Fanciful Quilts

It took awhile to unearth my password to this blog.  Shameful.  Two years of MIA???  Life has a way of taking unexpected twists and turns.  How we twist and turn is either a testimony to God's grace....or not.   I have noted that many quilters take on a word every year.  A word that defines...or a word that one HOPES will define....or a word that one prays will keep them on track.  I like that.   2014's word was:  Acceptance.  Didn't do too well with it.  Much as I would lovvvve to go into each and every story, I'll spare the details. 2015's word IS:  Encourager. That's a word I often overlook.  How many times have I looked at others' quilts (usually posted online with a yahoo group) and wrote nothing.  Zip.  It dawned on me recently that a word appropriately spoken could have spoke volumes to that individual.  Encourager.  Yes, I think that is a word I will have to print out in very large ...

The other day I spent some time talking and listening to a member of the family. She's had some rough times in the past year all of which can be classified as 'marital problems'. After 15 years of marriage, she called us - she didn't know what to do anymore and she wanted to move out. Long story short, she now lives in our apartment building. It's been over a year since the big move and sadly, no vast improvement on the part of her estranged husband. After listening to her laments, I realized that we all possess a very valuable weapon: the power of words. I heard over and over 'he never follows through'. Words can encourage, bring smiles, bring tears, plant seeds of doubt and if we're good enough with words & the listener is receptive - change the course of a life. We all have free will and we choose so many courses of action - all part of God's plan. No sense in blaming others for choices we make in life. The power of words can destr...