Beneath His Wings

Once a month I drive to Southwest Portland to lead music and assist in ministry at a wonderful care center there. Every time I'm in that area I stop at the Goodwill Store near there. I never walk out with empty hands. Their book department is the best. Again yesterday I was not disappointed. I bought two books. Here is one of them - I'll share the other one soon.

This little book is full of the most precious watercolor art by Carolyn Shores Wright. You can peek inside this book or buy it here. Carolyn's art work is available to see and purchase on several websites. A search will easily direct you to sites where you can see the exquisite work and detail of her talent. I hope you will take time to look at her paintings. I'm sure you will appreciate them as much as I do. While I would love to show you more of her work here, due to copyright laws and my respect for her I will not share her artwork on my blog. You probably will see this little book again sometime - I've put it next to a sweet little birdhouse on a table in my living room.

The foundation of this little book may be the old hymn "Under His Wings", a favorite of mine that I sing often. It brings peace and security whenever I sing it.

Under His wings I am safely abiding,

Tho the night deepens and tempests are wild;

Still I can trust Him, I know He will keep me,

He has redeemed me and I am His child.

Under His wings, under His wings,

Who from His love can sever?

Under His wings my soul shall abide,

Safely abide forever.

Under His wings, what a refuge in sorrow!

How the heart yearningly turns to His rest!

Often when earth has no balm for my healing,

There I find comfort, and there I am blessed.

Under His wings, under His wings,

Who from His love can sever?

Under His wings my soul shall abide,

Safely abide forever.

Under His wings, oh, what precious enjoyment!

There will I hide till life’s trials are o’er;

Sheltered, protected, no evil can harm me,

Resting in Jesus, I’m safe evermore.

Under His wings, under His wings,

Who from His love can sever?

Under His wings my soul shall abide,

Safely abide forever.

Imagine a mama hen gathering her chicks under her wings to protect them from harm. That's what I visualize when I sing this song. That's the sense I have when I read the Scripture and poetry and look at the sweet pictures in this dear little book.

Hymn: Under His Wings - Words by William O. Cushing - Music by Ira D. Sankey

Grandma's Apron

While cleaning and reorganizing my sewing room recently I found things I didn't remember. I don't know what that says about the condition of my sewing room or the state of my memory!

Aprons are making a come-back and are becoming popular again, especially vintage and vintage-style aprons. While surfing several blogs I have seen some wonderful old aprons and reproductions. Here is one exciting find in my sewing room. This pattern was free - "Compliments of Penney's". I love the advertisement on the back. I don't remember fabric at the Penney's stores where I shopped, do you? Maybe someday I'll make these aprons; if I do, I'll be sure and share them with you.

While I like these aprons, and this wonderful pattern, there is an apron "pattern" that I treasure far more - my great-grandmother's apron. Nanny always wore aprons at home and most of my memories of her include an apron. After she was gone my grandmother gave me one of Nanny's aprons and I loved it. When I was first married I wore it often until it began to fall apart. Because it was Nanny's apron, and because it was so comfortable and practical, I saved the tattered treasure and carefully took it apart. It became a pattern for more wonderful "Nanny" aprons. I planned to make aprons from this pattern but I never did. I carefully placed the pieces in a little bag and it has moved from town-to-town, house-to-house with us through the years. Now I have fabric similar to the original apron and I hope to make one very soon. When it's finished you will be among the first to see it. The following poem describes Nanny's apron perfectly. It's almost as if it was written for her.

The strings were tied, it was freshly washed, and maybe even pressed.
For Grandma, it was everyday to choose one when she dressed.
The simple apron that it was, you would never think about;
the things she used it for, that made it look worn out.
She may have used it to hold some wildflowers that she'd found.
Or to hide a crying child's face when a stranger came around.
Imagine all the little tears that were wiped with just that cloth.
Or it became a potholder to serve some chicken broth.
She probably carried kindling to stoke the kitchen fire.
To hold a load of laundry, or to wipe the clothesline wire.
When canning all her vegetables, it was used to wipe her brow.
You never know, she might have used it to shoo flies from the cow.
She might have carried eggs in from the chicken coop outside.
Whatever chore she used it for, she did them all with pride.
When Grandma went to heaven, God said she now could rest.
I'm sure the apron that she chose, was her Sunday best.

-by Tina Trivett-

Edited on September 16, 2007 to add: When I originally wrote this post I did not know who wrote the poem I included. I loved the poem the way I posted it - it fit my great grandmother perfectly just the way it was. However, I have since learned that Tina Trivett wrote this poem in honor of her own dear grandmother. It was subsequently altered and changed and published on many websites. Tina recently found my blog and after reading a version of her poem here she left a comment to tell me that she was the original poet and to encourage me to check it out and possibly include the original version. After checking out her story I was moved by the fact that the words of the poem she wrote for a much-loved grandmother had been changed by others and that credit was not being given where it was due. I strongly believe that a poet, an author, an artist, a composer should be honored for the talent and inspiration they give to others. With that in mind I have changed the poem on this post in the spirit of honor and thanks to Tina for putting into words what I wish I could have written in memory of my great grandmother's ever-present apron. Thank you, Tina - and thank you for letting us know of your work. You can find more of Tina's poetry on her poetry blog.

Nature's Praise

Early every the morning the trees behind our back fence are filled with birds sweetly singing and chatting with each other. They sound so happy and I'm sure they are singing songs of praise for a new day. As I listened to them this morning I thought of a song I learned in kindergarten:

The birdies in the treetop sing their song,

The angels sing their chorus all day long,

The flowers in the garden blend their hue,

So why shouldn't I? Why shouldn't you

Praise Him too?

Later I looked out the patio doors and saw this little bird resting on the fence. She seemed to be so relaxed.

Suddenly she was aware that I was there. Her posture changed and she stood at attention.

Within a moment she slipped into the big fig tree beside her. A while later I peeked out of the window and saw her there again - this time she was facing me and watching. She wasn't going to be caught by surprise again! When she saw me she quickly moved back into the tree. I think she has a nest in that tree and she was probably enjoying a few minutes of peace and rest while her little ones had a morning nap! Every mother understands the need for quiet moments.

I walked away from the window and I thought of the little song from childhood again, this time with such sweet memories of the days when I was so young and my kindergarten teacher - a sweet, gracious Christian lady who I loved dearly - taught me to sing a song of praise.

The World At My Door

From time to time I would like to share glimpses of my world with you . As with you, there are many parts to my life so I will try to share something special from my home, my neighborhood, my family, the world in which I work and minister or wherever my life takes me. Welcome to my home - here is the world at my front door.

This cute, little weathered birdhouse welcomes you to my home in the spring and summertime.

When you approach my front door you will see this special little girl with her dog and watering can. I'm sure you will enjoy the restful sounds of water flowing over the rocks and into the pool below them. This is just below our big living room window. The roof extends from the house over the little front porch and this planter. This area was overgrown by plants that previous owners had added through the years and it was very hard to maintain. We cleaned it out and started over. It needs more plants and we will continue to work on it as we can. Until it's finished we enjoy the changes we've made so far.

A pot of pansies adds color to the entry area.

Black-eyed Susans (Thumbergia), in a bright yellow pot, climb up a wrought iron teepee-style trellis. The exquisite colors capture the attention of nearly everyone who visits.
A miniature tree rose nearby draws attention. The picture may fool your eye - the bloom above is small and delicate. Can you see the water on the petals?

I would love it if you could come up the walk to my front door and enjoy each of the things that await your arrival. Until that time, enjoy this glimpse of the world at my front door.

My Mansion

Yesterday as we drove far out into the country to attend my sweetheart's company picnic we passed a lot of new, large homes. Most of these homes were built on small acreages so they are not close to their neighbors and many of them have fantastic views of the surrounding foothills and mountains. As we headed home after the picnic we saw a new, winding road that disappeared quickly into a wooded area. The sign at the corner said, "New view homes for sale." When I wondered what was down that road my sweetheart turned and we entered a world that seemed to be hidden away from where we had been just moments earlier. Beyond the stand of tall evergreen trees the world opened up to a panoramic view of heavily wooded hills beyond and several new homes that were designed to take advantage of that view. One home caught my eye and we stopped to look at it.
I knew instantly that I would love to live there. The house sat right on the edge of the hill, surrounded by views from nearly every window. Everything was so quiet and it seemed worlds apart from the noisy street where we live. Since it was for sale and no one was living in the home I stepped outside the car with camera in hand and walked around the house. I walked to the back to see what views future homeowners will enjoy. My sweetheart quickly joined me and in a few minutes we were standing on the backyard deck high above the ground. The view almost took my breath away! So peaceful, so serene, so much of the beauty I love in the Pacific Northwest. While peeking through the windows I discovered that the kitchen sink is right at the corner of the house -- this is the view from the corner windows over the sink. (I would be willing to wash a lot of dishes just to look at this!)

As we drove away I told my sweetheart that it was a lovely house but I was very happy to go back to my little home that God gave us. This song by Ira Stanphil came to mind and I've seen humming it ever since.

Verse One

I’m satisfied with just a cottage below,

A little silver and a little gold;

But in that city where the ransomed will shine,

I want a gold one that’s silver lined.

Chorus

I’ve got a mansion just over the hilltop,

In that bright land where we’ll never grow old;

And someday yonder we will never more wander,

But walk the streets that are purest gold.

Verse Two

Though often tempted, tormented, and tested,

And like the prophet my pillow a stone;

And though I find here no permanent dwelling,

I know He’ll give me a mansion my own

Verse Three

Don’t think me poor or deserted or lonely;

I’m not discouraged, I’m heaven bound.

I’m just a pilgrim in search of a city,

I want a mansion, a harp, and a crown.

I know that the home we saw is not a mansion by the world's standards. I know there are houses that truly are mansions but this house is much bigger than mine (at a cost much more than mine!). It seems like a mansion to a lot of people. I thought of the little home in Mexico where I stood with a precious Christian sister. She was a gracious hostess and quickly invited me in -- two rooms, no plumbing, dirt floor, chickens and dogs running in an out. Yet she was as happy as I because she knew God's faithfulness and grace. She was thankful to have a home built of concrete blocks, with a "real" roof built by friends God had sent her way. Many people in her neighborhood had homes made of sticks and cardboard and they hoped to be fortunate enough to have blue plastic tarps for roofs. My humble little house would be a mansion to Marta and her neighbors. I am so blessed! Someday she and I be together again and we will each have a mansion - a real mansion - because Jesus said,

"In My Father’s house are many mansions;

if it were not so, I would have told you.

I go to prepare a place for you.

And if I go and prepare a place for you,

I will come again and receive you to Myself;

that where I am, there you may be also."

John 14:2-3

The Pleasure of Your Company is Requested

Today I am here with my sweetheart. This is the day for his annual company picnic and we have gone away for the day -- out of town; out of state! We are about an hour from home at this beautiful private park, east of Vancouver, Washington. We will enjoy time with my sweetheart's friends and coworkers and their families, eat delicious food, play lots of games with fantastic prizes and spend a peaceful, quiet day in this refreshing open-air place. The picnic was held here last year and we hoped we could return again. It was so much fun that we stayed all day. Here's are some of the things we might do -

Gather here and

• meet friends,
• eat lunch together ,
• play bingo for very nice prizes;

Ride paddleboats on the lake;

Enjoy the kids' safari play area;

Drink pink lemonade from fountains all through the park;

(Yes, it really is pink lemonade!)

Walk over trails through the woods.

This is a magical place to spend a day away from the demands of life and the noise of the city. We will enjoy our day relaxing in this beautiful part of God's creation. And when we return home we will be tired but we will have fond memories of our day together and the pleasure we had at the company picnic.

Look What I Found!

Today my dear mother and I went to some garage sales. We each found special, unexpected treasures. I collect yellow pottery and when I woke this morning I never dreamed that tonight I would own such a special piece. I have seen them and admired them in antique stores and I've hoped to someday have one of my own. I found a gently used yellow Hall China Lipton Premium Tea Pot with Cozy for $10.00! It sells online for $40-50.

In 1935, Hall made the French-shape teapot for Lipton in its different colors. They were marked "Lipton Tea" on the bottom. Later teapots had no strainer like the first ones and were marked "Lipton Tea Made in USA" on the bottom. Later, Lipton offered a "Cozy Cover" teapot as a premium.

This is the Lipton Premium Cozy Cover Teapot. It holds 6 cups and is in excellent condition. The lid is flat. The cozy is lined, has a knob and fits over the entire pot.

The teapot handles are shaped slightly different from the similar style that was produced by Hall for Forman. Yellow has been the only color reported and these are marked "Hall" in a circle on the bottom.

I will cherish this special teapot for many years and enjoy using it when I share tea with friends. If you are ever in my neighborhood, please stop by. I'll make a pot of tea in my yellow Cozy Cover Teapot and we will have a fine time together.