Simple Summer Projects

it's the 1st official day of summer for me .... and i confess that i woke up this morning a bit paranoid about what all i needed to do in order to make my summer time purposeful, at least for appearance sake ....

bubba asked what my plans were and i just looked at him like a deer caught in the headlights .... because i really, honestly and truly, had no plans ... NO projects or remodeling come to mind at this moment ... and other than the usual cleaning and cleaning ... and cleaning ... that i haven't done since ....

last summer!

so ... after opening a new, fresh bag of my favorite coffee (Peppermint!) .... and sinking down into the sofa, i opened my Bible and just started praying and pondering ... reading a Proverb for today .... looking over  my Bible Study for tonight's meeting .. and my eyes feel to one of my favorite Psalms ever ... and i found (by no accident!) this footnote that perfectly summarizes my Official Summer Plans:

"Enjoy the tempo of a God-breathed life by letting Him set the pace!
  Hold His hand in child-like trust, and the way before you will open
  up ....
  step by step."  (or stitch by stitch if you're a knitter!)

Psalm 73:23-26 drives this point even closer to home:

"Yet i am always with You;

You hold me by my right hand.

You guide me with Your counsel,

and afterward You will take me into glory.

Whom have i in heaven but You?

And earth has nothing i desire besides You.

My flesh and my heart may fail,

but God is the strength of my heart

and my portion forever!"

SO ... i guess i've got my summer plan now!  To find delight in Him .... to embrace the quiet of the moment and find Him there ... despite what the world or my calendar or my conscience or even my knitting bag may say ..... 

perhaps today will be filled with making fun summer knitting plans .... options for projects that i may .. or may not ... get accomplished, much less photographed and blogged about .... but .. that, too, will be okay ... because regardless of my measurable 'success' ... i will view these next weeks as a retreat with my Savior .... appreciating the renewal and re-creation that He has ordered ..... kind of like a mini-Spa package, with my heart getting the deep tissue massage that only He can accomplish!

time to go crochet  (it's my June little "happy hiatus")  ... have you got your crochet hook yet?  

 and also ...

Saturday is Knit in Public day .... Hoover Public Library .... 2:00 - 6:00 .....  don't you want to come?

still working on that popcorn ....

wrapping up the week with minimal knitting done ... in fact .... once i sat done after all the cleaning and organizing i'm a bit intimidated by all the structure and order and don't want to mess it up ... so i'm just sitting and grinning upstairs like a woman who's soon to be carried off to her own "special space" complete with padded walls .....  but if you think about it ... i just padded one with all SORTS of beautiful colors, so maybe i'm halfway there!  or, they'll just leave me alone to sit.  ..... and work on this popcorn kernel i've still got lodged in my heart ....

several weeks ago i heard a song by Laura Story that she calls "Blessings" and the lyrics have haunted me ever since.  i pray you'll take a moment to listen .... and ponder over the weekend .....



i think these lyrics magnified many of the areas of weakness that i personally fight with and against ... and yet i'm growing with the entire notion that my weaknesses are as much of an identifier as my blondish gray hair, or my piano playing or my big, tired feet.  I've learned that when i wear green my eyes shine ... and when i wear yellow my entire skin tone looks like i need to be living under a jaundice lamplight!  clearly, it's all about who i am .... as much as it is who i am NOT!  and that's a HUGE life lesson in my book!

My fears of getting too close to someone and being hurt - God longs to use me to magnify Himself and what better way than through a scaredy cat who doesn't want to be in front of people.

My fears for my children . . my "motherly" instincts that want to FIX their lives and make things better  - - God PROMISES that His Word will not return void, so my job is to keep pouring His Word into their lives, whether i speak it or live it or pray it over them ... and HE will be glorified as He brings about the plan that He ordained for each of them.

My stubborn (i know, shocker!) and impatient mindset of doing things on my own and not wanting to ask for help ....  I can't really ask God for leadership and help when i won't let go, can i?  but what if i turn my face to Him and open my hands with palms raised high .... such relinquishing is not a sign of weakness but of obedience and ASSURANCE based on His faithful Promises to meet my every need when my heart is turned and tuned to His!

my weaknesses are not sins .... not really even always a bad thing  ..... they are obvious markers of the areas that God can USE where i clearly have NO part in the process .... anything good that comes from them will immediately point back to Him and i will be nothing more than His vessel ... oh wait!  isn't that what He desires .... perspective .... confidence ..... PRIDE in being His Child.

Satan get behind me!  I've been knit together with some very unique "bobbles" in my pattern and design [fears and worries and thighs and feet, bad hair and eyes - pale, un-tannable skin, bad housekeeping skills, average cooking ability, not very strong organizational traits] .... the list is rather extensive ... and thus i will make a PERFECT VESSEL for His Blessings!  I will view things with a "what if" mentality that is always looking for HIM rather than being paranoid that the sky is falling ... unless He opens it up and pours out even MORE blessings on me ... His Mercies in Disguise!

and as i ponder on all the uses that He longs to pour into and through me, i believe i'm going to take a short side trip into the world of crochet for the month of June ....  please plan on joining me ... trying something new ... you don't have to LOVE it ... but it might be a fun little detour into another avenue of crafting ....

AND

mark you calendar for next Saturday .. June 11 .... it's National Knit in Public Day ..... i SO want to do this ..... Hoover Public Library from 2-6 ... or maybe we could meet at the Food Court in the Mall and share the fun!  ponder and pray .. and have a good weekend!  Go buy a crochet hook!