Weekly Word: Holding His Hand + Stitching and Gratitude This Week!

Hello there!

Thank you for stopping by for a visit!  We just got back from visiting my family in San Diego where the weather was perfect and the gardens gorgeous!

Happy Father's Day to all those dads out there!  I hope your day is wonderful filled with family, love, laughter and good food!

I have been responding to comments via email, but have gotten several back as "undeliverable".  Has that been happening to you as well? 

With all my sewing projects getting prepped, I was running out of binding clips, yet loathe to purchase more.  You'll find an economical binding clips hack in my Tuesday To Do section!  

Meanwhile, I'm sharing some encouragement, a bit of sewing, reading and pics of San Diego!

I hope you enjoy your visit here!  

As my weekly posts are jampacked with lots of fun mini- articles, here's is an index should you have a special interest you'd like to read first!  Otherwise, settle in with your favorite beverage and snack and enjoy!  

The Weekly Word - is a short devotional that sometimes becomes a Bible Study series.  

My Reading Life - is filled with current, completed and upcoming reads as well as an occasional short review.      

Stash Report and To Do Tuesday is where I'll share share stats regarding my fiber usage and acquisitions, goals met/lack thereof and photos of my projects.   

Gratitude Journal - Sometimes I get lost in my own stinky thinking.  This digital journal reminds me to count my blessings!    

Faith, Trust and Breast Cancer - Here you will find updates on life after Triple Negative Breast Cancer.  I was diagnosed in November of 2014 and my last day of treatment was in November 2015.   

Weekly Word

On this day, Father’s Day, my mind has turned to God, our heavenly Father.  In this verse, God shares who He is, His caring nature and His desire to help us.    

God is stating that He is “Lord, your God.”  He is our Master, our Ruler, our King of kings!  Wow…can you see God this way? 

Can you take it a step further and realize He, our Master, our Ruler, our King of kings, is literally holding your hand? 

Not only is God is holding our hand, walking right there supporting us, He is telling us “Do not fear, I will help you.” 

Oh, my dears, our path may be dark and painful right now.  I draw comfort knowing that God is holding our hands and encouraging us. 

The question is, how will we respond to our Lord, our Master, our Ruler, our King of kings?

At one point in my walk with Christ, I’m ashamed to admit I would jerk my hand away in hurt, anger and confusion.  As I matured in my faith, I realized the truth of Romans 8:28 - And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. 

Today, in faith, I lean into Him, His comfort and His strength.  I find my journey much more peaceful - Not pain free, but so much more peaceful and…well…loving. 

I’m know I’m not alone. 

Would you try this?  Leave your hand in His, lean into Him, His comfort and His strength.  Find peace in your journey.

Or, if you have learned to hold onto God’s hand, perhaps you could share some encouragement in the comments? Take good care! 

My Reading Life

Currently reading

Finished

★★★★★ Violeta by Isabel Allende touched my heart!  It is written in the form of a letter from a grandmother to her grandson, whom she raised.  Violeta survived the Spanish flu lives to see COVID rear its ugly head.  There are nuggets of golden wisdom in each chapter.  I highly recommend reading this book with your reading journal at your side.  

★★The Mystery at Lilac Inn by Carolyn Keene is the fourth book I've finished as part of my Buddy Read with my granddaughter.  I was pretty proud of myself as I finished two Drew books pretty quickly.  When I got home, she had left me this quick note on my desk!  😂  

★★★★★ We Are All We Have by Marina Budhos is my first Net Galley book for review.  

"There’s a knock at the door.

It’s the police.
They’re taking Rania’s mom.
Seventeen-year-old Rania doesn’t understand why—they’ve done all the right things, haven’t they? Her mom said their case with immigration was fine. If this was a lie, what else is?
Alone with her younger brother, Kamal, Rania will have to figure out how to survive. When they wind up in a home with other kids waiting to hear if they can stay in this country, she meets a charming boy named Carlos. He persuades Rania to go to her high school graduation. And from there, they just keep driving.

Searching for freedom while feeling trapped by circumstances beyond their control, Rania begins to fall for Carlos and uncovers painful truths about her family, and this country, where being an asylum seeker or an undocumented immigrant can mean anything but freedom."

___________________________________________

Budhos addressed and humanized the difficult issue of immigration deeply touching this reader's heart. I cheered as these two strong, courageous women who found their strength, courage and even begin to see each other in a different light - all accomplished in the face of unspeakable circumstances.

Though I recommend this book to readers in general, book clubs, buddy reads, middle and high school students would certainly be able to have deep, meaningful discussions regarding immigration, family, the relationships between mother and daughter and coming of age. The teacher in me sees an endless list of potential discussion topics and activities to be included in a thematic unit.
Highly recommend

Stash Report

Yarny Numbers

There have been no changes in my yarn numbers.  :)

Fabric Numbers

While in San Diego, I finished 21 hexies!  Those numbers were offset by our visit to a local Bernina shop where we purchased a yard of each of these fabrics!  My husband surprised me with his choice of the printed fabric!    

To Do Tuesday

Last Week's List

1. Sunday Slow Stitching: Stitch up one hexie a day Done!  I finished 21 on my trip to San Diego!

2. Crochet: This week I'll be taking a break from crochet to perhaps catch up on the QAYG hexies. Done!  I only took my QAYG Hexies to San Diego.  

3.  Christmas Sewing List: Continue stitching the grandchildren’s 2022 Christmas softies (July is my deadline).  Prepped, but not sewn.  As I have four grandbabies, I prepped eight sides of the puppy, plus eight strips for their "binding".   

4.  Machine Sewing: Stitch up Row 5 Pieces in the Garden  by the 24th of June. Prepped, but not sewn.  Can you see the little clips holding each square together?  

Here's a close-up view. 

It all started when I decided to rewrap my "many mini" bolts of fabric.  I really wanted those metal clips used by many quilters, but they were a bit pricey, especially for my rather large stash.  Straight pins work, but sometimes they stick me - no fun.  

Then I found this hack on-line somewhere and my problem was solved:  plastic shirt clips!  They hold my fabric in place and also serve to hold my smaller prepped blocks together rather nicely!   

I got 300 of them for roughly $7!  Can't beat that!  

Now my stash is looking pretty good and my prepped projects are ready to stitch up!

This Week's List

1. Sunday Slow Stitching: Stitch up one hexie a day.  I have until August 25 to finish my personal challenge of 365 hexies in 365 days!  I'm at 285/365 - 80 more to go in the 69 days left (as of this writing).  

2. Christmas Sewing List: Continue stitching the grandchildren’s 2022 Christmas softies (July is my deadline).  

3.  Machine Sewing: Stitch up Row 5 Pieces in the Garden  by the 24th of June. 

Realistically, I'll probably on meet either the Christmas sewing or the Pieces of the Garden!  :)

Gratitude Journal

Famous For by Tauren Wells had me praising Him 

through tears of pain as I walk through the fire

and experience His slow but deep healing.  

I pray it does the same for you!

Here are some photos from our trip to San Diego.  We were blessed to be able to spend time with family.  We had a lovely experience at the Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcala with Mama and Daddy.  Their gorgeous gardens were breathtaking.  

Daddy loved this slogan:  Always moving forward!

During our week there, we enjoyed lunch in La Jolla.

This sign caught my eye!

I gave Mama this cookie that looks just like their fur baby - 

she refused to eat it!  😅

We stayed with my sister and brother-in-law and were thoroughly pampered!  The view from the balcony was stunning!  It was such a peaceful environment to slow stitch. 

Gimbal, her cat, her very voluptuous cat, joined me!

I started reading their book and hope to continue it on our next trip!

Faith, Trust, and Breast Cancer

In last week's post I shared a bit about the after effects of chemotherapy that still affect me to this day.  A huge effect is commonly referred to as "chemo brain".  My poor husband would get so frustrated because I would ask him the same questions repeatedly.  I was constantly forgetting tasks - everything.  He finally realized what was happening and exhibited much more patience, bless his heart.  

So, Caregivers, please, chemo brain is real.  It's frustrating for the patient as well - until we forget it!  :)

Though the doctors tell me the chemicals (after 5 1/2 years) are out of my system and are no longer affecting me, I respectfully beg to differ.

However, it has gotten better.  

The worst part of it was my inability to finish a book, be it fiction or non-fiction.  I could read the words, but could not remember what I had read once I put the book down.  Consequently, I had to constantly re-read pages and even chapters of books.  

After two years of trying, I finally finished my first novel, The Red Tent by Anita Diamant.  It took me four months to read it, but I did it!  My inspiration was Kathryn's blog: The Book Date .  Her "It's Monday!   What are you reading?" link up inspired me to keep trying until I was successful.

My memory is still pretty bad, but is progressively improving.    Keep trying to do what you used to do - it will come back to you!  

Take good care, my dears!

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You can also expect a visit from me as well!

Here are some blogs I sometimes link up to!

Sunday Salon @ Readerbuzz

Slow Sunday Stitching @ Kathy's Quilts

Sunday Post at the Caffeinated Reviewer

Sunday Stash @ Quilt, Paint, Create

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? @ Book Date

To Do Tuesday @ Texas Quilt Gal

Pictorial Tuesday @ Peabea's Photos & Scribbles

I Like @ Not Afraid of Color (Thursday)

Can I Get A Whoop Whoop? @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict (Friday)