I can’t help but realize that Lent starts in on February 17th. Last night while getting ready for dinner and my Faith Sharing group I took my Memento Mori Lenten Devotional from my bedside table and placed it on the dining room table. My Sweetie and I will work through this before dinner each night.
Earlier this week I was chatting with a friend about the cascade effect of tidying and reorganizing. I’ve been hinting at something that I’ll announce fully on Instagram on Feb 2 around 11 AM Central time. Having a new sewing studio and getting a feel for the space and how it should function best has been a bit of a challenge. While talking to my friend about the cascade of things and how overwhelming it is in the moment she reminded me of a couple of things: make a to-do list and a ta-done list. This will help me work through the things that need to get done both before the announcement and before something else. I have a short timeline with some of this so time is of the essence. Today will be spent with the Lord of the Rings playing in the background while a good chunk of the reorg happens today.
After writing and before getting started this morning I am going to take the time to write a list to give myself goals for getting things done in the sewing studio, office, and guest room. This is in part an effort to honor God with my time, the time He’s given me to use.
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Before I got the job as a sales rep a few years ago I’d felt a pull, a call if you will, to get back into both Parish life and in some kind of ministry. I didn’t know what that would look like. Let’s just say for now that this effort was frustrated at the time. I was glad that I wasn’t committed as my travel schedule was about to be full. And now, we’re in TX and in in a new Parish. At the beginning of September I participated in a Book Study for Women, and I will again starting Tuesday and this time as one of the group leaders. I ask for your prayers for wisdom and listening to the Holy Spirit. The book we’re reading is: Who Does He say you are: Women Transformed by the Gospels. This first week we’re discussing the Prologue and Chapter One (Mary) by Colleen Mitchell. I realized in reading the chapter on Mary part of my struggle in relating to her as a Woman of Faith – her “Yes” to the Lord freaks me out. Her “Yes” to doing God’s will was total and complete, right through Jesus unjust trial, conviction and death. Mary was right there. All through the Gospels we see her “Yes” and as a fifty something I’m seeing this anew. I still want to say “Yes” to God, and mean it with all my being, and then live it out. Someday I’ll love God well enough to love my neighbor and love myself well.
I’ve also been invited to join a Faith Sharing group currently meeting via Zoom, which can oddly enough, be rather intimate. I’m trying to participate fully by both praying for each of the members of this group and also suggesting that we look at the coming Sunday’s readings. Now of course you know what happened right? I had one of those moments where I missed most of the meeting. Yep. We meet at a certain time and I got it in my head that we meet an hour later I am so embarrassed about joining in so late. I wish sometimes I knew where my brain went wandering off to, then I could get it back. While giving thought to the readings, which to me seem a bit disconnected from one another, the thought came connecting them to Listen, Focus on the Lord and Act accordingly.
While scrolling through a social media site someone posted an image of the two possible first readings for Mass from the Magnificat. One is from the book of Timothy and the other from Titus as it is their feast day today, we remember them and thank God for their living out of the faith and their service to the Church first as presbyters (Priests) and later as Bishops. Paul, who ordained them both as Bishops, calls them his sons. In writing to Timothy, Paul speaks of Timothy’s faith handed down from first his grandmother Eunice, then his mother Lois. Handed down as though it is a family treasure of great value and indeed it is.
On and off over the last week or so I’ve been thinking about another scripture where Paul writing to the Corinthians encouraging their growth in the life of faith. Paul planted, Apollos watered, God gave the increase. Our part in someones faith life might be just for a moment, a drop of grace, a bit of water for a thirsty soul.
So it’s been a thinking week, onto some doing so I can be a quilter and do my thing. I long to enter into that quilting zone wherein I’m lost in the movement and the doing of quilting. Pray for me my friends, I long to love God more, to say Yes and to be a better wife & quilter.
God bless,
Teri
A Quilter's Heart 