Curling Bonspiel

Last Friday, K took part in a bonspiel hosted by her school. There were students from 6 schools involved, and 31 rinks.

Over $600 was raised - some of that will go towards cancer research, and the rest is designated for a fund to improve the school gym.

 K's rink won their first two games, but were eliminated in the third. She had a lot of fun!

 

That Small Bird

One day a sparrow, winged in flight

Looked through our home and saw the light

Across the rooms, though not aware -

Between:  a barrier, hard and clear.

It struck the glass, and then it fell

Onto the grass below, so still.

It rested there, in sleep or death.

And I was told it was for me.

“The Lord is using that small bird

To let you know that you are heard.

He cares about your path, you know,

He cares when you are feeling low

And crushed beneath a weight of dread.

He cares so much! You know it’s said

Within His Word - you’re valued more

Than that small bird, or many more.

“So that’s a sign to let you know,

Again, that you are in His care.

You need not fear, you need not dread

What may or may not come to be.

That’s unbelief, do not you see?

But only trust the One Who bore

The crown of thorns upon His Head;

The One Who suffered in your stead,

That you could fly to realms above

In faith, e’en now, but soon BE there.

“You’re safe in Him Who does not sleep

Nor slumbers, but doth ever keep

The ones who love Him, in His grip

‘til our last breath doth pass our lips,

Or, better still:  He takes us up!

“We have His spirit and His word.

We have assurance that we’re heard.

We have His tender care, until

We’ve drawn our last, and we are still.

And then, e’en then, we have much more.

We’ve life with Him forevermore.”

So why do thoughts arise within?

Why do I fret? I know it’s sin.

He calls across the waves, “Fear not!

It’s I, be not afraid, nor caught

Within those thoughts that capture you

And drag you down and cause such harm.

It’s not My will that you should be

Enslaved by such anxiety,

alarm, and worry, little bird.

 You are My own, and you’ve been heard.

“I am above all these details,

I calm the seas, I close the mouths,

I have these things in my control,

And that will ever be my role.

My angels, they do yet My will.

In time ahead, it will be still.

You’re safe! You’re clothed! There is a path

Marked out for you, and much green grass

To nourish you until I come

And take you home, with all my own.

“So look above, and look beyond

This scene around, there’s more to come

much more you should be looking for.”

Later that day, I walked outside.

I had forgotten that small bird.

Though well I know that He had not!

It was still there, the little thing.

Perhaps, later, it did take wing.

It gave me hope, and still it does.

It makes me mindful of His love.

It does remind me of His care,

The One for me, Who did not spare

His son, but gave, and gave and gave some more.

He promises to keep my mind

In perfect peace.    So if I find

It wandering away, distressed,

I will just pray, and read His word,

And ask Him to return my thoughts to His sweet rest,

That He delights to give His own.

To focus on much better things:

To look on Him, and then, e’en sing!

There is so much, in Him, to cheer the heart.

To lift us up, above the earth,

To see the view of one who soars,

And is not bound by things below.

Great Grandmother's Quilt

I've always wanted to start making quilts someday. Around the time I was married, my Grandma Eunice Mohr gave me a quilt that her mother had made. What a gift! My great-grandmother's name was Helena (Petersen) Wiese.

Arlo, Lucille, Helena, William, and Eunice Wiese

 I don't know much about her, except that she ran a little cafe in Milford, Iowa. She and my great-grandfather had divorced sometime after the photo, I guess - pretty unusual in those days. Upon checking my mom's geneology research this morning, I discovered that she was born June 29, 1884 in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany and died 70 years ago today, in 1940 . So it's perhaps fitting that I post about her quilt today.

When Grandma first gave me the quilt, I was pleasantly surprised to see that it is so bright and cheery! Somehow I was expecting dull browns and plain squares. But no! Appliquéd tulips in bright pinks, purples, and oranges!

 Interestingly they are appliquéd onto squares set diagonally (on the point), which you can't tell unless close up because the background is all one color.

   It has colorful stripes of what I think is bias tape or something, right near the yellow binding.

It's machine quilted.

The back of the quilt is of a somewhat brighter yellow than the front.

 I love it. I wonder if she made lots of quilts, or just one. I wonder who she had machine quilt it. I wonder who she made it for, and what she thought about while she stitched on those tulips. Questions that will have to remain unanswered...

I've been thinking about this quilt since I posted about it the other day. Something is not making sense about it and I'm wondering if Grandma told me all the facts. Did ladies get their quilts machine quilted before 1940? It seems to me that back then a woman would probably hand quilt it herself. Now I'm wondering if perhaps Great Grandma Helena only made the top and Grandma (who was not a quilter, as far as I know) had someone machine quilt it later. Perhaps someone who knows more about quilts can tell me when machine quilting became common. In the meantime, I'll ask my Aunt - maybe she knows...

RECYCLE THAT OLD SWEATER INTO MITTENS

What a good idea. Some day I want to try this:  http://studio5.ksl.com/?sid=4456414&nid=61

Sometime, reposted with scripture

Sometime

May Riley Smith

Sometime, when all life’s lessons have been learned,
And sun and stars forevermore have set,
The things which our weak judgements here have spurned,
The things so’er which we grieved with lashes wet,
Will flash before us out of life’s dark night,
As stars shine most in deeper tints of blue;
And we shall see how all God’s plans are right,
And how what seemed reproof was love most true.

And we shall see how, while we frown and sigh,
God’s plans go on as best for you and me;
How, when we called, He heeded not our cry,
Because His wisdom to the end could see.
And e’en as prudent parents disallow,
Too much of sweet to craving babyhood,
So God, perhaps, is keeping from us now
Life’s sweetest things, because it seemeth good.

And if, sometimes, commingled with life’s wine,
We find the wormwood, and rebel and shrink,
Be sure a wiser hand than yours or mine,
Pours out the potion for our lips to drink;
And if some friend you love is lying low,
Where human kisses cannot reach his face,
Oh, do not blame the loving Father so,
But wear your sorrow with obedient grace!

And you shall shortly know that lengthened breath
Is not the sweetest gift God sends His friends,
And that, sometimes, the sable pull of death
Conceals the fairest boon His love can send;
If we could push ajar the gates of life,
And stand within, and all God’s workings see,
We could interpret all this doubt and strife,
And for each mystery could find a key.

But not today. Then be content, poor heart;
God’s plans, like lilies pure and white, unfold;
We must not tear the close-shut leaves apart,—
Time will reveal the chalices of gold.
And if, through patient toil*, we reach the land
Where tired feet, with sandals loosed, may rest,
When we shall clearly see and understand,
I think we will say, God knew the best.”

*just to clarify - it's not our "patient toil" that gets us to heaven. But:

"For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God" I Peter 3:18

"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us" Titus 3:5

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16

"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."  Romans 6:23

"the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin" I John 1:7

"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved"  Acts 16:31

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life." John 6:47

I've got the stitching bug . . .

For some reason, the cooler temperatures have really gotten me interested in fabric and projects. I was feeling such an itch to work on something crafty yesterday! I've had a half-finished project languishing in storage for a few years now that I finally got out yesterday, once I found it (which took a while). 

This is a Thimbleberries wallhanging called Bluebird Trail (design by Lynette Jensen) that I stopped working on when I got frustrated with the hand-quilting part. I remember having so much fun piecing the middle, doing the applique and even doing the blanket stitch around the leaves and flowers. But when it was time to quilt it I had no patience for it, so I stuffed it in a bag and put it away. For years.

Hopefully I can actually get it finished and on the wall without too much frustration! It really helped to watch some hand quilting videos today on Youtube.

From the videos I found out that it's much easier to quilt if you don't have your project so taut in the quilt frame or hoop. Didn't know that. Also, I'm using the wrong kind of thimble, and it would help if I also had a leather one for my left hand underneath the quilt.

Some day I'd like to try quilting with my sewing machine. That will be another project . . .

Redemption's Solid Basis

Thou art my hope, Lord Jesus,
My soul hath found in Thee
What sorely here it needed -
Peace and security.

Since ever I have known Thee,
Since first Thy grace I saw,
Fears from my heart are banished,
I dread no more the law.

The wrathful sword of justice
Suspended o'er my head,
Discharged on Thee, my Saviour,
Its death-stroke, in my stead,

The death which Thou didst suffer,
Was suffered Lord, for me;
For pleased Thou wast in purest grace,
My substitute to be.

What love to me, my Saviour!
Love in that cross did shine;
That cross endured, accepted,
For my sins, Lord, not Thine.

Thy work, divinely perfect,
Divine in value, too,
Was by our God accepted
As expiation due.

Redemption's solid basis,
Stable, and just, and sound;
Of reconciliation, too,
The happy, holy ground.

Thou art my rest, Lord Jesus;
With calm repose I see,
That all my sins in all their guilt,
Were laid by God on Thee.

(from Christian Truth, Volume 1)