Silence is Golden

Is it right to question God?


Whether it's right or wrong, I know God understands our hearts when we ask a question like this.  Remember, He is our Father; our Daddy.  The fact that we feel comfortable enough to climb up in His lap and ask the hard questions is proof of the amazing connection we can have with the very One who created us.


Right now so many in my circle of friends are dealing with loss, or impending loss.  More often than not, someone will ask the question, "Why?".  How can we, as mere mortals, answer a question as big as that?  The answer is, we can't.  We want so badly to do or say the right thing that will bring comfort and begin healing that we often say the wrong thing; sometimes we just need to be still.  


So why do we try?  Why do we continue to make feeble attempts to say anything at all?  


It's OK to just be silent, sit quietly, and pray.


Many years ago I had a young friend who lost her husband to cancer.  Because she was a good friend, I had the freedom to ask her "stupid" questions like "What should we do in these circumstances?".  She told me that as a Christian, she already knew exactly what the Bible said regarding loss, trusting God, faith, etc. and believed it with her whole heart.  What she really needed was someone to hold her, cry with her, hear others tell stories about her husband and smile with fond memories of him.  I've tried to remember this and apply it as much as possible; I have also drawn from my own  personal experiences of loss.   


A few weeks ago, one of my son's lost his half-brother in a motorcycle accident.  It was a devastating loss for that family.  This week a sweet little friend of mine lost her baby boy shortly after birth.  It is a horrible thing to have to bury a child, I know because I have also buried a child; a son.  


Anytime bad things happen, especially to children - our own children, we want to know why; we NEED a reason.  We somehow think that if we had a reason it would be easier to accept, it would ease the pain.  But would that really be the case?  The loss would still be felt, the hole in our lives would still be there.  


The only place I know to go from here is Isaiah 55: 8, "My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, declares the Lord."


The bottom line for me is that there are some things we just have to accept by faith.


Let me assure you that regardless of how desperate your situation is, joy does come in the morning; we will see beauty in the ashes one day.  God's promises are true; you can trust Him.




Weigh In:
Because everyone's "love language" is different...I think it would be helpful for us to hear from those of you who have suffered loss.  What should we have done or said to you, during your time of grief, to make things easier?  What is the wrong thing to do?  

Heartfelt School Day Memories

Do you remember the parties we used to have in school to celebrate Valentine's Day? I sure do. The first week of February was spent making and decorating envelopes made from construction paper. The day of the party we would walk around the room depositing valentines for each student in the envelope which, on this day, hung on the back of our chairs. We would take our envelopes home after the party and enjoy them. Once or twice we even covered and decorated a shoe box and cut a slit in the lid to receive the cards. I remember how much fun it was to see all the different kinds of cards; seldom did I ever get two that were alike.

I wish I could say that I had kept all of those cards, what a wonderful keepsake they would have made, but sadly I didn't. Because of my love for all things old, I have found myself collecting vintage valentines. I really love to see the original sentiments written on the back (I have even occasionally found a date or two written next to the signature). I love imagining who "Sam" might have been and who wanted him to be her valentine.









Kids are still having valentine parties and giving away little cards they have picked out themselves and scribbled their names on the back. I'm not sure how much longer this will last, but it would be a shame to think that by the time my grandchildren are my age they would not have these sweet memories to look back on.

Here are a few more of the vintage valentines I have been collecting. Maybe you'll see one you remember from your childhood; I hope it brings back heartfelt school day memories.

This is an interactive valentine.  If you pull the tab at the bottom, his tongue will go in and out and his eyes will uncross.  

Super cute!



I hope your day is spent with the people you love!
Happy Valentine's Day



And this, of course, is my favorite!

Vintage Toys

I love vintage; vintage furniture, vintage paper, linens, books, jars - basically everything - vintage.  If it has cracks or rust, I love it even more!  I especially love vintage children's patterns.  When my girls were little, I made their little dresses with pinafores and pantaloons.  Poor things, having to endure their mother's passion, but they were so precious I couldn't resist!


I love vintage toys, too, especially trucks.  The old metal toy trucks are really hard to find and in great demand.  When I see them reasonably priced, and the key word here is "reasonably", I usually snatch 'em up.  I'm seeing vintage trucks used  in all of the latest magazines to decorate bookshelves, coffee tables, etc.  I have a photo of a table setting that included an old dump truck holding silverware - I love that idea!  Here are photos of my own little vintage trucks...

Aren't they great!  Now, look at these little plastic cars, buses, and trucks; wouldn't they look cute on the top of cupcakes for a children's party?  I don't remember where I got these, but I am in love with them!  

Crib toys are another of my favorite things; in the 1920's and '30's they were called cuddle toys.  These were stuffed animals or dolls that did not have buttons or beads for eyes and any ribbon or string had to be sewn into place so as not to strangle or choke baby; for these reasons, these toys were considered safe for the crib.  

I ran across some vintage patterns for crib toys a few years ago and thought it would be fun to  make some for gifts...it quickly became an obsession.  I purchased one pattern, modified it to get the effect I was looking for and began to sew.  When I got tired of making elephants and puppies, I began using coloring book pages for patterns.  You can modify, increase the size, cut out the individual pieces (like the ears, tail, etc.), add a seam allowance, and you're good to go.  I ended up with about 20 or more of these little cuties; after giving many away, these are the ones I have left...

As you can see, my crib toys are made out of scrap fabric, vintage embroidered linens, vintage tablecloths, quilt tops, anything big enough for my designs.  I embroidered the name of each on their backside, their bellies, or the back of an ear.  Choosing names for each one of them has been great fun; I try to draw from some of the older names in my family tree to keep the vintage theme going.




Designing and making these critters has given me such pleasure, but not as much pleasure as giving them away.  They are as unique as the little ones who receive them.  We, too, are unique; designed by the Master; created to love and be loved.  Imagine the joy the Father had in creating us, His children; tiny hands and feet, little nose and lips, fashioning us in His image...  


As you go about your day, no doubt rushing to get from one place to the next, meditate on this...You were fearfully and wonderfully made; His masterpiece. His love is without condition and stretches throughout eternity.  If you are His child, your name is carved in the palm of His hand; you are His.  


What a beautiful picture!

Sew Blessed

For as long as I can remember, whenever we would go camping, take a weekend trip, or a long vacation I have always carried a sewing basket with an unfinished, hand-pieced baby quilt with me.  The only time I ever work on this quilt is when I am away from home; consequently it takes me about a year to finish one!  I just like my hands to be busy when sitting around.

This past summer James and I spent some time in Destin, Florida with all of our children and grandchildren and, as usual, I took along my little quilt.  One day as I was working on it, my Addie Grace decided she wanted to sew with me.  She took out all the little quilt squares, stacked them, folded them, made designs with them, lined them up in nice little rows - over, and over, and over again.  Who knew those little scraps of fabric could be so entertaining!  While we worked, we talked about all kinds of things...sewing, swimming, chasing beach crabs, Barbie...it was a very sweet time for me.

Sometime before Christmas, I was cleaning out my closet and found a little picnic-style basket that had once held a child's tea set; I kept it because it was just too sweet to throw away.  In it I put some sewing cards and yarn.  The next time Addie Grace came to spend the night, I presented her with her own sewing basket and told her it was time she learned to sew.  



I began to teach her how to tie a knot, how to weave the yarn in and out of the sewing cards to form "stitches" and how to finish off the yarn on the backside of the card.  I was sure she would get bored easily and want to quit, but she loved it.  So much so that she finished all five of them!  By the time she completed the third card, she was tying her own knots and finishing the backside of the card all by herself. She was so proud, she insisted that I take her picture after she completed each one.  


Addie Grace is a very fast learner.  I have a feeling it won't be long before she is ready to take the next step in sewing.  It will be so much fun to be able to share this part of my life with her.

Having a similar experience with my grandmother has left me with precious memories, but none can compare to the memory of sharing something with my own granddaughter that generations of women in my family have learned from each other.  I pray that we will have many more times of sewing and sharing together and that these memories will be as precious to my Addie Grace as they are to me.  Thank You, Lord, for I am sew blessed!

I hope this post has inspired you to share a memory that you have with your child or grandchild.

She's Still With Me

This is Mammaw.  I found this photo of her several years ago in an old box of crocheted doilies.  I'm not sure how old she is here; if I had to guess I would say very late teens or early twenties.  She looks very pretty in her pearls and straw hat doesn't she?


When I was about two years old, Mammaw moved in with my mother to take care of me while Mother worked to support us all.   The life lessons and experiences learned while in Mammaw's care would be used to help shape the mother and grandmother I would later become.


Mammaw had a very hard exterior.  She was always very serious and task oriented, a strict disciplinarian, and a very hard worker.  She didn't laugh much but when she did, her whole body shook and she would have to remove her glasses to wipe the tears that ran down her face.  As a teen, she herded cattle with the men of her family, wore jeans and boots, and smoked hand-rolled cigarettes.  As my Mammaw, I rarely saw her out of a dress even while working in the yard.  Her hair was pin-curled every night before bed and her face powdered every morning.  Clearly, there were many sides to Mammaw.


At a very young age, Mammaw taught me how to iron, cook, and sew.  These were not my chores (in fact, I didn't have regular chores), these were skills Mammaw insisted every young girl needed to learn.  I remember her having me cut out five-inch squares of fabric, pin them together, and hand stitch them; tiny, very deliberate stitches.  When I was seven years old, Mammaw gave me my first electric sewing machine for Christmas; A Singer "sewhandy electric" model 50D.  (I still have this machine.


The first thing I learned to sew on that machine was a pillowcase for my doll.  I wish I still had that pillowcase, or at least a photo of it.  It wasn't much but the idea was to learn to use the machine itself.  I don't remember when I graduated from the little machine to a "real" sewing machine...Mammaw's machine.  I do remember, however, that the first thing I made on Mammaw's machine was a red gingham apron complete with red rick rack.  At the time I was being taught how to sew, a lot of work was done by hand such as facings, hems, rick rack, or other trim, etc.  To this day, I love handwork, in fact, I probably make extra work for myself by hand stitching as much of a project as possible; it's very relaxing to me.


I find that I go through sewing seasons; moments in time when everything in my world is just right (in my eyes), affording me the opportunity to drag out the ole' needle and thread and perhaps a yard or two of fabric.  Cutting, pinning, tiny stitches transport me to another place in time.  There are few good memories from my childhood; this is one.  As I take a stitch, in my own hands I see the hands of my grandmother complete with age spots and arthritic fingers.  I can't help but smile...Mammaw's still here with me.

My Prayer For The New Year

As we are only steps away from the New Year, I wanted to take just a moment to share my prayer for you, for all of us really, for the coming year.  

It seems it is sometimes easier for us to love the ungodly than it is for us to love our own brothers and sisters in Christ.  And so, I pray that God will give us all a heart full of love, and grace, and great mercy for one another.  

I pray that our love for the lost will grow stronger with each passing day.  I pray that we will begin to see through the eyes of Christ, listen with our hearts, and speak with words tendered by love. 

I pray that husbands will begin to love their wives as Christ loves the church.  I pray that they will take the role of Priest in their home seriously.  I pray that the hearts of fathers will be turned toward their children and that they will teach their sons, by their own example, what it means to be “a man after God’s own heart”.

I pray that wives will begin to walk beside their husbands instead of in front of them, allowing their husbands to fulfill the role that God has given them as the head of the household.  I pray that mothers will become more nurturing and that their daughters will learn from them what it is to be a godly wife and mother.

I pray that children will learn to respect the authority God has placed over them in the home, in their schools, and in their community.  I pray that they will enjoy just being children while they can.  I pray that they will develop a hunger and a thirst for God that is insatiable. 

I pray that the church will become what God intended it to be.

I pray that leaders will bow their knee before God now so that our country might be saved.

One of my favorite scriptures is found in Isaiah 43:15-19, “I am the Lord, your Holy One, Israel’s Creator and King…Forget the former things, do not dwell on the past.  It is nothing compared to what I am going to do.  For I am about to do a brand-new thing.  See, I have already begun!  Do you not see it?  I will make a pathway through the wilderness.  I will create rivers for them in the dry wasteland.”

I know I have shared this with you before and I’m sure I will be sharing it again because I believe God wants to do “new things” in us every day.  This scripture has been on my heart all week, I guess because I have friends who have been wandering around in the wilderness for most of the year.  I want you to see that your Heavenly Father has already begun to make a pathway for you and to create rivers and springs of fresh water to quench your thirst.  Nothing God has done for you in the past can compare to what He is about to do.  Hold on to this promise.

May God bless you and your family in the coming New Year and may you grow closer to Him than ever before.

Amen.

Merry Christmas!

It's a beautiful December morning here in the Big Thicket!  The sky is clear, the sun is shining brightly through the trees, and it's 32 degrees outside - perfect!


As we approach Christmas, I find the days getting shorter and my list getting longer.  I wanted to take just a minute to remind us all to remember that this should be a season of great joy.  The very essence of the spirit of Christmas is one of peace, patience, kindness, joy, love, giving, and great hope.  Please don't get so caught up in all the buying and planning and partying that you forget the reason we celebrate this season.  The Christ child brought with Him the hope of glory; let this be foremost in your mind as you spend time with family and friends.  


Make this Christmas special.  Use the story of Christmas to witness to the store clerks, bank tellers, waitresses, fellow shoppers, everyone you might come in contact with as you plan for that special day of celebration.   Purchase gifts that are meaningful to the recipient; perhaps something that reminds them of a special time or event in their lives.  I just read (on Pinterest) about a family that performs random acts of kindness for the first 24 days of December.  This is something Moi and I are considering for next Christmas.


Make memories; reinforce traditions.  Every year, my husband reads the story of Christmas before we open gifts.  Every Christmas I add a new bell with the date written on it to each stocking.  We try to watch one Christmas movie every day; our very favorite is "Christmas in Canaan".  


Start a new tradition.


In short, enjoy your Christmas holiday! 


From my family to yours, may your Christmas be filled with love and laughter, peace and comfort, and may you rest in the truth of this Christmas:   "For God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life."      
John 3:16


Be blessed!