Blogging = Good Health

Have you all heard that my Darling Paul had a little stroke last week?  We suspect it had something to do with preaching 31 times in the open air on the first three days of 2017. 

 We have been very busy, pushingly busy for probably too long.  I've had a few little health issues of my own, and I have reached a conclusion:  If I don't have enough time to write an occasional blog post, I'm too busy!  It's not healthy.  So from now on, I'll check the life of my blog to check my own health. 

 One of the added busy things I've been doing, an unusual thing for me, was working on Evangel's quilt.  I rearranged our bedroom so that I had a little sewing corner, with space to lay it out on our bed,  and this became my go-to thing to do for the month of November.  My goal was to finish by the first of December, which didn't happen.  I was about a week late. 

 I learned new words like "shwe shwe" (an African cotton material, rhymes with "Hey, hey!") and the phrase "stitch in the ditch" and I'm sure my character was improved with the vast chunk of patience required to make a quilt.  I sure hope so! 
I learned the theory of mitered corners, though I failed in the application, I'm afraid. 

Connie came to keep me company.  I'm not crazy about being shut up alone with a lot of material.  I'd rather have someone to talk to while I work, so she painted while I muttered at the sewing machine. 

The Lord provided me with another Connie, right near the beginning of quilting.  I was in over my head with this thing, having no pattern, just some raggedy squares decorated by Evangel's friends.  The other Connie was at a conference I went to in October.  She went to my room with me, and in 45 minutes had me organized!  She drew a pattern, told me what size to make the squares, and helped me organize the colors.  She has a quilt shop in Texas!  I had been praying about organizing that thing, and once again, the Lord did  above and beyond what I asked or thought.

 You've got to grow in endurance, courage, skills, and love to make a quilt. 
 

And one grand day, it was finished!  I called my Mom, I sent a picture to Evangel, and I celebrated!  What a weight off!  Then I could throw myself into Christmas preparations. 

Josh is the guest appearance in the quilting plot, showing I did get out there and organize some fun Christmas gifts. 

Here's the whole Drawing Others to Christ team/family on Thanksgiving, and they're my main ministry.  When I'm sorting out "Love your neighbor as yourself,"  these are my nearest neighbors when we're in Cape Town. 

So if you notice the weeks going by, and I'm not writing, maybe you could drop me a reminder to take the time to blog.  I want to share what great things God is doing with us.