The Grace To Be There

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“Be aware of what season you are in and give yourself the grace to be there.”

K. Dalton

It has been a while since I have written. I received an email recently informing me of my upcoming due date to renew this blog, so I am taking a look at the stats, drafts, and published work wondering whether or not to keep up with my writing. There are so many things I have shared here that I do look back on now and then and I would hate to lose all of that. Nothing has been written since last December for good reasons. So much has been happening with John’s health and with my dad’s as well. John is having tests done to investigate the cause of his migraines. He has ongoing pain management care which has included physical therapy and soon, he will be getting shots to relieve back pain. He also had ankle surgery in February which was a long ordeal in healing. My dad is having testing done for memory loss which means quite a few doctor appointments. Some days, my dad is just fine. Other days, he has trouble remembering how to get to a place he has been driving to for years or difficulty doing something on the computer he had no trouble with in the past. This has been a season of doctor appointments one right after the other and I have had to let some things go in order to be all here – present. This meant letting go of Facebook and trying to keep up with everyone. It meant burgers or pizza for dinner sometimes because we weren’t home all day or I forgot to put something in the crockpot. It means a lot of things for peace of mind. We try to be easy-going and take one day at a time.

Jonathan is doing well and is in a season of big decisions. He has been volunteering for the local Historical Society since he graduated from college last year. He may be leaving that position soon to look for a paid position elsewhere. He has enjoyed his time there very much and has learned so much! He still lives at home and is a HUGE help to us all.

In the midst of all that, I received orders one right after another for handmade cards! In a few months span, I made over eighty cards for friends and family and still have an order of birthday cards to complete. So exciting! Writing has been on my mind, too (somewhere way back there), during these months but I just have not had the time to “be there” for all my creative pursuits and for family and home life.

I am still keeping up with stray gifts and collecting them from friends who share their own gifts with me through text messages.

Left Row: Top: We believe this is a grackle egg. It’s so tiny! Bottom: There was a train exhibit in town last weekend all about how the train affected El Paso’s history. There was even a skit performed by a group called, “Six Guns and Shady Ladies”. It was a reenactment of the first deadly train robbery in the west. We enjoyed our time out together.

Right Row: Roses, Chrysanthemums, and Star Jasmine are a few of the beauties in our yard. We also have honeysuckle and alyssums blooming.

Christmas Cards 2021

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The pen in your hand is a magic wand with which you can send joy, hope, love and courage across deserts and plains, over mountains and seas, around the world and around the corner.

Wilferd A. Peterson, “The Art of Writing Letters”

In one of my classes during Bible college, we students took a “Spiritual Gifts” test to help us understand where we best fit in ministry opportunities. One of my gifts results was that I was an encourager. One of the ways I enjoy encouraging is through making and sending handmade cards. I wrote a bit about this cardmaking journey in a previous blog post, Stray Gifts Studio. I have a list of friends and family I create for regularly, but sometimes life gets busy and time is short for playing with all my pretty paper. I was determined to get nice Christmas cards out this year and worked at making cards to send out. I had come down with a bad cold a few weeks before Christmas and I wasn’t sure I would even be able to get these out in the mail. I had wanted to write a nice long ‘catching up’ note in each card, yet as Christmas grew nearer, I had to settle for a quick Christmas and New Year greeting. I hope that even with a short note, the cards sent brought a bit of joy to the receivers. Here are my latest creations in cardmaking.

Exalted Simplicity

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He who marvels at the beauty of the world in summer will find equal cause for wonder and admiration in winter…. In winter the stars seem to have rekindled their fires, the moon achieves a fuller triumph, and the heavens wear a look of a more exalted simplicity.

John Burroughs, “The Snow-Walkers,” 1866

I have been interested in decorating for the seasons versus decorating for any holiday in particular. I do not enjoy putting things up only to take them down a few weeks later. And I am not one who likes to get out the Christmas decorations before Thanksgiving. I love arranging seasonal accents, knowing we have three months to enjoy the change of pace each phase of the year brings. This year for winter, I was inspired by the simplicity of winter light. The other day, I was looking outside our living room window at the Chinese elm tree in the front yard. The tree was bare of leaves, the bark a mix of brown and gray and the sky above was a blue-gray color. In the tree, there were finches with the same brown, gray, and blue easily seen on the branches. It was such a simple scene- devoid of the green leaves of spring and summer with just a few yellow leaves left from fall. I realized that this time of year is the only time I can see all the birds in the tree and I was struck by the clarity of the view. I stood for quite a while watching the finches happily singing away.

In keeping with a winter home decorating theme, you won’t find a lot of Christmas decorations in the house. In fact, we didn’t even put any ornaments on our tree! As Jonathan and I were unpacking the Christmas decorations and figuring out how we wanted to display them, we just loved the way the tree looked all lit up with nothing on it but tiny lights and the pinecones and berries that were on the tree when we bought it. With simplicity in mind, we were content with the way the tree looked as-is. What you will find are bits of light here and there through candles and Christmas lights in other places. What you will also see are bits of greenery from the japonica bushes that are in the front yard. Instead of buying greenery that doesn’t match our natural surroundings, I used what we had and cut fresh branches to put in a vase. The branches and leaves which stay green year-round add a natural element to our simple decor.

In the living room, we have tall ceilings with a very high shelf. We have decorated that shelf with lanterns, baskets, greenery, and other home accents. We put Christmas lights up there and I think we are going to keep them up all year. We like to plug them in at night as the sun goes down and it gives the living room a nice glow.

The longest dark hours are in winter and as the sun goes down early, my battery-operated candles light up on their timer, our Christmas lights get plugged in as well as the high living room shelf lights. We light candles and keep the bright lights off enjoying the cozy feel. It makes winter nights a bit more comforting as we settle in for the evening. All of us look forward to that time of day very much.

In the kitchen, I’ve been changing out the curtains to transition into the next season. During the fall months, I had orange, brown, and white in a tablecloth, in curtains, and in accents. For winter, I swapped out the warm colors for cool, using gray and white curtains and tablecloth with just a hint of Christmas in red and green glass bottles with a few japonica branches for more color. The bottles are displayed in the kitchen window and when the sun hits them in the afternoon, the bottles look like lanterns.

A few weeks ago, we were out late at night for an event at the local Historical Society (a 1912 historic home) where Jonathan works. John and I had stepped outside for a few minutes to get some fresh air and we happened to look up at the sky. Orion was right above us- big as life -spread across the sky and the stars were just so bright and beautiful! Later that evening, I went upstairs because I knew there would be an amazing night view of the city lights. Seeing the stars and the night lights confirmed that I wanted to bring that feeling of wonder from outside to the inside of our home.

Whether you love to go all out for decorating every holiday or you enjoy keeping it simple like me, may we all see cause for wonder and admiration in every season.

Stray Gifts Studio

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“Stray Gifts Studio” is the name of our former “homeschool room” and it is where I create handmade cards. My cardmaking journey initially began twenty-five years ago when I lived in Washington State where John was stationed in the Navy. I had a group of friends who were into cardmaking and we would get together with our rubber stamps and ink pads to enjoy the time of fellowship and creativity. Over the years, I had moved away from making cards and had eventually donated my collection of rubber stamps.

I was visiting an aunt in GA one year when she received a birthday card I had mailed. The card was from a set of boxed cards I had bought at the Christian bookstore. I thought the card I had picked out was especially pretty and “fit” her. She opened the card and said, “Oh! My friend gave me this exact same card! I love it!” My heart sank. The exact same card? The card did mean something, but I decided then and there I would get back into cardmaking. I also decided that not one card I made would look the same. I may use the same designer paper and the same card material, but I have yet to make the same card twice. Each one has a different layout, or I have used a different ribbon, or I have chosen a different mix of papers or materials. It’s a personal decision, I know, but one I value seriously. I love to receive any “happy mail” – whether handmade or store-bought and every card is significant. I craft cards because I love it. I send them to friends and family for birthdays, holidays, and just because. In the last few years, I have been asked if I would sell the cards, but I never felt confident enough that someone would pay me to be creative. I took a leap of faith this past June and sold a set of cards to my friend Angela who loved them. I have since received orders from others and have created/sold nine sets of cards with ten cards in each set. When I explained to the Postal Annex employee what I kept shipping out, he said, “Oh, you’re an artist!”. I hadn’t thought of myself that way, but I liked the sound of it.

I have been encouraged to start an Etsy shop online to sell my cards and even the bookmarks I make. I have looked into it, but right now is not the right season for various reasons. I do have an Instagram account (@stray_gifts_studio) where I share photos of cards I create. I have thought about starting another website designed to share my cardmaking exclusively, but I don’t have peace about doing that just yet. For now, I share bits and pieces of the cardmaking on Instagram and personally through texts with friends and family. Since I already have this website up and going (and somewhat figured out), I plan to share photos of my cards here. Maybe it will gather more ‘business’ and maybe not. Maybe it will encourage someone to get creative again. And maybe it will encourage someone to write a card and send it out. It doesn’t need to be handmade- just from the heart.

I recently made a set of Christmas cards for a friend. Their last name is “Bright” and she thought it would be cute for the cards to say, “Merry Christmas from the Bright Bunch”. I created the sentiments with Canva, uploaded them to my Cricut and had the machine cut these out. Each card has a bit of shimmer which does not show up in the photos, unfortunately. The cards are so much more vibrant in person.

Here are a few of the cards I made. I enjoyed crafting the Christmas cards and hope they will be a blessing.

If interested in me making handmade cards for you, I charge $3.50 per card plus shipping. Each card and envelope is put in a plastic envelope for protection and sent to you in a box. It typically takes me a week to make a set of cards, depending on family events. To order, simply e-mail me and we can discuss what you are looking for.

My e-mail address is: straygiftsstudio@gmail.com.

Working in Shifts

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Nature bestows her own, richest gifts and, with lavish hands, she works in shifts…

Gertrude Tooley Buckingham, “The Four Seasons,” 1940s

Our winters are mild here in the southwest, but we are starting to feel the shift of the season. The heat is kicking on in the morning, but by afternoon, the sun is up and the house heat gets turned down. Jonathan opened his bedroom window the other day and there was a nice breeze coming through the back of the house. There’s a shift in the yard as leaves are falling and the plants are changing in appearance. I have a few roses blooming for the last time this year, yet my chrysanthemums are shedding off. I don’t think I’ll see those bloom again until spring. Jonathan put hay out in the dog house for our girl to keep warm at night. I am stocking up on dry beans and canned goods for soups and stews. Fall decorations will be coming down, soon to be replaced with Christmas and winter accents. I’m shifting slowly from this season into the next, enjoying the transition. Do you like to see Christmas come early and already have your decorations up? Or do you gradually move into seasons as they come?

The latest in my stray gifts journey:

Gifts in the yard: (clockwise) I have two roses blooming on the same bush at the moment. Morning Glory flowers are still around in various places. I spotted this yellow leaf on the ground and loved the bit of fall present. The tomatoes seen in the photo are now turning red and will soon be eaten by whoever picks them off first! The passionflower vine had been eaten up by caterpillars earlier in the year. They ate most of the leaves and all of the flowers. The butterflies that came after were pretty, but I did not like that most of our new vine had disappeared. The leaves are growing back now quite nicely and we will be watching the vines like a hawk for any caterpillars come spring. I didn’t buy as many mums as I would have liked this year when they were on clearance, but I did get a few. By now, I have ‘deadheaded’ these and just the green leaves are left.

Gifts Unconventional: Instead of cooking a turkey and having leftovers for days, we decided we wanted to grill steaks this year for Thanksgiving. My dad said we can give thanks for a cow as well as for a turkey for the special day- and we all agreed. We had mashed potatoes, deviled eggs, and peas, too. Jonathan made a pumpkin pie from scratch that turned out amazing.

Gifts in the Kitchen: Jonathan and I wanted a cake mix for something a few weeks ago. I can’t remember what, but I don’t keep cake mixes in the pantry. We looked up a recipe on the internet for a homemade cake mix and tried it out one day. It was very good! We included shredded coconut so that it wasn’t plain. Instead of frosting, we added whipped cream on top before each piece was served.

Homemade bread is always a gift in the kitchen. By now, Jonathan and I have perfected our recipe to the way we like it. We make the recipe and keep it in the fridge in a vented container until we’re ready to bake. Cold dough is easier to work with. Fresh, hot bread goes well with the soups and stews we’re having lately!

Gifts from Others: From time to time, friends and family send me photos of their own stray gifts and I love it! A sunset in New Mexico is stunning! I’ve seen beautiful fall photos from Pennsylvania and a snapshot of snow from the same friend yesterday morning. A friend in Texas shared with me a photo of a new bread recipe she tried which used einkorn and kefir. It looked tasty!

A handmade card from my 10 year old niece in Alabama and a card, also, from a distant cousin in Wisconsin came in the mail last week. What a nice surprise!

Gifts from around the world: Our former church in Mexico is doing really well. The church held a teen conference recently, and the building was full of people. Our hearts bust wide open when we see photos of what God is doing.

Pleasure is spread through the earth in stray gifts to be claimed by whoever shall find. -William Wordsworth, 1806

This I Know

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I do not know what next may come
Across my pilgrim way;
I do not know tomorrow’s road,
Nor see beyond today.
But this I know –my SAVIOR knows
The path I cannot see;
And I can trust His wounded hand
To guide and care for me.

I do not know what may befall,
Of sunshine or of rain;
I do not know what may be mine,
Of pleasure and of pain;
But this I know — my SAVIOR knows
And whatsoe’er it be
Still I can trust his love to give
What will be best for me.

I do not know what may await,
Or what the morrow brings;
But with the glad salute of faith,
I hail its opening wings;
For this I know — that my LORD
Shall all my needs be met;
And I can trust the heart of Him,
Who has not failed me yet.

Poem by Margaret Clarkson

For Peace of Mind

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For peace of mind, resign as General Manager of the universe.

Unknown

It is easy to think what I would do in any given situation. I read the news, I see personal posts on social media, I hear issues being discussed and I can process how I believe a situation should be handled. I make assumptions based on snippets of information shared on the internet when I don’t know all the facts. Information is everywhere at all times. And there are social media platforms where anyone can share their opinions any minute of the day. The news, the opinions, the thoughts of the masses are a lot to manage. I believe all that is available doesn’t have to be read. It can be detrimental to mental health and even spiritual growth having to manage a weight that wasn’t meant for me to bear. Being informed is one thing. Obsessing and worrying over situations I cannot control is another. I find myself having emotional reactions to news – anger, frustration, disbelief. There is even joyful news – news which bring relief and hope. But how much peace do I give up at home because I feel the weight of world events?


“For peace of mind, resign as General Manager of the universe”. When I came across that quote, it was a reminder I needed to see. It helps me take a step back when I feel overwhelmed by information and opinions.

For peace of mind, I resign from feeling the need to be “in the know”.

For peace of mind, I resign from forming opinions based on bits and pieces of news.

For peace of mind, I resign from the fierceness of emotions that take a physical and spiritual toll on me.

For peace of mind, I resign to the knowledge and understanding that He is fulfilling His will on the earth and all that is in it.

Thine, O Lord is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all.

I. Chronicles 29:11

Just Baggage Enough

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Simplicity is making the journey of this life with just baggage enough.

Charles D. Warner

We have been going through the house again making decisions about what is serving us well and what is not. We have a nice arrangement with a man who has a second-hand shop. He stops by the house every once in awhile to see if we have anything we are getting rid of. He comes to pick up the stuff, pays us a little bit of money, and we all agree this is a good thing we have going. I don’t know why we hold on to things as long as we do – clothes that do not fit anymore, exercise equipment not used anymore, furniture we don’t have space for anymore. We are ready to move on and to travel lighter through life in the days ahead.

I haven’t written here since August. My mind has been on cleaning out clutter, on caring for the home and the men in it, and on making greeting cards. I’ve been making my own cards for quite awhile now and a few friends have showed interest in buying them. Being able to sell my creations has been a dream of mine and I am so thankful this stray gift came along! For seven weeks in a row, I was creating and selling cards for others. I have also had the dream of making cards for a ministry – for church, for a hospital, for a nursing home – the possibilities are endless, but I just don’t know where to start! I called a few local hospitals and nursing homes in our area, and only the Children’s Hospital said they would take handmade greeting card donations. I was so excited, I created over 70 cards in one week! I’ve never done that before. The cards were made with the thought of nurses, doctors, and volunteers having cards on hand to write an encouraging note to patients. While 70 cards is not nearly enough for the hospital, it’s a start to brighten one corner, one hallway, one patient at a time. I meet with the hospital tomorrow to deliver what I have. I hope they like the cards and will want more.

Before I share a few photos of recent stray gifts, I will update you on family matters. My dad just had another round of shots in his back for pain relief. He has struggled with degenerative discs for years and has an excellent pain management doctor. My dad is slowly regaining strength and is able to drive now as long as he doesn’t overdo it. John (my husband) has the same pain management doctor for his back and is in physical therapy lately. Even though the hip replacements went well, he still needs “maintenance”. If you have followed along over the years, you might remember an ankle problem – still a struggle to get help from the VA over this. An MRI was done last week, and we hope that care will come sooner than expected. We know the VA is overloaded and underfunded, so we try to be patient. After our move back from Waco, John was really ill for a long time. Migraines were difficult to manage, strength and balance were minimal. This year has been a year of a lot of rest for him. At first, the sleeping was out of pure exhaustion from feeling ill all the time. In recent months, he feels the extra sleep has been healing. He is more awake and alert – able to make decisions that need to be made. He was able to apply for Radiology school. He passed all the tests – so much so, he can skip all the math classes! I was impressed. He was told recently that he has been accepted into the school. The VA has a program that helps disabled veterans go to school so they can work. The next step is for him to start classes and training to be an X-Ray technician. While his ongoing health issues have been a long battle, some good things are happening, too. He is getting different treatment from a new neurologist which is helping and physical therapy is going well. Our Jonathan is still working as the volunteer curator at the Historical Society and loves helping others research their family and local history. He was hired initially to organize the archives, but because he is the only one working in the Burges House, he is secretary, researcher, and tour guide.

As far as I am concerned, I am doing ok – tired, but ok. Simplicity is key with “just baggage enough” for the day. I am content with the cooler weather when soups and stews are just right for long, busy days. I am thankful for a bit of time to be creative to make cards as I can. I love doing it! I am grateful for stray gifts in my path which cause me to stop in awe and reflect on God’s care for us all.

The latest of my stray gifts to share:

Gifts Inside (Left to right): 1) Along with getting rid of things not needed anymore, we have been doing a bit of updating in the house. Last month, my dad re-stained all the kitchen and bathroom cabinets and they all look brand new! 2) Cooler weather is here which is perfect for soups and homemade bread. 3) Cozy spaces in the house 4) I bought 2 gallons of milk that had close expiration dates. Instead of pouring the soon-to-expire milk, I made yogurt with one of the gallons.

Gifts Outside (left to right): 1) We participated in a local historic neighborhood’s Tour of Homes. One of the homes is the Burges House where Jonathan works. The yard is very well kept and it is a pleasant place to walk around. John was feeling well enough, the weather was great, and we enjoyed seeing the inside of a few spectacular homes. 2) White mums are blooming. These were bought on clearance a few years ago. 3) We’ve had Morning Glories galore this year. 4) Out of a packet of wildflower seeds, only a few have taken root. I saw this pretty little Zinnia this morning.

The Door Marked “Pull”

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Push will get a person almost anywhere – except through a door marked Pull.

Author Unknown

When I fail to let God be God, when I disregard the belief that He is in control and that He has a plan, I push through the door of discontentment. Living in the city, there is a lot of pushing – people pushing through the stores and through traffic – always in a state of hurry. It is difficult to not feel bullied or pushed along with everyone else. Interestingly enough, those who push through traffic and are doing all the hurrying- they don’t get very far. I usually see them in the same traffic jam up ahead or waiting with me at the same stop light.

When I try to push through God’s way of waiting on Him, I push away the blessings He has in store. When I am asked to choose the door marked “pull”, I am given the opportunity to open the door toward me to enter into a place of peace. God never promises a life with no pain and no hardship. They are a part of life because our bodies are not perfect and they tend to fail – some faster than others. God offers sufficient grace because His strength is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). Through this challenging time with John’s health issues, I have to ask myself if I am pushing against God with an impatient spirit. Do I pray in exasperation trying to persuade Him to hurry up and heal, to provide solutions, and to get us back to some sort of ‘normal’ life?

“I am learning that when we say yes to God and let go of the need for certainty, that doesn’t mean he’ll grant our every wish or provide rescue with instant security. God cares more about our transformation into his image than immediate relief. His plans are good and often broader than we imagine.”
-Shelly Miller, Rhythms of Rest

“God cares more about our transformation into his image than immediate relief”. That gets to me. I hear that. I need to remember that.

What we pour into our soul today may seem inconsequential, yet it will provide a stabilizing anchor for the future.

Shelly MIller, Rhythms of Rest

What I pour into my soul today – rest, assurance, trust – results in stability of heart and mind no matter what His plans are for the future.

The Spare Moments

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Fill up the spare moments of your life with praise and thanksgiving.

Sarah Young

I like to read about efficiency. I enjoy watching YouTube videos about cleaning and organization. The topic of ‘minimalism’ has been of great interest to me in the last few years and I especially like Joshua Becker. Recently in his video, “20 1-Minute Habits to Keep Your Home Clutter Free”, he said, “Clutter free living is more than a project, it is a process.” Sometimes, the house and yard work can feel overwhelming. When I break a lot of it down into one minute tasks, they are a lot more manageable. Wipe down the counter, shred the junk mail, empty small trash cans throughout the house, sweep the front walkway, replace bathroom towels with clean ones, put away dishes – all tasks that can be done quickly when I purpose to do it. It came to mind recently that the one minute moments, the spare moments, can also be used to offer a quick praise, to read a few Bible verses, to pray for the family member or friend who has been on my mind. It declutters the mind and makes room for rest. Spiritual growth is more than a “project” we aim to achieve, it is a process of making good decisions in every opportunity of the day.

In spare moments, too, don’t forget to look for stray gifts!

Stray Gifts Outside: Alyssums are one of my favorite flowers. They smell like honeysuckle and are fairly easy to maintain. Not all are doing well in the heat this year, though, but this one is doing ok so far. • Our new passionflower vines are stretching quite nicely over the new netting we bought for support. • Our tiny tomatoes are coming in and they are delicious!

Stray Gifts Inside: Although meat prices have gone up, a local family owned butcher business we like to buy from is keeping their prices the same as they have been. • Pothos seems to be the magic plant I am able to keep alive for years on end. I have quite a few in various stages of growth in different places in the house. I am experimenting with ivy and spider plants (again). We’ll see what happens.

Stray Gifts Not Pictured: I lost my address book last week. I could not find it anywhere in the house or in the car. I went back to the postal annex thinking maybe I had left it there when I mailed a few cards out to a friend. Sure enough, an employee found it on the counter and put it in a safe place. Whew! • A yellow butterfly has been hanging around the yard lately. It was fluttering outside the kitchen window the other day – so much so, I felt it wanted me to stop and watch it. So I did. • Jonathan brought all of our clean laundry upstairs without me asking for his help (it took several trips). I didn’t even know he had done it until I went to bring them up myself later that evening. • A ladder was in the middle of the highway one day and I just “happened’ to be in the lane where I could avoid running into it. I guess it fell off the back of a truck sometime during the day. • A new (to us) neurologist listened to John during his appointment and really showed she cared. She is changing up his medicine for his migraines. It will take a few months to wean off the old and get used to the new, but she offered hope for better days. An appointment is coming up for John with a pain management specialist. This doctor is the one who has helped my dad with his back issues for years – and he is amazing. We are so glad the VA approved the consult. • And last, but not least, there was a bit of rain one night this week. It didn’t last long, but we enjoyed watching it come down for a bit.