Just live.

We are edging closer to our upcoming fundRAISING auction that will benefit Mrs. Judy Mikeska & help her pay for her ever-mounting medical expenses. I had the opportunity to sit down and visit with Judy's supervisor & FRIEND that is organizing the fundraiser & simply asked for an update. 

Judy (currently) is cancer-free from the head down EXCEPT her lung, which will cause her to move to Temple for 6 weeks, where she will undergo an intense round of chemo treatments. 

Her supervisor shared a story about how they are supposed to fill out an end of year plan & how Judy's was filled with plans & goals & she said the last time they talked Judy made the comment..."Maybe I should wipe all that off that paper and write...'Just live.'"

It struck me somewhere when she said that. JUST live... 

This blog has challenged me a little more than most. I'm thankful that I haven't had to endure the cancer journey like so many of us have. My Daddy did have cirrhosis in his liver & they did find a tumor, but with his transplant was BLESSED to not have to endure the walk that so many others do. I don't want to sit here and type like I KNOW what she's going through. I have personally wrestled with WHY God allows things like cancer to happen...even exist...along with tragedies, hardships, abuse....

When Erin said... Just live...it took me back to a place when we found out that my Daddy would need a liver transplant to LIVE. I remember not really thinking about much else, except HOW can we make that happen. 

As I've grown older & am sloooowly coming to the realization that we CAN achieve things, but what God wills to happen WILL happen....I reflect back on that place that Judy & I both apparently came to & that is to JUST do the next best thing we can, where we stand. 

I've recently read & am currently reading 2 books (The Shack by Wm. Paul Young & Wrestling with Wonder by Marlo Schalesky). It took both of them to get me here... I've learned that doing the next best thing is all God really CALLS us to do. He doesn't call us to fix all the problems, accomplish the unachievable, or move any kind of mountain. He doesn't ask us to NOT feel the hurt, NOT show our emotions, NOT dream & will & hope. He just asks us to move forward WITH HIM, one foot in front of the other...holding His hand. 

I've also learned that to JUST LIVE can be a lot harder than all the other things we try and pile on top of us. We KNOW how to move to a goal we KNOW we can achieve. We KNOW that we can attend those meetings. We KNOW we can give a certain amount of us to any job, project, function. BUT...sometimes we don't know how to JUST LIVE. I guess there is the blessing in all of this. Why do we try to do anymore than what God calls us to? I believe the answer is because the world has conditioned us that way. Remember what Jesus said to His Father: "They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world." John 17:16 (I ENCOURAGE whoever is reading this to read all of John 17.)

So....ALL THAT BEING SAID....all any of us can do is walk one foot in front of the other...clinging to God's hand and those around us that are willing to SUPPORT us. I'm not going to ask you to do anything you don't want to do, but if you WANT to come out and support Judy & her family....while they walk one foot in front of the other...there are ALL KINDS of ways you can do that. 

You can donate an auction item. A group of you can donate an auction item. You can buy an auction item in the LIVE or silent auction. You can join together and buy an item in the LIVE or silent auction. You can buy BBQ chicken dinner plates. You can make a donation to the GoFundMe account. You can buy raffle tickets. You can buy a card for the gun raffles at the event. You can come out and volunteer. You can be present. Erin is your main contact and her information is on the flyer below (Email Link: EmWilley87@hotmail.com). If you want to...you have options. 

It just amazes me how The Holy Spirit moves among us. I pray I can be a blessing for this family how so many were a blessing to mine. The power of community and relationships is not of this world either. It goes beyond the rules and our ability to understand.....and it definitely trumps any kind of bad in any kind of form. 

Buck Up Baby! Come out & show your support. I CAN speak with experience in that....this family will NEVER be able to form the words to REALLY express their appreciation for ANY act of kindness & support you can provide. Just KNOW that your support and kindness...no matter how small you think it is... is POWERFUL.

God Bless. 

Heather Schoenst Kaspar

TXL 17037

More Info at: www.buckupauctions.com

What's a Cowgirl Do?: Keep Calm & Ride On

We have an auction coming up this SATURDAY @ Chicken Ranch Dancehall in NECHANITZ for the BEAUTIFUL Paige "Bird" Norsworthy. I don't personally KNOW Paige, but I do know what its like to be a COWGIRL. I know how SCarY the UNKNOWN of the medical world is. I've got a DADDY that had to FIGHT one medical issue to come back to us & then FIGHT to stay with us. My family & I had to RALLY ALL of EVERYTHING we had & what others would GIVE to raise $$ to GET him what he NEEDed that we couldn't provide on our own. I've worked in hospitals where I have seen first-hand...the StrUGGle people face when they have to make a decision... A DECISION to become a victim or to FIGHT thru the stRugGLE & GROW from it.

We will all face that decision & some of us MULTIPLE times & let me tell you... It is NOT AN EASY DECISION. It is comprised of multiple battles within the decision. There are PLENTY of things that can get you down & there are plenty of things that COULD keep you there. There are times when no family member, no nurse, & no BEST friend can give you what you need & YOU have to reACH deep within yourself to KEEP yourself....to not hand yourself over...

Growing up I didn't have many "cowgirls" around me in school, but we went to cuttings damn near EVERY weekend. Me & my sister weren't AFRAID to climb on ANYTHING. It was natural. We wanted to be able to do MORE than just ride. We wanted to LEARN how to make a horse move, how to read a cow, how to change leads, how to start a young horse on cattle... WHEN a horse started buckin' we WANTED to RIDE it thru... teach it to side pass... spin & cross over the right way... do things RIGHT. We'd get picked on every so often about "cowgirl" things & the way we went about things & as the years pass on, I have LEARNED a few THINGS...from ALL of my experiences (horseback & not). DON'T GET ME WRONG. We are ALL SpecIAL....but cowgirls have this...something in their character....this personal, private GRIT....this GRIT surrounded by love & light & ENERGY....this...."You got me down now sucker, BUT just wait until I GET UP" kind of attitude. In the things that REALLY MATTER to us...Nothing is ever really ENOUGH. PAIGE is a full-fledged "cowgirl." If she's anything like me...she could care less for the label, but nonetheless...the fight that girl has is undeniable. Once you ARE one...you can't lose it....even if you don't ride for YEARS... The skills & horseback ability may fade a little, but the GRIT will FOREVER & EVER be there. 

I was looking through my Facebook feed last night & I saw this picture of Paige at her Semi-formal. She was rockin' that helmet! It takes COURAGE (no matter how much people like you, love you, & SUPPORT you) to step out & BE SEEN....when not very many people have SEEN you in that light... & When seein' yourself in that light is DifFereNt.

I get anxious before my auctions because I KNOW not only what the individuals go thru, BUT what family & friends are going thru...all the emotions. All the LOVE. All the WANT. All the everything & I want to make EVERY SINGLE AUCTION the VERY BEST it can possibly be. The WHOLE event really... What made me DECIDE to walk the BENEFIT & fundRAISING auction journey with my business is how networks of people come together....businesses, friends, families, high-school students, co-workers, past employees, friends of friends....come together...& LIFT EACH OTHER UP. Accidents, illnesses, tragedies....they don't discriminate. We ALL can get knocked down....get the wind knocked out of us....get blind-sided. We ALL get depressed, get discouraged, get lost & WE ALL need each other to LIFT US UP. That's why GOD put us here. To NEED him & NEED each other to learn, to grow, to live, to appreciate, & to support. I am HONORED to be able to provide a team to give ALL we've got to RAISE as much $$ as we can. I am also HONORED to help another COWGIRL & ENCOURAGE her to ALWAYS shine her light. That's why GOD GAVE IT TO US!!

BUCK UP BABY!! COME ON OUT!! THROW THOSE HANDS UP!! You can't take that $$ with you & there is always more to be made!! The flyer is below with details. You can drop off auction items at the Chicken Ranch Dance Hall FRIDAY from 12-3 Or Saturday starting at 1PM until before the auction. 

Heather Kaspar

TXL#17037

Minks, Martinis, & Manure GALA!!

Hey! Hey Everyone! So....you wanna know the PLACE TO BE in Round Top NEXT Saturday?! The Round Top Area Chamber of Commerce's Minks, Martinis, & Manure Gala in HONOR of Ms. Emma Lee Turney. That's right FOLKS! That's the LADY that started it all.... ROUND TOP ANTIQUES WEEK would not be here without her!!!!

There will be a  LIVE AUCTION, TEXAS HOLD'M GUN RAFFLES, QUICK DRAW RAFFLE,  & LIVE MUSIC by the Tres DUX Band!! Bar OPENS @ 5:30 PM, event STARTS @ 6, & FOOD served by the FaBuLOuS ROYER'S ROUND TOP CAFE & TEXAS PIZZA WAGON! Yummy, Yummy to my TUMMY :)!

ALL FUNDS raised go RIGHT BACK to the ROUND TOP AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE for things like:

-Detailed Map Project of Area
-Website maintenance & Social Media Campaigns
-ADVERTISING in LARGER Texas Publications
-EXPANDING the Chamber's Community Involvement
-Building FaBuLoUs Bus Tours that benefit EVERYONE
-Creation of WELCOME packets for NEW Businesses, Homeowners, Tours, ETC.

COME ON OUT & feel free to GO by the CHAMBER OFFICE or the ROUND TOP RIFLE HALL (Thurs thru Sat - BEFORE the event) to drop off ANY DONATIONS for the LIVE AUCTION or QUICK DRAW Raffle.

For your TICKETS....STOP BY the Round Top Area Chamber Office in Henkel Square Market OR purchase ONLINE @ www.roundtop.org!

TICKET PRICES:
$30 per PERSON
$55 per COUPLE
$200 per TABLE of 8

For any other questions or concerns please CONTACT: events@roundtop.org OR tara_royer@yahoo.com!

Now BUCK UP BABY & COME ON OUT! Spit shine those BOOTS, dig out that MINK & throw on your BLINGITY BLING & COME SUPPORT the Round Top Area Chamber & have a FUN FuN TimE!!!!