Perception

 I have written about my wrestle with perceptions before. 

I find myself re-visiting this topic and, maybe, with more insights than I had before. I just gave a speech, where I found a different way to explain the reality of perceptions.

I asked the audience to look at this picture. 

I shared how some people will look at this picture and the first thing they will notice is the dirty, muddy, road. I have a friend that is allergic to everything and not about ANY creepy crawlies. I would bet my hard-earned money those would be her first thoughts. 

Some people will get excited OR nervous about what could be at the end of that road or driveway. Will they need to make a decision? I can feel the anxiety building.... Will the view be so spectacular they are left in awe? (Two different perceptions right here.)

Some people will be drawn to the light, which then allows them to appreciate ALL that the light is shining on. It may cause them to truly study the picture and the beauty in it. 

What is the truth? All of them and none of them, all at the same time. We form our perceptions based on our life experiences. EVERY perception we make as humans if from a limited vantage point. Therefore, how great would it be if EVERYONE moved through life knowing that there is moRE to EVERYTHING. I think we would see more second chances, more conversations, more respect, and A LOT more grace for one another. 

One of the many things I have wrestled with in business, is the general perception of others. The perception of the general public, my clients, bidders, non-profits, family, and friends....the list could go on and get broken down even more, in some regards. I wrestle with it, even though I KNOW the above..... That there is moRE to everything. There are things that I don't see. There are things that I don't understand, and the same for others. 

Over the years, I have had to learn the finesse of living with the one overall truth, which is that: Our perceptions are reached by our own experiences, which are true - BUT, all of our perceptions are limited. Thus, not the ULTIMATE truth....which is the only one that really matters. I think this is one of the major reasons grace, mercy, and forgiveness are so important to God and are in so many of His messages to us. Our perceptions will ALWAYS (until maybe when Jesus comes back) be limited. That is a fact. The more wisdom He deposits in us, the more we will know, and (most likely) need to ask forgiveness for. 

I could write a book about the role perceptions have played in the growth and restructuring of my business. However, what I REALLY want to leave you all with is this truth....this explanation. As you see changes happening around you and you feel the feels on whether or not you like it, whether or not it's "right," whether or not it is "fair," whether or not it was "handled properly," JUST REMEMBER - everyone's vantage point is different and NONE of them see the full picture. 

I am a firm believer that The Holy Spirit ebbs and flows at God's command. I am also a firm believer that The Holy Spirit is mysterious and thorough in His movements. I promise you, that our God knows each one of us so intricately. He knows how hard certain things are for us to let go. He knows our hearts in such a way, that He removes what we will not. He cuts the rope of what we keep hanging onto. He places just the right people in our path at just the right time, and removes the influence of persons, places, or things that are NOT part of His plan for our lives. So much of it won't make sense, but we want it to. 

It is why grace and mercy and forgiveness are bypassed for judgement and condemnation so often. We want to understand. We want to make it so. We want to have some handle on why things are the way they are. Yet....this is why He asks us to Just. Have. Faith. in Him. We can't. He can, and He LOVES us so incredibly and fully....WAY more than we love ourselves. Buck Up Baby! & have a little faith. You know what you know, but there is SO much you do not. Trust Him. 

Also...be sure to put perceptions where they belong. Rest in God's truth and the wisdom He has blessed you with. Doing this files off the rough edges that brush against you when experiencing the limited perception of others. 

Flying With the Angels

We have the pleasure of liquidating the real and personal property assets of the Robert F. Barton estate.

I know I've said this before, but it never ceases to amaze me how incredibly interesting and different people are that were the estate holders of many of the auctions we conduct. The people I am highlighting today are Robert and Anita Barton of Schulenburg, TX.

Both Robert and Anita have passed away. We have been working closely with their daughters and have really enjoyed hearing stories about their parents. 

Many times, we will start setting up an auction & we are able to identify nuggets of passions and interests they had, which leads us to ask more. 

Here is a snapshot of these two wonderful people:

Robert and Anita were high school sweethearts, meeting in Pasadena, TX. THEY WERE MARRIED FOR 71 YEARS!!! According to the daughters, they loved each other SO very much. 

Their 50th Wedding Anniversary

I had asked for pictures and milestones of Robert and Anita's lives & there is so much meat to their lives. So much so, that I KNOW we will not capture all of the amazing experiences these two shared. Heck, we didn't even know that he played point guard on the Texas A&M basketball team until we found his jersey & asked whose it was!

From what I hear, Anita was completely enamored with Robert. Looking at what he experienced and accomplished in his life & his sense of adventure, I can see why. On that same note, meeting their daughters & looking at pictures of Anita, there is no doubt in my mind that she held a strength and.....meekness that I think is just very special. She was capable, smart, educated, and driven with her own interests, but seemed to also know that Robert was the perfect compliment for her and leaned into him. 

Robert served as a midshipman in the U.S. Navy Flight Training Command in WWII, as an Armorer/Gunner in the U.S. Army Air Corps, & as a Reservist in the U.S. Air Force. This is where Robert found his passion for planes and flying. He & Anita bought 13 classic airplanes, restored them together, and then sold them. Robert had a career in engineering. He attended Texas A&M University, joined the service after Pearl Harbor and returned to college afterwards, graduating from the University of Houston. It is reported that he was a HUGE Aggie supporter. 

Anita - lovingly nicknamed "Pug," by her father & "PJ" for Pug Johnson (her maiden name) by Robert, had a 36 year long career in education with the Pasadena ISD. She was a 3rd grade teacher and elementary school librarian. She graduated from Sam Houston State Teacher's College. 

I don't know that I can really find the words to explain the positive energy surrounding these people and this estate. It is like there is this sense of wild adventure, that is grounded in the stability of this incredible foundation of love. Like.....things don't really matter. It is the life that they brought to it that did & the new life that someone else will. Like there is this appreciation for someone that brings life to something. For example....it's not the jersey itself that matters. It is the person that wore it & the person or people that appreciate it. Their lives were incredibly full & their appreciation for people has completely bled into their daughters.

These blogs are humbling. We didn't have to know anything about these people, but this profession that God has led me to has taken me there & has shared His glory to everyone involved. It's mysterious. After writing this & learning more about them, I can only imagine the appreciation they would have for the, what some may call "unconventional," decisions their daughters made in settling the estate.  

Two online auctions for the personal property are open for bidding now. Two more will open on Thursday. You can find the auctions at this link or download the "Buck Up Auctions" app from your app store for free. Here is the link: https://buckupauctions.bidwrangler.com/

 

(Above is a sample of items in the two online personal property auctions currently open for bidding.)

The estate is accepting offers on the real estate as well. Here is a link to the listing, as well as a link to the Property Information Packet with lots of useful knowledge for any prospective buyer. Online bidding for the real estate will open on September 1st and will close at 5PM on September 5th. Once open, you will also be able to access, with this link: https://buckupauctions.bidwrangler.com/

You can call or text me, Heather Kaspar, at 979.421.0325 for more information or email me at heather@buckupauctions.com. 

Be sure to like our Buck Up Auctions & Buck Up Realty Facebook Pages for the latest updates!!

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

SAVE THE PIEMAN...It Takes A Village!

We are conducting the AUCTIONS for a medical fundRAISING benefit on the 25th of THIS month. It is to help a CHRISTIAN, Father, Grandfather, Husband, friend, LOCAL Businessman, Entrepreneur, CReATIVe thinker, & one of my biggest ENCOURAGERS....Mr. Bud "The Pieman" Royer.

Tara (his daughter) sent me a message that they were planning a fundRAISER to help them cover the costs of his medical expenses that started piling up when he was RUSHED to the hospital during the last Antique Show. PLEASE READ TARA'S BLOG FOR ALL THE INFO. 

I didn't hesitate in telling her YES we will HELP. Get us a date. I was in very similar shoes almost 10 years ago when we found out MY Daddy had to have a LIVER TRANSPLANT. We didn't have insurance & sure as heck didn't have anywhere near that kind of money. We had a family meeting and from the moment we realized what had to happen to keep him ALIVE, we put our heads down and went to work. It's a ScaRY place to be....to not know how much time you have to raise the money & just HOW you are going to go about doing something you've never done before...successfully...&in a hurry. BUT....you just do it. Your family needs you & you're gonna give all you've got to get there. During that time we LEARNED a lot: how to go out and cultivate donations, how to organize an event with food, live music, equine events, concessions, &  LIVE and silent auctions, how to deal with harsh criticism that blindsides you, how to get a non-profit involved to make donations tax-deductible, how to organize a group of volunteers, how to get press, and make flyers, & how to CONTRIBUTE your talents to accomplish one big goal...and to PRAY...hard. We also learned that there are LOTS & LOTS of really FANTASTIC people SURROUNDING us.

Ever since we got enough money together for Dad to be able to get a CHANCE at a liver transplant - ONCE they made it to his name on the list...I've been thinkin'.... I pondered over what it is about PEOPLE...& COMMUNITY....that come out and support individual causes like this. WHAT makes people (many we didn't know) come out & buy tickets, come in with armfuls of donated auction items, write a check....WHAT makes some of these local businesses GIVE significant sums of money to....just people? Just...common-not your highest paying customer-simple people?

The best answer I've got is LOVE. This DEEP love that we can't even explain ourselves. That LOVE we feel for COMPLETE STRANGERS when tragedy steals away a precious life. The LOVE that makes you STOP & PRAY for those BEAUTIFUL children sitting at St. Jude's FIGHTING the fight of their life. That LOVE...that can help in just THAT way, which is PERFECT & HOLY & GOOD. I think this is an example of what Jeremiah 31:33 talks about: " I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people." It's a LOVE that can never be repaid....just added to. It took me a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOng time to wrap my head around that...almost 10 years. I also believe that these events my family & I organized...planted a seed - showing me HOW one auctioneer can RALLY a group of people to come together & GIVE....paint a picture and a way for them to help someone else. You shoulda saw my Uncle Mele gettin' after it back then! I thought he was gonna blow the top off the hall!

I share all this with you because I KNOW how grateful BUD & his family are for ANY support they get. I also know that they will NEVER be able to put into words, the GRATITUDE they feel, nor how IMPORTANT the support of everyone is. We never know when we'll NEED somebody & when we can HELP...& when we feel COMPELLED to help...we should. Royers....without hesitation, donated SEVERAL items for my Dad's benefits...almost a decade ago & let's not mention ALL the donations they've given to all the causes in our small area & for how long. These are GIVERS to our community.  

I saw Bud at Pie Haven in Austin one day & we talked about all kinds of things and I started telling him that I really want to pursue my auction career, but............ He cut me off & he said...."Just do it already...I don't know what you're waitin' on...." Well....it probably wasn't even a month later & I quit my good-payin' job & LITERALLY sat in the ENCOURAGING words of others, because it was probably the scariest thing I'd ever done. 

My Dad's still here & has been SO blessed to meet his 3 Grandbabies. He's on less medication & anti-rejection drugs than he has been, And I am HERE, having raised money for NUMEROUS causes and organizations, working for myself, creating work for other hard-workin' women, growing MY business & I want to ENCOURAGE you to just do what feels RIGHT to you & help support these GOOD people. 

There will be DELICIOUS grub...of course ! GREAT, GREAT Music, T-Shirts to help support the cause & a LIVE & SILENT Auction. Stop by the cafe for tickets or get'm ONLINE at www.royersroundtopcafe.com. 

This GOOD TIME starts at 11AM at Henkel Hall in Round Top - SUNDAY, January 25th. Buck UP Baby & Come on out!!! It really does take a village!!

Thankful Thursday: My Sweet Little Family

I feel like I must be the most BLESSED girl in the world to have an awesome, strong, chill, good-lookin', rock of a husband, like Kyle. Really....he knows how to press my buttons and pester me, but he also knows how to make me laugh, when to give me a hug, when to cook dinner....you get the point. This May will be 10 years, that we've been together. HOLY FREAKIN' COW..... That is a DECADE!!! I could go on for days, but bottom line....I LOVE him with all I am! The best blessing of all that Kyle and I are part of together is our sweet little Kylee Jo.

I just absolutely LOVE her. She makes a rough day BRIGHT. She makes a mess seem...not SO bad. She tells the most ENTERTAINING stories. She tells us to STOP being MEAN to each other - even if she THINKS we're bickering. She makes every situation seem so MATTER OF FACT. She LOVES her family, friends, and teachers. She is just SO MUCH FUN. She is loving, fair, entertaining, kind, determined, and just plain AWESOME.

No matter what happens with work, or finances, or anything....they both are just such HUGE blessings in my life that brighten my day! Thank you JESUS for THIS life, with THESE people, and all the wonderful FAMILY and FRIENDS you have surrounded us with!