Easter Greetings♡

Fond greetings to you, lovely lovelies, this Easter time♡

Easter ♡ Thankful. Grateful. Humbled. Appreciative.  Saddened. Indebted. Overwhelmed. Despair. Joyful. Blessed............

As I sit here, crocheting for Slow Sunday Stitching, so many emotions deep within my innermost being, the quiet of my soul this Easter time; but I think the most constant emotion is one of thankfulness. Thankful for so many things, but this Easter time, thankful that Jesus loves me and I love Him. Thankful for His sacrificial love and new life on that first Easter, so that I might have a relationship with Him for eternity. Thankful for each day  walking in His steps, following Him. Thankful for  walking along the path of life with Him, sometimes skipping, sometimes dragging my heavy feet along with me. And, in those times when I just can't pick up those heavy-laden feet of mine, when I simply cannot take another step, I am thankful Jesus carries me. For, as Larry Crabb once said, as a Christian 'it's not for me to ask Jesus to solve every problem I face but for me to move through my problems to find Jesus'. 

Thankful for His daily, saving grace. Thankful that over a half of a century ago Jesus whispered my name and in the deepest chambers of my heart, my soul,  I heard and answered, 'yes Lord??'. Thus, began my faith journey, my walk of faith.  So very thankful for that Friday afternoon, in a maths lesson when my friend told me about Jesus and how His love for me cost Him His life. It was as if the scales fell off my eyes and I saw life differently.  So very thankful for His  mercy and love which will follow me all the days of  my life. Yes.....just so thankful♡

I've often  imagined what it would be like to look into Jesus' eyes. What it would be like  to hear his voice....gentle, calming, peaceful, understanding, forgiving....reverberating with kindness and love. What it would be like over two thousand years ago, to  sit on that dusty hillside scrambling for a vantage point with thousands of others waiting to hear Him speak His pearls of wisdom of the sermon on the mount,  His voice filled with love; with me hanging onto every word.  I will hear His voice one day. I will look into those tender, compassionate, forgiving, love-filled eyes. I will see Jesus face to face. I will see the scars in His hands. Those torturous scars He suffered for me....and you. This fact, this truth, fills me with overwhelming emotions, but again, ever so thankful ♡

May you, this Easter time, hear when Jesus whispers your name, ever so softly♡ May your Easter be a blessed one♡

Until the next time.........

Tell me the old, old story♡

 

Tell me the old, old story,

Of unseen things above,

Of Jesus and His glory,

Of Jesus and His Love.

Great is Thy faithfulness, Great is Thy faithfulness.

Morning by morning new mercies I see.

All I have needed, Thy hand has provided,

Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me.

In Christ alone my hope is found, He is my Light, my Strength, my Song.

Come now fount of every blessing,

Tune my heart to sing Thy grace.

Streams of mercy, never ceasing,

Call for songs of loudest praise.

Amazing Grace how sweet the sound,

that saved a wretch like me,

I once was lost, but now am fround,

Was blind but now I see.

This is the day that the Lord hath made,

I will rejoice and be glad in it.

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Then sings my soul, my Saviour God to Thee,

How great Thou art.

When peace like a river attendeth my way,

When sorrows like sea billows roll;

Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,

"It is well, it is well with my soul".

I need Thee e'vry hour, Most gracious Lord;

No tender voice like Thine

Can peace afford.

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,

Because He lives, all fear is gone,

Because I know, He holds the future,

And life is worth the living,

Just because he lives.

There's something about old hymns that speak to the weary soul. The words, the lyrics, are poetry to my soul; balm to my weary heart. And with every new day there is much being played out on the world stage to cause one to be weary. I love the music to those grand old hymns. I love the cadence of the melodies; the sweetest of harmonies. Melodies which when sung in church the strains soar like sweet angels to the loftiest of places. Truly, is there any sweeter sound than a group of people en masse, singing a hymn?? I'm not only speaking about those grand old hymns, but I love too, the hymns written today. The group Anthem Lights, here and here....comes to mind. They have imagined beautiful new arrangements in medleys of hymns. Celtic Worship, too is a group combining great voices and instrumentals. Such a beautiful and unique sound. I want to jam with these people. In Christ Alone, a new favourite hymn of a lot of people; written by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend in 2001.  Who said hymns are old fashioned?? Certainly not I.

This Easter, I am singing a hymn of thankfulness to Jesus for the gift of new life. There is no greater love than the sacrificial love of Jesus. This Easter, I am singing a hymn of gratefulness for the blessings which He fills my cup with each day. May I sing sweet songs to Him in the good times, the sad times, the difficult times.....those days when everything is a struggle. No matter what season of life I find myself in, may I always sing songs of praise and thankfulness to Jesus♡ "Many things about tomorrow I don't seem to understand; But I know Who holds tomorrow, And I know Who holds my hand."♡

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Tomorrow is Easter Sunday. Later in the evening I will enjoy a little slow stitching on my Flower Meadow quilt. Perhaps I will silently sing a grand old hymn while I stitch. I will ponder Jesus' love for me. How can it be that He should love me, care for me....and you?? 'Tis amazing....when you really think about it.....ponder it. I wonder, those of you lovely lovelies, who are not adverse to singing a hymn or two.......do you have a favourite?? My favourite?? I cannot really say, as there are too many which when I sing, speak to my heart♡ There are so many  hymns which are balm to my soul♡ May your Easter Sunday be a blessed one♡ May it be one filled with thankfulness and love♡

Until the next time...

The Gift of Easter♡

"Sing unto the Lord a new song." Psalm 149:1

"Give thanks to the Lord for He is good." Psalm 107:1

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"This is the day the Lord has made,

We will rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24

"It is good to give praise to the Lord,

to sing praises to the Most High." Psalm 92:1

"Praise Him for His mighty works,

Praise His excellent greatness." Psalm 150:2

"Let all who take refuge in you rejoice,

let them sing joyful praises forever." Psalm 5:11

 

"I will praise the Lord as long as I live." Psalm 146:2

"Let them praise His name with dancing,

and make music to Him." Psalm 149:3

"But I will sing of your strength,

in the morning I will sing of your love

for You are my fortress, my refuge

in times of trouble." Psalm 59:1

"For His unfailing love for us is powerful;

the Lord's faithfulness endures forever.

Praise the Lord!" Psalm 117:2

"Praise the Lord.....who lives from everlasting to everlasting!

Let all the people say "Amen". " Psalm 106:48

Easter♡ In this broken, tragic and confusing world may I experience a sweet renewal of faith, hope and joy. Joy....not how the world gives as it is fleeting, it is empty; but the joy which only Jesus can give. No matter which season of life I am in; no matter what tragedies, difficulties, sadnesses, disappointments, sicknesses, I face, Jesus walks with me; sustains me; fills me with hope. For Jesus didn't promise me an easy time of life, quite the contrary, for He said following Him would be fraught with difficulties. Life more often than not is a struggle. But....the older I get, the more my faith in Jesus keeps me from falling; and may I say when I do fall, He picks me up time after time after time.  May I savor; joy in the gift of life. May I be thankful for the blessings He gifts me every day. For each day is a gift. May I ponder the incredibleness of new life. May I immerse myself in the thought that I am truly loved. Imagine that, God the Father, Jesus the Son loves insignificant me! Astonishing! May I be forever thankful for His unfailing love; His patience, and reflect upon God's miraculous gift of His Son, who gave His life and rose again, so that I may enjoy life eternal long after my days on this earth are but a distant memory.  Oh, how wondrous! Just between you and me, I have loved and followed Jesus since I was fourteen years old, and I really cannot imagine living this life without Him. So, so very thankful for Jesus who makes my struggles His struggles, my fears His fears; my worries His worries.  So, so thankful for the gift of Easter♡ May I linger, immerse myself in Jesus' amazing grace♡ Not a day goes by where I am not thankful for Jesus' love shining through my messy brokenness; and imperfect me. May I continually sing unto the Lord a new song of all the wondrous things He has done♡

May you reflect upon the divine message of love that is the miracle of Easter♡ May you linger on the the divine hope that is a light shining brightly in this dark, dark world♡  May your Easter be sprinkled with blessedness and peacefulness♡

A Quilt of Holes

I am not certain who the author of this beautiful poem is; though an American poet, Linda Winchell, wrote one very similar. I happened upon this poem a couple of years ago saving it for 'that' perfect time to weave a post around it. With the world spinning around and around on it's chaotic axis this last little while, today seemed to be that perfect day. I remember at the time being deeply moved by the touching thoughts and words. Even today, this poem brings tears to my eyes as I reflect upon the thoughts therein. Of late this poem has resonated deep within me. Over the last couple of months and with Easter only a matter of days away, I have pondered upon the patchwork pieces of the tapestry of my life. Those pieces being stomped on, becoming dirty, grubby and grimy; hanging by a thread. And, though I might put many a stitch here and there to try to mend and repair a gaping hole or a tiny tear, those pieces are never the same. They are never as they once were. Aah....the tapestry of my life. So, so very thankful for Jesus who takes my hardships; and makes my struggles His struggles, my fears His fears; my worries His worries. Oh....the list goes on and on and on, doesn't it. So, so thankful for Jesus' love. This poem reminds me over and over again of my desire to have Jesus shine through all the weaknesses and frailties; all the imperfections of my life. He makes something beautiful, something good out of all the tattered, threadbare patches of the tapestry of my every day. Not a day goes by that I am not thankful for His love shining through all those messy, imperfectly pieced patches that is the quilt of my life.

As for the quilt dancing around each verse of the poem, it is my pastel hexagonal beauty which I dreamed up and stitched a little while after I finished my Bohemian Purple Rhapsody quilt. It was a quilt that was stitched long before I began my foray into 'The Land of Blog' and has never been showcased in it's entirety. As I am a gal who loves pastel loveliness, this quilt speaks ever-so-softly to my heart. It sings a soft and muted song, a mere whisper of a pianissimo. Oh, I adore bright and vivid colours but it is soft-hued pastels which make my heart smile just that little bit more deeply. Each hexie whispers lovely pastel vintage fabrics, french laces and the touch of my signature embellished lovelies, and of course a glove clasping a few stems of trailing flowers. I desired only a touch of pretty embellishments skipping across the hexies, as I wanted the beautiful vintage fabrics to shine. There is too, my signature basket of flowers, which I carefully snipped from doilies, arranging them into a floralicious arrangement of crochet loveliness. Each hexie is backed with a cream satin and on the back I stitched a two inch wide, satin ribbon covering those sometimes messy seams, all those little  stitching transgressons of mine. I am that gal who loves the back of a quilt to be pretty as well. This hexie pretty is queen size and once again, as with all my QAYG hexies pretties, it is completely hand stitched, which took many months to complete. 

My prayer is that we might all think upon the words of this beautiful poem. My prayer is that today, and during Eastertime the hope of the Easter message; the gift of God's love for you and me might shine brightly through the messiness of  the tapestry of this rather confused and chaotic world.

Until the next time................

Linking up to Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching.