Covering things up

This week I did something so out of my box that I am still grinning to myself. I did something really "crafty". As I have stated before I am allergic to crafts of any kind. Stamping, needlework, painting, the list goes on and on. But... I have six very old dining room chairs in my formal dining room. I actually use this room pretty often too. The upholstery on the chairs was very ugly and needed replacing eleven years ago when I bought the suite at an antique store. So the "quick to step up girl" I am finally bought some fabric to cover these chairs. Two years ago. Speedy is my middle name. Let me also confess right now that I also am allergic to fabric stores in general. I cannot understand for the life of me how you can enjoy sewing clothes when they sell perfectly good ones in stores. Don't hand me the "it saves money" line either. When you add in labor, time, stress and all the other tasks involved in sewing, a good (and I am) shopper can beat your price everytime! Back to the chairs. My dear friend Kelley so sweetly volunteered to help me cover them. We got together this week and she actually cut all the fabric for me and showed me how to cover these chairs. My staple gun was out of staples. I do not own one but borrowed my daddy's. I neglected to get staples. Go figure. So she taped one and then I followed her pattern. When I found out I had to iron the fabric I nearly had a seizure! I consider ironing a craft. The suffering of these allergies never ends. I ironed all the fabric and one by one I covered these chairs. They look great if I say so myself. It brought to my mind all kinds of things that I cover in my life. Things I am currently battling inside. Constant temptations. Bitter feelings. Anger over issues. Deep sadness and lonliness over lost loved ones. How fast life is going by me and I keep looking for a place to grab on. Many things. Do we as "Christian Women" just smile and cover up all this stuff? For the most part we do. There have been times when I just want to throw my head up and scream and yell and throw a royal fit. I have a few times too. As I covered those ugly worn out chair seats with beautiful, new, crisp fabric I kept thinking of all the ugly layers inside me that I keep covering up. Dear ladies, we do not have to cover it up. We can allow the holy healing balm of Jesus to rip the ugliness right off. It hurts but in the long run there are no deep twisting scars to deal with. No roots that grow and dig and choke. I am praying right now for myself and all my sweet friends that we allow "El-Roi" The God Who Sees....way down through the layers to begin the ripping process so the healing can begin.

Bless y'all!

Cindy

Summer is over

Tomorrow is the first full day of fall. I love this time of the year. Summer is my second favorite though. I love the sun, heat, swimming, the long lazy days but fall is just so nice. Never too humid or really too hot. The colors of the leaves are absolutely gorgeous. How God came up with that pallet is awesome. I cannot wait to see the colors of the leaves in heaven. They have to be vibrant to the 100th power. School is back in session here too. Our new little kindergarteners are a very talkative bunch this year. Only a few have been weepy. Most of them just chatter like squirrels all day. The staff have all said they are having more than a little trouble with this group. Now with cooler days and lower humidity they hopefully will settle down. With all the other things going on in my life right now I am glad for a climate change myself. I enjoy going to the local high school football games and watching former students at my school play and cheer. That is another sign that summer is over. Fall festivals are popping up everywhere. Fall decorations are all over stores. It is a sweet change. It leaves me with a little sadness down in my soul too though. The watching of nature slowly falling into a deep sleep for the winter. Fewer birds to watch. Fewer flowers to pick. Leaves me a little lonely. But spring is around the corner and then summer will be back.

Bless y'all
Cindy

Planning Time!

I have the most exciting news! My oldest daughter, Erica, is engaged! She is so thrilled and is still floating on a cloud. The wedding date is set for October 17, 2009. That may seem a long time off but it only gives us a year to plan. I have longed to help plan my girls weddings. There is nothing I love more than flowers, frilly dresses, fancy clothes, manicures, pedicures, hairstyles, and all the like. I want my girls to have really nice weddings but of course, there are some limits. Having a year to plan gives me lots of time to look and purchase off season things on sale. That is my other favorite thing...shopping! I could just shop 12 hours a day and never get tired. Erica is such a sweet girl and she is so grateful and gracious for my help and my attempt to take over. Monday we are going to look at bridal gowns. She has several pictures from magazines and I am sure I will burst into tears when I see her in one. I know I am rambling but this is just so exciting for me as a mom. To see my sweet baby girl grow into a lovely (inside and out) young woman is precious. What an honor and a joy it is to witness the creatures that God loans us as moms. Praise His name for that honor and gift. I so desire my Erica and her new husband to love the Lord and to seek Him in their new life together. I pray for them daily that they hear His call on their lives and serve Him with all their hearts. Blake and Erica both love children and young people and I have expressed to them many times that I can see the Lord using them in working with the youth. Keep them in your prayers. This world is so hard and blinding that young couples need all the hedges of prayers they can get. But for right now I am off to look at mother of the bride dresses. That is pretty exciting too!

Bless y'all!
Cindy