|
We've added something NEW to the RV Oilers website and I am SO excited to share it with you today! Check out the new category across the top: FREE ONLINE OIL CLASSES  I try to offer you lots of educational opportunities to learn about oils, but what if you are working, or can't get away to enjoy them?! What if you work best at your own pace when you have free time?! AWESOME, this is for YOU! Simply register for, and take, these FREE classes at your own pace. You still get access to me for questions and ordering when your class is done! Win-win! Now, there is still nothing better than a LIVE in person class, or even a facebook live class, so I hope one day you will come do one of those too. I have one coming up next weekend, possibly the 21st. Watch for details!  I will continue to add classes and expand our topics as we go. :)
So what are you waiting for? Go check out our newest tab and take some FREE Essential Oil classes!!! :) Hugs, T
1 Comment
As the Christmas gatherings went on, I found myself getting more and more weary. Both emotionally and physically, and the Lord began speaking to me to BE STILL. I knew I better obey, so we quickly ran some errands, made some lingering returns and grabbed enough groceries to hunker down and just BE STILL until the New Year. And so, we did! We said no to lots of fun invitations, but obedience brings healing and blessings.   We played games. We read loads of books. Watched movies. Played Wii. Listened to new Adventure in Odyssey cd's down by the fire. Ate snacks, leftovers and yummy food sweet friends dropped by. We were just STILL, and enjoyed some down time for our hearts and emotions. 
Dale has been my rock. He is such a blessing to me, caring for me when I can't think how to care for myself. Asking if he can run me a bath, nudging me to bed when its getting late. He can always make me laugh, even when I don't want to. I am grateful to have him to lean so heavily on, in this time of grieving. He knows this feeling all to well.  I am grateful to have such a cozy beautiful place to hunker down in and rest. The Lord knew it was important we finished the apartment, so we could be here safe and warm for dad's funeral and the days of healing after. I don't know what the future holds, but I know WHO holds my future, and that is enough for me. Hugs, T  We are never short family when we are home for a visit, and were thankful to be able to get together with my extended family and Dale's family, the 2 days after Christmas..... First up, Aunt Gena's house!  It's really such a shame there was no food to eat while we visited....  I have been wanting to make this recipe since our OLD house and recipe blogging days!!! A SAVORY cheesecake, and when we moved in, I just so happened to save a springform pan for such a time as this.... http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/appetizers-and-snacks/chili-cheesecake-2/ It was as tasty as I hoped it be! I did Doritos crust instead of regular chips for more flavor, and added a layer of shredded cheese to the top. I had a larger pan, so mine is much thinner than the photo, which isn't a bad thing, its RICH! And only requires a tiny sliver as it is!  Slideshow: So fun to all be together and let the cousins meet and play for the first time for our Floridians! The next day, we headed over to Dale's momma's for a ham dinner and snack supper/game night....Eileen recently remodeled her main room and kitchen, so its PERFECT for big gatherings!   Everything was amazing and we had a lot of fun, even if I got stuck on the first phase of Crazy Phase 10 FOREVER!!!!!! If you are a Phase 10 fanatic like we are, be SURE to google crazy phases to change the whole game up! :)  Slideshow: After games and snacks, brave Grandma, had ALL the grands stay for a slumber party. They were SO flipping excited! Destiny was fighting a sinus something and decided to head home to sleep it off. Little did I know, we'd ALL end up with it! UGH. Thank goodness for oils!
Hugs, T
It was a different kind of Christmas this year, so soon after burying my daddy....but life doesn't stop, does it?  We had planned to spend Christmas here at our apartment for the first time ever, just not under these circumstances. We don't really do gifts anymore, due to our lifestyle, but with more space in the apartment and the kids having sold nearly every toy, we decided to do some last minute shopping and get them a gift and a family gift to share. We also wanted to get a few things for my nephews since we haven't ever had a Christmas here with them before.  Christmas morning, for the first time in the HISTORY of the Ferguson family, our kids woke us up before 7 am. Niiiiice kids, real nice. We read the Christmas story and had a Jesus birthday party before opening gifts.....I was too tired the night before to make any of our normal preprations, but we still had daddy's famous scrambled eggs and some homemade cinnamon rolls I bought from the amish bakery close by the funeral location. The kids loved what we got them, especially the FAMILY present, which was a Wii mini we found a steal of a deal on. And some used games! We do not do screen time much, but figured once they read their alloted hours, it might be fun to hole up with some family gaming upstairs once in a while. Good thing too, it's been negative temps here with the windchill, and we alternate between playing games, reading and wii time! :) 
My brother, Chad and sis in law, Lauren were still in town for a few days, so we had everyone out for Christmas dinner. Sweet Avery and Destiny made us a Peppermint Trifle! Recipe here: we did chocolate cake instead of red velvet because I don't like red dye. It got better day 2, so word to the wise, make it ahead. www.tastesoflizzyt.com/peppermint-cheesecake-trifle/
 Slideshow: Nana had us play a game that ended with a prize... A CRICKET SUCKER. I didn't figure anyone would eat it, but little Dylan went to town. For a while anyhow. 
At least until he realized he had eaten the antenae off. EWWWW!!!
We were honored to have Gigi and Miss Toni join us for Christmas dinner and games! And of course, we needed some family pics.... Slideshow: No matter why we were all together, our Christmas day was special, and I am grateful.
One down, 2 more Christmas gatherings to go! Hugs, T The big day is here, my heart aches and I have butterflies in my tummy, thinking of standing up to share about the man who holds such a big part of my heart. My step mom, Drea had a super fun idea, that each of us should pop some sort of checkered flag clothing, in honor of dad finishing his race here on earth. He would've thought it was super cool.  The Floridian weren't sure what to think of cold Kansas, but they bundled up and stuck it out. I am grateful they flew and drove in to be part of today.  The service was beautiful! I don't have any photos except what people sent me, but my cousin read the obituary and added all kinds of fun details that dad would've loved. Chad and I spoke about dad, Pastor Howard had us go up together and that was really comforting. I already shared my speech with you the other day, you can go read it here: www.rvoilers.com/blog/on-this-day Chad's went something like this, although he changed it up quite a bit. Including a line about passing gas when he was nervous, which I quickly walked away from the pulpit. Haha, laugh so you don't cry, right? Dad was my hero. He was a best friend and a friend to all. He did not know a stranger. In fact all my friends during grade school, high school and present, realize that he was a cool dad. And was in fact probably cooler than me. I remember sitting in church as a kid and we would pass notes back and forth with drawings pictures of trucks and cars. I remember the story he told about how he fell asleep in church and woke suddenly, kicking the pew in front and scaring a lady half to death. He seemed to be able to scare everyone with his crazy loud sneezes. From the time I could walk, I was at my dad's side. I went to his meetings with him, to work, to the races, and I was always known as "Clay's son". And I was proud to be known as that..... I thought it was normal to know what a time card was and a pay check was in 4th grade. Any time we talked about work Dad said that I had it easy. He started working at about age 5 and they would strap him to a tractor and send him out to the field until he was done. My summers where a highlight as I was able to work at dads KTC Shop during the week and spend late nights going racing on the weekends. We had a blast doing this! Many times we would bring our friends to experience the night time excitement. Towards the end it was usually Dad and I driving together in the semi to and from the races. He called this "windshield time" for us to talk about life, schools, friends and pretty girls. During the winter time we would spend hours every weekend chasing each other around on 4 wheelers. It was always best in the snow. He said it was a good excuse to stay in shape for the off season of racing. After ktc trucking business closed, it seemed he was able to pick up and go with about any job or opportunity without hesitation. He was always so smart and driven when it came to business. Once Dad moved to Florida, it was about two years before I made my way down there to work for my dad again. He had the opportunity to buy a furniture store and was excited to get me involved. He knew I loved selling and thought it was a good fit. I dont remember a time when I said "Go fast, Dad!" that he didn't go fast. Whether it was a work pick up, his motorcycle or one of his cars, he never seemed to pass on these chances. He taught me what a controlled drift was, as he was able to go completely around the circle parking lot of 1st Nazarene Church, sideways when it was snowy. I'm pretty sure I showed several friends later what I learned.... Dad loved to go fast and was extremely competitive. As you all know he was an amazing racer thru his life and was remembered in the dirt track as the flying preacher. This was mainly for his boldness in praying before races or offering it up after an accident. Dad was not only competitive but also a trickster! He didn't pass up an opportunity to scare us or pull a prank. I can think of several occasions of us literally crying on the floor from laughing so hard. Normally from either Mom or Tonya peeing their pants from being scared, or hearing about something he pulled on a friend or brother during his younger years. He showed us how to pull out Kleenexs from peoples hands right as they blew their nose, or pretending to hit his head somewhere, usually a door or sign. Something rhat made a nice ruckus. Usually someone came running to see if he was ok because he was a good actor too. Another good trick we learned from Dad (which he said his brothers showed him) was how to make a gutter at the dinner table using the table cloth and soaking your neighbors pants with water. The stories go on and on....and Dad is leaving a huge void here on earth. He will be missed greatly. He always knew what to say. He always knew what you needed, he always had a way out and he always knew how to fix it. He could literally rig anything to working with tape, a few old bolts and misc parts he had saved in his tool box. We really gave him a hard time about this, but each of us needed him many times for repairs! One thing I know for sure..... I never heard him yell. He was always soft spoken but stern. If he was talking, you were listening. Even under serious stress or a lap car causing him to wreck - he was always calm. And of course I was a perfect child so he didn't have to yell. He always had faith in me. He always encouraged me to just do it. He always let me try before helping. He trained me to be a thinker, a doer. He told me that common sense is better than any school degree, so use your noggin. I always knew I'd work for him and it's an honor and joy to carry on that legacy for him at our Florida furniture store and to have my oldest son carry on the CEB name. I could talk for hours about my Dad , but I know that my sister will do it for me next. Ps 127:3. Be strong and courageous ... Next up was a beautiful memorial message from Pastor Howard, and special music. Again, no photos, but we ended the service with closing prayer, and a special guest.....  Dad's good friend, and race announcer and radio personality, Warren Hardy closed out the service with a checkered flag finish..... He did AWESOME, painting a word picture of that dirt track and the final laps of an exciting A Feature. He ended with something like..... "They are coming around the final turn, and Clay Bontrager, 7B has finished the race!" Oh man, it was so great, just the right ending to celebrate dad's final chapter. He would've been proud to have his friend announce his final race home. We handed out little flags to all the family at the service.  My little pall bearers and their cousins, helped load Papa and off we went to the gravesite, in a small amish mennonite town near by. His brothers and parents are also buried here.  We all stuck our flags out the windows.....     It was cold, cold, cold. This part was going to be short and sweet. A few words and "I'll Fly Away" by the mens quartet. This was the part I was dreading the most, I was having flashbacks to Don's funeral (Dale's daddy) and remembered the awful finality of that box going into the ground.....  Someone sent the grandkids a flower arrangement that could be taken apart and laid on the casket, so amazing. 
 Dale and my dad were very close, they worked well together and got along like best buds. I am so thankful someone captured this moment of him saying his final goodbyes to my dad.  And just like that, the box was lowered in the ground, and my heart broke into a million pieces and tears poured from my eyes. I couldn't help myself, sobs burst forth. In that moment, there was nothing to do but grieve in the deepest sense of loss and finality. I still don't think this will all hit me until I go back to "his" neck of the woods. Back to Florida, where he is missing. He isn't usually here in Kansas with us, unless he is visiting, so it doesn't feel abnormal to have him gone. I have picked up my phone to call him twice. Dale checked his phone for the text, how far did you all make it tonight? as we drove the 3 days home. And the first person he wanted to show our new railing apartment photo to, was dad. So instead, Dale just stood there and wept bitter tears for all we have lost in the past 3 years - A Papa named Don, who lived out his final weeks in our living room, gone 3 years ago. A Grandma, who treated Dale as a son, just months ago, going to see Jesus. And now, this. Another Papa gone, another loss to bear. My Paxton Clay asked, "Hey Momma, do we have any more Papas left?" Oh buddy, no. I am sorry you sure don't.
I had a prayer warrior friend call me on the way home to the Kansas funeral, she said Tonya, the Lord showed me in a dream something about your daddy and I'd like to share it with you. I don't want to hurt your heart, but I think you need to know this.... Your daddy, he was given the choice to go to Jesus. He was given a choice to be healed in a miracle here on earth, or healed in a miraculous eternity in Heaven. He picked heaven. He picked Jesus. Who wouldn't after catching a glimpse of something so unimaginably beautiful? There were days at the end, where he just stared at the ceiling, absent, that I wondered if he was visiting with Jesus. This was confirmation and it came again, one more time in a person I hadn't met before. There was no doubt. I LOVE when the Lord speaks to His hurting children, and when He repeats Himself, I LISTEN. It was something I had never heard of before, someone being given a choice. But I believe. And it gave me great peace and hope.....  Congrats on your victory lap, daddy. You've fought the good fight, you've WON the final race, and you are the victor......
Hugs, T
Traveling back to Kansas after dad passed, was kind of surreal. Going back to his roots, and mine, when it still didn't feel "real" yet that he is gone.
Even as I blog this today, it doesn't feel real that when we get back to Florida, he won't be there waiting for us. I just don't even have the words to begin to explain...... Anyhow, there are a lot of extra details when a body is being transported across state line, so lots of prayers were going up for the flight dad needed to make to arrive in time for his service, despite snow and paperwork delays. (not dad, his empty body, but you know what I meant.) 
It was an extra long 3 days home. We were are emotionally and physically worn out. Once we arrived, we basically hit the ground running, planning the service and preparing for the viewing and about a bazillion details that I had forgotten about. All the while praying paperwork would go through in time for dad's body to arrive in time for service, which would take place right before Christmas, on the 22nd.
Then I get the call we had been praying for.... Your dad safely arrived at the airport last night at midnight, and our guys were able to pick him up without delay. How strange, to hear those words, without the rush of anticipation of a lovely visit from Papa, flying in to see us for a bit. I promptly burst into tears. It was such a blessing to be back home and surrounded by family and friends willing to bring in meals, run errands and help with details. Not cooking when you are emotionally drained, is a gift! Even if it was PB&J, it'd taste better if someone else made it. Haha ;)
My dad has raced since he was 19. He raced corvettes, modifieds, drag racing and then when I was a kid, dirt track racing in a sprint car. He has always been 7B, and he won many national championships.
Because of this, it was only natural that we select the verse for his service to be:
"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." II Timothy 4:7 We had asked Dad's friends and race crew chef, to do some custom painting on dad's casket. We had it made by a local Amishman and got to pick out the interior fabric. My dad would've LOVED it.... I asked Jesus to let him peek down on it. Many many hours were spent first taking it from oak to black and then hand painting the details, just like they used to on the racecar. 
We had a private viewing at the funeral home, just the family, before the public viewing that night. Everything turned out just beautifully! Flowers and all.
It was very very emotionally to see him again. Chad's kids were full of questions about Papa and his race car he was in. It was precious. Mine were tearful, they knew he was gone, but you just cannot prepare for the finality of these moments.
Dad would've loved the viewing, all his race buddies, family and friends, coming out to pay their respects and honor his life.
We had a slideshow running, of dad's life and all the happy memories we made....
Dad Viewing Slideshow from Tonya Ferguson on Vimeo. We were there from 5 to 8pm, and when the final guest left, it was time to lock up, go home and prepare for the hardest day yet. The day we lay him to rest....the day I had to stand up and try to put into words, all this special man meant to me. To us. To honor him in a celebration of a life well lived. Hugs, T 
I started having a Word of the Year in a particularly trying time in my life, and the habit stuck. I find myself seeking the Lord the end of December, on what His word for me will be. I am always amazed at how very accurate and prophetic, these words can be, too! If you click on the links, it will take you to the post about each word of the year.... 2013: RESTORATION    2016: GUIDE I wasn't blogging at the time, but our word for the year was GUIDE. Boy, did the Lord guide us, as He spoke to us loudly as we took the leap, and sold our house and worldly goods to hit the road as full timers.   I have to admit, when the Lord gave me the words "Courageous Journey", I really honestly thought it was just about another year of fun adventure and travel on the road. We traveled LESS in 2017, than we had in the previous several years, because every time we left, we ended up back at our home base. I called it the "Year of Kansas" as a joke, but it really was. If it wasn't something for the apartment that we needed to be home for, it was another situation. We literally, kept turning around to come back. We made it up to Wisconsin for a summer of travel, we wanted to pin North Dakota on the map, finally, and then head over to my favorite place on earth, Montana.... We got there, did one oil class, got bad news about Dale's grandma and headed the 700 miles back home to Kansas. She passed several weeks later, and we are so glad we came back to spend time with her. We have spent over 7 months at our home hub this year! Our hearts longed for travel, but it wasn't meant to be this time. Not in the way we imagined. A few months after Grandma's passing, we got word that my dad was not doing well. That his motorskills and speech were rapidly declining and we better come quick. We cleared the calendar, dropped everything, and packed in 2 hours, Florida bound. It it becoming abundantly clear to me, that my 2017 Courageous Journey, was a much more emotional one then I could've ever anticipated. I am not brave. I am not an adventurer by nature. This year scared me in more ways than I can count....and brought me to my knees, at the end of myself, again and again. It was a year of sorrow. Longing. Contemplation. Heartache.  I didn't dig and pray for a Word of the Year this year, usually I spend part of December doing just that. This year I was just surviving December, no thought to the new year to come, or the promises and words I usually sought out. No, this time I simply just asked once, and the Lord breathed it over me, in a phrase of a song He whispered in my ear.....  When we face the fragility of life and the sorrow of death head on, and boldy walk out a path we didn't welcome or choose, something beautiful happens inside..... We break. We surrender. We come to the end of US. We find the end of ourselves, and realize, our Heavenly Father is there - always has been, always will be. I am feeling His presence even STRONGER now that my earthly Father is gone. My sweet daddy, whom I miss every single moment, of every single day. It's about realizing that death isn't the end, it is only the beginning of something more beautiful then our earthly minds can imagine and finding comfort in that. We find ourselves weak, yet stronger than we EVER thought possible. When we surrender our humaness, our ugly broken pieces, and just lay it out, prostrate before our God, begging Him to share our grief load and burden, He answers. He scoops us up in His arms, where He can better whisper in our ears. And so, we draw closer to our Heavenly Father, clinging tightly to Him. For when I am weak, He can be shown strong. In my brokenness, His power is more easily seen. Entering into 2018, I am "Sweetly Broken, Wholly Surrendered" to a year of healing and hope in 2018. Open to His plan and will for us. Surrendering my own plans and dreams, and trading them for HIS. Being ok with that. Being ok with His will instead of my own. Open to walking out a new chapter where life looks very different than it did. Even if I don't want to. I can't do it alone. So I SURRENDER. All of it. And hope springs forth, the kind that goes down deep into the soil of our hearts and starts the process of total healing.....2018 is going to be beautiful. Sweetly broken, wholly surrendered.  Happy happy New Year, friends! May the Lord abundantly bless you this year, and may you feel His sweet presence more everyday..... What is YOUR word of the year? Leave me a comment. Hugs, T Sweetly Broken
Jeremy Riddle To the cross, I look, and to the cross, I cling Of it's suffering, I do drink, of its work, I do sing On it, my Savior, both bruised and crushed Showed that God is love and God is just At the cross, You beckon me You draw me gently to my knees And I am lost for words, so lost in love I'm sweetly broken, wholly surrendered Yeah, yeah, oh Lord What a priceless gift, undeserved life Have I been given through Christ crucified You've called me out of death You've called me into life And I was under Your wrath Now, through the cross, I'm reconciled Ooh, and at the cross, You beckon me You draw me gently to my knees And I am lost for words, so lost in love I'm sweetly broken, wholly surrendered At the cross, You beckon me You draw me gently to my knees And I am lost for words, so lost in love I'm sweetly broken, wholly surrendered And in awe of the cross, I must confess How wondrous Your redeeming love And how great is Your faithfulness At the cross, You beckon me You draw me gently to my knees And I am lost for words, so lost in love I'm sweetly broken, wholly surrendered At the cross, You, You've beckoned me You draw me gently to my knees And I am lost for words, so lost in love I'm sweetly broken, wholly surrendered Yeah, yeah, I'm broken for you I'm broken for you, my Lord, yeah Jesus, Your love is there I am sweetly broken |
Tonya Ferguson
|
RSS Feed
