Crazy Joy Dare ~ Day 18

Day 18

"The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense."
(Proverbs 27:9 NLT) Air 1 verse of the day

What does God do with the scraps?

In her blog today, Lisa-Jo, suggests saving the "scraps" that you cut when editing to another document.

Are the scraps of me as important to God?

He has a bottle for my tears, does He have a sewing basket with my scraps?

For my crazy quilt restoration I only use vintage cloth.

I have a bag of cloth that I have collected from older ladies to keep the quilts integrity.

I am sure that the Lord thinks even more highly to keep the integrity of me as He shapes and models
 my clay pot.

 Today is Think Pink Day in our area.

I get my mammogram every year and for the past 10 years I have gotten it back with something to the effect of: Stage 2 alert, same as last year, no doctor follow up needed.

10 years ago I had a "bad report" on my mammogram.

I went in for a second screening and God chose an odd way to finish the process.

The next day I had mastitis on the left one and had to got to the ER.

Three days of walking around with an I.V. port in my arm and on pain med along with visits to the hospital for them to give me high power antibiotics. Then 10 days of oral antibiotics.

Life went back to normal in about 5 weeks.

I waited for 6 months.

Mammogram number 2.

Result: class 2 watch, recheck in 1 year.

That is the way I lived for the last 10 years.

Was it a clogged milk duct?

Was it a cancer?

It is just a smear of scar tissue now.

So, every year in August I get my mammogram.

Every year in October I get Think Pink Bags for my daughters and friends.

October is a month of praise.

I praise the Lord for my marriage of 25 years.

I praise the Lord for daughter soon to be 18.

I praise the Lord for my health.

Tonight my daughter and I will go to the bridge for her to take pictures after her class. This year I will have socks, closed toe shoes, hoody and coat. (maybe a thermos too)


Crazy Joy Dare ~ Day 18 - A Gift Shared, Saved, Surrendered ( I could answer me for all 3,  but wont)

   1) I share my computer with my son
   2) God saved my breast
   3) I surrender my life to Jesus

Crazy Joy - Day 17

    Day 17

"Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him." James 1:12 (NIV) Proverbs 31 Ministry Devotion of the Day

       This is a video I got in an ecard from my husband to day on our 25th Wedding Anniversary.

25    Reason to be Thankful

                                      

  1)      Mary (age 21)

   2)      Abbie (age 19)

       3)      Johanna (age 18)

4)      Ian (age 16)

    5)      Jacob (In God's Arms)

6)      Stars on the top of the water tower

7)      Flowers in a mountain meadow in Colorado

8)      Grass Hopper pie in the snow

9)      Reading books between Redding, Utah, and Montana

10)   Reading books in our little house with the claw foot tub 

11)   Riding ponies and braiding their manes

12)   The Mary Mark diamond ring set

13)   Praying together

14)   Mowed grass under the clothes line

15)   Getting all my green cards in Apples to Apples

16)   Doctrinal Leadership

17)   Definitions for most anything I don’t know what the meaning of  in the English language

18)   “Walk and Talk” holding hands on the road

19)   “Naps” on Sunday afternoon

20)   Help with laundry, dinner, housework 

21)   Covenant (re-falling in love)

22)   Help parenting (Reading, changing diapers, sitting through the hard times)

23)   Companionable Silence

24)   Sour Dock Grass and Cat Tails

25)   25 more years

Happy Anniversary Wes.  Love You, Mrs. B
October 17, 1987

Mary (4/17/91)

Abigail (3/9/93)

Johanna (10/21/94)

Ian (5/5/96)

Out of my womb and into God's Arms  Jacob 2/1/1999

Crazy Dare of Joy ~ Day 17 - 3 Gifts Ugly/Beautiful

1) Baby Chicks

2) Winter to Spring

3) Caterpillar to butterfly

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away;

behold, the new has come." (2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV)

Crazy Quilt Joy Dare ~ Day 16

    Day 16

"My soul, praise the Lord, and do not forget all His benefits. He forgives all your sin; He heals all your diseases. He redeems your life from the pit; He crowns you with faithful love and compassion." 
(Psalm 103:2-4,) Proverbs 31 Devotion Power Verse 

This frame of the quilt is the way I feel today. The white puckered part, is one of the area yet to be fixed. The raw skin of the flour, salt, or sugar sack in showing. All the pretty stitches of  women long dead protect the other squares from breaking loose.  

My life is at a raw spot. 

The old fabric has been torn away.

All the pretty patches of the past are held together firmly by the stitches (prayers) of my sisters in Christ who have held me up through the years. These wonderful ladies held me in place as my life has unfolded. 

The hands of the Craftsman are picking the next piece of my life. 

It wont be a perfect "square", instead it will be a be a piece that just fits. 

I will have to take out the old stitches, just as new prayers are being lifted up for me know.

My friend June gave me a book mark with this poem last night.

The Weaver 

My life is but a weaving

Between my Lord and me.

I cannot chose the colors

He works so steadily.

Oft' times He weaves

in sorrow and I, in foolish

pride, forget He sees the

upper and I , the underside.

The dark threads are

as needed in the Weaver's

skillful hand, as the threads

or gold and silver in the

pattern He has planned.

Not till the loom is silent

And shuttles cease to fly,

Will God unroll the canvas

And explain the reason why.

Crazy Joy Dare: Day 16 ~ Three Gifts Burned

       1) Candles

       2) Logs

       3) Chestnuts 

Crazy Quilt of my Life ~ Joy Dare 15

Day 15



"But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul." Deuteronomy 4:29 (NIV) Proverbs 31 Ministry Devotion


Today is the 15th, so that makes it a day of reflection.

What has happened in the last 15 days and what do I expect for the future?

As I ponder these thoughts today and step back to look at the entire quilt as it airs out on the clothes line
(flaws and all), I will look at my Joy Dare for the day.

Crazy Joy Dare 15 ~ 3 Books Re-Read

    1) Galatians 
    2) Ephesians 
    3) Philippians 

I have been reading through the New Testament and this the place I am today. On such a hard day it is no coincidence that Philippians, Joy Book, is today's reading.


Update tomorrow on what my reflections have disclosed.

Weekend - Dare Challenges 12-14

Day 12 ~ weekend Saturday, Day 13  
Day of rest Sunday, Day 14



"Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for Him to act." (Psalm 37:7 NLT)
Air 1 verse of the Day

Yes, Lord I will wait patiently for You to act.

As Daddy prayed with me today, You are in control.

Day 12 ~ Crazy Dare of Joy: 1 Gift small, 1 Gift smaller and 1 Gift smallest
               1) my faith..."help me with my unbelief"
               2) the hours of the night
               3) the word "I"

Day 13~ Crazy Dare of Joy: 3 Gifts Read

               1) http://reneeswope.com/2012/10/living-in-the-light-of-forgiveness/
               2) http://www.lynncowell.com/
               3) http://www.aholyexperience.com/

Day 14~ Crazy Dare of Joy: 3 Gifts Said

               1)  Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.
                         No one comes to the Father except through me."  (John 14:6 ESV)
               2)      Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world.
                        Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have
                        the light of life.”                                                       (John 8:12 ESV)
               3)      "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will
                         take you to myself,  that where I am you may be also."
                                                                                                         (John 14:3 ESV)


Good Night
 ~Shalom~

Joy Dare Day 10

           Day 11



"Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me." (Psalm 103:2 NLT)

Today I awoke like the day after a migraine.

Yesterday didn't kill me.

Tomorrow isn't going to be here for 24 hours.

Today all the patches appear to be sewn together and not torn.

I have to examine closer.

Take the sheets off the daybed and wash them.

Take the crazy quilt out into the light and beat it a little on the clothesline, to shake out dust.

Why can't I just take a good day and not try to look under the carpet for dirt, or shake it hard like a light bulb to see if it is broken?

Why must I expect the ceiling is going to cave in at any minute?

A Victorian Quilt - Bear River NS

CRAZY JOY DARE DAY 11:  3 Gifts of Change

                 1) Coming back to my hometown coffee shop instead of the one on the
                      road
                 2)  Coffee with my daughter
                 3) First Job interview today

"The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;

his mercies never come to an end;

they are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness.

“The LORD is my portion,” says my soul,

“therefore I will hope in him.”

                    (Lamentations 3:22-24 ESV)

Dear Lord, Help me to live in the moment and let me be a blessing in my interview today.
~Amen

Walking with Him Wednesday - Joy Dare Day 10

    Day 10



The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in those who tell the truth. (Proverbs 12:22 NLT)
Air 1 Verse of the Day

I took these pictures of the quilt one evening and I was going to delete this one, but the pink patch was showing through in the darkness, reflecting the little bit of light that was able to show through. I saved the photo and then loaded the photo assigning them a day as I loaded them.

Yesterday I got my Proverbs 31 magazine in the mail. There was an article by Alicia Bruxvoort she mentions when, "Darkness makes dawn so far away". Those times in life that are like my 3 a.m. wakefulness, when I pray myself back to sleep. Except this time it is during the day too. God is holding my hand I walk through the trails and testing of my world.

There was also a poem by Courtney Hutchinson.

At 3 a.m.

At 3 a.m.

I wake to find You

That magical hour

When no matter what the day held

And the next day holds

You are more real than ever

Tears fall down the sides of my face

Soaking into the sheets

As I feel Your presence

I talk to You about things

I won't remember in the morning

And intensity of a conversation 

That I can't remember

I imagine where You walked through my bedroom

Where You sat next to me on the bed

I can't see You now

But something tells me I could at 3 a.m.

And that's more than enough for me

The poem spoke to my heart. It is so true when we awake in the night, there is nothing we can do, but rest and pray. Now that it is daytime and there is again nothing I can do...I will rest and pray.

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ESV)

Joy Dare for Oct. 10th:  3 hard eucharisteo (things that are hard to give praise for)

1) Reliance on God for my every need (Matt. 6: 25-34)

2) Uncertainty of the future (Luke 12:31)

3) Uncomfortable relationships (Prov. 25:22)

JESUS said, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." (John 14:27 ESV)