Today I listened to a new song. I'm not sure if it is really a new one, or just new to me. It was such a blessing! One of my Legislative Spouse friends shared it with me after hearing it on a radio station. Yes, He is worthy! And this song is worthy of sharing. Praying it blesses you as much as it did me!
Click on this link to have a listen:
"Is He Worthy" by Andrew Peterson
Friday, January 25, 2019
Thursday, January 17, 2019
For This Child I Prayed
It is hard to believe it has been forty years since the day I first became a mother. Back in those days, we didn't have ultrasounds to determine whether it was a boy or a girl on the way, so it wasn't until 4:52am on the morning of January 17, 1979 that my husband and I learned we had a daughter for our first born.
Secretly, I had hoped for a girl. This would be my only living grandmother's first great grandchild, and I so wanted to use her name as our child's middle name. God was gracious in satisfying this longing in my heart, and Rebekah Ellen entered the world at the same time as a host of lessons to be learned, both by parent and child.
Looking back over the stages of her life, there have been many opportunities to pray. Sometimes it has been a mother's prayer for her child, but there have also been an equal number of times daughter has prayed for mother. What a blessing to know, from the beginning, we relied on God for the wisdom to navigate both smooth and choppy waters.
Today, as I look at her life. . .a beautiful wife, a loving mother, a willing servant of our Lord. . .I am thankful for all the lessons she has taught me over the years. Just last week I was blessed to be a part of the group of 180 women who heard her speak at a ladies event in her hometown of Williston, ND. Her message to us was the importance of reading God's Word.
The great grandmother for whom she is named lived to be 100. For her 100th birthday she was interviewed by our local paper, and was asked what advice she would give from her life's experiences. Her answer was, "Read the Word, and stick to it!" I do think she is smiling down on her little namesake for not only taking the advice, but also passing it on to others.
Now this dear child for which I have prayed is busy with four children of her own. Here she is with her own daughter shortly after sharing with the ladies last week. "Happy Birthday, Dear Rebekah! You have blessed me beyond what one could imagine! Keep smiling, keep loving, and keep reading God's Word. . .it will see us through whatever is ahead on this road we call life. Love you so much!"❤️
Secretly, I had hoped for a girl. This would be my only living grandmother's first great grandchild, and I so wanted to use her name as our child's middle name. God was gracious in satisfying this longing in my heart, and Rebekah Ellen entered the world at the same time as a host of lessons to be learned, both by parent and child.
Looking back over the stages of her life, there have been many opportunities to pray. Sometimes it has been a mother's prayer for her child, but there have also been an equal number of times daughter has prayed for mother. What a blessing to know, from the beginning, we relied on God for the wisdom to navigate both smooth and choppy waters.
Today, as I look at her life. . .a beautiful wife, a loving mother, a willing servant of our Lord. . .I am thankful for all the lessons she has taught me over the years. Just last week I was blessed to be a part of the group of 180 women who heard her speak at a ladies event in her hometown of Williston, ND. Her message to us was the importance of reading God's Word.
The great grandmother for whom she is named lived to be 100. For her 100th birthday she was interviewed by our local paper, and was asked what advice she would give from her life's experiences. Her answer was, "Read the Word, and stick to it!" I do think she is smiling down on her little namesake for not only taking the advice, but also passing it on to others.
Now this dear child for which I have prayed is busy with four children of her own. Here she is with her own daughter shortly after sharing with the ladies last week. "Happy Birthday, Dear Rebekah! You have blessed me beyond what one could imagine! Keep smiling, keep loving, and keep reading God's Word. . .it will see us through whatever is ahead on this road we call life. Love you so much!"❤️
Thursday, January 10, 2019
Reading for a Purpose
In 2017 a group of us ventured through the Bible together using a reading plan featured in "Prayer Point" which is a little quarterly booklet put out by Samaritan's Purse. It is not one of the plans which starts in Genesis and reads straight through from the beginning to the end. Instead, it starts each day of the week in a different portion of the Bible, so you get a mix of Old and New Testament readings throughout the week.
For example, this week I have read from Psalms on Sunday, Genesis on Monday, Joshua on Tuesday, Job on Wednesday, and Isaiah today. Tomorrow will be from Matthew, and Saturday from Romans. The daily assignments are usually 2-5 chapters long, and occasionally up to 7.
Several have indicated they are going to join me through another year of reading through the Bible. If you don't see my weekly posts of reading assignments, and would like to join us, let me know. If you are on Facebook, I can add you to our group. If not, I can feature the reading assignments here on my blog, too.
How can we learn to hear His voice, if we don't immerse ourselves in what His Word sounds like? And for those who might say, "I don't have time for that," how much time do you invest in things like social media? We make time for what we feel is important! Even if you don't want to follow this Bible reading plan, find one that works for you and include it in your daily schedule! Your life will be blessed because of it!
For example, this week I have read from Psalms on Sunday, Genesis on Monday, Joshua on Tuesday, Job on Wednesday, and Isaiah today. Tomorrow will be from Matthew, and Saturday from Romans. The daily assignments are usually 2-5 chapters long, and occasionally up to 7.
Several have indicated they are going to join me through another year of reading through the Bible. If you don't see my weekly posts of reading assignments, and would like to join us, let me know. If you are on Facebook, I can add you to our group. If not, I can feature the reading assignments here on my blog, too.
How can we learn to hear His voice, if we don't immerse ourselves in what His Word sounds like? And for those who might say, "I don't have time for that," how much time do you invest in things like social media? We make time for what we feel is important! Even if you don't want to follow this Bible reading plan, find one that works for you and include it in your daily schedule! Your life will be blessed because of it!
Tuesday, January 1, 2019
A Labor of Love
It began as an innocent visit to our local fabric store, Pleasant Pheasant Fabrics to visit with my friend, Tamara, who is the owner. Something caught my eye in one of the sample quilts she had displayed. . .sloths. Lots of sloths. Since sloths happen to be our oldest grandson's favorite animal, I asked her if I could purchase it. Her reply was, "No, but you can make one!" This was the first week in September.
Excuse me? Me, make a quilt? Yes, I can sew, but making a quilt sounded like a large undertaking. Especially when she also explained she no longer had one of the fabrics required, so we would have to "make up our own pattern." Now it REALLY sounded like work! She told me to bring in my sewing machine and we would start designing, with her as the teacher and me as the faithful student. Perhaps, I thought, I would be able to complete it in time to give it to him for Christmas.
After first learning the art of "fussy cutting" to separate the smaller sloth pictures from the larger panels, we decided to use two sets of each and came up with this design:
The order was placed, and by mid-October the sloth quilt was on the long arm machine being quilted while I was wondering how many more quilts I could get done by Christmas.
What's next? Perhaps a little break from quilting, as we head to Bismarck tomorrow for the Legislative Session. But I do know there will be more in the future, just "down the road" a piece!
Excuse me? Me, make a quilt? Yes, I can sew, but making a quilt sounded like a large undertaking. Especially when she also explained she no longer had one of the fabrics required, so we would have to "make up our own pattern." Now it REALLY sounded like work! She told me to bring in my sewing machine and we would start designing, with her as the teacher and me as the faithful student. Perhaps, I thought, I would be able to complete it in time to give it to him for Christmas.
After first learning the art of "fussy cutting" to separate the smaller sloth pictures from the larger panels, we decided to use two sets of each and came up with this design:
Some days I would sew in the backroom of her store, and other times she would give me assignments to take home and complete. I felt pretty good about myself when the two blocks of smaller sloths came together by mid-September.
By the first week in October, the top was assembled and we were checking it for size on his uncle's bed.
At this point I was already thinking ahead to making quilts for the other three grandchildren and found inspiration in some of the books she had for sale.
I also had decided on a "favorite animal" theme for each of them, and was happy to find a cute fox material in her store for our youngest grandson. The other two would be more complex, as grandson #2 likes okapis, and the granddaughter was partial to goats. Hearing the words, "You will never find okapi fabric." inspired me to do a Goggle search, and indeed there was okapi fabric at a website called "Spoonflower," as well as some cute goat fabric.
The order was placed, and by mid-October the sloth quilt was on the long arm machine being quilted while I was wondering how many more quilts I could get done by Christmas.
By the end of October, my first ever quilt was complete, along with a matching pillowcase.
Once the "quilting bug" bit, the other three quilts came together like "clock work". Even with fall being a busy season for me, I had the second quilt top ready by the third week in November, the third one done a week into December, and the fourth one together a week before Christmas. What a blessing it was when Tamara was also able to have them all quilted in time to get the binding finished. . .with two days to spare before Christmas!
What better way to celebrate, than to invite her to join us on Christmas Eve so she could witness the kids getting their quilts and pillowcases. It was indeed a "labor of love," not just by me, but by Tamara, as well!
What's next? Perhaps a little break from quilting, as we head to Bismarck tomorrow for the Legislative Session. But I do know there will be more in the future, just "down the road" a piece!
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