Making Amends

I spent some time today hand quilting. I've got four kaleidoscopes finished, doing a petal design in each section. Hand quilting is much slower, of course, but I find it much more relaxing and controllable than quilting with my home sewing machine. Now if I had a long arm machine.... :-)

I took the top to my local quilt shop a couple of days ago to match some border and backing fabric, and whenever anyone brings a quilt top in or a quilt gets picked up after being quilted, there's always show and tell. So some gals were looking at my kaleidoscope top, and as we all do when we see a quilt, they oohed and ahhed. Then one of the gals said something like, "I see you got all of your points matched; no, there's a couple there you missed." Well, of course, that was a little deflating, and I thought a bit tacky to say!

I was going to start the quilting yesterday, but as I thought about the comment, I was back and forth with, "I'm not stuck on it being perfect," but "I could take the time to make the correction, but "I didn't think it was that noticeable," but "now I see it right away myself whenever I look at it." Argh!! So I got to thinking that if she noticed it right away, that it was probably more noticeable than I thought.

So, I decided to fix the mis-matches and then found a hole in one of the pieces where I'd apparently torn it with the seam ripper. So I had to replace that piece in the middle of the quilt before I could get started. Actually, it turned out to be a good thing that I was reworking a row or I wouldn't have noticed the hole until I came to it for quilting, which would be a lot more work. And if it had gone unnoticed, at the first washing it would certainly have made itself known.

The comment and subsequent fix got me to thinking how much like that I am with some of my own weaknesses. Especially when one is pointed out to me, and I have that deflated, defensive response. I struggle with amending my ways because I think they're not so noticeable. To me, they aren't. To others they may be.

We're often blind to our own weaknesses, and it's really to our benefit to have them pointed out.

Hopefully, though, not in a tacky way.

Sitting on Pinnacles

Continuing to read and glean from Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss. Written in journal form, it begins with Katherine’s (Katie’s) 16^th birthday and follows her maturing into womanhood. I read a few entries in the evenings and ponder its pages--filled with food for thought. Want to share another brief excerpt with you.

October 30--I'm sure I don't know what I was going to say when I was interrupted just then. Something in the way of self-glorification, most likely. I remember the contempt with which I looked after Amelia as she left our house, and the pinnacle on which I sat perched for some days, when I compared my life with hers. Alas, it was my view of life of which I was lost in admiration, for I am sure that if I ever come under the complete dominion of Christ's gospel I shall not know the sentiment of contempt. I feel truly ashamed and sorry that I am still so far from being penetrated with that spirit.

....... My pride has had a terrible fall. As I sat on my throne, looking down on all the Amelias in the world, I felt a profound pity at their delight in petty trifles, their love of position, of mere worldly show and passing vanities. 

There was a terrible struggle in my soul. I saw that instead of brooding over the display I had made of myself to Dr. Cabot, I ought to be thinking soley of my appearance in the sight of God, who could see far more plainly than any earthly eye could all my miserable pride and self-conceit.

...At last I sent the children away, and knelt down and told the whole story to Him who knew what I was when He had compassion on me, called me by my name, and made me His own child. And here I found a certain peace. Christian, on his way to the celestial city, met and fought his Apollyons and his giants, too; but he got there at last! 

~ Elizabeth Prentiss, Stepping Heavenward, 1869

Painting ~ A Friendly Call, William Merritt Chase 1849-1916
Creative Commons 2.0 Generic

God's Love at the Quilt Shop

Today was quilt class for another of Kim Diehl's Simple Whatnots Club. We're working on Cloud Nine this month, 541 little pieces for a 24.5 x 24.5-in quilt. Cloud Nine? I do feel a little spacey after all that cutting! We started the sewing today, and the little 3.5-inch squares really are cute.  This is what I hope mine will look like.

There's a lot of chatter in a quilt shop. A lot of sharing of ideas. A lot of sharing of hearts. One of the women had recently lost her husband to cancer, and a friend who had stopped in was recalling his generous qualities. A blessed time of encouragement for this new widow. She said his death made her realize that she needed to be with people more on a friendship level, so she had quit her job that was taking up too much of her time. A wise decision.

Another lady came in who has terminal cancer to see if she could sell her fabric stash and a few books. She is selling everything and going to Florida. It was sad, and an opportunity for being a channel of God's love. We bought all of her fabric and most of the books she had. I had the opportunity to pray with her in the parking lot before she left.

Most of us need encouragement on a daily basis. Sometimes we know when someone is in need, but I think most often we don't. I was glad to be an encouragement to someone today, but these ladies were also an encouragement to me. Their situations reminded me that our times are in God's loving hands. They made me thankful that I still have My Beloved. And thankful that I still have good health.

But even if I didn't still have My Beloved,

and even if I didn't still have my good health...

I know that nothing can separate me from the love of God.

And that's what I prayed for that dear lady packing up to move to Florida.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor death, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

~ Romans 8:38-39

Sexual Purity: The Joy of Moral Freedom

Just got back a little bit ago from our women's Bible study, where we're discussing Nancy Leigh DeMoss's DVD and book Seeking Him.

 

This evening's topic was Sexual Purity: The Joy of Moral Freedom.

We stayed overtime with some good discussion going on. Why sexual purity in an age gone wild?

Staying sexually pure, or committing to moral purity, can be a big step toward personal revival, deep joy, and true freedom. ~ Nancy Leigh DeMoss

The God who created us knows what we need to avoid.

"For this is the will of God, your sanctification: 

that you abstain from sexual immorality." 

(I Thessalonians 4:3) 

Some of the principles we discussed:

  1. Recognize your potential for moral failure.
  2. Realize that you don't have to give in.
  3. Resolve to be pure.
  4. Remove all bitterness.
  5. Restrain your fleshly desires.
  6. Reject anything that could lead you into moral bondage.
  7. Run from every form of evil.
  8. Renew your mind with the Word of God.
  9. Recruit help.
10. Remember the consequences.
11. Refuse to remain in defeat and depression.
12. Rely on the Holy Spirit.  

If you'd like to hear Nancy discuss sexual purity, and why it's important to your own happiness, you can listen in here.

The Tamarack

It was a warm, sunny day so we decided to drive up the mountain this afternoon after church to one of our favorite places--The Tamarack. If you're ever passing through Beckley, West Virginia on I-64, it's a delightful place to stop and eat and take a stroll through "The Best of West Virginia's' handcrafted items. And every Sunday@Two, they have a free live performance in the theater. Sometimes that's nice to catch.

I especially enjoy looking at the quilts and getting lots of inspiration!

Simple Woman's Daybook

Joining others at The Simple Woman's Daybook.
Posting on Saturdays, linking on Mondays.

Outside my window...
Rain, soggy, soaking rain for a couple of days now. Landslide near the airport, crushing a church and evacuating some homes.  

Thinking...
About my dad's doctor visit today.

Thankful...
For the good health he's had for 88 years.

The fruit of my hands...
Finished True Blue by Kim Diehl this week. Posted about it yesterday.   

Reading....
Seeing With New Eyes by David Powlison.

Looking forward to...

Getting major fix-ups taken care of around the house so we can put the house on the market for our upcoming move.

Learning…

That when people show off their knowledge as if others of us have no clue about anything, just swallow my pride, listen and maybe learn something.

Pondering…
Wondering how a couple of old homeschooling friends are doing these days. Don't get to see them much now that our paths don't cross. Thinking about contacting them to get together over lunch sometime soon.

Around the house...
Not much going on of my doing, but My Beloved is mostly finished patching the ceiling from the leaky shower.

A Peek Into My Week...
A lot of sewing and not much tidiness, trying to get a couple of projects finished before the grands come this next weekend. 

From the Sewing Room ~ True Blue

True Blue by Kim Diehl is finally finished!

I think it turned out rather nicely.

I even have a little pitcher that matches. :-) 

True Blue is 23.5 x 23.5, with 6-inch blocks.

I could also use it as a small wall quilt, and I probably will.

 I don't like the thought of all that work getting soiled!

I quilted a simple all over meandering design.

The focus is the piecing and not the quilting. 

I had planned to use just a solid backing, but decided to go with one of the fabrics in the collection so I could use either side if I wanted to use it as a decorative table quilt. 

Two small quilts for the work of one! 

The Simple Whatnots Club meets a couple of times a month, with a new quilt each month. True Blue is the third quilt in Kim's Simple Whatnot Club that I've completed. I have a couple of the others cut out and partially sewn, but I've been working on other projects, too, and haven't gotten back to the Whatnots yet. I gifted Sunday Supper (13 x 16), but here's Widdly Tinks (12 x 14).

I'm learning things as I go along, and one thing I've learned is that I don't care for spending so much time on such small projects. I hung Widdly Tinks on the bathroom wall, and it is cute, though. Kim suggests rolling up small quilting projects and putting them in a clear jar, like a bouquet. What?! Roll up all that work and stick them in a jar??? Well, to each his own.

Nature is Slowly Waking Up

The calendar says Spring is coming! Yay!!

Spring, summer, and fall fill us with hope; 

winter alone reminds us of the human condition.

~ Mignon McLaughlin

Just one more week, and these will be packed away. Hopefully, the snow is gone now for another season. But I remember several years ago when we had 24 inches in April. Perish the thought!!

Seeing With New Eyes

I had my annual eye exam a couple of weeks ago and went today to pick out new frames for my new lenses. I hadn't thought that my vision had changed, but the exam showed that it had. I didn't even realize that my sight could be clearer and sharper until the "click-click, how's that? Better or worse?" Ah, yes, better!

I recall years ago when I first got glasses back in high school. I didn't really want to wear glasses, but I didn't know what I was missing, either. When I got them, I was very glad my parents had overruled in that decision.

Sometimes we don't see clearly, either by physical sight or by spiritual sight. The physical sight is quicker to bring into focus than spiritual sight, though. To improve my physical sight, all I had to do was to take myself to the optometrist, sit through the exam, present my debit card, and he took it from there. I get my new glasses, my new sight, in about a week. Looking forward to it!

Spiritual sight is made clearer, though, through the lens of scripture, and that takes getting into the Word and getting the Word into me. It's a growing process. People without the Holy Spirit living in them don't understand scripture, so they don't have clear spiritual sight. Sad, but they don't even realize they aren't seeing life clearly. That's why they don't really understand themselves, others, God (and how he sees us), Satan, or life in general. And that's why they think Christians have it all wrong. Not to sound irreverent, I hope, but seeing spiritually is one of the perks of placing faith in Jesus Christ. He opens our spiritual eyes to reality.

Picking out my frames today reminded me of a book I have entitled Seeing With New Eyes: Counseling the Human Condition Through the Lens of Scripture by David Powlison. I pulled it out to read again and remind myself of the importance of viewing people and life through the lens of scripture.

A brief excerpt from the Introduction: 

(Click book for more details)

"Seeing with New Eyes presents a collection of essays written over a period of almost twenty years. Most of them originally appeared in the Journal of Biblical Counseling between 1985 and 2003. You will find a number of interlocking themes appearing again and again. Everywhere evident is God’s gracious self-revelation in Jesus Christ and Scripture. The real needs and problems of real people—our sins and miseries, our need for the Father of mercies—are always in view. Our current social and cultural context—the modern psychologies and psychotherapies, these alternative theologies and alternative cures of soul—are continually engaged."

~ David Powlison, M.Div., Ph.D

  

David Powlison is a biblical counselor who worked in psychiatric hospitals before coming to faith in Christ. He teaches at CCEF and edits the Journal of Biblical Counseling.

You can read the Introduction and Chapter One here. 

You can read other articles by David Powlison here.

For the Sake of the Children

I hope you get your news from more than one perspective. There are some things that the liberal national news media just won't report, as most of us are aware. The leading article in the current World Magazine is an example--

"As the Supreme Court muses on same-sex marriage, men and women raised by gay parents speak out about emotional and behavioral problems"    ~ March 21, 2015

You can read the full article by clicking on the magazine cover.

Many of us as followers of Jesus Christ know why America now finds herself in such debauched, moral decay. In another article of the current issue of World, Andree Seu Peterson discusses the "acronym absurdity" of LGBT, and concludes the article with the truth of what is wrong in America. 

"As for me, I will stick to plain old LGBT, "Let God be true though every one were a liar." And what God says that's true, and what some are liars about, is that when a nation doesn't consider the knowledge of Him worthwhile, He gives "them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done" (Romans 1:28). In this mental debasement, "their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another" (verses 26-27).

My LGBT means that even if I am the last person on earth who still believed what the Bible says about the proper use of our bodies, I will choose to believe God over every other word, theory, testimony, report, feeling, persuasive argument, and complicated theology."

~ Andree Seu Peterson, World Magazine March 21, 2015

Being given up on by God is serious, indeed. LGBT is a vortex, be it real-life or virtual, that keeps sucking others into it. We have some young friends who have been near the vortex and didn't escape its pull. How about your young people? Are they near the vortex--virtual or real-life? For the sake of the children, be watchful. Be informed.

And get some news from a biblical perspective, if you don't already--subscribe to World Magazine. We get ours in print form as well as digitally. It opens our eyes to a great many current news issues.