Two sons

A family in my church, two daughters are in China to bring home their 2-yr. old son they've adopted.  They have 2-yr. son at home.  I haven't seen the brother in China yet but I met his American brother.  They have 'bonded' by showing each other their trucks on SKYPE.  Neither can speak of word of his brother's language, but they're getting along well using the 'international language' of TRUCKS!  That's amazing.
I made each of them a bib...I know from experience, boys need bibs for a long time...

Can't decide which I enjoy more:  the creating or the giving.

I'm backkkkkk...

Did ya miss me??  Wow, what a year...well, 9 months since last I posted.  Could have 'hatched' a baby in 9 months (but didn't!!)  I'm not Sarah, Abe's wife, ya know.

Where to begin?  We had a mild winter, wet spring, long summer at our house.  My husband was in and out of hospital in May to July.  Came out  one time in May, in and out again on 7/16, went into Rex Home Health for weeks.  We had nurses, phys. therapists, occupational therapists, speech pathologists, aides, hospital bed and equipment and more.  On 7/26 he transitioned into Hospice at home with different nurses, meds and equipment.  He lived almost 8 weeks more and passed away on 9/22/13.
Cause of death: MS.  It was an unwelcome part of our family for over 30 years. "The enemy comes to rob, kill and destroy."  John 10:10
For those who haven't seen it, I've posted a photo of him with one of our gr-daughters:

There's been much happening since then.  I'll share in the next blog.  Stay with me....colleen

Imagine the garment

Since I was about 8 years old, I've been looking at fabrics.  It was at that age, my mother enlisted me to darn socks, sew on buttons and mend tears.  She had an old treadle Singer, but broke out in a sweat if she had to try to use it.  Before long, I was helping with the mending and also, making doll clothes.
I, out of necessity, made my three little girls' underwear, dresses, nightgowns, even coats.  I recall buying yards of lingerie fabrics and elastics from bins on the second floor in the garment district in downtown Minneapolis.  The two older girls would play quietly under the bins while I shopped with another on my hip.  Munsingwear was the 'cadillac' label at that time and I could buy silky lengths for a nickel or so per yard.
I learned to make wedding dresses, drapes, even shirts and ties for my husband.
So, when I began my quilting business for 15 years, it was a natural.  God gave me 'an eye' for coordinating fabrics and colors.  I used this to help my husband with his weaving enterprise when he lost his hearing.  I thank God for the many years I've worked with lovely fabrics.
When I saw a photo of the recently retiring Pope, my imagination kicked in:  who might be the farmers who grew the crops or raised the animals used to make these?  where might the weaving looms and shops be located?  are the craftsmen and women famous now because of their role in dressing the world famous Pope?  What fine fabrics,! and what about the embroideries?  real gold?  precious jewels?  what does the pressing room look like?

Then I thought of the only garment Jesus wore that was fine enough that men gambled for it.  The seamless robe He wore to the execution site.  Why was it seamless?  I gather from John 19:23, it was unusual or valuable:
"Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments and made four parts, to each soldier a part, and also the tunic. Now the tunic was without seam, woven from the top in one piece"
In my mind, I can see a man or woman sitting on a dirt floor of a house in Jerusalem, before a loom, weaving a single piece.  But, to construct it without seaming?  Not getting that image....

The tunic is believed to be the garment worn by Jesus Christ prior to his crucifixion, quoted in the Gospel of St. John as “seamless.”
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2012/04/christs-seamless-tunic-on-display-for-first-time-in-16-years/
...ummm, I don't think so.  (My opinion)

Took a 'long winter's nap'...

from Blogging.  Perhaps you didn't even notice...but, I've thought about it.

One of my many grandsons gave me a book for Christmas.  His pastor wrote My One Word.  The concept is to choose just one word that represents what you most hope God will do in you, and focus on it for an entire year. He explains how that one word may lead to character building and gives personal illustrations as evidence.

Well, I thought about it and MY One Word is IMAGINE.  I've used my vivid imagination in relating scenes in the Bible to myself and others over many years.  The scripture jumps out to me when I imagine the scene, sounds, sights, characters. 
This week, I've been thinking about how it might have gone when Jesus' body was lifted down or off the cross. We begin to think about the Bethlehem scene weeks before Christmas.  It's the same with Easter, for me, and Lent begins on February 13; that's a sobering time preceding a day of great joy:  RESURRECTION-FREEDOM-VICTORY DAY.
My IMAGINATION worked this past week on what took place that day there.  We know only men could prepare the body for burial.  Only men had the strength to carry Jesus' body down and away.  Joseph of Arimathaea took down his body and prepared the body, then buried it in his own burial space.  Luke 23:53
He must have been a man with resources, surely he enlisted help to this.  Did the disciples help?  Were they not present, that they didn't take charge of this themselves?  We know John had been there because Jesus made him 'caretaker' of His own mother.  Did the men wash and prepare the body in the cave that held the tomb?  Did they weep?  Did they worship Him for the first time?  How did they tell the event when they shared the scene with friends and family? 
What a life changer that would be.  It so greatly changed MY life, and I wasn't present then, but since...in my heart and mind.

I don't intend to take another 3 month hiatus.  Please 'pop in' often to see where else my IMAGINATION takes me?

Above:  roomful of ossuaries in a Nat. Geo. article: http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/episodes/in-search-of-jesus-tomb/

Heads up!

I've often read in the OT the phrase, "lifter of my head."  Just now I was in Psalms 3:3 where David announced that.  John Gill says it is when God lifts my head, pulls my chin up maybe, when I am depressed or troubled abut something.  I might walk along with my head down...grumble, grumble, grumble...and then I remember, "Ah, but my God is bigger than my trouble...".  My spirit is lifted, the light is brighter when I look up, not down.  To look down, my head is down, facing the ground.
Gill also mentions 'lifter' when I put on the helmet of salvation or when a soldier puts on his.  I can't place the helmet on when my head is bending low...it would fall off, wouldn't it?
Lastly, he mentions how my head is lifted, held high at judgement.  I can face my Lord with head held high for I have been cleared of any wrongdoing at the cross.

But you, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory and the lifter of my head.   Ps. 3:3

 

Don't wave back!

The "Perfect Storm" of 1991 measured waves of over 100 feet; another storm off the coast of Norway in 1995 measured  an 84 foot wall of water that hit an oil platform. Another off Portugal in 2011 measured 90 feet tall.
Hurricane Sandy: New York Harbor's surf reached a record level when a buoy measured a 32.5-foot wave. That wave was 6.5 feet taller than a 25-foot wave churned up by Hurricane Irene in 2011.
The former two hit out in the ocean; this storm struck a highly populated area...er,er country.  The power of it sloshed around in Lake Michigan also.  The death and destruction is unfathomable to me.

I thank God everyday that our home and family escaped it.  We are safe and warm and dry.  There's not a doubt in my mind that He created the oceans and is Master of the waters...He knew about the storm since time began...we didn't learn of it until October of 2012.  Our God is powerful and awesome!

"...even the winds and the sea obey Him."   Matt. 8:27

Throw Down

It's been many years since I dealt with or thought about our Laundry Chute.  We had one in the two-story home where we raised our kids.  It was in the floor, as I recall, and the size of a smallish heat register like we have now.  As the kids stuffed the dirty garments in, they traveled down through 2 floors to the basement.  Occasionally they would put a playful item down...the cat (just kiddding), hair brush, a shoe...then run down and retrieve it. 
Hadn't thought of it until just now overhearing my daughter ask her son if she should "throw down his dirty uniform".  We don't even have one in this house.  Mostly, the throw down I heard recently was in referring to Bobby Flay on the Cooking Channel.