And sew it begins...
Welcome to LilyStitches!
I’ve been so excited to be writing every few days and to share some stories with you… It’s a dream I’ve always had – to write. So I was quite surprised when I sat down to do it, that I couldn’t think of what I wanted to say. This is my fourth attempt at welcoming you here today. Hmmm. I finally talked to my dad who said “Tell people what you’re about” and to my husband who reminded me, “You already know your audience; write to parents who may not have yet learned that parenting is tiring, but not so tough. Write to parents whose kids are at the awkward age of 10-20”, and he chuckled at that. My sons have simply said “Cool!” which, from them, is actually a vote of confidence. Thanks, boys! I hit the roadblock in my head when I determined that I must write a masterpiece that would WOW anyone who read it. But I realized, that’s more than a little ambitious so here I am, a side-trip from needlecraft shopping, just talking to you, and hoping my words might help you on your journey of parenthood and life, and show you some great ways to preserve some of those sweet memoires, too
My daughter was inspired with the idea for Lilystitches sometime after she had picked up her long-neglected embroidery hoop during her third pregnancy. She’d always enjoyed embroidery, but really seemed to love it during this time. As she grew to enjoy her sewing more, she also grew to deeply appreciate the fact that she was embroidering with the same hoop my grandma, her great grandma, had used at one time. Old and worn, that old hoop can still keep any fabric taut, stitch after stitch. That old hoop compelled her to make memories available for other people, too. And Lilystitches was born. I can’t actually pinpoint how I got into the mix, and I bet she couldn’t either, but here I am. I’m thrilled to be a part of this great venture. We wanted a homey place where you could come to have a chuckle or to wrap yourself in some comfort, like with our warm quilts. Sometimes then, the story of the day and the site will be of the same theme, other times, it won’t be!
I do love working with this girl. It makes me laugh inside though, when I remember how she and I clashed when she was a teenager; my husband stepped in to referee reasonably often as she grew up…you’ll hear about some of those days as we go along together. Lots of growth – for both of us. As grandkids have been born in the past few years, we each began to soften our usually sharp corners; we accepted the things about the other of which we had been disapproving in the past, and embraced things we had always, somehow, really liked about each other (there IS life after teenagers, in case you’re wondering). Out of our differences, and likenesses, this warm and cozy project came about.
Life here is full of activity. I also have six sons (that includes one son-in-law) and one extraordinary daughter-in-law. They all range in age from 11-28 (yep, that age span is correct, our sixth was a surprise when I turned 39). I have five grandkids, too, who are a smile in my day any time I need one. My husband, whom I affectionately call “That Man” is a winemaker.
Some days are blessed; some are terrifying and some are calm (we have the least of those). All of the days though, good or bad, prove important in the journey we’re all a part of. And each new day, thank goodness, brings with it a new opportunity to start doing something, or to stop doing something maybe! When I was a young mom, and now, prayer was a mainstay for me. It prompted me to calm down and suit up at the same time because talking to God on that intimate level, kept me in contact with him and prayer empowered me to go determined into my new day, no matter what yesterday had done to me. I also figured out –pretty quick after having my first baby - that God knew better than I did, what I needed. Plus, God was a whole lot easier to please than any of the people around me. Do you find that, too? The days I took care of myself without prayer, usually ended with regret of some degree.
It was during this early time that I joined a Bible Study to which I toted my pregnant self and two babies. There was a wise and capable woman who led that Bible Study and I hung on her every word. She was Godly and beautiful and organized! She also had three grown, well-adjusted and successful kids of her own to which she credited God. To me, the best lesson she ever brought to the class was about how she had journaled prayers for her kids when they were little. It was a great lesson and appealed to my love for writing. To couple that with her successful outcomes, I thought, “Well, that’s the thing for me!” And I started Bible notebooks for those two, and the unborn one, that day. It did take time that I didn’t really have to spare, but I squeezed it in every possible minute and it’s been worth it.
Baby number 4 and 5 followed soon after, but not until I had begun working outside my home. Shew! It was a busy time even though there were only five of them then; That Man was in school full time finishing his degree. I was fragmented and frustrated a lot at that point. I prayed still, but it was more of a chore than a moment of reflection and rejuvenation. Fortunately, God was a kinder taskmaster to me than I was to myself and I got through that time. Writing directly to God, though, remained the best way for me to vent my worries and concerns. I encourage you to find the way that works best for you. Everyone’s different. My daughter sews. My grandma sewed. My mom sang. My cousin drives…
As life plays out I can see more and more how God eventually put things together – as He promised he would – piece by piece, like a quilt – when I trusted Him. Some prayers have been answered with great joy, still other prayers continue to be prayed, unanswered as of yet. But I keep writing and quilting, knowing that the answer will come one way or the other. Oswald Chambers, the great theologian and author of My Utmost For His Highest said “The point of asking is that you may get to know God better”.
Whatever way you choose to communicate with Him just know that the more you rely on God’s strength and wisdom, the less you’ll rely on your own strength and wisdome for parenting. And that’s the beginning of peace in your day.
Parenting is inconceivably vast in power, promise and reward. Parenting is also the most tiring, mundane and ever-demanding job in existence; not for the faint-hearted! Keep God in your schedule and pray for your kids and your spouse. And know, know for sure, that parenting is going to get easier.
Glad to have you in the hoop, Quilt ya later!
