A Birthday Quilt for Beth

June 20, 2011 12:30 AM 10

I wanted to do something very special this year for Beth Moore’s birthday. God has used Beth to teach, encourage, and equip me as a pastor’s wife, as a mom, and as a woman for the past 13 years…  I could never repay her or thank her, but I wanted to try.  A few months ago my bff Lanie and I attended a beginning quilting class together.  We had a blast! I did not win any “best of class” awards, but I discovered that I really loved quilting.  So I decided to make a quilt for Beth for her birthday. It is flawed just like me, but I somehow knew that Beth wouldn’t mind my mistakes. She’s the real deal.

Here I am in class at the quilt shop (the shop is called A Scarlet Thread  and is owned by Christians). Beth’s quilt pattern is called “Take 5” because there are 5 coordinating fabrics and each fabric is in the block in five varying positions throughout the quilt.  I think that’s what the instructor said…remember, I am a beginner.

Here are the five different fabrics in the quilt.  I sent an email to Nancy Mattingly (I met her at the So Long Insecurity Conference and LOVED her) at Living Proof Ministries to ask her what colors Beth liked…and she said “pink.”  So I bought fabric that had lots of pink!  The material is called “In the Garden.” (Now there’s a subject I know and love, gardening!) But I did have a blast learning to quilt. It’s just hard for me to be still that long.

My sweet husband set up tables for me in our living room so I could lay the quilt out to baste and get ready to quilt…there is a label on the back with a note from me for Beth!

It wishes sweet Beth a Happy Birthday and reminds her that she is “covered in His love.”
Here is the Birthday Girl and her beautiful office manager Sabrina Moore, holding up the quilt. Beth was sweet enough to let me know that she had received her quilt. (In fact both Sabrina & Evangeline at LPM went out of the way to let me know the quilt had arrived. Beth’s staff serve with hearts of gold!) I hope that every time she snuggles for a nap or takes some Sabbath rest, Beth will feel just how much I love her! God has used her ministry to bless me, and I have attempted to bless other women as I serve in women’s ministry at my church out of the overflow of His grace in my life. 

I am so thankful that we are all covered in His love!  Happy Birthday Bethie! 🙂
Jan

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June 20, 2011 12:30 AM 10

1,000 GIFTS, #171 to #188

May 31, 2011 2:18 AM 3
Multitude Monday ~ May 30th, Memorial Day – Counting Gifts to 1,000
171. A bouquet of hydrangeas cut from my garden for a friend.
172. Fresh blueberries in my yogurt…from my garden…picked by my husband. Sweetness. 
173. Some good conversation with my mother, in the car, uninterrupted.
174. A new sewing machine – makes quilting a dream.  Speaking of quilts…
175. My quilt – almost finished except for the binding.
176. A series of messages by our Interim Pastor on family living – so refreshingly practical, biblical, expository preaching at its best.  Thank you Rev. Joel Southerland!
177. Pecans toasting in the oven. I sent a box to Paige Greene for her birthday. Buttery, salty goodness!
178. A great time in the Word of God. Habakukk 3:17-19. Within the span of a few minutes, this passage came to me from two entirely different sources, I sat up and paid attention!
179. My son Jeremy, grandson Zeke, and husband Gary picked these blackberries on our farm and I made a blackberry cobbler for Memorial Day dessert today.
180. Celebrating my youngest grandchild’s birthday this past week. Jackson is the son of my youngest son and daughter-in-law. Here he is getting some birthday love from Daddy & Mommy!
181. A nest of Brown Thrasher eggs in the tea olive bush by my back door. This is the official state bird of Georgia. 🙂
182. My oldest son and his wife celebrated 7 years of marriage on May 22.  They are a blessing to my heart. He is a pastor and they have two wonderful children who bring Gran Jan’s Joy to life!
183.  Our pond at dusk. My favorite time of day.
184. My husband and his associate, Rev. Dawson Hull both wore bowties to church yesterday…Gary in honor of an Air Force Colonel who gave him the tie. (Dawson wears them all the time.)  Everyone had a lot of fun with the “Bowtie Brothers.”
185. Our women’s ministry team wanted to set up a Facebook page, so we did. (It is going to be a great communication tool, already has been.) This required me to get back on Facebook after a 6 month break away. I learned a lot during my time away, especially that just like everything, balance is the key. Priorities – Jesus first.
186. It is daylily season here in Georgia and I love to check my garden every morning to see what’s blooming.  Some beauties are – that’s for sure.JMM 024
187. Today would have been the 87th birthday of our pastor of many, many years – Rev. Rastus Salter. We esteemed him greatly.  He was a great man of God. He served our church for almost 50 years. What a heritage of faith. Gary and I had the honor to serve with him for almost 20 years.
188.  Lastly I would like to share a picture I took early this morning here at the Farm. My Dad is a retired Marine and Vietnam War Veteran.  He proudly maintains these flags and they fly every day. I am so thankful to have been raised in a military family and we live in a military town today.  I thank God for all the women and men who gave the supreme sacrifice in service to our great country.  God Shed His Grace on Thee.
Much love to all!

God Bless America. 

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May 31, 2011 2:18 AM 3

1,000 GIFTS, #130 to #152

May 10, 2011 2:44 AM 1
I have not posted on “Multitude Mondays” in a multitude of Mondays, but I’m back and thankful to be here. Life is good but life is busy. I promise I’ve been counting all along the way…and really can affirm that this counting grace gifts has become a habit. A good habit. A way to bring perspective to my day, even to my “situation.”  Blessed.
130. I had a great checkup from my new young doctor, “Dr. Young.” I told him I wanted a young doc to get me to my senior years and his name was a plus! 🙂
131. Celebrating my youngest sister’s birthday April 8th. Peggy Jo was born on Good Friday back in 1966 when I was 8 years old…she’s a sweetheart.
132. Having all the pastors and their wives over to our home for a meal and sweet fellowship a couple of weekends ago…priceless, theraputic, and just plain FUN!
133. Celebrating my Dad’s 77th birthday on April 29th.  “Captain Tom” is a Vietnam War Veteran, a retired Career Marine and one of the finest men I know. I love you Dad.
134. Surprising my sweet Mother-in-law with a visit! She was so excited and apologized for not having her “face fixed.” (Meaning no makeup…she is 88 years old – I love that!)
135. I have finished my quilt top! My bff Lanie and I are taking a quilting class on Tuesday evenings. We have so enjoyed our class, but the fellowship in the car during our commute to and from the quilt shop is an added bonus (we drive for over an hour to our class site).  There’s nothing like good conversation with a trusted friend.  We always get Starbucks on the way home!
136. On Easter Sunday our choir did the most beautiful music and at the end of the song, a HUGE banner was unfurled…it simply said JESUS. I got to “pull the cord” to unfurl it from the choirloft…it was WAY overhead…very high. I have never been so excited in my life as I anticipated letting it go at just the right time…and I am thankful to say it was right on time!
137. Purple Martin birds coming to live in the big birdhouses we have up for them! They are migratory and they found us! 🙂
138. Speaking of birds…the hummingbirds are back…I so love them!
139. A great harvest of snow peas from my garden – delicious.
140. Beautiful tomato plants in the garden now…pictures soon!
141. This visitor on my patio the night before Easter…I am serious.
142. This is my youngest grandson, Jackson. He loves being outside and this picture has brought me a multitude of smiles…that is his momma, my sweet daughter-in-law Erin holding the hose for him.
143. A letter from my Compassion son, Iduar. He was thanking me for his birthday money. He bought tennis shoes. Remember the perspective I told you that this counting grace gifts brings? A little boy that lives in Colombia bought tennis shoes and he was so grateful. Speak LORD.
144. Coffee on the front porch with my grandson Zeke. It was a cool morning and we had our “blankies” and our coffee. I love when he spends the night with me and Pop!
145. Beautiful roses in my garden. My favorite of all is “Mr. Lincoln.” Smells divine.
146. The joy of praying for my dear friend in the fellowship of pastor’s wives, Lisa McKay, who weathered a tornado in the crawl space of her new home with her husband and four children. They are well and are ministering to their community in northeast Alabama. Go here to keep up with her. She is a treasure.
147. The joy of babysitting my little grandgirl recently, Miss Madie Ruth. She will be ONE YEAR OLD tomorrow and we had her birthday party this past Friday evening with a big family BBQ planned by my son and his wife…her parents. The weather was perfect and it was so much fun to be together to celebrate her life!
148. Rocks! Yes, rocks! Rocks to line my flowerbeds. Nice big beautiful rocks from “the Stone Mart” in town. They are beautiful and I plan to do a post soon about my garden because it is a work in progress and it is my happy place.
149. My husband and I took Dr. Robert Smith of Beeson Divinity School (Birmingham, AL – Samford University) and his wife Dr. Wanda Smith out to lunch last Sunday. It was pure JOY to sit with them and receive the wisdom they spoke into our lives. We are on “this side” of a rough season in ministry, but God is faithfully teaching us, and we are receiving all He has for us.
150. We have blueberries on our farm and the earliest varieties are bearing now. They are HUGE (that is a quarter next to the blueberry I picked this evening). I had the best time teaching Zeke which ones to pick! He kept saying, “don’t pick the green ones Gran Jan…they will hurt your belly.”  🙂
151. Celebrating Mother’s Day this past weekend with my boys and sweet daughters-in-law and grandblessings and then having my Mom and sister and her family for Sunday dinner yesterday. Besides knowing JESUS, being a Mom & Gran Jan has brought me more JOY than anything I’ve ever done!
152. The joy of singing a solo in church yesterday with the most wonderful choir in the universe! The song is “Saving Grace.” The second verse always *blesses* me so:
In this life before me, there are trials I must face.
But God has given all I need to finish out this race.
So when the earth’s foundations crumble,
there is refuge in His Hand,
and I will rest in this assurance,
that by His grace alone I’ll stand… 
Yes indeed, by His grace alone I’ll stand!
For ALL is GRACE – to Him alone be ALL glory!
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May 10, 2011 2:44 AM 1
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