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Rebecca Maxey Mollica(@rebecca3m)'s profile avatar Download

Rebecca Maxey Mollica

@rebecca3m

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…Purchase With a Purpose… .. I wanted to circle back with everyone and make crystal clear the concept of Morning Dove. Absolutely everything bought at the store will either benefit missions or our local community. The gift, antique, or tchotchke you buy will be a blessing to someone! .. I sell vintage/antiques, and 20% of my product goes to the persecuted church in northern Nigeria. My parents teach at a seminary in Lagos, Nigeria and my mother in particular really ministers to the northern Nigerian students. She does trauma counseling and therapy with them weekly. Imagine that you are studying but there is no support system for you because in most cases your family and home church is devastated by murders and vast torching of villages and churches. Many northern students at the symanary are orphans and have no home to go back to. Quite a few run out of money for food each month. They need our prayers and our support. A little goes a long way. .. In addition to what I sell, we as of now have four local makers/creators selling items, with three more on the way. These makers are a single mom, a family with 3 generations of creators, a stay-at-home mother, someone with a cronic illness, etc. The point is that we have extremely talented artists/creators here in our community that need our support. You buying product from them will help us locally. Very soon when everyone is installed I will be featuring each of these talented people. I feel very blessed that they have chosen to partner with me! .. Please stop by the shop and buy to bless someone!! . . . Quote from Henry our repeat customer, “I am so interested in your store!” Henry is 4 years old. Today his mama told me that he begged to come back. He also brought his Nan with him. His favorite thing in the store is Olive. I told him sadly that Olive is not for sale, but he can come pet her and sit with her whenever we are open. 😊 by @rebecca3m
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19 hours ago
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…Surprise Lilies… .. Something out the window caught my eye yesterday as I was vacuuming. Flowers had sprung up in the back yard! Earlier in the spring there had been a lot of leaves there but nothing had bloomed. The leaves finely yellowed, wilted and died. I was disappointed because I so love flowers and it’s been so fun seeing what all this old house has in its yard. Since this is my first year hear I just assumed that it was some sort of flower that needed dug up and divided at a future point. .. Now the fragrance of the lilies fills the shop. I had never heard of “surprise lilies” before today. Apparently they are called such because when the gardner has given them up for dead they burst forth seemingly overnight with thier beauty and fragrance. .. What a testimony! What a lovely God wink to my soul. Lord may this be done in me in Christ name. by @rebecca3m
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2 days ago
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…A Weapon of Praise… .. Before Morning Dove opened I knew that the battle would be won with praise. I’m not a musical person, however I knew from what God had done in the past before my Africa trip with Rose that praise is a vital spiritual weapon. .. The stories of Gideon, the walls of Jericho, of King Jehoshaphat show how praise can bring a mighty victory. Psalms 22:3 says that praise invites God’s presence, Isiah 61:3 tells us that praise renews the spirit, Psalms 69:30 shows that it magnifies God, and 2Chronicals 20:22 portrays praise empowering spiritual battle. .. I had moved into Morning Dove and fallen apart for months with grief and exhaustion. Opening the store seemed like jumping off a cliff. Week after week it took all my energy to simply keep living. I had never been in this state before. Loosing two family members in succession, and the unjust circumstances behind the scenes was something that knocked the wind out of me. Finally my daughters gave me a push. They helped me jump. A date was set to open. .. It was decided we would open in less than a week. My pastor had spoken about praise that morning. God told me that was my weapon. All day Monday I listened to worship as I worked to get ready. All. Day. Tuesday I felt horrible. My vertigo that I’d been having got worse, I cried a lot, emotionally, mentally was bad. I listened to praise. All. Day. Long. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday I continued. Things were coming together. It was happening! .. Singing effects us neurologically. It lights up four different areas of the brain, most activities engage one or two. This energies your brain. Your vagus nerve is activated and lowers your heart rate bring your body into a calm state. Singing releases endorphins, dopamine, oxytocin, & serotonin. This brings stress relief, bonding, & pleasure. Emotion, memory, auditory processing, and motor function are all engaged. Isn’t this amazing?! God created us this way! .. “I raise a hallelujah In the presence of my enemies I raise a hallelujah Louder than my unbelief I raise a hallelujah My weapon is a melody I raise a hallelujah Heaven comes to fight for me” . . . my favorite wildflower combo, morning walk. taken in Corydon, Indiana by @rebecca3m
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6 days ago
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…We Are Open!… .. Or alternate titles “We Love Popcorn” or “Jumping off a Cliff” Anyhow however you phrase it last Saturday was a big one! Rose decided that we needed to be open for Corydon’s Popcorn Festival, which parades right in front of my house. It was the shove I needed. I had kept saying that I needed to jump off the cliff. Well Rose and Natalie pushed me off, and I’m glad. We worked so hard all week long getting ready. I was still very much battling vertigo, and Rose was sick too but somehow we got everything done! Rose painted the sign, Justice hung up the sign, Natalie made the flyers, and painted the open sign and passed out flyers. I priced items, organized, cleared boxes off the porch, and got two of our local vendors installed. (Handmade soy candles & and wreaths.) .. The parade started at 11, honestly the best parade by far that I’ve been to. Of course because popcorn! My mother, me, and my daughter Grace are all obsessed with popcorn. When Grace turned 5 she requested a popcorn themed bday party. We had 6 kinds. Whenever my father would be out of town my mom would make popcorn for our supper. Anyhow I think it was a very fitting day for Morning Dove to open! .. We had quite a few shoppers for our first day. Our first customer was a Sicilian, who had a twin brother. What a God wink! It’s like Tony was telling us how excited he was for us. Olive was our mascot. She chilled on the porch and let everyone pet her. The last customer of the day was an older woman. She told me that her husband also passed suddenly and she was my age when it happened to me also. I asked her if she thought as well that the second year was the hardest. She said “Well honey, the first ten years were the hardest!” Oh my! .. Anyhow the day was so fun! Reminded me how much I enjoy keeping shop and chatting with customers. For now we’ll be open Fridays and Saturdays 11:00-6:00. Please stop by if you are local. We’ll have new items each week. by @rebecca3m
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9 days ago
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…Things of Wonder… .. *the soft fur of Olive the sweet cat that my daughter left behind *that i get to enjoy another summer *night time phone conversations with sister who lives in Japan *propagating my house plants *late evening walks in my downtown neighborhood *watching the moon from my bedroom window *reading books *texting my childhood friend *my daughter’s joy in cooking, her new hobby *unpacking boxes, bringing order to my home *healing prayers *discovering something new in a bible passage *that i now drink coffee (only iced) *that i have a dear friend i can call whenever i like. *my rose bushes transplanted twice are growing and blooming *finding a perfect rock/feather/stick *the color blue *knowing that when i’m ready i have several vacations i can go on *the fact that after 4 girls and a granddaughter we soon get a boy *the way my cat Reesie-left by another daughter-talks to me *a great thrift find *the growing faith of my daughter *knowing my brothers have my back *the sweetest little country church to go to *group messages from fellow believers *discovering new plants in my yard *the friendly, authentic midwest vibes i live in, reminiscent of my childhood *exchanging reels with my daughter *the sweetness of my granddaughter *knowing mama is praying *knowing there are great adventures ahead *my grandmother’s recipes *shutting doors behind me *the beautiful memories in my heart *the adventures of my childhood *that i have 2 great son’s in law in my corner *hope *when the house decor comes together just right *getting rid of things *not buying it new, but gently used *having a vision come together *the smell of wild honeysuckle from my yard *how i can close my eyes and be back at the most wondrous beach in the West Indies *how an instagram friend’s posts of African safaris take me right back to my childhood *tamalies & refried beans *the beauty of my daughters *reading books written by my father *new, dear friends *an inside joke, dark humor, sarcasm *sunset *the blessings of my grandfather’s prayers over me *acts of kindness from a stranger *listening to hubby’s voicemail’s *knowing that i am in the palm of the hand of God by @rebecca3m
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a month ago
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…Transformations… .. I thought about titling this “unpacking” or “life lately” or something along that vein. But this process has been something more than that. The hurried way we had to pack up the Kentucky house after Tony passed, and the process of leaving the parsonage was all so painful and urgent. So unpacking boxes every day has been a process of sorting, getting rid of, designating for the store, as well as putting away. Going through things of Tony’s and Grace’s has been very difficult. A constant reminder that our family is smaller. Memories come in waves as you do the daily work of settling in. The Japanese say, “crying is the way your eyes speak when your mouth can’t explain how broken your heart is.” It’s ok though, crying gets the poison out. .. On the other hand downsizing and sorting has also been very nice. It’s good to refine and distil your belongings. You still have the memories but only a concentrated version of it in selecting to keep only the most important items. You start to feel lighter as you let go of many things. As you arrange the rooms for future use you look ahead. As more of your things come out it feels more and more like home. Once again your same heart, your same personality, your same history is being told just in a different setting, in a slightly different way. It feels good. . . . photos on my camera roll. I’ll try to get some better ones later. by @rebecca3m
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a month ago
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…Plumbing… .. Let’s talk about plumbing. Not something I thought I’d ever say but that was the old Becky. The person I am now has to be practical. And lately I’ve been obsessed with the plumbing problems here at Morning Dove. .. The problems started Valentine’s Day when my nephew and his girlfriend came to visit. That was our first time staying here. With leaving out all the details let’s just say that the bathroom downstairs did not work any more. I got a plumber to come, and 6 hours later I gave him a truck load of money. The bathroom worked for a while. I moved into the house in March. .. I stewed and fretted about the plumbing. By then the downstairs bathroom did not work anymore. I tried several home remedies that I had looked up. Mostly I worried. I called another plumber thinking the first one had overcharged me. This plumber wanted to tare up the driveway and find the blockage to the tune of 20 thousand dollars. “You know that’s what we do with these old houses” he said. I would think about it I said. What I actually thought about at length was my sanity. .. Finally I called my brother. He told me what to do. And guess what it was not what google had told me, not what the plumber had said. I did what he said. And when he got here at the beginning of May the bathroom was working. He throughly inspected the house. He went to city hall and asked questions. He came up with a back up game plan for me. But he said that for now I can babysit and coddle my old house. No need to tare everything up. .. The day before he left I tried to do a load of laundry, I’d been afraid to try earlier. It flooded. So for the month of May I snaked that drain and did all the things. As of Memorial Day the plumbing in the house is 100% working!! .. What did this situation teach me? First of all, if your brother is a military engineer who the government trusts to be the officer in charge of various overseas operations you should call him immediately about your problems. Why am I listening to google or even worried when I have this marvelous resource? Why? Yet that is how we are with God. And all the time God is here right beside us just waiting for us to ask. by @rebecca3m
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2 months ago
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…Goodby May… .. Today is the first of June, so now May I’m relieved to say is in the rear view mirror. May the month school ends, the beginning of summer my favorite season, the month of my birthday, the month of my favorite flower lilly of the valley, May which has my entire life been my most favorite month of them all. .. I awoke on cinco de mayo with all the feelings because I had dreamt of my Bunny girl. I rairly dream so this was big. As I pondered the meaning of it all, I discovered in my journals that it was exactly a year to the day since I had heard from my beloved girl. Our body remembers dates our minds have pushed aside. Five days later Mother’s day. Nine days later was my sweet girl’s birthday. Twelve days later was the two year anniversary of her running away. Heavy. So heavy. The month from beginning to end had a weight to it that was crushing. .. However God my father, God my husband had his plans for May too. May was the month of a long weekend visit from my siblings, a two week stay from my sister, a month with fun events like a “cake picnic,” a country church revival, the sweetest Pentecost baptism service, the month my nephew Ingam got to see my house, the month that I visited my first “wild at heart fire,” the month the plumbing at Morning Dove finally got sorted out, and ended with the most sweet birthday visit from my daughter Natalie. God knows what we need. He is with us. He carries us through our hard times. He understands. .. Today June 1st is National Narcism Abuse Awareness Day, and believe me this relates. No one who has lived with a narcissist will not have that fact deeply affect the family fabric to the core. But my friend know this, Christ has come to heal, Christ has come to save. Not just save in the sense of your sins being forgiven, but too in the sense of him saving your heart, your mind, your days, your emotions, your future, your hopes and your life. Christ is with us and he will always have the last say. .. So as June rolls in know this I am still standing on Christ my rock. This will be indeed a great summer! . . . Birthday gifts in the upstairs sitting room. (brass shell sconces & cane tray) by @rebecca3m
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2 months ago
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…Restoration… .. Ten days ago I was out with sister and she found an old medicine cabinet that fits into a wall. I went home measured and it was exactly right! My goal with Morning Dove is to gradually restore what is missing and make it look original. I took down the large mirror that was covering the hole in the wall and drilled the cupboard into place. A cherry on top was that the cupboard has the sweetest detail etched at the top and that some one had painted it pink, which totally matches the original wallpaper in the small water closet that is in the upstairs bathroom. What a great find! .. This makes me think of the restoration and healing God is doing in my heart. Sometimes things happen and we feel like the gapping hole that was in the bathroom wall. We put on our cheery smiles, like the large mirror to cover up the hole, but behind the smile we feel the breeze hit our gaping wound. It’s not very functional either. Where do we put the toothbrush? The insulation comes blowing out. It’s an inconvenience mess that we are managing daily. We cry, we write terribly sad poems, we stay up late, we question every decision. But then we pretend, we cary on. Maybe this large mirror is ok. It’s how things are now. After awhile we ask people to help us look for a cupboard that will fit. But it takes a long time. A lot of searching. It takes letting others know. Even showing them our mess. Then one day sister says, “Becky, I’ve found just what you need.” And it’s perfect. It fits perfectly. It functions well. It looks far better than expected. It looks original. We are being restored. .. “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:18 by @rebecca3m
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2 months ago
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…Umunne… .. The word “umunne” of the Igbo language means children of the same mother. It is a vital pillar of Igbo social structure. It denotes unity, and identity. This is the name of our sibling group chat. This has been my lifeline since my little world has fallen apart. .. Our gathering per usual had been organized by Rachel. Oni was to ship out on another military assignment. Rachel was to be visiting in the U.S. from her home in Okinawa. The first weekend in May was scheduled to be our time together. I asked that it be here at Morning Dove. It was planned many months ago. Far before I knew how low I would be sinking by that time. The long and short of it is that I moved into my home and fell apart. I had two months of the lowest most prolonged sadness that I’ve experienced. I needed my siblings. .. They came. We ate African the food of our childhood; suya, plantain, yams, Kenyan tea, Maltina, mango ice cream. We ate Itilian food for Tony; spaghetti, fettuccine, Itilian sausage, and of course cannoli. We talked, we laughed, we complained, we brainstormed, we reminisced, we cried-well I cried- we gave each other advice and solace, we laughed some more. We antiqued, we did projects, we went to church and to eat Mexican food. Plumbing was inspected, two cupboards and a couch were taken up the treacherous outside backstairs. In general the day was saved. I am so grateful. .. Here is what Rachel regularly reminds us; *a close and supportive sibling relationship can actually prolong your life. *a sibling relationship is most often your longest relationship *healthy sibling bonds provide emotional support *a good sibling bond lowers chronic stress *a sibling relationship can lower loneliness in old age. .. From Oni several years ago; He asked us this question and had each of us talk about it for as long as we wished. “Was you childhood happy or unhappy? Explain why?” This was very helpful and healing for us. Siblings will experience things quite differently due to age gaps, or personality, etc. .. From Andy; All the practical love, all the support, all the plants you would ever need! This was Andy’s 3rd visit in a few short weeks. So thankful. by @rebecca3m
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2 months ago
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…Mother’s Day Musings… .. Yesterday I realized that you can simply be grateful to God for how he’s given you the grace to be the very best mother that you could. Not perfect, for no one is perfect. But a good mother. This is only possible because of God’s grace, that we can do our very best. .. What we have received from others is not in our control. The mothering we have been given, the husbands we have had. We receive only what they are able or willing to give. Likewise what we give as mothers may be treasured or it may be disgarded by our children. This does not change the value of our gift. We give because that is who we are. We give because God has given us the grace, the fortitude, the strength to do so. We mother with wisdom prayed for, and then hand it to our children. What happens next is their choice. .. We also have a choice. We chose to be grateful, to be thankful, to praise our ever loving father God for the gift of motherhood and for all the joys that it brings! . . . my “brooch bouquet” is the birth flowers of Rose, Natalie, and Grace. My earrings are a gift from Nicole. My four beautiful, sweet daughters. by @rebecca3m
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2 months ago
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…Mollica… .. Today we celebrate Tony. It’s his birthday. A cool thing happened yesterday. Natalie was in town for the weekend so we went out for lunch with Rose and Justice. We all sat and talked about Tony, his qualities and funny stories. The kids noticed something on the menu that we have never seen at a restaurant before, in one of the dish’s description the word “mollica.” The meaning of Mollica is the soft part of the bread, or the heart of the bread. It is the part used to make bread crumbs. Mollica is a surname from southern Italy (Tony’s family was from Sicily) given to someone considered soft hearted or a baker by trade. .. Today thinking on this sweet God wink I remember how soft hearted Tony truly was. Yes he was a charismatic leader, yes he walked with authority. Yes a part of his job as a nursing home administrator for 30 years was frequently having to fire people. But we kidded him at home because he always would give the employee a fatherly pep talk on how to do better and be more successful at their next job. Tony always saw the best in people, he gave them chance after chance, he thought the best of everyone. These were things in him that I tried to emulate. .. So today through our tears we raise our cannolis (I found some delicious local ones this year at the newly opened Italian restaurant less than a block away from Morning Dove!) and give a cheer to our soft hearted man Anthony Mollica! We are grateful for our time with you. . . . first photo: Tony’s 2020 bday, the year he was simultaneously working on his Masters of Divinity degree and keeping covid out of his nursing home by @rebecca3m
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3 months ago
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