Bazaars and craft faires.....

Bazaars and craft faires....

Yesterday was the long awaited big day of the beginning of large crafts shows and bazaars to start off the season of shopping for something unique for gifts...oh, there have been a few stragglers  before now, but yesterday's list was the biggest so far...now they are nonstop...

Early in our married life, I took part in them wherever we lived...I would design and execute crafts, follow new patterns hot in the market, set up my booth, and hope to sell something....my hottest items were underwear and fluffy animals slippers for Cabbage patch dolls as well as pound puppies of all colors and sizes...then I would have Christmas presents for everyone that needed whatever was leftover...and making money on the crafts was a bonus...what fun...and a lot of work...

We have been in little market places wherever we have travelled....a market place set up in the square in puente arenas, Chile....the black market in Mongolia....street markets in western China, Caribbean, Central America, islands in the Pacific Ocean ...some crafts were so inexpensive we "just knew" people back home would appreciate them and others were REALLY expensive or too bulky to transport...we hunted for Hard Rock Cafe shirts in exotic places and other "specialties"....what fun....

People are talented all over the world and make use of the materials they have at hand...alpaca, camel, goat and sheep wool, shells, silk, fabrics,  linen, recycled "trash", coconut shells, seed pods, grasses, skins, minerals...etc. etc. etc...

It made me think of Lydia in the New Testament... "A dealer in purple cloth"... In the market place....she had something specific to sell..
Acts 16:13-15 On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us. 

Or the Proverbs 31 woman...executing business ...taking care of her household...as many of the crafters are women...
Proverbs 31:10-31 A wife of noble character who can find?She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm,all the days of her life. She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands. She is like the merchant ships,bringing her food from afar. She gets up while it is still night;she provides food for her family and portions for her female servants. She considers a field and buys it;out of her earnings she plants a vineyard. She sets about her work vigorously;her arms are strong for her tasks. She sees that her trading is profitable,and her lamp does not go out at night. In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers. She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy. When it snows, she has no fear for her household;for all of them are clothed in scarlet. She makes coverings for her bed;she is clothed in fine linen and purple. Her husband is respected at the city gate,where he takes his seat among the elders of the land. She makes linen garments and sells them,and supplies the merchants with sashes. She is clothed with strength and dignity;she can laugh at the days to come. She speaks with wisdom,and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed;her husband also, and he praises her: “Many women do noble things,but you surpass them all.” Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Honor her for all that her hands have done,and let her works bring her praise at the city gate. 

I appreciate the hours of design, toil and selling at each booth that these  people have put into their craft...and am thankful for their sharing of their talents...their diligence .....Thank YOU that many profess your name as they meet others in the market place...

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Takes away my breath....

Takes away my breath....

5-6

I recently celebrated my birthday....many, many cards and greetings came my way over an extended time...wonderful greetings, words of encouragement, funny cards, serious cards, gifts of flowers, gift cards, dinner, a pedicure, a glass blown pumpkin, etc, etc...what fun when another year has passed so quickly....

I was reminded of one greeting again as I looked through pictures taken of my recent trip through yellowstone  and the Tetons, as well as walks I have taken since into the Cascades, and around my neighborhood, drives here and there....visiting family, a friend's new baby...

5-6 Psalm 66:5, the Message-take a good look at God’s wonders—
    they’ll take your breath away.

Just the wonder and awe of it all...that God should create all of this for our enjoyment and pleasure...as well as His own..

I realize that there are horrible, unspeakable events taking place all around as well...that takes my breath and hurts my soul as well...man's evilness, depravity without God...

It is easy to be drawn into the bad all the time, but for my sanity and peace of of mind, I need to think on the good...view the beauty, the creativity, the wonder ......

Philippians 4:4-9, the Message

4-5 Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you’re on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!

6-7 Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

8-9 Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.

Thank YOU for Your beauty again and again...

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At what cost....

At what cost....

The gold prices are dropping, a four year low....that effects my family to some  degree...it always has...we have lived all of our lives with the feast or famine lifestyle...as mining was our livelihood.  We were never without food or shelter...when we were in the feast parts, we put away for the famine parts...when we were in the famine parts, we hunkered down and made do....

Both my husband and I were raised in families that were modest in lifestyles, so we weren't big spenders to start with. We didn't go on big spending binges...things were planned out, thought through, itemized, charted...prayed over....even fasted about ....big ticket items were decided upon in months times not impulsively purchased...

I can't say that we were mistake free...we did make "wrong " choices, but we learned from each one and usually didn't repeat them...learning, learning....trying to apply the wisdom and knowledge along the way...

It was faith building...couple building, family building...it was our path....chosen for us ....with lessons distinctly planned for our family....thank YOU for life's lessons....in the refining furnace of life....when I think of my husband walking on streets of purest gold after a career looking for it, I chuckle...YOU provided it all...even the "pavement".

^Job 22:21“Submit to God and be at peace with him;

in this way prosperity will come to you.

²²Accept instruction from his mouth

and lay up his words in your heart.

²³If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored:

If you remove wickedness far from your tent

²⁴and assign your nuggets to the dust,

your gold of Ophir to the rocks in the ravines,

²⁵then the Almighty will be your gold,

the choicest silver for you.

²⁶Surely then you will find delight in the Almighty

and will lift up your face to God.

²⁷You will pray to him, and he will hear you,

and you will fulfill your vows.

²⁸What you decide on will be done,

and light will shine on your ways.

²⁹When people are brought low and you say, ‘Lift them up!’

then he will save the downcast.

³⁰He will deliver even one who is not innocent,

who will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands.”

But I guess that is what we all do through life...what is important at what cost.......

Jesus calling - nov 7

Worship Me in the beauty of holiness. All true beauty reflects some of who I am. I am working My ways in you: the divine Artist creating loveliness within your being. My main work is to clear out debris and clutter, making room for My Spirit to take full possession. Collaborate with Me in this effort by being willing to let go of anything I choose to take away. I know what you need, and I have promised to provide all of that—abundantly!

Your sense of security must not rest in your possessions or in things going your way. I am training you to depend on Me alone, finding fulfillment in My Presence. This entails being satisfied with much or with little, accepting either as My will for the moment. Instead of grasping and controlling, you are learning to release and receive. Cultivate this receptive stance by trusting Me in every situation.

Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
—Psalm 29:2 nkjv

One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.
—Psalm 27:4

Entitled.....

Just because we live well, do the right things, hang out with the right people, give the right amount, live in America, go to church regularly, read the right books, watch the right TV, eat right......all of this and more, doesn't make us entitled to the perfect life...even though it sure seems that way..the old "if-then" statements...

There are some who feel that they are entitled to everything or a certain amount of everything...it is just their "due"...

Herod thought he was entitled to know what the wise men found...but they went home by another route...

Haman thought he was entitled to do away with the Jews, because he was slighted...

Pharaoh thought he was entitled to  order the Israelites build his cities and kill their children because they were too numerous... 

And on and on...

We don't earn salvation...it is a free gift bestowed freely by a loving God, when we acknowledge our need, our humbleness to ask and receive ...we are surely not entitled to it..I feel honored beyond measure that He should choose me to be his child...to be picked up and held, comforted, loved any time, any day..all the time ....

Isaiah 64:6a All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags;.....

Ephesians 2:8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 

Ephesians 3:7 I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. 

Thank YOU for your gift..many gifts...not  because I deserve them or am entitled to them but because you love me ....which is still hard to comprehend....

Just as...

Just as....

There are a lot of "just as" in the New Testament, I keep finding them as I read...
-Just as it was written...
-just as you believed ....
-just as he said...
-just as he promised ....

Comparisons and promises kept...two little words saying so much, meaning so much...how God acts, what Jesus did....How we are to act,...what we are to say...what we are to believe ....

Thank You for the "just as" found ....throughout your word...

Matthew 8:13Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that moment...

Matthew 12:13Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?

Matthew 19:16 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve,...

The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.”

He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. But I tell you, Elijah has come, and they have done to him everything they wished, just as it is written about him.

the disciples left, went into the city and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover

The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.”

But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’” to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.”

The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them.

They left and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover.

Sculptures .....

Sculptures ...... Throughout the years we have traveled I have noticed sculptures here and there..... In Burns, OR, there are children playing, exploring... In a small town in Colorado, they have carved the dying trees into all sorts of animals,.... In graveyards in numerous places, there are carvings, sculptures representing angels, loved ones.... Mark twain sits forever at motel where we stayed.... Elk and deer jump, fight or bugle at McDonald's, museums.... Fish jump through metal rivers in another town... Glass fusions from the very tiny to the monster sized lights on cruise ships of every color and fluidity, dancing in space...catching light... The talented artists who create these pieces see the world of beauty and are able to capture the movement in a piece of time, freeze-framed ....for all of us to see and enjoy... God had specific artisans work on the original tabernacle... He called them by name and gave them assignments of what He wanted carved, woven, created....it must have been so beautiful...this work of art in the desert... And long before that, His creation of the earth, the universe, us...all had a purpose...His delight.... While all of us can't be artists, we are to portray Christ to all around us, we may be the only picture of Christ that some see... Thank YOU for your glory...help me to show that light, beauty of His Grace to those around me... Exodus 31:1-11 Then the Lord said to Moses, 2 “See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills— 4 to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, 5 to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts. 6 Moreover, I have appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan, to help him. Also I have given ability to all the skilled workers to make everything I have commanded you: 7 the tent of meeting, the ark of the covenant law with the atonement cover on it, and all the other furnishings of the tent— 8 the table and its articles, the pure gold lampstand and all its accessories, the altar of incense, 9 the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, the basin with its stand— 10 and also the woven garments, both the sacred garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons when they serve as priests, 11 and the anointing oil and fragrant incense for the Holy Place. They are to make them just as I commanded you.” Genesis 1....and He saw that it was good.... Pictures from heaven... http://www.coolestone.com/media/10796/How-One-Woman-Is-Making-Memoreis-Out-Of-Beautiful-Moldings/#.VFeHUIg76K1

There will be storms....

There will be storms.... Who is in the boat with me? Mark 4: 35 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.”36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” 39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. 40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” 41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” In church yesterday, we went over this preceding passage again...I have a list of dates next to this portion of when I have heard it preached and/or I have read through it deriving comfort in the storms of life..... We each have the free will to choose with whom we want ride through the storms of life....Jesus or not...I am not getting to pre-destination or not....I know that God desires that none should perish... Anyway, when Jesus spoke, he didn't say anything about not making it to the other side, he just said, "let us go to the other side". No what ifs...or by the way, there will be a storm or not...and then he slept....he was totally comfortable...as they moved through the waters, calm or not...at peace.... But the disciples, being as human as me, wondered, "teacher, don't you care if we drown?" There is a storm out there, and You are sleeping...we are panicking, afraid, nearly drowning....don't You care?.....life's trials are over powering me...don't You care? He calmly rises and rebukes...in their panicking, in their questioning...after seeing the miracles before... Do I panic at each storm that I encounter? Do I try to row against the waves, do I call out to Jesus....am I relying on my own strength or Jesus' calming comfort? Where is my faith? In the everyday... in life...in the sea...in the storms ..... Do I hear Jesus say...lets go to the other side.....knowing all the while he is there with me? Remembering the day to day care of my husband on our cancer ride in the boat....Jesus was with us every step of the way...I tried not to panic...even when I felt like I was drowning....He was with there, calming in the deep waters...lifting us up, while we "rowed" to the other side....sending friends, family, strangers....to help us row through the furious storm waves ....He sent laughter, joy, with the tears...peace in the panic, His Words in the night's darkness... Thank YOU....for riding out that storm...with us....calming the waves...not letting us drown ....help me in each storm to be faithful.... Isaiah 43:2a When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you..... [ Psalm 69 :1] [ For the director of music. To the tune of “Lilies.” Of David. ] Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck. Psalm 69:2I sink in the miry depths, where there is no foothold. I have come into the deep waters; the floods engulf me. Psalm 69:14Rescue me from the mire, do not let me sink; deliver me from those who hate me, from the deep waters.