Special Day Today

This is a special day for two reasons:

• First and foremost… Happy Birthday to my daughter today! Talk about musings… On this day I reflect on her arrival from India…a 3lb 12 oz baby girl.  Those first few months of motherhood, though tired and stretched… I would do this all over again.  Thank you, Alyssa for being such a blessing in my life. 

• Secondly, today, Pastor Dave, senior pastor of Salem First Nazarene Church,  along with his wife Jerri, are on their way to Israel.  Check out the itinerary!

• Just about a year ago, my husband and I took that tour.  The sights, the sounds, the food can only be experienced in Israel.  To observe the villages nestled in the hillsides, observe Bedouin camps, to rise above the Dead Sea to the Desert Fortress of the Masada and to be a part of the activity at Old Jerusalem, your heart will long to once again return to the land of Jesus.  If you have the opportunity to experience Israel, GO!

Little Things Count

Yesterday our pastor continued the series “Facing the Giants.” The topic he covered was fear. Here are a few illustrations of fear I found in the New Encyclopedia of Christian Quotations:

Fear knocked at the door. Faith answered and no one was there.  (Author Unknown)

F.E.A.R.  False Evidence Appearing Real (Author Unknown)

Fear is never a good counselor and victory over fear is the first spiritual duty of man.  (Nikolai Berdyaev)

Be strong; do not fear. (Isaiah 35:4)

Take courage! (Matthew 14:27)

Someone in our Sunday School class said  “it’s the little things that count.”  The point being made is that we too often overwhelmed by the large picture (Goliath) and then fear takes over.  David did not look at Goliath as any more than an enemy of God that needed to be destroyed.  He took up five small stones.  One small stone did the job!

So, why not look at the little things in life that bring peace and joy and comfort? Things like:

• the first crocus of spring…bursting forth from a cold unforgiving ground
• a hug from a child…reminding you that you are loved
• a cup of coffee with a friend…to remind you there is someone who cares
• the first leaves on the tree…spring is just around the corner
• a picture of a trip you were on….bringing warm memories
• a note from a friend….saying you were missed at a special meeting; or…welcoming you to a class

These little things do count reminding us that there is joy, peace, hope in this tumultuous world.  It’s where we focus our eyes…on the giants of life…or…on the little things that bring comfort and warmth.

Scrappy Thoughts

When I started this blog, my first concern was “What am I going to write about?”  Then, when I finally decided on a blog name…I thought, that’s what scrappy  and musings is all about…

Creating conversations.

I just finished making a scrappy table topper in my quilting group, Covenant Quilters.  Scrappy quilts are different from other quilts in that you are taking the leftover from other projects and making a new project. These scraps can be of any color (blues, pinks, browns, oranges, purples, etc.) You do not have to organize by color or by size. If a scrap of material is too big, you cut it down to fit the block you’re working on. You, essentially, make the pieces fit. (though there are patterns where you can actually cut the material to the proper size.)  At first, the blocks looks like patches of leftovers, but when all the blocks are put together and the borders are added…voila (that’s a french saying) you have a quilt whether it be a wall hanging, a table topper or a full size quilt.

Musings are the same way…day in and day out all sorts of thoughts cross our minds…what to say to a friend, how to respond to an inquiry, talking with a rude customer service person, someone cuts you off on the highway, an article you read, politicians making promises, etc.  These thoughts don’t come one at a time…they usually jumble all together…they are musings all day long.  When you convey to a friend or  spouse about your day, you take all the ‘musings’ and make them coherent…complete thoughts, complete sentences so the hearer understands more completely.

Scrappy and musings…fragments put together in a conversation. Let’s build something together in our conversations …friendships, encouragements, listeners…yes, and even maybe a scrappy quilt.