Wednesday's Wealth

This has been the hardest post I have ever written. It has taken me 4 hours! Maybe you will understand why by the time you get done reading it.

This week, I have been ruminating on the wealth of talents that the Lord has given me. He has blessed me in so many ways, and for this I am grateful. I was making a list for myself, so I could enumerate my blessings. I have a tendency, and I don't think I'm the only one, to forget the blessings that I'm not using at the time. And when someone asks me what I do, I often can't even remember!

One of the biggest blessings He gave me in my life, and one I will never forget, has been my mother.  She gave me my love of all things arts and crafts. I made my first ceramic fish when I was 3. She taught me to sew when I was 8, and she never stopped teaching me. When she got cancer, she taught me about courage in the face of formidable odds. She taught me how to face what ever life throws at you with acceptance and humor, and how to die with grace. She also taught me all my life not to brag or be boastful, so it's a very hard thing for me to be able to say, "I can do that and I can do it well." But today, I'm going to list the talents the Lord gave me, mostly via my mom, and I'm not going to feel guilty. I'm not meaning to brag, I'm just listing what I'm grateful for. And so here goes....

I am grateful that I can sew, knit and crochet. I can draw and paint. I can do woodworking (thanks, dad) and tole painting. I can make toys and purses and hats and wallets and aprons and all kinds of things. I can take an item and make a pattern for it, and most of the time I don't have to take it apart to do it. I did at one time make all my clothes and all my children's clothes, even jeans. I have made shoes, real ones, and  coats, suits, and underwear.  I can do almost any craft I put my mind to, and some I wish I couldn't. I read really well and love to do it. I helped write 3 volumes, each about 700 pages, on the history of a little town in Nevada called St. Thomas.  I can do upholstery and make curtains and drapes, which has come in handy many times. I can cook. I can follow a recipe for something I've never made and have it come out right. I was blessed with the ability to have babies. My mother had 8 miscarriages and lost one baby before she got me, and my oldest daughter lost 3 babies before she got her first, so I feel truly blessed. I know there are other blessings and talents, but I can't think of them right now.

Unfortunately, I am like most other human beings, and I just can't seem to be grateful all the time. Sometimes, I feel put-upon or taken advantage of when I really don't want to do something I'm asked to do. But I can honestly say, that doesn't happen very often. And that is because He also blessed me with a willing heart to go along with everything else. I LIKE to do things for others. I enjoy being so busy that I can hardly think straight. And it drives my husband crazy! When I have 16 projects all going at the same time, he's the one pulling his (hypothetical) hair out while I'm humming merrily along. Then when everything is done, I crash. But I still like it. Sometimes I get so caught up in the things I'm doing for others that I lose track of my own family, and that's not a good thing! Just ask them.

25 of my 26 biggest blessings!

Anyway, I feel the Lord has blessed me mightily, and I want to share. So now that I'm getting older and don't teach anymore, and don't drive anymore, I blog. I try to share some of what I know on this blog by creating tutorials for projects I like and think you might like, too. What do you all do? What blessings have you received that you share with others? How do you share? Leave a comment and let me know.

Now, after 4 hours, I am done. This is probably the most boring post I've written, along with being the hardest, and I'm sorry for that. I will try not to bore you ever again! Remember your blessings! Remember to thank the creator who gave them to you. You can feel His love when you use your talents, so say "Thank you." And remember this....anything is possible for two people, as long as one of them is God. Until next time,

Day 12 of the 12 Days of Christmas!!

Go,

tell it

on the

mountain,

over the hills

and everywhere!

Go, tell it on the mountain

that Jesus Christ is born! Joy to

the world, the Lord is come! Let earth

receive her King! Let every heart prepare

Him room, and heaven and nature sing, and

heaven and nature sing, and heaven and heaven and

nature sing. Oh little town of Bethlehem, how still we see

thee lie. Above thy deep and dreamless sleep, the silent stars go

by. Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting light. The hopes and

fears of all the years are met in thee tonight. Oh come, all ye faithful, joyful

and triumphant! Oh come, ye, oh come ye to Bethlehem. Come and behold

Him born the King of angels.Oh come, let us

adore Him, oh

come, let us adore

Him, oh come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!

Wishing you all the joys and blessings of Christmas and the best of all

holiday seasons! May you have the gift of family and the fun of friends. If I could

put the Spirit of Christmas in a jar, I'd give you each a dozen jars, so you

could open one every month during the coming year and

remember what true joy feels like. 'Night, Gramma G.

Day Five of the Twelve Days of Christmas

Christmas is all about blessings. We give the gift of service, which is a blessing to others, as well as to ourselves. We give other gifts as well, and we receive gifts, of service or otherwise, which bless both the giver and the receiver. It all starts at Thanksgiving, and continues on to Christmas, and long after, if we are true Christians. So today's project is a blessing box.

You start with a box of some sort. Not too big, not too small. An oatmeal box works well, or I have discovered a garbage bag box works great! I use a Hefty Tall Kitchen, 13 gallon size bag that comes in a box of 40 or 45 bags. The box has the opening on the top and makes a perfect slot for our purposes. Cover whatever box you choose with pretty paper, or have your children draw pictures of things they are thankful for and use them to cover the box. If you use an oatmeal box, cut a slot in the lid. If you use a different box, such as the garbage bag box, be sure to put glue around the edge of the opening and cut the paper to the shape of the opening. If your box doesn't have an opening already, cut one.

Now cut some brightly colored paper strips and put them in a baggie by the box. Each day, maybe right before you bless the evening meal, have each family member write on one of the strips something they are thankful for, and drop it into the box. Maybe you want to do this only with the Sunday meal. It's all up to you and your family, of course. (If you have a large family, you may only want to do this once a week, or you will have too may strips.) On Thanksgiving day, read all the strips and then staple them into a paper chain to use for decorating for Christmas! And start all over! Decorate a new box every year, and this will be a wonderful family tradition that will help you all to remember what you are truly thankful for.

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a child is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6

Here's a thought from Oprah: "Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough." So true. 'Night, Gramma G.