Church

Mary’s Monday Musings to Quilt Encouragement Church I’m so glad God established Church way back when. Each church has its own set of advantages and disadvantages. It’s a lot easier to change churches than our geography. Jobs, homes, schools can stay constant if we move from one congregation to another, but in spite of the

Joy

Mary’s Monday Musings to Quilt Encouragement Joy The very word joy brings a sort of uplift to our spirits. To experience a burst of joy pulsing through our being brings a satisfaction that transforms us in a mysterious way. We can sometimes feel a surge of joy when we observe it in others. Maybe that’s

Babies

Mary’s Monday Musings to Quilt Encouragement Babies The birth of a newborn baby brings special excitement and joy. Funny how a small bundle of total dependency carries renewed hope for the future by merely sleeping, yawning, and crying. We wonder what talents hide in that tiny body. What will the child do with life on

Pretty is as Pretty Does

Mary’s Monday Musings to Quilt Encouragement Pretty is as Pretty Does The woman was beautiful—gorgeous hair, perfectly coiffed with make-up skillfully applied to hide the flaws, but not dominate. She wore a dress in a flattering style and a becoming color. But her tone of voice was less than lovely as she gave the waiter

Community Singing

Mary’s Monday Musings to Quilt Encouragement Community Singing Hands clapped, toes tapped, heads swayed to the rhythm of the songs. The neighbor’s voices combined to make a rousing blend of sopranos and baritones that filled the park with music which united hearts around the words they sang. There’s something special about an opportunity to join

Conflict

Mary’s Monday Musings to Quilt Encouragement Conflict How interesting to watch the difference between a two-year-old trying to resolve a conflict and an 8-year old. While an 8-year old’s conflict resolution ability still has a long way to go, it’s vastly more civilized than a two-year old is able to achieve. “Able,” is the operative

Laughter

Mary’s Monday Musings to Quilt Encouragement Laughter The game had everyone at the table laughing. The roles we assumed to achieve the goal of winning brought out the spoof in all of us. We laughed and laughed. I think it was because of the delight of laughing that we all pronounced this new game a

Memories

Mary’s Monday Musings to Quilt Encouragement. Memories We are using the restrictions of this pandemic to bring out old scrapbooks and peruse pictures not thought of in years. A scrapbook is a wonderful catalyst to bring up old memories. Some are delightful and some considerably less pleasant. Gracious, I don’t remember some of the styles

Innocence

Mary’s Monday Musings to Quilt Encouragement Innocence With a sweet smile, the three-year-old broke her graham cracker in half and offered it to the weary looking man on the park bench. One of the charms of little children is their innocence. They see the world with a trust that we can’t enjoy. Don’t we wish

Screens

Mary’s Monday Musings to Quilt Encouragement Screens I tried to take a picture of the magnolia tree in full bloom outside our bedroom window. It was absolutely gorgeous, but the window screen prevented the camera from focusing on the blossoms. Instead, the lens focused on the wire grid. Since I was on the third floor