Still moving forward

 

Each new day is a gift! We can either wallow in self-pity, or be thankful to God for his many blessings in our life. It’s been eight months now since my dear husband went to be with his Maker and while I still miss him every single day, I am not as distraught as I was at first.

Jesus has been my strength, seeing me through every step of my journey. He is filling my life with his love, peace and strength. I still have times of tears, but I also have times of thankfulness and joy for the 43 years of marriage we had.

I am going through things, doing some rearranging and making forward progress in this new life I’m living. I ask Jesus for help and he gives it. I am excited about an indoor project I am working on and while doing this have found some real treasures in artwork done by my husband. I’ve come across other things too and my love for him continues to grow even though he’s no longer here. God blessed me by answering my prayer as a young girl when I prayed for Him to send me someone who loved me and someone for me to love as well.

On the 8th of next month is the anniversary of our marriage, it would have been our 44th.  I still plan to fix a nice dinner, as I always did, to celebrate the love and our life that God blessed us with.  I am thankful.

I am also thankful for this time in my life of drawing closer to Jesus. He brought me to where I am, he knows all that I am going through and he knows what he as in store for me.

MKJV ~ Jer 29:11 ~ For I know the purposes which I am purposing for you, says Jehovah; purposes of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

I want to rest daily in God’s tender loving care, to grow in his grace.

May you do the same.

FlowerLady Lorraine

Serenity

What is serenity? I did a Google search and here is what I came up with.

Definition: The state or quality of being serene

the absence of mental stress or anxiety

Thesaurus:
peace of mind, peacefulness, repose, peace, heartsease
quietude, quietness, tranquility - a state of peace and quiet

Most of us have heard of the Serenity Prayer. We are very familiar with the first part. I cross-stitched it for my late MIL when I was a newlywed living in Spain. My husband framed it in the base hobby shop, and we mailed it to her and it hung in her kitchen until the estate was settled after my late FIL passed away.  It is now hanging in my kitchen.

I looked at it this morning as I was pouring my coffee, and sighed. “Serenity”, That is definitely something I need in my life. I have moments of it throughout my days, but I wish to have it continually.

Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;

Reinhold Niebuhr

***

I can only have this serenity

by trusting in God all day long

in everything that comes my way.

***

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart,
and lean not upon thine own understanding:
In all thy ways acknowledge him,
and he shall direct thy paths.
Pro 3:5-6

***

Take my yoke upon you,
and learn of me;
for I am meek and lowly in heart:
and ye shall find rest unto your souls.  
For my yoke is easy,
and my burden is light.

Mat 11:29-30

I am into my 6th month in this journey of widowhood. I am learning as I go along.  Every day is a gift. I am ‘puttering’ in my home and gardens, in my husbands workshop, getting into different routines, living without my ‘love’ of 43 years.  I am being drawn closer to God, and that is priceless. He is with me every step of the way. He blesses me and teaches me.  He loves me. My husband is in His presence, rejoicing in God’s greatness. He knows that all is working out, while in my earthly existence I am still trusting and hoping. 

And we know that to them that love God
all things work together for good,
even to them that are called
according to his purpose.

Romans 8:28

***

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you,
saith the LORD,
thoughts of peace,
and not of evil,
to give you hope in your latter end.
Jer 29:11

***

Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning;
for in thee do I trust:
cause me to know the way wherein I should walk;
for I lift up my soul unto thee.
Psa 143:8

 

In your name dear Jesus I pray,

FlowerLady

How Precious…

I was working on a project last year but didn’t finish it, hopefully I will this year.

I love working with needles and thread, or hooks and thread. Fine threads I really like to use in crocheting. My dear husband called me Crochet Lady and Bead Lady, besides Flower Lady. He took a photo of me as I was embroidering in my little space.  He told me he loved to hear me in here humming as I worked, because I sounded happy.

Times have changed. He went away, to a different home with God his Maker. He’s no longer here to show my projects to. He no longer gives me verbal encouragement, or ideas.  It’s not quite the same creating now as it was when he was here. Nothing is the same.

I know though that he would want me to continue doing things I enjoy doing, like gardening, cooking and needleworking. So, I have been and it is comforting to me. Oh how I miss him though, more than words can say.

This is the photo he took of me and some of my creations.

My work space.

He would have liked these beaded edgings. I ordered a wonderful book of patterns for part of my Christmas and just got around to making  these.

This is a work in progress.  I’m going to use the bottom edging in photo above on this piece.

More edgings made in the last week or so.

Below is the piece that I was working on last year. Little did I know that this scripture would become more meaningful to me before last year’s end. It’s been a favorite of ours for years.

I’ve still more sand/beads to add, and maybe a few more little shells too. 

We must never forget just how much God loves us. More than we can fathom.

We lost our dear husbands, but we didn’t lose the talents God gave us. Whatever you enjoyed doing before your husband left this life, try to ease back into it. It will be soothing and you will be creating. We were created in the Great Creators image, He loved to create and is still creating. Let us joyfully use the gifts God has blessed us with and be thankful.

Happy creating and happy living a life filled with God’s love, strength, peace and hope in Him for our futures, whatever may be in them.

FlowerLady Lorraine