Psalm 23:5, Literary Life, Fiber Fun, Finding Joy

 Hello There,

Thank you for stopping by! It’s been a great week with grandkids, friends, fiber arts, and reading. My husband’s still under the weather, so I’ve been taking on errands and tasks he usually does. I’m grateful for his help since his retirement.

We’ve had a lot of rain, and for the first time, our Organ Mountains look vibrant and green!

Take good care, and, as Daddy says,

"Make memories; it's later than you think."  

HERE'S A WORD

Faith.  Broken faith.  Faltering faith.  Here, I will share a Scripture about these topics.  No judgement, only love.  

I began pondering the literal meaning of God actually preparing a table before us.  What would be on it?  What would it look like?  I’m sure He prepares a table of healthy nutrients so we can live a full life.

Additionally, He prepares it in the presence of our enemies which I’ve always thought were physical enemies, until I remembered one of my husband’s favorite verses:  

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood,

but against the rulers,

against the authorities,

against the powers of this dark world

and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

 Ephesians 6:12

If our struggle is against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms,our enemies are the defeated one (satan) and his minions.  Therefore, I wonder if God has prepared our table with the tools we need to fight the enemy: the full armor of God!  (Ephesians 6:13-18) Maybe He sets our table with the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, readiness, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit! We may never know what God prepares on the table before us, but I really believe this could be a possibility.  

These verses remind us to pray in the Spirit. We may have only one word, like “Jesus” or “Help!”   When we don’t know what to pray for, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us with groans too deep for words.  (Romans 8:26)  These are all prayers!  Let us remember, as we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, to pray however we can.

I pray for you to be restored, healed and know this:  

You are loved.  You are not alone.  You are being lovingly prayed for.

FIBER FUN

I broke down my "To Dos" into three categories: Finish, Focus, Prep/make a kit, and Be Kind = Soft Deadlines.  FoF represents the Fields of Fancy BOM, which I'm doing with Liberty of London Tana Lawn fabrics. 

Last Week's List

1.  Finish

- My next finish, an EasyPiecing Grid panel, will actually take two weeks.  It's The Flower Pot by Louise Kraft.  I will continue searching for a link and will post one if I find it.  Not done.

2.  Focus

- Fields of Fancy (FoF) BOM by Intrepid Thread - Baste the EPP pieces and bind one Acufactum hexagon. Done!

 - Atlas Zipper Case - Day 3: Assembling the tall vinyl pocket.  Done!  

3.   Prepare/make a kit

 - I'll continue preparing the Jet Set Sewing Station by cutting the pieces out.  There are a lot of them, but the reviews state that it is worthwhile.  I think you'll agree after seeing their photo Done!

4. Be kind = Soft Deadlines - which are good for my mental health!

This Week's List 

1.  Finish

- Prep The Flower Pot by Louise Kraft

2.  Focus

 -  Fields of Fancy (FoF) BOM by Intrepid Thread

 - Applique one prepped hexie and bind another Acufactum hexie

- Atlas Zipper Case - Day Four:  assembling the Double Pocket Panel and then sewing both Pocket Panels to our Main Quilted Panel

3.   Prepare/make a kit

 -   Continue cutting and labeling the pieces for Month 5 of the FoF

LITERARY LIFE   

CURRENT READS

FINISHED

***** My Name is Emilia Del Valle by Isabel Allende

Synopsis (Goodreads)

In San Francisco 1866, an Irish nun, left pregnant and abandoned following a torrid relationship with a Chilean aristocrat, gives birth to a daughter named Emilia Del Valle. Raised by a loving stepfather, Emilia grows into an independent thinker and a self-sufficient young woman.

To pursue her passion for writing, she is willing to defy societal norms. At the age of sixteen, she begins to publish pulp fiction under a man’s pen name. When these fictional worlds can't contain her sense of adventure any longer, she turns to journalism, convincing an editor at the San Francisco Examiner to hire her. There she is paired with another talented reporter, Eric Whelan.

As she proves herself, her restlessness returns, until an opportunity arises to cover a brewing civil war in Chile. She seizes it, along with Eric, and while there, begins to uncover the truth about her father and the country that represents her roots. But as the war escalates, Emilia finds herself in danger and at a crossroads, questioning both her identity and her destiny.

A riveting tale of self-discovery and love from one of the most masterful storytellers of our time, My Name is Emilia del Valle introduces a character who will never let hold of your heart. 

I enjoyed this book so much even though I rarely, if ever, read fiction in the journal format.  I enjoyed it so much that I didn't even notice Allende used this style until near the end!  However, this is not surprising as I have read six of her books and enjoyed them all. Emilia’s strength, determination, and courage shone through as she followed her heart to a full life. This book inspired me to be my best self, follow my heart, and face difficult times courageously as well.  Highly recommend.  (Thank you, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, for providing this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.)

***** The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali

(Synopsis) Goodreads

In 1950s Tehran, seven-year-old Ellie lives in grand comfort until the untimely death of her father, forcing Ellie and her mother to move to a tiny home downtown. Lonely and bearing the brunt of her mother’s endless grievances, Ellie dreams for a friend to alleviate her isolation.

Luckily, on the first day of school, she meets Homa, a kind girl with a brave and irrepressible spirit. Together, the two girls play games, learn to cook in the stone kitchen of Homa’s warm home, wander through the colorful stalls of the Grand Bazaar, and share their ambitions of becoming “lion women.”

But their happiness is disrupted when Ellie and her mother are afforded the opportunity to return to their previous bourgeois life. Now a popular student at the best girls’ high school in Iran, Ellie’s memories of Homa begin to fade. Years later, however, her sudden reappearance in Ellie’s privileged world alters the course of both of their lives.

Together, the two young women come of age and pursue their own goals for meaningful futures. But as the political turmoil in Iran builds to a breaking point, one earth-shattering betrayal will have enormous consequences. 

This book will stay with me as I learned about Iranian women in the 1950s. They were vulnerable, under-valued, and at men’s mercy. I’m eager to learn more about their current situation.  

Ellie and Homa’s deep and lasting friendship was filled with love, angst and forgiveness.  They disagreed on so many issues, but still maintained a respect and love for each other.

As I listened to the skilled narrators, Mozhan and Nikki Massoud, the emotions and tone of their voices drew me into the story.

I am hoping for a sequel as I found it difficult to say good-bye to these characters.  Highly  recommend.

MAILBOX MONDAY - is a gathering place for readers to share books that they

added to their shelves or eBook readers the previous week.

Our aunt taught me about ereaderiq.com which offers free/for purchase eBooks.  Here’s what I found this week!

FINDING JOY

LeeAnna's I Like Thursdays at Not Afraid of Color helps me consistently find joy in everyday life.  She also provides a prompt for us to use.  This week's prompt is:  

This week's prompt is: Do you remember summer breaks when you were a kid? How did it feel to have so much free time, or did you help the family business when you were a kid, or take on summer jobs? As you got into high school and college, did you have summer jobs or take special trips?  Did you take special courses in the summer (example, typing, Driver's Ed., space camp, courses in crafts at the YWCA)?

In the 70s, I cherished my free time. We’d wake up early, complete chores, have breakfast, and spend the morning outdoors until lunchtime. We spent our afternoons outdoors until dinnertime, and then until bedtime. Safety and cooler temperatures made it enjoyable. As a teen, I had a summer job and took knitting classes.  

Here’s a picture of one of the largest cumulus clouds I’ve ever seen!

My daughter sent me this post.  I believe she saw it on Facebook.  The fur baby’s hair reminded both of us of the yarn I used for both her graduation and wedding afghans.  

Here are the parties I sometimes link up with:  

Sundays

Oh Scrap!  @ Quilting is More Fun Than Housework

Slow Sunday Stitching @ Kathy's Quilts

Sunday Salon at Readerbuzz

Mondays

Mailbox Monday  @ I'd Rather Be At the Beach

Sew and Tell at Melva Loves Scraps

What Are You Reading at The Book Date

Tuesdays

To Do Tuesday posts at Quilt Schmilt

Thursdays

I Like on Thursdays at Not Afraid of Color

Fridays

Off the Wall Fridays at Creations Art...Quilts...Whatever