More than I Deserve!

I'm winding down a couple of t-shirt quilts I'd committed to do for others and looking forward to moving on to other projects! :-)  I have another few memorial quilts in the works for people, but they don't have strict deadlines so I can be more leisurely about getting them done.

I've been taking a few minutes each evening to work on the binding of this quilt:

I got it in the mail earlier this week from Mary at Quilt Hollow.  She actually won the quilt top from Kelly at Cottage Charm Quilt's blog, Charming Chatter! 

Mary quilted it with her fabulous quilting (she always uses the most beautiful thread, too!) and sent it along to me with the binding attached, but not finished.  Her note said that she hoped I would sit on my porch and think beautiful thoughts of Sam while doing the hand work.  And that's exactly what I've been doing, a little each evening.

Quilts are always comfort -- but this one will hold a special place in my heart, as you might imagine!! I'm gonna have a whole collection of "Sam" quilts between those made with his clothing, my heart blocks, the blue fat quarters my club gave me in his memory, and this beautiful piece.  It's just so very humbling to be the recipient of such generosity!!

Another wonderful mailbox blessing was the 41 yards (!!!!!) that I won from Vicky at LAQuilter.  Beautiful florals and pastels -- colors that I don't have any of in my stash. 

You may have seen my stash or photos of it here or at Stash Manicure when I've guested over there.  I don't need fabric, but I do love fabric! :-D   And I've recently been stretching my color palette beyond the repros and Thimbleberries into lights and brights -- and I honestly don't have a clue how to use them! LOL  I'm starting out simply, though.... We'll see how it goes.

Some friends of ours here in town asked us over to pick blueberries.

We had a rich, wonderful time with them and collected nearly 3 gallons of berries.  I found out later that they are running $20/gallon from pick-your-own patches!! Such phenemenal generosity from Jeff and Vicky.  After grazing over our buckets for a day, I still managed to freeze 10 quarts!!

Our Will had a fun time....

Even more so when he nabbed the camera for himself!

I told Mary that one humbling Biblical truth I keep encountering is that we always reap more than we sow.

Scripture tells us,

⁶ Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. ⁷ Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. ⁸ And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.  (2 Corinthians 9:6-8)

I think of myself as a generous person; I don't claim ownership of a lot (I've even understood that my family -- my children, in particular -- is just on loan from God), so it's always been easy for me to give.

But what I have received in this past month since Sam died is way, way, way more than I deserve, way out of proportion to what I've ever done for anyone else.

 The writer of Hebrews tells us, "Let us approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." (Hebrews 4:16)

Just when I need it, His grace is there, administered to me by your loving hands!!

Thank you so very much!
Thank You, Lord, so very much!!

Blessings,