Makery Stitchery

Hi :-)

Part of my creative practice last year as been linked to my faith. Picking up a needle and thread and 

engaging with stitching as prayer.

While we were away over the summer holidays I stitched this prayer that I had found.

I just stitch free-hand and I like the way it's all a bit wonky - imperfect like me, joyful all the same.

It's stitched on old linen type fabric I've had in stash for ages and just using threads in my embroidery case.

A project for taking time with.

love you more than a simple-soul fill xxx

The Things Art Says

I am a great believer in the ability of art and the arts, to tell us stories, to lead us into new depths of understanding and to challenge us.

A good piece of 'art' (and by that I mean anything in the arts - poetry, drama, dance, visual art...) draws us in, it makes us drop our defences and then it sucker punches us with some golden nugget of truth.

Also good art encounters people in different ways depending on where they are at and what they are ready for. Two people can go to the same film, read the same book, see the same photograph and it will speak to them in different ways about different things.

Art connects us to one another - it builds invisible bridges where we experience solidarity of experience, hope, validation.

Art is important in the world.

The makers of art give something of themselves in everything they produce - they struggle to reflect both beauty and despair, hopefulness and disappointment.

When school finished last week Bounce brought home a family portrait. In the family portrait one character is a different colour, they are bigger, they are the feature. That character? is his brother. One of Bounce's first words when he was very small was 'my brother'. Before he called Flip by his real name he called him 'my brother' for a long time, such is his love and affection for his brother and the importance of their connectedness.

As Christmas dawns on us we look towards our families and the characters that loom large in the family portrait of our minds may be villains or heroes..... maybe this Christmas it's time to re-callibrate the villains and re-celebrate the heroes.

This Christmas I remember that because of Christmas, because of the birth in the stable I can call Jesus my brother and I can know my lineage in a royal line is secure.

love you more than new and moving artworks for the wall xxxx

The Best and Most Beautiful

Even if I had a hundred Christmas decorations here (we currently have 4 that we have made and no others) I still would have bought this at oxfam today.

I especially love it when Christmas decorations like nativities and angels are portrayed in the culture of the maker. Of course a Zimbabwean angel would look like this and have beautiful dark skin. Because Jesus is a gift to us all, he meets us in a way we relate to - he takes on our flesh and understands the journey we walk.

Also look at the message about who made it, it was all I could do not to cry in the store.

One mother (me) partnering with Mai Stanley (Stanley's mother) helping each other to celebrate the most wonderful gift of all.

love you more than an angel on the tree xxxx

On Reading and Crying

When we were children my mama read us The Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde and cried (I mean really cried - the works)
at the end I said:
I never want you to read to me again
and my younger sister said:
read it again Mum, read it again

Currently I am reading my boys The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S.Lewis. It is the 6th of the Narnia books and we have also read Prince Caspian and they have the audio books (abridged sadly) of The Magician's Nephew and The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.

I adore the Narnia books. Every couple of years I read them through and I always get something new from them. They are so much more to me than just good yarns.

I find parts of them rather emotion inducing but I am committed to not having a Happy Prince moment! Tonight I read the following - with rather a lot of pauses and quavering.

"My own plans are made. While I can, I sail east in the Dawn Treader. When she fails me, I paddle east in my coracle. When she sinks I shall swim east with my four paws. And when I can swim no longer, if I have not reached Alsan's country, or shot over the edge of the world in some vast cataract, I shall sink with my nose to the sunrise and Peepiceek will be head of the talking mice in Narnia."

I know it probably seems totally strange as a part to make me emotional, but it is Reepicheep's dedicated fervor to continue on with all of his might that I find so wonderful. It speaks to something deep in me - this determination and whole-heart quest. His heart is fixed with all his courage on his destination and he will go in that direction until he has nothing left in him and there go down still facing towards his dream. (For those unfamiliar with the Narnia books Reepicheep is a mouse with courage to turn an army - he's absolutely gorgeous).

Do you ever cry reading aloud? And which reaction would you have had as a child? Mine or my sisters?

love you more than a book that can be read 100 times xxxx

Thought for today

love you more than a word for the week xxx

Easter Sunday

Here's to victory and resurrection and death turned inside out,

to Jesus who appears first to a woman - declaring her testimony to be trustworthy in a culture where it meant nothing

here's to the one who calls us ever on to transformation and life that is fuller than life

to the one who embraces the doubters, gives Hope to the hopeless and welcomes us all into the family,

he calls us friends

Happy Easter dear ones on this the day that reminds me not to fret I am not enough but to rejoice that He is.

this is the love that moves mountains xxx

The Best Friday

However you spend today may you find Hope in anguished places and may you know Peace when the storm rages

may you be convinced of a Love that steps into time and a death that tears down forever a wall between those who are on the in and those who aren't.

By Italian painter Masaccio - we saw this in real life when we travelled in Florence.

Mark 15: 33 At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. 34 And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).[b]

35 When some of those standing near heard this, they said, “Listen, he’s calling Elijah.”

36 Someone ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down,” he said.

37 With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.

38 The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. 39 And when the centurion,who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”

may we all be convinced of this life changing Love xxx

What I'm Reading - The Life List and For God's Sake

This is perhaps an unusual combo but this is what I'm consuming at the moment. I grabbed The Life List on a whizz through the library to pick up the other title, which I had on hold.

The Life List by Lori Nelson Spielman

This is an easy read - I started and finished it on Saturday. I like this novel it's chic-lit without being embarrassingly mindless. As you can tell, because I'm admitting I read it here! It's about a daughter whose inheritance is withheld until she completes her life list of goals that she wrote and tossed at 14 and her mother retrieved and kept. It is her mother's ultimate gift to her - the push to revisit the things that brought her joy when she was too young to deny herself that honesty.

As much as it's really an entertaining story it also gave me pause for thought about the things I once hoped for that I may have 'let go' as an adult, and question whether the reason for giving those things up was worthy of giving them up. Of course I never had buy a horse on my list! This is perfect holiday reading, simple, happy ending and a little bit tear inducing (for me anyway).

This is Lori's debut novel and the acknowledgements in the back made me really smile. It's well written and has some lovely characters.

Details - Publisher Arrow Books, Random House UK, 2013

For God's Sake - An atheist, a Jew, a Christian and a Muslim debate religion by Jane Caro, Anthony Loewenstein, Simon Smart and Rachel Woodlock.

I haven't finished reading this book yet so my comments can't be seen as a complete review but I think I am going to really enjoy the whole of this book. It makes me happy to see intelligent thoughtful people having a chance to present robust and well thought out opinions on big topics that refrain from becoming mud slinging, assumption-based arguments.

The authors are respectful of one another yet fully convicted in their beliefs. Each chapter of the book covers one of the big 'issues/arguments', written as short essays from each writers point of view, e.g What is it to be a human being, Where do we find hope, Doesn't religion oppress women? The answers are intelligent, well written, accessible to the average reader but show a true depth of feeling and thought to them.

My one criticism so far would be that they have chosen and Jewish atheist (as in, culturally a Jew but not religiously), which seems a shame as there is already one atheists point of view and I think there could have been the voice of a believing Jew instead. Having said that I pleased that there is a diversity of voice including a balance in gender as well.

Details - Publisher Pan Macmillan Australia, 2013. RRP: $32.99 Aus

* this year I'm committed to extending my reading repertoire beyond children's books and craft books - though I'll still be reading those as well! *

love you more than a day of indulgent reading xxx

It's Almost Lent

Maybe you're seeing chocolate rabbits in your supermarket already.... maybe you're wanting to make Easter a bit more significant this year?

Maybe you're wanting inspiration?



These are 2 things I'm doing this year

1. Signing this petition to chocolate companies who need to know even at Easter I'm still not happy about children being forced into labour and sometimes trafficked so that I can eat their eggs. I'm committed to making this Easter child-labour free. Will you do that with me?

2. Doing Lent generously. This awesome site has ideas for every day during Lent so you can be all about the celebration and sharing the love. Be inspired. This looks like so.much.fun

Looking forward to Lent? Me too

love you more than a fair trade Easter egg xxx

Make My Week - Finally

I started this top forever-ago square after square of cutting

then I finished it a while ago

about 2 months ago I stitched the words on

a month ago I sewed the top to the bottom (another sheet) with an old wool blanket in between.

and finally I have sewed on the binding which I hand stitched done in front of  a couple of midsomer murders!

The text comes from a Bible verse I find both challenging and inspiring. I have a long way to go on these but I would consider my life a success if I could live them, really live them.

Micah 6:8

8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
    And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
    and to walk humbly with your God.

(emphasis added by me)

For other creative lovelies pop over here:

Love you more than an enormous project out of the sewing room for good xxx

On Tuesday, Wardrobe Wednesday - What I Wear to Study

So... study. I am studying (only one paper) this semester and I'm studying theology. Which I must confess sounded to me a lot like a bunch of very tedious, boring, religious, disapproving types using longs words and discussing the white mould as discussed in the Levictical purity laws... I was a bit concerned when I signed up.

Thankfully it hasn't turned out that way at all.

I go to lectures 3 hours a week in an evening. This is what I wore last week. Hopefully I am at least working to challenge my own stereotype of how 'theologians' might look.

Skirt - bought about 12 years ago
Top - cheap one I picked up at a clearance sale - unfortunately it says 'rugby girl' on it, which literally couldn't be further from the truth, so I put the brooch on to cover my shame!
Shoes - dangerous and too uncomfortable to wear all day, but rather fun! Rubi in Melbourne

Joining in with Kelly at WW (I am a day early this is true but 'we recommend' starts tomorrow).

Love you more than the smell of a new textbook and a pencil case full of highlighters xxxx

Here Too

Not to say that I won't be talking about my inner ramblings here but I have started up some simple thoughts over here. It isn't pretty and fancy it's just simple and thoughtful. It hasn't got a schedule and it probably won't be funny. And I'll still forget to use commas, probably even more so. 

But if you want to visit you are welcome.

love you more than all the skills I am lacking in the blog design department xxx

Perception

This is my thought today, it keeps going around and around in my head.....

the sun is shining beautifully, strong, bright and powerful - whether I can see it or not

just because it is cloudy now doesn't mean the sun is not shining, I just can't see that it is.

our perceptions are not always correct.

I like that. I like that I know the sun/Son is shining even when I can't *see* it.

Books to Read When Your Soul Needs Strength

I've been reading rather a few books lately, some bought and others borrowed.

Books that are for my spirit. Books that I think are especially encouraging and helpful and maybe even healing for the soul of a woman that might be feeling a bit battered, judged, confused or just tired with life and trying to juggle a million plates!

Some of these I've read recently and others are books I've read a while ago.

If you want something to read this winter and your soul needs encouraging or stretching or challenging can I recommend one or more of these titles?

The 1000 Gifts - A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are - Ann Voskamp
I love Ann's blog and her book. Both have challenged me to appreciate the mundane, the ground hog days, the less-than-impressive parts of life. She is so honest and beautiful and her writing is poetic and filled with imagery that captures my imagination. This is a book for people who want to get back to the heart of a God who cares about small things, unnoticed things, things done with love. I adore this book. There is a lot of lofty praise for this book but for me it's enough that I frequently want to cry with delight and joy when i read it.

A Year of Biblical Womanhood - Rachel Held Evans
This book is a book for women who want to understand what the bible actually says about women. It's a great choice if you feel a bit scared that possible the bible and God only like quiet women who like sewing, homeschooling and having hundreds of babies. (which it doesn't just by the way!) It's a funny book and an encouraging book. It gives a lot of context and some great profiles of some very impressive women in the bible. I think any woman would find this book life giving and affirming of who they are.

I Dared to Call Him Father - Bilquis Sheikh
A book written a while ago about a woman who took a dangerous risk of trusting and leaning in to God despite the serious possible backlash and the love she found. A wonderful book.

Kisses from Katie - Katie Davis
Another book to cry through. About the amazing, beautiful, courageous journey of Katie Davis who lives in Uganda with her 14 adopted daughters and runs an amazing charity called Amazima - that provides for local children to go to school... and so much more. Beautiful, challenging, inspiring. She also blogs here.

What's So Amazing About Grace? and Soul Survivor (how my soul survived the church) - Philip Yancey
Both of these books are filled with the message over and over that God loves us and his love is SO big and expansive it covers over the failings, the brokenness, the stupid/thoughtless/terrible ways in which we, Christians and the church have behaved. Yancey is a journalist and so these books are very readable. They aren't heavy, religious books they are tales that encounter you, encourage you, challenge you and give you hope.

The Return of the Prodigal Son - Henri Nouwen
If you are familiar with the story about the prodigal son - who takes his inheritance, wastes it and returns hoping to become a slave to his father but instead finds love and restoration (it's a parable Jesus told), this book takes it deeper. When Nouwen came across a painting by Rembrandt of this scene it had a massive impact on him and led him to a place of exploring the depths of this incredibly beautiful picture of God's love to us.

The Chronicles of Narnia - C.S.Lewis
I'm going to read all 7 of these again over winter. I try to read them all every couple of years. These books are good for my soul and the depiction of Aslan very good for my understanding of Jesus.

If you'd like to look for a second hand version of any of these I would also suggest this site. Less carbon miles, less consumption of new things - win, win! They currently have I Dared to Call Him Father $6, several of the Narnia books, some Yancey books (although not the ones I mentioned), ... and probably others.

What book/s have you read that have spoken to your heart and encouraged you?

Love you more than a good book, a quilt and a bar of green and blacks chocolate x

(Links provided for your convenience I don't get anything from your purchase and none are review copies)

Grateful for Roots

I've been thinking a bit about roots this week

In a storm last week a small tree was uprooted in our garden - literally it's roots could not take the strain of the wind and rain that beat against it.

I absolutely love this print - find it here

What grows a tiny seed into a mighty tree? Is it not the effectiveness of the roots? The roots seek out nourishment, they lock and tangle into the earth so that they can steady the tree against forces that come at them.

Thing is.... roots aren't pretty, they look scrappy, they spend their lives covered in dirt, they don't see the sun and they have to filter out all sorts of junk to make sure that the plant stays healthy.

I think it's a lot like that in real life. I can spend a lot of time on the foliage and even the tree trunk but neglect the roots because really no-one sees them anyway. The roots are the real me - the way I think, the invisible things I do, the times I chose the right (or wrong) even when no-one is looking. The roots are made by who I choose to tangle my life around, how I spend my moments and what I fill them with, how I really feel about myself, others, God.

The pressure is on to be a tree that looks beautiful, that produces beautiful flowers, that has tasty fruit and amazing leaves, that stands tall not twisted and bowed..... how easy it is to become a topiary expert and forget that in the storm it is the strong, unseen roots that sustain and not the beautiful fragrance and position in the garden.

I'm grateful for the roots in my life and I'm challenged to invest in the roots that will keep me strong in the winter and nourished in the summer. This winter I'm actively retreating and allowing the roots to get nourished and I'm actively seeking input, opening up the roots to scrutiny because even though that it's really hard I.want.strong.roots. I'm asking questions, I'm listening, I'm learning and I'm letting go of the pride that tells me I'm the only one who knows how to grow a tree with strong roots. I'm letting go of the fear that stops me letting people at the roots in case they are disappointed by my lack of substance.

I hope that I will grow - deeper, stronger, fuller and in time it will reflect in the tree.

Make My Week - Easter

At Christmas time there was so much anticipation

I made an advent calendar, we decorated, we p r e p a r e d

and at Easter - the best bit - I dropped the ball

So yesterday I made the boys some 'Resurrection Eggs'

I found an excellent tutorial and print out here.

I went to 4 shops and finally found some very large eggs at spotlight (probably needed to think about this a little earlier me thinks). For $6 (the eggs), 60 cents (in one of the eggs) and some printing which I did for free I now have something special to use every Easter.

Everything else was at home. I objected to the purple cloth when the Bible says scarlet - so I chose scarlet. I know purple represents royalty and they were mocking the 'royalty' of Jesus when they clothed him in the robe but to me scarlet represents more accurately - the Bible translation, the blood he bled on my behalf and the sin he washed away.

Now they are in a bowl ready to be looked at and on Good Friday we will have a candlelight dinner and open them all. We'll do the same on Easter morning.

I've got all our Easter books and stories out and put them out.

I want the joy, the sacredness, the wonder, the HOPE of Easter to hang in the air with the scent of hot cross buns and the knowledge of welcome, sweet, unwarranted, undeserved, but freely given welcome into the Father's embrace.

Joining in with Leonie with this most simple of projects because sometimes the simple things I make are the ones that mean the most.

Do you do anything special for Easter?

Sacred Pauses

I am high energy

I talk fast

I laugh loud

I'm not good at silence (any one who has met me will attest to that)

Listening without 'adding to' does not come naturally to me

And so this week as I journey toward Easter I am trying to slow, to quiet my heart and to learn the gentle rhythms of Grace.

Easter is the most important of all my celebrations in a year but I feel like it becomes squeezed out and turns into a chocolate frenzy with a sideways nod to the Jesus who took my place on death row.

This week I want to slow my words, let my loud laugh become gentle joy and wait in silence for the gentle whisper that says it all and more.

 

It's What Is On The Inside

Remind that lovely Kelly is hosting WW now :o)

For many Wednesdays I have shared about what's going on on the outside. I've shared outfits and styling. These are things I really enjoy.

But this Wednesday I want to talk more about the inside of me. On the introduction on the right I finish with a quote 'Far from what I was, not yet who I shall be'....this is my hope for my whole life - to never be finished with growth and change.

Some of you may realise we are in Lent (the 40 days coming up to Easter), this is traditionally a time to go without, to remember the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness. So today I want to share a very old prayer that I will be praying during this season, a prayer I need to change me on the inside.

Litany of Humility

O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, Hear me.

From the desire of being esteemed, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being loved, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being extolled, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being honored, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being praised, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being preferred to others, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being consulted, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being approved, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being humiliated, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being despised, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of suffering rebukes, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being calumniated, Deliver me, Jesus. (*means lied about, I had to look it up)

From the fear of being forgotten, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being ridiculed, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being wronged, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being suspected, Deliver me, Jesus.

That others may be loved more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be esteemed more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That, in the opinion of the world, others may increase and I may decrease, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be chosen and I set aside, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be praised and I unnoticed, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be preferred to me in everything, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

There are many things I need but I need these things very, very much. Pretty much checked all those boxes for the wrong reasons. I love that this prayer gets to the heart of how I can so easily think and be.

If you are interested I spoke about some of my own heart desires recently at church. If you want to listen.

Is there anything you are focusing on during Lent? 

Grateful For

Grateful for a teacher who had this beautiful wee gesture waiting on the students desk on the first day of school. With their name meaning attached to it.

For having fun in the pool with my little one today on one of our hanging out days. I have reduced his kindy days to 2 this year so we can make the most of the next 10 months before school starts.

Thankful for a very near miss with a car reversing out of a driveway and my littlest missing it by centimetres. We stood right there with our helmets on having a cuddle and thanking God for His protection.

Also given my current obsession with almonds I am super pleased with the almond butter I made tonight. Grandad recently gave me Grandma's food processor (these are my in laws I'm speaking of) and it's powerful enough to make actual peanut butter texture with nothing at all added - straight nuts. I'm going to make the boys a massive jar of peanut butter next.

Today I also take my hat off to a team of Christchurch bloggers who are working so hard and with such passion and dedication (the spreadsheets are a colour-coded thing of beauty) to bring Around the Table to life. I'm also in awe (and slightly terrified) that people have said yes to coming. 51 in fact - only 9 places left. I might be the 'mouth' for this but I am certainly not the brains and the hard, hard work..... Ladies I applaud you.

I'm also excited about another giveaway to do but you can read more about that tomorrow.

And I'm joining in with Meghan who always has such an interesting list I have to set aside proper time to appreciate it.

 

 

To Everything There is a Season

I am a great believer in seasons in life - in the ancient words 'to everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven.'

and for this reason I love the beginning of a new year or rather the drawing aside in life to seek and to listen for what a coming season may hold, to listen for the direction in which to head, to watch and be ready to align my sails for the wind.

On the 1st of the year I talked about 'things I want to achieve this year' but this post is about the person I want to be this year. In 2012 my word for the year was contentment.

This year I don't have a word as such I have some attitudes that I feel like are seasonal for me

Responsive - this is my word for my marriage, my mothering and my faith. These things matter most to me in life and to these I want to live 2013 with a responsive heart. To hear, to respond, to centre my life around these things.(this is not about doing it is a state of heart and a way of being)

First Fruits - In Jewish culture there is a value of first firsts, that is the giving of the first of your crops, the unspoiled livestock...In Maori culture the first taonga (treasure/bone carving) or other 'hand-crafts' you make are always given away. Last year I wanted to work on generosity and this year I want to work on being less selfish. In order to do that I am setting my sails to bring my firsts and best of.s to others. I won't always manage (I'm only planning on making one mail box!!) but I want to try and give the first ones I make away in order to help me be less self-focused.

Fruitful - kind of hard to explain and quantify but I feel like I want to be fruitful this year as a person - relationally,  creatively, in my faith - I want to bring and offer rather than take and receive so much.

Encouraging Creativity - I really feel like this year I want to encourage others around me in their creative journeys, to cheer them along, to give people around me permission to be creative and to value their creative contribution to the world.

I love these words, perhaps they sound lofty and ideal and certainly they are much harder to measure than general creative goals like whether I built a letter box or not but I think in life we need both.

We need the over-arching seasons that bring us encouragement or confidence or hope and we need the practical doing of day to day. Behaviours and actions repeated over and over that in the end make up the larger unfolding seasons.... well that's my take on it anyway.

Do you have a word for this year?
Do you take time during the year to stop and listen and wait for direction?