No-Slouch Day

I'm officially proclaiming tomorrow a "No-Slouch Day."

See if you can go the entire day standing or sitting straight and tall. See how much energy you have at the end of the day! Sit like a princess. Walk like a girl with a purpose.

I tried this today, for fun, and it was...fun. :) It makes me feel wonderful.

Here are points to remember:

~ This "No-Slouch Day" applies all day long. Even if you're alone. You must keep your good posture from the time you wake up until you fall into bed.

~ You must not be tense. Stay relaxed, with your shoulders back.

~ Keep your head held high and back. No "turtle syndrome."

~ Pay special attention to how you sit when eating, when you're in the car, and when you're at the computer.

~ Don't forget to squat down to pick up things! Please don't just bend at the waist. Not only does it do bad things for your back, but it looks awful.

~ The walls were not made to hold you up. Nor were the counter tops. Nor were the bookshelves, ...or the refrigerator, ...or the door frame. Let your spine do its own work.

~ You are not allowed to be so cruel to your feet and legs as to keep shifting your entire weight onto one...then the other. Keep 'em balanced. And keep your hips under the rest of your torso where they belong.

~ Do your lower back a favor when you're sitting and keep both feet on the floor.

~ Be sure your speech and face expressions match your graceful posture...

...and have fun!

I missed it.

Yesterday was The Fruit of Her Hands' second anniversary, and I missed it.

I've been watching the calendar for weeks, now, and when the day actually arrived I was so busy I didn't even notice.

It's been a great 2 years here at The Fruit of Her Hands. I've loved it, even if no one else has. I enjoy my blog as a spot to putter away at the keyboard and let some thoughts out, a place to post memories of little things I might forget next month, a place to get up on my soap box every once in awhile.

But I like best the chance to meet so many wonderful people. I'm convinced I have the kindest group of readers of any blog on the web. Y'all are that great. (If you're new here and don't believe me, just read back through some of the comments in my history!) Of course, even if you're new here, you're a part of that group of great readers. :)

Anniversaries are a good time to step back, evaluate how things are going, and set new goals.

I've found out that my blogging time has decreased a little this year. I'm okay with that, because I'm getting other (more necessary) things done (though I feel bad for those of you who tell me you want more posts!). I've also seen that my topics have shifted around a little bit. I can see, even if no one else has noticed, glaring evidences that I've been without a good camera for a good portion of this year (aka: lack of pictures), and many of my project "show and tells" just haven't made it to the web. :( :( I'm not so "okay" with that, but I do hope to fix the problem eventually.

I've gained some readers this year (whoopee!!!!!) and have gotten to know old ones better (whoopee again!)

Goals for this year? To post more "project" posts. To challenge myself spiritual with what I write. To mention the gospel more often. To be more uplifting to fellow sisters in Christ. To reach out to my readers more. To see this blog as less about "me" and more about the Lord. To be able to look back on my 3rd anniversary and see a girl who's done a lot of growing. To become a better writer. To depend more on God in everything. To blog as an outreach, not so much an out-pour.

I'll start right now. Let's hear from YOU. :) (You knew it was coming, right?) What blogger doesn't ask to hear from their readers on their anniversary? I think it's all just a clever way to get a lot of comments. :) I don't want comments for comments' sake. I just plain want to talk with you! Shall I list you by name? (That's the great thing about having a smallish list of readers; I know your names!) I'm very tempted to do so....the only thing that keeps me from it is the fear that my memory may fail me on some names, and then I'll hurt somebody's feelings 'cause I left them out. But rest assured; I could probably list your name. ...If, that is, you're not a lurker. If you're a lurker, I beg you to de-lurk! (And I promise not to embarrass you. :)

Oh yes - and this is a day I get to tell you what to write in your comment, too, right? I think last year I asked for your favorite Bible character. This year I'd like to know what you are; a seamstress, a baker, a cook, a gardener, a writer, a big sister, ....what is it we have in common? Or do you not do any of those things, but just hang out here for the novelty of it? :)

I think it will be fun to hear what we all have in common with one another...and if there's something that makes you TOTALLY different from me (for instance, you can't stand home cooking), then feel free to share that too. :) :) :) :)

Before I end, I must tell you all how thankful I am for you. I wouldn't write without readers. It just isn't fun. You make this place possible. So thank you, thank you, thank you, for a wonderful year!

I'm late, I know...

...But let's pretend this post was published last week. It really would have been good for Valentine's Day:

I love the story of David. Not just David and Goliath; I love David's whole life's history. I've read through 1st and 2nd Samuel I don't know how many times, both on my own and with our family during family Bible Time. Each time I love it, and each time the books seem too short.

But I had read through David's life several times before something hit me about the part of the story where Samuel selects David to be the future king of Israel. I guess it was the state of mind I was in at the time.

I was....gulp....sigh...wondering if there really was anyone out there for me.

Do you know the feeling? You feel as if you've waited ever so long (even if you've only been on the earth a little over a decade), and you want to meet the man God has planned you to be a help meet to.

But, then again...you wonder if such a man could really exist. The kind of man you would want to marry. There's a tiny bit of fear in your heart; what if the man God has picked out for you isn't...well...charming? What if he isn't handsome? What if he's the godliest man alive, but very ugly and boring?

You shake your head to clear such nonsense from it, telling yourself that even if such a tragedy comes to pass, you'd rather have a godly man than a handsome one...if you must pick between the two. You know what's most important. ...So why is there a lingering ache in your heart? Why are you SO convinced, despite your logic, that there is no such thing as a good-looking godly young man....at least not one for you? You want more than good-looking. You want charming, and chivalrous, and full of life, and...and...all the things you're sure would make up the perfect one for you. But he can't possibly be all those things, and be godly at the same time.

It would be too much to expect.

Such was my state of mind that morning. Fear...that God would wed me to a man I didn't find attractive. Looking back on it now, it seems silly; how could I think that my Heavenly Father, Who loves me SO much, would "make me miserable for the rest of my life" (which I thought would assuredly be the case, if I married a man I didn't like)?

Then, lo and behold, I read these verses (I Sam. 16): (Samuel is in the midst of finding the next King of Israel)

"5...And he [Samuel] sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.
6 And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the LORD's anointed is before him.
7 But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.

Right about here my heart was sinking further. See? God didn't care what man's outward appearance was like. (I guess I was thinking that if a man was handsome, he was that way accidentally?) But I sighed and kept reading:

8 Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither hath the LORD chosen this.
9 Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said, Neither hath the LORD chosen this.
10 Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, The LORD hath not chosen these.
11 And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither.
12 And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he.
13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward."

Wait a second; I've gotta read that verse 12 again...."Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he."

Wow. I sat there thinking how much I liked David. I like him an awful lot. He was brave, energetic, just, skillful...and most of all, I love his heart for God. His zeal.

"...So I guess you don't have to be ugly to be a man of God," I thought. "You can be young, and full of life, and brave, and dashing, and heroic,...and good-looking." It was balm to my troubled soul.

I kinda claimed that verse right there. Not just because I was a silly girl worried about romance, but because it reminded me that God is a kind Heavenly Father, and that He is the Creator of all things beautiful. Not Hollywood, novelists, or magazine artists. I hadn't thought of myself as a person who paid much attention to "the world's" standards of beauty and romance, but I guess it had affected me some without me knowing it. I had started to attribute beauty to the wrong sources. I had forgotten that they didn't invent beauty.(...And in many cases, they know nothing about it.)

How can anything they dream up compare with the wonder of a sunset, the splendor of a star-studded night sky, the awesomeness of a snow-capped mountain range? And they have nothing to do with the formation of tiny, perfect, dimpled baby hands, or the roundness of a toddler's cheek, or the lopsided grin of a freckle-faced boy. They have not formed the beauty in the graceful curve of a woman's neck, or the hard muscles in a man's arm. The sparkle in a youth's eye...the brilliance of blue, brown, green, black, or hazel eyes. The radiance in a laugh. These things have but ONE Creator, and He is my Father. He is the source of all beauty, and He places it where He pleases.

The world tries to act like it has a monopoly on beauty, but we've got them beat. :) All true beauty comes from the Lord, and we know Him. ...We even get to see stuff before the world has polluted it, in some cases. Knowing Him gives us the opportunity to see more beauty than our eyes can ever hold.

I still look forward to the day I meet "the one" God has for me. But I'm not in a hurry. I hesitate to "proclaim my own goodness," (since it'll probably mean a fall on my face soon afterward,) but I think I have learned to wait without worry. I've become truly convinced that God loves me.

That means GOD. LOVES. ME. He has a plan for my life...to prosper me, and not to harm me. Yes, there will be some rough spots in there, some pain, some aching...but it won't be the big picture.

Learning to let go and let God plan my life the way He wanted to in the first place is a tough lesson to learn, but it's finally gotten through my thick skull that His plans are good. They are lovely. They are beautiful. They are happy plans. He isn't planning for me to go through life miserable. Even if He chooses to put me through a life like the apostle Paul's, which had more pain than I care to imagine, the good will still outweigh the bad. Because He'll be there.

Doesn't that thought just make the best Valentine's message ever?




P.S. But I still pray, every so often, "God, please...let him have a beautiful smile!"
Ah, my faith has a ways to go!

Of Princesses and Seams

Warning: If you read my blog and you don't sew, you may find this post a bit boring. If you read my blog and you do sew, I'm sure you're thinking "finally - a post about sewing! It's been awhile!"

How many of you know what a "princess seam" dress is? Three pieces in the front, four in the back, curved seams, ...etc.?

(These are not my own photos, obviously.)

Okay, good; you may put your hands down now. I just wanted to be sure you know what I'm talking about.

I've long been a fan of the princess seam style. I have fond memories of working on one of my first "real" sewing projects with Mom; a princess-seam jumper. She let me do most of the work. We held up the center front piece after we cut it out, and laughed at the thought of someone being that skinny. We sighed over the front and back side pieces; those curved seams that had to pinned and re-pinned, then sewn and re-sewn.

The jumper turned out wearable, but was no masterpiece of fitting expertise. It curved in all the wrong places, and was loose enough to fit two of me inside...almost.

Princess seams are a challenge to most beginning seamstresses. They are hard seams to get right. And, though I've sewn many more princess seams since that first jumper, I'm still no expert. But I've improved.

It's a good thing, too, because that is the style my sister Heather and I both think is perfect for bridesmaid dresses. ...And I'm sewing Heather's bridesmaid dresses. Well, three of them, anyway. Thankfully the other 2 bridesmaids know how to sew. Ten weeks is a short time for all the sewing I have to accomplish!

Today I made the muslin copy for my dress, before I start working with the baroque satin. It took me most of the morning to get the fit right, but I'm very happy with it now. I think I'll save the muslin as a pattern for future dresses!

While I was working, I thought of a list of some things that make princess seams easier. I thought some of you who sew might enjoy reading my tips....and adding to them!

Tips for Princess Seams

~ Those little triangles that you cut on the edge of pattern pieces are helpful with just about any project, but with princess seams they are essential. DON'T skip them! (Gulp. Not that I would ever skip cutting those!)

~ Careful pinning is the trick to smooth curved seams. Use a LOT of pins, especially in the bodice area, and pin perpendicular to the edge of the fabric. That is important; pins running parallel to the fabric edge will be a nightmare when you start sewing.

~ When pinning those tricky front side seams, pin in this order: 1) Pin top edge, under the arm, first. Pin down to the first triangle. 2) Put in a pin at the bottom of the seam, near the hem of the dress. 3) Work your way upward from there, pinning the straight skirt part of the seam before tackling the bodice area.

~ Experiment with what works best for you; having the side piece on top, or the center piece on top, when you have the pieces under your machine needle. You'll find one to work much better for you than the other. Once you've established what works, do it that way every time. It's much better to swap back and forth between sewing hem-to-armhole, and armhole-to-hem than it is to swap back and forth between what piece you have on top.

~ Make a muslin copy first if you're working with expensive fabric; especially if this is your first princess seam dress. In fact, if you're going to make more than one princess seam dress, I recommend making a muslin princess seam dress, just to use as your pattern for all future dresses. I can almost guarantee that the pattern will not fit "as is," straight out of the envelope. The princess seam style needs to be personalized, perhaps more than any other style, because it's made to fit you. It won't look right otherwise. You may need to lower or raise the bust point (the most common needed adjustment), take in or let out the waist, shrink or widen pieces, or play with the neckline. You need to create a princess seam pattern that is yours.

~ If you need to "take in" the waist, go for the seams between the center and side pieces as much as possible, not the actual side seams. Those side seams should be left alone if you can help it, because changing them may limit your arm movement when you wear the dress.

~ Also, double check that the center front panel is the right width. Today, I kept staring at myself in the mirror while I was wearing the muslin dress, trying to see what was wrong. The waist fit, but it looked too wide. The problem was not the size of the seams, but the placement of them. I pinned a tuck straight down the front center of the dress, shrinking the center piece width by about 3/4", and it was perfect.



That's all I have right now. I hope you find these suggestions to be helpful the next time you're sewing a princess seam dress. If you are a seamstress with suggestions of your own, please, leave a comment and share them with us!

Defensive

I admit it; I'm a bit naive.

Maybe I'm a lot naive; how would I know? Isn't part of being naive not knowing that you're so ignorant? It didn't really dawn on me until the past few years that I had a lot to learn about the world outside my little circle of acquaintances.

I think it all started the first time I met a young man who was not a gentleman. He stepped right in front of me, blocking my path, and deliberately let out a long, low burp. I think the man accompanying me might have punched the younger man in the nose if it weren't for a great deal of self control. I was very thankful that I wasn't alone at the time.

But that's a long story, unrelated to this post. The point is, I came home from that incident a bit more aware that the world isn't all roses and chocolate. There are rude, uncouth people in the world. All sorts of people in the world. And most of them believe differently than I do.

But I haven't met very many of them. I've heard about them many, many times. My parents, pastors I sit under, friends, and other mentors in my life want to be sure that I'm prepared to face real life; they want me to know that I'll be challenged. They want me to really know what I believe and why I believe it.

So I'm told again and again that I'm outnumbered in the world.

That I must stand firm despite overwhelming odds (humanly speaking).

That the world at large is completely opposite everything I stand for.

I don't think I was meant to get the impression that every third person I pass in walmart is an atheistic, pro-abortion, anti-God, anti-homeschooler, family-hater... ...but somehow I find it easy to start thinking that way.

The problem with this is that I find myself expecting everyone to disagree with me ...constantly. I expect them to challenge every statement I make. I expect them to look down on me, to classify me as crazy.

So when I start talking about anything that is remotely connected to world views, religion, life styles, etc., my voice seems to automatically take on a defensive tone. I feel that subtle increase of my heart rate. I'm positive that the person I'm talking to is criticizing me in her mind, and I strain every fiber of my brain to anticipate her objections and answer them before she voices them. All in all, I become a very tense, fact-spitting, fast-talking young girl.

Can you relate to this? Do you ever feel the same way? Do you identify with that inner drive to always explain and defend yourself?

I've found that this habit of mine to be more destructive than helpful. It builds an immediate wall between me and my listener. It makes me defensive instead of offensive. How can I reach out to that person when I'm so busy inside my little castle, dunking behind the walls to avoid arrows that I haven't even seen yet, and wildly shooting my own arrows without seeing what I'm aiming at?

I can "feel" a picture in my mind of the young woman I want to be. Gracious. Calmly in control of myself. Content to let the world think what it wants, so long as my actions and words speak truth. Free to reach out to the people I come in contact with, unafraid of what they think of me...because isn't it pride that is causing my problems in the first place?

The truth is, there are atheistic, pro-abortion, anti-God, anti-homeschoolers, family-hating people in the world, but the large majority of people are just garden-variety ordinary folks who are pleasant moral people...in need of the Savior. I need to stop looking at people as battles to be won, or convicts to be made, or strongholds to be torn down and really see them as people. They have feelings like mine. It isn't intellectual arguments that are going to change hearts. It's love and truth and God's Holy Spirit.

So the next time someone is looking at me, and I'm "positive" they are silently criticizing my actions or appearance, I think I'll just send them a smile and remember that God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of love, and of power, and of a sound mind. :)

Just Because

I thought I'd let y'all know that there's a sale on all ladies skirts going on over at Simply Modest (from now until February 20th). You may want to check it out! All normal prices are under $10.00 anyway, so a sale on that is sure to be a good deal!

...Sigh. Okay, yes, my conscience makes me admit it. I'm part owner in the store! But that really has nothing to do with why I'd let you know about a sale. Really. :) :)

...Sorta.

Strange Thoughts

What do you suppose animals - or even angels - think about human beings' looks?

Okay, I realize that question sounds odd. But it struck me the yesterday. I'd been watching some clips of various animals, and admiring different things about them; their size, beauty, shape, color, texture, cuteness, majestic bearing, or power. God made each creature so astoundingly beautiful!

Just think of fur. That's one thing many animals have in common, but each one's coat is so different. There's the soft fuzz of a puppy, the coarse hair on a bear's back, the soft but strong hairs of a horse's coat...even the bristles on a pig, if you can count that as "fur."

But fur is beautiful. Especially when a breeze ruffles it. Ever seen the glossy coat of a long- haired well-brushed dog waving as he runs to fetch a stick? Or have your fingers ever itched to caress a panda bear..if he'd let you?

Sea creatures are beautiful in their own way - without fur. The bright colors God chose for many of those fish are so RICH...like sparkling jewels. Or how about the smooth skin of a dolphin? The grace that most of the underwater creatures have is breathtaking to watch.

That's actually what got me thinking. I watched a human swimming, and compared it to a sea creature swimming. Even the most skilled swimmer is so graceless when compared to a fish.

Well, I thought, we weren't designed for water. We function much better on land.

But then I started imagining us being compared to land animals; running beside (or behind!) a cheetah, or flying (or trying) next to an eagle. We don't hold up so well in the land-bound creature department either.

Then I started looking at humans. Really looking. Trying to imagine that I'd never seen a human before.

Two spindly legs. A head that almost looks too big for the rest of us. No fur. Only some hair. No snout or muzzle to speak of; a flat face. No special physical talents; we aren't fast runners compared to animals, we can't fly alone, and we're not superb swimmers, or jumpers, and we can't follow a scent. What makes us think that we're beautiful?

I must interrupt myself to say that I'm speaking in the purely physical realm, here. I know that we have spirits and are made in the image of God, which is something no animal can claim. We can think and reason, and we know the difference between right and wrong; again, something no animal has. Humans have value far above that of animals. We're different. And I'm really glad God put that difference into us, because if you looked at us on just the physical level, we'd flunk out pretty bad.

I think it'd be a good idea for us to sit back and think on this every once in awhile. It might help us to realize that we're not so all-powerful as we'd like to think. If we were like brute beasts, and the world truly was run on a "survival of the fittest" method, we'd be dying out quite fast. And we probably wouldn't be winning any beauty contests either; not without the decorations we've come up with to enhance our looks...simple things like soap and clothes. :) (Although we have to give God credit for coming up with the clothing idea.)

Our value does not lie in our physical bodies. Our value lies in the fact that we're made in God's image, and have a soul. The things that make us higher than the animals are the workings of our minds and hearts. Our sense of justice. Our yearning to know why we're here. That sense that we're born with...that knowing that there's a Creator. The ways we try to copy God; being creative, being productive, being good. We may lose our hair, our teeth, or our ability to walk, but we can't lose our soul. Even people who "lose their mind" still have something in them that makes them different from animals. They can't lose that something inside that makes humans different.

Just think....if our value is linked to the degree we copy and follow after our Maker, what happens when men exalt the human body above all else? They are leaving the only thing that really gives humans worth, and going after something they cannot attain.

Okay; I know this is a rather odd post. I tried to say something like this at the supper table yesterday, and it came out sounding too "philosophical." I had to stop after the first few sentences. It IS a rather strange subject to try to understand. I don't know why I got thinking about it. ...But once I started thinking about it, I couldn't rest until I had spoken the idea to someone and heard what they think about it. So I decided to write a blog post about it.

So....there you have it.

Impressions....

...Scissors going snip, snip, snip...

...The quiet rustle of satin...

...Pearl beads rattling on a hard table top....

...Sunlight from a snowy outdoors bouncing through the windows, glinting off a thousand white surfaces and textures on the table...

...The touch of smooth fabric under my fingertips...or the contrasting feel of beautifully knotty complicated lace...

...The pleasant weight of a roll of fabric almost as tall as me...

...Feasting my eyes on the richest blue ever dyed into a fabric, shiny and deep...

...The smell of cloth; some of it with accumulated scents from years of waiting, other pieces with the smell of the factory still folded into the layers...

...The taste of pin heads between my tongue and teeth...

...The familiar long cold finger of my tape measure draped over my neck...


...All of this means that wedding plans are underway in a big way! My sister's wedding is only 12 short weeks away, and I have SOoOoOoOo much sewing to do. Five dresses in twelve weeks - can I do it (and still have a life in other areas)? I hope the answer is yes!

Cream of Carrot Soup

Perfect on a chilly day, like we're having here! If the thought of "liquid carrots" puts you off, let me just say that my brothers expected to hate this, but they actually asked for seconds...and thirds. It's GOOD. Really creamy. Mom got the recipe from my younger sister's "American Girl's Pastimes" Samantha cookbook. You just never know!

(You might want to double, or triple, the recipe. It says it serves 6 as is.)

Ingredients:

1 lb. Carrots
2 cups chicken broth
2 TBS butter
2 TBS flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 cup half-and-half

Directions: (I've "updated" these, since I don't think most of my readers need to be told things like "have an adult help you peel the carrots. :)

Peel and rinse the carrots, then cut them into 1/2" slices. Put slices carrots into 2-quart sauce pan. Add chicken broth, and cook over medium heat. When broth begins to boil, turn heat down to medium low. Cover saucepan and cook for 20 minutes, or until carrots are very soft and break apart when pierced with a fork.

Place a colander in a large bowl, and pour contents of sauce pan into colander, catching the broth in the bowl below. Save the broth. Put the drained carrots back in the pan, and mash them until they are very smooth. (A food processor does this job very nicely, too!) Set pan aside.

In a larger saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour. Cook for 1 minute over low heat, stirring constantly. Add the mashed carrots, salt, and cayenne pepper. Stir to mix them together. Slowly stir in broth. Turn the heat up to medium high and cook for 10 minutes.

Add the half-and-half. Heat the soup slowly, stirring constantly. Do not let the soup boil. When heated thoroughly, ladle into bowls. Serve with crackers, if desired.

A few Amber pointers: Using a food processor instead of a fork to mash the carrots results in much creamier soup. Also, I don't like the crackers in my soup. We had this for lunch today, and I was so excited when Mom said she was making it. It is fabulous!

If you loved "The Bethlehem Star," you'll love this too!

It's time for another video recommendation! This one I found by purposely searching for it; I remember watching something very similar to this when I was very little, and when I was reading through Exodus earlier this month, I wanted to find the video again.

I didn't find the exact video I was looking for, but this one is close. Be forewarned; I find the narrator's voice monotonous, but if you can get past that and listen to the facts she states, it's AMAZING. Remember finding out all that cool stuff, if you watched "The Bethlehem Star"? (Which I highly recommend, by the way.) Get ready to get excited again. Some of the stuff on this video is speculation, but the vast majority of it is pictures and videos of real locations in the middle east; things you will see for yourself.

Wanna hear about (and see!) chariot wheels found under the Red Sea?

How 'bout a mountain in Arabia that has a top that is burnt black...with no modern explanation?

Or would you like to see the remnants of an ancient altar at the foot of that mountain...an altar whose origin the nomads don't know, and an altar that has pictures of calves graved in the rocks of which it's built?

Or would you like to see a huge rock in the wilderness of Arabia; a rock that is split in two, with water erosion marks coming out from that crack?

Are you curious yet?

Take the time to watch this first clip. (Just so you know, it gets better the farther along you get. It isn't until you get nearly to the end of this first clip that things start rolling.) Part 2 can be found here, and you'll see links to the rest of the parts from there.

Enjoy!

Just some questions for you.

Because I like to hear from you!

~ Does anyone out there besides me cringe at the thought of breakfast in bed?

~ Do you sing loud when you're alone in the car?

~ Don't you just love waking up with a long, relaxed sigh, and feeling so incredibly cozy, as opposed to waking up with a jerk at the sound of the alarm, and rolling over to blindly find the snooze?

~ Would you rather cook or bake?

~ Does having other people in the kitchen with you when you're working annoy you or not?

~ Are you ready for spring?

~ Does anyone besides me look for the spell check button on the upper left-hand corner of a sheet of paper when you're writing with a pen and you mess up?

~ Did you have a song stuck in your head today?

~ Did you pause long enough to look at and enjoy something beautiful today?

~ Did you look anyone in the eyes today for more than a second?

~ Wanna smile? Go ahead. You've probably let your face fall into that settled, stare-at-the-screen, mopey, dead look. It's okay. Mine looks about the same way right now. But let's take a deep breath and lighten up our faces together. Ready? SMILE!!!!

~ Did you spin around just for fun any time this week?

~ Who is your favorite author?

~ What color is your hairbrush?

~ Got a favorite mountain?


Pick a question....or two or three or four!...and make me smile. :)

I love words.

I've been thinking today how easy it is to be dragged here and there by what we read.

I love to read what other people have to say. I'm a natural reader - I don't remember learning how to read, and I was reading 9th grade books in 3rd grade. I just plain love words! I consider that a blessing, but one that comes with its own set of challenges.

...Because, (surprise, surprise!) not everything we read is correct. Or necessary. Or edifying.

Besides being a reader, there's another trait I have. (Boy, this post is starting to sound over-loaded with the word "I!" Sorry!) I'm not sure what to call it....I guess I could call it "lead-able." I've got my own set of convictions, and my family says I love to debate, but I'm also pretty easy to influence. Very easy, I'm afraid. (Yes, I love to debate, but I can switch sides right in the middle of the argument.)

For example, I love to read what my brothers might call "health-nut" blogs, books, and articles. Nutrition fascinates me, and I love to read all the theories out there and how each person implements those theories in their kitchen. Cooking with only organic, fresh foods? Count me in! Eating healthy fats? Sounds right. Make your own bread, pasta, and crackers? What fun! Avoid all process foods? I'll jump on that bandwagon.

...And just about every other bandwagon. And it's not just food, either. I plunge into my latest fad with gusto and do-or-die effort, whether it's making my own shampoo and hair gel because I want to avoid chemicals in my hair, or jumping rope everyday because it's the "proven" secret way to tone the entire body, or writing a series on my blog because somebody else did it and it was great, or planting a certain herb because it's good for gourmet cooking (never mind that I don't do any of that).

...All because I read about somebody else doing it, and I thought it sounded great.

You've had the same thing happen to you, right? Maybe you went to a conference, and came home full of ideas and zeal. Something about listening to the speakers inspired you.

Now just imagine you get "inspired" every time you read something. Anything.

Whew. I'm tired just thinking about it. Yet that's the way I am. ....And I read a lot.

Most of the time I don't worry about this too much. I just enjoy the ride, and afford a lot of amusement to my family along the way as they watch my flops and falls. I enjoy the learning process. The failures are part of the fun...ahem....I mean part of the process.

But the problem comes when I find writers with conflicting opinions. Oh, boy, is that frustrating!!! I read a website one day, and come alive with ideas. I read a book the next day, and change my mind. This new guy has it right. Then I read a blog the day after that, and decided that both previous writers were wrong, and this person is right. (This gets really annoying when the topic is doctrine-oriented.)

What's a girl to do?

I'm not sure. But I do know that it's interesting that most of the time we adopt the viewpoints of what we read much of. We seem to take on the opinions of the writers we admire.

Does anyone see a sermon here? :) :) :)

It's rather reassuring to know that if I spend a lot of time reading what my Heavenly Father has written, I will be absorbing His viewpoint, and picking up His opinion on things. It is a comforting thought, when I'm discouraged about my spiritual progress, or lack thereof.

It's like the little boy whose father told him to take a basket, fill it with water from the stream, and bring it to him. The little boy eagerly ran to do as he was asked, but by the time his little legs had brought the basket from the stream to his father, all the water had leaked out.

"It's empty, Father!"

"Well, go fill it again, Son, and bring it to me."

But the same thing happened again. The boy filled the basket full to the brim, and ran as fast as he could, but again the basket was empty by the time he reached his father.

"Go fill it again, Son."

This happened three times. On the fourth try, the boy stood panting in front of his father with an empty basket, and shook his head.

"I can't do it, Father. This is pointless. The basket won't hold water."

"Yes," the father said, looking down at his son, "but look at how clean the basket is now."

In just that same way, I may not think that what I read everyday in the Bible has changed my life in a dramatic way, but each day as God's Word flows through me, it is cleansing me, and changing me.

Thank God for words, but most of all for HIS Words!!

The Secret is Out!

I'll admit it; there's been something going on in our lives that I haven't told you about.

I've wanted to tell you about it. ...But it wasn't really the right time.

I have a friend - a really good friend - who loves the Lord with all her heart. He has shown His love for her, too; He's directed her steps throughout her life, and blessed her with a beautiful smile, a generous heart, and a wonderful plan for her life. He's led her through trials that have perfected her character, and influenced everyone around her.

This friend and I have grown up together, and I love spending time with her. It's her name that's on my lips when someone asks me who my "best friend" is.

But girls don't stay little girls. That part of our lives is left behind now. We've gone through childhood together, into young adulthood, and are so excited to see the Lord directing our steps as we grow older.

And I've done a lot of watching lately. Our dear Heavenly Father has been transforming this friend of mine into a precious young woman, and He has been showing her what His plan for her life is.

In short, He's brought into her life the man she will work alongside 'til death parts them.

The journey has been fascinating to watch. God's hand has been so clear, so loving, so exciting. The young man is the perfect match for my friend, and they make a complete team together. They have both grown in faith, in love, in kindness, and everything else good.

I've been on my own journey too - only mine has been more internal than external. I've truly realized that there is a human relationship higher than all other human relationships, and that it mirrors the love Christ has for His bride. I've realized that I have to grow up whether I want to or not, and I've learned that Christ wants me to face the future and meet it head on, joyfully, full of energy, and full of faith.

You know what? He's faithful. He gives you the grace to meet new things, new changes. He gives you joy when you weren't expecting to feel joyful. He amazes you.

And so I'm allowed, by the grace of our wonderful, precious, Lord, to make an announcement with a heart full of joy, and with a face that looks toward the future with faith and loads of excitement:

MY SISTER IS ENGAGED!!!!!

Heather and Eugene are the dearest couple you could ever hope to meet. Their courtship has been a rippling stream of joy - a few pebbles in the way, but no waterfalls. They have trusted the Lord and sought His guidance at every turn, and He has rewarded them.

The pictures I've posted above were all taken during Heather and Eugene's courtship this year. (They started courting near the end of the summer.) I don't have their engagement photos on my computer yet, but they look great. :)

Eugene fits into our family better than any custom-made brother-in-law or son-in-law we could have designed. We are excited about him truly becoming part of the family, but, honestly, he's been a part of the family for months now. :) :) :) We love him!

We all first met when he joined our gospel bluegrass group, The King's Strings as a banjo and dobro player, ....and what better introduction could he have had? He and the musicians in our family spent a lot of time together playing music and passing out tracts at the flea market this summer.....and the rest is history.

Needless to say, this news in our family has taken up a lot of our thoughts, and so now you know one major reason I haven't been posting as much the past couple of months. We are busy now, planning a spring wedding, but I hope to be on The Fruit of Her Hands more frequently, Lord willing.

It's been a joy to write this post because I know you dear ladies will rejoice with me. God bless you all!

P.S. I love you, Heather, and I'm so happy for you!!!!!!

A lie we believe

Determining to be happy is so very important.

Deciding to have joy in the face of whatever life throws at us is easier said than done, but if we don't make a conscious decision to move in the right direction, we may find ourselves waiting around for a "reason" to be happy...which may never show up.

Some people never realize that emotions are produced from chemicals, and real joy is a separate thing from the chemical reaction we associate with it. Humans - particularly women - experience "chemical mixings" to the fullest. Breathes there a woman who can say she's never had the experience of being dramatically happy and exhilarated one minute, then plunged into despair and sadness the next?

Granted, we can blame changing emotions on changing circumstances; "I was happy because my day was going so well, but then my younger brother stepped on my MP3 player, and of course I got angry!"

But hold on a minute - if we're honest, I think we'll admit that we also experience those lovely chemical mixings when no outward circumstances gives us a reason. It takes almost nothing to get us to swing from happiness to cloudiness on some days. "Chemical joy" (as I call it) is very, very, very fragile.

That's why I've learned not to be overly excited when I experience it. I know the least little thing can make my contentment and good humor fly away, when it's based on chemical joy. The mere fact that my emotions are based on chemicals makes them fragile and temporary. I can enjoy them while they're there - God gave them to me, after all! - but I have learned I should not exalt myself in them. They aren't given to me for that. They don't prove my character.

So does real joy exist? Oh yes, a thousand times over!!! It doesn't stem from the belly but from the heart. And it isn't high and dizzy, but deep and peaceful. It has foundations of fact. That's what makes it real; it's built on things that don't change. It is possible for real joy to leave, but it doesn't jump around like chemical joy does; there's always a reason for its absence, and always a logical way to go about finding it again.

I started this post planning to write on a totally different topic, but I'm glad my fingers and mind found their way into this topic instead. I need the reminder. Sometimes I get so happy when chemical joy finds its way into my heart that I am content to have just that. I don't bother to seek out the Source of real joy....which, incidentally, is a WHO, not a WHAT. :)

Because, you see, real joy is a gift from God, yet it's also earned. Chemical joy is nice because you don't do anything unpleasant to get it; it just pops in from nowhere...and disappears the same way. But real joy can require many unpleasant things to get it.

I must humble myself in order to have real joy. God resists the proud; He doesn't give gifts to them, and real joy is a gift.

I must take my eyes off other things and focus them on Jesus. As the Source of real joy, my attention must be fixed solely on Him if I want to receive it. This can sometimes mean giving up the chemical joy that those "things" give me.

I don't mean to say that "chemical joy" is wicked, or that you can't have chemical joy and real joy at the same time. God gave us emotions! We are stuck with them, so we might as well enjoy them in every clean and pure avenue that we can. The only problem is, our sinful nature has so corrupted our chemical emotions that often times the only things that stimulate our chemical emotions are wicked things. Then we have a problem!

The nice thing is, the closer we get the the Savior, the less effect our sinful nature will have on our chemical emotions. (Though it never loses its influence entirely, I'm afraid!) That means that we can learn to take "chemical" pleasure in things that also bring us real pleasure. It means that instead of getting excited only about ice cream, movies, and new clothes, we will find ourselves truly chemically excited about time spent in prayer, listening to the gospel being preached, time spent in God's Word, and godly fellowship with the saints.

But, you see, chemicals are always flighty, so we cannot depend on them alone. We must also have that deep abiding joy and excitement in Christ that will remain on the days our enjoyable emotions have flown our the window and our ugly ones are fighting to have rein in us.

Because our emotions should NOT control the way we act.

There is a terrible lie I once believed. It's been told to our entire world, and we've swallowed it hook, line, and sinker. We have been taught that we must follow our dreams, fulfill our emotional desires, and do whatever it takes to have chemical satisfaction.

How did it come to this?

On the surface, that lie sounds right, and good. "Follow your dreams" ...that's been said so often, and posted so many places, that one would almost think it was a Bible verse. But it isn't. Nowhere did God tell us in His word that just because we really, really, really want to do something means we should devote our lives to doing it.

Guess what? I really, really, really, want to be an actress, movie director, camera woman, producer, or something like that. I love drama. I'm not attracted to the sinful lifestyle of so many Hollywood actresses, but the profession and work itself holds a great appeal to me, and I've always wanted to be in it. Christian film making is fascinating to me. I want to get involved.

I once believed that just because I had that dream, I must fulfill it. Then it dawned on me to question this belief.

Why must I do something just because I want to do it?

That seemed revolutionary to me.

We're brainwashed into thinking that if we don't fulfill a deep desire, we are going to be miserable for the rest of our lives. Something about the concept of a "dream" makes us think of our dreams as almost holy, impossible to be tampered with, and above question.

But what if our dreams conflict with the will of God for our lives? (Like it does in my case. I'm pretty sure He has other things for me to do, and I can't take the energy and time He gave me for those things, and pour it into Christian film making when He hasn't called me to do it.)

OH NOOOOOOoooooo! (Insert wailing here)

It is possible, you know. Our dreams may have been put into us by God Himself, and He may plan to use those dreams for great things....but it's also just as possible that our dreams stem from fleshly desires, and are in direct conflict with the direction He wants us to go.

The only way to find out which our dreams are, is to ask Him.

But what if He says "NO"?!?!?!?!? Our lives will be ruined! We'll spend the rest of our days existing as a miserable unfulfilled person, who has lost her only chance for happiness and fulfillment.

You've been reading too many novels or seeing too many movies. :) :) :) :)

Why is it we can't cope with the idea of giving up our own plans? I think it's because we look at it as exchanging something precious to us for something we don't care for as much; the will of God. If we treasured and valued the plan of God for our lives as much as we should, we'd give up anything to have it - despite how backwards that sounds to our world.

But very often we don't even think about putting ourselves through temporary pain in order to obtain an eternal pleasure. We are taught everything opposite that. We are taught to give up everything for our dreams, not everything for Christ.

We should have dreams. We should have big desires. We should beg God to use us (and make us clean enough to be used), in a big way. But let's not just assume that because we have a dream it's what God's plan for our life consists of. Life is too important to make assumptions like that.

The Monday after Christmas

Welcome, everyone! I trust you had a very wonderful Christmas, celebrating the fact that God became flesh and dwelt among us.

I had a very relaxing Christmas with my family. It was wonderful to just have all 8 of us together. December has been full of days on end when we never had all 8 of us sitting down together at the same time, so just eating breakfast together on Christmas morning was a gift.

One big reason that we haven't had as much family time this month is because my brother Curtis has gotten a job (praise the Lord!) and because of the shift he works, he's gone almost all the time everyone else is home, so it's been a bit sad, and I have thoroughly enjoyed his time off this week!!! Dad had several days off as well, which is always wonderful.

But, as wonderful as family time is, it isn't the reason for Christmas. Celebrating Christ coming to earth is the important thing, and I'm glad for the time set aside to do so.

Do you remember the Christmas story I posted on here? It was intended for the Christmas Carol service at our church, which was supposed to take place the Sunday before Christmas. Because of the 1.5-2' of snow we received that week, though, services were canceled.

That meant we celebrated our Christmas service last night at church! It was very nice - beautiful music, and a good message.

The King's Strings played one song for the service, and I think it went very well. It was fun to play. We did "Go tell it on the Mountain" mixed with another song.

I didn't get very nervous when we played. It's hard to get nervous with that many people up there with you. Besides, we were enjoying what we were doing.

Then it was time for the dramatic reading...which I had written.

That's when I got nervous.

The man chosen to read the piece did a wonderful, wonderful job. He made the words come to life, and I enjoyed listening to him. He made it sound like he was really Joseph. I liked it very much.

But I still was a little nervous. I had written the story to bring God glory and to make people think of Him, yet a small part of me still had some pride, and still cared about what people would think of my writing, so I got nervous.

It's rough, being human. (It's even rougher admitting it.)

But I didn't need to be worried. After the service many people came up to me and told me they had been blessed by the reading. That, of course, blessed me! I was so happy they had been touched.

Just about everyone who talked with me about the story told me that I ought to publish it. Pastor even said that from the pulpit.

It sounded familiar....almost like what my blog readers had said. :) (Doesn't it make you happy to know I was thinking of you at church last night? :)

I keep wondering if God is hinting to me. In fact, I'm seriously considering writing and publishing a collection of these kinds of stories. Will y'all help me pray about that? I think it would make a good project for the New Year.

I have all sorts of project ideas for the New Year. I hope the next few posts I do will be more structured, and focused on some of these ideas. I have several post ideas running through my mind, on topics like:

~ Time Management; multi-tasking in order to redeem our time

~ Clothes; does the way we dress affect the way we act?

~ The role stress plays in our lives

....and etc. I won't tell you everything I'm thinking of. :)

I must run for now. It's a busy Monday here!

More Rambling

Only two days 'til Christmas, and I'm convinced that y'all must be awfully busy because things have been very quiet around this blog as of late. I tell myself that I must not have any readers, but I know better than that. I know you are keeping busy!

I am not exactly bored, either, but things are starting to slow down. I think I'll enjoy my last two days before Christmas very much. :)

In fact, I have enough extra time to think of writing another "rambling" post. ...I wasn't thinking my first one was very exciting, but it was great fun to write, and since I'm not sure y'all have the time to read anything on this blog this week anyway.....why not? :)

You know what I really wish? I wish it was easy to upload pictures onto my computer. I have so many fun scenes from the past weeks that I could share with you! Our almost-2-feet of snow was a lovely fun thing. ...And Heather snapped a cute picture of Lezley and I cutting out Christmas cookies. ...And there are other things I want to show you, too. I haven't even shown you the shirt I made back in late summer!!!

Yikes. How can I call this place The Fruit of Her Hands when I don't even show pictures of my projects? I've got to get better at that.

I wish I could show you the skirt I finished this week! It is a lovely, lovely, grey-and-white wool-y type of fabric. Again, this was from the bags of fabric that were given to me by a wife of Dad's coworker. God is so good to me! I made this skirt for nothing!

It's a 50's style circle skirt...only it's not quite a full circle. But it still has that look of being fitted at the waist and coming out to a lot of fullness at the hem. I debated whether I should make this skirt ankle-length or not, but decided to pull it up six or seven inches. It's amazing what a difference that can make! The skirt went from looking heavy and weighty to being swishy and sporty.

But enough of that. Clothing description is boring without pictures. :) :)

I went shopping this morning with my Dad and two brothers. I'm SO thrilled to have all my shopping done now! I had only two more items to pick up, but my men folk were pretty much doing all their shopping in one trip....two days before Christmas.

I had to laugh. Those dear, sweet guys!

Oh - guess what happened in one of the check-out lines? The cashier noticed my brown corduroy ankle-length skirt and said, "Oh, I love your skirt! Where did you get it?"

"Oh, thank you. I made it." Then, a little shyly; "...I have my own sewing business."

"Really? Here in town? What's it called?"

"I just run it from my home. It's 'Amber's Ambitions.'"

"Amber's Ambitions. Hmm." (Looking at the skirt again.) "It's great. Looks very J.Crew-y."

Amber, smiling; "Thank you."

Maybe I ought to focus more time on making clothing to sell! Have you seen the prices J.Crew charges? :)

Anyway.

It is SO much fun to go shopping with three fellas when you're the only girl along. I certainly feel protected! Walking through the parking lot with Dad and my two bros, (who are all taller than me), I was as care-free as could be.

But it's also fun because the men want your opinion on whether something is "right," and sometimes they need your help to find their way around in the "girly" departments when shopping for sisters or Mom, .....and then they urge you to rush through your shopping. :)

But you know what? I like that about them. I like that my menfolk are menfolk. I like that they are protectors. I like that they want my advice. I like that they care about getting gifts for their womenfolk. I like that they took charge of the shopping trip and knew what they wanted.

Differences are good things. They add spice to life - like speech accents and hair color.

I've been learning lately not to fight against differences so much - not when they aren't important differences. If somebody's wrong about something, that's one thing - 'specially if it's spiritual - but just because somebody likes contemporary home decor, and I like country home decor, I don't have to spend hours trying to convince them to change their tastes. Or if they loooove shopping and I like hiking, I don't need to stress out about it.

Oh.....um, I think I'm going to end this post abruptly. My brother Curtis just came indoors with the news that one of our pets has died, and I don't feel like writing anymore. I'll pop in later to wish you a merry Christmas on Friday. :)

God bless!
Amber

PLEASE!!!!!

I know I posted this last year, but I just HAVE to post this again, for those of you who haven't seen it.

This is an amazing video. You absolutely HAVE to see it.

You trust me, right? You don't think I'd lie to you, do you?

Good.

So watch the movie. It's truly a must-see.

Oh yes....I guess it'd be nice of me to explain the content. I'm just afraid that I won't do it justice.

Let's just say this video brings God glory by reminding me just how BIG He is. And it uses the stars to prove it. In particular, the star of Bethlehem. Did you ever wonder wha -

...Oh bother. I give up. I can't say it big enough.

I could say it's amazing, but that's not quite right. I could say stunning, but that's not right either. I could say it makes hair stand up on my neck...that's be closer, but still incomplete. I could say it makes me weep with sheer wonder, and that's even closer.

Please, please, PLEASE watch this. It won't be wasted time, I assure you. I only posted the first part here on The Fruit of Her Hands. To see the remaining parts, you'll have to follow the link at the bottom. Be sure to watch the extra part at the end of the movie....the story of the stars didn't end at Bethlehem; they proclaimed the gospel even at the day Christ died. I like that part best.








Please, please, please, go HERE to see the rest. That link will take you to part 2, and from there you can find the rest (part 3, 4, 5, etc.). Enjoy!

We're snowed in!!!

As the old song says, "it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!" ...If you equate snow with snow with Christmas, that is.

We like that song I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas. The only problem is, here in southern Virginia, a white Christmas would not be "just like the ones I used to know." I've known only a few white Christmases in my life, and they were just barely white. But we like the song anyway.

And we just might get a white Christmas this year.

I must gasp for just a few sentences about the weather here. We have over a FOOT of snow! More like 2 feet, now, probably. The snow started late yesterday afternoon, and it hasn't stopped since. I think that's a record. I can never remember it snowing for that long in my life!

Our local "snow brigade," (such as it is), is understandably unprepared for such a dump of snow. Only main roads have been plowed, and all of us who live on roads that aren't highways are basically stuck. We probably would have had our road plowed by now if it had stopped snowing, but I'm sure the continuing snow is keeping the snowplows busy just on the highways and main roads.

My sisters and I went out for some sledding this afternoon. Our little slope in the backyard would make our Northern cousins laugh, but we enjoy any slide that is faster than a walk. The snow is dusty - not packing snow - and works pretty good for sledding! I broke our brand-new toboggan, (the one Dad specifically went out and bought for this snowfall), by sledding over the woodpile, but that's another story. Sigh.

Ahem.

But snow wasn't what I was thinking of when I said it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. We've finally decorated our home for Christmas! (Please don't ask. We're almost always this late. It's just the way we do our Christmas decorating. :) Our tree, though it isn't real this year, looks lovely, the snowman candles grin cheerfully, and the garland-wrapped floor lamp sparkles. I can hardly believe it is Christmas time again.

Many good things happened yesterday! Christmas isn't allowed to pass without our making Christmas cookies, and because we've been sick, we hadn't made any yet, but yesterday afternoon my sisters and I rolled out the first batch of cookie dough for this season.

Our special cream-cheese Christmas cookie dough recipe.

Lezley said it best; I had made the dough earlier that day, because it needed to chill, and when I told her that it was finally time to roll out the dough and cut our cookies, she jumped up and down and spun toward the kitchen. "Oh goody - now we get to eat Christmas cookie dough!"

She paused in mid-spin and looked back at me. "That's the best part, you know; that's what it's for."

I couldn't help laughing....because I agree with her. :)

We had the radio playing all afternoon while I was in the kitchen. At first it was just Mom and I, working on supper preparations before doing the cookies with all the girls in the house. The station had Christmas music playing continuously, and although they had a few modern Christmas songs thrown in (I find them a bit annoying) there were lots and lots of goodies!

I love old music. I love voices from the 50's. I love big old bands and orchestras, like on The Lawrence Welk Show. And we got to hear plenty of that. I got to hear songs I recognize and love, but don't know all the words to, like Walking in a Winter Wonderland, It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!, and Let it Snow! The swirling snowflakes outside the window, the cheerful atmosphere of hard work inside, and Mom's laughter and smile made my heard sing.

Then it was time to cut out cookies, and I fetched my younger sisters. We switched off the radio and put in a new Christmas CD from our dear lovely friends, The Neely Team.

There was a lot of good conversation and laughter and smiles and eating while we worked. Some of the old cookie cutters I was working with brought back memories of many Christmases past, even way back to when Mom had to help me cut the cookies. Tiffany, was talking about how she's starting to realize more and more the true meaning of Christmas. Lezley was busy helping me by passing me whatever I needed, in between cutting out her own cookies.

A little while later, the noise in the kitchen had died down. Mom and my younger sisters had left the kitchen, the cookies were all cut out, and I remained alone in the kitchen, to rotate the cookies in and out of the oven.

I was very happy. Very content. Very Christmas-y feeling. (Very full, too. :))

The CD player started to play one of my favorite songs on the CD, All is Well. It's a plaintive melody, but full of hope at the same time.

I knelt down to fetch something from a low drawer.

I heard the words, drifting along through the high and sweet tune; "...our God is pleased with man to dwell. Be still my soul; all is well!"

I just stopped where I was, and let that thought sink into my mind. I felt tears in my eyes.

Our God is pleased.

With man to dwell.

Emanuel.

God with us.

The evening had just gone from great to wonderful.

Rambling

I'm in the mood to write a blog post today, but I don't have a specific topic in mind, so if you'll tolerate a bit of rambling, I'll proceed to spill out my thoughts.

That's the thing about liking to write (ahem...loving to write); you get the urge to do it, and can't feel satisfied until you do it.

I'm not a big fan of just "rambling." I'm always sure that I'll later regret something I wrote on the spur of the moment. "In the multitude of words there wanteth not wisdom." (Sorry, I can't give the reference for that Proverb 'cause I don't remember it.) But now and then a bit of chattering is a nice way to make people you care about know you care about them, because you want to talk to them and let them know you are glad they are there. :) :) And I'm certainly very glad you take the time to visit my blog.

I was thinking about that this morning...about why I started this blog. I confess I originally started it with the idea of gathering thousands of readers and selling advertisement space on the side bars as an extra income.

...Now I'm shaking in my seat with suppressed laughter. I couldn't care less about that "goal" today. Instead, this blog has been a wonderful way to meet new friends, a venting place for my writing urges, and a useful place to store photos and stories of my various projects.

But I did love the fact that my blog came up on the first page when I randomly searched for "fruit of her hands blog" this morning. I was just curious to see how many pages of search results I'd have to wade through to find my blog. ...And there it was on the first page! Maybe that was just a one-time happening. :)

Or maybe it was my search engine. OH - by the way, I love the "swagbuck" search engine. I have had it for several months, and have earned over $40 in amazon gift cards. All you do is use the swagbuck search bar instead of your google or yahoo search bar, and you'll be awarded points every few searches you do. (I guess they make their money from the advertising on the search results page.) Those points can be traded for things like gift cards!

If you get people to sign up with swagbucks because you recommended it, you'll make a point for every point they make, for their first 100 points. It's great. I've had 2 people sign up under me, and I made 200 points from them. (That's about $20 in amazon gift cards right there.) ...Of course, now they are past the 100-point mark, and I am back to earning points all by my lonesome self. Sniff, snifff.

At this point Amber shifts a little in her seat, and shyly points to her "swagbucks" button on the sidebar of her blog. She whispers "if you want to sign up under me, just click there. I really would love to earn some more points!" Then she blushes and shakes her head at herself.

Ah, yes. I'm a great self-promoter.

Not.

I am involved in 4 different entrepreneurial things here at home, and I KNOW that all of them would be flops if I didn't have my family to help me advertise. I tell very few people that I've written a book, that I teach sewing lessons, that I do custom sewing, or that they should visit the website my sister and I run. My family is so sweet to "brag" on me occasionally. It's the main way I get customers. :) (Not that they really brag, but you get the picture.)

Now I feel like I've done way too much talking, so I'm going to switch formats and just give you a list of things I've been thinking about or wishing for this month. Let me know if you feel the same way about any of these things!

~ The amount of junk email you get in December is awful.

~ I am looking forward to spring weather.

~ Christmas time is waaaaaaaaaay too stressful! (the first half of this month)

~ I'm so in the mood for Christmas! (The last half of this week. :)

~ I'm so glad to have my shopping almost done!

~ I want to make Christmas cookies, and wish I didn't have to wait until our lingering colds leave the house.

~ I've been planning things for a date with my two younger sisters sometime before Christmas. I tell them I'm gonna kidnap them and run off with them some time. We need more time together!

~ I have been thinking of goals for the New Year. One is definitely to wake up earlier every morning. The past two months I've become shamefully lazy about that!

~ Another goal is to help my family more.

~ I'm excited that my older sister, Heather, found a camera for sale for $30 this week. Yay! It's a nice camera. (And I get to borrow it. :) We needed one for our online store.

~ I'm determined to do a better job at running our store.

~ I want to write more this coming year.

~ I'm excited that a package with my name on it arrived today. It's the first of my gifts to arrive. This one is for my brother. I haven't done much Christmas shopping online before, and I'm amazed at how much fun (and how easy!) it is to have stuff delivered to your doorstep.

~ I'm dreading the pile of dishes waiting for me in the kitchen.

~ I have a BUNCH of sewing to do.

~ Today I'm going to start training my younger sister, Tiffany, to help in my sewing business. It will mean a lot less stress on my part, and a little pocket money for her. I'm SO excited to have help! ...And my "little" sister, of all people. :)

~ I got up earlier than usual today, and I'm thinking about how nice that feels.

~ I'm thinking how thankful I am for "little" blessings, like warm woolen blankets and hot rice bags at night, and the good smells of a Christmas kitchen, and the sound of laughter. I'm thinking how nice it is when the family is all together.

~ I'm thinking of friends I pray for, wishing they all knew how much I care....and more importantly, how much God thinks about them, and how involved He is with their lives, and how He plans every detail. I wish they knew how often God and I talk about them.

~ I'm thinking how glad I am that lack of spirituality on my part doesn't change God. Lack of faith on my part doesn't change Him either. I read that today; 2 Tim. ....but I can't remember which chapter and verse. But it said that God cannot deny Himself. He will be Who He will be, no matter who I am.

...Yet He responds to me. He responds differently depending on me. Some days He is the firm Instructor, rebuking my sin with a voice so firm I weep, yet I cannot be angry because I know He is right. Other days He is the mighty Comforter, holding my heart together when it is in pieces. Other days I am dull and spiritually asleep, and He nudges me and bumps me until I wake up. Other days I am so happy I can't help singing and bouncing....and He seems to soar along with me.

But yet He's always the same. His voice is the same, even when the tone and words are different. He doesn't depend on my mood at all. The way I feel doesn't change Him. He's just so big - I can get lost in Him. I wish I could find the right words to praise Him properly.

Boy; now I've got my thoughts spinning so much I can't think of what else to write. I guess I've chattered on long enough anyway. I hope you are all doing well, and enjoying your week so far. Remember to give Jesus praise today, because where Jesus is glorified, that's where the Spirit is, and we are to walk and live in the Spirit.

Tell me how you are doing. I love to hear from you!

Joseph's Account

Well, last year during December I thought an awful lot about Mary. This year, my mind is more curious about Joseph. (Though, I admit, I'm still pretty interested in Mary - I just read through that post I wrote last year, and my imagination is whirling again!)

My interest in Joseph could have something to do with the fact that I was asked to write something about Christmas, and my Dad suggested looking at it through Joseph's eyes.

But I'd better start at the beginning.

You see, we have a candlelight service at our church every year on the Sunday night before Christmas. (Well, we call it "candlelight," but because of so many accidents with hot wax in past years we've left out the candles for several years now.) Most of the evening is filled with music; both instrumental and congregational, as well as special singing sometimes. The service is closed with a short message from Pastor. Every year, something is read aloud mid-way through the service. Sometimes it's the Christmas story, from one of the gospels. Other years we hear the story behind one of the Christmas hymns we've sung. Or a moving account of a past Christmas in history, during a war time or something like that.

This year, the father-daughter team who puts together our Christmas Service schedule came to me and asked me to write a short story based on one of the people who was present at the first Christmas. I was thrilled because this gave me an excuse to write another Bible-based story. I've written a couple of those here on my blog. There's my post about Mary, which I already mentioned...and the one about the Prodigal Son...there's the story about Paul and Silas, too, but I left y'all hanging on that one, with the phrase "to be continued." :) :)

I love, love, LOVE that kind of writing. I mean, I just plain love to write anyway, but that kind of writing is my absolute favorite. It reaches down and pulls stuff up from deep inside me. Something about the stories in the Bible inspires me. I hope you don't mind when I let that inspiration take over and write those stories on here occasionally, instead of storing them in my "sheet files" folder on my desktop.

I don't think y'all mind. If you do, you hide it very well. You have only ever been kind and encouraging when leaving me comments. It is with that in mind I have decided to share with you the story I've written for our Christmas Service. I hope it makes you think as much as it made me think! :)

Love,
Amber

Joseph's Account

Mary was with child.

I couldn't – wouldn't – believe it until Mary herself, unshed tears in her eyes, assured me it was true. We had just finished the evening meal (I often ate with her family in those days) and had been reclining comfortably as we talked. I was unaware of the spear that was about to be thrust into my life.

Mary's lips trembled as she spoke, but her voice was determined. She said she was the mother of the Messiah, and that God Himself had put the child in her womb. She even said the child she carried was the Son of God.

How could I believe such a thing? Her father shook his head as he sat there behind her. If such a tale were true, would not he and her mother know it? It was very unlike Mary to have this far-fetch explanation. ...Yet it was also unlike her to be with child when she was betrothed.

How could Mary do such a thing? Hadn't she breathed out numerous pledges of love to me? Had she not treated all other men with gracious disinterest? We already had plans for the wedding. She had seemed so happy and content. Surely this situation was not her fault. Someone else...? I lifted my face to ask her the question, but her voice was tearful as she insisted there was no one else.

I left her home that night wanting to dash my head against a stone wall. Why did she persist in this wild tale? If only she would break down and admit to everything, it would be so much easier to forgive her.

My strained mind was already searching for a plan. I still had time to break the betrothal without explaining the real reason to our friends and neighbors. There were still a few more months before Mary would be unable to keep her secret.

“God of our fathers, help me!” I pleaded even as I hurried home. “What am I to do?” The scribes would say the law demanded Mary's death, but now-a-days that old law was rarely enforced – only when the husband or betrothed pressed charges. My heart knew I could do no such thing to the woman I had loved.

Did I still love her? My heart screamed yes, but my fists clenched as I thought of her. Then I thought that surely it was not her fault, and I felt no anger - only hopelessness. There was no easy way out of this problem, and I clung to Jehovah God as the only sure thing in my world at that moment.

Several days passed before I made my decision; I would put Mary away quietly. Breaking our betrothal was the only thing to be done. I could not bring myself to have her publicly accused, and yet I could not bring myself to marry her.

I did not tell anyone about my decision. Not yet. It was still too painful. I avoided her family, but I saw Mary's face in all my thoughts. She was there, in my mind, when I worked in the shop. I dreamed of Mary every night.

Every night, that is, until the night he was there, in my dream.

As a little boy I had always wished I had been born during King David's time, as one of his mighty men. I loved to pretend I was a mighty warrior. But never had I imagined any warrior as mighty as the being who was in my dream that night. His splendor and brightness took my breath from my lungs and I was left speechless. His voice resonated deep into my mind;
“Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife; for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call His name JESUS: for He shall save his people from their sins.”

I woke with a start, breathing heavily. My palms were damp with sweat. So it was true! The idea of doubting that messenger never entered my head. I don't think anyone could have seen him and doubted.

At first, all I could think about was that I could take Mary. He had said so! The LORD would not be angry with me. I ached to see her and tell her I believed her story at last.

But then I shook myself further awake and realized where that child in her womb had come from. For a moment I forgot to breathe. Shivers ran down my spine. After thousands of years of promises, Jehovah God was finally sending the Messiah! What was more, apparently the Messiah was no mere mighty man, as the Pharisees would have us think. He was divine. I could not quite wrap my mind around that thought.

But I understood one thing; I could see Mary again. I sprang to the window and was filled with joy to see the sun was rising. Ten minutes later I was breathlessly entering her father's house and saying, “Mary, I believe you!”

The next six months were filled with every emotion God has given to man. In my first joy at having Mary back, I had not thought about all the difficulties we would face.

First we had to convince her parents that I truly wished to wed her and raise this child as my own. Then the whispers started – my customers in the shop talked to one another behind my back, and dropped vague hints to my face. I had always held a reputation of being an honorable and just man, and I think many of my customers were confused that I stuck by Mary, even in her situation. I tried to explain, but I don't think they really believed what I told them.

Mary and I had so many decisions to make. God was finally sending the Promised One! Such thrilling news I had hoped to hear in my lifetime, yet now it was much more personal than I ever thought it would be. It was also much more intimidating. Should I teach him my trade of carpentry, as if he were my true son? What would this Messiah be like, anyway? What were we expected to do with him? There was a moment of pain when I thought that I would not be able to name him my own name, as I had always wished to name my first son.

“But he isn't your firstborn,” Mary said gently. That always made my brain ache with awe, because it made me remember whose son that baby was.

It was hard, finding a balance. Some days I thought of the unborn baby as my own. Other days he was a stranger – and a very intimidating stranger at that.

During the very last month our situation was made worse by the journey we were forced to take. I worried about Mary. I muttered under my breath a few times, wishing to call our Ceasar all sorts of names, but I kept quiet and focused on helping Mary as much as I could. It was some consolation to remember we would be seeing the city of David again.

The place was packed when we arrived. It was all I could do to find us lodging in the stable of the inn – and I was charged ridiculously high for even that. But I didn't care; Mary was exhausted and I just wanted a place for her to lie down.

It was late that night I awoke to her nudging. Things had happened so quickly after that....and yet so slowly.

And then, there I was; leaning against the wall of the stable while the old innkeeper's daughter tended to Mary. A sudden cat-like wail of a baby filled the stall next to me, and my feet slipped out from under me in my hurry to stand up.

In a moment I was rounding the corner of the stall and on my knees next to Mary. The inn keeper's daughter was tending to the baby, using the swaddling clothes I had managed to find three hours ago. I grasped Mary's hand, but couldn't take my eyes off the child.

He was a perfectly formed little human. So very human. When the woman finished with him and handed him to Mary, I still had not found words to speak. The little one cried just like every baby I had even seen, and snuggled next to his mother so very naturally. It was hard to think he could possibly be divine. Yet the memory of the angel came back to me to assure me that this child was indeed divine – the Savior of our people.

Mary had quieted him, and she looked up at me. “Do you want to hold him?” she asked.

I held out my arms and took him in them. He was so light. So tiny.

“...And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call His name JESUS: for He shall save his people from their sins.” The angel's voice rang in my head.

“Jesus,” I spoke his name to him for the first time. I wanted to tell him how we had waited and waited for him to be there, but I just kept looking at him.

To think, that I had the Son of God in my hands....and was responsible for raising him. I didn't feel equal to the task.

But then the little eyes fluttered open, and Jesus looked at me.

And I knew that the years he spent in our home would be the very best years of my life.