Lies and Bounced Checks

At every sale we have a few bounced checks. MOST of the time we have no problem collecting them. I know people make mistakes and most people are honest in this world. This sale I have learned a hard but almost unbelievable lesson. This might take awhile to read :-) But if you like Drama read ahead Last spring sale I had a former consignor bounce a 400.00 check. There was always a crisis when it came time for her to take care of the bad check. Finally after 6 weeks she took care of the check. She did not consign this sale but did ask if she could volunteer. If your a volunteer at my sale you get to shop early. After the volunteer shop Robert came up to me and said did you realize that the nameless person wrote a 500.00 check this sale. I told him I never told her that she had to pay cash but hopefully it would not happen again. Guess What????? It bounced. I had to wait until the check came back. I got the check last Friday Oct 4th back in my mail. It was written on the Sept 20th. So it had been almost two weeks before I could call her. She was not home but I left a message. While I was out she called and came up with a story on my answering machine that now I have a hard time believing. ( you will see why as you read on). She said she lost her debit card and someone took it to Best Buy and spent 8,000. This caused all her checks to bounce in the bank. I called her back and she said that they had frozen their checking account but she would be able to pay me TODAY the 10th . Then she told me she was at Duke Hospital with her son that he was having heart surgery . I thought surely she would not lie about her own son. I felt bad for her and said that would be OK as long as we get this taken care of. She promised! She even told me if her son was still in the hospital next week her husband would take care of it. I did get a red-flag though when I called her home that evening and she answer. She kept saying Hello Hello like she had a bad cell connection. I asked her how she could answer her home phone when she was at Duke. Her response was that she had the home phone forwarded. The story become even sadder and it's not about the MONEY. He has NOT had heart surgery. He has been in school for the past two weeks. I can't go in how I found out because I really want to protect the INNOCENT. ( her husband and kids)Anyone knows that Duke has a phone number and this town is not big. I even sent her a e-mail this morning asking when we could meet and I asked her how her son was. She wrote back and said he was not doing well and to pray for him. She was worried about him . She even said her daughter was having a hard time with her brother being so sick and as soon as she got her off to school she was heading to the hospital. That was a lie too.I know because he was in school yesterday. She also told me she could not pay the full amount she owe me. Legally I can't take partial payments and with her lies I can't trust her. I feel sick to my stomach. I have all day. How could a Mother lie and use their own child like that. Robert told me that we should not worry about her lies that our concern is just getting the money. I don't agree with him. I know there is nothing I could do. Even if I told this woman how sick this made me she would have a lie to cover her lie. I feel sick that someone use my love for the Lord and children to play my heart and pull my strings. I am having even a hard time thinking about praying for this woman. I know tomorrow will be new day and I will be refreshed and see things differently. God has way of making things NEW. I know tomorrow I will pray this woman's heart and especially her family. We have to file a warrant for the check. I have no choice. Usually when this happens people pay because they don't want a record and court cost. The deputy sheriff will make her a visit. I hate that part because of her kids But she made the choice to lie...

Mash Potatoes and Heaven

Last Sunday Robert and Caroline went to the Panthers Game. So after Church Jason took Elijah and I out for lunch. I LOVE MASH POTATOES . My favorite was on the menu so of course I ordered them. As I was savory each bite I told my boys that I hope when I get to heaven that Jesus has me a heaping plate of mash potatoes as my first meal. Elijah ( 6) looks at me and said's Mom Did you know your almost halfway to heaven. I said how's that Elijah . Well he said you are 50 years old so that means your half-way there... LOL Good News! Bill had is scan yesterday at Duke and everything looked clear. They will meet with the surgeon today and by Friday we should know the course of treatment. June and Bill have some decisions made so we are praying for clarity for both them and the Dr's I will keep you updated... BTW I thought McCain did great last night in the debate

God is in Business

Did you know God is in the business of healing. He in FACT is the greatest physician. Remember our friends the Riches. Their story is truly a testimony of faith. Cancer has now touched our family. Robert's brother Bill has colon cancer. He went in for a routine scope and they found two huge polyps. Bill had a scope done 5 years ago and everything was clear .The Dr told him he could wait for 10 years for the next scope. I KNOW that God had intervene and sent Bill for another scope before his time. For that reason I feel that everything is going to be OK for Bill and June. He facing though a chance of that he might have to have a colostomy. The cancer is located low in the colon which will make surgery more difficult. Today June and Bill head to Duke for a Full Body Scan. Bill and June if you read my blog this morning know that we LOVE BOTH of you very much. We added both of you to our prayer list at Church. Last Sunday we had numerous friends come up to us and let us know that they were praying. The kids this morning as I dropped them off to school wanted you to know their school friends and teachers was praying for both of you. Riches Web Site http://caringbridge.org/visit/billrich

Sale is Over

Well things have settle down with our sale finally ending. God is amazing . When we think we have capped our sales off he shows us we were wrong. So we had a very successful sale. Boy I am tired though and I have much to catch up on being a Mom and Wife! My Mom is out of the hospital and seems to be doing well. She has damage to her cerebrum . Her emotions and though process has some healing to do. But she is walking with a walker! Here is a copy/paste e-mail from one of my long time consignors. I am not posting this to get a well job done Teri response. But more to show how God can use so many people that are involved with our sales. If you honor him everything else falls in place! Dear Teri and consignors, I have been consigning with Teri for many years and have never known what a difference the donated items could make. We have recently been licensed as foster parents with Iredell county. On Friday night we received a 3 year old girl to our home with nothing but the clothes on her back. All of the clothes that she had were too big for her and very dirty and worn. We had to throw these clothes out. On Saturday I contacted Teri because I knew that she donates to the Foster parent association after her sale. I told her the story of this little girl and she graciously let me look through the donated items on Saturday after the conclusion of the sale. I would like to extend a personal thank you to all consignors that are willing to donate their items that do not sell. Thanks to all of you this little girl has clothes and shoes to get her through the Fall and Winter. I would like to send a special thank you to the shopper whom I have never met that overheard me telling our story to Teri. She bought this little girl several outfits and shoes and handed them to me in a bag before she left the sale. This wonderful lady had never met me or this child before but gave from the goodness in her heart. Teri, your sale is a testimony to so many and I would like to thank you for what you do for our community. Anne C

Quick Update

Mom speech has improved. She still is bed ridden and has to be fed. They did another brain scan this morning and we don't know why. I do hope to hear something this afternoon. She is also very confused at times. This weekend we went too see Mom and took the kids. I could tell she enjoyed seeing them.Afterwards we took the kids to the fair and we all had a great time. Robert and I were glad to have some family time especially with the sale coming up. Yesterday Robert too Elijah too see the Panthers. It was the firsttime he has taken him. Robert said he did GREAT and Elijah loved going with Daddy. I ask Elijah if he looked at the cheerleaders and he said Yes I did and they are really skinny.LOL My drop-off starts Friday so I will not be posting much. The sale is going fantastic. I am excited to have such a great location. I have 150 volunteers also! Yahoo! I will also have at least 20,000 kidz items too sell We apprecaite the prayers

Update

The brain scan came back and Mom did have a stroke. She is talking better now but she is very slur and has a hard time getting her words out. She is unable to eat or drink correctly so they are going to run a swallow test on her. She has lost strength in her right arm and leg and is unable to walk Dad was told that she ould be in the hospital awhile but they are working to get her in rehab...The Dr told Dad she could bounce back from his with lots of work. Pray for my Mom and Dad.. Decisions and Peace will need to be made.

My head is spinning

What a week My Mom is in the hospital. Has been there since Sunday night. Allyson showed me a swollen lymph gland in her neck Drop-off starts next week for my sale. Mom is OK... She has been in bad health for quite a long time . The woman is a ox. You think this might be it and she bounces back. Sadly though it looks like she might have suffered a stroke this time. They took her for a brain scan this morning and hopefully we will hear something this afternoon. I am trying to talk my Dad to move here with Mom after she gets out of rehab. He keeps turning me down but in teh same breath he saids I just don't know how I can handle her. Please pray for parents. Allyson swollen lymp gland turend outto be a infected SPIT gland ... She will be on meds for a fews weeks. If it does not go down I was told to take her to a ENT. The sale is going great.JUST BUSY. I hope by the end of the month to become a regular blogger I will try to keep everyone updated on Mom

Urgent prayer Request

http://caringbridge.org/visit/billrich Our friend from Church Bill Rich just went through a blood marrow transplant 9 days ago. He has develop a serious fungus pneumonia since his transplant. This morning he was being a placed on a respirator. The battle with the pneumonia is not going well. Please take time to pray for him and Sheri immediately. God is the great physician Bill is 45 and has 3 boys. 19,13,6 His wife name is Sheri. He is at Duke.

The Election Again

NO MATTER WHO WINS THE ELECTION... TOP 10 PREDICTIONS NO MATTER WHO WINS THE ELECTION 1. The Bible will still have all the answers. 2. Prayer will still work. 3. The Holy Spirit will still move. 4. God will still inhabit the praises of His people. 5. There will still be God-anointed teaching and healing. 6. There will still be singing of praise to God. 7. God will still pour out blessings upon His people. 8. There will still be room at the Cross. 9. Jesus will still love you. 10. Jesus will still save the lost. ISN'T IT GREAT TO KNOW WHO IS REALLY IN CONTROL?!!!

Our Next VP

Come on American Women . I feel like I am hearing something from the 50's These concerns and question about having a pregnant teen or how many kids they have would not be asked if this same thing happen to a man who was running for President or Vice President. Men SHOULD and do have the same pressures of being a parent ( no matter how many children they have) Men SHOULD and do have the same pressure of being a husband Men SHOULD and do have the same pressure of dealing with serious issues that effect their families. So what makes it different for a WOMAN When I read these concerns and questions it makes me think that the majority of being a parent rest on the woman's solely on a shoulder. What happen to equal partnership in a marriage and being a parent. Every candidate that is running for a office is married and has a family. It really hit me this morning as I was listening to a radio station. There were callers were saying she would make a irresponsible VP because she had a baby at 43, had five kids, carried a special need baby to term and her teen daughter was pregnant. Here I am a mother of five, had a baby at almost 44, carried my son who is mentally retarded and I am labeled irresponsible and should never be considered running for a important office or have a important role in society. I actually cried all the way home for this biggest reason I THOUGHT when we nominated a black man for president and Mrs Clinton almost won that just maybe we have started taking off blinders that all men and women are equal no matter what! I was wrong especially after what I have been reading on the liberal left wing websites and what I heard on the radio this morning....