Lessons

John was upset this morning.
He felt orphaned and alone.
I was in the next room coming to get him but he didn't know that.
He was heartbroken.
I had left him and he didn't know when, or if I would return.
I came around the corner and his face lit up.
"You are still here! I'm so glad to see you!",was my interpretation of his smile (Who really knows what a baby is thinking?).
I picked him up and he snuggled close.
"Silly boy. I didn't forget you! Mama's right here."

Then I made the connection...I am often just like John. I can't see God working so I question if He is still there. When really, the whole time I feel abandoned He is there working things out for me.

"I lift up my eyes to the hills--
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip--
he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
The LORD watches over you--
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
The LORD will keep you from all harm--
he will watch over your life;
the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore."

Psalm 121

"I think it's possible to forget how Alive we really are."
SARK

The Projects

I mentioned awhile back that I had a few projects I was working on. A few isn't really the right term. There are many. Some I'm just dreaming about and others are in the works. Either way it keeps me busy and my space cluttered (poor, patient Chris). Here's a few of the things I've been up to.

This is Matthew graciously posing with his and Jodi's wedding present... my first afghan! They live in Atlanta so I'm not sure how needed it will be but it was a lot of fun to make!

This is a purse/diaper bag I just made from upholstery scraps my Mom gave me. She got them at an interior design store that was throwing them away! I haven't yet made friends with my Mother-in-law's sewing machine so I stitched it all by hand. Tedious yes, but still fun.





This is my main artistic endeavor.

r. handcrafted accessories

I've been making jewelry for about five years now and have had some luck selling my wares at shops and home parties as well as custom orders. I love creating new designs and pairing unexpected colors, textures and shapes. I'm hoping to get my work into a few stores in the area.
This is part of the bead stash. It's a random assortment of glass and semi-precious stones. I like to just play with the beads and see what happens.



This odd-looking thing is eventually going to be a small bag. I'm knitting it with leftover wool yarn so I can felt it (tossing it in the wash so it shrinks) and see how it turns out. I've never felted anything before so I don't know how this will look but it's fun to try something new.




This is another scrap project (I seem to be doing a lot with scraps). I'm using leftover yarn to crochet random blocks that will become a funky (hopefully) attractive looking afghan. It may turn out to be hideous but it will certianly be an original! :)



This final project is my most favorite of all. He was nine months in the making and one day of wretched pain but I think he turned out pretty well! Here he is watching me work on another purse. He makes for great company.

Pictures

I haven't had much time to write but here are some pictures to tide over any John-boy cravings.

This was John's dedication. (actually it was called a parent dedication.) So here we are being dedicated. What a profound commitment to raise John in the ways of the Lord. It was a sobering time.


Who does John look like here? Sometimes he looks like my dad, sometimes like Chris' dad. But we're not sure who he looks like here. Cast your vote!



My, what hansome men I get to live with!
Chris had the day off so we headed to Grand Haven for some much needed family time.


We had a wonderful time walking down the pier, playing in the water, getting ice cream and a sunburn. What a beautiful day!
Happy Independence Day!