Friday, April 29, 2011

All Will Be Made New


This song, by JJ Heller, goes perfectly with my last post. 

Friday, April 22, 2011

Good Earth Day?

Today is a day that's pulling double duty.  April 22 is, every year, Earth Day.  But because Easter this year falls on April 24, today is also Good Friday. 

I was feeling kind of torn about that.  I love Earth Day, I'm one of the earth-friendliest people I know: I recycle, use canvas bags, compost, dine with cloth napkins, and even occasionally bring my own Tupperware to restaurants so I don't have to use a disposable styrofoam container.  I kinda feel that Earth Day was invented for people like me.

But today is also Good Friday.  It's the day where Christians recall Christ's death on the cross, as atonement for our sins.  It's heavy and dark and somber.  It's a day for repentance and reflection.

Christians often have to straddle a fine line when it comes to the intersection of the holy and the secular.  Many Christian holidays are often mixed with ideas and images entirely non-religious.  Every Christian is aware of the struggle between this and this: 


This and this:


But Earth Day verses Good Friday, that is one I've never had to reconcile before, because they usually don't share a day.  I wanted to be happy and plant flowers and go to Starbucks and get free coffee with my reusable mug, but that seemed too trite for Good Friday.  It seemed like the soldiers obliviously casting lots for Jesus' cloths, indifferent to the world changing event happening right by them.  I even changed my facebook status from "Happy Earth Day" to "A good Good Friday" because really, Christ's death on the cross should take preeminence today. 
This is happy and fun: 

This is not:

But the more I thought about it, the more I realized the two days can find some common ground.  Why did Earth Day come about in the first place?  Because people realized that our world is hurting, and they wanted to see things get better.  I'm sure the founders of Earth Day weren't looking at things from a Christian perspective, and I'm by no means claiming that it's a Christian "observance", but the Bible does speak of creation being under the same weight of sin as us humans.  "For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now."  Romans 8:22

Recycling and composting and picking up trash on the side of the road is all good.  It's very good in my opinion, but it's not good enough.  It never will be.  As much as I want to preserve the beautiful places of this world, there will always be pollution, destruction, and death.  But here is what is good enough: Christ defeating death by dying on the cross and rising again.  His resurrection was the start of pushing back the grip sin has on creation.  And the best part is, when He returns again, all things will be made new.  Romans 8:18-24 expands this thought even more: "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.  For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.  For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.  For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.  And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies, For in this hope we were saved."

God has promised us that when Jesus returns, all things will be made new.  "But according to His promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells." 2 Peter 3:13  This is talking about the actual earth.  It will be restored and perfect, like the Garden of Eden, only better.  (Take a peek at Revelation if you want to see more of what the new earth will look like.)

So Earth Day is a good day.  But Good Friday is the day that ensures that all the hopes of Earth Day will, one day, come true. 

 
The wolf shall dwell with the Lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. 

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Shop Hop!

Friday and Saturday, the store where I work (The Sewing Circle) participated in the Springtime in the Rockies Quilt Show.  It was held at the fairgrounds and it was lots o' fun.  Most of the quilting and sewing stores in Northern Colorado and Southern Wyoming had a booth and two days were spent with lots of happy quilters hopping from shop to shop. 

Here was our booth: 

Melissa and Sally and I manned the fort and had fun mingling with all the customers.

Melissa spent the days demo-ing like crazy.  She had the crowds enthralled with her tricks of the trade.

One of the funnest parts of the show for me was seeing some of the quilts I'd made hanging in the booth.  This one was made from a pack of Tonga Treats. 


I made this one from a moda jelly roll.  I love all the little tickets. 

I made this one specifically for the show. 

I love it!

Here is a close up of the pattern. 

All the center blocks are made first.  Two colored blocks are sewed to the white blocks, and then you cut off the corners.  The trimmed corners are then used to make the borders.  I love patterns without any waste :-) 
Katie did a great job making the fall version of the quilt.  It's so interesting to see how a change in fabric changes the flavor of the quilt, even with the same pattern.
 Here was my other favorite booth.  I loved visiting with those gals.

So, a fun time was had by all at the shop hop, especially by me.  I hope you are feeling inspired.  Oh yes, and I saw these guys as I was leaving the building.  Aren't they cool?

Happy hopping.


Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Renewal

This is my first spring in Colorado.  For the previous 3 years I've been living in Wyoming.  Wyoming is such a beautiful place with views like this:

and this:

and this:

But one I thing I rarely saw was this:


Hello Spring, it's nice to see you again. 

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Swap Party


Last weekend my friend Colleen hosted a Swap party.  The basic concept is that everyone brings a bunch of stuff they don't want anymore.  Colleen's house is divided into different rooms for said stuff (clothing, housewares, beauty supplies, media).  When Colleen gives the word, everyone runs around and collects stuff that they do want.  It's really fun.  It's totally my kind of party for a number of reason: 

*I like to get free stuff.
*I like to rescue things that I know other people won't use.
*I don't really like shopping, or spending money, so this is like shopping without the shopping or the spending money. 
*I like knowing that my old stuff is going to cool people.
*Mingling.  I do love parties. 

Speaking of mingling, I had lots of fun chatting with friends, new and old.  I wish I had more pictures of all the great gals that were there, but I was too busy swapping during the party. I did remember to take a few photos at the end though. 

Colleen and Heather
Jan and Reena

Emily and me
Now for the haul.  I scored a ton of clothes.  I really needed a new pair of jeans so I was very happy to find three pairs that fit me perfectly.  Hurray!  They're already broken in, too. 

Look at these great shoes!  I have big feet, I'm talkin size 10 feet.  So if there are free shoes to be had, they are rarely in my size and if they are my size they are rarely cute.  So I was excited about these.  Score.  Also, the girl who brought them informed me that she'd hardly even worn them.  Double score.

Here is some more loot.  Scrapbooking paper, knitting needles, little scissors that are perfect for knitters, sweet note cards in a cool tin, stamp ink, and lotion. 

And some more: beads, two bottles of sparkly nail polish, an awesome batman lunch box (that I've been taking to work with me) and a sweet shower curtain that will now be repurposed as a table cloth. 

Here is the best find of all.  When I was living in Gillette I was a teacher's aide for a very awesome lady named Jean.  She had given me this bracelet as a going away present and I have always loved it. 

So you can imagine how stoked I was to find this matching necklace.  For free!  For me!

I just love swappin. 


P.P.S.  Mr. Paws rarely lets me lay out any kind of fabric anything without feeling the need to come and sit right in the middle of everything.  He is also a notorious picture crasher. 

Tuesday, April 5, 2011