By Rena Oynes:
My friend, Dale loaned me this book and with the booming thunder, and flashing lighting, and pouring rain I opened it up. What a delightful book about quilting and friends. I’m about half way through and couldn’t help but to read the last chapter which I always enjoy doing. I thought you might like this direct quote from the author Marie Bostwick Skinner on page 327-328. “Quilts are made of broken lines, just like life. Over and over again, we try to walk a straight path but run into dead ends, sharp corners, and uneven ground that cut us off and forces us to change direction. Sometimes it’s painful, other times joyful. But it isn’t until you take a moment to stand still, step off the line, and back away that you finally see the truth. Those unexpected turns and startling about-faces, the path? It wasn’t chaotic at all. When you step back to see where you’ve been, you discover the shape, the reason, the intricately beautiful pattern and vivid colors of a life stitched together from what, at one point, had seemed nothing more than mismatched scraps and broken lines. Stepping back, you see there has been a design all along, and a designer.
Mary, Dale and me
thedailylily.com 
Three beautiful ladies (above) bound by a single thread as they share lives, lunch, stories and books connecting themselves with the writer and others that feel or have felt the prick from the needle of the thread. Marie, the author and quilter saw; “beams of light off the sparkling windowpanes, and made the paint on the door glow a brighter shade of red. And said; “I was happy. I turned around and looked up into the sky. “Thanks,” I said, “For all of it.” Marie knew gratitude which is the thread of attitude that holds the quilt for the warming of the soul.
Thanks for sharing, Rena. I do like it!
Rena, I like the creative analogy the author uses. Makes one picture how your perspective on things or details can change as you view a situation from a distance or from a different angle. The picture of Mary, Dale and you sure reflects the ‘happy’ that the author writes about!
“Stepping back, you see there has been a design all along, and a designer.” I can’t help but think of this scripture, when I read this line, Rena. (Jeremiah 29:11): “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'” Thanks for sharing your story and the lovely picture of you and your friends.
“…. vivid colors of a life stitched together from what, at one point, had seemed nothing more than mismatched scraps and broken lines.” And may I add, missed opportunities and broken hearts! Who would have thought that a “sewing book” could hold such gems of wisdom? Wow, Rena, I like your book! I love your photo and your lovely friends whose smiles depict a joyful demeanor.
It describes much like what Jesus does with broken lines (and lives) and lonely hearts and souls and weaves them together in such a pattern to create a waving banner of love; a lovely scene in a quilt or a glorious wall hanging for God’s Tabernacle.
Thanks for sharing with us. Blessings on you and the lovely ladies in the pic.
Rena, I caught you reading the last chapter of book when only half way thru…..lets not lose the surprises of the uncharted adventures.:)
Nice to see Dale again. It’s been awhile since she was an overnight guest in my home in Leesburg Va. She is as beautiful as ever. Gods best to the three of you and your new connections in a new season of life.
One can see better now why quilting groups and weavers plus many others are often called quilting circles, etc. Hebrews 12:1 depicts the idea we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. Even in our seemly darkest hour we can take our dimest light and shine it on the path right before us and see a little circle of light right at our feet. But, if we step into the CIRCLE, quilt a square, knit a scarf, play a song, hoe a garden, cook a meal….we can then shine our light forward again until we find ourselves in another’s light. Dosen’t the scriptures cheer us on by saying in His Light we have light. And, the promise of Hebrews 12:1 shows a runner with perseverance stepping into the light one step or stitch or word at a time.
I see my flashlight as a gentle thank you one at a time to a giver of light! How do you view your flashlight?
“How do you view your flashlight?”
I see my flashlight as a helping instrument: to try to have it handy when a need arises in the ‘circle’ That may mean shining it so someone else can ‘see’ to complete what the task is they need to get done; or using it to ‘see’ to help with something even though daylight has run out and night is falling.
My prayer for use would be: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matt 5:16)
Sara, I do greatly appreciate and admire how you skillfully stitch your way with your word-yarn, threading your way into anointed thought-patterns and designs. I suppose one could say you have a way with THE WORD.
I was thinking about “flashlight” and how they operate in my life. Sometimes in my Christian life I have had a flashlight that operated on “On” only when you held the button down. If I took my finger off the button, No Light. I had to operate it or “work” it to receive any light from my “flashlight”.
There were other flashlights in my life where the light given off was very dim…[needed new batteries??] And I had to peer deeply into the wan, little light it gave off, stepping out really, by faith, into the faded circle of light my weakened flashlight gave off.
[Speaking of batteries as an aside….the power and dynamic of the Holy Spirit is the “Battery power” that illuminates and sends out the light. He is the POWER COMPANY that keeps the lights blazing.]
But to go on about flashlights…sometimes I had flashlights that gave off a stronger beam but I still had to OPERATE it and point it in the right direction or upon the object I was trying to illuminate. It was still ‘I’ who had to operate the light.
Finally, I’ve used lanterns. Those are the lamps that pierce the darkness and bathe the surrounding areas with glowing light. That is the kind of light I want to have from my flashlight.
Paul said, “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” [Phil. 3:12]
And this one of the most exciting scriptures I have come across in the past few days…..[Eph. 2:10] ” We are God’s workmanship, His handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” What this says to me is that before the beginning of time….or the beginning of me, Christ had already prepared for me specifically, certain “good work” for me to do when my door of opportunity opened for me. That’s where I want to flash my light, set my lantern. On those specific works that HE has laid out for me unto eternity. Good works; Works that bless the Body of Christ. Works that bring glory to His Name. Works that point the light of my light toward the Lord Jesus Christ. Works that Jesus would have done if He were me! [ I ]
Wow! What a FLASHLIGHT that would be!
I’ve had many Flashes of Light spoken into my life which I knew were encouragement words, sometimes words speaking that I knew were from God because He had shared those words with me and the light was a confirmation, a warning, or watch my step. I’ve also had God give me steps to walk in his light and when I did, it was the best of times even if I were going through the worst of times. We need to be a light and to speak out light with our mouths or sing out light into someones life when God calls us to do so. We all love to me on the receiving end, but it’s even better to be on the giving end. When teaching little ones, we sang a song of light not about a flashlight for Jesus but Jesus Wants me for a SunBeam.” Are you a sunbeam for HIM today! I’m still working on being a sunbeam for HIM, how about you?
Hey, I sang that!
The children singing on the video sure does sound like joyful sunbeams…and how full of light their faces are when they are with Jesus.
Looking at the picture of Rena and her long time friend, Dale, and Dale’s friend Mary sharing with Rena I was reminded of Emille Barnes (Twelve Teas of Friendship) sharing her words; “One of the best gifts you can give to a friend is to share your other friends. The children with Jesus tells us the same story of love!
It seems like Jesus is multiplying our friends in these end times. We are meeting and loving more new people, sharing and ministering blessings to new people in our lives. The circle is widening. As it widens more are joining. We are all being refreshed by our new friends of our friends. There is a little song, actually it is a round that I teach my little students in my music classes. [not sure of author or composer]
Love goes around in a circle
Friendship begun never ends
There’s love to be found in just sitting around
In a circle, a circle of friends.