Grandma's Rocking Chair

I recently inherited my grandmother's rocking chair. A gift from my parents as I am awaiting the arrival of my first grandchild. What a treasure it has been to have my morning Advent devotional time sitting in my grandmother's chair and...remembering. I am so thankful for her faith in God and the times she sat in her chair, praying for me and the rest of her grandchildren.

As a new season and chapter of my life begin, I ask; "Father in Heaven" that I can be faithful to You as my Grandma was. Help me instill in my grandchildren Your unconditional love for Your creation.

I am so thankful for special memories of my Grandmother and her sitting in her chair. I remember sitting in her lap, I remember sitting at her feet as she would read to my sister and I. I remember playing "chase" around the chair. My grandmother would shuffle her feet on the ground as if to pretend to chase my sister and I, then when we were least expecting it, she would quickly reach out and grab us and hug us.

Now, the adventures continue with a new generation, but same chair. What stories will the chair have to add to it's already existing repitoires? It will be a pleasure to live the stories out!

Surprises

It has been quite sometime since I've posted on my blog. So many changes happening all at once in our lives, that it is hard to keep up on the writing and documenting of them.

We are still anxiously awaiting the arrival of our first grandchild...knowing that when God says, "Today is the day", it will happen.

We were rewarded with a totally unexpected surprise when our son who was recently deployed showed up on our doorstep with out warning. We were thrilled and overjoyed to be able to spend time with him and his family. We are the kind of people who enjoy surprises so this was an A+ experience.

It has been a reminder to me to look around every day and see the surprises that God has all around us. The bird singing a tune in the middle of rain showers, or the black squirrel scurrying up a walnut tree to prepare for his winter. So many "little" things that surround me everyday.

Father God, as we are in the "waiting" and "expecting" period as we anticipate the arrival of our grandchild, I pray that You would give me eyes and ears that are turned and tuned to You, as well as an expectant heart for Your surprises that are abundant.

The Snowfamily!

I just had to share what fun I had while working on this project. I started knitting the first snowman (Dad) while we were visiting family in Washington State. Sitting in front of the fire, with fall decorations surrounding me, the whole feeling was one of comfort that is found surrounded by family.

As we traveled back home, I started on Mom snowman...by now feeling more confident in the pattern with increases and decreases. My mind traveled over my life as a mom. What a joy...what a privilege...what an adventure, being a mom is.

The two smaller snowmen were created after we arrived home. I guess it's kind of appropriate since my husband and I are empty nester's, that I finish the family while sitting in my quiet house. If I listen carefully, I can still hear the laughter in the walls of our home. Such wonderful memories which anchor my heart to home. Soon, we will have children noises in our house again when our new granddaughter arrives before the end of this year. It will be so fun to hear giggles and laughter again.

This snow family is such a reminder to daily cherish our families. There is nothing that can ever replace them and their impact on us.

Brr...time for some hot cocoa or maybe a mocha...Enjoy!

Cancer

The word alone just sounds scary! C-A-N-C-E-R! I don't think there is a family that hasn't been touched in someway by this dreaded disease.
The stories abound. "Recovery from", "going through", and of course, the dreaded: "battle lost". Two words; that describe such heartache and pain.

In this blog post I want to honor my friend Cindy who is currently a vibrant cancer survivor. She has gone through breast cancer, and is currently living with blood cancer. She has taken up marathon running for Team In Training which raises money for Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Her cancer journey began about 5 years ago.

Watching her go through the ups and downs gave me a new appreciation for the term courage and courageous.

Recently we were just informed that another extended family member has cancer. She will be undergoing surgery and treatment at the same time in Texas. Her name is Carole.

In honor of these two brave and beautiful women, I created the needle felted prayer bear. I wanted a visual reminder to give to each of them knowing that they are not forgotten. They are being prayed for...they are special and unique and I'm so glad that they are in my life.

You can follow Cindy's journey at:
http://pages.teamintraining.org/dm/pfchangs11/run4one. Once again she is running to honor her two hero's Kathy and Caleb.
In Cindy's words: "Perseverance is a synonym of Victory! Run Cindy Run!!

"DoBe.. DoBe... Do..."

If you are thinking that I'm going to break out in song...you are mistaken. :)
No, the title reflects a continual struggle of mine...whether to do or be.
I am a recovering workaholic. Recovering because I will never have reached completeness this side of heaven. I often have wrong thoughts that tell me; "You must be DOing something! That is where your worth and value lie...in your performance."
Sometimes I muddle in this puddle of incorrect thinking, until I reach out for the life line that is always available through Jesus. He offers a rope of hope. He reminds me that I am precious in His sight. That He chose me. He offers abiding in Him for peace, stability, comfort, and correct thinking.

With starting my business I have definitely been in the "DOing" mode. The feeling of having to "make it." It's all up to me to make this happen...you know...that kind of thinking.
Then Jesus reminds me, often through friends and family, that it is not about ME, "making it"...but about HIM accomplishing HIS work in and through me.

Ah...now that is the amazing difference of doing and being. Doing requires pressure and time limits and the thinking that says; "It's all up to me." Being requires resting in God's promises...that He is able.

To sum up my continual lesson: When I get in my "DOing" mode I get anxious, fearful, irritable, confused, questioning, and all the doubts that come with functioning in my own abilities. When I am "BEing", I relax in the truth of knowing God and His word and His character.
Yes, I still "do" in the "BEing"...but the difference is?: I am listening to my Father's voice directing me in the work that He has for me. I have a little cross stitch picture that I made almost 20 years ago; to remind me of this very thing. The picture is of an Amish couple sitting by a door with the words above reading: "My God is able"

"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work."
2 Cor. 9:8 NIV

When I get stuck in the DOing mode, one thing I do is reflect on God's word...and one of my favorite ways to do this is by looking at Angela's beautiful photography of Cades Cove in Tennessee...one of my favorite places to visit.

This is one of her photos that I am fond of. Please check out more of her work at:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/angelasheartwork

Projects

Do you ever start projects that you don't finish? Do you get excited about starting a new project versus finishing one that has been shelved for sometime? Do you feel guilty about not finishing?
I can answer yes to all of the above questions. Sometimes I so frustrate myself with my lack of discipline to finish something or even my procrastination in starting something new.

I guess this is something we will continue to live with while we are on this earth, because we too, are in the process of becoming completed in Jesus. God is working in our lives to make us like Jesus. We are not finished and will not be completed until we reach our eternal destination. The uneasiness and uncomfortableness that come when we are in the midst of "not being finished"; may not be a "bad" feeling. Maybe, it is a reminder to turn our eyes off of ourselves and our current "projects" and onto the source and the one who sustains all of life. Could it be that we get too focused on our "projects" that we forget that this is not all there is too life?

Thank you Father God, for showing me again, that you are not in a hurry. You are not behind schedule..you are right on time for the work that you are doing in me to transform me into becoming like Jesus.

On Purpose

We all long to have a purpose, to make a difference while we are here on this earth. We never know how long we have to live and make a difference..

Often I, in my own ways try to make my purpose happen. Do you ever do that? Being aware that you have a limited time, you try to rush, and make things happen, so you can feel satisfied that you have "done your purpose."

I am so thankful that God is very aware of this weakness of mine; and I'm so grateful when He reminds me that it is not about me "doing my part"...but Him. He is always present and active in my life. And you know what my purpose is?
To glorify Him.
Not try and get people "saved" from eternal destruction, not to help them overcome an addiction...and all the other ideas that we have of what our "purpose is".

My soul purpose is to love God.

He will decide how and when He will use me to accomplish His purposes...not my decision. That is so freeing. If only I could remember this truth. It would save me from a lot of worry and anxiety. But, I am so thankful that even though I can't always remember this on my own...my loving Father is patiently reminding me of it.

"Father God, when I forget this truth, please remind me once again that my purpose is YOU. Loving You, desiring You, serving You how You lead, living in fellowship with You."

I love this quote from Ruth Myers book: The Satisfied Heart

"Every soul is a vast reservoir from which God can receive eternal pleasure."

Ephesians 3:14-20

Needle Felting

I have been needle felting for 6 months now. It is a new craft for me and I am loving the process of how the fibers, condense and make a sculpture after time.


This got me thinking in the spiritual realm of how The Master Artist works on each of His pieces, individually, and uniquely. One thing I've learned is you can't be in a hurry. Each piece takes time and care. Continual needle poking is what makes the fibers blend together. That's just the way The Master does with each of us. He treats us individually, giving attention to detail and what makes us, us! He is never in a hurry. The process is the avenue He uses to form, mold, shape and make us more like The Great Shepherd, Jesus.

I've recently been working on a little sheep, and I find that I add a tuft of wool here and then there, getting the sheep to look just right. I use my needle to fiddle with his ears, I mold his face, I add facial features that make him smile and give him appeal. Sometimes, I am in a hurry wanting the project to be done, so I can move onto something else.

How unlike our Father that is. He is always patiently working on His pieces of art. He is not anxiously waiting to wipe His hands together signaling that He is finished with this piece and is ready to move onto the next. Unlike us, He delights in continuing to work with the piece. Instead of wiping His hands with an " I'm finished" gesture, He instead "claps His hands" with a joyful anticipation of working with each piece to completion.

Knowing this, makes me pause and shout out to God; "THANK YOU"...thank you for not giving up and discarding this piece of art. Thank you for continuing to work in me. Thank you for choosing me. Thank you for your love and patience...and the "thank yous" go on.

I hope today you can have joy in knowing that Your Father is lovingly tending to His pieces of art, even though it may not feel loving as pricks and prods may penetrate our beings; God is creating His masterpiece in you!

Philippians 1:6 "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus."

A Story of Friendship Through Etsy

I would love to share this story with you because I have been so blessed by it, and I think others will be too.

I am new to Etsy and on-line social networking. After 12 years of being in the corporate world, God closed that door early this year. I have experienced all the emotions that come with leaving a job: fear, anger, insecurity, as well as some freedom to rediscover who God made me to be.

One of the first items I made for my Etsy shop were little needle felted sheep. I wanted to convey how comforting it is to live in the care of The Great Shepherd. As sheep we often daily wander away, and we need the Shepherd to help lead us back into His fold. With this, one of my favorite Shepherd verses is: Isaiah 40:11. "He will feed His flock like a shepherd, He will gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those who are with young."

It was one of these sheep that I made that was featured on an Etsy Treasury where a wonderful godly women found my shop. Her name is Jennifer. God led Jennifer to my shop and to purchase one of my sheep. I received such joy from this, and since then we've be communicating off and on.

Jennifer shared with me her passion for the country of Latvia and how she heard of a family from my home town that I know of through my children; that would be traveling for a missions trip to Latvia. Jennifer knew that the family needed to raise money for their trip, so God led her to donate everything out of her shop to the Petrick family to help raise money for their trip.

I was able to meet Nichole Petrick (the mother who will be taking her 3 small children to Latvia)), at a restaurant where she was our waitress! I shared with her our mutual connection of Jennifer, a woman we have only met on-line. She broke into tears right at our table and shared with me how blessed and overjoyed she is to be a recipient of such generosity. Everyone at the table got teary-eyed as we reveled in God's abundance. How small acts of faithfulness are being turned into tremendous acts because God is behind all of them. So now, I have a connection with Jennifer and with Nichole as we share this common story. When we feel overwhelmed, or like we are not be "useful" for the Kingdom of God, we recall this story of God's faithful leading and weaving of our lives together for His greater purposes.

The story, I'm sure will continue to unfold as the Petrick Family goes to Latvia in a few weeks; but I just had to share as their prayer letter and photo card card came home from church today to be placed on my "prayer wall" (refrigerator)...the verse that is leading them???
Isaiah 40:11

Praise be to God for His mercies that are new everyday!

And The Journey Continues

Yes, it has been quite some time since I've written anything. Partially due to a hurting heart, and partially due to a joyous heart.
How can that happen you ask?

Well, the hurting part of my heart has to do with my son being deployed. I'm not worried per se, but more like part of me is missing since he left the states. Kind of a different feeling in that he has been gone from home over 4 years, and has been married for a good part of that time. I think it is more the distance and being out of country, and being in the Middle East. Probably all those things combined make my mom heart a little uneasy.
Those are the times that I remember that he is God's son before he was ever our son, and that God's plans for his life are for good! PTL!

The joy comes in knowing that we are going to be first time grandparents around the first part of December. Our daughter and her husband are expecting and are so excited at becoming parents. Choosing names, registering for shower gifts, all the planning that new parents do...they are busy doing. I'm busy planning on all the cute things I can make this precious little one...ooohh it's going to be so fun.

So, maybe it is a little easier to understand the mixed emotions.

Right now, I'm working on a secret for when the baby arrives, so I can't write about it yet...but boy is it going to be fun!

Stay tuned...thanks for following.

Laughter in the Walls

Through out the changing seasons of life, I believe that laughter is the one emotion that you can't live without.

Children are born to parents. Parents nurture and care for their children; something that changes in method, over time, but the message never changes; "I love you for who you are."

Remember the cases of "spilled milk?" Our parental reaction may not have been the best at the time, but through the course of daily living with children, then adolescents, and onto young adults, parents mellow. They realize that somewhere between the disappointments of life and the triumphs of life; laughter serves as a healer, a stress reliever, a "don't-take-things-so-seriously-enjoy-the-moment-because-it-may-never-come-again" feeling.

Laughter ties a family unit together with an unseen thread of belonging. Shared experiences, funny photos, jokes told; all of these are parts of the weaving process of a family tapestry.

Today, I was able to share laughter with my parents as we recalled previous generations. The way they did business, the way they did chores, the way they did life. We weren't laughing at them, but maybe more at ourselves as we identified with parts of their experiences. A sense of warmth, comfort and belonging came over me.

Then later, this evening, laughing with my children over some of the antics they pulled, silly things like dressing the dog in boxers and a t-shirt. All of the memories lead to one thing...gratefulness for a full life of love and laughter.

Thank you God for creating laughter. Help me to be quick to laugh and love, and slow to be critical and angry. Sharpen my ears to hear the laughter in the walls of our home from days gone by, and to cherish the thoughts and memories as one of my most precious possessions.

"God has brought me laughter...." Gen 21:6

Hello Good-bye

Today, Jerry and I leave our home and drive to Arizona to say our official good-byes to our son before he is deployed overseas. We are so thankful for the opportunity to get to do this, since we know that it is not always so. How many parents have had to say good-bye via a letter or phone call? Now days, it is so nice to have technology to be able to "keep-in-touch". We are comforted knowing that he is in God's care no matter if he is state side or around the world.

We consider ourselves to be rich in relationships! We always seem to have just enough $$ to get by, but our relationships...well in that we are honored to be so "wealthy".

Time is a gift. One we unwrap everyday. How will we spend this day? Time with our loved ones is one of our highest priorities. May we enjoy our gift of time to it's fullest.

It may be a little while before I can write again...one never knows with the emotions of a mother and how fragile or strong they may be at any given moment. For now, let me just say that I am blessed that YOU are traveling this journey with me. Thank you for your love and support!
Blessings~~

Anniversary

Today is my 31st wedding anniversary. Sometimes amazing seems to be the best word to describe our journey together. We have definitely had hardships and stretching times, but through the lense of perspective we can glean nuggets of truth and wisdom that help us carry on.

I am so thankful to God for giving me such a wnoderful, loving husband. God knew exactly what I would need in my life partner and he created Jerry to be just that. He truly is my better half. He believes in me when I don't even have a thread of hope, he encourages me with his smile and funny jokes to show me not to take life so seriously. He loves me when I am grumpy and unloveable. I guess the list could go on and on, but I just wanted to document our love, our life, our marriage and say: "Thank You God for blessing us with Your love and for our love for each other. You are the source of our love."

Hope whoever is reading is blessed to know that God is still at work in individual lives; that He takes pure pleasure in blessing His little sheep.

Continuing to follow...where ever He leads.

A Little Sheepish

My dear sister, who knows me inside and out, suggested I write a little bit about why I enjoy making sheep themed gifts.

Of course, being the "stubborn sheep" that I am, I thought to myself: "Isn't it obvious?" Jesus is our Shepherd, if we follow Him we are called His sheep.
But, then after thinking it through (usually sheep don't do this well); I realized that maybe my older and wiser sister had some good points.

I have recently finished reading Phillip Kellers book; A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23.
Quote from the book: "It is no accident that God has chosen to call us sheep. The behavior of sheep and human beings is similar in many ways ...Our mass mind (or mob instincts), our fears and timidity, our stubbornness and stupidity, our perverse habits are all parallels of profound importance. Yet despite these adverse characteristics Christ chooses us, buys us, call us by name, makes us His own and delights in caring for us."

Today, this little sheep is in need of the Shepherd's Rod and Staff of correction and comfort. So thankful that My Shepherd is ever living to guide and care for me!

That is just one of the reasons that I enjoy making and wearing my little sheep pins. They are a continual reminder to me to keep following. My Shepherd is GOOD and He has exciting jouneys and vistas to lead me through.

Hope your day is worry free as you choose to follow Christ.

The Little Things

We've all heard it said that life takes place in the little things...the details.
This past week some of the little things that have made my life enriched are:

~Being featured in the CAST team blog. When Phyllis contacted me with the idea of being featured, my heart skipped a beat or two. Not so much as being featured, but more that I could be part of something bigger than myself. Being part of a team is reassuring...I am not alone.

~Hearing words of encouragement from a friend who is enjoying visiting my shop and considering setting one up herself.

~Talking with my son who is getting ready to deploy, and hearing his words of affirmation and encouragement to me; not really giving himself a thought, but his loved ones around him.

~Watching Mr. and Mrs. Finch build their nest in my eaves, and then observing Mr. Finch taking care to feed the Mrs. while she is "setting".

I could go on and on with more 'little things', but a new day awaits, and I must answer it's call.

My Bible reading today is, Psalm 145:14-16

"The LORD sustains all who fall and raises up all who are bowed down.
The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food in due time.
You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing."

May my eyes be focused on You Lord, and my heart be bowed down before You. You are my provider and sustainer who satisfies.

Connections

I have to admit that I enter this whole blog, Facebook, Twitter thing with mixed emotions. Exiting to be learning new and different things, but on the other hand...fear that I will mess up and do something "wrong".

I guess part of this whole new journey I'm on is an adventure in becoming less "fearful" and becoming more "fearless". :)

I am so enjoying the connections that I am making through my Etsy shop. There are so many neat and amazing people out in the world, and it is exciting to meet them via the internet and technology. I receive encouragement everyday from others who are sharing tips and ideas and...their lives.

Today, I'm focusing on this verse:

1 Timothy 6:17
Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment.

I am going to enjoy the process...

You Can Teach An Old Dog New Tricks!

This morning, I was complaining to my daughter how fast technology is going and how hard it is to keep up with all the changes. But then I reminded myself; don't I always want to be challenging my mind so I won't grow old and grumpy?
Ok, lesson learned for today; complaining about technology doesn't make it easier, however...if I just take one thing at a time...I will slowly but surely learn. It may not be fast(guaranteed), and it most definitely won't look polished, but through it all I will have learned and grown from the experience.