is CAR PARADES. In place of birthday parties, parents are organizing Birthday Car Parades. It is really for ANY special occasion.

The skilled nursing facility my Uncle Fritz is in (Giddings Residence & Rehabilitation Center) organized a car parade for all of the residents!

It was really a special event for all of us to experience. The kids and I worked together on posters & we all got to SEE Uncle Fritz and all of the other residents, nurses, aids, & staff. Not a huge post today... The pictures say enough.

Uncle Fritz is front row wearing grey!

We were able to tell him we loved him, say hello to the other residents, & THANK all of the staff at the facility!!

Buck Up & find CreaTiVE ways to come together!! God Bless you ALL!

Buck Up - It's a Call to Action

Hey Everyone! Over the last year the fact that my blogging has been ALMOST non-existent has been nagging at me. I still have topics to write about come to mind, but it is finding the time to write them! Well I have decided to dedicate time each week towards blogging & a few other things, that I can't wait to put into place!

"Buck Up" is a call to action and has several different meanings in several different dictionaries, but TODAY to me...it means It's time to take action! Share our AUCTION journeys & LIFE journeys & really get back at it!

A month ago Tuesday, we were blessed with our 3rd child! Mr. Hunter Wayne Kaspar has joined our little family & he fits right in! I have been reflecting so much, the last several weeks in particular, & I just feel extremely blessed that we are surrounded by ALL the people we are surrounded by.

While I was pregnant with Little Man, I had several people ask "What are you going to do now?" or "Man, things were really moving with your business. I guess it will have to slow down now..." & a handful of other comments along those lines. The way I see it is...he just fits right on in, to life how we're living it. All this reflecting has given me a VERY clear direction of where I want to go & a more realistic viewpoint on the time it will take to get there & that PEOPLE in your life are what you live and work for & are your safe place and they are worth protecting, honoring, & enjoying. Life doesn't just stop or abruptly change. It's a constant flow of people coming in & out & one thing evolving into the next. I have an incredible team behind me, a supportive family all around me.

Our little family is just livin' it & lovin' it & trucking right along! Hunter has already been on several AUCTION ADVENTURES with Me & My Mom & crew members & we've got many more up ahead!

Day 1 with Hunter :)

The whole fam: Kyle, Me, Kylee Jo (8), Heath (5), & Hunter. 

Here is a link to a vido of Hunter & I on his first Flip N Move Trip! If you have trouble viewing LIKE the Texas Flip N Move Facebook Page!

https://www.facebook.com/TEXASFLIPNMOVE/videos/1920135228299495/?hc_ref=ARSq1y2WaOJd4SHbkwzG0jz2z2gTgY4P7gXqi88I7FYSj05o4RSS0bG2t1zT7sCZp_I

Everyday we have the opportunity to Buck Up & enjoy new adventures, make new friends, & take those we love along with us on the ride! Stay tuned for MORE adventures & don't forget to BUCK UP BABY!

Buck Up Scholarship: The Story of Why Not?

A little over a year ago....one of my friends reminded me about an IDEA that I had earlier that year. The original idea was to create a way to supply business grants to small businesses and entrepreneurs that were able to Buck Up and take those first steps in starting their business.....BECAUSE THOSE ARE SCARY STEPS. 

After doing a little research, we found out quick that there is quite a bit involved in a cause like that & we didn't have the experience working it, to pull that off in the timeline we had.

So....we put our heads together and thought of a way that we could achieve the same sort of mission, but on a more do-able level.......THUS the Buck Up Scholarship Fund was created. 

The mission is to have others SHARE their stories of what it took for them to BUCK UP & DO whatever it was that they felt led to do. I can speak from experience and tell you that I WOULD NOT BE DOING WHAT I'M DOING RIGHT NOW IF A STRING OF PEOPLE WOULD NOT HAVE ENCOURAGED ME ALONG THE WAY. 

ENCOURAGEMENT is SO important, because....... When a person does something diFfeRent there are A LOT more nay-sayers out there than encouragers. And if you disagree with that....you may be able to agree that the nay-sayers are who we hear. 

Last year was the first year for The Buck Up Scholarship Fund & I can't tell you how many people asked me WHY we were doing it! It was SO frustrating to me, because all I could think of is: WHY NOT?!

When I first started working my auction business FULL-TIME the two needs that were the MOST apparent to me getting started was ENCOURAGEMENT & FUNDS. Well....it just so happens that Buck Up Auctions knows how to ENCOURAGE PEOPLE to raISE funds. Taking all that into consideration: WHY NOT invite people to share their stories of how they overcame fear, rejection, confusion, a difficult situation? WHY NOT bring our friends, family, & supporters together to support others? WHY NOT?! How can we expect people to ENCOURAGE & SUPPORT us, if we can't do that for others. 

I sat here earlier this week a little upset with myself that I didn't focus MORE time on this event, but not exactly knowing how I would've. Our business is growing. Our team is growing & we've been able to help more causes and individuals this year than any other. That's what we want. Just as our business is growing....this cause will grOW....just like the Good Lord needs it. More people will SUPPORT it, more people will know about it, more students will benefit from it, and more people will be encouraged by it. 

We literally got the event last year together in a matter of weeks & the fund was able to supply 3 scholarships to 3 of the 93 APPLICANTS! CLICK HERE to read more about this year's recipients & HERE to read their BUCK UP ESSAYS, and HERE for general information about the scholarship.

Catherine Winkles $1000 & Phillip Ho $500
Brenham ISD

Tyler Copeland $500
Round Top - Carmine ISD

The scholarship committee comprised of 4 individuals chose the winning essays. The Buck Up Auction Crew went through and numbered and blacked out any information that would give away who the applicant was and where they were from. After the recipients were selected The Buck Up Auction Crew read EVERY ESSAY & responded back to the applicant with words of encouragement. 

In that....we realized that some of these individuals were probably never asked to share a story of a time when they had to BUCK UP, step outside their comfort zone, and think about how that changed themselves and people around them. It was GOOSE BUMP CITY! There were some POWERFUL essays. One of the members of the scholarship committee told me they would have liked to award more! With time....with time!

This became much BIGGER than the idea! We are accepting auction items to auction off on Saturday to raise money for the 2016 Scholarship Fund. I'm aware that there is A LOT going on on Saturday. If you'd like to support the fund & can't make it give us a call at 979.421.0325 or shoot us an email at hdskaspar.buckup@gmail.com to make bidding/donation arrangements. We plan to have a LIVE & silent auction & if attendance & donations allow, we will also have a heads or tails raffle. The Tip Jar Gypsies will be playing right after the fundRAISING stops. You'll get a chance to hear from this year's applicants as well!! Instead of a bounce house The Buck Up Kids will be holding a school supply drive that we will donate the items to area schools. We are also working to make this organization a 501(c)3. We are interviewing individuals that have an interest in this cause for the board & also have one more spot open in the Scholarship Committee for 2016. We will have a ballot box at the event where you can drop off nominations. Please leave contact information. 

This scholarship is open to anyone living in LaGrange, Brenham, Giddings and anywhere in between there and Carmine. If you are a high school student & are in one of the following school districts: Brenham, LaGrange, Giddings, RTC, Fayetteville, Burton, it is also open to you. There is no age limit. As long as you are pursuing higher education you can apply. Higher Education is: Jr. College, College, University, Licensing school (welding, real estate, auctioneer, etc.), Clergy etc. 

Please go to the website & read the essays of this year's recipients & if you applied and were not awarded a scholarship this year...APPLY AGAIN!!

ALL funds from this FUNDRAISER goes straight into the scholarship fund!

H.Kaspar TXL 17037

BUCK UP!! Scholarship

SOOOO....if you haven't heard yet...The BUCK UP SCHOLARSHIP FUND will award $2000 in scholarships THIS April!!!

I feel SO blessed to be able to foster THIS. 

The vision began with my journey into entrepreneurship. The whole...giving up money & being BROKE for a while, while I grOW my business journey. Boy did my PRIDE get in my way, for a loooooong time. I felt the strugGLE of NEEDING money to get you to the next step & having to ask someone for it...which is something I also took PRIDE in not having to do. So once I DIED to myself in that aspect & moved on with my journey I realized the NEED to CrEaTe a way to HELP others in that regard. I mean...it was a BIG hurdle for me. Totally slowed me down...until I worked through it...

The way I see it....God doesn't put things on your heart and visions in your head - if he's not going to equip you with the tools & people to get you there. It took me a minute to REALLY believe that though. The more you relinquish control over certain aspects of your life, the more you become aware of your fear of the unknown. Everybody has it. I can tell you though...that the REAL journey starts when you Buck Up Baby & turn it loose to God. 

This brought me back to my Senior year in High School... If Ms. Janda was still with us - she could testify to the number of hours I spent at the typewriter in the school library...filling out applications. I talked to someone else who is on a scholarship committee for another organization & they told me the number of applicants go down each year. I think a total of 2 had applied this past year. BUCK UP BABY & GET TO FILLING THOSE OUT. There's people out there that wanna HELP YOU! They just have to know about you. 

My DEEP ROOTED HOPE for this scholarship is that we can make a difference in SOMEONE's life & be a source of ENCOURAGEMENT, FINANCIAL SUPPORT, & GUIDANCE to someone that is mustering up the COURAGE to pursue a dream. This scholarship is open to adults advancing their education also....because....it's just okay to change your mind or add more tools to your tool bag. I want people to SHARE their story too, because that is what ENCOURAGES others...to know that someone else can IDENTIFY with their journey in one way or another. 

I had a BA Degree & a professional career that I was good at, but sometimes your SPIRIT is calling you to MORE.

We are in the process of getting the details together for the NEXT event, so be prepared & ON THE LOOK OUT FOR MORE INFO!! We'll be updating our website regularly, so BOOKMARK it!: BUCK UP AUCTIONS WEBSITE 

So you might wanna know WHO can apply for the scholarship(s) & WHAT it will take to get it & WHEN it will be awarded so.....HERE'S THE DETAILS: (ALL the participating High Schools should have this information also: RTC, Burton, Fayetteville, LaGrange, Brenham, Giddings)

Applicant must be pursuing higher education in any of the following: College, University, Jr. College, Trade School, Licensing School, or Clergy-related education. This scholarship will be open to anyone within the 30-mile radius seeking higher education, which includes the cities & school districts of: Brenham, Giddings, LaGrange, and everything in between (Round Top-Carmine, Fayetteville, & Burton). Proof of residency will need to be provided along with scholarship essay.

Scholarship Monies will be paid directly to the school of choice. The winners will have 6 months to enroll in their choice of higher education.

Applicant must be a graduating high school senior or older. This could be a returning student, adult going back to school or pursuing some sort of license, or a graduating high-school student.

The applicants that are awarded the scholarships MUST be willing to share their essays to the general public in any form that the Scholarship Committee deems as a positive way to share the purpose of this scholarship.

Must also be willing to come to the following year’s event & share the progress of your journey & how the scholarship has helped you.

The scholarship committee is comprised of 5 members from the community with backgrounds in education, leadership, civic organizations & development, & business owners.

If a family member of a committee member chooses to apply for the scholarship, that committee member will step down from the committee & the Buck Up Auctions staff will nominate 3 people for the vacant committee chair. The existing committee will than vote in 1 of the 3 nominees to be appointed as committee member.

As the applications come in, the Buck Up Auction staff members, will number the applicants, so the committee is not aware of the actual person applying, until the winner(s) are selected.

This year $2,000.00 of scholarship will be awarded. The number of scholarships awarded and the amounts will be determined by the committee.

Deadline to submit essay is April 2^nd. Scholarship recipient(s) will be chosen & announced on or before April 30^th.  

Mail information to:

Buck Up Auctions

Scholarship Committee

390 Vogel Lane

Carmine, TX 78932

INFORMATION SHEET

buck up

 verb

:  to become encouraged :  brace up

–Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Buck Up: To rise to a challenge, to do something others are unable to – urban dictionary

Applicant Name:

Address:

Phone Number:

Email Address:

Agree to share your Buck Up Story?

Why are you applying for this scholarship?

Where will you use this scholarship, if awarded?

Please list all organizations & extracurricular activities you are involved in.

Please choose ONE of the essay topics, on the next page, to write about.

Essay Topics:

Please write an essay over ONE of the two essay topics below: (Please keep to 2 pages or less)

1)      Give us an example of an experience where you have had to "BUCK UP" and do something that pushed you out of your comfort zone & how that made an impact on your life & possibly others.

2) Tell us about an area/idea/dream that you have either:  not mustered up the courage for, are currently in the process of, or feel as if you missed out on the opportunity to “Buck Up.”  

Auction School Day 8: Sayin´ Our Goodbyes...

I just wanna say out the gate - that I got a 93 on the final test for Mr. Moon!! That doesn´t make me licensed. I still have to fill out all the forms and schedule a test with the state, but it makes me feel a little better :).

Me accepting my certificate on the ACTUAL last day of class.

Me "pretend" accepting for a pretty picture :).

Day 8 was a pretty bittersweet day. BELIEVE ME! I was MORE than ready to go home and see my Sugarbritches and Sweet Baby Kylee. When Mr. Moon told us how he was honored to have met us and will be followin´ up on us AND there if we ever had any questions it kinda got me a little teary-eyed. Not only that, but me and Sam became pretty good buddies and Nachadoches is a pretty good ways away. I made some really GREAT friends and met some REALLY AWESOME people and really do feel SO VERY BLESSED!

I know I´ll see some of them again and hope to see them all, but if I don´t I wish them THE VERY BEST in whatever makes them happy!! Call me if you need an auctioneer! If I´m able...I´ll be there.

Before I went off to school, I was hoping that I would get a little more guidance on "WHAT" I was going to do next. Well...what I really learned was that I am better than what I thought I was and really have unlimited possibilites and have no reason to really limit myself. I´m pretty anxious and excited to see what happens next.

So I hit the road for the close to 3 hour drive to Walhalla (only to drive 3 more back to Rockport on Sunday).

Pretty sky...idn´t it? :)

As if I hadn´t had enough auctioning after a whole week of it, I decided to stop into a horse sale in Giddings on my way home. I didn´t stay long, but long enough to get you all a video. I didn´t show the horse actually getting sold. The bidding didn´t reach the "reserve" or price that the seller wanted to sell it for, but he wound up coming to an agreement with the buyer. If you´ve never been to a horse auction and you´re wonderin´ why they switched riders - the owner wanted to show that the horse was broke and gentle. That sweet little girl can probably ride better than most grown folks, but it showed the audience that the horse was "kid-broke."

So I get to my in-laws and what do I see.... Kylee Jo dressed in duds only a Daddy can put together :).

Basketball shorts, T-Shirt, and Backwards Cap....none of it matching :), but still CUTE as a button!

We talked and visited for a little while and then got ready to go to the Fall Festival at RTC! Kylee had a ball in her Cowgirl costume!! Her cousins (Kelsey, Kaben, Bryan, and Kinsey) were there and she just had a time playin´ all those little games. She sat and had her face painted, but she wasn´t too crazy about it.

Right before we left she climbed on her pony and went for a ride :)!

Kylee with her girl cousins - Kinsey (bumble bee) and Kelsey (cowgirl).

She sat and let her paint it, but wasn´t too happy about it...with her little pouty lip. It was supposed to be a horseshoe, but it kinda looked more like a pink and brown rainbow.  

Well folks...wish me luck on my state exam!! I´m gonna have to BUCK UP and study hard!! I´m serious....start stretchin´ those arms and wigglin´ those fingers b/c I´ll be at an auction near you pretty stinkin´ soon!