Contentment...

After a few years of striving to eliminate debt before buckling down to save a good deposit for our first home, the drive we had to push harder, work harder, give more, and put money aside for future security did not alter. 

In late September we moved in to that home, we still have no debt other than our mortgage, and there is nothing urgent on the horizon. Yet until a few days ago this compulsion to save, to feel financially secure, to be extra generous and to work harder for the future was still with us. 

Earlier this month the Holy Spirit had begun nudging me into particular passages of Scripture and in my prayer time I sensed changes afoot in the area of finances so I shared this with my husband and together we prayed about it and sought the Lord for more understanding.

Well, every day for the next week a particular aspect on how to manage our finances came to mind until when we considered doing otherwise a heaviness fell on our spirit. So we agreed to trust God and pull back a bit, again waiting on His direction to become clearer.

Now you know, Blossom and I have a saying we use a lot - "God is in the details" - and this morning as my man and I discussed further revelation the Lord had made clear for us we kinda wondered if we could have some confirmation from Him, after all, this change of financial direction we were being asked to allow God to make in our lives was very different from what we've had for the past four or five years.

We sat outside with our coffee and turned on the radio to listen to a Christian program we have supported for a long time. And you'll never guess what the topic was? Finances.

Never before has this ministry had a sermon on finances so believe me when I say our ears pricked as the teaching began!

In fact the sermon was about being content with what we have right now, putting our trust in God to provide our needs tomorrow and not putting faith in our bank account or other assets. 

It touched on the need to pour our lives into relationship with Christ above all else and not allowing the desire for financial security to drive us, cause us anxiety, lure us to work harder than we need, or be a temptation to climb the career ladder because this is us building security in our own strength apart from the Lord. This is us putting confidence in our bank account, our position, our own talents and what we believe we need to be happy and secure.

Afterwards Mr E and I sat and pondered just how much God loves us that He would expand and confirm with us through a radio sermon everything He had been gradually placing on our hearts this month. I was able to acknowledged how years ago when my husband was at university and we had small children that I homeschooled, the very tiny budget I had to work with each fortnight never caused me anxiety. I trusted God with my whole heart and would be excited to see how He would provide each week during those four years of my husband's teaching degree...never did I fear, never did I see us begging bread, never were we in lack. We had what we needed and felt incredibly blessed.

It wasn't until the children left home, I was designing and Mr E was teaching, that a subconscious element of 'we can provide for our needs/wants' slowly took hold, and it was insidious because if you asked us who our provider was we would instantly answer GOD. We really did not notice the big shift in our attitude, so slow was it to manifest and take root. We worked harder and were able to give more, again outwardly we would say it was God providing for the recipient, but there was also a sense of personal satisfaction too. 

I sit here today and marvel that we did not see all this along the way, but I marvel more at our Father God who gently took hold of us and revealed in His mercy how our faith in Him had become mixed with our faith in self. 

I am humbled to be loved so much that He never leaves me where I am but at the right time molds and shapes me to be more like Christ and less like worldly Jenny. Knowing who I am inside, only God can take on such a big challenge, but boy I'm glad He's doing it.

Warts and all...that's His mission for me. 

"Tell them your life, warts and all, so as you grow and change they can see what I am doing and that nothing is too hard for Me if only they will let Me in."

God bless you wonderful human, and remember, God is in the details. Every one.

hugs,

Seek first...

In the seasons of life when you're being tossed to and fro, when time seems to be at an all time deficit and you long for breathing space to rest, refresh and find clarity, too often those quiet times with God in prayer and in His Word are pushed aside or not given over to Him with un-hurried attention.

This is where I found myself this week. 

Too much going on, big decisions to make, voices from every direction (and many real estate agents among those voices), weariness and deadlines that keep drawing closer. 

My prayers felt weary. My time in the Word fell to a few verses each day. My hope was draining away and I wanted to throw it all in.

Then I read one verse which made me sit up and take note. 

"But seek first the kingdom of God..."

Ah, what had I forgotten amidst the mental anxieties of the previous month? Seeking Him first. 

Why was I struggling for time, for rest, for clarity? Because my mind was set on things of this world and not on things above.

Why could I find no peace? I had yoked myself to fretful thoughts and things I could not control instead of letting Jesus carry my burden and resting in Him.

But God is God, my Father, the lover of my soul, a never ending help in time of trouble - and He put the remedy for this distress before me from His Word. 

"But seek first the kingdom of God

and all these things will be added to you."

Message received, heart adjustment made.

Thank you, Lord.

hugs

Planting and reaping...

I have to say, being out house hunting each weekend for the last month has left me falling behind in the every day responsibilities of homemaking. Fortunately my beloved does not mind, he's more concerned with whether or not I'm looking after myself. 

Last Sunday night after a particularly full two days of open house inspections, meetings with a builder and looking far and wide for suitable land we might decide to build on, he announced we were going to relax with a nice sunset meal overlooking the ocean....and I did not protest. 

Continuing to live a healthy grain, dairy and refined sugar free diet meant we needed to scan the menu very carefully for suitable choices (though Mr E still has grains sometimes) but there were some good options. Not realising just how hungry I was, a plate of chicken, avocado and macadamia salad was devoured rather swiftly, and Mr E certainly made quick work of the steak, chips and salad on his plate too. 

It was a lovely end to a big weekend and once again I was reminded just how cherished I am by my husband. As I drifted off to sleep later that night this scripture came to mind...

"He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully." (2 Corinthians 9:6)

Or as most of us have heard at some point in life, you reap what you sow. 

My husband treats me with love and respect because that's how I treat him. He is honest with me because I am honest with him. He cares about my health because I care about his. He sits and listens to me because I listen to him (though as a woman I talk way more than him so he really does go the extra mile with that). He is generous with me because I am generous with him.

We both sow goodness into each other's lives and that's exactly what we reap in return.

But it wasn't always that way. 

I came into our marriage 'damaged' emotionally and wanted to be the boss, to have control of everything, to feel empowered and strong...but I did not consider how this would affect my gentle man. 

Not one to argue, he let me walk all over our marriage, graciously and patiently allowing me the time I needed (many years in fact) to feel secure in our relationship and to rest in his genuine love for me and lifelong commitment to me.

Then one day I had an epiphany and everything changed. The seeds of love and kindness and patience and compassion he had been planting into our marriage began to bloom, and bloom abundantly. My eyes were opened and all I wanted to do was let this precious man lead us because I knew I could trust him with my whole life, for my whole life.

Fortunately our dear Blossom was still young at the time so teaching her to be a woman of grace and kindness, respectful and loving towards her daddy, was the example I decided to show day by day - not with fanfare or falsehood, but with a genuinely full and giving heart. 

Blossom is 24 tomorrow and this week we have talked often about her growing up years.

There have been many joyful memories, sad ones too, but there's also been words of life and encouragement shared between us.

She opened up about the deep respect she has for me as a wife, for how I cling to Jesus no matter what, and she shared how this has been the model for her own relational choices in how she treats Ross. Blossom admitted she is still a work in progress but notices big changes when she chooses to walk in love and plant seeds of goodness.

My dear daughter knows of my past failings because I was very transparent with her about them during long conversations from her mid teens to early adulthood, and indeed she knows of the failings I am still working towards overcoming right now. But what resonates with her is the willingness in my heart to grow from my mistakes and take responsibility for them, my repentance and swiftness in running to Jesus, and my humanity in repeating the same mistake a few times before finally getting it right.

I'm an imperfect woman who is still learning to refine her attitudes to reflect the goodness I so deeply desire to have as a wife, and my dear daughter has no illusions about my struggles because I do not hide them.

How much easier it is to instruct our children when we are honest about our struggles. Doing this we level the playing field by acknowledging we are imperfect, sinners one and all, each one a product of this broken world yet saved by the blood of Jesus. 

Every relationship seed that is planted must be nourished and watered, tended lovingly, and generously given time to grow. My husband did that for me. 

The harvest from his faithfulness came to fruition many years after our wedding, and that harvest brought forth a sowing of new seeds in my own life.

Now that crop is being harvested in my daughter's life and she will take seeds from it to sow into her own family, seeds which one day her two daughters will hopefully harvest.

Blossom used to say. "I want to grow up and be a mummy like you" and I would tell her, "Grow up and be a better mummy than me. Take from my life what is good and use it; take what was not good and let that go." Like sifting the chaff from the wheat.

She's going to teach that same lesson to Cully May and Rafaella too.

Sowing and reaping, the cycle of life.

hugs

Be the encourager...

Sometimes I receive emails or messages from blog readers who encourage me about the things I share in my rambling posts and devotions. By taking those few minutes to send me a hug and share a little of how this blog lifts their day they are inspiring me to be a better Jenny, a more thoughtful and appreciative person, and to seek more deeply the riches of a life lived for Jesus.

Unlike ripples in a pond which clearly spread in widening circles after a pebble is tossed into the water, when we take time to encourage each other we rarely see how far that blessing will travel, but believe me, it does travel.

When we encourage, we are teaching others to encourage. 

When we inspire, we help others to inspire.

When we offer genuine praise, we are building one another up.

When we serve with a full heart, we are walking in humility and displaying Christ in our character, just as He who made Himself a servant displayed to us through His own example when He walked and lived among men.

But there are times when we do not stop to think about another, our mind being self-focused on our own agenda or troubles. We probably have no intention of being mean or careless with our words and actions, yet we are, and instead of being an encourager we stamp on others with our heavy boots of thoughtlessness. 

Yes, perhaps we're having a bad week or life is nothing more than a weary hike up Struggle Hill - but we can't use that as an excuse for our behaviour and responses. We just can't. 

Christ hung on a cross, naked and shamed (Hebrews 12:2), yet still showed compassion (Luke 23:34). 

This past year I've come to appreciate some lovely bloggers who share from their lives a wealth of encouragement to others with no intention of personal gain, only a desire to extend kindness, inspiration and a cheer from the sidelines.

Imagine if we all offered encouragement like this in our day to day lives?

I think of the checkout operator at my local supermarket, the lady who delivers our parcels, the neighbour we haven't yet gotten to know, and even the people we see so often that they may have become invisible.  

A few kind words, a thankful gesture, a welcome and grateful smile...these are gifts of encouragement that cost us nothing, but may mean the world to the person receiving it. 

Just some food for thought in the week ahead.

Hugs

Mothering and the after effects...

It's been a week since I last posted...a very tiring and painful week actually, especially Saturday and Sunday. Each day contained a measure of physical activity that over the course of last week left me unable to even get off the bed by Saturday afternoon. I didn't read the signs of extreme fatigue until it was too late and only later realised that spending two hours walking around a camping expo in the blazing 32C (90F) sun at the weekend with my beloved was the worst decision made in quite a while.

Blossom and her precious little girls came over yesterday and we chatted about the extreme exhaustion mothers of babies and toddlers experience, how endless it can seem when you're in the midst of it, yet you have to keep going, putting one foot in front of the other even when it seems the house is falling down around you, or the washing to be done and the washing to be folded have taken growth hormones.

Last night when the house was put back in order (Cully May is a whirlwind especially when Poppy and her are playing Thomas the Tank), dishes done and the animals tended to, I sat quietly to reflect on the many motherhood topics my daughter and I had covered in our relaxed Sunday afternoon conversation. It occurred to me that the topics which directly affect her life today indirectly affect my life too.

From age 17 to 35 I was either pregnant or nursing a baby/toddler. Through all those years life rarely stood still, I barely caught my breath, and as with almost every other mother on the planet my senses were constantly on alert. 

Life was always go, go, go or be prepared to go.

And I don't think that switch in my brain was ever adjusted, not even when our home became an empty nest. My activity/sensory/preparatory switch was permanently stuck on GO and it took a long conversation on various topics with my youngest daughter Blossom to highlight that point.

Sitting opposite each other on our old turquoise couches, me cuddling 20 month old Cully May as she drank a bottle and stuck tiny fingers up my nose, and Blossom nursing 2 month old Rafaella to sleep, I looked at her young mother life through the lens of my much older mother life and sensed the imbalance.

It doesn't take long to fall into a habit if you repeat the same pattern over and over, and this can be good or bad. Experts agree that it can take 66 days to form a good habit, such as walking for exercise or choosing a healthy option for lunch, but just 21 days to break that habit. 

But a habit created over two decades??

I think my 'be prepared now/get up and go immediately' habit simply became the normal way of approaching life and therefore I never stopped to consider that at this stage of life it was no longer valid.

It's like when you're used to cooking meals for a family and even thought one by one they leave home you still cook the same amount (my husband has had to draw my attention to this many times over the years), but it feels natural so you do not question yourself. Until we moved house last September I would simply pack up the extra food and drop it around the corner to Blossom, but after moving we usually only saw each other once a week and it fairly soon became clear I needed to bake less and cook smaller portions of our main meals to avoid wastage of both ingredients and dollars.

So with that example in mind I transferred this thinking across to my life as it is today.

No longer young and raising children of varying ages, it appears I'm still pushing my mind and body to function beyond it's limits. My brain is still set to GO and I'm naturally functioning in 'be prepared' mode. 

And even though I purposefully seek for pockets of peace in each day and have scaled back much of what I was doing a year ago, my 'natural inclination' is still to be on alert, not let anyone down, and be ready to go at a moment's notice. So there is this 'mental tension' day in and day out which I've not thought of as being an avoidable stress because to me it's quite normal. It's how I've felt for as long as I remember.

This gentle epiphany over the past 24 hours has turned my life on it's end. The striving, roaring, ceaseless tension which was as much a part of me as is eating, drinking or taking a shower, has an off switch and it was always in my control to use it.

Truly, I am so grateful for the Holy Spirit in my life. I am so thankful Jesus left us with God's Spirit to reveal hidden truths we, in our (too-busy) humanity, often overlook. I am in awe of the LOVE our Father pours out on our lives, into every nook and cranny, even when we are not aware we needed it.

I had no idea until yesterday that my life had become so burdensome with habits that were no longer needed. And today, well, it feels like a window was thrown open and a caged bird flew free - from being bound, to spreading wide it's wings on an updraft of fresh free air.

I wonder, are you living a habit, albeit once a good habit, that is no longer needful?

Is there a door before you that needs to be opened so you can fly free?

Pray, ask God to show you.

"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name,

He will teach you all things..."

John 14:26

This "Simply Love" stitchery pattern is my gift to you.

Perfect for Mother's Day, or maybe you'll stitch it for yourself as a reminder that God is LOVE and He loves you so much He wants to show you a better way to live this life and let go of what's no longer needed.

Download the pattern here.

I'm breathing again, my expectations have shifted, and my heart is lighter. 

So what's ahead now I've let go of that mental tension? 

Not sure, but God knows and finally I'm in a clearer state of mind to find out.

Bless you heaps,

Grace, it always comes back to grace...

Recently I mentioned that I regularly buy myself a bunch of flowers when I see them on sale at our local supermarket. Usually, especially if they are carnations, they have a good seven days of beautiful display once placed in a vase with fresh water.

In a private conversation later, the person I was speaking to shared that for her flowers were an unnecessary indulgence, that she could more wisely use that money on needful things. She wasn't being judgmental or mean, just expressing why she couldn't bring herself to purchase flowers.

I didn't respond immediately, but inwardly prayed for God to give me the courage to share my story about flowers, and why they are a significant expression and celebration of the healing power Christ has brought to my life.

When she heard my testimony she apologised for her remark, but really there was no need as each of us is genuinely ignorant to the reasons we do, or don't do, certain things. I don't agree with some of her responses to life, but that's because I have not walked in her shoes and lived her experiences, just as she has not followed in mine.

In fact everyone we meet will be carrying some form of emotional or habitual baggage from the past that influences their choices, behaviours and beliefs, and from the outside looking in you or I may be tempted to question why they respond, react and do certain things that make no sense at all to us.

Living with an attitude of grace is a beautiful thing, and along with mercy and kindness it is the part of God's character I desire most of all...but it does not come naturally, it comes only after immersing myself in His Word day by day by day, and yet still I fail at extending grace more times than I'd like. Grace, mercy and kindness are attitudes (and heart choices) which need refining over a lifetime so it's important you know that I will never in this life get it right all the time. 
Neither will you, and neither will the people in your life now and those you are yet to meet be any different.

I'm learning not to be offended when others criticise or question my choices. I'm learning to not jump in quickly with my own judgments but to step back and remember to show them the same respect and grace I'd like shown me. Again, I'm a work in progress and will continue to get it wrong sometimes, but being aware of my own humanity highlights to me the humanity in someone else, and this helps me to show grace and respect even when I may not understand the 'why' behind what they do - which could be anything from extreme frugality to liberal acquisition of fabrics or shoes.

You know, when my husband entered university to begin a Bachelor of Education degree in his 30's, we lived on a tiny income with three children at home, two of whom I was homeschooling. Each fortnight when I did the groceries every cent was carefully allocated as I followed a well thought through budget-friendly menu plan and shopping list, but there was one indulgence we gave ourselves. Good coffee. There was a reason behind it, but that reason is between my beloved and I.

When guests would visit for a meal or cuppa there was often a remark made about  'that' coffee and how we could afford it on our meager income. True, it was an extravagance, but it was our extravagance balanced by the thrifty areas of life they did not notice - the corners we cut, the frugality we chose in clothing, furnishings, purchases, gifts etc.
 I made our own bread, cordials, jams, cooked everything from scratch, grew as much of our salad vegetables and greens as I could, and rarely did we buy takeout apart from $2 worth of hot chips for Saturday lunch sandwiches (a treat, smothered in tomato sauce by our children).
That good coffee was a blessing and we never felt bad about it. It was something special we purchased for each other and knew God did not mind, in fact, I think He was happy that we gave each other this one small gift during the four years of University.

Today we have a brilliant coffee machine that grinds the beans and makes our daily cappuccinos, lattes, iced coffees or doppios. Good coffee is still our gift to each other!
But we still live thrifty in other areas and I still cook almost everything from scratch.
And I also buy myself flowers these days for a very precious-to-me reason, a reason that matters to God.

I guess what I'm trying to say today is to remember that every one of us has a story, and that story may be one of deep scarring, pain, loss, overcoming, joy, abandonment, poverty, riches or immense change. Our stories quite often define the expression of our nature and though God steps in to heal and teach and correct, some things will still leave a mark which will influence our choices.
All of us will do something that another person would not (I am not talking about sinful things or breaking the law)  like me buying flowers or our choice to enjoy good coffee, and that's fine.
That's us. That's them.

But grace, show grace.

Look at your own life and realise it has it's very own quirks and nuances and habits that your neighbour will think odd or mean or wasteful or extravagant. It isn't something to judge or criticise, it's just me, you, them. In our humanity.

God bless you,

Quieting...

Some days the world is too loud, too harsh, too much.

When you see the ones you love being battered by situations that have to run their course a first instinct is to look for a way to help, to ease their burden until the storm passes.

In those seasons a sense of needing to fix everything so a loved one can gain some relief, find a little breathing space or just simply sleep, sits oh so heavy on the mind and on the heart - even when you're weary and worn down yourself. 

But you push through, soldier on, try harder to do 'one more thing' as an act of love for the ones you cherish.

Then you wake up one morning, fall in a heap, and as you try to drag yourself from mattress to floor a truth slowly becomes clear and common sense speaks louder than it has in a while and says...

"You are not all things to all people and there really is no Wonder Woman cape in your closet. Nor is there a magic wand, an overflowing bank balance, or a potion of strength."

That was me this week. 

When I'm up, I'm UP. 

Adrenaline loaded I can 'almost' leap a tall bottle of San Pellegrino mineral water in a single bound. 

For days, sometimes a week or two, my life is full to overflowing with tasks and travels and 'all hands on deck' as I attend to everything that needs doing at home and for those I love. 

Being helpful is important to me. Being a burden is not.

But when all my adrenaline is expended, as it always does when I am not mindful to conserve energy, depression comes knocking, migraines return, and every part of my body aches and groans until just walking from one end of the house to the other becomes a trial.

I've had this adrenaline issue all my life, but for the past three years since my brain trauma injury it's become a lot harder to manage because I neglect the obvious - I'm older, have a new health issue and cannot do as much as I once did. 

Yet, stubbornly neglecting the obvious, I power on without thought to what the end result will be - an inability to function normally until I am well rested and my body can recover. 

So I'm not Wonder Woman.

But gosh I'd love her waist, and her energy.

Very humbling admitting this to you, but this is my real life. 

It's not all roses and jam and fresh bread and stitching. Sometimes its a day or two in my pajamas with a pot of tea, a few Monte Carlo biscuits to dunk in my cup, and a string of old movies. It's cheese and vegemite on toast for dinner (my beloved's favourite take-it-easy-tonight meal) or maybe a home delivered pizza. It can be weeks of walking in the valley alone while all the time smiling on the outside so as not to worry those around me.

When life unravels at my feet, or this brain injury reminds me there are limitations to how far I can push the boundaries, it's right on God's doorstep I seat myself, curled up and forlorn, knowing only in His arms will I be comforted and given the grace I need to stop everything for a time and trust my loved ones are being cared for by Someone far more able than I. 

And that's humbling too.

You and I, we can't be all things to all people. We can't save the world, and though we can help with some, we'll never be able to fix all the problems our loved ones face. 

I don't know if you go into rescue mode like I do, and I'm not sure if you push yourself beyond the limits of health, strength or ability...but if you do, are you pushing too hard??

I am. And I think I do some of it because I need to be needed or to feel useful, while at the same time feeling overwhelmed when too many are needing me at once. 

I am so BLESSED in this life. Blessed in ways others may not consider a blessing, yet blessed because in every difficult circumstance, and in every opportunity to rejoice, Jesus walks beside me as my trusted Friend and Saviour. 

And it's because Jesus loves me so very deeply that this time, in this season of utter weariness, He's not letting me hide from the reasons I've found myself once again in a dark valley, nor will He let me ignore His counsel. I have to be realistic, accept who I am and the limitations life has set upon me without guilt, frustration or a pity party, and just do the best I can within those boundaries - joyfully.

I guess it comes down to asking God in prayer, "what can I do for this precious person?" before running ahead to do what I believe should be done. It also means not imaging myself as a rescuer, but turning to He who really is our Deliverer and trusting Him completely, whether He directs me to hold back or run forth. 

When I was young I thought anyone aged 59 was really old.

Yet here I am at 59 and God can make me feel like a child because there's still so much I'm learning, still so much to refine in my character...yes, in His eyes I am a child, a very loved child, just like you. 

So this is why I'm a bit quiet right now, why I'm not pushing myself to do or to be.

Like I said before, I'm so very blessed, and as I'm making my way out of the valley and into the sunshine again there's a confidence I won't see as much of that valley as in the past because a lesson has been sorely learned this week, a lesson about being content as Jenny and not wishing to be Wonder Woman.

hugs

Reminded of a dream...

In many of my designs you'll find little pops of applique.

Applique was one of the first things I taught myself to stitch in that tiny 1-bedroom cabin up in the freezing cold Highlands that our family shared for many months back in 2005. 

My husband had accepted a 6-month teaching post in Armidale, NSW, as there were no other positions available elsewhere in his subject at that time and the only accommodation we could find for such a short term was the local caravan park.

We had sold most of our belongings in a garage sale before moving there but were able to store a few boxes of necessities, plus our fridge, washer and beds in a friend's shed. After the Armidale posting we were hopeful of Mr E acquiring a permanent teaching job elsewhere and could send for our belongings then. 

(the following year he was blessed with a full time teaching post in Alice Springs)

I had been homeschooling the children for many years and continued to do so but now relied on the town's library and occasional loans from local homeschool families to help with curriculum as we had limited space for storing books in the cabin, and no internet access.

Mr E would read to us from the Bible each morning after breakfast, pray with us, and then with lunch box under his arm and lesson plans in his bag he'd drive off to school and leave us to begin our studies. 

Morning tea was very simple as I only had two hotplates to cook on, but pikelets and cinnamon toast served with pots of tea or hot chocolate were favourites. Once a week, though, I'd take the children into town and after a trip to the library but before I shopped for groceries, we'd treat ourselves to fancy cakes, milkshakes and cappuccinos at a local cafe.

Some afternoons we'd explore the countryside if the weather was warm enough, but if it was too cold or windy my son would paint his tiny Lord of the Rings models and young Blossom and I would practice embroidery, applique and patchwork with the few supplies purchased on weekend trips to the Spotlight store 100 klm away in Tamworth. 

Huddled side by side, my little girl and I honed our craft, never imagining we'd both be published designers with projects featured inside the craft magazines we were at that time using as our sewing and stitching 'textbooks' ... but that's exactly what happened. 

Blossom had three designs published in her teens and I was more proud of her than I have ever been about my own. 

Unlike me who eats, sleeps and breathes embroidery, Blossom now finds her delight in making children's clothes and my word, she makes them beautifully. 

BUT...

When she was a little girl we dreamed of opening a vintage book shop, the walls lined with shelves brimming of old embossed copies of the classics, squishy bean bags and overstuffed ancient couches placed around thick rugs for customers to settle into as they read, large pots of tea, cocoa or coffee and a variety of homemade cakes and slices off to the side in a small cafe setting for those who'd like to purchase a sweet refreshment while they visited. 

After we learned to sew we decided it would be nice to have a corner set up for those who'd like to bring their hand stitching, crochet or knitting along, and we'd play gentle music to soothe the many weary souls we imagined coming there to rest from the hustle and bustle of the life outside.

For the longest time we lost hope in that dream as our lives went in their different directions - me with designing, she with travel overseas and then a young family - but lately we've talked about it again and decided it's still a lovely dream, in fact it's still our dream, our hope, and we're going to pray over it for no-one knows the future but God and if this dream was placed in our hearts from Him then we desire to pursue it...but all in His perfect timing. 

I wonder if you've had a dream that once filled your heart with hope but has since been forgotten and lain aside?

Perhaps, just perhaps, the timing wasn't right?

Ask God about it. He hears your prayers, He hears mine. 

In our family we pray that if it our requests are not in God's best interest for our lives that He removes the desire, and He is faithful to do just that. But unless we ask, unless we put our desires before Him, we will never know if that dream is one we should pursue.

"And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that,

if we ask any thing according to His will,

He heareth us."

1 John 5:14

May the Lord bless you and keep you, fill you with hope and grace, and answer your prayers in His most perfect and holy timing with the kindness and direction that only He can give.

hugs

The photos above are my new designs for the February issue of The Stitchery Club.

You can find out more here.