A Mishmash of Thoughts

Please forgive this post, because it rambles. There is so much going on in my head, I thought writing would be easy. But instead I'm so full, I just don't know where to start. But God has been working in my thoughts on so many levels I'll see if I can make some sense of it.

Last Saturday my dear husband gave me the most amazing gift--time away with friends at a Women's Bible Conference. He kept the girls and sent me on my way (in fact I left before they even woke up so he had the entire day of stuff with them). It was the first time I had taken away that long with just girlfriends. He and I have left them with a sitter for the day, but I've never done it for me time. And it was amazing. The theme was "Back to the Future" and was looking back on Genesis 1-2 to understand where we came from in order to understand where we were going. There were a few "AHA!" moments for me but the one that continues to resonate with me is this: "Because of the Fall we WILL struggle. It is not that we MIGHT struggle because the punishment of the Fall says we WILL. But the hope and the joy is that the struggles are temporary and will end at our Father's feet." (very close paraphrase) I know in my head intellectually that the Christian life is not a walk in the park. I know experientially that the Christian life is often not easy. But sometimes it is just nice to hear it spoken from a place of knowledge. Sometimes it is good to hear that my experience is normal.
She went on to speak of how in general for women the struggle will somehow be in relationships, because we were made for relationships. Furthermore, in general for men the struggle will be in work because even before the Fall they had the task of working the garden, but the punishment of the Fall was that the work would be toilsome and futile. She reminded us that our husbands, brothers, male friends would often find work tedious and full of futility and that it was NORMAL, but our role as "helper" was to allow them to deal with that tedium. I really needed to hear that. My husband loves his work, but it has been fraught with futility the last couple of weeks. I confess that sometimes tire of being the only person to whom he can/will voice his work frustrations. I needed to be reminded that this is part of my role as his helpmate. And I found myself re-committing my purpose as his wife to being more of a Godly listener. Powerful stuff.
The best part of the day, however, was just hanging out with Godly friends. Here is a picture of 6 of us (the 7th is taking the picture).




(disclaimer: Before you read this paragraph please note that I read about 40 blogs a day and I only mention 4. That does not mean that yours does not fit the category that I am talking about, it just means that I couldn't list them all. Please forgive me.)
The weekly Bible Study this week is on hospitality. I love teaching about hospitality. I love opening people's thoughts up the notion that hospitality is more than preparing a meal or having a party, but it is a welcoming spirit and how we interact with others. I've been thinking about hospitality in terms of this blog. There are some blogs I visit (Shalee's Diner, Holy Experience, AMExpressions, Restoring the Years to name just 4) where I immediately feel at home. I don't have to post and be part of an "inner circle", I don't have to have the same style or thoughts, I don't have to speak that elusive God-language or cross-stitch language, I just have to come and I am totally welcome. I glean wisdom from the ladies and I know that God is blessing me with their words. There are other's that I enjoy what they write but I feel like an outsider looking through a window (if that makes any sense). So what does that mean for this blog? Well it means that I want this to be a place where people find refuge and the encouragement of a fellow journeyman struggling with matters of faith. I hope that no one ever feels like an outsider looking in. So I find myself wondering how can I be "hospitable" in the blogsphere? What is it that makes those sites (and so many others) so appealing to me? Is it the honesty? yes Is it the humor? sometimes Is it that they can bring tears to my eyes with their imagery? sometimes yes But the ultimate reason they are appealing is that they illustrate Jesus. I am drawn because my Savior shines there. He shines when they talk about their marriages, their kids, their struggles, their failings, their successes and breakthroughs. I want Jesus to shine here. I want Him to shine when I talk about Jewel and Flower and the ups and downs of parenthood. I want Him to shine when I talk about His Bible Study that He gives me the privilege of hosting. I want Him to shine when I write of the spiritual lessons I am learning. I want Him to shine when I speak of quilting and cross-stitching and traveling--passions He has afforded me to follow. I want Him to shine. At the end of the day, I don't care if you remember a thing that MiPa said today, but I hope you can say "I saw Jesus in her." To me that is hospitality in a nutshell. And here is fair warning, I am going to become more intentional in allowing Him to shine in this blog. Welcome friends!




Finally, I'm starting a new Bible Study at church. This one I am actually just participating, realizing that the teacher needs to be taught as well. The study is called "Life in the Spirit" and focuses on the workings of the Holy Spirit. Last night was the introductory meeting. I've already started the study and I can already tell that it will be challenging for me. Growing up in a denomination that downplayed the Spirit's role probably has had more impact on me than I care to admit. But last night something the Pastor said (ok I admit it--I can't remember what he said) triggered a memory from my university days. A friend and I were praying as we did every Sunday evening from 10-11. He was telling me about praying with another friend. He said something to the effect that he loved praying with her because it was like the waterfall of the Holy Spirit just fell on him as he listened to her prayers. I loved the thought then enough to store it away. I love the image more now. I want to be experience the waterfall of the Holy Spirit falling in my prayers. And, I'm going to be selfish, I don't want a little mountain waterfall, I want the Niagra Falls or Victoria Falls of the Holy Spirit to crash into my life. I'm excited because I know if I allow that kind of power to be unleashed my life will never be the same. I'm scared because I know if I allow that kind of power to be unleashed Satan will throw everything he can at me to discourage me. So please, please, please pray for me as I do this study. Pray for my spiritual eyes to be opened. Pray for understanding and wisdom. And pray for protection for me and my family that Satan will not thwart what is happening. (An added note, my husband is also taking the course so please pray for him as well).



And finally, finally: WELCOME BABY KEARSYN. My dear blogging friends Vicki and Andy have a new baby girl. Blessings to you and your family!

The Conversation

The scene:
Mom is in the kitchen finishing up dinner. Dad's keys can be heard in the door. Flower and Jewel are building blocks in the living room.

Jewel: Mom, Flower did a no-no behind the chair.
Mom: What did you do (as she goes to living room). (spies the scissors and hundreds of little pieces of index cards bought for memory verses scattered. puts scissors up, picks up paper, slaps Flower's hand once)
Mom: NO NO, you don't take Mommy's scissors.
Flower sits on couch, juts bottom lip out and pouts
Jewel: Daddy, Flower did a no-no come see.
Daddy: What will you say first?
Jewel: Welcome home Daddy, now come see.
Daddy: Is this hair? (pointing to 2 lovely locks of curls under the chair)
Mommy: Looks like hair. Whose hair is this?
Jewel: I don't know.
Mommy: Either you cut Flower's hair or Flower cut your hair (chekcing both heads of curls so thick I can't tell) so you know. Whose hair is this?
Jewel: I don't know.
Daddy: I will spank you if you are lying to me.
Jewel: It's Flower's.
(Mommy slaps Jewel's hand one time for using scissors. Daddy puts Jewel in time out for blaming Flower and getting her in trouble. Jewel experiences grace of not getting punished for lying about whose hair it is).




Back to your regularly scheduled blog.

In Other Words--Growing Plants for God

"These children are the seeds my days plant, the blooms of the next generations."
~ Ann Voskamp ~
"Holy Experience"

I just want to start by saying that I feel inadequate writing on this quote. I read Ann's Holy Experience blog daily and she blows me away with her wisdom. And here I am trying to comment on that wisdom.

Secondly, it is ironic to write about growing children in a week that I said to my husband I have no idea why God entrusted these kids to me, I'm not very good at this motherhood thing. (nothing major this week, just normal toddlerhood and preschool issues). I was at my wits end Friday when I saw the quote for the week and laughed aloud.

All that being said, isn't this a great quote?
I'm a farmer's daughter. I grew up on a cotton farm and I know the ups and downs of planting the seed and waiting for the rain at the right time, and long hours of tilling the land and irrigating the land, and praying the weather stays pretty enough to get the harvest in. I know all of that, and it is a life I did not think I wanted--too hard, too unpredictable, too long. And, yet, this quote says that, basically, we are all farmers tilling the fertile ground of our children's hearts. And I am thrilled to have this life.

Yes, it has lots of ups and downs. The joys of hearing Jewel (my 4 year old) playing church with Flower and telling her sister to hold hands to pray. The elation when I hear them singing praise songs as easily as they would sing "The Itsy Bitsy Spider." The fun we are having learning the memory verses that our part of our home education curriculum every week and the laughter each night as she tries to teach her daddy the week's verse. The ups are great!

Then there are the downs. The kissing the boo-boos and wiping away tears. The laying awake at night when they are sick. The almost constant praying that something I am doing or saying will take hold (and the negative things they may witness won't take hold). The self-doubt when I think I can't do this (and God always reminds me that He can). The worry when they are out of my sight. The fear of what the world may be for them. The downs are scary, but also necessary.

So I didn't want to till the land because it was too hard, too unpredictable, too long of days. And yet I till their hearts and that too is hard, but so rewarding; it is unpredictable, but God knows the outcome; and although the days seem long this time is really so very short. I hope to instill the values and knowledge they need to reap a harvest of a righteous life given to God. What greater privilege could their be. Thank you, Ann, for helping me see that.

"But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree plated by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers." Psalm 1:2-3

How do we protect them?

I have been heartbroken over the school shootings in the last week in the US. The one in the Amish community has particulary haunted me. My dear husband and I were discussing it last night and the discussion turned to this being another reason to home educate--we don't have to worry about them losing their life in a school room. But then we discussed, how do we protect them? How do we keep them secure? The danger of this world is everywhere--not just in public or private school rooms.

A reporter said yesterday that the Amish thought they were safe because they withdrew from mainstream society. I don't think that is entirely true. I do believe that were insulated from the constant violence that our kids can see in the media. Another reporter said about how frightening for those little girls, that they could not even pretend it was a movie because they hadn't seen one. There is no way they could comprehend what was happening. But their safety could not come from being set apart from mainstream culture.

Their security comes from the reason they set themselves apart in the first place. Their security comes in the faith and belief in God. They chose the lifestyle they led not to protect their kids from harm but to serve God in the best way that they understood Him to lead them, as did the generations before them. And that is where their security lies. And it is where what comfort they will find in the coming weeks lies. God is God and He is in control, no matter how out of control the world around us feels. And clinging to that is the only thing that can keep us sane in an insane world.

And that is the only way we can protect them. We trust God to have the bigger picture. We serve Him and follow His lead. We teach our kids that security is in Him alone. And we pray. We pray like we've never prayed before that He will provide their earthly security and ultimately that they will accept Him as Savior so He can provide their eternal security.

My heart goes out to all of the families touched by school violence last week. I'm praying for them that they find God's peace and God's security in and through the tragedy.

Security--where is it

I've been thinking a lot about security for this week's Bible Study, just not blogging much, yet. Mostly I've been asking God to show me where I place my daily security. I know my eternal security is in Jesus' nail-scarred hands, but do I live in that everyday? More and more I see that my daily security is in my husband, my kids, my abilities, our retirement savings, etc etc etc. I need to seriously think about how to align my daily living security with the Saviour I know holds it. More soon, but just something to think about.

In Other Words: My Partner and My Friend

"A husband is a guy who tells you when you've
got on too much lipstick and helps you with
your girdle when your hips stick."
~ Ogden Nash ~

I have a wonderful husband. He is my friend, my partner, my confidante, my lover, and my sanity at times. He is a great father. He is our provider and our leader. He is also very private and would prefer that I never write about him. Ahem. So instead of writing a story about him, I'll write a prayer for him.

Father,
Thank you for providing such a God-centered man to lead our family. Thank you for giving him a level-headedness in times of trouble. Thank you for making him compassionate toward others and passionate toward his family.

I pray that you will protect him today. Protect him as he commutes to and from work in order to provide for the family you gave him. Protect him as he makes decisions that affect the company he works for and the people who work under him. Protect his integrity as he meets with people, and in the business dealings that always ask a person to push the line, even slightly. Protect his Christian walk, that the people around him will see You at work in him and want some of what he has. Protect his peace if decisions are not as he would have them.

I pray that you will bless him today. Bless him with co-workers who will have kind words. Bless him with time to get away from the hurry of work and regroup. Bless his "iron sharpening" time today that both he and his friend may be challenged and encouraged. Bless him with a welcoming home when he returns and not the chaos of toddlers run amok. Bless him with a feeling of satisfaction that this was a day well-done, and well-served.

Thank you for the Blessing of him. In Jesus' precious and loving name....Amen

October Goals

Review of September goals:

Family:
1. Start Pre-K with dd4 done see here for homeschooling updates
2. portraits of the girls decided to wait since we got good family shots in Germany
3. pictures sent to family in the States sent
4. Enjoy a quality family holiday :-) done!

Personal:
1. Prepare for leading Patriarchs Bible Study not beginning this study til 2007
2. Participate in Life in the Spirit Bible Study (with DH:-)) begins October 11
3. Blog at least 3 times a week yes
4. Write at least 1 day a week yes

And now for October goals:
1. Finish Stef's Neighbourhood RR
2. Finish stripes on Preamble Sampler
3. Blog about current Bible Study topic at least 3 days a week
4. Introduce writing curriculum into daily homeschool plans
5. Finish 2 quilts
6. Participate in Life in the Spirit Study
7. Walk minimum of 2 miles a day 5 days a week

SBQ of the week: Mistakes

Today's SBQ was suggested by Sharon
(http://crossstitchobsession.blogspot.com/) and is:

When you find yourself making a lot of mistakes in various stitching projects do you find it better to muddle your way through or do you take a brief break from stitching? If you do take a break, how long do you take?

I find most of my mistakes occur late in the day when I'm tired or when the chaos level with the children is too high to concentrate. So in both of those cases, I find it necessary to take a break and come back to it later. Usually later in the day (if it's due to chaos) or the next day (if it's due to tiredness) but soon enough that I haven't forgotten where the mistake was to begin with. lol

Awesome Discussion

We just had an awesome time of discussing materialism in our Bible Study time. It was such a blessing. Lots of good questions. Even more heart-felt searching. We talked about where our attitudes about money came from. We discussed how we can instill in our children proper attitudes towards stuff. We prayed for our children as they live in a peer-pressured society to be able to have appropriate appreciation for what they have and God-centered desires. We discussed the heart of why we are to not seek more:

"Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have because God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.'" Hebrews 13:5

This quote will be the perfect bridge into next week's discussion on security. So much of our pursuit of stuff is out of insecurity. But God has commanded us to be content because He is constant in our lives. Amazing!

We spent a significant amount of time discussing how to be with friends who are at different places than us regarding acquiring things. We all agreed that prayer is the first and foremost response. One of the ladies said that she had recently dealt with an issue of whether to say something to a friend about a sin issue in the friend's life. Overwhelmingly she has been reminded that she needs to pray. "If I'm willing to say something to her, shouldn't I also be willing to spend an hour on my knees praying for her?" What a question. I'm not sure I am always willing to spend the imploring time on my knees. And if I'm not willing to do that, I should not be speaking "for" God. But we also all agreed that sometimes the Holy Spirit so clearly leads us to be "Nathan's" to a friend's "David" and speak boldly and responsibly about behavior. In those cases, we must be willing to face that if the friend is not willing to hear, the friendship may be strained or end until they are able to hear what was said. Courageous friendship.

We also spent a significant amount of time discussing how we may impose on others in our generosity. Thank you for your comments on that, I thought I might be out there in left field, but from comments and responses today, I don't think I'm alone out there. In offering to give to others sometimes it is just that, generosity, and there is nothing wrong with that. But, sometimes, it is perpetuating a lifestyle choice that says to others "this is the way you should live, where you should go, where you should eat, how you should celebrate, etc." Those lifestyle choice may be right for me, but if I set it up as the expectation and I'm "giving" it to others I may take away their ability to joyfully reciprocate in their own way. It is subtle. And it may not be the case in all offers of sharing. But I think God is telling me to be careful what messages I'm sending unintentionally. Why does this walking a Holy Life have to be filled with so many subtleties?

Finally the discussion turned to how do we make this work in marriages, when two people come with differing opinions about money and saving and possessions. We spent time praying for our husbands as they provide for our families (everyone present was a SAHM) and for ourselves to be supportive as they lead our families. It was a sweet time. I'm looking forward to future discussions in this vein.

note: photo from http://morguefile.com

Generous to a Fault

Well, no one took on the question of do we say anything to a friend/sister in Christ struggling with shopping/accumulating stuff. I guess I'll just have to keep praying on that one.

Today, I want to briefly mention something else that has come to mind as I've prayed over this topic this week. Can we be materialistically motivated in our generosity? Stay with me for a minute, because I don't know the answer. But I've been thinking how I have been guilty of saying to friends who have less monetary flexibility than me to just come and do (whatever) and I would pay for it. I am happy to share my monetary blessings. Often this is said when I am really wanting to do something and someone else is really trying to live within their budget. So I get company and they get to go do whatever. It should be a win-win. But is it? I wonder if my willingness to share comes across as flaunting. I wonder if I should instead choose activities that just don't cost money--still get to be with a friend but they are not put in a place of accepting a gift or refusing to go.

The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines materialism as

"Main Entry: ma·te·ri·al·ism Pronunciation: m&-'tir-E-&-"li-z&m Function: noun

2 : a preoccupation with or stress upon material rather than intellectual or spiritual things

Even in sharing what I have, maybe I am putting stress on the fact that I have it and not looking at what that may or may not do to the spirit of my friend. Something to ponder as I strive to seek God first, keep the attitude about stuff and money right, and watch Him align the rest of my life.

Blessings my friends. I'll post tomorrow after our Bible Study discussion.

Finally a Stitching Picture

Here is a block I stitched for Robin's Seasons RR:

It is Prairie Schooler--Country Seasons (Autumn, obviously).

"Let's Go Shopping" Not!

A few years ago I remember being in a study with someone who loved shopping, and buying and having stuff. Her love of shopping was becoming a problem in her marriage. So she was asking for help and prayer. She was saying that part of the problem of not shopping was not being able to spend time with a certain friend who often went with her. I remember someone asking her if this friend always bought things when they went and she said the friend rarely bought anything, she was happy to just look. So I remember saying that maybe it was worth pursuing just inviting the friend over for tea, or to go for a walk, or something that did not involve shopping. She was adamant that this was a shopping friend and that the other suggestions were inadequate. The truth is she did not want to stop spending money and accumulating things. She wanted to believe that it was the friend keeping her from stopping but it was her.

A few weeks later I remember being very uncomfortable when invited to go on a shopping excursion to Stoke-on-Trent, the pottery mecca (think Wedgewood, Spode, Portmeireon all at 80% off the prices in the US), because this person was going. I wondered what it said to go along when I knew this was a difficult area for her. In the end, I did go because she was not the person who invited me and because I actually needed a couple of things. But all day long it needled at me as I witnessed her spending more and more on things that she even admitted on that day she did not need.

Does it matter how we behave around our friends in the matters of material belongings? I believe that it does.

Paul cautions us,

“Even if we believe that it makes no difference to the Lord whether we do these things, still we cannot just go ahead and do them to please ourselves; for we must bear the ‘burden’ of being considerate of the doubts and fears of others---of those who feel these things are wrong.”

My shopping may not be an issue for me, but if shopping is an issue for someone else, do I have any right to participate in the activity in front of them or with them? According to this passage, the answer has to be “NO.” I need to find things to do with them that do not tempt them to step outside the boundaries that God is laying for them. But that is not easy to do. Even in the case above, where the friend had admitted needing help in the area, I found it impossible to say, “Maybe we should do something else.” I was afraid of offending. But that would be the response of a true friend.

It is even more difficult if the person who apparently has an issue with materialism has not invited me into the problem. Then it just appears that I am judging, not helping. So what am I to do? Is it enough to simply avoid the situation? Will there not always be someone else willing to go shopping with them? Then, what? Pray for them? Absolutely, I believe that is the first step. But should I speak up? I don’t know. I welcome your ideas.

In my heart of hearts, I want friends who care enough about me to tell me when I’m falling into a pattern of behavior that is going to hurt me. But that implies close friend. Do I want casual friends doing that? On the surface, not really. But, ultimately if God has led the person to speak, I hope they will be faithful to speak. And I pray that God would also give me a heart to listen. So in that respect, if I feel that God is leading me to say something I would pray that the person would be in a place to hear it. It sounds good on paper, but it is so difficult in reality. What do you think?

Tomorrow: Generous to a Fault?

Blessings...

Dream a Little Dream

I was sitting in a room of church leaders and future church leaders. We were discussing our dreams as part of a Jesus on Leadership study. The pastor asked, “What do you dream of doing?”

The room was quiet. Shuffling in seats. A nervous cough. More silence.

Tentatively, I said, “I want to write.”

There. It was out there. I’ve dreamed it for a few years. I’ve never said it out loud. And now I’ve said it to the church leadership. I held my breath.

The response was amazing. The validation of the dream. The encouragement. The loving and prayerful support.

The next day, I’m walking in the park with a friend. Out of the blue she turns to me and says, “So when are you going to start writing for others?”

I stopped. “How did you know?”

“I didn’t.”

It’s a God-thing. Validation. Encouragement.

"It takes a lot of courage to show your dreams to someone else."
~ Erma Bombech ~

I took the chance. And God validated the dream.


I want to be in the business of validating dreams, not of hampering them. How about you?


Join other Christian bloggers here today for their take on the quote.

Materialism and the 50 Project Challenge

As I said yesterday, I have been praying about whether or not there is any area of having material things that may be an issue for me or which could become an issue. And the thing that came to mind was my hobbies. hmmm

There is a current activity going through some of the blogs that I read to not buy any more cross stitch “stash” (charts, fabric, etc.) until 50 projects have been stitched from current stash. It sounds like a great idea, but then there are still a couple of charts out there that I am really wanting, so I think that I won’t sign up...

And I find myself pondering if this is my materialism issue? I don’t really think it is, but I think it is probably the weak area that I could let become a problem if I’m not aware of it. As I said there are a couple of charts I want. I’ve wanted them for several months now. But I committed to myself that I would not buy them until I finished the 2 main projects that are in my rotation. It’s not 50, but it’s the same idea. I’ve committed to myself to not buy any fabric until I have used ½ of what I currently have bought and stored. Basically, I want to be able to find what I need and close the drawer where it is stored. These are commitments I made in March to myself, and I’ve honoured them. If collecting hobby materials (cross stitch and quilting) was my god, I know that I would have failed in this endeavour a long time ago. I didn’t begin this commitment for a spiritual reason, it was practical--I have more than I need for three lifetimes. But does it say anything about my spiritual state?

Anna asks, “At any rate, I know I need to do something about the sprawl in my craftroom, so I was thinking, what's the point of 50? There's no magic in finishing 50 items, there's no rhyme or reason to the number 50 or even 25 or 10. Does it make any sense to stitch 50 charts if you have to buy the threads and fabric for 46 of those? Or, do they mean to use up $300-400 worth of what they've already got? Now that, I can get behind.”

Why 50? What about using $300 or $400 worth of stuff? Or what about just doing what I feel I need to do to have better control over the stuff in my life (or you feel you need to gain more control over your life). I think this is where I am coming from, 50 is an arbitrary number. To me it made sense to cut back. It made sense to finish what I started two years ago before I did something new. But 50 would just be an arbitrary target. I need goals that are more tangible, and make sense to my current life.

But now I’m back to my original question: What does it say about my spiritual state? I think it says that materialism is not my current god. I’m happy when I can add to my hobby, but I don’t have to buy to be happy. And I’ve learned how to share that hobby with others. In the last year I’ve had the joy of stitching for several quilt projects for friends to celebrate the joy of babies’ births and in one case to warm a friend as she recovers from chemo. God has blessed me with never truly suffering material need, but he has taught me to share with others by identifying with them in emotional need. I believe I am learning to say with the Apostle Paul,

“Not that I speak from want; for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.”

I am content with what I have. I believe I would be just as content with less. In some ways I think I would be much more content with less. That is why I continue to purge my life of junk. But I don’t think I need to feel guilty the next time I add a chart to my wish list or even if I buy something off of my wish list. I don’t buy it unless I can afford it, and I know that God has blessed me with the ability to have such luxuries. So cross stitch is not a materialism issue for me. Really materialism is not a big issue for me. That’s good, I have so many more issues to work on. lol. So where do I go with this study? Tomorrow I’ll be considering what to do when you know that a sister does struggle with the issue of material things. See you then.

Blessings…..

Materialism: Is it an Issue?

I am beginning a new study with my Bible Study group. It is a hodgepodge of thematic discussions. Each week there is an assigned topic for members to come prepared to discuss issues, questions, Scriptures, other people's quotes and whatever else God lays on our hearts. I'm looking forward to hearing and learning from the others. I'm believing that somewhere in the midst of these discussions I may very well find where God has been leading me to write. We'll see. But you, my friends and readers, will get a head start each week by hearing where my heart is on the issues and themes. Lucky you (tee hee hee). Lucky me, that I will have some of your wise comments to help me clarify my thoughts before I teach each Friday morning. Anyway, the first topic is just a soft lob to get everyone started. Materialism.

The definition of materialism according to MiPa:
*the state of being controlled by the stuff we accumulate
*the constant need for more material or monetary things
*making belongings an idol

(I was going to put an official definition here, but I think I will wait until another post. I don't want to confuse myself.)

I tend not to be too bothered by material things. New car, ten your old car, bus, taxi, or walk, if there is a means of getting where I am going I'm happy. Designer clothes or Wal-Mart store brand, if it is appropriate to cover and protect me from the elements, I'm happy. I like nice things, but I don't have to have them to be happy.

It is tempting to say that of course I'm not bothered, because I've been blessed my whole life with having material things. And for the most part that is true. I've never gone without necessities of life. I've had tight times, but never not been able to get what I needed. But I think there is more to it than that.

It is probably safer to say I'm not bothered because of the example of my parents when I was young. My Dad is a farmer. And farming is not very dependable. You can invest an awful lot to see it go to naught with a nasty turn of the weather or price. We spent 6 months of the year living on the promise that a crop was coming, but we didn't spend much during that six months in case the crop didn't come in. All of our expendable money was invested into the farm. If the crop came in vehicles, nicer clothes, more meals in restaraunts, movies at the cinema, etc were part of our life. If the crop was not good, we made do with last years models, more hand-me-downs from my cousins, and more game nights at home than movie nights out. It was never really articulated, but the lifestyle confirmed that you don't spend what you don't have, and I learned that from an early age.

The one thing that my Mom and Dad did not wait until the crop came in to do was to tithe. I remember overhearing a conversation when I was quite young where my Dad was predicting what he thought a reasonable guess of what the crop would sell for if the market continued. A tithe was determined from that and weekly tithe amounts were established. I can also remember another time after the crop came in, hearing my Dad tell my Mom to write an extra check to the church because we hadn't given enough. Indelible memories on a young heart which helped me to understand that it was God's first.

And so they laid the groundwork of a life that is not too bothered by material things because it is God's first. I did go through a period as a young adult where I was bothered and I spent too much. And the debt came. But God blessed me with a husband who made some of the same mistakes and did not want to repeat them. We set a goal to be debt-free and accomplished it and that brought a new freedom. We live within our means and we enjoy what God gives us. That has been wonderful. But that does not necessarily mean that materialism is never an issue.

Henry David Thoreau, in Walden, said that

A man is rich in proportion to the number of things he can afford to let alone.

I like that. The more I can let go, the less hold the cares of the world have on me. And the richer I will be. It is a philosophy that resounds with me. But it is not enough. If I am focusing on what I need to let go, material things are still my focus. They can still be my god in the quest to get rid of them.

In contrast, Jesus said,

What I'm trying to do here is get you to relax, not be so preoccupied with getting so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way He works fuss over these things, but you know both God and the way He works. Steep yourself in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. (Luke 12:29ff, The Message

This is really the key, seeking God first. Steeping myself in God. Giving God the glory and the honour for the blessings I have. Recognizing that I could have all the riches in the world, but if I didn't have God I would be far too poor. Likewise, I can have not a penny to my name but being a child of God makes me rich. When my focus is on God first, material blessings are just that, blessings, and they do not control me.

So, I could be on the way to feeling rather smug. Material things don't have much hold on me. But getting smug at this point could be dangerous. I asked God to show me the non-essentials I spend money on and reveal to me if they have too much control on my life. As always, when I earnestly seek God's face, He is more than willing to show me where my life could be more aligned with His Holiness. Next time, I'll look at the area of my spending that could become an issue if I don't keep it surrendered to God.

Blessings....Have a Wonderful Monday....

Little Blessings

Sometimes I miss the little blessings that God gives me, but our trip to Germany was filled with little blessings. I've been meaning to share them, but let other things get in the way. So, without further delay, here are some ways we were blessed.

*It was pouring rain the day we left. We had several things that we need to do before leaving (take dry cleaning, mail a letter, buy something for the camera, etc). Did I mention it was raining? Also, we were going out for breakfast as we do every Saturday morning. And parking in our little town is difficult. Did I mention it was raining? We pulled up in front of the cafe and there was a parking place right in front of the door. We praised God for His kindness. When it came to run the other errands, my dear husband was going to drop me off and drive around the block both at the dry cleaners and the post office while I ran in (bless him). Both stops had parking places immediately in front of their doors. This has never happened. We again thanked God. Then we went home to load the luggage in the car to go to the airport. The rain stopped. We loaded the car. The rain started again. Isn't God good?

*We are driving through Germany with a praise cd playing. From the back seat I hear a little voice singing "Blessed be the Name of the Lord, Blessed be the Name." It was so sweet. My husband looked at me and said "I think we are doing something right." Isn't God good?

*The *stupid* Satellite Navigation System got us lost. Yes it was the system's fault. It had diverted us around an accident (which we were okay with) but in the process of getting us back to the main road it had said turn right onto a road that was not more than a cowpath. (ok the system didn't know how little the road was, just that it was a road) So anyway we were lost, and we were trying to determine the best way to get back. We stopped the car to look at the map. Determined that we were about a mile from a better right turn and then we would be back to a main road in about 3-4 minutes. We were probably stopped for 5 minutes. We got back onto the road and followed our new plan and sure enough, 5 minutes later we were at the intersection with the main road. Where there was an accident. A bad accident. With a car off the ravine on the other side of the road. It had just happened. (Everyone was out of their cars and appeared there were no major injuries and several people had stopped to help so we did not stop--better to have help that speaks the language). The few minutes we were lost and determining our route may have kept us from being in the middle of the accident. Isn't God good?

*The weather for the week was supposed to be around 21C and cloudy, but no rain. Instead we had perfect blue skies everyday and the temperature was 30-35C. Perfect weather! Isn't God good?

I pray I never forget to thank God for the "little" things He blesses my life with everyday.

How has God been good to you today?


Another way that God has been good this week: My friend Mary's surgery went well. The surgeon did not believe there was any node involvement. She'll get full results today, but thank you all for praying.

Sacred and Ordinary

"No distinction was made between the sacred and the everyday...their life was all one piece. It was all sacred and all ordinary."

~ Sue Bender ~
author of Plain and Simple

I have struggled with this quote this week. I would love, someday, for someone to be able to say this of me. But, alas, I am far from it.

I try to live my life with consistency. I don't like compartmentalization of it--this is my church life, this is my family life, this is my recreation life, etc. But I find that compartmentalizing is so much easier. *sigh*

I try to not miss the sacred in the ordinary and to always give God the glory for the ordinary successes in my life. But in reality, I take far too much credit and bask in more of my own glory than God's.

I make distinctions between the everyday and the sacred. And I don't like it.

I see snippets of this seamlessness in other people. I try to learn. Maybe someday...

Other's will be writing today about this same subject. You'll be able to find their interpretations here:


I know I'll be reading with interest, trying to learn to be more seamless in my life.

What a difference 24 hours make

From the whirling dervishes of yesterday to whirling ballerinas in the living room today. Wish I had had the camera, they were too cute. Dancing with their hands in the air while I blasted Mercy Me's Undone cd. My perspective is better. I'm not really sure their behavior is better (crayons on the cabinet this morning prove that) but I'm not as undone by them when I'm focusing on being Undone by Him. I highly recommend this cd!

Thought I'd include a pic of when they look angelic. lol This from the trip. They actually started the night on opposite sides of the bed (note the duvet on the right side to cushion dd1 since she is not used to sleeping in a big bed). Apparently during the night she crawled over the duvet in the center to be close to her big sister and big sis moved to the other side in order to "keep sleeping" in her words.


In another note, one of my dear internet friends is having surgery today to remove a cancerous tumour in her breast. Please join me in lifting up Mary today. Praying for exceptional results.

Free to Good Home

One completely non-housebroken, un-potty trained, constant chattering and into everything 19 month old. Don't let the cuteness fool you. She is a force to be reckoned with.

If you are really kind, I'll include as an additional bonus:

One four-year old, not-so-helpful tattle tale. Not-so-helpful in terms of she doesn't tattle at the "mom she's in the laundry room" stage or even the "mom she took the soap off the cabinet" stage, but waits until the "mom she went in your laundry room, climbed on the basket and got your orange soap and took it to the toy room and opened it and poured it all out on the carpet" stage. It was Pledge furniture soap. It took 45 minutes to sponge out of the carpet. I think there will still be a stain.

Just like there is a stain where said nineteen month old scribbled on the tan carpet with black mascara this morning (pre-Pledge incident).

Any takers?

I thought not. And since they are both sleeping like angels and I've had a cup of tea and a long prayer/Bible Study time, I guess I'll keep them. Today. They may up for offer again soon.

Glimpses of Germany

Warning picture overload! Here are a few pics from our trip. I'll supply a few more stories in the next few days.
This is the tallest mountain in Germany, the Zugspitz.

Here we are on the balcony of our room. Notice the Zugspitz behind us. It was our view for the week.


Here we are at Neuschwanstein Castle. We've just walked down the hill after touring the castle (25 minute walk down).


Looking down from the cable car (we just came up those cables--it was practically straight up for 15 minutes) to the Eibsee as we near the top of the Zugspitz.

My husband and dd4 on the cable car.


My girls at Konigschlosse, Herrenchiemsee.


We took 1484 pictures, so obviously this is a drop in the bucket. I'll post more as I tell some of the stories.

The Car Story

We try to get to Germany every couple of years. It is a place that we love. We feel like we are going home when we go there. Our family roots are there. My husband was born there (he's an Army brat). It is just a comfortable holiday place for us. And one thing we always do is splurge on a premiere car for hire while we are there. My husband loves to drive, and autobahns scream out to be driven, really driven. So we splurge on a car. This year my husband had hired a Mercedes E-class with Satellite Navigation System. He could not wait to get to Germany to drive his Merc. It was to be a fun-filled week of seeing how fast he could drive. He talked about it and dreamed about it and salivated over it. We had the paperwork to prove that a Mercedes E-class was reserved. And we arrived...and this is the car we received.

Now you may not be car enthusiasts, but you should be able to immediately determine that this...is...not...a...Mercedes...E-class. It's not even a Mercedes. It is a Volvo. A Volvo Station Wagon. The sweet man behind the counter said to my husband, we have no Mercedes at all today. To his credit, my husband never said a word. He just accepted the keys. Accepted the keys with a dejected puppy dog look that would melt your heart. We could have taken a smaller Beemer, but it wasn't one with a power engine. (I'm sure they had seen an order for a car and two child seats and assumed we would love a Volvo Station Wagon. They were mostly wrong).
It turned out to be a great car. It had incredible power. It had great get up and go. It was comfortable. (It had a lousy Sat-Nav system but that is for another post). Our first autobahn experience in the car was trying to get to church on time. And when the traffic and road construction cooperated this car valiently tried. We just ran out of road. DH had not even started really pushing it when road restrictions were back in place. We didn't make it to church. But we had fun trying.

And, I looked at my husband and said, "I know it's not the Mercedes, but, really, how many people can say they've driven a station wagon at a cruising speed of 135MPH?" He just grinned. Not many.

In Other Words--Friendship

Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, "What! You too? I thought I was the only one!"
~C. S. Lewis~

It was a Bible Study class at my church when I was in college. I was 20 and the eldest person in the room was 80. I was feeling considerably out of place. I was going thru a horrific (and dangerous) time with a roommate and the leader of the group kept harping that I was being too rigid and just needed "to forgive." She couldn't comprehend that a police officer friend was spending his off-hours sitting outside my house because he was afraid for us. This was beyond "just forgive." I felt like I was the only one that the leader didn't "get." Jan was 15 years older than me. Married. Successful. And she was going thru a very difficult time in her marriage. The leader kept harping on the fact that she needed to submit--to a man that was not a Christian and was walking so far away from ethics much less Christianity that it was impossible to submit. Jan wanted her marriage. She wanted it whole. And she wanted to support to make that happen. The leader could not understand a difficult marriage. So Jan thought she was the only one in the group that the leader didn't "get." But we "got" each other. We instinctively understood one another. We could finish each other's thoughts. And we clicked. Friendship was borne, and still blossoms 18 years later.

Fast forward 3 years. I was sitting in the chapel at the seminary for my first convocation. Shy. Somewhat scared. Out of place? Jules sat beside me. Smiled uneasily. We started talking. Our hearts knitted in that exact moment when we realized we were not alone in feeling scared and out of place. Friendship was borne and blossoms 15 years later.

What is unusual in these cases? None of us share our hearts easily. We are all three very guarded people. Don't want to get hurt. We have casual friends, yes, but few deep-share-our-lives-with friends. But the friendships cemented immediately. We had looked at each other and found someone who shared our hearts, when we thought we were all alone. And my life is forever richer because of those moments.

If you are reading Jules or Jan, thank you for being my heart friends. I love you!


This post is in conjunction with Christian Women Online's "In Other Words" writing challenge each week. You can find what other's are saying about C.S. Lewis' quote here:

Education is Mandatory...and other iterations

I know that I am very late writing about the Mark Twain quote last week, but I was on holiday. But it is one of my favorite quotes, so I am going to have a go at it. Bear with me. I'll tell you about the holiday in my next posts. I promise.

Don't let schooling get in the way of your education.
Mark Twain

The theme behind home education in the UK is based on the philosophy "Education is mandatory, school is optional." I always think of the Mark Twain quote when I see those words. And it fits my philopsophy of education, so of course I am going to write about education. Right? Wrong. I've thought about these words alot over the last week and think that maybe we miss the bigger picture on a lot of issues that we choose to become dogmatic or legalistic.

I've had lots of things go through my head this week.
* Discipleship is mandatory, program ~x~ is optional
* Evangelism is mandatory, tract ~y~ is optional
* Mission work is mandatory; foreign/domestic/your own home is optional
But the one I keep hearing the refrain of is: "Worship is mandatory, church is optional" or in the phrasology of Mark Twain: "Don't let your church attendance get in the way of your worship."

Now before everyone writes me off as a heretical nutcase, don't hear me wrong. I think that church attendance is important, but should not get in the way of the bigger picture. Let me give an example from my recent holiday. We were traveling from Munich to Garmisch on Sunday. The plan was to arrive in Garmisch for the eleven a.m. English speaking worship service. It took longer to get across Munich than we had planned. Then there was road construction and lots of traffic at times. Despite my husband's best efforts (this story to come) it became apparent that we were not going to make it in time to even slip in the back late.

So, we did the next best thing. We popped in a CD of an Alexandria (IN) choir singing the musical "Send It On Down." We pulled into the Alps blasting praise music of the Holy Spirit coming to us and us going to heaven. It was amazing. I don't think the CD has ever sounded so good. We had an amazing time of worship, without ever getting out of our car. Would the church service have been good--absolutely. But it was not necessary to worship. Worship happend because we chose to worship not because of our location.

May I remember to not let legalistic bounds get in the way of the bigger picture of what God wants to do in my life.

September goals

Maybe if I write them down, I'll accomplish them.

Family:
1. Start Pre-K with dd4
2. portraits of the girls
3. pictures sent to family in the States
4. Enjoy a quality family holiday :-)

Personal:
1. Prepare for leading Patriarchs Bible Study
2. Participate in Life in the Spirit Bible Study (with DH:-))
3. Blog at least 3 times a week
4. Write at least 1 day a week

Stitching:

1. Finish Stefanie's NRR and mail it home!
2. Season RR when it arrives
3. Finish off at least one old RR
4. Get Preamble Sampler to the 50% complete mark.
5. Complete baby quilts

Speaking of finishes

Here are the little bands I stitched on Velda's Band RR that we are doing together.

It is SB's Pansy Walk and is so very pretty! Here is the entire piece.
It is on its way home to her where she can do the hem stitch--none of us were brave enough to do that on someone else's piece. lol

Sharing CrossStitch

Today's SBQ was suggested by Carolyn
(http://www.takingonestitchatatime.blogspot.com/) and is:

How do you share your finished pieces with others? Do you frame them, scan and/or photograph them, or do you have another method that you would like to share?

Officially speaking, I frame things and display them. Yeah, right. lol In reality I have a basket filled with projects that need framing. I do have several small ornaments finished and they go on my tree each Christmas. In addition to what is on display in my house, I do try to remember to scan or photograph each piece to be shared here and on the cross stitch forum I frequent.

Genes or Heart?

I thought about the whole notion of "reproduction," and what it really means to replicate yourself. Is it merely about the passing on of eyes and chins and hair color? Or is it, rather, the replication of the heart? Do we leave a bigger mark by passing on our genes, or our thoughts?
~Shannon Woodward, author of Inconceivable: Finding Peace in the Midst of Infertility~

This has been an interesting question to ponder over the weekend. It is so cool to me when someone comments that my eldest daughter looks just like her daddy (with her mommy's dimples). When she gazes into my eyes, they are his eyes with her wonder and amazement. And I can easily get lost in them. My youngest daughter is the spitting image of my grandmother (Pauline). Glimpses of her make me smile and cry at the same time as I realize I have the treasured blessing of my grandmother with me all the time, and that my grandmother never got to see this treasure. These physical representations of our family are all the more poignant because of our struggle to get here. In times of melancholy I wonder what the two angels we lost would have looked like. In our journey with fertility issues, we had come to peace with the fact that most likely we would never have children that carried on our genes. So the miracle of the two that carry those genes constantly amazes me. But as much as I adore the physical likeness, there is a likeness that I hope becomes more and more apparent as they grow older.

So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.
Genesis 1:28

It is the image of God that I want to shine in my two girls. I want the eldest to not only look like her Daddy, but have the awesome gift of faith and his heart to share his gifts in the church. I want the little one to not only look like my grandmother, but to grow into an awesome woman of God just like her great-grandmother was. Because ultimately, there are lots of days I can't recall the specific smile or a particular feature of a person, but I do recall how they represented God with their life. The "replication of the heart" is what is the most important. The development of a heart for and like Jesus is what I want to nurture the most. I want them to find their faith in Christ and to grow in that faith their entire lives. That faith is what will sustain them in the hard times. It is what will bring them to experience true joy in the good times. It is the only thing that will secure them for eternity. Family pedigree means nothing for eternity, only the state of the heart.

My Ladies Bible Study was discussing this a few weeks ago. We were naming the people in our lives who had developed our faith by discipling us or leading us to Christ or just by living a life like Jesus that we wanted. What we found astonishing was that each of us had been discipled and led and nurtured by a "childless" woman somewhere in our past. We were all impacted by someone who, although she had no children of her own, had poured her life into nurturing others. These ladies seemed to have found the same answer that the author of this week's quote had found. It was not just about passing on genetics, it was replicating God's heart.

I'm thankful for the persons in my past that helped to replicate God's heart in me. I'm thankful that there are persons in my life still replicating God's heart in me. I pray that I'll be able to help my genetic representations also become spiritual replications of the Image of God. With God's help and guidance, and the input of wise Christians around me, may this come to pass. Blessings to each of you today. Thanks for stopping by.

To read what other ladies are saying about this quote please stop by:

Saving achievements

I had the funniest conversation with a friend yesterday. I asked how a project at work was going. The answer? "It's going great, according to plan. I've saved a couple of accomplishments that aren't quite finished, so next week's progress will look really great." I laughed out loud. I totally understand where this friend is coming from. When you are working to a specified plan that numerically shows progress each week, you want each week to look great. So if the current week already looks great, why not wait to log all the achievements--it helps the bottom line the next week.

Then I got to wondering, how often do I use this same technique in my spiritual walk? "I've listed so many blessings this week, I'll just not list those so next week if I'm not as blessed, I'll have something to say." "I've read a little further in my daily Bible reading than I need to today, gives me a buffer if I get busy next week." "I've prayed a few extra minutes every day this week, so ..." You get the idea. Of course I'd never articulate it like that. But in practice, I sometimes live like that. I live my life like "it might not be as blessed" rather than relishing in the fact that as a child of a Holy King I am always blessed. I unintentionally plan to not spend as much time in Scripture or prayer rather than recognize on those days I get more time to read or pray it is usually because God is blessing me with that time BECAUSE I NEED IT! There is no way I can store up achievements before God. He has purposed the achievements long before I ever dream of doing them. He sees it before I do it. And He doesn't keep a numerical project plan of my progress. (Praise Him for that!) Now if I could just not think in terms of my spiritual life being a project plan and just enjoy the walk with Him, this would be easier. Enjoy your blessings today....there are more coming your way tomorrow!

Traveling with Stitching

Today's SBQ:

Today's SBQs was suggested by Anna M.
(http://annamspeed.blogspot.com/) and is:

What do you keep your WIPs and other stitching supplies in when traveling?

Short trips in the car, I just grab the ziplock bag holding my current smallest project and keep it in the door compartment of the passenger seat. When flying I put a project in a ziplock bag in my carry-on, after assuring that I've packed my scissors and extra needles (in an altoid tin) into my checked luggage. I usually wear my clover cutter around my neck and take the time to cut a length of each colour floss I might need on the plane so I don't have to worry about no scissors. I usually pack my DMC travel bag with an extra project into my checked luggage as well. A girl can hope she'll get stitching time when traveling with 2 small children, can't she?

Am I the only one who sees the irony in this?

My question: If you have an internet connection at home to reserve your PC at the library, why do you need a PC at the library?

"In Other Words"--A Lady of Grace

This is my first "In Other Words" entry. Blessings to each of you for reading!



I can only imagine what the folks on the building site will think when she arrives. She is a lady in every sense of the word. Refined, proper and so soft-spoken, she carries herself with more grace and poise than anyone else I know. Tall, proper, almost fragile—certainly not your typical construction worker. But this week she is off to Africa to build houses with Habitat for Humanity. Why? Because God has called her to go. By all appearances she may be the right person in the wrong job. But I cannot wait to hear how perfect the job was for her when she returns. How do I know that it is the perfect job? God has called, and He indwells, and the evidence will be manifest.

Salt, when dissolved in water, may disappear, but it does not cease to exist. We can be sure of its presence by tasting the water. Likewise, the indwelling Christ, though unseen, will be made evident to others from the love which He imparts to us.
~Sadhu Sundar Singh~

I have felt the evidence of the love of Christ flowing through this wonderful lady. I had only been in England a few weeks. It was Mothering Sunday. The church was honoring the mothers in the congregation. And I was sobbing. Uncontrollably…sobbing. As soon as the service was over, this hand reached out and touched me, and a beautiful musical voice said, “It’s so difficult, is it not?” A quick hug from someone I had not yet met eased my heart. She thought I was sobbing because I missed home. She could not have known the still heavy hurt I carried from lost pregnancies and how very difficult Mother’s Day was for me, because no one in my new home country knew of those losses. Or maybe she could sense that the hurt was deeper than being homesick. I’ll never really know, but I do know that she sensed that I needed to feel the tangible love of God and she offered it. I appreciate it even more now, years later, as I understand the “British reserve” and that an outward demonstration of that sort to a virtual stranger is rare. But the indwelling love of God comes out. I said she carries herself with grace and that is the apt word. Grace. She carries herself with the grace of God. It embodies her. And those around her are blessed.

I’m so glad that God has allowed me to be blessed by this lady. I am so glad that He has called her to bless some construction workers and volunteers in Africa. Most importantly I pray that those children with AIDS will see the love of God pouring from her as she gives herself to service in building their home. Go with God, dear lady, our prayers are with you.

Bounce, bounce, bounce

Planned a bouncy castle surprise for my dd fourth birthday. The party was Saturday. Saturday morning at 4 a.m. I was awakened by the rain. Loud, torrential, hard to sleep thru rain. I was quite worried. I knew I'd let her bounce even if it was wet, but what of the 10 other 2-7 year olds arriving at my house at 11 a.m.? What would I do with them? I had a few indoor games if needed, but it was just not going to be the same. The bouncy castle arrived at 9:45 and was set up. The reaction on my daughter's face was worth every penny we paid, even if no one bounced. It was almost not raining at 11. One of the young adults at the party went to "dry off the castle" and had a good bounce. We started everyone with Subway sandwiches and chips and hoped for the best. The sun held. They had a good hour of bouncing before the rain chased them back in.

So they came in after an hour to have birthday cake and play in the toy room and open gifts then it was time for it to be over. Didn't need any of the indoor games after all. whew! It rained the rest of the day, so we didn't get any private family time to bounce, but she was thrilled. One last shot of the two princesses!

A question, some finishes, and this and that

First, this week's SBQ:

Today's SBQs were suggested by Ami & Anna and are:

Do you have an organizational system for your fabric? If so, what is it? If not, what do you store your fabric in?

How do people store their fabric, especially those small but potentially usable pieces? Do they sort by count? How do they label it or otherwise know what each piece is?

I have a very basic system. I use a little antique dresser to store much of my cross stitch stuff. It has 2 drawers--one full of Aida and one full of evenweaves. Most are still in the plastic bags that they are shipped in. I know, *blush* you are really supposed to leave them in the bags, but it keeps the labels with them. I do open the bags so there is air flowing, if that helps. The ones not in bags, or that are pieces I have cut from a larger piece, I write size and count on a little piece of paper and staple or pin to the very edge.

Now for some finishes. This first one is for a band rr that I am in with leah and it was charted by her. I stitched the bottom band. It was a dream to stitch on and is so much lovlier in person than in a scan. It has one more stop in Canada on its way home.

Next is a little heart I stitched yesterday for a friend. I love how it turned out.


This and that: My daughter turned four yesterday. She is so excited to be "big." Her party isn't until Saturday, but she had a wonderful day. We went out to lunch with a friend for Thai food (her choice!). She called her uncle in Missouri. Her daddy had been working out of town all week and he brought 10 books home for her in a little carrying case and read to her last night. She has told everyone that she is four. It is so cute how much it means to her. I can't believe that it has been four years since she changed my world. She was our miracle baby after years of trying, two losses and finally coming to peace with the fact that we were going to be a family of two. Then she came. About her birth I wrote to her in her baby book,

You were born to American parents in an English hospital; delivered by an Irish midwife and blessed by your Scottish pastor when you were but 5 hours old. You are loved by more people around the world than you can even imagine. And your daddy and I are forever blessed.

I had no idea then how much a blessing she would be. I'll post pics after her party.

HAPPY 4th BIRTHDAY SWEETHEART

You are the light of my life! Can't believe you are getting so big!

Was this blog originally about stitching?

At least in part it was supposed to be a stitching blog, so I guess I need to post some finishes. I have had some, just haven't been scanning or taking pics. So here goes: First a neighbourhood RR for my friend M2! She wanted a table in each section for the neighbours to sit and visit--but I couldn't leave empty chairs. Plus church is important to both of us so I added a church. The block is a combination of ED, BD, BN, Karen Avery and Diana Prain/Gail Sirna.

Next, a Single Theme signature block (with my name blurred out, but you get the idea): It is an adaptation of Jean Farish, America Land that We Love Indiana block.

Finally, friends who have been here in the UK for five years are returning to Texas so I stitched a little ornament/going away present for them. Front: Back:

This week I am stitching on a Band Sampler RR and prepping my Seasons RR and a couple of surprises for friends. Hope to be posting more finishes in the coming days. Thanks for looking!

A floss-y question

This week's SBQ:

Today's SBQ was suggested by Ami (http://stitch.thirani.net/) and is:

For those of you who use hand or over-dyed floss, how do you store it?

I have my WDW alphabetized in a small plastic floss container, wrapped around the card with the name on it. My GAST is also wrapped around its card labels and alphabetized in a small make-up type bag. SSS and SST are stored similarly. All four of those containers are kept in a Longaberger basket with a lid, and sit on my dresser in the sewing room. All other hand and over-dyed threads are kept in a satin covered box. They desperately need some organization.

Rediscovering the joy of reading

I had seriously gotten out of the habit of reading for pleasure. First there was college, then grad school, then a short time of time to read, then too much reading for work everyday, then a move and settling into a new country and then kids.... Well not much time for me. But in the last month I have read more books than I read in the last year (Dr. Seuss not withstanding). I LOVE it. I just finished a marvelous little fluff mystery by Meg Cabot Size 12 is Not Fat. My eldest daughter kept asking me why I was laughing, because it is laugh outloud funny. I also finished a hauntingly engaging book by Jennifer Lauck titled Blackbird. It is the first half of her memoirs, and she had a terribly sad childhood. But I couldn't put it down. Currently reading The Gallows Girls by Gifford, which is set in an 18C stagecoach inn and Sometimes Kiwis Fly a hilarious look at a journalists journey across New Zealand on a motorcycle. I should finish them both this weekend, so I'll need to go back to the library. Oh, wait, I just brought an entire box of books home that a friend had "needing a good home." About half the box is books for homeschooling in a couple of years, but the rest are for me. What fun!

Princess Quiz

Found this on Taking One Stitch At a Time and thought it was cute.

What Kind of Princess are You? - Beautiful Artwork

The Traditional PrincessYou are generous, graceful, and practical with both feet planted firmly on the ground. You tend to be a little on the old-fashioned side. You value home, hearth, and family life and love to be of service to others.Role Models: Snow White, Maid MarianYou are most likely to: Discover a hidden talent for spinning straw into gold.
Take this quiz!








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A Lovely Weekend

Yay me! I think I figured out the blog settings. I hope you all who are using IE now see this blog without the discontinuity.

We had a wonderful weekend here in the Northwest of England--if you don't count all the rain Sunday (more on that). Friday we awoke to what sounded like a Peacock in the garden. We thought surely we were wrong. But here she is in all her glory: The peahen spent two days with us before moving on to somewhere. The girls sat in the window and watched her for hours.

Saturday, we went to the Women's British Open at the Royal Lytham course. It was a fun day. Saw some decent golf, but we left before the leaders went out due to the girls nap time (plus they don't quite understand how to be very quiet while the golfers are putting, etc. Photos were not allowed during the actual golfing and the crowds were fairly large, so we didn't get any shots of Michelle Wie golfing. But we will be able to say we saw her in her first British Open at the ripe old age of 16. She didn't have the best game that day, but she was still amazing to watch. DD3 did get in on the action at the kids golf course. Here she is in action: She thought she was something else.


Sunday we had a church BBQ. The boast Sunday morning was that we have never had it rain on our BBQs at church. Here are the girls listening to the entertainment: The are obviously demonstrating how not to use the umbrella. *sigh* We got very wet, but had a good time just the same. We were, however, very glad we went to the golf on Saturday, because watching the leaders come in Sunday afternoon on telly, they looked pretty miserable.

101 in 1001

The mission is to come up with 101 goals to complete in the next 1001 days. Why so long? Because some goals need to go over multiple seasons. Because sometimes we need more time to get to where we want to be. And because it just sounds cool. I first got the idea from Kristina who got the idea from someone else, and so on and so on as it goes with blogging type things. Here is an original challenge here (as best as I can figure it).
Anyway, here's my list....

Family/Friends:
1. Take time each day to really enjoy the girls—play games, read, play outside,
2. Take a weekend away with husband no kids
3. Institute a family night for games or movies, fortnightly
4. Re-institute fortnightly date night
5. Write a real letter to Aunt Jeane at least once a month
6. Send birthday cards on time to family in the States
7. Keep kitchen counters decluttered for family sanity
8. Return email to friends within one week
9. Send 1 snail mail letter a week to friends (JR, BC, WR, AJ, MW, EF to start
10. Be supportive of DH as we plan to move wherever is next (since this is likely within 3 years)

Spiritual:
1. Pray for those reading the Bible for their 101 daily for 3 months
2. Go back to Romania
3. Complete Breaking Free study
4. Do Believing God study
5. Do Patriarch study
6. Teach the girls a memory verse a month for 1 year
7. Make resurrection cookies with the girls at Easter
8. Make a birthday cake for Jesus with the girls at Christmas
9. Have a tea party for the widows at church
10. Re-read What’s So Amazing About Grace?

Hobbies:
1. Start and finish Solitude
2. Complete WIP: American Land that We Love
3. Complete WIP: Preamble Sampler
4. Complete WIP: There is a Time (Jeremiah Junction)
5. Complete WIP: Flag Sampler
6. Complete WIP: My Heart Belongs to Needlework
7. Bring to 50% completion other WIPs: Come and Share, Prayer for a Busy Day and Bug Sampler
8. Stitch ornaments for girls each Christmas
9. Complete last year’s ornaments
10. Complete my part of returned RR: Beatitudes
11. Complete my part of returned RR: Quilts in a Row
12. Complete my part of returned RR: Snow People
13. Complete my part of returned RR: Teacup Mini
14. Complete my part of returned RR: Fish Bowl
15. Start and finish Stargazer
16. Start Noah’s Submarine
17. Stay on track with and complete my NRR when it comes home
18. Finish into pillow or ornaments and/or frame 10 previously completed projects
19. Organize photos from time in England
20. Complete cruise photo album
21. Complete dd4s book
22. Complete dd1s book
23. Update website monthly for a year
24. Complete 5 quilts
25. Make DH quilt from t-shirts from previous company
26. Meet up with the UK Cross Stitch Crazy gals
27. Teach dd4 simple stitching

Cooking/Entertaining:
1. Learn to make pie crust
2. Learn to make pasta from scratch
3. Learn to make one Indian dish really well
4. Learn to make one Thai dish really well
5. Teach girls to make 1 simple dish that is age appropriate
6. Teach dd4 to set the table appropriately
7. Invite friends to dinner at least bimonthly

Travel:
1. Go back to Garmisch, Germany
2. Go on safari in South Africa
3. Begin savings plan to go to China and/or Australia
4. Visit Versailles
5. Visit Sacre Coer
6. Visit Berlin
7. Plan for another cruise
8. Go to well dressing ceremony
9. Go to Bronte museum
10. Go back to Wast Water
11. Visit Coventry Cathedral



Writing/Reading:
1. Finish writing “Women in Me”
2. Write “red shoes”
3. Write “accountability”
4. Read one work of fiction for fun each month for a year
5. Read at least 4 works of non fiction in a year
6. Re-read Caddie Woodlawn
7. Re-read Jane Eyre
8. Re-read Pride and Prejudice
9. Read to the girls each day


Health:
1. Lose 50 pounds
2. Have a caffeine free day, once a week for a year
3. Walk at least 5 miles a week for 6 weeks
4. Walk at least 7 miles a week for 6 weeks
5. Walk at least 10 miles a week for 6 weeks
6. Get rid of clothes that do not fit and replace where appropriate

Other:
1. Make a will
2. Review retirement savings yearly
3. Review budget semi-annually
4. Decide on and order curriculum
5. Strip and stain white cabinet
6. Learn conversational German
7. Clean out garage—get rid of everything we are keeping “just in case”
8. Learn to code in html/css
9. Complete PreK homeschooling year
10. Complete second year of PreK or start K homeschooling year
11. Comment on at least one blog a week for a year.
12. Make blog entry at least once a week for a year.
13. Do one RAK a month
14. Get telescope out at least once a month to learn the sky throughout the year
15. Play piano enough to refresh my skills
16. Get UK driver’s license
17. Buy a hammer dulcimer and learn the basics
18. Get dd4 swim lessons
19. Have Christmas letter complete and ready to mail by Thanksgiving
20. Update this list once a month
21. Upon completion of list, set another 101 goals!

You just have to laugh

Unpacking five year old boxes can be a shock. Last week I discovered 6 UFOs I didn't remember having. One is a Precious Moments piece that is so not my style anymore. Two are Civil War pieces long ago started as a gift for someone who now would not appreciate them. Another was started for my Mom, who knows when? All of these patterns (except the PM) have long been given away. A sweater I was duplicate stitching with a Noah's Ark pattern still fits so I'll unpick the little stitching done on it and have a new sweater for winter. :-) And then there's a bib, probably started for our baby that was lost. That's the only reason I can think I would have abandoned this project so nearly finished. What to do with it? I don't know.

Private ramblings about Melancholy things

First an apology to my IE readers, I'm trying to figure out how to make the Passions title align with the lily, but none of the fixes are working. If I can't get it sorted this weekend, I'll probably have to find a more IE friendly template. *sigh*

Second apology, that this is a very melancholy, just what's on my mind entry. Feel free to skip it if you're not into that kind of thing. It was a just a few private ramblings in my head that found their way to paper and now to blog.

Disconnected. Is that a feeling? I think that is how I'd describe my state of mind at the moment. I'm not depressed. I'm not unhappy. I'm just not "connecting" with anything.

I think it started with beginning to say good-bye to a series of exPat friends returning to the States and other parts of the world. Over the last few months, 3 families have left. In the next 3 weeks, two more will go. The exodus began with my closest exPat friend, my soul mate with whom I would walk and share my heart for hours, and she would do the same. And although we continue to share our hearts in IM and email, it just isn't the same. I feel like a part of me is missing. Disconnected....from a best friend.

Then my husband's closest exPat friend, who was his friend long before we all became exPats, left. Saying good-bye to that family was heart-wrenching. The wife and I have not been close for years, but I had held out hope that it could change. With them leaving, I feel that hope is fading. Disconnected....from possible restoration.

DH is loving his new job and it is so good. But for the last year we have lived on a high of God's absolute direction of going into an unknown world. It was amazing! But now that it is made known, we are back to the mundane. Not that God is not still revealing Himself--He is in amazing ways, but it is more the day-to-day real life. It is more of a walk on the plain of faith not the mountaintop leaps. I know that we can't live on the highs, but they are so much fun! So I'm disconnected....from the ecstasy of a mountain-top relationship.

Then there is the unpacking the stuff stored for the past five years in the States. There have been found treasures--a set of children's books I desperately want to share with the girls, my grandfather's Stetson hat (need to frame this in a shadow box), my grandmother's Bible, my wedding flowers, and a very old copy of Jane Eyre that was my great aunt's when she was a child. But there have also been bitter sweet memories--the video from two ultrasounds before lost pregnancies, cards of condolence from those losses, and journals of not-so-great times. Parts of my past who make me who I am but hurt to remember. So, disconnected...from a far away past.

Once upon a time I enjoyed these melancholy periods. Times when I could withdraw and regroup. Times I could spend writing and praying and reflecting. I'm struggling this time. Maybe because with two little ones I don't have the luxury to withdraw for more than an hour's naptime a day? Maybe I'm just too busy? The disconnection will pass, and I'll be richer on the other side, but right now I just crave some alone time to reconnect.

cat or dog?

You Are: 40% Dog, 60% Cat

You and cats have a lot in common. You're both smart and in charge - with a good amount of attitude. However, you do have a very playful side that occasionally comes out!

Are You More Cat or Dog?

another sbq

Sorry for a week with no updates. We've been away to Portsmouth for a few days. When DH returns with the camera, I'll post some shots. It was a great mini-break! The only downer was dd3 started not feeling well during the trip, was fairly ill on the train ride home and spent yesterday in bed by her choice. She is better today, but I haven't accomplished much with a sick child. *sigh* Now on to the sbq:

Today's SBQ was suggested by Carol (http://carolsxsblog.blogspot.com/)
and is:

Since you started blogging, have you noticed any difference in your stitching habits? Tell us about them.

I think that I am more aware of how much I am stitching, since I started posting on bbs and now blogging. I notice more if I don't meet goals set, because others are also aware of the goals. In addition to that, I've just been introduced to so many designers and patterns thru the blogs that I frequent. Many of the blogs I read, the writer's have a very different style of what they stitch from me, but I find myself more and more drawn to a wider array of styles having seen them come to life in other blogs.


Blessings...

Two SBQs

Today's SBQ was suggested by Vash
(http://seasidestitcher.blogspot.com) and is:

What is the biggest mishap you have had with your stitching material
(i.e. spillages)?

When I was stitching an afghan for dd number 2, dd number 1 took the scissors and cut a 1 1/2 inch slit in the afghan. She cut in a place that was close to the stitched design but was not supposed to be stitched at all. I was able to take the strands where I was fringing the edge and weave the cut together. Then I added a couple of extra roses to stitch over the section. If you know it is there, it is easy to find. But to the casual viewer it is not obvious.

[Last week's] SBQ was suggested by Cheryl and is:

What do you do with your charts once you've stitched them? Do you keep
them or dispose of them? If you keep them, do you organize them in a
way that is different from the way you keep your unstitched charts?

I'm getting better at giving away stitched charts to other's who might use them or putting them in a chart exchange that happens every now and then on the message board I frequent. I do keep charts that I am likely to stitch again, or which have motifs that I might use in RRs since that is my passion. Charts that have been stitched are noted on my excel worksheet of charts I own and are placed in their own file folder. That way when I'm looking for something that I know that I've stitched I only have to look in one place.

The smell of fresh rain

We have had several days of extreme heat for this part of the world (28 degrees plus). That may not seem hot, but when the low to mid 20s are normal and there is no air conditioning, it is hot. So last night as the smell of the rain coming wafted into the house there was a sense of relief. It had not even started to cool things off, but the smell brought the promise. I almost love the signs of promise as much as a promise fulfilled. I love the anticipation that something great is coming. And it did. We awoke to a fresh, crisp morning. Plenty of sunshine, but not the heat. (And my little ones finally slept in this morning. They've been getting up at the crack of dawn because they were hot and uncomfortable.) Looks to be a glorious day! Hope you have a lovely day as well.

Blown Away

Have you ever been totally blown away by something? You know have an encounter that absolutely takes your breath away? I had that experience last Friday night. I was going to the theater to see my good friend in the lead of Jane Eyre, the musical. I loved the book as a teen, so I expected to enjoy the storyline, although I just could not picture it as a musical. My friend has a lovely voice, so I knew it would be pleasant to hear. I knew that I would enjoy the show if only for those reasons and because I love "K." I never expected to be totally wowed! She was mesmerizing. From the moment she walked onto the stage, she was Jane. I would totally forget that I knew her and that we have spent hours walking, shopping, giggling, praying and crying together. She was the character. Her voice was in great shape--and she even said after the show that she seemed "dry" that night. The only time I was not watching her in awe was when A's "Rochester" was on stage, because he was the only one who could command the audience in the same way she did. It was an awesome night! Rumour has it that producer's from London's West End were to be in the audience to think about taking a version of Jane Eyre to the stage there. They had to be impressed with what they saw. Bravo! to the cast. What a wonderful evening!