A Sweet Gift

This morning my hubby went to church. Last week he told the curate about my cancer, and this week, two little girls in the Sunday school made me the sweetest gift! He came home absolutely thrilled with it, and knew I would be too. This is the first part.

The two card hands are connected by a ribbon and he hung it round my neck! I love the little hearts for fingernails!

They also made me this card.

It is a volvelle. I love volvelles. I’ve got some instructions for them and tried to make one once, but it was too small and didn’t work, so I abandoned it. You hold the tab and pull it round, and the picture changes into something else.

Here is the volvelle in the half-way position.

This is how it looks fully rotated.

Isn’t that adorable?

He also brought back one of the printouts that the girls made the card from, complete with instructions, which I can use again with other pictures.

Finally, they sent me this chocolate lolly from Lidl.

I thought this was so sweet of them, to make me all this, when they have never even met me! My hubby says it’s a lovely congregation. I did meet the curate once, when she came to a craft show in the church where we used to live, and we compared wheelchairs! My hubby told her last week that I was ill, and she got them together to do this. I am so touched.

I really appreciate the prayers and kind thoughts of all my friends around the world, at this difficult time in my life. God bless you all.

Something to Pass On, and General News

I have just watched one of Jennibellie’s latest videos, and was so impressed with it that I thought I would share it with you here, and hope that you will benefit from it. She has come across people in the field of art comparing themselves with other artists, and the underlying lack of confidence that causes this behaviour, and this video gives several very helpful pointers to deal with the problem, and to learn from it.

I am experiencing problems with Google at the moment on Firefox (is anybody else?) and am unable to comment on blogs or Youtube videos, and I cannot open Google Chrome (at least using this laptop – the iMac seems to be playing ball, but it’s on my desk upstairs, and when I am feeling poorly and exhausted, I prefer to use the laptop from the comfort of the recliner). If I can get this problem sorted, I shall be leaving my own comment on Jennibellie’s Youtube channel and also on her blog, to let her know that I am in full agreement with what she says, and to thank her for her wisdom, and for sharing her experience with others.

Here is the video:

When I was young (immediately after leaving school) I had incredibly low self-esteem and absolutely no confidence in myself, and was full of fear of what the world would throw at me. I have made some humungous mistakes in my life (as we all have, I am sure) and have had to live with the consequences of these, but later understanding of my background and early experiences have helped me to understand that maybe these mistakes were inevitable, and not entirely my own fault. I have come to know that I am who I am, and can only build on that, helped enormously by my Christian faith and an understanding that God has a purpose for my life, and that He has allowed certain things, and will never test me beyond my strength. (Romans 8:28 has been my watchword throughout my Christian walk!)

Confidence in myself grew in my 30s, when I suddenly realised that it really didn’t bother me so much what people thought of me – Jennibellie points out in the video that actually other people are so wrapped up in their own issues that they probably don’t give us a second thought, so our worrying is all castles in the air! My mum used to say this to me when I was younger, and she was right. OK, I’m never going to shine in the fame and fortune stakes, am not genius-standard intellectually, and will never be a wealth-producer, but I am me, a bit of a jack-of-all trades and master of none, but I have gifts and talents specific to myself and it’s up to me to use them to the best of my ability, and ****** the rest!!! Mum always says it’s a good thing we aren’t all the same. She’s right. If we were, there would be too much done in one field, and nothing else would get done at all!

I think artists are particularly susceptible to comparison with others, and being far too self-critical, whether they are in the field of physical and visual arts, or music. I have found singers to be incredibly sensitive in this area – the voice is such a personal thing, as one’s instrument is oneself! I have recent experience with somebody who although very confident in the field of music, exhibits all the signs of lack of confidence in her work as an artist – she is a beginner, and comes over with lots of negative comments about her work and how she doesn’t consider herself to be a “real artist,” and doesn’t think she is creative. She is comparing herself with me, which is all very flattering, but I did my best to encourage her as she embarks on this new area of creativity.

I have often found myself comparing my work with the work of others online, and in every case these people were more experienced than I was, and I found myself wishing I could have come up with such original ideas. “I wish I’d thought of that…” However, discussing one of my pieces recently, I was told how creative and original it was. We do need to look at our own achievements and let them stand alone, and listen to what others say to us about them, and about us as artists too – this can be incredibly encouraging and confidence-building.

One thing I have done often, which Jennibellie suggests on her video, is to look back at my earlier projects and see how I have moved on since those days. This is one reason why I have a blog. It’s such a useful tool! The other day I was reviewing my Youtube videos and felt acutely embarrassed at one of my very early ones, “What’s in Shoshi’s boxes?” I made this small series just after I started what I then called crafting (I now consider myself to be an artist rather than a crafter – many self-confessed crafters, in my opinion, should maybe rebrand themselves likewise!), before I had a dedicated space, and had to get the boxes out and work off my lap, or off the dining room table. Those who follow my activities will know that I am now incredibly blessed with a purpose-built studio, my new ARTHaven, and over the years I have accumulated a large quantity of materials and equipment, and also a lot of experience, and growing confidence along the way. Having watched Jennibellie’s video, I have decided to ignore my recent impulse to delete those embarrassing early videos from my Youtube channel! Maybe if others compare them with more recent ones, they also will be encouraged to press on!

I love how we are all unique, and no original work we do is the same as the work of others. Recently I was hankering after a definitive style which would say “Shoshi” to anyone who saw it, but several people have commented recently that various things were in my style, so even if I can’t see it, perhaps I have developed my own unique style after all!

As I grow in experience and confidence, I have come to realise that given my resources (which I fully understand that not everyone is as fortunate to have available), and given some time thinking, planning and imagining, I can do anything I set my mind to. Ideas for projects that have long remained dormant because I couldn’t think how to achieve them will come to fruition, adding another brick to the construction of my growing confidence in my abilities.

The most important lesson in all this is to “Enjoy the journey”! Life, and art, are never static. As individuals we are never static – we grow and change, with time and changing circumstances, and with experiences that impact us and add another dimension to our creativity. What an adventure it all is!

Life is too short to sell ourselves short by thinking we are not as good as other people. There are many different levels of ability, but it is where we are now that counts, and each step along the journey is a step in the right direction, building on past experience and growing in confidence. Various people have commented under Jennibellie’s video, that the only person we should compare ourselves with, is ourselves.

One thing I have found incredibly uplifting and encouraging is the response of others to the work that I am producing – the joy I can give by making, rather than buying, a gift or card – how valued, loved and important it makes the recipient feel. It is in blessing others that we ourselves are blessed.

 

Recent news

I am not able to participate in the weekly blog hop WOYWW (What’s On Your Workdesk Wednesday) at present because of other things going on in my life. My workdesk has backslid into a dumping ground again! Today my hubby and I came to the final farewell celebration as he embarks on retirement. We have both been overwhelmed by everybody’s kindness and appreciation for all that he has done to help people in his long career, and by their generosity in the form of gifts and cards, parties and meals provided, and tears shed. We are both feeling pretty wiped out by the incredibly emotional experience and need a few days’ peace and quiet to adjust our inner compasses and get into a new routine.

We are going away on holiday this coming Friday – our first holiday in four years. Over recent years we have both been very busy dealing with all the problems of having extremely elderly parents – settling Dad into residential care as his dementia progressed until his death early last December, and doing our best to care for Mum who was unable to cope on her own. Getting the three of us moved into more suitable accommodation for us all was the great adventure of last year, and from the New Year I felt it was a fresh start, and a springboard to a new way of life. With retirement, there will be financial adjustments to be made as we will be living on a much reduced income (which makes me very glad that I have invested so much in materials and equipment in the past in my ARTHaven!!) and although my life won’t change much – who said “Wives never retire”? Lol! I shall still be cooking and doing the laundry etc. etc.! – but it will be very different adjusting to having a hubby who is no longer working – he has been working (and very hard) all the years I’ve known him, and I can’t yet get my head round what it will be like!

Here we are, last Sunday, at the penultimate farewell party, with the most gynormous cake I’d ever seen:

In May, my hubby celebrated his 65th birthday, and I my 61st, and also it was our 28th wedding anniversary, so quite apart from his retirement, there’s been a lot to celebrate.

To finish, here is a picture of Phoebe looking opulent on my cushion which I chucked onto the floor last night as I settled on the recliner.

I hope you have found this post helpful. Thank you, Jennibellie, for your words of wisdom, which I think we creative folks all need to hear – we all need a refresher course in attitude management sometimes!

Dad’s Funeral, Thursday 19th December 2013

The past few days I have felt absolutely exhausted, but better enough today to put fingers to keyboard and share with you what a wonderful service we had for Dad on Thursday.

My hubby, my sister and I planned it from beginning to end, and it was very hard trying to decide what to put in and what to leave out, because Dad lived such a full life with so many interests and skills, but I think in the end we did him proud!

The above photo was taken at his graduation from Manchester University in the late 40s. He looks so handsome! We put this on the back cover of the service booklet.

I designed the service booklet myself, and the funeral director submitted it for printing. This seemed so right, and it felt like a beautiful service I could perform for Dad, to put my design and layout skills to their best use, to produce something beautiful that would honour him, and that his friends and family would want to keep afterwards.

We asked our local organist, who is extremely gifted, to play a selection of J.S. Bach chorale preludes at the beginning of the service, and one at the end – Dad loved many forms of classical music but Bach was his first love (something he passed on to me), and these pieces were also played at our wedding. During the service we played recordings of other favourite pieces of Dad’s, and as his coffin left the church, carried shoulder high by four bearers (my hubby being one of them), “Syrinx” for solo flute by Claude Debussy was played. Dad used to play this piece often, and it is so haunting and atmospheric. You could have heard a pin drop. Throughout the service, Dad’s flute lay on his coffin. He played all the woodwind instruments during the course of his long life, apart from the clarinet and the recorder, and self-taught, achieved a proficient enough level to play each one at various times in his local symphony orchestra. The flute was his first instrument, which he took up when at Manchester Grammar School.

Also during the service we sang a selection of his favourite hymns. One in particular stands out: “Teach me, my God and King,” written by George Herbert in 1633. I wanted this hymn at our wedding, but since I had chosen every hymn and every piece of music, I thought it only right to let my poor hubby choose at least one thing! It was this hymn that had to be dropped, which I was very sad about. It is a most unusual hymn, written at the dawn of the Age of Reason when alchemy and superstition were giving way to modern scientific method and discovery. It contains references to both disciplines, and points to Dad’s many interests in the nature of the physical universe, and also describes his character – someone who did everything to the very best of his ability, for the glory of God. Somehow, not having it at our wedding was made perfect by having it at Dad’s funeral instead.

Teach me, my God and King,
In all things Thee to see,
And what I do in anything
To do it as for Thee.

A man that looks on glass,
On it may stay his eye;
Or if he pleaseth, through it pass,
And then the heaven espy.

All may of Thee partake;
Nothing can be so mean,
Which with this tincture, “for Thy sake,”
Will not grow bright and clean.

A servant with this clause
Makes drudgery divine:
Who sweeps a room, as for Thy laws,
Makes that and the action fine.

This is the famous stone
That turneth all to gold;
For that which God doth touch and own
Cannot for less be told.

The service consisted of exactly the right balance of solemnity, beauty, joy, fun and laughter. My hubby, my sister and I were all able to speak about Dad, sharing our own reminiscences of him, and there were many amusing anecdotes! My talk, which I entitled “My Inheritance” was a distillation of my blog post about the importance of objects as symbols, and I took along the objects described in that post and made a little display on a table at the side, complete with explanations for each one, and selected half a dozen to include in my talk.

In my sister’s talk, she included a reading of two of his favourite Hilaire Belloc nonsense poems that he used to recite from memory to anyone who would listen – having heard them so often over the years I have them by heart myself! She remembered things about Dad that I had forgotten – such as how he and she used to climb trees!

My hubby spoke about him after the reading of Psalm 1 (“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly…”) which so summed up Dad’s integrity and righteousness; he spoke about Dad’s faith, and shared his own reminiscences. Between us, we included his diligence in his profession as a surgeon, his music, his engineering (and especially clock repairing) skills, his love of astronomy, his general eccentricity, his great sense of humour, his love for his cars, snooker, croquet, fencing, tennis and table tennis, and his enthusiasm for life and his constant desire to learn new things, which kept him forever young.

After the service, the pews were pushed back and we tucked into a splendid Devon cream tea, with sandwiches and lemon drizzle cake, and plenty of opportunity for further reminiscences. Lots of old friends and colleagues were there, and family members from as far afield as Yorkshire and Staffordshire – my only regret was that so many people had to leave so soon, as they had long journeys to make in the darkness and the rain, and I only managed a few minutes’ conversation with my cousins and Godmother, for instance.

In addition to the display of objects on the table, I also set up my laptop with a slideshow of photos taken throughout Dad’s long life, and this was watched with great interest by all and sundry. During the wake, a CD was played of further favourite pieces of music which Dad had loved.

The beautiful little country church was decorated ready for Christmas, with the candles lit, and the Nativity on the table to one side.

We chose a beautiful willow coffin for him. I have a thing about coffins – I really hate them! My hubby knows a wonderful local firm of funeral directors who offer “green” funerals and in their catalogue, they provide several different willow coffins, and also shrouds on a bier – we attended a funeral a couple of years ago when this was used, and it was one of the most beautiful things I’d ever seen. They cannot use shrouds for cremation, though, so we chose the most natural-coloured willow one, which rested on two simple ash trestles. We chose beautiful flowers, all in white, with some greenery – Dad loved simple, unadorned things, and I think this would have pleased him immensely. As he was borne out, I had a thought that it was fitting that he should be in a Moses basket – just like at the beginning of his life! We had chosen his favourite clothes to be dressed in for his final journey, including the green velvet waistcoat with the silk applique ivy leaves which I had made for him many years ago.

When the funeral director returned to the church after taking Dad to the crematorium, he told me that on the drive there with Dad, the sky became very dramatic, with a huge dark cloud behind them, and shafts of sunlight ahead, which he said made the grass greener than he’d ever seen it, and the sheep more luminous! As he watched, a rainbow appeared. I believe this was a beautiful sign that God was smiling down on Dad and welcoming him into His Kingdom.

Update on our House Move

I haven’t got much time available for regular blogging at the moment because there’s a lot to do, but I thought I’d just do an update on progress to date on our forthcoming house move.

We are still in the pre-contract stage and have lots of forms to fill in for the solicitor. We have most of the information now. Unfortunately my dad’s condition has deteriorated quite a lot recently and he is now quite unable to sign anything. The doctor came out to see him at the care home at the beginning of this week, and wants him to have a full psychiatric and neurological assessment, to see exactly what’s going on. This is something we had been hoping for quite a while back, but he probably wouldn’t have agreed to it at the time. We visited him this afternoon and he was in a world of his own, talking nonsense and not really making eye contact, and in the end we just had to walk away, because he wasn’t taking on board our “goodbyes” and “we’ve got to go now.” He seems much more shrunken into himself, and in physical size, too, even since I last saw him early last week. It’s very sad to see. My poor, wonderful, lovely Dad.

Mum’s leg, which she injured tripping on the stairs a few weeks ago, is making good progress. The district nurse is now coming out three times a week to change the dressing, which is a huge burden taken off my hubby, who on top of everything else, was having to drive her into the surgery to have it done. They say it will take the full estimated 12 weeks for it to heal completely.

I spent last Tuesday at her place with my sister and cousin, helping her sort out what she wants to keep, what to sell, and what each of us wanted. She is being very sensible about it all, but feeling somewhat overwhelmed by the whole thing – who wouldn’t, especially at her advanced age – we are trying to make it as easy as possible for her and encouraging her all the time not to worry, as we are here to look after her. Since she hurt her leg, she has felt much more vulnerable living alone. As soon as most of the house has been cleared, she is going to stay with my sister until the new house is ready to move into, which will make our job easier, sorting out the remainder of the stuff and getting the house ready for completion of the sale, and also relieving my hubby of the burden he has carried over the past six months, and giving him a chance to concentrate on his own part of the house move, sorting out his garage stuff and his books, etc. He deserves a break from it all!

We have contacted a builder, who is a close friend of Wonderwoman, my home help. I have seen some of his work first-hand, in her house – his attention to detail and pride in his work is second-to-none, and everyone says he doesn’t charge enough! He is also very nice, and enthusiastic about what he does. Today I went over to the house and met him there, and we were able to have a good look round and he could see exactly what was required, having previously only seen floor plans. With a few amendments to our original ideas, he will be going ahead as soon as his current job is complete, probably at the beginning of May.

We are at present looking at a completion date for our move in mid-April, although I think that may be a bit over-optimistic – the solicitors are chasing up the powers of attorney for my parents, and once they are through, life will be a lot easier because we will be able to sign things and deal with things more swiftly than otherwise.

Because we don’t have to vacate our house (tied accommodation) until May 2014 when my hubby retires, there is no pressure on us at this end, although we will be moving in as soon as the work is finished on the new house, and my hubby will commute back here for work. We have therefore got a bit longer to get our stuff sorted out than Mum, and after completion, while the work is being done, every time we go over we will load up the car.

I have been spending quite a lot of time online, choosing what we want the builder to put in the new kitchen and bathroom. The existing kitchen units will go in Mum’s kitchen in the annexe, and the utility room. The builder is happy with the kitchen company I have chosen – they are trade only, and he has dealt with them before. We have chosen a nice light oak contemporary style, and I am also having a rise-and-fall unit incorporating a shallow sink and electric hob, which will be wheelchair accessible. I am super-excited about this, because over the past couple of years I have found it increasingly difficult to manage in a conventional kitchen because I can’t stand for more than a few minutes, and working from the perching stool is extremely uncomfortable. We are having a built-in oven at a good height, as well as a fridge freezer with the fridge at the top, and I shall soon be cooking again! (Mum is having my old cooker and fridge, both of which are in excellent condition.) I used to enjoy being a creative cook, and I have missed it. My hubby has done his absolute best, and has done incredibly well, but we have lived off a lot of ready meals and takeaways and we’ve both piled the weight on a bit, so it will be nice to be a bit more in control of what we eat!

I found a wonderful Ebay shop for the bathroom stuff – beautifully modern and stylish, and much cheaper than many other places. There are two bathrooms upstairs – one is a relatively recent addition and needs no work doing on it – this will be my hubby’s bathroom and he’s well pleased with it. We are knocking the wall through between the other bathroom and loo (both fairly antiquated), and creating a door from the bedroom to create a lovely modern en-suite for me with wet-room shower and fully accessible – the room will also be big enough for me to have a bath, which is great because I enjoy a nice long soak in the tub!

As for my new ARTHaven – I cannot express how excited I am about this! When the builder had seen it, and what I proposed should be done, he said that was the easiest job in the house, and the room was positively crying out for it to be done! It is one of the smaller bedrooms, partially divided off for a “dressing room” which will be my office. The basin will be changed for a sink (the one from the existing kitchen) and the rest of the room will be fitted out with cheap white kitchen units minus their plinths and doors, spaced around the room and joined with a continuous work surface all around, divided into separate work zones for different activities. This means that I can have all my stuff out (e.g. sewing machine, melting pot, cutting machine, main work area etc.) with storage for the respective materials underneath, and in the open-fronted kitchen wall units above, with shelves between. There is a small blocked-off fireplace which will be the focal point for displaying various pieces of work – my own, and the beautiful pieces I’ve been so blessed to receive from my various creative friends online – thank you all! – your work will be displayed as it should be, at last!

One of the best things about my new ARThaven is the north light. Today, looking round the house, it was a beautiful bright sunny day, and if I had been working (particularly this afternoon) in my present ARTHaven, I would have had the curtains drawn because the sun from the south-facing window is far too bright. Most of the time I’m working in artificial light, which isn’t too bad as I have Pure-Lite bulbs, but in the new one, the light was diffused and clear, and I shall be working in natural light most of the time! Outside the window is a balcony, accessed from a door in the dressing-room part, and I intend filling it with flowers, grow-bags with tomatoes, and strawberries! I told my sister this, and she said, “Oh good! Now I know what to get you for a house-warming present – a strawberry pot!” What a star!! I have asked my hubby to put a shelf onto the balcony balustrade so I can put troughs on it, and have flowers hanging over the balcony. I did this with the fences at the back of the little cottage that was my first home, and it was lovely.

There is storage room a-plenty throughout the house. It was built in about 1925 and with the addition of maintenance-free replacement windows throughout, many of the original features remain, including built-in cupboards in many of the rooms. There are picture rails and dados, and the hall and landing are spacious, and all the rooms are beautifully proportioned. The garden is manageable for my hubby (a lot less work than here) and is on 2 levels. The lower level consists of two small patio areas, one outside the annexe, which will be Mum’s own little garden, with room for her garden furniture and ornaments, and a right-angle of house wall sticking out, where we will hang her bird feeders so she can watch them from her sitting room. There’s a little raised rockery to one side if she feels like pottering a bit, and a low wall running around where she can have her tubs. Behind this is a small bank rising to the main lawn, and it is planted with masses of primroses and snowdrops against a carpet of moss and ferns. I know she will love this! The other little patio area is outside the main kitchen and will be our own little area to sit out. There are 2 sheds (as well as some brick-built outhouse storage for the mower etc.) and quite a nice sized garage which will suit my hubby down to the ground with his tools and things.

When my cousin was down, she said that I would be able to have my uncle’s mobility scooter. By the time he died just over a year ago, he was bedridden and hadn’t been out of the house for many months, and it has been sitting in their garage ever since. We are delighted to be able to have it. It will live in the garage where we can keep it charged up, and all I have to do is go up through the garden with my crutches, and launch forth from the garage onto the back road, and trundle along to the shops – there’s a corner shop 30 yards from the house, and a little row of shops with a small Tesco, Co-op, pharmacy etc. about 100 yards from the house. There’s a surgery and even a vet not far from the house, and a choice of 2 churches!

I still can’t believe all this is happening. I keep thinking I’ll wake up in a minute and find that Mum’s house is still on the market and nothing has changed! When we viewed the first house about a year ago I fell in love with it, and told myself not to get too disappointed if we lost it (which we did) because God knows what He is doing and would have something better lined up, and we just had to trust Him! This has proved to be so much the case. Where we are moving is infinitely more suitable in so many ways; also, when we were first looking, Dad was still in the equation and it was my hubby and I who would have been living in the smaller accommodation and having to put loads of stuff into storage etc. What we have now got is perfect for us all, and for our situation, and in the future, we will have a place we can stay on as long as we need, with a ready-made annexe to offer as holiday accommodation if any of our friends want to come and visit. They could be self-catering and free to come and go, which would be ideal for me as I am not well enough to have guests and do entertaining! (We had friends in Cornwall who did this – she had MS and they converted the house into 2 self-contained flats, living downstairs and letting out the top flat for friends like us to have a nice holiday by the sea.)

Lots more boxes to pack! Stuff to sort for recycling, etc. etc. Plenty of time to work through it at my own pace, though. I feel so right about it all. A year ago I was dreading leaving here, with an uncertain future and not knowing where we might end up, but this solution is ideal for us all.

I’ll keep updating my blog with news as it happens, and as soon as the house is ours, there will be photos of the progress of the work – before, during and after!

Views from Shoshi’s Settee–This and That–and an Exciting Day Tomorrow!

Today is the 27th anniversary of my becoming a Christian. If you want to read my testimony, I blogged about it exactly a year ago today. I am so grateful to God for everything He has done for me in my life, and above all for sending His Son to die in my place, taking the punishment for my sin, and opening the gate of heaven for me for the future, and giving my life purpose and meaning for the present.

I’ve tried to have a rest today, because tomorrow will be a long day – my hubby is dropping me off at Westpoint, Exeter, for the Creative Stitches and Hobbycrafts show. I love craft shows and can’t wait! It’s going to be a very special day for me because my crafty friend Wendy from Wales is going to be there and it will be the first time we’ve ever met, because we’ve only been friends online.

I’ve bling-ed up my wheelchair in honour of the occasion! Since I got my new one, I haven’t decorated it at all, apart from putting some sparkly spoke guards on it – I did bling it up for Christmas in a simple way, but nothing since. I rummaged through the bags under the stairs and found most of my wheelchair bling (can’t find the newest flowers!) and I’ve redone it with my original flowers, with the black sparkly Christmas stuff underneath, and of course, MY LIGHTS!!! I also added some rust-coloured sunflowers that a friend gave me years ago, which I’ve never used before, and I thought they gave a nice autumnal feel to my new bling. I also put on some of my black and silver Christmassy bits, so when the time comes, all I’ll have to do is strip the flowers off and add a few more bits of Christmas bling, and some baubles on the back.

If you look closely, you can see the lights. They aren’t terribly bright, and they probably won’t show up much tomorrow as the lights will be so bright, but in the evening in subdued lighting they look gorgeous!

Last time I went to a craft show with flowers on my wheelchair, everyone loved it and it generated lots of smiles and happy comments! It helps break down barriers and stops people being embarrassed around disability (shame that still happens, but it does…).

Yesterday I went through the stuff in my ARTHaven to make a list of stuff I need (need, not want lol!) from the craft show. Last time I took a little note book with lists of stuff I’ve got in the back, for example what colours of alcohol inks, stickles, etc. that I’ve got, and in the front is a list of all the stuff I want to look out for, and as I go round, if I buy any new colours of anything, I write them down so as to avoid buying the same thing twice – in the hustle and bustle of the show, it’s not always easy to remember what you’ve bought from the different stands! I also take a box with me. The staff are very happy to let me put this in the office, and I can come out with my purchases and put them in the box, because it’s difficult for me to carry a lot of stuff.

While I was sorting out my list, I also sorted my rubber stamps. I have kept them all in empty CD cases up till now, but I have separated some of them out and put them back in their original packaging if I’ve kept it – this way I know what make they are. Now I am blogging about my projects, it’s important to say what the stamps are, in case anyone is interested in getting them. It makes them a bit less convenient to use, but I rather like the feel of them in their flat packs with the pictures of them underneath!

All I’ve done today is change the bed sheets and get the laundry on, wash my hair and have a nice long soak in the bubbles, and at the risk of having a bad night, I’m going to try and get to bed a bit earlier than 3.30 a.m. as I’ve got an early start tomorrow and I’m going to need a lot of energy to keep going all day!

Our middle nephew and his wife and daughter popped in for a cup of tea with us this afternoon – they are down in our area visiting. I haven’t seen their little girl since she was a baby and she’s now nearly 2! She is so pretty, and so full of energy, and didn’t sit still for a moment!

I probably won’t blog about the show tomorrow, because I’ll be too worn out, but watch this space, and hopefully I’ll have some good photos of the day to share with you.

26 Years a Believer!

Today, 22nd September 2010, is the 26th anniversary of my being born again and becoming a believer in Jesus and a child of God.

I had been brought up as a nominal Christian in a churchgoing family, and educated at church schools, and by the time I left school I had quite a lot of knowledge of the Bible and of church matters but it was all in my head and not in my heart. After I left school I went through a bad patch and walked away from any involvement with God for a number of years. Then my grandmother died and quite unexpectedly I found myself wanting to "fill her pew" in church, so I started going again. Several years later I moved, and began attending my new local church, but it was still all in my head and not in my heart. In this church, I encountered people who seemed to have so much more than me spiritually - I'd never met people like that before and part of me wanted what they had, but another part shied away, fearing the commitment I felt would be involved. As time went on, this tension deepened until it became almost unbearable. At that time, a couple who had recently moved to the area invited me to a big meeting in our neighbouring city. The preacher spoke in words of one syllable and it was as if he was speaking to me personally - until that time I had no idea the Bible could be so "real" and by the end of the evening I had repented of my sin and believed that Jesus had paid the price for it, and accepted Him as my Lord and Saviour. That was exactly 26 years ago today.

There have been many ups and downs in the intervening years, but whatever I have been through, I have never been alone - He has been faithful to His promise never to leave nor forsake me, and during those years I have had a hunger to study His Word, the Bible, and to grow in understanding of His purposes for me, for His Church, for His Chosen People the Jews, and for the world. It has been, and continues to be, the most incredible adventure!

I am thrilled to see the daily verse that has come up on my blog for today:

"But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light." (1 Peter 2:9.)

God's Knitting

When I was clearing out my room to make my ARTHaven, I came across a piece I'd made years and years ago, to illustrate some thoughts I'd been having at the time about how God is in control of our lives, however chaotic they might seem to us.

I had the thought that our lives are like a piece of knitting that God is doing - a work in progress. For anyone who has done Fair Isle (multi-coloured) knitting, you know that the back can end up as a tangle of different coloured yarns that are carried along, to be picked up when you want a new colour in the row. What we see is the back of this knitting. God is in control of the design, which He planned before the foundation of the earth (Ephesians 1:4) - He knows how it's going to turn out. While the work is being done, it can be messy on the back, which is the only bit we see.

However, with the eyes of faith, opened by the Holy Spirit, we may catch a glimpse of the right side of the work, but in reflection only ("through a glass darkly," 1 Corinthians 13:12) but when we are face to face with the Lord, we will see the whole picture, the right side, in all its beauty and splendour.

Throughout the work, the golden thread of God's love is present. Although I didn't think of this when I was making this piece, I did incorporate a cross into the design.

This was an experiment, really, and I didn't spend a lot of time getting a nice glossy finish on it - it's pretty roughly put together, but if you don't mind seeing the staples holding the knitting in place etc. I hope it means something to someone!!

Here is the piece closed, showing the "wrong" side of the knitting. I'd like it to have been a bit more messy than this, so that the design didn't show up quite so clearly:

Here it is, open, showing the right side of the knitting in the mirror.

I hope this strikes a chord with someone, somewhere... If your life seems in a total mess at the moment, and without purpose or direction, and you can't make sense of it, remember that God, who loves you, has the design in His hands, and sees the final picture.

"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28).

May God bless you all.