Things above...

I think every Christian parent prays their children will grow up to follow Jesus, to choose His example in life over ours, and to invest their heart in 'things that are above'.

My youngest babe is Blossom, herself now a mother and blooming in the role she had hoped for since early childhood. She would tell me all the time that she wanted to be a mother like me and my instruction to her was to be a better mother than I, and to teach her daughters to be a better mother than herself. 

I felt then, and still do, that we should pray for each generation to surpass the one before in their relationship with Jesus so that every relationship they build in life - whether that be as a mother, father, friend, leader or server - increasingly carries the essence of Him.

My daughter will turn 23 next month and just as when she was a young child we still share our deepest thoughts and tell each other what God is doing in our lives and in our hearts. We often share life changing insights but as time goes by it's no longer a mother leading her young daughter, instead we've become two women seeking to encourage and inspire each other, using the Word of God as our guide.

Recently Blossom started a small home business making beautiful handmade baby and toddler clothes which she sells online. We were discussing the financial side of things and she told me about her desire to give generously in life and not be focused on money. She shared of the immense joy she experiences in doing good, being kind, and pursuing a generous attitude in all things.

My heart melted, such pride I felt for this young woman who has faced many struggles and trials in life these past eight or nine years. It's been hard to accept that only one out of my seven children loves Jesus but as she opened her heart that afternoon heartache fell by the wayside and I could only praise my wonderful and gracious Lord for His faithfulness in her life and mine.

I told her how much she inspires me, how proud I was of her resolve. 

And you know what she said?

"But, mum, I've watched you live like that all my life, and I have seen how much you love God and how He's always provided for your needs...and I want to be like you, I want to have that relationship with Him, that same trust in His provision, that same generous heart."

I was speechless as tears filled my eyes.

Why am I telling you this? 

Because I don't want you to lose heart if you're not yet seeing fruit in your children's lives.

Keep your mind on things above, seek to live a life worthy of Jesus and let your children see it all.

Let them watch you stumble (mine did many times!) then let them see you at the foot of the Cross laying all before Jesus and rising again refreshed, forgiven and renewed.

Don't hide your struggles, or your fears. You know you'll fall at Jesus' feet and grow into a deeper walk with Him inside your valleys, so let the children see this as it happens because you're teaching them to always look to God for the answer. 

I didn't know until a few days ago how much of my life and relationship with Christ was being observed by my youngest daughter. My eyes are still overflowing with tears as I write about that moment, but the most precious thing which has my heart swelling with hope and thanks is that her 9 month old daughter will now be watching and learning and growing in relationship with God because of Blossom's own example. And I know her example will exceed mine.

Parenting is hard, and parenting children who turn their backs on Christ is shattering. But dear sister, they have been watching you all their lives. Pray for all your children every day, the saved and the prodigals...pray that they remember how you walked with Jesus, and pray they choose to walk even closer to Him than you. 

Pray they seek eternal things above, and let go of the the temporal things of earth.

 May the Lord BLESS you each and every day,

May He refresh your broken and discouraged hearts, and remind you of His goodness.

hugs

Flour sacks, linens and herbs...

I woke this morning to the coolest breeze we've had since last August and my, it was refreshingly welcome!

Finally the worst of our very long tropical summer has passed, the nights are becoming cooler and the days mostly requiring just a ceiling fan whirring away with perhaps the air conditioner on for a couple of hours mid afternoon when the autumn sun still manages to burn the front of our high house.

Porridge has once again returned to the breakfast menu...

...and I feel like 'feathering my nest' with new cushions, a quilt in the works, slow cooker recipes, and gardening.

What do you look forward to at this time of the year?

April has been a busy month with many time consuming activities and plans focused around family, home and the business.
All this has caused me to neglect my dear blog for much of the month, and I do honestly love blogging, but life you know? It has a way of taking over and all else falls to the wayside. And that's okay, just go with the flow and in the end everything settles again for a time.

I sense a slowing is just around the corner for me and will be happy returning to regular blog posts.
I truly enjoy catching up with each of you, and love reading your comments with thoughts, ideas and those occasional small glimpses into your life as well.

On the sewing front, something I have been patiently excited to 'play' with are these flour sack towels I bought from Lehman's in the USA a couple of months ago. They are much bigger than anything we get here in Australia and at 31" x 36" each I can easily make two Aussie sized kitchen towels from one flour sack towel.

For economy sake I ordered the 10-pack which worked out to (postage included) just under $5 each. My fellow Aussie girls will know that's great value for such a huge, perfect-for-embroidery-and-applique kitchen towel.

A challenge I have set myself with the first towel is to make as many items as possible from it.

Firstly  I've cut away an Aussie tea towel sized section and begun stitching a new design along the bottom...

(...no more stitchery peeks at this for a few weeks though!)

This has left me with about 1/2 the original flour sack towel yet to work with and a number of ideas to create more useful and pretty items.

Another idea I have in mind will turn these aged and beautiful doilies into a tutorial project I can share here on the blog.
I think re-purposing vintage linens is probably my favourite sewing thing to do!

It's the Labour Day long weekend here in Queensland so I may work on one or both of these projects during that time, but Mr E has other ideas.

He wants to head back to Bunnings for more garden supplies on Saturday as his long weekend plans include potting up a few more plants and returning to his bonsai hobby. He's set himself up a simple potting bench under the back deck, in the shade...

...and I'm allowed to use it too. Ha ha!

Last weekend we bought herbs and a cherry tomato to plant in pots along the deck. Late autumn and winter are the seasons to grow vegetables and herbs in the tropics as the weather is lovely and warm but not scorching hot like the rest of the year.

I love having so much green outside the kitchen door!

We have pots of aloe vera all around the house because they thrive all year round and definitely help when I burn myself...

This lovely little gravy boat was a $2 garage sale purchase last month and now has a new purpose as a pot for some thyme.
It's so cute that I intend looking for more gravy boats in future for a similar purpose.

All around the back deck green is adding life...

...ready for me to give the area a makeover for morning coffee and Bible study now that it's cool enough. Hopefully that will happen over this weekend as well.

The palms have fruit for the large birds...

...and the trees along the side of the house are shedding old leaves and replenishing their limbs with fresh foliage, which gives the rest of our bird life shelter and shade.

A surprise this week was the very first Bird of Paradise flower we've seen on this plant! I hope it continues to flower for us.

You know, life is good.

I had an awful season of depression through March and into mid April, but our few days away up at the Lake combined with cooler weather and the daily exercise workouts I began a couple of weeks ago, have greatly improved my mental and physical state.
The increased energy from exercise, taking 30 minutes to do something 'just for me' each day, and spending more time outdoors and away from the home office was the tonic I needed.

Thank you for your prayers and kind thoughts about the struggle I was having. It meant the world to me.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone,
hugs

The tooting of a horn...

Every few months I re-read the book of Matthew, paying specific attention to the Sermon on the Mount, and just as with all my Bible studies I like copying the Scriptures which stop and make me think into my journal.

This past week I was struck by three things Jesus tells us to do in secret (chapter 6) - He said we should GIVE in secret, PRAY in secret, and FAST in secret - each time closing that directive with these words, "And your Father who sees in secret will reward you."

I'm pretty sure it was the Holy Spirit who drew my attention to this because the day before reading this portion of the sermon on the mount I had told someone about a series of 'giving' incidences from a year or two ago, gifts which up until this week only my husband, myself and the recipient knew about. 

As soon as I told my friend I wished I hadn't. But there they were, the words were spoken, the 'secret' let out, and it wasn't for holy and righteous reasons because there are none and I had only achieved the tooting of my own horn.. 

This social media age we live and participate in challenges me on a daily basis with the perception I gain of people I know well, people who are just an acquaintance, and others I know only through my work or reputation.

I am actually shocked at what some women write on their Facebook page, the language they use, the bitterness or accusatory attitudes they feel a desire to express, even using guilt to gain sympathy. It's as though they can't see beyond their own reflection and simply want all attention to come their way. They want to tell us how great they are, and usually by tearing down others or dropping hints that they're upset with someone.

Thankfully I can move passed their posts, unfriend them and stop to read encouraging words, join in celebrations, learn something educational and see what my family have been up to with their young ones...but this passage in Matthew made me ponder what I truly show in my own life to those looking in from the outside. How do they  view me?

Promoting my 'giving' the other day was all about shining a halo over mine and my husband's character, and a little bit of bitterness even seeped in because I didn't feel the recipient had honestly appreciated the gifts, so what does that truly reveal about me? No wonder the Holy Spirit didn't let that incident slide.

As a designer I find it difficult to promote my patterns, something a few designers I know also struggle with, yet this is our occupation, our 'bread and butter' income, so shining light on what we have created for our customer base is necessary. Our Lord Jesus was a carpenter and even He was paid for His work and would have needed to show his customers the quality of His workmanship. 

Our public business is different from the private women we are, it's something we cannot do in secret nor avoid, but it does put us in the public eye and therefore (I believe) we are held to higher account with regards to character.

As a Christian in business for herself I feel that weight often, so my lack of humility the other day was deserving of a talking to by God and I'm more aware than ever that I need to heed Jesus and keep such things in secret 'forever', to not allow a loose tongue to rob me of the Father's reward nor draw an unwholesome stain on my character.

Why am I telling you this today?

I think God wants me to keep these Sunday blog posts real and to have enough courage that I can honestly admit some of the pits which have tripped me up in this walk to the finish line whilst also declaring His faithfulness to gently correct and forgive.

Maybe you've fallen into the same trap as me and made a show of your good deeds for others to see or hear about? Confess it to our Father, repent and be washed clean and free. He doesn't hold a grudge, when He forgives us our sin is so far removed that He doesn't remember it ever again. Cool huh?

You know what I also wondered when I studied Matthew 6? 

How many of the Father's rewards have I missed in my Christian walk because I didn't keep particular actions secret?

Thank you Holy Spirit for not letting me get away with this one, for loving me so much that You want me to change for the better and receive rewards far greater than man's praise can ever offer.

Your sister in Christ,

A work in progress...

When we arrived home from our few days away, and after I caught up on all the washing, re-stocked the pantry and fridge, and went through hundreds and hundreds of emails...I turned the downstairs spare room into my very own workout room.

Now before you get visions of an exercise bike and treadmill, let me assure you I am a no-frills girl and my 'gym' is without any of that equipment. 

But it does have carpet on the floor (the rest of the house has hardwood), a television, DVD/VCR player, air conditioner and pedestal fan, a nice stack of toning, walking and aerobic DVDs, and one treasured exercise video I loved working out to fifteen years ago that has lost a bit of visual clarity but is still usable enough for my needs.

Since we moved to Townsville just over five years ago I have gained 14 kg (31 pounds) and I feel it ever so much on my 5'1" frame, especially as I was 8 kg overweight before that. My clothes are three sizes larger and being short they look ridiculous with shoulder seams dropping down my arms, necklines wider than my chest and ever so long hemlines. I may be exaggerating slightly, but it feels like I'm wearing a tent....

As I am an apple shape the weight is predominantly around my tummy and upper body, so my knees and ankles take a hammering in this 'lots of stairs' house and I get breathless easily, especially when I'm bending over and trying to paint my toenails. And I love having painted toenails.

I'm also post menopausal and have Hashimoto's Disease, both contributing to weight gain but more importantly they make it very difficult to lose the weight. However, the real villain has been my sedentary life and lack of planning with regards to daily exercise. It's way too hot here to go out walking in daylight for about 8 months of the year and I used that as an excuse...but not any more.

I've spring cleaned my mind, spring cleaned the spare room, and as of today (Friday) I have done five wonderful workout sessions in my 'gym', pushing myself a little further each day - and loving it. 

I did have a rest day on Sunday and today because my body was very clear about needing it, so I am learning to listen to my body and plan on being wise, not reckless, with this new routine. 

One very wonderful result we noticed after my first two workout days was the lifting of depression - swoosh, out the door, out of my brain, gone. My daughter told me, "Mum, you're flooding your body with endorphins now and it's already making a positive impact! I'm so happy for you!" Isn't that lovely? Two of my girls are urging me on and cheering from the sidelines, exactly what I needed from them.

SO...I'm a work in progress, just like the next block in my free BOM, "The Love of Home". 

Today I drew up the design, chose linen and fabric, threads and embellishments, prepared everything for stitching, and sat down to watch season 1 of The Great British Sewing Bee again.

I chose this precious little doily for the stitchery background, and some beautiful Paperie fabric (by Amy Sinibaldi) to fuse behind the doily...

The May block is sweet and simple, and will be quick to stitch because we all need a few patterns in our stash that can be completed in an afternoon or evening...

My little doily is very old and has a generous amount of fraying, but I'll be framing the design when it's finished so that should preserve it for a long time to come...

Satin stitch...

Chain stitch....

Lazy daisies and Colonial Knots...

Little cross stitches and a touch of beading to come...

...but that's all I can show you until May 1st when you'll be able to download the free pattern and stitch your own version.

Back to my other work in progress.

Here's my starting photo, the one I emailed my daughters when I dressed for Tuesday's workout.

 Just keeping it real...

I'll update in a month because this is a long term goal, a habit I'm returning to, not a quick fix. 

It's about health, quality of life, and CHERISHING the woman, wife, mother and Nana this Jenny is.

It's about scheduling time for myself, doing this for me and no-one else, and honoring this body God gave me with the help it needs.

Do you know what I mean? Are you on a similar journey?

Have a wonderful weekend, sweet friend, and try to do something positive for yourself as well as for others. Everyone benefits when you do. xx

hugs

New designs and more vintage linen...

Stitching the new designs for May has been a delight because they are all very different and I really enjoying using different textures with both stitches and lace...

The theme for May is *beauty* because each of the embroideries convey beauty in a unique way.

From the layers of lace in the "Linen & Lace" vase to the little bee embellished hexies in "The Summer House" each of the five designs has something of beauty to display.

Would you like to stitch them?

To receive all these patterns sent directly to your email inbox next month just visit The Stitchery Club webpage here.

It's really that easy.

Now that I've finished stitching the May designs I can take a little break to play in my sewing room with these vintage napkins.

My plan is to centre two over the top of plain quilted squares of fabric to make new beside table toppers...

...and perhaps use the other two in a bag? They'd be gorgeous as pockets,

I also have these sweet little coasters which could become lovely pincushions...

...but I still have my thinking cap on at the moment so that plan could alter as the days go by. 

What would YOU make with these lovely vintage linens?

hugs

The lake, and a first Easter for Cully May...

Our time away was beautiful.

We stayed high atop the tablelands at Lake Tinaroo where the air is cool and crisp, mobile phone reception is virtually non-existant, peace and calm are normal, and the view makes you wish you never had to leave.

Our home for three days was a beautiful town house set amidst lush greenery, overlooking the lake...

Some of the townhouses are owner occupied (I was so envious) whilst the rest of are let out for tourists like us to come and find refreshment away from the city.

The grounds were lush, green and beautiful, with a rolling sway of lakefront grasslands and gardens surrounding us on all sides.

I could have taken a thousand photos, beauty was everywhere...

From our upstairs balcony we watched the moon rise each night over the lake, then just before dawn I'd leave Mr E to sleep while I tiptoed downstairs to brew a coffee and settle myself outside on the verandah with my Bible to greet the sunrise...

Our time away was short, but it was a lovely time of refreshing.

When we visit here again we shall plan to stay much longer.

Yesterday was Easter Sunday, and after taking Cully May to her first Easter church service, Blossom and Ross brought their little Miss over to our house for a visit.

As she is just 8 months old there were no chocolates for her this year but I did make her a little bunny pillow, long and narrow so she can cuddle it easily...

For Blossom and Ross I took an idea from Annabel's blog and wrapped blocks of exquisite Lindt chocolate in pretty paper...

The marbled papers were a gift from my friend Margaret, and Blossom loved them as much as the chocolate so she carefully smoothed them flat again to take home with her!

Cully May kept us all laughing and on our toes.

She pulls herself up on the furniture now and takes little steps along the edges.

When I brought the camera out she pushed her face towards it and made the cutest faces for me. We were all laughing so hard...

"I can clap, Nana!"

"Watch me climb over the couch before daddy gets me!

"Isn't my mummy beautiful?"

"I love watching Nana with the camera..."

"I have two teeth."

What a day, a very special Resurrection Sunday for our family.

I hope yours was wonderful too,

hugs