Day-in-the-Life #3

I have a lot of catching up to do, so I'd best get started, I guess. :)

My summer's been pretty splendid thus far, and I'm not usually a summer person, so that surprises me that I'm enjoying it so much. We haven't gone on any family vacations, and nothing really “new” has come up for me to share, but there's this feeling of overall peace that excites me and leaves me room to breath at last. The only thing I miss is chatting with all my friends, keeping in touch with them and sharin gin their joys and sorrows. That's kind of hard to do sometimes these days, but believe me...I keep them covered in my prayers!

A couple weeks ago we girls (i.e. Mom, Jessica, and myself) went to visit an hour away at my Aunt/Uncle and Grandmother's house for a few days to do some cleaning for them. My aunt and uncle work, and my grandmother isn't able to do heavy-duty cleaning, so we always do a sort of “spring” clean every year for them. With the added pleasure that whoever goes gets to use their cable and internet, as well as visit with Nan. ;) Yeah! This time we also were very much blessed to be able to babysit and watch my second cousin, Guy (sounds like “gee”) - is he not adorable!! He was such a good boy for us, and didn't cry when we each took our turns holding him. We love him like crazy now.

This is my favorite picture my mom took of Guy and his great-grandma, Nan (my grandma).

  I've been sewing, sewing, and quilting a lot too this summer. I needed some new skirts so I've been using up our fabric stash as best I can {I hope to post something about that later}. I've also been creating new pillow covers for my room and a few other things here and there. I finally took the pictures, and now have them mostly edited, so maybe I can get that post ready and posted at last! I can't wait to show you all some of the things I've made. I'm pretty proud of them, if I do say so myself. And since I'm always inspired when other girls share their creations, I hope you'll be inspired by mine, perhaps. :)

 Here's a sneak peak: Bows! 

  Books, books, books! Where would I be without them? *sigh Our library is hosting a summer reading program for adults, with a reward of FREE books as well as entries to win a new Kindle, so since I'm reading a lot anyway, why not join?! ;D I always read a great deal, always have ever since I could, well, read. This year I've read a good many more nonfiction than I'm used to doing, so that's been exciting to learn more in-depth about my favorite people or times in history. Right now on my shelf I have a book on Napoleon's travels in Quebec, and TWO world war II books. I can see the rest of my year will be spent in the 1940's with all the books I have next to read, including Enemy Brothers, and the very last Anne book about her daughter Rilla. (Can you believe this Anne-loving girl has NEVER read through the entire series until now? Shocking, I know).

Ooh, I MUST tell you all of a new-to-me authoress I've discovered. Her writing is exquisite and her characters are charming, with no hint of modern feminism anywhere (hurrah!!) and they have all been the cleanest non-christian books I've read in quite some time. Her name is Jennifer Chiaverini and so far I've read 4 of her lovely books. My favorite so far has been Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker; it's all about a freedwoman living in Washington, D.C. during the great civil war, making clothes for the prominent women of the city, as well as Mary Lincoln, and dressing the First Lady for many an occasion at the White House. It's fabulous and so filled with facts that's it's more like a historical biography than a fiction. I can't even tell you how much I learned reading her book, as Jennifer's insightful retelling's are marvellous and filled with truth, unlike most civil war fiction these days. ;)

The other was The Giving Quilt, about a group of ladies coming together and creating quilts for charity at a beautiful lodge in Pennsylvania. You will discover that many of Jennifer's books focus on this lovely state, and since I practically grew up in PA, I know she tells truthfully of all it's charms. :) The book went through the story of each lady in attendance and her purpose and need to come to the event, while also sharing the overall storyline and by the end, the ladies have made quite a few beautiful quilts, and found much-needed healing and rest from new friendships formed and time away to reflect. Each of Jennifer's Elm Creek books tell a story around the making of a quilt (or two!), yet it's not so focused the quilts that it overtakes the beauty of the story itself. It was the most charming book I think I've ever read. And as you can see, it made me hungry to read even more of Jennifer's excellent works. :)

* * *

For a couple months I've been wanting to put together a blog post sharing what I'm learning this year about surrendering to the Lord and all the healing that is taking place in my broken heart, but I can't seem to put the words together in my mind, or when I type. How do you put feelings into words in a way someone else will understand? For now, let's just say I'm so thankful for God's patience with His children, watching over them and gently guiding us in the way He wants us to go. :) I can be so hard on myself, so to see His love for me in the way He teaches and instructs me, waiting until I'm ready to listen means a great deal.

I'm slowly learning to let Him have more reign in my life, letting Him love me, letting go of my own idealism of how I wish things would be and instead accepting how they truly are...at least for now. There is such peace in accepting that you are right where God wants you to be. When I lose sight of that promise of His care over me, even now and even in the future, I become so consumed with fear that it's all I can see.

I don't have to understand, I don't need to understand, all I need to remember is He's a loving and Sovereign God and to lean back and trust Him. 

A dear friend of mine shared this song by Mercy Me called Greater, and it was so perfectly wonderful, and spoke so much to my own heart that I wanted to share it with you all, just in case you've never heard of it before either. The words are impactful, and full of grace and being real. Hope it blesses you!

"There’ll be days I lose the battle
Grace says that it doesn’t matter
‘Cause the cross already won the war
He’s Greater
He’s Greater

I am learning to run freely
Understanding just how He sees me
And it makes me love Him more and more

He’s Greater 

He’s Greater"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdQ0vCGDGag