i have to say...

Thank you so much for the sweet response to my last post.  I am humbled by the words of encouragement and all of your prayers, and I am glad that I shared with you all.  Just letting off some steam helps to make the weight seem lighter.

Some things for me to think about

***Figure out how to be loving towards my girl with out accepting her behavior.
***Let her make mistakes and accept her own consequences.
***Release her to God's care--He is able.
***Let go of trying to control things.  Deal with situations as they arise and then move on with life.
***Don't let this become the main feature of my life.
***Talk about this situation more because the feedback and encouragement is so helpful.
***Don't get stuck in "WHY"!
***Don't let things between Em and I get emotional and heated.

I know these things will go a long way in making this path smoother for all of us.  This period of time is temporary and doesn't need to define all of life right now--for myself or for Em.

Again, thank you.  Your encouragement  is a treasure to me.

Today I am sewing with a friend and tonight I have some free time with my hubby.  Needless to say I am looking forward to both of these things!

I hope your day is a good one!

my girlfriends

friend + fabric = fun

My two best girlfriends and I were able to go to the Quilt and Stitch Expo this weekend and we had a great time.  Fabric vendors from all over the country were there to let us look, touch, and buy--and buy we did!

Spending a day with good friends is refreshing.  Talking about life, the ups and the downs, always opens my eyes to see that someone understands how I feel.  So many of life's struggles are common to all.

If it has been a while since you have had a girl's day out, you need to change that soon.  Call a friend, make a plan and DO IT!  Don't let life get in the way.  Go to a museum, take a hike, head downtown and take photographs, or shop for fabric.

Life will seem brighter if you do!

So encourage each other and build each other up...
--1 Thessalonians 5:11

prayer request

I have a wonderful friend, Ruth, who is a mentor to me.  She has 5 homeschooled children who are a little  older than mine, and I look to her quite often for encouragement to keep pressing on.  Her family is amazing.

Ruth's oldest daughter is presently a missionary in Serbia, and if you have been following the news headlines you may know that events are taking place in that country that are of great concern.  She has been in contact with her daughter and all is well at this point, but I would like to ask you to pray for her daughter's safety and that she would be wise in making decisions.  Also, that she would be in tune to what God might be leading her to do.  Prayers for Courtney's team members, as well as Ruth and the rest of the family would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you, friends.

sewing seeds--no sewing required!

Earlier this summer my daughter traveled to Africa to work at an orphanage.  This was a life-changing experience for her and also a blessing for the kids.  As many of you know, we were able to gather over 125 handmade skirts to send with her as part of project called Sewing Seeds.  The girls who received the skirts were thrilled to have something new and lovely and all their own.  (Please see the photo album in my sidebar to get an idea of who the kids are).

This time I am hoping to do something special for the boys in the orphanage and possibly something for all of the kids.  Another group will be traveling back to the orphanage in either November or January (Danika will not be going with this group) and we are hoping to stuff their bags full of two things:  denim shorts for the boys and shoes for all of the kids.  So many of you have mentioned that you would like to take part in this if we ever did it again, so here I am asking for you help.

With the fall clothes on the racks these days, the summer clothes have been relegated to the clearance shelves, and this works in our favor!  Here is what is needed specifically:

Boys shorts: most of the boys are ages 1-8 and all of them could use a pair of shorts.  Shorts made of denim or another durable fabric would be perfect.  If you are unsure of what size to buy, I suggest you buy for your own children's or grandchildren's size since this worked out perfectly last time.  My hope is to collect 50 pairs of boys shorts.

Kid's shoes:  the weather in Africa allows for summer-type shoes year around.  Sturdy sandals of some sort would probably be ideal so that socks are not needed.  The girls range in age from 1-13, while the boys range in age from 1-8.  I would love to collect 100 pairs of shoes.

If you are interested in contributing please leave me a comment or email me. 

The thing that I love about doing this is watching everyone come together to help the kids.  Together we can bless a large group of kids who have many needs, not only by giving them shorts and shoes, but also by letting them know that someone cares for them.

"Sow the good seeds of righteousness, and you will harvest a crop of my love. Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and shower righteousness upon you."---Hosea 10:12

***I would like to have everything by September 30 if that is possible!

***Gently used shorts or shoes would be great too.

Thanks!

Hi, everyone! This is Danika. This post is to thank everyone for all the help that they gave to help me get to Africa. I couldn't have done it without everyone's help. I also wanted to thank everyone for helping out my Mom and Emily by making or buying skirts to give to the girls in Kenya and Uganda. I cannot tell you how much the kids needed them.

While in Africa, I learned  how blessed I am. I learned not only to be thankful for the running and clean water, electricity, and availability of food; but also for the way God has blessed me and most Americans materially. It is easy to go to a country like Africa and feel guilty for all we have. We tend to do one of two things. We either try to forget about those who live in poverty, so we don't feel guilty. Or we complain about the complacency and selfishness of Americans. I think a better option is to be thankful and joyful for the ability and responsibility that comes along with the blessings God has given us. He blesses us so that we may bless others. I appreciate everyone using their resources to bless me and orphans in Kenya and Uganda.

I encourage everyone to continue seeking God for ways they may use their material blessings to bless others. It doesn't have to be in a foreign country, but maybe God will lead you in that direction. There are many opportunities with different organizations to sponsor orphans. I have seen firsthand what a need this is. There are so many orphans being fed and clothed, but there are also so many more that the leaders in Africa have no resources to care for. They are forced to give them the food they can and then send them off at night to find places to stay. There are more than 230 orphans at an orphanage in Nambale that one couple attempts to feed, but is unable to give a place to stay at night. Please pray about sponsoring an orphan, going on a trip yourself to love on these kids, offer your God given talents to bless others, and anything else God might lead you to do.  Who knows...maybe you will be led to adopt one. Just don't adopt Osiemo. I reserve him. :)

my girl is back!

My girl returned from Africa with tales of adventure! She had a wonderful time with the kids in the orphanage and she wished she could have brought a few home with her.  One in particular touched her heart, a little boy named Oceamo, and leaving him was difficult.  For now she has to be content with browsing through the 30+ pictures that she took of him.

The skirts for Sewing Seeds were a huge hit!  Girls from 4 different orphanages were blessed by the efforts of the sweet ladies here in the blogosphere.  In the picture above it was hard to get the girls to sit down because they didn't want to get their lovely new skirts dirty.  I will be posting more picture of the skirts as soon as a friend of Danika's emails them to her.  You can check my sidebar and browse the Africa Photo Album to see the photos we have so far.

The conditions of the children are good compared what Danika saw around the village, but the kids in the orphanage are still underfed and lacking in medical care.  Their hair is cut close to the scalp to reduce the incidence of head lice and many of them have skin rashes from parasites.  Their food consists of potatoes, beans and rice with very little fresh produce or meat provided.  If you desire to help further, you may click here to read more about sponsoring an orphan.   I know the people who run this project and they have assured me that all of the money given to the orphanage goes straight to the kids, for their daily needs.  Please pray about being a part of this wonderful ministry.

My gal is back and my heart is at rest. 

It is an amazing thing to watch your child go out into the world and affect it in such a beautiful way.  I could never have imagined that God's leading in her life would take her in this direction.  Raising kids is certainly a "long-haul" venture, but the dividends of watching your kids go out into life and make a lasting difference is the reward that makes it all worth it!

***This little one doesn't look all that excited about her skirt or getting her picture taken, but I think she is simply adorable:

tie-dye day

Our tie-dye venture was a success!  One thing that I forgot to tell people was to bring extra items to dye because once the kids get going, they don't want to stop.  One little guy pretty much tie-dyed himself and the shirt he was wearing, along with a pretty cool piece of fabric that his mom let him do all by himself.  A friend of mine even tie-dyed the shoes she had on!

My favorite item was a pair of underwear dyed by a little guy who had to dye it after he laughed at his older brother for bringing a pair of his own skivvies to dye.  The older brother ended up dying a t-shirt (undies on the right):

Yesterday while I was driving my oldest daughter to catch her plane for Africa, I told her that we were having "tie-dye day" to which she responded, "I always loved doing that, it was one of my favorites things!"  Precious memories made and many more to come!

in remembrance...

Memorial Day has always struck me as an odd holiday simply because while it is a day to remember those fallen in wars, we celebrate by having barbeques and going camping.  This doesn't fit together in my mind.  Don't get me wrong, I think that celebrating our freedom with some fun and relaxation on a sunny day is a wonderful thing to do, but I wonder what those who have lost someone might do on a day like this.

Driving by the cemetary yesterday I noticed numerous cars and people wandering about.  Older ladies alone, couples quietly pondering, a man sitting and staring.  What are they thinking?  Who are they missing?  Surely someone as valuable to them as my kids and husband are to me.  It is to them that I extend my deepest gratitude on this day.  Their losses are not forgotten or unknown, and I am humbled to think that someone else's great sacrifice has become my gain.  My gain.  And yours.

Remembering on this day...

"To live in the hearts of those you leave behind is never to die."
---Robert Orr

a thank you!

I have always wanted to have a giveaway here on my blog but I always miss things like my 100th post or my 1,000th comment, which are the typical reasons to celebrate.  Of course, I could do it for Mother's Day, but that would leave some people out and I don't like to do that. 

So in honor of my sweet-bloggy-friends we are going to celebrate.   Daily I find myself blessed by the ladies who drop in to say "hi", and your comments and encouragement have been a surprising part of this blogging venture.  This is just my way of saying "thank you"!

The totebag in the picture is "the giveaway".  All you have to do is leave a comment (with your email included) in this post by Thursday, May 10 at 6:00 PM (mountain time), and on May 11 I will draw one name out of the pile.  That person will find this totebag in the mail the following week.  If you are new to my blog or if you have never commented, feel free to do so.  I am always happy to make new friends!

"Any woman who sews or knits, or weaves, blends colors in a tapestry or creates a patchwork quilt, knows by the feel that a single thread is weak but the weaving, the blending, the intertwining with many others makes it strong.

Any woman alone without friends to sustain her, to nurture and support her, to hold with loving arms, like a single thread is weak.   But the weaving, the loving, the nurturing of others, the networks of friendships makes her strong."
---Barbara, The Kinship of Women

girl's day out

On Saturday a friend and I headed to the Pueblo Quilt Expo.  I quickly realized that it had been a while since I had been out because, although we refrained from sticking our heads out of the sunroof to scream "We're free!", we did feel awfully giddy and excited about our day off.  There is something uplifting about a day with no responsibilites and no one tapping me on the shoulder asking for a drink.

The highlight of the day was the vendor hall filled with fabric stores from all over.  I live in a small town and I do much of my fabric shopping online, so being up close and personal with so much loveliness was wonderful.  My bag was heavy with fabric for purses, aprons, and baby blankets for the upcoming craft show in May.  All of it has been washed, ironed and is ready to be cut and sewn.  I was blessed to find that I had miscalculated the time I have to get ready for the craft show---I have five weeks to get ready, not four.  This relieves that scrunched feeling I was beginning to have.

So what do two moms, out on their own, talk about?  Well, their families, of course.  One of the things that I love about getting out with a friend is the encouragement I receive.  Sometimes refreshement comes in the form of a chat with a friend and shopping for a sack full of fabric!

Thanks for the fun, Michelle!

sewing seeds...

As many of you know, my oldest daughter, Danika, is heading to Africa in June to serve at an orphanage for a couple of weeks.  I am very excited for her as most of her money is raised, she has her passport, and while she is procrastinating on getting all of her shots that she needs, she is very close to seeing her dream come true.  God is so good.

My daughter, Emily, and I have decided to take part in Danika's mission by doing what we love to to:  sewing.  And here is where we will ask for your help.

Our goal is to provide skirts for each of the girls at the orphanage (25 total), and if that happens, we would like to provide skirts for girls living at two affiliated orphanages (50 more--75 total).  The children in the orphanages own almost nothing except for the clothes that they wear (one outfit) and Emily and I thought that sending them skirts would be a wonderful way to let them know that they are loved and cared for, and to add a little bit of beauty to their lives.  A drop in the bucket?  Yes.  But if we all pull together to meet needs, the bucket's contents will rise higher and higher!

So, could we ask you to consider making a skirt (or two) for a little girl?  All sizes are needed and can be used.  I figure that each skirt will cost approximately $10 to $15 to make and 2-3 hours to put together, depending on your sewing abilities.

One idea is to make a skirt in your own daughter's size and let her pick out the fabric.  This makes it a mommy/daughter endeavor!

Here is the link to the pattern that we are using (#4252) and here is a tutorial in a little girl's skirt size and one in a bigger girl's skirt size.  We took care to pick something easy, by the way, so don't worry about these being too difficult to make!

If possible, I would like to have the skirts finished and mailed to me by March 31 so that we can start working on something for the boys at the orphanage.

Please pray about this...

Let us know if you are interested.

Thank you so much!

If anyone would like to link to this post, please feel free to download the picture.  I would appreciate it if you did!

And speaking of the picture, many thanks to Tanya who made it for us.  We just love it!

Blessings to all of you!

"Sow the good seeds of righteousness, and you will harvest a crop of my love. Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and shower righteousness upon you."---Hosea 10:12

***Click here to visit Tanya's Quik-Page!