Exercise

Pause for a moment to ponder the goodness of the Lord.

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat [or drink], or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they? Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span? Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work or spin. But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them.  If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith? So do not worry and say, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear?’ All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom [of God] and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides. Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil.

Matthew 6: 25 – 34

In just a few weeks I’m presenting a retreat day, The Beauty of the Feminine Genius Cedarbrake Retreat Center. I’m both excited and anxious, which are as you know, inversions of the other. I both want to do good work and surrender to the Holy Spirit in and through this work. I’m excited and this also is a gift to surrender to the Holy Spirit. One thing I heard in myself the first time I presented on this is a little too much of me, or at least that’s my perception.

While continuing to prepare for this retreat and series (that’s for another day) I’m reminded that while there is nothing new under the sun Our Lord continues to write to us through the Apostolic succession. The Holy Spirit showed me that what I’m reading in the words of St. John Paul II, is the beginning of the book of Genesis, and affirmed in the Gospels and New Testament.

When I teach quilting it’s not about me and yet in some ways it is. Here’s what I’ve learned about quilting as I did the work and made new quilts. I want you to see and hear me acknowledging where things went wrong and where things went well. And those two places are often the same thing that happened.
While I am teaching the framework for a new-to-you or newish-to-you skill I am also sharing where the tension was off and how I learned how to fix it. I’m showing how to slow down and how this gives better control while stitching. Then there’s the needle and thread pairings and the why this makes a difference in the “tension” and also that your shoulders are not jewelry, earrings.

When it comes to matters of faith there is much the same being presented in both the practical framework and the lived experience and the beauty that exudes from this. As I pondered this morning the thought to bring a few of the quilts to lay on the tables came to mind. As with anything we do there is progress made in the working process. In one sense this process is highly individual and almost more importantly it is corporate. We need both to help us form as individuals. Our prayer and study (book reading/conversations/retreats) – these intentional moments of intimacy and honesty with the Lord lead to Worship. And Worship leads to the deeper desire for prayer and study.

In the morning I leave for a quick trip to visit family. Please pray for safe journey and return home. When I come back I’m speaking at a local quilt guild on Color Theory. In the meantime head on over to my YouTube to watch a conversation with Joen Wolfrom, color master.

Happy Quilting!!

Teri