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At The Picket Fence with Vanessa Hunt

Where Ideas for your Home Meet Inspiration for your Heart

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January 30, 2012

A Special Guest for a Simply Sunday…More Bang For Your Bucks

We are so thrilled to have a lovely guest with us today!

Kelli from More Bang for your Bucks isn’t only one of our incredible sponsors here at the fence, she has also become a very special friend to us as well. She has a wonderful new series going on at her blog right now and you can read more about it at the end of this post.

More Bang for your Bucks

Now, let’s here what Kelli has to share with us today!

A story of obedience, and unfortunately, a story of disobedience

There have been times in my life that I have clearly felt God speak to me to do something, and I obeyed. The peace and freedom that come by doing that are truly indescribable.

My son was born with a liver disease, and we spent lots of time his first 15 months in the hospital. Because our stays were almost always longer than a week, we usually had to do laundry in the hospital. One day, I was coming back to our room after completing a load. I pressed the “12” button, where my small son and husband awaited me in the hospital room.

However, the elevator kept going down, down, passing 12 on its way. I ended up on floor 3. This floor contains the gift shops, as well as the food court. I decided I might as well take a look in the gift shop while I was there. However, I glanced over to the surgery waiting area, which is also on this floor. I know that area well; we spent 9 hours (which felt like 3 years) there when my son was only 7 weeks old.
Landon shortly before his surgery

There was one lone lady sitting in that area, which is uncommon for such a large children’s hospital. She was crying. I felt God saying, “Go. Talk to her.” I then knew why my elevator had missed the floor I selected. Pretty sure the woman would think I was crazy, I headed over.

She was from a different country, and at first it seemed as though I would not be able to communicate with her. But then I told her that I, too had been in her position only a year before and asked if I could pray with her. She cried even more and said yes, and she and I, women from an uncommon land but with a very common love for our children, shared our hearts with the Lord.
{source}

She smiled as I left and I, I felt as though I was floating on air the rest of the day. I couldn’t wait to share with my husband what had happened. I didn’t do much at all, but to know God was able to use me was incredible.

But. I wish I could say that every time God spoke to me I was obedient. This sadly is not the case.

When we still lived in our small hometown, there was a man who worked at a pizza place. I knew who he was because I used to work at the bank and would see him there, and because, well, it was a small town. One night, my family was shopping for groceries and ran into this man.

My children were very small at the time, and he went on and on how cute they were, and the kids were smiling at him and interacting with him. I felt God saying, “Invite him to dinner. He’s lonely.”

{source}

Well, we were busy. I had two children under the age of two, was working part time, my husband was the youth minister at our church and I just felt I couldn’t do anything else.  Plus, even though I knew who he was, I didn’t know much about him.  Fear of the unknown, and fear of giving up some of my time, kept me from obedience. So I pushed the thought to the back of my mind, telling myself that when we saw him again (it was bound to happen!), I would invite him then.

There wasn’t a next time.
 I can’t remember the exact details, but very shortly after this man took his own life. The devastation I felt for this man was real, and I was heartbroken that I had disobeyed God.

I still think of this man from time to time, the loneliness he must have felt, that no one cared. I don’t know all of his circumstances, but I do know that I disobeyed God because of fear. Now, each time God tells me to do something, this instance serves as a reminder that His way is always best, even if I am fearful, busy, tired, don’t really know what I’m doing, it doesn’t make sense, I don’t have the money, or the myriad of other excuses my mind can conjure up.

Ladies, next time God asks you to do something and you are filled with fear, remember this:

                                                                             Source: swagbucks.com via Kelli on Pinterest


If He asks you to do something, He will give you the courage to follow through.
What fears have you had to overcome?


Thank you so much for sharing this with us today Kelli and thank you all for coming by to visit us at the Fence for this Simply Sunday!

dual-signature_thumb2

Kelli has been married to her hubby Ben for ten years. 
Together, they had to overcome a lot of fear before they left their comfy hometown to plant a church in Houston. They have three children: Landon, Allison and Evaleigh.
She blogs at www.morebangforyourbucks.blogspot.com about faith, family, food and finances. 

Her newest series on marriage- “old {and young} wives’ tales” needs you! If you are interested in guest blogging, please e-mail benandkelli01@aol.com to chat!

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22 Comments Filed Under: Community, Devotionals, Good Thoughts, Guest Posts, Simply Sundays

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Comments

  1. Sarah @ Modern Country Style says

    January 29, 2012 at 3:51 PM

    That certainly does take a lot of courage to share such a personal moment. But THANK YOU for being so brave. I’ve had moments where I’ve shied away from similar things…but, you’re so right, perfect love drives out fear.

    Thank you, lovely girls, for sharing this story with us.

    Thank you!

    Sarahx

    Reply
    • Kelli@MoreBangforYourBucks says

      January 30, 2012 at 1:40 AM

      Thank you Sarah for your kind words.

      Reply
  2. NanaDiana says

    January 29, 2012 at 4:36 PM

    Wow! What a message. God bless her for sharing this with all of us. I know that I have ignored those promptings at different times in my life and wondered later if I should have done what I felt compelled to do at the time. She certainly brought that home. GREAT guest post. xo Diana

    Reply
    • Kelli@MoreBangforYourBucks says

      January 30, 2012 at 1:41 AM

      Diana thank you so much for your encouragement. May we all pray for love instead of fear!

      Reply
  3. Becca says

    January 29, 2012 at 5:05 PM

    I love your Simply Sunday installments, girls. They’re always so thought provoking and truly make you think, which is what we all need! Thanks, sweet friends.

    Reply
  4. Nancy H. says

    January 29, 2012 at 8:25 PM

    I have followed your blog for a while now and I love your Simply Sunday posts. This really touched my heart. After 30 years of marriage my husband got up and walked out..just left. Never said goodbye to our teenage children, and he took all of the money with him. Had it not been for total strangers looking over at me and taking a risk to pray or just to talk, I do not think I would have made it through the last year.

    Reply
    • Kelli@MoreBangforYourBucks says

      January 30, 2012 at 1:42 AM

      Nancy, I am so sorry to hear about this. I can’t imagine your pain. Praise God that you have people to love on you. I will keep you in my prayers.

      Reply
    • Leslie says

      January 30, 2012 at 3:37 AM

      Oh, Nancy.
      I’m so sorry.
      I hurt for you. I pray that you will be able to forgive him, and know that the Lord almighty is our husband!!
      He is the best one there is.
      I will be lifting you up to God…
      HUGS!
      ~me

      Reply
  5. Susie says

    January 29, 2012 at 8:52 PM

    THIS POST WAS BOTH BEAUTIFUL AND SAD. THANKS FOR SHARING. SMILES TO YOU,SUSIE(She Junks)

    Reply
    • Kelli@MoreBangforYourBucks says

      January 30, 2012 at 1:43 AM

      Thanks Susie. I hope that by sharing other people can avoid my mistakes.

      Reply
  6. Stacy Curran says

    January 29, 2012 at 10:47 PM

    What a touching persona story. Thank you so much for sharing it with us!
    Stacy

    Reply
  7. Lisa @ Before Meets After says

    January 29, 2012 at 11:17 PM

    Thank you for sharing this! It takes a lot of courage to put your heart out there for the whole world to see! I’m heading over to Kelli’s blog now!

    Reply
    • Kelli@MoreBangforYourBucks says

      January 30, 2012 at 1:45 AM

      Lisa, thank you for your sweet words. Every time I remember this story, it humbles me and I only hope it serves to remind someone else not to do the same!

      Reply
  8. Shirley@Housepitality Designs says

    January 29, 2012 at 11:20 PM

    Your stories were both heartwarming and sad in so many ways. We have become a society of fear, apathy, and crowding our lives with so many things/activities that we do not take the time to look and listen to others. It only takes a moment to make someone feel better or console them in their moment of desperation..as you did for the person in the hospital.

    Thank you for sharing these stories.

    Reply
    • Kelli@MoreBangforYourBucks says

      January 30, 2012 at 1:45 AM

      Shirley, you are so right. It seems as if many people prefer to live in their own bubble, but I think most people really are lonely. Thanks for your encouraging words.

      Reply
  9. Pieced Pastimes says

    January 29, 2012 at 11:38 PM

    Your stories really gave me pause. We should always trust in the Lord, but there are times when it just seems so difficult. Thank-you for sharing.

    Reply
  10. Kelli@MoreBangforYourBucks says

    January 30, 2012 at 1:46 AM

    Yes, and I don’t know why I choose to ignore him sometimes when I know he is ALWAYS good. Thanks for reading.

    Reply
  11. Leslie says

    January 30, 2012 at 3:34 AM

    Oh, how I loved this post!!!!
    Thank you for the reminder to not only listen, but to obey.
    Today, God asked me to do something, and I didn’t obey.
    Sigh.
    I hope I get another chance.
    HUGS!
    Love and blessings and peace to you!
    ~me

    Reply
  12. Adriane says

    January 30, 2012 at 5:51 AM

    What a great post, gave me goosebumps. Thank you for the very important message.

    Reply
  13. Debbie says

    January 30, 2012 at 11:34 AM

    What a very convicting post this morning. I have been in her shoes as well and KNEW that I was supposed to be acting on something in my heart but let fear stop me from doing the will of God. I didn’t have such intense consequences, but I still had them.

    I’m so glad you shared this with us.

    Reply
  14. Bliss says

    January 30, 2012 at 5:39 PM

    Great post. Only thing I can share now is I’m very choked up. Timing on it, and my elevator didn’t even have to pass my floor.

    ~Bliss~

    Reply
  15. It's All Connected says

    January 31, 2012 at 4:59 AM

    In the spirit of this post, I’ll put myself out there for Nancy. There is a book called Runaway Husbands by Viki Stark that will answer the unanswered questions Nancy has about what happened to her. You can find it online by searching Runaway Husband on Google. ~ Maureen

    Reply

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This is one of my most favorite projects from my b This is one of my most favorite projects from my book Life in Season! 

Because, if heaven has a fragrance, I’m fairly certain it smells like lilacs.

I think that somewhere along the way the verse in the Bible that said, ‘heaven will smell like lilacs’ just got lost in translation. But it HAD to have been in there at some point, right?

When I bury my head in the blossoms (which I absolutely MUST do every single time I walk past them), I immediately feel a stirring in my soul.

It seems like I wait forever for my lilac tree to bloom. Every year I anxiously watch as the buds begin to form on the branches and then when the blossoms finally burst forth I begin that agonizing process of deciding the absolute perfect moment to snip them and bring them inside.

And then, after all of that waiting and watching it’s just over…done. Because, unlike heaven, lilacs don’t last for an eternity. So, making my own lilac room spray seemed like the perfect way to enjoy their fragrance long after the blossoms have faded.

Here’s how to make it! Ingredients: Water, Vodka, Lilac fragrance oil. Directions: Fill spray bottle with 50/50 ratio of water to vodka. Add 12 drops of lilac oil. Give it a shake, spray and if the scent isn’t strong enough, simply add a few more drops of lilac oil.

Once you’ve made this lilac scented room spray you will be very tempted to spray it in every room in your house. And someone may want to use it in the bathroom to cover up other less…ummmm….pleasing aromas.

But, do not, I repeat do NOT, let them.

You’ve captured the fragrance of heaven in a bottle and you wouldn’t want to go and tarnish it now would you? 😉
We had two back to back days of sunshine (the most We had two back to back days of sunshine (the most we’ve had in a LONG time) and now we are back to pouring rain. This has officially confirmed what I’ve know to be true for awhile now.

I’m a MUCH better version of myself when the sun is shining! 🤪 So I’ll just be over here today plotting and planning how my husband and I can be snowbirds someday when the kids are out of the house.

If you could spend your winters (and apparently most of spring too!) in any part of the country, where would it be?
Happy weekend sweet friends!! We’ve had a LOT of Happy weekend sweet friends!! We’ve had a LOT of rain lately (which is saying something when you live in Oregon) and I’ll admit that it’s affecting my moods a bit. I feel like I’m dragging and struggling to find the energy to get stuff done. So don’t mind me if I’m over here looking at photos of my garden in the summertime and finding that it keeps me hopeful about those days to come. They will come, right?! 🤪. 

What are your favorite plants that you look forward to seeing in the summer?
We’re going to be giving our laundry room a make We’re going to be giving our laundry room a makeover soon. It’s LONG overdue! In fact, the folks from the counter company were just here taking measurements. While we have made some simple, inexpensive updates over the years, it still has many of the original elements from when the house was built in 1992.

Two of our bathrooms are also in need of major makeovers. And we’ve saved up enough money over the years to tackle those projects. But, for the most part, we made the decision to use the bulk of that money in another way. While we knew that it was financially wise to invest in our house, we also knew that the greatest investment we could make was in our children. 

I’ll admit, there are times where I see other people doing massive overhauls of their entire home in a matter of months and I feel a prick of envy. But, we decided that if our choice was between waiting a bit longer to enjoy a renovated bathroom or going on adventures as a family, we would choose adventures every time. And we don’t regret that decision for a single second. It’s not that we haven’t tackled home projects (we’ve done a lot!). It’s just that it’s been a slow and steady process. 

Most recently, we let our son pick where we would travel for spring break since this is his senior year of high school and we are trying to make up for lost time. With so much of life ‘paused’ for two years, we have appreciated these moments more than ever. And, since he’ll be heading to college in the fall, we are very aware of how important it is to spend this time together while we still have a modicum of control over everyone’s schedules.

We have many years left to remodel our home but only so much time left to make memories with our children.

And, while I’m always happy to look around my home and see rooms that are updated and more reflecting of our style, it doesn’t compare to the joy I feel when I look around my home and see the people I love the most who have been shaped by the many adventures we’ve experienced together.
Happy Saturday!! After endless days of rain (and h Happy Saturday!! After endless days of rain (and hail and snow) we are finally getting some sunshine and warmer temperatures. I’ll be honest, it’s really affected my spirits having one gloomy day after the next. So this is a much needed reprieve. Our cherry trees are showing off outside my kitchen window and we plan to get outside and make the most of these days while we have them.

What’s the weather like where you are?
“The devil, darkness, and death may swagger and “The devil, darkness, and death may swagger and boast, the pangs of life will sting for a while longer, but don’t worry; the forces of evil are breathing their last. Not to worry…HE’S RISEN!” (Charles R. Swindoll).

Happy Easter! He is risen indeed!
Who has believed our message? And to whom has the Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

For he grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of parched ground; he has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to him.

He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and like one from whom men hide their face, he was despised, and we did not esteem him. Surely our griefs he himself bore, and our sorrows he carried; yet we ourselves esteemed him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 

But he was pierced through for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon him, and by his scourging we are healed.

All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on him. (Isaiah 53)
I try to always remember to put a water bottle in I try to always remember to put a water bottle in my car before I go to pick up my daughter from school. She didn't ask me to do this, but a few months ago I began to notice that she was often thirsty when she would get in the car. Her water bottle filled up at the beginning of the day was empty by the time school got out and she would ask if she could have some water from my hydroflask. So I make sure to have one waiting for her. It's just a simple thing, really. But, I want her to know that I'm paying attention, that I see her.

Isn't it amazing how small gestures can make us feel less invisible? Knowing that someone is thinking of us and takes the time to meet a need that we might not have even realized we had? These little acts can have big impacts. What is something that someone has done for you recently that made you feel valued and seen?

What have you done for someone else to remind them that you are paying attention to their needs?

“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.”
― Charles Dickens
“The next day the large crowd that had come to t “The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!’ – John 12:9-19
#palmsunday
When the Lord blesses you with a glimpse of the pa When the Lord blesses you with a glimpse of the payoff of your investment in your children, it is truly one of the greatest gifts. We had that experience twice this week with our 18 year old son and were overwhelmed by this opportunity we had to watch as he handled two very different situations (one personal and one professional) with grace, maturity, integrity and courage. Those of you mamas of little ones, don't ever minimize the job you are doing in raising this next generation. 

Every story read at bedtime
Every correction made to strengthen character
Every outdoor exploration
Every nose wiped
Every bandaid applied
Every time you say no when the world says yes
Every night of helping with homework
Every difficult conversation
Every prayer uttered

The final pieces of the puzzle of his childhood are falling into place and the picture revealed is one that is more wonderful than we could have imagined. And we know that it is only by God's grace on us as we sought His wisdom and guidance that we have come to this point. We have been FAR from perfect parents, but one of my most sincere prayers for the past 18 years was that the Lord would stand in the gaps that were surely to be revealed by our imperfections. And He has answered those prayers again and again. He's taken my humble petitions and most sincere intentions and knocked our socks off with the young man we are so privileged to call our son. And we can’t wait to watch as his future unfolds!
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