A day of reflection

Simple joy is found in two peaches that developed upon a 'stick' in the garden bed of a leased duplex. Picked and placed next to a little green tea pot and cups. These were in my daughter's kitchen a week ago. It pictured simplicity for me. 

Simplicity has become my heart's desire. I want a life that is open to offering hospitality of the heart, to my husband, my neighbors, my friends as well as co-workers. Hospitality is 'spelled'  in a simpler form for me now; I don't seem to need and certainly do not desire all the accoutrements of 10 years ago. 

When my computer starts up I have it set to play Give Me Jesus sung by Fernando Ortega. It gives me focus and a good reminder. Four years ago I had a time of decision, a time in which I felt I needed to cease being a full time stay at home mom, it was time to provide income to help in our family's need of the moment. It felt like a major crisis.

I studied my spiritual gifts and natural leanings and discovered three specific directions. I numbered them according to my hearts passion and proceeded to write up resumes and make contacts. I began seeking employment with my 1st choice, then the second, and at last the third. The third one was my least favorite, a feared place of work, one I'd done many years previously and left with much dissatisfaction and burnout.  It was a time of huge fears, anxiety, and stress. Guess what the Lord led me to settle upon after all the trials, appeals, and efforts? Perhaps you have experienced such a time and are ahead of me as you read this. In my situation my last choice, was His first. His choice became my choice as time moved along.

His choice took me out of a bubble of sorts and exposed me to the elements of the working world I'd not be in for nearly 3 decades. In the field of work I have found a 'fit' I never expected. I am the most surprised of all. I have found opportunities to share Christ in both word and deed. I've been unsuspectingly an example to co-workers for I'm seen day by day, being a witness, a representative of my world view. I've been myself: working to earn money yes, but seeing in the people I serve real lives, lives in varying seasons of life, many in pain, some in much confusion as to family needs and personalities. I've also found a little joy in being part of teams who serve these people. Helping my co-workers, being helped by them. 

It has brought me to deeper joys, higher challenges, greater faith development, and more constant dependence upon the Lord; along with this I have received precious blessings, a bigger 'bit of earth' in which to toil, and I have been able to connect the dots of my life, my experiences, and my faith walk and apply it where it needed to be applied beyond my yard, my church, my children's schools, and my circle of friends. Today I had opportunity to look again at that transition - to review what I am doing, why I'm doing it, and to re-evaluate what God is asking me to join Him in at this time. Why? Well, I got news that someone else is stepping into a role I longed to initiate and fill back when this life transition began. Yes, my #1 passion and desire, the task I longed to work in, is now a position, and someone else will step into it. I was facing again the death of a vision.

It hurt for a few moments, and I cried out to the Lord for understanding of my emotions, to review what was true about Him, to remember what I am called to for now. To rejoice in this other person's new assignment and His creation of this role for the ministry as well as to fill a void in their life as they enter a new season. It is a day to reaffirm what I am involved with as fall plans begin to be made both for the employment of most of my weekdays as well as the day I devote to a Bible study class I lead and the women I study with and befriend. 

I'm so grateful that He has called me to the places in which I work/serve/and minister alongside Him. I am so blessed. I'm not a person who longs for the admiration of others, I prefer to make an impact in others lives on a deeper level than just friendship, and that means, fewer lives can be impacted. It is continuing the discipling such as I did with my children, offering cups of cold water to meet true tangible needs along with sharing God's truth. I also receive wisdom from those women who are my own mentors, those who have wisdom to offer me from their faith walk. It is a rich life that isn't just focused on here and now, nor me and myself. 

Now back to the simplicity focus of today's post. My heart and my home are in process. We have waited months, even years, to repair our home's foundation, to refloor, repaint, and start over again. We have given, sold, and tossed out bags of excess possessions and in this process our home feels more serene, restful, and open. We are enjoying the changes and it will soon offer us greater ease to share our home with others. We will be purchasing furniture for our main living area next;  I've been listening with focus to the Word of God as I read devotionally each morning, studying a portion of the Bible each semester, and now reading spiritual home decorating books. How much to add, what to add so we won't go down that American-style accumilation path again. 

I am beginning to see what a good thing it has been to not be able to replace worn out items all at once. I know it is a blessing to not put it on a charge card or obtain a home equity loan (been there, done that, got the t-shirt along with the burden and years of  limitations of such choices). As we save, shop, pray, plan, and wait for the items we need we are allowing God into these decisions that will impact our home's atmosphere with not only a decor style that is welcoming but hearts that are welcoming, unburdened by our setting's expense, maintenance, etc. This is so counter-cultural it is nice to have to take it bit by bit.

Perhaps you have walked this path yourself, if you have tips, verses of encouragement, or thoughts to share, post them here. I'd love to hear your heart and learn from your experiences.

Truth For Life

"And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, 

to walk in all His ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, . . . "

Deuteronomy 10:12

We just spend a weekend visiting our grandbaby (and her parents!) I kept thinking how much cuter can our grandbaby get? And yet, she continues to become cuter each day. 

Popovers! 

We went, we exclaimed "I can't possibly eat this!" and then did. We visited the downtown Dallas Neiman Marcus at lunch time Saturday and found the downtown traffic minimal which was a very good thing as we had to drive around a bit, circling here, circling there to find just where we could park and enter. Once inside we looked over the jewelry counter, pretending to consider a new 'touch' for our fall wardrobe. . . and after we had all gathered, we headed upstairs for lunch in their Zodiak Room. We had a lovely luncheon with a grandmother, daughter, and granddaughter (who is soon to be engaged), and three other mothers, sans our grown kids. We managed to order various salad plates, sipped iced black current tea (YUM!) and shared one dessert between the six of us as we were way too full to order more than one and yet it was too tempting to pass up a delightful dessert to end the meal we had shared.  We picked the chocolate mouse pie . . . wouldn't you have done the same? The various layers were all differing depths of chocolate - the white layer must have been white chocolate - it was very good, even the fork full we all had. Well worth tucking another bite into our tummies.  

That evening our daughter/son-in-love, and grandbaby hosted a sukiyaki dinner. My husband and daughter had shopped, chopped, and prepared, cooked, and served us the meal. She had her in-laws there along with one sister-in-law who is living at home.  It was a delicious time shared around the table - and was a gift to our daughter as this is her favorite family meal and may be her last one for many years as they leave for mission work. My husband was raised in Japan and his family has a tradition of having sukiyaki on New Year's day. We have adapted that in our family but with awaiting the immediate birth of our grandbaby this year, we opted to post-pone it until later. July wasn't our best time temperature-wise but it worked out very well. I neglected to photograph that event. . . . next time we do it, we'll take photos. The platters of the foods ready for cooking are works of art. 

Family is precious, passing the faith down is our privilege and responsibility. As we sat at the table of our son-in-law and daughter, sharing a meal with his parents and sister, it was a beautiful time. Each set of parents had prayed for their child's future spouse, and here we sit with them and their first child. Its humbling and causes great inner joy.

Truth for Life

Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;

His greatness no one can fathom.

One generation will commend your works to another;

they will tell of your mighty acts.

They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty,

and I will meditate on your wonderful works.

Psalm 145:3-5

 

Look who is sitting pretty! 

Its our grandbaby that is who! She is one smiley girl - loves exploring the world with her hands and mouth. She is getting enough hair now that it is time for cute little tiny hair clips - what fun I had looking at one fabulous store in Tulsa, OK called Kathleen's Kids. I found itty bitty ones and called my daughter to ask her for color requests. I picked them out, paid, and quickly left the store before I really got into shopping. We delivered them to her today. We have been hugging, talking to, cuddling, kissing, tickling, and generally making fools of ourselves on her behalf.  What fun! Tomorrow I'm taking a walk with my grandbaby before it heats up here - so early we shall be on the path of some nice streets of Dallas when dawn breaks. I'll get to enjoy my daughter and granddaughter in the quiet of a summer morning - can't suggest anything I'd rather do!  (no not even tea sipping or knitting)

Speaking of tea sipping, tomorrow I'm taking lunch with friends and family at a Neiman Marcus' lunch room - it will be delightful! Its a splurge that doesn't fully break the bank - and it begins with their wonderful chicken broth and the largest fresh-from-the-oven popovers I've ever seen. The popovers are served with strawberry butter - and all this is presented before the food you ordered for lunch arrives! The service is impecable thus you feel like royalty. Its a special spot to have a 'lets do lunch'. We will be women from Texas: Houston, Waxahaxie,  and Dallas, as well as Oklahoma: Tulsa. The women gathering are those who have a heart for God - it will be many generations at the table, some related, some friends, all soon to be friends. There will be some iced tea sipping instead of hot tea as its in the 3 digits of temperatures. We will be positively "glowing" as we arrived. Wish you could join us!

As we drove here today I finished up a small dishcloth project. a mid-July monthly dishcloth pattern I wasn't able to do day by day as the instructions arrived via email. I took the 4 1/2 hours of our drive to knit, listen to a podcast, visit with my dear husband, and answer my phone as friends and kids called about this or that. It was a perfectly sunny day with blue skies and white puffy clouds - a lovely drive it was. It is a mini-vacation for us. I'll knit some more at night in our hotel room before sleeping each night. And speaking of night, I need to get my rest so I can bounce out of bed for that morning walk. Nite, nite!

Truth for Life

O LORD, I will honor and praise your name, for you are my God. 

You do such wonderful things!

You planned them long ago, and now you have accomplished them.

Isaiah 25:1

Big blue and expressive eyes! 

Here are the lastest photos of our grand daughter. She is on a trip with our daughter and son-in-love and she is traveling well at 6 months. We are so looking forward to visiting her again later this month. Don't you just want to hug and kiss her? 

Smack!

I'm a lucky woman, not just because I am blessed to have such a cutie patootie grand baby but because of my children, and dear husband, and the family in which I was raised. I have 3 sisters, each different, each talented in her own way, each unique in interests and personality. I also have a brother who keeps pretty much to himself. I'm glad I was raised in a large family - it continues to be a blessing as we all grow older. I pray you have family, by birth or by delivery by God through your church family. Don't live life alone - be connected to family and friends. Life is much sweeter when lived with, shared with, enjoyed with, and walked out with others. But when you need direction, don't first look to friends or family, look first to the one who can see it all, our past, our present, and our future, who watches over us, is ready to lead, guide, and direct us in what will be the best life of all. He has a view no other man has.

Truth For Life

Trust in the LORD with all your heart;

do not depend on your own understanding.

Seek his will in all you do,

and he will show you which path to take.

Proverbs 3:5,6

Finished this dishcloth up as I listened to some radio programs via the internet. This is called the Pebble Stitch Cloth. I got the pattern here:

jimsyldesign.com/dishbout/kpatterns/pebble.html

I have made 3 other dishcloth patterns, all gifts to be given. It has been a pleasure to work on them over the past month knowing they would be used in someone's home. . . gifts of my hands and heart for their homes. A gift of time for their home care.

Knitting as one listens to a book on tape or a podcast or a radio program makes the knitting go pleasantly. Today's programs were focused upon becoming a woman of moderation. Not a woman who gulps food (and life!) but savors life, tastes life, enjoys life. Music to my ears and heart! This is what my life is headed towards. . . perhaps it is middle age, perhaps it is because I now work outside the home and am exposed to the pace and frustrations of peers at work that I sense the fast paced 'just making do' of today's American. 

It would be easy to pick up the pace of others, to let them be the speed setters of my own life; but I purpose to have a different center of life. If I didn't, I fear what direction my life would take. It would not be a life that has balance, joy, or peace; I would not have the time to reach out to others, for reaching out would further overbalance my life by their demands and even needs.  This requires a daily re-setting of what is true, what is good, what is necessary, what I'm truly called to do during each day, on any given day. 

Pushing the reset button? How do I do it? I soak in God's Word each morning and evening, thinking upon what I read, memorizing it, and thus allowing it to change my thoughts, my views, with the result of this inner view of life overflowing into what I do, when I do it, how I do it, with whom I do it, etc. as well as what I opt out of doing. I seek God for the discernment to know what He has asked me to do. I see this dependence upon God in Christ's life and words in the gospel of John. I ask God to make it real in my life. May this be true in your life, dear reader 

Truth For Life

Taste and see that the LORD is good.

Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him.

Fear the LORD, you His saints, for those who fear Him lack no things.

Psalm 34:8-9

Summer time! The weekend was lovely! We had sun, we had rain, we had heat. We slept in 3 mornings until 8:30 a.m. - positively luxurious! We cooked out, joined others for a cook out on Friday and Saturday evenings. Friday was with family and filled with much laughter around the table indoors. The other was with friends, old and new, in our Sunday school class. We ate outdoors under huge oak trees. It was a potluck with hot dogs, hamburgers, many delicious sides dishes, home made ice cream and fresh blueberry cobbler. We shared summer plans, jokes, and talked of planning a group trip to Alaska by cruise. Now that is tempting!!!! (we'll be given a year to save for that trip so as many in our class can participate as possible)

At home we enjoyed our pool, read, watered the lawn, went to church and enjoyed having some time with our adult son. It was a perfect summer holiday. I hope this finds you having spent yours with loved ones. We are now planning a trip to see our grandbaby this month - that will be another fun time. We received new photos via email showing her latest feats: she is now sitting up on her own and beginning to eat foods. Being our first grandchild, we are amazed and enthralled with every single step of her growth and development. (have you been there, too?) 

On the needles? I finished up a dishcloth last week and began a new one today. This one is a pattern called Pebble-Stitch Cloth and is designed by Cindy Bartorillo. You can see a photo and get the pattern at: www.jimsyldesign.com/dishbout/kpatterns/pebble.html

I'm knitting one up in Sugar 'n Cream in Key Lime Pie color. It should 'fit' into a friend's kitchen when she gets her walls repainted. She has a sample of her paint on her wall which helped me pick out a yarn to work into her new decor. I'm also looking into patterns I have and pattern books I've checked out from the library for making use of some yarns I have in my stash. Will post photos as I begin those projects. I also plan to make a fan and feather patterned hat to match the fan and feather baby blanket I knit up for a future baby gift.

Truths For Life

Let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,

not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together.

Hebrews 10:24-25

Happy 4th of July!

The holiday is soon to be upon us! Our local newspapers are abounding in details for how to celebrate, where to celebrate, new recipes, favorite recipes, etc. How about knitting up a tiny flag to make into a pin? Vogue Knitting provides such a pattern here: www.vogueknitting.com/patterns/free/2008/flag-pin.pdf

I think that I will make one using embroidery floss as it won't take much and I don't have red and blue yarn and wouldn't want to have more yarn left over in my stash.

We'll be spending our 4th quietly. I work that morning but will be home the rest of the day. On the 5th we'll join many families from our Sunday school class for dinner and fireworks. Its a tradition hosted by one of our families; it makes for a family feel and I love it! I am trying to decide whether I'll bake a dessert or bring a side dish or salad - the options are open. We don't celebrate with our family as my own extended family and my husband's have dwindled and moved on to their own traditions what with only one grandparent between us living. So, with one child married and gone, the other likely to travel with the one grandparent to visit an uncle and aunt out of state. . . . that leaves us with a vacation-for-2. Not a bad thing at all! 

I think we will plant some shrubs in our new shrub beds since our back yard has now been french drained, re-sodded and just awaiting the replacement of a large portion of our fence. We may set up our little blow up "Family Swim Center" pool. (that is what the box calls it, we find it every year and joke about our having a family swim center on the back patio)  Its a large pool that is deep enough and long enough for us to sit in, read, relax, and cool off as we get a bit of the sun. We buy this same pool each year as we usually wear one out. It provides us with a cool dip before sleeping at night - makes for a better night of rest when our weather tops upper 90's or low 100's. 

May you have a pleasant 4th - spend it safely, with family and friends, good American foods in the great outdoors! As we celebrate our freedom as Americans, let us not forget the freedom we have offered to us in Christ, the true, eternal freedom.

Truth For Life

So Christ has truly set us free. 

Now make sure that you stay free, 

and don't get tied up again in slavery to the law.

Galatians 5:1

Summer time tea - cool, clear, and easy breezy!

Eons ago when I was newly married, my brother-in-law told me about making tea, not the sun tea method that was popular in the then 1970's but rather tea steeped in the refrigerator. He referred to it as Tupper Tea; my sister, his wife, had hosted a Tupperware party and her hostess had been featuring the pitchers they had (in brown, burnt orange, or harvest gold) and one use was making iced tea in your refrigerator. He was so impressed with it he told me about it when he saw my new brown pitcher in our first apartment. I made it then for my growing family and now make it for just-the-two-of-us in a simple old green glass juice bottle. I use tap water and 2 tea bags, basic black tea bags. Mine happen to be Life Boat tea today, I'm using up a box of this and it works well. I love to make flavored tea by using one bag of simple black tea and one of a flavored tea so its not too overpowering. My bottle is a quart size. 

Use any bottle you have, or your favorite pitcher that has a lid. (or cover it with plastic wrap to keep other odors/fragrances away) Pour in cold tap water, add the tea bags and chill for 3 or more hours. I recommend a little more tea bags than you'd use to steep iced tea using hot water, but not too many more! If it is too strong you can add cool water to your glass, no problem.  When time has passed you will have already chilled tea - thus your ice cubes don't melt quickly. The tea is clear - it doesn't cloud up, even when you serve it up over a period of a few days. No special tea is needed but if you serve it with a slice or orange, lemon, lime, pineapple, melon, sprig of mint, you name it, that makes it extra special. 

I love the green glass bottle, it reminds me of ones my mother had, her sister had one, too. When I was a child and came in from playing outdoors in the summer, cold water was kept in such a jar. It was wonderful to pour iced cold water into a glass and drink it - ahhhh! This was long before refrigerators with ice machines, cold water on tap, no filtered water, etc. It was a simple time with simple pleasures. We have lost that in our high-tech world. We forget to slow down, touch base with those we love, those we live by, and those we want to get to know.

As I sip my Refrigerator tea today I am pondering upon a few things. Does my life color the world I move in? Does it change for good, like water in a jar with tea bags? Do I add flavor to it even when its an average day? Do I leave good flavor especially when its a wild overly busy day? What flavor do I pour into others lives? I pray that I leave the fragrance and 'taste' of Christ in how I live, what I do, what I say, how I say it, even what I don't say. How about you?

Truth For Life

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal processions in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. 

2 Corinthians 2:13-15

Another couple of things on and off my needles

This past week I finished up the lovely fan and feather baby blanket. It is tucked away waiting for the time I need a specially hand-knit gift for a little one. I think I shall knit up a hat in the same pattern to accompany the blanket. That would be elegant! Perhaps I can find some baby booties with cuffs in the pattern? If you know of one, would you email me the website? Thank you! I also finished up another dishcloth, this time in a sage green. Once a month I knit a dishcloth with a group that receives 9 rows of the pattern in a 6 day period so you are never overwhelmed. This month was lovely, looks like a cable but it isn't, I am going to package it with a natural colored dishcloth and a camel colored one - these are little gifts for a friend who is hosting a summer Bible study. I'll accompany them with some foaming dishwashing liquid in some lovely scent. She is in the midst of redecorating her kitchen and these will work well in her new look.  These dishcloths are a work of my hands and heart for her hospitality to the 8 to 10 of us who are going to meet in her living room for 6 weeks. 

There was a woman in our group some years ago that always gifted the hostess with a dishcloth, one, handmade, sometimes tied with a ribbon, sometimes just rolled up and handed to the hostess with a hug and a blessing. Because of this simple gesture I longed to learn to knit for her pattern was a knitted cloth, not crochet, and I used the dishcloths she gave me, used them and loved using them. 4 to 5 years ago I began a prayer shawl ministry and learned to knit on-the-fly so I could teach others how to knit. (I knew how to crochet but needed to show others how to do both) I was motivated and thrilled to finally learn. One of my first attempts to knit I transferred to finding the pattern for the dishcloth my friend had given me and others. It was, the infamous Grandmother's Favorite. It makes a great baby blanket when you make it larger. Here is a website for the pattern if you don't happen to know of this pattern.  www.jimsyldesign.com/dishbout/kpatterns/grfavorite.html The photo on the left shows the grandmother's favorite pattern.  The one on the right is my current projects.

Truth for Life

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.

Romans 12:12-14

A place for everything

Very creative daughter, have I. When you have a need and consider your options - sometimes you create a very pretty means of keeping baby pacifiers collected, visible, and readily available! What began as a lovely floral arrangement, with a pink rectangular vase left when all had wilted. . . has months later become a colorful addition to our granddaughters nursery. Makes me wonder what I already have that I'm not fully utilizing in such clever and useful ways.

For Father's day weekend, my husband, grown son, and I drove to Dallas to see our son-in-love, daughter, and grandbaby. We shared some shopping, meals, and conversation for nearly 2 full days. It was 'just right'. Our grandbaby has grown and has learned to reach for things she wants to explore. Once she is mobile by crawling - look out world! She is a cutie pie and managed to go with us so many places, even missing naps. I hope our departure afforded their family one long afternoon nap on Sunday. 

While I rode in the car to and from Dallas I knit. I finished the baby blanket fan and feather pattern. Hooray! I have no particular baby in mind for it but so longed to see it knit up from my own needles, it is so elegant! I plan to try the more traditional fan and feather that creates more ridges and is both sided in pattern to see what I think about that variation. Soon to begin today is a dishcloth/washcloth in Sugar and Cream in sage green. I'm knitting these up in white, off white, and sage greens to have on hand for hospitality gifts. . . . I like the more natural colors as they fit into more of today's home decor and might just get used if accompanies with either a handmade soap (purchased) or a foaming dishwashing soap dispenser.  

Today we begin what is to be day 1 of 5 days of rain in our forecast. That makes for  a desire to sit and knit or read or knit and listen to an audio book at home. It, of course, includes tea sipping, perhaps even hot tea as we are having temperatures in the upper 60's and low 70's. Tea is soothing, warming to the body and calming to the emotions. Coffee revs us up, tea calms us down. I hope for dry spells in our rainy week sometime each day so I can get in my walks - the dogs will need it as much as I.  I listen to podcasts: Revive Our Hearts, Family Life Today, Focus on the Family, and at times, knitting podcasts. The spiritual podcasts strengthen more than my soul, they strengthen my life focus, challenge me in this season of life, in my marriage, my family, and my work. They provide me with depth for living and give me words that are more likely to contain wisdom when I spend time with friends.

I spent some extra time this morning catching up on my morning devotional reading - I forgot my Daily Walk booklet this weekend so I had to guess what chapters in Psalms to read. How timely they are! I've been feeling blue and having to focus on what is true about God, what His plans are, what He values, etc. and how good it is to focus on Him, to get a perspective adjustment, and to find the peace that passes understanding. I can't say enough about how being in God's Word on a regular basis with a plan of reading it by book, rather than by a verse here a phrase there, makes for understanding what a particular verse means in its context. It at times surprises me how verses are quoted, shared, sung, but the context is not what we have come to think them to be. When I discover such a gem, I'm awestruck. I make note of the true context of the verse and consider how the true context speaks to my life with the setting taken into account. 

Truth for Living

Let They hand be upon the man of Thy right hand, Upon the son of Man whom Thou didst make strong for Thyself. Then we shall not turn back from Thee; Revive us, and we will call upon Thy name. O LORD God of hosts, restore us; cause Thy face to shine upon us, and we will be saved.

Psalm 80:17-19

A little bit here, a little bit there

Often life's tasks seem insignificant: wake up, shower, walk dogs, curl hair, read Bible, meditate on reading, pray, make the bed, tidy the bathroom, tidy the kitchen, pack the lunch, eat breakfast, brush out hair, find the keys, drive to work. . . . but each part adds to the whole of your life. Here is a web page that says it much better than I. If you feel your life's tasks don't add up to much, visit Mary Hunt's page today. It will inspire you in ways in which my words can not this evening.

www.moneyrulesdebtstinks.com/?p=334#more-334

I am a knitter. I love the ways the two stitches, knit and purl make all the variety of patterns and looks knitted fabric becomes. I am more of a product person than process but I am purposing to be more of a process person, to enjoy the rhythm of knitting, to enjoy the rows the stitches make, the fabric the rows become, and later the product that the pattern creates. I love the pace of knitting, it takes time but gives time to think, pray, enjoy your company, relax,and breathe. I love to listen to podcasts or audio books while I knit if I'm alone. I can talk while I knit or listen to others visit, it focuses me more on what is going on around me. Knitters understand this. We aren't ignoring others while we knit but rather focusing more upon what is being said and how its being said for our knitting gives us an anchoring point. And the products we produce make gifts of love for others or even our own homes or ourselves. It is a giving hobby. And those who give, live life more fully. In service there is greater living, greater joy, greater depth to life than in living solely to get, to keep, to collect, or  to achieve.

Watch this short video on how to switch between a knit and a purl stitch:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xc1olkBY8A

Truth for life

Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to saving yourself, your true self. What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you? What could you ever trade your soul for?

Mark 8:36

I can't help myself! Here is a darling photo of Avery 'reading' a most appropriate book for what life has ahead of her in a few months. The book title is: Global Baby: How to keep you and your infant smiling before, during, and after your international move

Here she is! The lastest of our darling grandchild, Avery! She is now a full 5 months old. She is nothing but smiles, babbling, giggles, and a ton of fun. We haven't seen her in a month but will get to see her soon in person. Our daughter and son-in-law are quick with their phone cameras and digital cameras and are so good to keep us updated on her activities. Isn't she the cutest EVah? Yes, I am a first time grandmother, why do you ask? I 'heard' you think that question.

Here we see her playing in her bumbo chair without the tray, below with the tray and also having some tummy time. You just can't get enough of her sweet face! I'm learning how to podcast at this time for I plan to produce a podcast for Avery who will soon move oceans away. I plan to read to her, share things with her, show her how to make things via a blog, etc. so she can feel some connection to me as she grows up in south Africa. 

Truth for life:

Live your lives as the Good News of Christ says you should. 

If I come to you, or not, I want to hear that you are standing true as one. 

I want to hear that you are working together as one, preaching the Good News.

Philippians 1:27

Time moves along. . . . . the caladiums are up and providing the welcoming atmosphere I love for our front porch. We have had storms roll through several times this week; they have provided water for our plants and yard, and then the sun returns and lawn mowers can be once more heard. We've had power outages with these storms, our 4th time since December's ice storm. Its so odd. 

This evening I hope to get some knitting done on the current projects on my needles. I just completed some typing for my husband who is preparing to teach a new series of classes on Deuteronomy. This morning we worked in the yard pruning back my rose bushes, overgrown shrubs, and clearing away weeds and broken tree limbs.  Its beginning to look good! In the next week or so we'll have french drains put in the back yard along with grading of the soil, sod added, some landscape rocks and decorative grasses planted. I can't wait! Then I shall sit on the back patio with a friend or two, sharing morning tea with scones, strawberries, and non-fat cool whip.  

Truth for Life

Trust in the Lord, and do good;

Dwell in the land and feed on His faithfulness.

Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart. 

Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it.

Psalm 37:4, 5

Hot and dry! 

Our days vary so much in Oklahoma. Yesterday was a scorcher! When I walked my dogs they were panting from the moment we left our block. I was 'glowing' when I returned. Today is a bit cooler due to wind. Ah, the wind is a wonderful thing when its hot. I'm having to get up earlier and earlier to beat the heat to get my walk in the hills completed. See the growth of my caladiums? I have added double flowering impatiens and asparagus fern. I have two such pots and the one I'm photographing daily is growing at a more rapid pace than the other one, must be a significant difference in the light. I'll have to swap them out weekly so they grow more evenly. 

In my daily reading I'm into the Psalms. How I love pondering them, reading the background, noting the author, and then focusing on the words of truth that I can live out. They were first alive to me when I was in college as a freshman, that is when I began to reach for my Bible for reading on a near daily basis. Reading the Psalms happened to be a good 'fit' for the emotional roller coaster years of that season of my life. 

Knitting wise I'm checking out books on lace knitting, trying to find a reasonably easy, but pretty pattern to try with some lace yarn I bought in April. Its not a rush to do this but I'm pondering what I would like to make, a luxury knitted item for me.  I finished the book For Women Only and can't say enoug it. EVERY woman needs to read it. EVERY. Yes, it is that vital. I finished up Austenland  

and it was interesting but not one I'd highly recommend, it was just an interesting read.

I've begun to read Having A Mary Heart and that is looking rather helpful. As is the book 

Never Say Diet. It has good points and is encouraging me on my inner and outer transition 

of body care, the only frustration is this is a library book and someone tore out the pages that listed 

her recommended foods for small meals that are about 300 calories. Arghhhh! I need to get my 

therapy ball out and take it to a gas station to air it up so I can use it a couple times a week. Working 

on my core muscles made such a difference the past fall and I've let that slide and boy can I ever tell!

Active knitting: finished up a dishcloth that is named Ivy's Cloth, named after the designer's mother. 

And my fan and feather afghan is still in process, the thin yarn makes it a long process but the fabric 

it is creating is oh, so lovely, it is a pleasure to look at, touch, and create. I'm learning to enjoy the 

process as well as the product in this project. (lots of "P's" in that sentence, no?)

Which makes me think of this verse for today:

Friends, when life gets really difficult, don't jump to the conclusion that God isn't on the job.

Instead, be glad that you are in the very thick of what Christ experienced.

This is a spiritual refining process, with glory just around the corner.

I Peter 4: 12,13

Storms!

Yesterday we had a full morning of severe storms with 70 mph winds, hail, lightening, you name it but nary a tornado. This all occurred while we were in church. We had a brief flickering then loss of power during a class but it returned after a moment.  Once home after lunch we discovered we had no power. The neighbors were out, walking, talking, sharing, laughing. . . . and so it goes. Trees were down, those that hadn't been downed by the winter storm of a few months ago.

I find it so very interesting that it doesn't seem to take us too long when we have no means of in-home entertainment to immediately return to community. It cheered my heart to see people connecting, offering help to one another, opening garage doors that enclosed cars and needed two people to get them open without power, etc. 

Naps were taken by some, reading by others, visiting by yet others. It was a long lazy Sunday afternoon. After a quick dinner out, we came home to a darkening home so out came the book lights we had bought after our life-stopping ice storms and power outages of days and weeks in December of this past year. How grateful I was that we had upper 70's and not 90's to be without electricity. I was also grateful that we had cell phones and our iPhones still had internet access so we could connect to the power company and telephone company to report the lost connections in our homes. We read until 8:30 p.m. when we tired of using such tiny lights and went to bed with windows open to provide a little coolness. 

We slept until we were awakened by someone's home security alarm going off at 11:15 p.m. That was our signal that our power was 'on'. A walk through the house revealed what lights we had turned on during the evening inadvertently. (more than I suspected, we are such creatures of habit, expecting lights to work when we enter darkened rooms, then forget to turn them 'off' when they have no power at all) The windows were now closed as we couldn't sleep with some neighbor's home alarm sounding. This morning it is still going off. I suppose those neighbors are on vacation and have not neighbors who have a means to get into the house and re-set the alarm. What a racket it is making! 

I'm off for a walk before the temperature rises to the upper 90's as they are predicting. I've got a day of laundry, one patient visit, lunch with a friend, errands, etc.  A nice blend of many things, a good way to start another week. I thank God for this new day.

This is the day which the LORD has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 118:24