Thanksgiving (a post by Leah)

In our home, we have a wooden artwork that declares that God is good, ALL the time.  All the time. Even in this very tough year, He is good.  It's been a year of loneliness, pain, death, sorrow and stress.  A year that I still miss my friends and family.  A year when my Dad, one of my favorite people, died too suddenly and too young.  A year when I learned what it is to grieve.  And so much more.  But, God is still good.  So good that He has come alongside me, loved me despite my anxiety and doubt.  A love that is so good that He gave his Son to die so that I might live.  And live abundantly.  That I might live abundantly, in spite of the tough times around us.

So, I choose to dwell on the reasons that I have to be thankful.  Not because it will make me feel better, but because I know that the suffering that I have experienced will only bring me closer to the Cross.  And to the Savior for which I am the most thankful.  So, I am thankful for my career.  A career that allows me to teach, to develop relationships and impart wisdom on my wonderful students.  I am thankful, too, that my career helps to provide me with food, clothing and a home.  A home that is beautiful, dry, safe and warm.  A home where we can invite friends for games, dinner and build relationships.  A home where we have had the opportunity to host friends and family overnight, which we call the "Bley B&B".  A home that is safe and big enough to provide for our newest addition, a little cocker spaniel named Roman.  A wonderful, charming little dog that has warmed our hearts.  A puppy who has brought companionship and love to us when we desperately needed it.  I am so thankful for this little puppy whose name, and and speckled coat of hair, remind me of my own spotted and sinful nature.  I am so thankful for my family.  A family that has shown me love.  It is the Brack family that is as weird and crazy as I am, so that I feel "normal" although I am far from it!  A family who is willing to sacrifice their own desires for my own.  And for the Bley family that has loved me, even though I was not always one of their own.  

I am thankful, too, for my suffering.  Thankful for the loneliness and sorrow that accompanied our move from family and friends, because of how it has transformed my marriage.  And thankful for how it has shown me the heart of God.  I am thankful for my Dad.  Who, although he is gone, will always be one of my favorite people.  A man with a witty, dry humor.  A man who gave me my humor.  A man who showed me love.  Love for family and love for strangers.  A man who left such an impression that I am sure decades of time apart will not remove it.  I am, at my better moments, thankful for my suffering.  For I know that it has and will continue to produce character and hope.  A hope for my salvation.  A hope for a future without suffering.  And a character that has been given and developed by my Father in Heaven.

Thank You God for my Dad (a post by Leah)

As many of you know, my (Leah's) Dad died a few weeks ago, rather suddenly.  He was a father and friend to us both.  He was a very special man and will be deeply missed.  I read somewhere recently that Heaven is the reward.  And it is—for Dad now, and us later.  It hurts to miss someone you love, but that is our pain, not Dad’s.  He is in Heaven with his Savior.

Many people have asked us how we are doing.  We are “OK”.  We’re not great—and it would be a lie to say that we are.  But, we aren’t falling apart at the seams.  The Lord has already fulfilled His promises to bring us comfort and peace.  And, through the pain, His peace and comfort is there.

Below is our part of the kid’s eulogy at Dad’s funeral.  We wanted to say how Dad taught us about the Lord. 

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Deuteronomy 6:4-9:  “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.  Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”

When I think about Don, this is one passage that comes to mind. I don’t know if Don ever sat down and “preached” to his children about his God and his savior, but I know that Don lived for his children an example of what it means to be Christ like in family, in business and to the world. He demonstrated Christ’s love to his children and even his children-in-law. He lived that out not only when people were watching, but behind the scenes as well. He was and is a model to us all.

I am privileged to be able to call him “Dad” if only by marriage. I could not have asked for a more kind, caring and compassion individual to have as a father-in-law. I will miss him terribly, but I look forward to the day when I get to see him again; to see his smile and share in his joy of being with Christ.

Love, Rob Bley

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I could fill many books with the wisdom that my Dad taught me.  But the most important thing that he taught me was love.  He demonstrated unconditional love, fatherly love and sacrificial love.  I will never forget the way that he would help anyone he met, whether it was a little girl at Kmart, a stranger with a flat tire on the side of the road, an employee who needed something repaired on their car or his own family.  What struck me most about his love is how he gave it: freely.  He never expected anything in return.  And, if you asked him why, he’d say, “It’s not a problem, kiddo.”  His love for me, I always knew was unconditional.   As a child, I learned about God’s love for me.  That He sent His only Son to die for my sins.  Not because I deserved it, but simply because He loved me.  And I always saw Dad’s love for me as a picture of Christ’s love on the Cross.  Thank you, Daddy, for being such a beautiful example of such a wonderful gift.

Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever…Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather and deliver us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise.  Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.
1 Chron. 16:34-36

Love, Leah

It's Summer! (a post by Leah)

As a teacher, people ask all the time, "What are you going to do this summer?"  So here is my summer: teacher workdays, professional development, a week visiting family, vacation bible school, a few days out in the yard, write new lessons and so many things on my to-do list.

And to kick off this fabulous summer?  I broke my toe on Wednesday, found a water leak in the basement on Friday and need some expensive work done on Rob's car on Saturday.  With my bum toe, I get to slow down and enjoy a little of my summer before crossing things of my "to-do"s.  

What will I really be doing this summer?  Enjoying this view!  If you have some time to spare, feel free to come on down, there is always an empty chair on our porch.

Home Projects, Part 1: Painted Wood Paneling (a post by Leah)

For those of you that do not like painted wood, close your browser and enjoy the rest of your day.  As for the rest you (that, like me, love the look of painted wood), we will be sharing pictures of how we transformed our paneled family room.  When we bought our new home, most of the house had been updated with neutral colors, white trim and like-new wood floors and new carpets.  The only room that didn’t seem to fit the rest of the house was the family room.  The pictures below are a great set of “before” photographs.  The part that bothered me most was how the dentil crown molding and fireplace seemed to fade away.  And, let’s face it, I have always liked painted wood.

We had some help from an interior designer and she suggested treating walls with a white-wash finish.  We did a lot of research and finally found a blog where someone was successful with the same look that we were hoping for. Here’s the link: http://justatouchofgray.blogspot.com/2011/08/whitewash-treatment.html

First, we tested it on some extra bookcase shelves.  We loved it and began our project.  

Rob cleaned, sanded, and painted the walls.  Cleaning: TSP solution.  Sanding: fine grit and wiped with a cheese cloth. (He also used a sponge sanding cloth in the groves of the paneling.)  Painting: a paint mixture of 2:1 (a neutral interior latex paint: water), applied it with a lamb’s wool stain applicator and wiped off with a thin, cotton rag to create the weathered, white-wash look.

Then, we used oil-based paint that matched the trim in the rest of the house to paint the molding and bookcases.  It took forever.  Really.  And that was just the first coat.  The dentils needed at least three coats to really get good coverage.  After we finished, we put the old-style writing paper back in the bookcases, and added matching curtains to complete the look.  We also decided to do the white-wash on the cabinet doors for the bookcase and loved it!

The finished look is below.  After we took the photos, we added some artwork above the couch.

It can't be that bad... (a post by Leah)

It can't be that bad.  That's what I thought whenever I heard stories of driving in Atlanta in the snow.  I've driven in plenty of winter storms.  I've lived places where they don't salt the roads.  I've lived where a 6 inch snow storm is considered a "dusting" of snow.  I've driven rear-wheel drive cars on ice.  I've driven when the only way you can tell if you are on the road is to drive between the power lines.  Two inches of snow?  No problem.

It can't be that bad.  That’s what everyone said about the roads on Tuesday as we dismissed schools 2 hours early.  That is what many people up north have said and are thinking about our snow this week.

It can't be that bad.  It’s not.  It’s worse.  Many people were stranded in their cars in the middle of gridlocked interstates or side streets for over 12 hours.  Some people as many as 21 hours or longer.  Cars ran out of gas.  Hundreds of semi-trucks jackknifed on the interstates. Cars and trucks were parked on the islands and medians of the side streets. People abandoned their cars and began walking down the roads, interstates and exit ramps.  Other drivers were left to maneuver around the stalled and abandoned vehicles.  Children were stuck on school busses, and eventually returned to schools when neighborhoods were impassable.  1500 children spent the night at their schools because they couldn’t get home.  People spent the night in their cars, in hotel lobbies, gas stations and Home Depots.  Some even camped out at a local McDonald’s.  More than 24 hours after the storm began, students were still in schools, and cars were still making the treacherous drive home.

It can't be that bad.  Two inches of snow?  No, it was ice.  When 4 million people all leave work to drive as many as 20 miles, they pack down the snow.  Without the necessary salt to keep the roads clear and with temperatures plummeting to 10 degrees overnight, it turned to ice, almost immediately.

It can't be that bad.  My drive home was not too eventful.  The normal 5 mile, 10 minute drive turned into a 2 hour drive.  I spent much of the drive, parked on a 4 lane road, watching children a few cars ahead, play in the snow beside the street.  All because many drivers couldn't drive up a small hill that is only a half mile from my home.  So, neighbors would push cars up, one at a time.  I saw three different cars abandoned on that road, alone.  All of them, including a small FedEx truck, abandoned only an hour or two after the snow began to stick. 

It can't be that bad.  Rob’s drive was much longer, 15 miles and 6.5 hours, and more entertaining.  He drove much of the time on side streets to avoid the grid-locked interstates, only to discover that every side street had the same story as the interstates.  Traffic was at a standstill.  He watched every car spin their tires on the slick, icy roads.  One driver had even spun his tires so much that they were smoking.  At another point, he watched a Jeep push cars, bumper to bumper, up a slight incline that was difficult to traverse in the ice.  At another point, traveling downhill, all he heard for 30 minutes was the high-pitched brakes, as tires squealed on the icy roads.  When he made it back to the interstate (after a phone call home to find out where the roads were the worst), he said there were abandoned cars everywhere, some even turned the wrong direction down the interstate.  He saw dozens of people walking miles down the interstate to make it home.  He described it as an “eerie” sight.   

It can't be that bad.  Maybe it’s shouldn't have been, but it was.

The Bley B&B

This weekend, we hosted our Housewarming/ Open House party at our new home.  After three months of unpacking boxes, painting and decorating, the Bley B&B is open and accepting reservations (blackout dates may apply).

Our new home

Come in!

Our Office

Guest Bedroom #1

Guest Bedroom #2

Guest Bathroom

Foyer

Living Room

Dining Room

Family Room

Family Room

Powder Bathroom

Kitchen

A sister is worth a thousand friends - a post by Leah

Last week, the Bley Bed & Breakfast had its first visitor, my sister, Miriam.  What a week!  Many people have asked, "did you have a great time?".  Of course.  We stayed up late, went out to fun restaurants, went shopping, played games, watched girly movies by the fire (even though it was almost 60 degrees outside) and spent hours chatting the day away.  We even carried on the family tradition of Mexican lunch on Saturday at 12:30... just a few states away.

Of course, sisters are more than the occasional visit.  And I have a great sister.  One who knows what I am thinking with just a look.  One who laughs with me and cries with me.  One who encourages me.  So, when I saw a sign today that said "a sister is worth a thousand friends" I thought of her.  Thank you Miriam, for being a thousand friends to me!

Happy New Year! (a post by Leah)

I know this is a few days late, but many friends and family have been asking, "How was your New Years?". What they really mean, of course, was "Did you have fun on New Year's Day?".  To that I say, kind of.  We spent the day, with snacks in hand, watching the Rose Parade and painting our house.  Yes, after nearly three months of living in our new home, we are still painting.

After this weekend, we are finally seeing most of the projects wrapping up.  We have unpacked every box inside the house (the garage is another story), replaced the carpets and countertops, installed new appliances, painted the kitchen, office, family room, hallway and downstairs bathroom, hung artworks, replaced outlets, replaced light fixtures, purchased new furniture for new rooms, repaired plumbing problems, installed vents, replaced vent covers and planted an herb garden (and this is why you buy a new home....) This weekend, we have finally finished painting, uncovered our furniture from the painting drop-cloths and hung curtains.  Now, it is beginning to feel like home.

As for the New Year, I am excited for what it holds.  The end of 2013 was rough, with the move and the expected loneliness of living so far from our family and our friends that are like family.  I have missed you all. But, as I was thinking about the new year, I thought about the verse in 2 Corinthians, about how we are a "new creation" in Christ.  So, I opened my Bible and read on.  In verse 18 it says "All of this is from God, who through Christ, reconciled us to himself...".  What a wonderful truth and reminder: we know that all things work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.  Everything.  The hard times, the lonely times, the happy and joyful times.  It is all for our good.  It is all ordained by the God who loves me enough to send His Son to reconcile us to Himself.  So, I choose to be excited about the New Year and whatever God has in store for us.  For it will be good.  

To leave you all with a little something, I will share a few pictures of the new home (from my new camera--thanks Rob!), with many to follow in the next few weeks.  Enjoy!