GoD's EmBrOiDeRy-a LEsSoN fOr JoSLyN

Joslyn has been carefully stitching the last two days a new design. This morning she finished after our Bible Study time and showed it to me. Of course it melted my heart and I am anxious to get it hung in a special place, but this special piece of embroidery held with it a lesson as well. She flipped it over to reveal a mess and seems to be discouraged by it even though it is the side unseen. But it reminded me of one of my favorite passages from "Not Good if Detached" by Corrie ten Boom. It is entitled "God's Embroidery." So I had Joslyn go pull the book out of my purse and bring it to me so we could read it together.

Corrie was sharing about a young immigrant women she met who asked her "Can I really trouble God with the petty things of my life?" This women spoke of how she certainly spoke with God about her soul, but I carry the weight of my everyday troubles and loniless, alone.

Corrie shared Psalm 147:11 with her 'The Lord taketh pleasure in those that hope in His mercy.' This verse struck me deeply this morning. Not only is He a God who created us, loved us enough to save us so we could spend eternity with us, has plans to use us and grow us, He actually delights in us bringing our everyday struggles to him, He wants us to ask for help and to hope for His help!! I needed this so much-probably more than Joslyn....

As Corrie spoke with this young woman about prayer, she shared a story from when she was in a concentration camp. She shared how she had gotten a bad cold and asked her sister Betsie, "what can I do, I do not have a hankerchief?" Betsie replied, "Pray" Corrie said that she laughed, but sure enough Betsie prayed very simply and asked that the Lord provide her a hankerchief because of her cold. And sure enough, as she said Amen, Corrie heard her name called by the window. It was a friend with a small package for her. This friend had brought her a hankerchief and Corrie asked her "Did you know I had a cold, did someone tell you to bring this to me?" Her friend said "No, but as I was folding hankies in the hospital, a voice in my heart told me to bring this to you" Corrie said that changed her-it told her that there was a loving God who cared about impossible little things for His children on this small little planet! She shared that God does not always answer us the way we expect, sometimes he even says no. But that is because he sees more than we do. He does not panic and He has no problems concerning us. And then she shows a beautiful piece of embroidery, showing the wrong side and mentions how it is complete chaos.

My life is but a weaving, between my God and me,

I do not choose the colors, He worketh steadily,

Ofttimes He weaveth sorrow, and I in foolish pride,

Forget He sees the upper, and I the underside.

Not till the loom is silent, and the shutters cease to fly,

Will God unroll the canvas and explain the reason why.

The dark threads are as needful in the skillful weavers hand,

as the threads of gold and silver in the pattern He has planned.

Joslyn's little embroidery for me will help me to remember that I can rest and trust in His plans. Even when life seems like chaos or not what we had planned, He is always at work. He knows what our beautiful embroidery "Life" is going to look like.

The Most Priceless Art...........

This Masterpiece is entitled " The Spider Who Wants To Be a Boy" ~by Bell Drietz

Why would I want to shop the galleries of the world for art when I have the mind of a precious child to captivate and pull me into their imagination. I have a crate full of stories and exploration, full of my childrens expressions and thoughts. And then there is the stack of picnic baskets that tuck away more of there doodles, oh and the drawer of the misplaced nightstand for the overflow. But, a collision has occured and it has made a beautiful mess on my walls. We have one finished wall in our basement amongst the more "modern industrial" concrete walls...you know, the walls that have not been touched since the house was built except for a coat of paint slapped on occasionally so it feels more like a real room:)- But what do you do with one silly wall in your semi TV room? Well at the same time as this question began building, so did the craving to showcase my kiddos fun creations instead of them being hid away. And that is how a happy medium was arrived at. With a trip to the dollar store and a few cans of spray paint, I was able to turn our rec room wall into a gallery for the kiddos. They have been pretty excited about looking at there art in frames. And I, well, I could stare at them for hours. Fun to giggle about some of their stories. So here is their debu....

"God's Zoo" ~ by Madison Drietz


Madison has been working on a zoo-she has Zeke the Zebra, Giggles the giraffe, Elly the Elephant, Lady the Lady bug, and more to be unveiled at a later date:)

Cole has a masterpeice of humor up on the wall called "Smell the Pitt-ur"

Now this picture was colored years ago and it just makes me laugh because everyone who sees it thinks it says, "smells the pits" which completely looks fitting-but! it doesn't, see Cole had just recieved a set of smelly markers when he colored this and it actually says "smell the picture" but is of course mispelled. Isn't childhood fantastic!
Joslyn has been painting up a storm this week and this is her newest work of art.
It is entitled "POT" oh, the joy of learning to spell. She has been the one most fascinated with them being put up on the wall and has helped me get them hung. I have a feeling it will continue to inspire her to create more. She is my little one who loves to draw whole books for me.


Bell's was about a spider who is dreaming of becoming a boy and she sure enjoyed telling the story. She even let us giggle while she shared and seemed to completely understand the humor in it. She is also the mastermind behind the bug which is on the wall and the "pile of poop" which we have not framed as of yet:) It is all about the mixing of paint I guess only a true artist could relate to. I am seeing art in a whole new way thanks to her!