Progress

I had already started on my straightening
up and thought I better snap a quick photo
of  my closet "before."

I have a confession to make.  I let my my favorite room in the house evolve into a mess.  The room I refer to as my quilt studio had become a bit of a disaster really.  I have struggled for years with finding a way to store fabric that I liked, was easy to use, and more importantly, easy to put away again.  

I had seen those fabric organizers available now and thought they sounded like a good way to go, but with the price I would have to spend hundreds of dollars and there is just no way.  On one of the quilt forums someone mentioned using comic boards.

I found them on Amazon and ordered a pack of 100 for under $10.00.  They worked just fine.  For my fat quarters I cut them in half.  I laid out a yardstick on my ironing table and as I "rolled" the fabric onto the boards I measured and included a tag with how much fabric was on the bolt.  Now I have a really nice looking closet- my own little fabric shop-that makes me happy whenever I go into my studio.  One of these days I am actually going to build shelving that fits the space I have in this closet.

That mess of a fabric stash in now organized and I can easily pull out  fabric to try on  a quilt and easily place it back  where it goes.  The top shelf has my stash of flannels, batiks have their own section and I can also see which colors I am low on which helps in taking advantage of the sales at the quilt shop.

Now to get back to work on my quilt!  I purchased Tricia Cribbs Sunday School Singers a while back.  I love the quilt but was not wild about the stick figures.  I shared a while back that I was redrawing the blocks and since this is going to be a baby quilt I am featuring stick figure babies in diapers.  I also added some songs that are favorites around here.

This is where I left off when we left for our summer vacation the first of July.

I've sewn the blocks and sashings  together.  Looking pretty good.  I still struggle getting my corners to line up perfectly.  I've tried pinning, I've tried not pinning, no matter how well I have those seams butted up together I just cannot get a consistent match that I am happy with.  This is one of those times when I have had to just let go of being perfect and get the job done.

Next comes the piano border.  I decided I would place them in the order of a rainbow.

Strip set sewn together and ready to be cut.

Auditioning the piano border-lookin'good.                                                                                         

I found this wonderful print from Timeless Treasures that will be perfect for the final border.

Amazing what can be accomplished when you have a nice, neat, pleasant work space.  The same can be said of my life.  Sometimes I let it get pretty messy in here.  Sometimes I am just too lazy to keep things in proper order both spiritually and in the rest of my life.  I am reading Phillipians right now.  Another one of my favorites.  Paul says to the Phillipians, "I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer of joy in my every prayer for you all, in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now.  For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day  of Christ Jesus." (Phil. 1:3-6, NASB)  The work that God has started in me will continue.  He will not stop until His work is perfected.  That gives me great hope and confidence.  Especially as I pick up some of the messes of late and get my life in order.  My quilt studio is in such good shape that I can walk in, pick up a project, and get to work on what I have started.  It is much easier now that all of the tables are cleared off, and I can find whatever I need to finish the task.  I think it may just be a little like that with God too.  With the clutter out of the way, I am a project ready for Him to come on in and get back to work on.  That feels good too.

Quite the Adventure

I have been quiet for quite some time now but with good reason.  This summer has been a journey.  My family and I traveled to ten states, 5 national parks, and logged nearly 9,000 miles.  We hiked and camped and visited special friends, and hiked and camped and visited family, and hiked and camped and hiked some more.  My feet are still recovering from all the miles they logged on their own.  

This trip was the inaugural  trip for a little camper trailer Ken and I are building.  It was all ready to go except for the cabinets, which worked out well because I finally know what I want as far as all the storage areas go.    We slept really well- the only problem was when our air mattress gave up on us, but we replaced it with some very thick foam and found our only trouble was we were too comfortable and slept in a lot.

Building the bed and under-bench storage.

Our Wee bit of a trailer- 6 feet wide x 12 feet long and tall enough for
  everyone but our over six foot son to stand in.  

Storage shelf across the back came in very handy.

And the journey begins:

An old wagon at a historic camp in Utah near Flaming Gorge- it had a stove inside,
but we decided we liked our mode of travel better.

Birding in the Grand Tetons

Being photo bombed by number one son in Yellowstone

The whole family joined up at Yellowstone

Seattle greeted us with fanfare

Birding on the Oregon Coast

I love the Redwoods

Number two son actually looks small for a change

cousins near my favorite place on earth- a little spot in Oregon on the Rogue River

Crater Lake, Oregon

More family joined us on the trails at Crater Lake

A glimpse of my galley kitchen that needs cupboards

One of many Oregon waterfalls we hiked to see.

One happy Oregon girl back home again.

On top of MacKenzie Pass Lava field near Sisters. Or.

Ken's sister joined us camping too.


That is a glimpse of my summer.  I have just a few hundred photos to sort through and I am sure to share more in the months to come.  Now it is back to life in Texas- another school year has begun whether I am ready for it or not.

The Breastplate of Righteousness

Ephesians 6:13-15
Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything to stand firm.  Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace. (NASB)

I find it interesting to note that the Lord Himself put on the breastplate of righteousness. (Isaiah 59:17)  The breastplate is the piece of armor that protects the vital organs, most importantly, the heart.  How important then it is for us to put on this piece of armor.

So how would you define righteousness?  Webster's defines it as "acting in accord with divine or moral law: free from guilt or sin."  Is it our behavior?  Or is there more to it than that?  1 Corinthians 1:30 states that Jesus became righteousness to us, among other things.  Romans 3:10 says. "There is none righteous, not even one."  And 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, "He (God) made Him (Jesus) who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." (Jesus)

So righteousness is not only our behavior, but something that we who are in Christ possess, something we become.  How very cool is that!  The breastplate we wear is not forged by our own hands, not by our works of righteousness, but Christ's redeeming work on the cross.  I had not thought of righteousness in those terms before.  Yes, there is much work that I can do everyday to protect my heart.  I need to chose to live according to God's ways.  I do not want to have a zeal for God but not for His righteousness.  Romans 10:1-3 contains such a sad commentary from Paul when he states, "Brethren, my heart's desire and my prayer to God for them (Jews who are lost) is for their salvation.  For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge.  For not knowing about God's righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God."  It is vital for my heart that I submit myself to the righteousness of God.  Remember back to my post at the beginning of this series: The Armor of God?  Oh how Satan would love for us to take charge of our own lives- to be our own master.  He would love for us to set up our own rules and regulations to follow, especially if they get in the way of submitting to God.  But righteousness in my own eyes is not Righteousness and will not protect me from those flaming arrows aimed at my heart.  In this is a reminder for the daily submitting of my own will to the One who is my righteousness.

Blessings!
Deb