And just like that we jump over the halfway mark! Unfortunately I am one of those people who work better with a deadline looming which is why I started this SAL. I knew if I had anyone expecting to see new blocks each week it would propel me to get them done and ready. And it has!
I’ve had these blocks done for a while. When I first embarked on this journey a couple of years ago this was the first verse I chose. The original version was in a different colorway so when I chose my border fabric I had to remake it. I’m very pleased with how it turned out.
This is my add-on block for the sampler quilt we are all working toward. The other night I laid out all of the completed blocks as well as the blank background pieces for the entire quilt. After looking at everything for a while, and walking away several times, I decided this block is too “heavy”. The red and yellow are large pieces and they really call attention to themselves. I will be removing this flower from the background and remaking the block with other fabrics from my chosen collection. I only decided this two nights ago so I haven’t taken this apart yet. My gardens, my chickens and my backdoor were all calling me very loudly so they needed to be tended to. My backdoor is now the perfect shade of black, Midnight Stroll it’s called, and I can’t wait to hang it back up and put my wreath on it! I’ve wanted to paint the door for several years and just never made time for it. Today was the day! I’m contemplating new hinges as well, something not so gold and new looking. My house is close to 200 years old after all…..
Do you love being outside in nature as much as I do? There are times on a hot and humid summer night (we’ve had a lot of those this summer) that I go outside and breathe in the heavy scent of my flowers and feel an overwhelming sense of wonder at how BIG the heavens are and how insignificant I am in the great scheme of things. Then I am reminded that God knows all about me. He knew me before the foundation of the world. He knows the number of hairs on my head and He catches all my tears in a bottle. Do you ever think about that? The God that created the universe, every planet, star, mountain, ocean, tree, animal, insect…..THAT God, knows everything about you and loves you so much that He sent His Son to die on the cross for your sins so you might spend eternity in heaven with Him if you but believe in the atoning work of Jesus on the cross. Do you know that He chose to bear your sins on His shoulders and take your punishment that you, that I, deserve? He died on that cross and He was buried in a borrowed grave but the glorious thing, the thing that gives all Christians hope, is that He didn’t stay in that tomb. After three days He defeated death, He rose from the grave and that’s when life began for us as believers. New life in Him.
There’s a song by North Point Worship that makes me cry every single time the worship team plays it at church. The one verse that gets me is this:
Our Savior displayed on a criminal’s cross
Darkness rejoiced as though heaven had lost
But then Jesus arose with our freedom in hand
That’s when death was arrested and my life began!
Death was Arrested – North Point Worship
I encourage you to look it up and listen to the whole song. God is so good. He loves you so much and His creation, the things He created for our needs and also for simple pleasure, attest to that. He didn’t have to make the mountains so magnificent, He didn’t have to make flowers so beautiful, He didn’t have to make food taste good, but He did. My small handiwork is nothing compared to what He has created and yet I hope the heart behind what I do brings glory and honor to His name.
May you contemplate a God so big He holds the world in His hand and yet He stoops down to wipe away your tears, as you work on this block this week. Blessings to you my friends!
Michelle
Leave a Reply