Hello

Well, here I am, back again finally.

I'm not sure why I took such a "long" break from blogging this week. I guess I just didn't feel inspired. You know that saying "if you can't think of anything to say...don't say anything"? That applies to writing too, doesn't it?

I have found that the thing I love most about blogging is the connection with my readers. I love it when one of you tells me about your life. I don't like to feel that I'm just sitting here, spewing information out into an already-clogged web world. Relationships mean so much more. You ladies have become my friends. I recognize your names, and each one of you has a different way of writing comments, and a different way of encouraging me. :) I love y'all.

Seeing as how we're all friends, here, I know you'll forgive me for not posting about my projects recently, though the title of this blog would lead a person to believe that I usually talk about the fruit of my hands. *grin*

I'm working on a few sewing projects (using that new dress form!!!!) But there's nothing ready to be photographed yet.

The garden is looking great, and I do have photos of that...but they haven't been loaded onto the computer yet.

And the third project I've been working on is also not yet ready to be revealed. This is an online surprise, so I'll literally get to show it to you when it's completed. I'm excited about that!!!

So....instead of projects, how 'bout if I tell you something I've been learning lately?

His strength is made perfect in our weakness.

This lesson, incidentally, is not one that is learned during times of strength. This has been a rough week for me. I've felt drained in every area; physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. It was caused not by one major thing, but by many little things piling one on top of the other. And, at the beginning, I was not a willing student.

But His strength is made perfect in our weakness.

I always thought that meant physical weakness. After all, Paul was going through physical trials when he wrote that verse. ...But it was really the Holy Spirit that wrote those words, and He's been applying it to my life in new ways this week.

Yes, when I'm physically drained, He supplies strength to do stuff I just can't do. And then I know it was HIM. And He gets glory.

When I'm emotionally drained, He sends peace into my heart, to keep the fragments from falling apart and dissolving into nothing.

When I've been working on intensive tasks for hours, and my mind-power gas tank has gotten dangerously close to "E," He somehow showed me how to let go of the stress. I still don't know how it happened. ...Well....yes I do, actually.

It happened because He is also our strength in spiritual weakness. When this category is fixed, suddenly the whole world is right. I had some un-confessed sin in my life that had been dragging me into the mud spiritually. On Sunday God spoke to my heart and I confessed, repented, and was washed.

Do you know that feeling of being clean - whiter than any soap or bleach on earth can white something? Do you know that strength that comes from without? Do you know the relief of letting go and saying "I'm not perfect"?

You see, when everything in your spiritual life has been going along just fine, it's tempting to try really, really, really hard to be perfect. When "little" sins occur, you ignore them, because you don't want to admit there's a problem. That would spoil your record!!!

But when a few hours ago - or a a few days ago - you just stood before your heavenly Father naked, wounded, bleeding, filthy, with the ugliness of sin smeared over you, ....well, you don't really have much self-righteousness left. In that state, it's easy to say "Lord, you know too well that I'm not perfect." And somehow it makes sense to let Jesus be your righteousness.

He is our strength. Our righteousness. Our relief and strong helper.

Whew! Talk about a cure for stress. His strong arms are unequaled. Tender, but mighty, they soothe away the grief from past sins and give hope for future days.

So....I'm still tired, mentally, emotionally, and physically. But it's not a tiredness of battling guilt, stress, or such. It's a tiredness of having finally finished climbing a tall mountain, and letting out your breath at the top.

Blessed tiredness. Blessed quietness. What assurance in my soul! On the stormy sea He speaks peace to me; How the billows cease to roll!