God Gets Me...And an Epic Dye Fail

To be so smart I sure am dumb sometimes...

Do you ever feel like your thoughts look a little like this? 




Mixed with this?  

The outward manifestation and hurt may feel like this?   Kind of  like...This is nutso, crazo and soooooooooo  unfair.  What do I DO?!

Yeah...We get our thoughts off of the Lord sometimes don't we, we start to worryin' and a-frettin'.  It's not that we are abnormal for being upset but we forget that in the background God is doing His best in the situation...we forget to keep praying to the Father.

Today when I left for the store my thoughts were a combo of the above but I kept praying but was still assuming some things, past and recent things...when I got home things looked different.

I received a delightful note from my dad and talked with him over the phone...some major weirdness and discouragements had been going on...  Other major discouragements too were brewing on the radar...some things weren't quite what I thought.  One concern was what I suspected and actually was an answer to prayer that it crashed! I was cor-rect on that one!  : ) 

It's been an intense week and season but God is really good.  There were also some things I prayed about and ya know?  I shut up about what I was praying about.   And God came through!   Why should I be surprised?  dummy-dummy-dummy  ; )  Absent minded professor here.

I am glad to say I have shut up, did not say a word on some things that were being misunderstood even by those I love and God came through when I least expected it!  It's very hard and can be extremely hurtful, being intuitive on things, many things and being with those who have different spiritual giftings...and they don't get us.  You want to scream! (you know... like Donna Reed in it's a Wonderful Life when she's caught behind the bushes?)   So I've learned to shutteth-uppeth if at first, maybe even if at second, ; ) ...if I'm not received. ; )  God gets me and gets me sooooo well.   When only a few folks do, God gets me!

God is moved by our prayers, His answers will many times vindicate, soothe us in mercy or He will gently correct us in a way we can receive and sometimes He corrects the other party..we sometimes are even allowed to see it.

I'm not giving the Father enough credit I know, I could write a book on how He moves, He is just so intricate, so multi-faceted...I'm 53 and I'm blown away at times... Just blown away and sometimes?  Maybe I'm not so smart.  Maybe?  I just need to pass the test of trusting the first time missy?   

.................................

Here is a Dye-fail I would like to share with you:

Dying Clothes of a Different Color:   Oh noooooooo....Do not try this kids.

We are a bunch of creative geniuses over here don't ya know? ; )   Actually we do try...I tell Jem that I will be in my studio on days like this... I tell him I am CoCo Chanel on these days and the artist will be at work creating.  At one time I could illustrate and design fashions pretty quickly.   After being married for 34 years we get each other on this stuff... I can be as little girl as I want with Jem...Plus.  I was saving money by George.

Marianna and I thought we were going to have some fine new clothes in one of our favorite colors, Dark Navy...Honey Child, I thought I was going to be spiffy in my new navy blouses and Mar in her eyelet no longer school bus-yellow dress... oh yes indeedie. We were going to rock our worlds!

  Heh.

*fail*

As the Italian Mama in the old movie, Marty (1958) said about Marty's date...She don't-a looka like-a no Italian girl-a to-a me...

This-a-don't-a-looka-like-a-navy to-a-me....

The white turned lavender.

The white turned  purple-pink.

The yellow turned...I'm not sure...a mix of khaki green on the lining (kinda pretty), purple mud with hints of red on the outer. Oh dear me...

Isn't this awful?  Yep, two entire bottles of navy dye, cotton material, a cup of salt and way too much time... and this is what we got.

I knew the trim wouldn't dye but I figured the look would be neat.  Well, I've dyed items before, say, a black cotton cardigan - black, or a brown shirt - brown, faded pink towels-pink...it worked fine and dandy in brightening... but I haven't tried this type of thing over a different color in a long while if ever.  The last time I saw such a drastic dye, I noticed my friend's mom's dyed green cotton bathing suit 42 years ago.  Yep, I could see the blue dots through the green but I still thought it looked neat and I admired that beautiful and glamorous woman's thrift.  My project here was not so neat... *eh hem*.  (nor is it glamorous) 

So friends, don't waste over $7 for the bottles of dye, more $ for electricity used on rinsing and rinsing not to mention the water... and clorox used on bleaching your washing machine... on clothes of a different color.

No use crying over spilled milk but maybe I will save you grief, time and money.  I have no idea why ours came out like this... Such is life. : )   Maybe yours has come out differently, nicely?  Have you had dye fails too?  Let me know!  I love to re-purpose clothes, let me know if you have tips on successful dyeing! 

  Take care all,  from one creative messy blogger.... It's me, Amelia.  Last Child in the Woods.  : )

Home Sweet Home Quiet Times and a Sweet Valentines or Anytime Craft Gift

Teach me, Father, to value each day, to live, to love, to laugh, to play.
~Kathi Mills

God is not in the vastness of greatness.  He is hid in the vastness of smallness.  He is not in the general.  He is in the particular.
~Pearl S. Buck


Two of our daughters...the kitchen...the afternoon light...

A few weeks or so ago I looked up one afternoon and noticed a most beautiful glow in our kitchen...The day's activities are evidenced clearly.  Joycie is here doing some stretches after a run on our property. 





Here comes Janie to give some good cheer as things wind down before supper preparation begins.

Some of you may wonder; where are all four of Jem and Amelia's daughters?  What are they doing these days?  Well, let me tell you...Trying to capture them all in one photo at one time is now like herding cats! *big smile* Joycie is taking classes at the community college in court reporting, not a legal assistant but to become a court reporter. This is the person that types on a special machine with special code at the front of the courtroom as the trial goes on and testimony is given.  Much, much tedious memorization and skill goes into it. The account of what is being heard in testimony must be near perfection as you can well imagine.  The drop out rate is high.  Joycie is on a mission, she is doing well and on the dean's list and has some most wonderful teachers.  God is good.  Very Good. 

Thank God all of our daughters are serving God and involved in His work, whether it is in the art of photography, counseling women in a prolife clinic, delegates in our party to further fight for our unborn, defenseless animals and our liberties...or at their present occupations when not at home.  Life goes on. : )  We certainly can't complain! 




Here are some shots from Valentines I would like to share with you:

I made four of these little rings for our four girls from buttons! 





My gift bags for the girls I used what I already had and I think they turned out cute!  Brown lunch sacks and paper doilies are the cat's meow. ; )  I love this ballet-pink tissue from Dollar General.

Originality is not doing something no one else has ever done, but doing what has been done countless times with new life, new breath.  ~Marie Chapian


 

 



A most precious morning sight, quiet time:



God looks at the world through the eyes of love.  If we, therefore, as human beings made in the image of God also want to see reality rationally, that is, as it truly is, then we , too, must learn to look at what we see with love.   Roberta Bondi

Two of our sweet daughters with our precious, precious buddy at the nursing home.

Well friends, I'll close now... Today I'm making Italian stuffed bell peppers with lentil and brown rice stuffing topped with a nice veggie-cheese. 

I'm working in segments on a Collette beginners blouse pattern.

Decluttering: Joycie and I brought a big bag of clothing to the Christian center last Friday in smalltown.  So fun!

I am at present and have been listening to: 

 

This music is the background music soundtrack to my life lately, seriously. 

It is! : )   It is sooo beautiful.  The 40s movie is grand.  Modern music?  A lot of it is okay...but the sweet and calm spirit of this is soooo much better, just sooooo much better.

Have a sweet day everyone, signing off from The Forest Cathedral....    ~Amelia

They Call Them Radicals

There are those who have contrasted the halfhearted and apathetic by becoming radicals. We call them radicals, at least. These are, simply put, those who have conceded to the fact that they're remade, reborn, and reformed in His image. These radicals are those who, when they walk into a room (or a church), every head turns. The mutterings of various conversations become hushed tones. They bear an image unlike anything commonplace, they exude something like conviction but also like love. And everyone notices how drastic the difference in these people is. Before a word is spoken by them, people say in their hearts, "I want to know what that peace and grace is like."

 An excerpt from Josh Isaacs from his blog: I Am A Seeker

And now for a topping...I ran across this on youtube...Please take the time to watch and listen, your time won't be wasted....




"'Be ye holy as I am Holy..'  Those are God's Words not mine...."

"If your going to get serious about God, they will sneer at you...All the dwarves will say... So you are trying to be holier then the rest of us eh???" ~Leonard Ravenhill

"I don't care if you like me, but I'm a surgeon and I'm going to get the sickness out"   ~David Wilkerson


 
Photo by Robert Stock

MUST SEE: 'KANSAS' ROCK LEGEND PENS PRO-LIFE ANTHEM

This Time: 'Kansas' Rock Legend Pens Pro-Life Anthem

After dozens of albums, recording artist John Elefante's latest work is intensely personal. That's because it's about how his adopted daughter narrowly missed a date with death before she was ever born. 

You know me, I love to write my personal day-to-day goings ons' and convictions but my husband and I just watched this, catching it on a Christian program... 

My husband, also a rock and roller at one time immediately stopped and listened when he heard who this man was.  John Elefante from the group, Kansas. 

This is so beautiful although intense... I was a prolife counselor at one time and my oldest daughter is now a prolife counselor where she speaks Life to women and the sweet name of Christ Jesus.

Yes, in this day and age when some preachers brag that they don't preach against anything...This video and John Elefante's testimony is a pure breath of fresh spiritual air.

Breath in, breath out....to others...Hopefully we are taking in good spiritual air from God.  Clean air...

...it's Jesus.  Be separate.   Let's be Jesus with skin on to others...  

 amelia

(top photo by Robert Stock)

True Clutter Confessions and Show n Tell; A Great Pair of Practical Shoes, Saving Money

Photo, Robert Stock
 
Just wanted to share a laughable true-confession from the merciful creative-messy...Me, on clutter and it's ill effects.   Remember the post I did last month on me missing out on the beautiful handsewn bag my daughter made me because of dreadful clutter?

Well, after writing about it and posting about it.  I strolled through that same closet that very afternoon, thus closet has an in and an out door.  Well, thus closet also had a "harmless" little basket of clothes in the walkway.  Missie here was dancing through like an elephant in a snowdrift holding a hanger and shirt to put away when boom-a-bang-a over-correct around the basket and tripping over my shoe-rack...as I fell I'm heading towards the end of the open door.  Wow.  Thank God I did not hit the edge of the door on my poor noggin!  Now I see how these household accidents happen I hear of with people falling and hurting themselves so badly.  And for me?  It was because of that villain...clutter.

Lesson learned:  Clutter not only blinds us from what we truly love but it hurts people!!!!

I wish I could say this is the first time I've ever taken a fall of this nature and cause of human, but I remember when Lea and Marianna were little, I, falling backwards into a filled clothing basket in my room like I Love Lucy.  I sat there and laughed and laughed....That time there was no hurt just me in a basket behind first!

One tool that has helped me declutter is an emotional evaluation bag, or in the case of clothing, a "Do I really, really need this or love this?" bag.  

This is GREAT for the stuff I'm not sure about...I mark the bag with marker with the date and give it a year.  Sometimes I actually do need a skirt or something out of the bag, other times I *think* I need a blouse or something of the sort and realize, the color really does not do a thing for me... It either gets dyed or given.  Another trick I have that works on clothes I don't want to bag, perhaps a camisole in a drawer...I put a garage sale sticker (the bright circles) on it with the date.  If a year goes by, and it's not used, it really needs to go to bless someone else.

Show 'N Tell Time!
  Photo, Robert Stock

I know you are going to think I'm daffy now!  (That girl is decluttering and now she's buyin' shoes?!) Ha!  Don't you remember the excitement of getting new shoes?   I do!  I'm an only child but my mom and dad were very good about not spoiling.  They really were.  So when we went to the store to get new shoes that was a great day!  I remember being shocked visiting some city-cousins when I saw the mounds and mounds of shoes those girls had in their closet!

And yes, I have decluttered some shoes and actually I have fit even my tennis shoes on my shoe rack now!  The only things that aren't on my rack are my two pair of boots (pretty much) ; ) .

Anyhoo.

The name of this game is practicality and multipurpose right?

I just wanted to share these shoes from Payless.   I have had them since last summer and they are wonderful.  Totally wonderful.  This beige color goes with just about anything and they don't need breaking in.  To me?  Life is too short to have to break in shoes.

These are Dexflex Comfort brand and are on sale right now for $19.99.   I recently bought the black pair as well; I am a black-tights kind of gal for cool church mornings and such.  They run pretty true to size, I go with the larger of my inbetween-sizes because of the closed toe.
 



Ways I Have Saved Money This Week

Photo, Robert Stock

Well, while I was on a site I saw a neat handbag.  My cute marketbag had broken and my attempted repair was a fail.  I saw the cutest black and white big bag.  My little girl inside of me soooo wanted that bag and I wanted it now.  I gave it 15 minutes, and saw there were some things that didn't fit with my personality on that bag, gold chains..not for me.  God's voice..Go look in your closet Missie...  Yep, I had a very nice sage green bag that will be fine for months to come.  I saved almost $30!

I saw a $20. sewing book I really wanted bad. Right-now, right-now... It contained neat patterns in it... God says: ...Look at the library Missie.  It took ten minutes or so but guess what?  The library has it,  I held it and now I can hold the book in my hands to see if it's what I want before purchasing.

New fabrics are an enjoyment to me, I was trying to figure out how to wrack up $35. of new fabric to get free shipping. I know... dummy, dummy, dummy right?   Jem suggested I look through my stash, Don't you already have fabric? he asks...and ya know he was exactly right.  My retro pattern only requires a yard of material. How hard is that?  


I'll close now with a good word from Tozer and a beautiful retro painting that says way more than words:

.

Christ our Pilot

We have to be still to hear His Still Small Voice, more simplicity more time to reflect and listen.

Have a sweet eve,   Amelia

RuN For YOur LiFE!

I've been pondering a lot lately, I do that don't ya know.  So much to life.  So much to Eternity...God put this short video on my heart from my late blog, it's still alive just asleep but not asleep...It's so NOT asleep.  I've tried to condense to one blog now days that's all...

Here is the page I retrieved it from, you may enjoy some of those blog entries as well.  http://visionforagodlyhome.blogspot.com/2012/03/run-for-your-life.html

I think about my precious step-dad Al lately, especially when I see anything from New York like the Time Square Church video..I miss Al, he was from New York.  He took such good care of my mom...life changed drastically the day he suddenly passed away from a heart attack.  That night as I hung the phone up with my poor mom, she was sent home from the city hospital in a taxi with Al's clothes on her arm. (I was the one to bring his suit and tie to the funeral home, not a pretty memory.)

That night after receiving the horrible phone call I ran out to the front yard, it was dark, the children were asleep. I ran out to the front yard in a long, baggy yellow Garfield tshirt nightgown. I looked up at the sky, the stars, and I cried out to God in a silent scream...I cried out to Al in a silent wheezing cry.  I knew he was on his way up there to God...but it didn't make life easy for me after that.  My little girls, Lea and Marianna, my little baby, Michelle lost their best friend.  I could write uncanny things I've seen of Al but I'll save it for another time for the mostpart.  I will mention I saw his face when I was delivering my youngest, Rebecca.  The chief midwive at the birth center tell me I scared them to death, I had turned grey...

There are so many things to blog about, there are money saving tips, there are fashion tips for simple elegance and sewing...there are natural medicine tips I could share. But all in all, I'm a child of God in this nutso world.

We visit churches and I sit there.  Yeah...Call me a whiner, a complainer...Call me a griper.  I don't apologize for speaking truth here.  No fake-jake here.

Enough now.

~photo by Robert Stock

I just felt led to post this in this world of non convicting sermons, canned emails etc.

I. Just. Felt.  I had better post this, things are rough out there and if ya don't think so maybe you better come out and take a look?  Ya know?

~Photo by Robert Stock

We are doing fine.  Many times when I share my wee prophet's heart people think I must be going through something, that something is wrong here.  No, not at all...I just see things very clearly and care enough to warn.  You may ask Jem and our daughters, those daughters who probably still miss their pa-pa Al.  Our Rebecca who tried to come way to early if the midwives didn't save her, if God didn't save her.  I've told her many times... Rebecca.  God has His hand. on. you.

Life has changed immensely since '91.  Al always said we had that pioneering spirit, whether it be homeschooling or moving to the country... Al, you would love it here.  Our artists hearts could sit at the table and we could drink coffee together...we could laugh and smile quietly, boisterously...

I do hope the short video was a good challenge in a good healthy way.

A smile and heart of love, blessing and prayers coming your way,   ~amelia

The Invisible Woman and Christian Soldiers. You and I

This will speak for itself...



Yeah...We all feel like this at times, no matter what season of life it may be for us.  Just think though of the Eternal...it's only what will last for Eternity that will last.

  ~Photo by Robert Stock

At 53 and a veteran homeschool mom I'm seeing changes in society and the homeschool community.

What follows here is not only applicable to Christian homeschoolers but to any Christian group, church or individual.

Several years ago I felt rather put out to pasture when the support group our family has shared at yearly was taken over by another workshop leader with what seemed to be of a very different heart.  Our workshop named, 'Vision For a Godly Home' was shelved, it wasn't even shelved politely...and actually God was shelved.  The support group had closed all Christian classes down at the workshop and every year...little by little academia has taken the throne.  That Tower of Babel ...once again...the Tower of Babel.

Now don't get me wrong, in a way it was a relief, I'm like Moses, I don't like speaking in front of people, maybe that is why the Lord selected us, because none of us like getting up in front of folks and speaking.  Only God knows the prayer and hours of putting together a talk for people so people could get a glimpse of what God wanted them to *see* in homeschooling.  I knew.  I knew that I better have it right, it was huge.  Not huge for me but huge because I did not want to misrepresent God. 

My husband and I were watching the Homestead Blessing ladies, the West ladies in a gardening video the other night.  This is one precious family by the way...the young ladies have sweeping long hair and long cotton romantic skirts...earthy, sweet, Southern enough to charm the daylights out of you.

My husband remarked...My, my how the homeschoolers have changed.

Yes, you can say that again.

I first saw it over ten years ago when I sat on a panel with several other homeschool moms.  I shared how our daughters and I had afternoon tea and solved the world's problems, God came first, beware of youth group pitfalls and etc.  All I will say was I was attacked by some of the other moms on that panel.  I've also been attacked on our homeschool loop on email.  Yes, I made one suggestion that people keep their comments to homeschool comments and questions instead of "Can my Freddie play with your Susie?"   Several who were not walking with the Lord or on the same page took it as opportunity to attack me publicly online.  This support group had over 300 families in it.  I had a handful of women come to my aid, they tried they did.  I was accused (accused) the father of lies accused me of trying to close down the loop, isn't that funny?  Just the dumbness of it all...This was back in the day when inboxes only held so-much and if your inbox was clogged you may just miss the information that a friend has cancer.  Yes, that is just what had happened.  Long story short, my husband got on that loop.  He said his Peace in a respectful way.  Before I had posted the suggestion I had asked him what he thought!  Thank God I had saw the safety in asking Jem's opinion!  He said ..Go with it, it's a good suggestion.  Thank God for that one question of safety to my husband.  It was a good example despite the pain and depression these loud mouthed women caused.  Did it stop?  A little.  God used the situation, we spoke in the "big room" the next time...God used it all.  Me?  It had been devastating for this merciful artist infp. ...but God used it.  He is the Revealer, He is Justice and Mercy.  He still is and always will be.  Amen.

Today.  Unfortunately there are some homeschooled young women who are now married who have useless degrees and don't even know how to cook a nice dinner for their husbands. There are young men who don't know what the strange-woman looks like let alone what a godly young lady resembles.  Academia.  Academia.  Off-balance academia.  God?  God is here, He was there.  Those parents left, God did not.

Jem and I will trod on.  Our daughters will trod on, there have had to be adjustments, and that is okay.  Because God is here.... He is here and that is all that matters.

The culture is warped, it's eeking into our churches and I am grieved.  You see, we've homechurched for at least five years now and my husband feels like it's time to venture out a bit...It's not doing me that much good but I also realize it may be a matter of me reaching out to some precious elderly people in one of those churches or perhaps something of the sort.  I can't help but wonder what these ladies who in the 1950s as young brides in the old engineering town we visit must think of this whacked out culture.  It's just sooo very sad to me.. Just. so. sad.

My daughter Marianna reminds me that some of those women, those 1950s brides, could have been part of the problem... We notice some of the WWII generation definitely have their heads in the sand as they have also bought the lies of compromise in our culture and the way they perhaps raised their children.

I'll close now.

The following clip from the poignant old movie Mrs. Miniver, (a must-see) as it progresses is how my cathedral may look these day...but the people inside?    They are strong.  Strong in the Lord.  ....You see...They.  It is They who are the great Cathedral.  We stand strong in You Oh God.



Onward Christian Soldiers.  Stand strong... in God stand strong...in the name of Jesus stand strong...Your fellow Soldier in this weary world...    ~Amelia