Monday, July 9, 2018

Still Stitching #12 Part 3. Scrappy Four Patch Progress. Finished Tree Hugger. Book Date + a New Reading Challenge!

Still Stitching #12 Part 3.  
The pain is still there.
The effects of various types of abuse are still there.
But, I am doing the hard work to be a thriver:
Talk therapy.
Growing in my faith.
Support groups.
Begin gentle with myself.
Forgiving those who hurt me.
Forgiving those who failed to protect me.
Understanding that man has free will.
Understanding and believing that all things work together for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28

I no longer ask, “Why me?” , but instead ask, “God, please use this experience to help me help others.” 
I no longer ask, “Where were You, God?” because He has shown me exactly where He was:  at my side weeping.

I can tell you that every experience I have had has served to bless others in one form or fashion.  Therefore, it was worth it. 

God is faithful. 
God is trustable.
God is there – when you are ready.


He is also there when your loved one is ready.
https://serenityvista.com/
the-three-cs-of-al-anon/
It is not your fault. 
You are not responsible for their habits. 
You did not cause them to drink/drug. 
You cannot cure them. 
You cannot control them. 

Our loved ones need to make their own choice: 
Will they be a victim?
Will they be a survivor?
Will they be a thriver?
By the way, so do you, my dear reader.

When my children tell me about a bad
“mothering moment”, I now am ready with a heartfelt response:
“I am so sorry.  Don’t blame me, you showed up without an owner’s manual!”
It may sound trite, but it’s true. 

We do the best we can at the time with what we have. 
Period.


None of us came with an owner’s manual. 
But we have The Manual to learn.  God’s Word. 
Maybe you’ll pick it up and try reading it, if you haven’t already? 

Our series has come to an end.  Here is the link to the first post and then you can follow the links to subsequent posts if you like.  I hope you have been blessed and encouraged in some small way.  Be Blessed my dear reader, Be Blessed!

Scrappy Four Patch Progress
More patches made:
And more to be pressed and sewn up!

So excited!

Finished Tree Hugger
I had mentioned before that I have been taking classes at my LQS this summer.  One of them is a PhD class - Projects Half Done!  
This beautiful wall hanging for Hoffman is called Sew Into It Tree Hugger by Cindi Edgerton.  It was a previous class and I took it to finish last Saturday.   It was my first paper piecing project and I'm tickled at how it came out!
 The tree skirt was a bit time consuming, but worth the effort.  

It now hangs in the quilting queue.  I plan to use red binding for the finish!  Did you notice it would work as an Advent Calendar?  I see making the decorations in my future!  

Book Date
Reading

Image result for the story the bible as one continuing story of god
My church is taking a break from reading this book for the summer.  I finished the Old Testament and will also take a break so that I can read it with my church in the fall.  So far, I'm still enthralled with this book!  I've read through the Old Testament in this book!  Yea!
The High Tide Club
I have begun regularly reading The High Tide Club.  There's a bit of mystery and intrigue that I am enjoying.  
Peace in the Valley (Double S Ranch, #3)
I started Peace in the Valley by Ruth Logan Herse and am already sucked in.  It's interesting to be in the mind of a person struggling with their faith and wondering how in the world this romance will come to be! 
Audiobooks
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I am currently listening to The Time in Between by .  I am hooked on both the book and the author!  I hope to read more of Ms. Duenas' books!

I've started How Hard Can It Be?  by Allison Pearson.  It is the second in the Kate Reddy series.  I have put it on hold until I finish the above book because of library time limitations.  
Finished
I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban
I put off finishing this book because I didn't want to say goodbye to Malala.  But, I finished it last night and was not disappointed.  I recommend reading this book slowly so you can digest the thoughts and story of this young lady.  

Any Day Now (Sullivan's Crossing, #2)
Robyn Carr did not disappoint with Any Day Now Though it is the sequel to What We Find, it can be read as a stand alone as well.  

I've also decided to stretch a bit and joined the 12th Annual Canadian Book Challenge hosted by Melwyk at The Indextrious Reader!  So, from now until June 30, 2019 I should read 13 books by Canadian authors or about Canada.  You can find all the details here.  I don't know many Canadian authors, so this list is very helpful!  


23129923Pastoral
The first book I chose was Fifteen Dogs a novel by André Alexis, but I noticed it was #2 in the series, Quincunx .  So I ordered the first book, Pastoral by Andre Alexis.  

Until it comes in, I'll be looking for another book that meets this challenge's requirements.  Any suggestions would be much appreciated.  :)

You can see the list of books I've read over at Goodreads!  My user name is, of course, Miaismine!


Linking up to

7 comments:

  1. Your blog is inspiring. I love that you have goals and are finding ways to see the joys in your life. We can all learn from what you have written.

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    1. Thank you! Without goals I would be a crafty mess or as my daughter says, "a serial starter"! I thank God for His inspiration and faithfulness! He is so good! I am still learning...and trying to implement these life lessons....sigh...God knows I have many teachable moments....

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  2. It is so good that you and we all can come to Jesus with all that is difficult in life. We can give it all to Him, and as you write, our experiences can equip us to help others. God bless you!
    The scrappy four patch is so great! And such a wonderful Tree hugger! This will be perfect for an Advents Calendar. :-)

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    1. Birthe, your attitude of joy inspires me! He is indeed faithful and shows us that we no longer need to be slaves to our problems! Thank you for your kind comments!

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  3. That tree is really cute, and those tiny flying geese are such a fun detail. Congrats on such a great finish! Red binding on it will be just perfect! Thanks for linking to MCM - have a great week!

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    1. Thank you for your encouragement, Beth! This was my first paper piecing project (other than Crazy Quilt Blocks - do they count?) and I was nervous when I saw the flying geese. They were a breeze with this method! Thank you for hosting!

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  4. Oh! Love your tree! And thanks for the book recommendations - I'll have to look for those at the library.

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