Friday, March 28, 2008

LEAVES, LEAVES EVERYWHERE!



Today I look outside again for the 4th day in a row and see my precious hubby working so hard to make our place beautiful. For weeks we have worked to get the leaves mulched, raked, or burned. It can be a chore, especially with the size we have, but with the downfall of having leaves to rake always comes the blessings. The wonderful oak trees that draw the birds!
This morning we sat outside on the back porch drinking our breakfast shake and listening to the many birds just singing so beautifully. It makes me wonder if they are singing the praises to our God. The beautiful sound of our waterfalls and the birds singing just makes all the work worthwhile. We were so blessed to finally have a place of our own after 41 years of marriage.
We sat still for awhile and watched the hummingbirds come to the one feeder we hung for the Spring. Then we saw one from probably last year trying to find the feeder on the porch where we hung it last Fall. We didn't hang it up this Spring. It amazes me how they know exactally where to go to the same spots from year to year. He just looked up to the place where it used to hang, then flew away when he saw it was gone!
Across the yard in a tree we saw a couple of bluebirds going in and out of their house. Then when the squirrel came near, the male bluebird took off attacking him. They work so hard guarding the nest to keep the pesty squirrels away. God has been so good to us to send bluebirds to our place. They don't come around much.
My daughter and son-in-law took my grandson to the zoo today. He was so excited to see the animals. I did that continually for my children. They always loved the zoo and seeing all the different kinds of animals.
All this reminds me of how wonderful the first Garden must have been on earth that God created for man. Yet, man was not please with what God gave, and it was all taken away from him because of disobedience.
Now, man still longs for that place of beauty that God meant for us to have. I can just imagine how beautiful the birds and animals were there and the awe of being in the presence of God!
So we just continue on, enjoying just a glimpse here on earth now of what God has prepared for us.
It is so hard to get back to sewing with all the beautiful things outside now that winter is over!!
Maybe the Lord and nature are calling!
Song of Solomon 2:10-12 "My beloved, spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. For Lo the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land"

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Time Out!!!


THE SEWING HAS TO WAIT.
I got up this morning ready to finish my next quilt to put on my website, then I looked outside at all my flower beds and I decided it will have to wait.
I planted flowers around my prayer garden building last week, and now they have grown so much since this picture was taken. So I am off the machine and out in the yard today. It is finally a beautiful nice comfortable day.
I get so amazed how beautiful the flowers look and grow in just one week. Soon my husband and I will put our hands to trying to grow vegetables in our big garden way out back.
Hope you are enjoying Spring as much as I do. Sewing is good for too cold, hot or rainy days, but the outside is calling me today. Signs of new life everywhere. A hummingbird came to my porch, and blue birds to our house we put up. God gives so much to enjoy.
I have got to get outside with my husband. He is raking leaves today and putting them in our compost pile.
Have a great Spring everyone!

Monday, March 24, 2008

Life's Scraps Turned Valuable



WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU SCRAPS, JUST MAKE A QUILT, THEN YOU HAVE SOMETHING VALUABLE
So many times I have thought of the blessings of scraps in our life that turn into things valuable. Sometimes we fail to see that they are there.
I was so blessed when my children were growing up to get scraps from my husbands aunt who sewed alot. I made some beautiful outfits for my girls just with those scraps.
When God gave me the idea back in the 60's & 70's to use denim and create with it, I loved it! In those days people discarded jeans with holes in them. I cut them up and made beautiful quilts that kept many people warm. I also made duffle bags, pillows, skirts, and anything else that I could think of.

In later years when I needed some income for an expense, I pulled everything out of my material closet and created lifesize dolls, and their clothes, and then sold them to pay that expense. I even sold them less than people said they were worth. It is so funny how you can take a worthless item and with our own hands help it to become valueable.
I remember back over the years as I loved, cared for, and prayed for many foster kids that others would have thought were worthless , that the touch of love and creative power made something beautiful out of them.
That is what God does with all of us. The creative touch of the Masters Hand makes us valuable.
So when things come my way that just seem like scraps in life, I try to see the end results and remember when Life Gives You Scraps, just make a Quilt.

Sunday, March 23, 2008

EASTER TODAY AND YESTERDAYS



Easter Of yesterdays






Hello, most people call me Mammaw Lillian



Here I am starting my first blogs. I feel so blessed today on this celebration of resurrection day!

Today is Easter and it is so quiet around here. I had a great day in church, with a surprise visit from our oldest daughter and son-in-law. They walked into church and surprised me. My husband was a sneak! He knew all about them coming. After a lunch together and short visit they traveled back home to do their routine things of life. I was so touched that they traveled 2 hours to spend time with us. Our 2 other girls live too far for a trip.

Easter time at this age of my life is not like it used to be. I remember the days of fixing Easter baskets for all my precious girls, and later grandkids, baking sugar cookies with their handprints, and dyeing and hiding eggs over and over for them. When it rained, we hid them inside. I always made my girls their Easter Bonnets, dresses, and purses. I loved to sew all my life, as you can read from my website http://www.shabbydenimrose.com/ on the about me page. I enjoyed the creative power that the Lord put inside of me when He created me. We just never know what we can do until we try.

I have been blessed with such a wonderful family, but most of them are all adults now and live so far away. Thank God for the memories of sweet times when they were little. Those memories never leave us. Our little ones still bring us such joy as adults. We have invested into their lives in so many ways, and it feels so good to see that investment pay off when I watch each one of them.

We adore our youngest grandson now who is 14 months old. Since he lives 12 hours away from us, we just don't get to spend time with him much. I was so spoiled with my other grandchildren. I got to see them nearly everyday. Thank God for webcam so I can see him at least over the computer!

I am amazed at the inventions of today with computers and all the things you can do. But wouldn't it be nice, if we could invent something to let us go back to those years when our children were so tiny. In those days a lot of times we rushed through them so fast to get through the trials and we forgot to enjoy the journey. We blink our eyes and then it is over! Our kids are gone. That is why I told my daughters to enjoy where you are! It will be gone and you will wonder where did it go?
We have only one life to live, and only have this moment while it is here. When it is past it is gone! We must make it count. Just as I always said, we can always work, go to school, and do lots of things all our life, but we only have one chance to raise our kids and seed into them what God intended.
I am so glad that I invested time into my kids, and now in old age, I can do, work, play, and even sew and sell my handcrafts. Life has been good for me, and yes my children are my reward in old age!