Inspiration
This is another series that I have been wanting to make a regular part of this blog. I want to acknowledge the people and ideas and things that are inspiring me. In this post, I want to highlight three women who have inspired and challenged me in different areas of my life.
StephSewn
I came across Steph Sewn on YouTube from her series on sewing active wear. I stayed and subscribed because I find her videos informative, entertaining, and well done. I have learned a lot about fabrics and pattern companies from watching her videos. She also shares insights on other aspects of making, such as the pressure we put on ourselves about our makes, and how we can approach our making practically and realistically. I recommend checking out these videos:
Stress-Free Sewing & Knitting Gift Guide
Sewing Activewear | Fabric & Technical Tips
TyeDye Diva
Trisha Bullock, TyeDye Diva came across my feed through her journaling, knitting, and crochet content. However, some of her most enjoyable videos have been her vlogs that cover a wide variety of topics and interests. She also shares honestly about her experiences and the things that are impacting her. The honesty and relatability are refreshing, and she has such a calm and soothing manner.
Knitting, Cooking, Fountain Pens and such
Collage Journal Collab with Helen Colebrook
Priscilla Shirer
Priscilla Shirer is a speaker, teacher, and author who focuses on Biblical topics. She has also acted in several Christian films, including "War Room". Her writing and teaching has challenged me to go deeper in my walk with Christ.
I would recommend her "Armor of God" Bible Study series as well as the book "Fervent" for anyone wanting to check out her writing.
“I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it.”
Differences
I have been extremely hesitant to wade into what's going on right now, but there's a lot of hate going around. From everyone. Every direction. So here's a bit of truth. We need each other. We need to hear different voices, opinions, and ideas. We need to hear about different peoples' experiences.
What we can no longer be is so threatened by a view or belief that's different from our own that we retreat to hate and ignorance. This is an unpopular opinion, but I've found that the more angry or defensive someone gets about having their beliefs and views challenged, the less confident they are in those beliefs. So in order to challenge myself and my beliefs and in order to solidify them, I'm going to be presenting some views that hopefully challenge us all as a society.
Recently one of the YouTube channels I follow, DamiLee, did a video on a Japanese robot cafe called Dawn. Humanoid Robots Are Taking Jobs—But This One’s Giving Them Back This video brought me to tears. In the end, the video was about giving people hope, and purpose, and even a future, through robotics.
At this cafe, robots called "OriHime" are controlled by people who would not otherwise have the ability to work due to various disabilities. From their website:
"Our“Avatar Robot Cafe DAWN ver.β” is a permanent experimental cafe operated by OryLab Inc, where people who have difficulty going out for various reasons remotely operate our avatar robots OriHime and OriHime-D from their homes and hospitals, to provide services.
We aim to achieve a new form of social participation through the use of technology.
Please visit our cafe to see what the future has to offer for all of us.
Come and join us!" AVATAR ROBOT CAFE DAWN 2021
But back to the original video. One of the concepts that Dami highlights is called the "curb cut effect", which is the concept that features or functions put in place to help one group of people often end up helping a wider portion of the population. In other words, by being inclusive of one group, we end up helping others as well.
“Having a choice is what puts everyone on an equal plane.”
Towards the end of the video is a screen with photos or avatars of individuals whose lives have been changed because they now have an opportunity and a choice to interact with a wider society that would normally never be open to them. They have a purpose that may not have been possible for them to visualize before. This is inclusion. This is what we should all strive for.
Inclusion is more than just a letter in a three-letter acronym. It's about viewing everyone as worthy of having a choice. It's about seeing everyone as a person with a unique perspective, thoughts, and feelings. It's about seeing value in all people, not just the ones who look like us, think like us, believe like us. Inclusion enriches our lives and relationships and allows us to meet people we may never have met otherwise.
I encourage you to check out Dami's video and the cafe. And if you're ever in Tokyo, maybe find time for a visit. And finally, take some time to consider how you can practice inclusion in your own life.
“Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
’Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!’ cries she
With silent lips. ‘Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!’”
Setting a Different Tone
I took some time to figure out where I wanted to go from Advent. In the end I decided to continue with the original intent of the blog, which was to cover a wider range of content. To that end, I decided this week to write a post that will hopefully be somewhat interesting, while being helpful to me at the same time.
One of the struggles that nearly every crafter faces is the mountain of unfinished projects that can pile up over time. We may lose interest, get frustrated, not have the materials or not have the skillset to finish a project, so it gets put away in the Work In Progress (WIP) pile. Mine is so large that I can't manage it any longer and need to work through some of these before starting anything new. So I have decided to start a monthly series where I choose several projects to focus on for the month. Then in my next project post, I'll update on my progress and also choose something to replace a finished project if there are any. So without further ado.....
Project 1: Tytka Studios backpack
For this project I need to sew the straps onto the back piece, sew the back to the front, finish that seam and attach the hardware. It shouldn't take too long, but several of the steps are things I haven't done too often.
Project 2: Quiet book page
This is such a quick finish, and I might actually have it done before this post goes live, but life has been a bit chaotic, so I added it here. All that's left to do is sew on the binding and then put in the holes and grommets for the quiet book.
Project 3: Imagine our Life Continents of the World Animals and Landmarks
This project is going to take longer to finish, but I'd like to make progress on it each month. This month I'm working on the North American animals and landmarks. Ideally, I'll be able to get one to two continents completed per month.
Mending & Fixing:
Finally, there is the general mending and fixing. I have two stuffies, one of which needs a little more stuffing in the neck in addition to the seam repair. And I need to replace the battery in our Yoto Mini.
Well, I think that's enough to accomplish for one month in addition to other tasks and goals. What projects are you hoping to work on this month? I'd enjoy hearing what's in your queue.
“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you except to be just, and to love [and to diligently practice] kindness (compassion), and to walk humbly with your God [setting aside any overblown sense of importance or self-righteousness]?”
Day of the Innocents
Even in the midst of the joy of the Christmas season, there is time to remember the darkness that is inflicted on our most vulnerable. Our children, our innocents. This day marks Herod's decree to murder all male children under the age of two in an effort to kill the Messiah, who he viewed as a threat to his power.
Too often the innocent are forgotten. Those who are most vulnerable to victimization and neglect are the ones left behind, belittled, pushed aside. They are sacrificed on the altar of self-interest, selfishness, and greed. We scream about our rights at the cost of our children's innocence. We take our vengeance on the innocents. We act without thought or compunction, considering them unfortunate "collateral damage".
We sit on our thrones of moral superiority in the throne room of righteous indignation built from the stones of grievance. We make grand proclamations and edicts while the innocent pay the true costs. We proclaim meaningless platitudes of "thoughts and prayers", yet are unwilling to enact meaningful change to protect those most in need of protection. We rob them of what little safety net they have to fill our coffers and consider our own wealth and comfort while they sit cold and starving.
“Why do I have to repent or ask for forgiveness, if I am not making mistakes? I work hard, I’m an honorable person.”
As Christians, it's easy to place the blame on God being taken out of our schools. Yet if we truly look at what's happening, God has been removed from our homes and our churches, unseated by the god of self and the cult of personality. It is time for us to repent of the sins we commit and our violation of the Commandments: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself.
We need to begin viewing people with the heart and eyes of Christ. He loves everyone, regardless of their background and experiences. For God so loved the world; not just the Christians, not just the Jews, not just the people who dress right and say the right things - the world. I don't have all the answers, and I'm still figuring out how I can be effective. I am speaking to myself with these words as much as I'm putting them out for other people to see.
There have been too many incidents too close to home for me this year. I am angry, and you should be, too. I try really hard not to be political, because it is often the problem, not the solution, but I am tired of our children bearing the brunt of our politics. If you're not happy with the rhetoric out of your state legislature or the federal legislature, vote for people who will actually govern. Use your voice to call for real conversations. Pester your state and federal representatives about talking across the aisle and developing real solutions TOGETHER.
Vote for a third party candidate or write-in. That is not throwing away your vote, it's making a conscious decision to give our current political structure a vote of no-confidence. The two main parties have no interest in the people they govern, but only in the advancement of a self-serving agenda. This will not change until we take action at the polls.
When we view each other as Republicans and Democrats, liberals and conservatives, we act only in the interest of that specific party or ideology. Children are not and should never be Republicans or Democrats. They are CHILDREN. Yet they have more maturity, ability to admit wrongs, and willingness to change than our politicians who are willfully ignorant and knowingly amoral.
I don't know where we go from here, but I do know that if we don't start proposing solutions and trying them, things will never change. Personally, I will be searching for organizations and people who are actively working to protect our innocents and finding out what I can do to help.
And next year, when I post on this day, I am holding myself to the commitment of posting options and solutions, and highlighting those who are making a difference.
Celebration
Happy Christmas! We have reached the culmination of advent and celebrate the beginning of a new season. My hope for you today is that you have someone with whom to share the joy of the day. Enjoy those special traditions and celebrations that are part of your culture and family. Spend time connecting with others through these traditions and celebrations. Even if you don't celebrate Christmas itself, there are other ways to celebrate connection and the turning of the season.
Many pagan cultures celebrated the waning of the year and rebirth of the next at the winter solstice and Yule. Some of these traditions have been incorporated into modern Christmas celebrations, including the traditions of candles, feasting, drinking toasts, and singing. As I was researching some of the controversy that surrounds this aspect of Christmas celebrations, I recalled this passage from CS Lewis in The Last Battle:
“Therefore if any man swear by Tash and keep his oath for the oath’s sake, it is by me that he has truly sworn, though he know it not, and it is I who reward him. And if any man do a cruelty in my name, then, though he says the name Aslan, it is Tash whom he serves and by Tash his deed is accepted”
I can see how this statement could be problematic from a theological perspective. However, it does add nuance to what is often viewed as a very black and white issue in Christian circles. Personally, I do not have an issue with respecting cultural celebrations that are done in honor and respect and that promote connection in a way that is not harmful to others. When we take time to speak with others with the intent of understanding, we can find common ground with those who are different from us.
Today, find common ground in your celebrations and feasting. Set aside your differences in the spirit of the season. You may discover something that surprises and inspires you.
Happy Christmas to you all.
Welcome to Our World
“So wrap our injured flesh around you, breathe our air and walk our sod.”
This song has been on repeat in my head this advent as we journeyed through the darkness, pain, and brokenness toward the glimmer of light and love. The first announcements and celebrations of a savior didn't come to the wealthy but to the lowly. The ones who experienced the miraculous that day were the ones that were left out in the cold. The people who had room for wonder and awe are also the ones who made room for the savior. The simple moments and experiences of their lives were interrupted, and the shepherds became the first messengers carrying the good news.
There is something encouraging in the miraculous coming to the everyday. There were no special preparations to be made, no ceremonies or chants, just a willingness to experience something new and listen to the words of a stranger. We can carry that willingness to experience the unexpected and joyful with us through the season of Christmas and the rest of the year.
On this last day of advent, we finish our preparations and begin our celebrations for Christmas. Most stores are closing early. Families are gathering to spend time together and exchange gifts. Churches are preparing their Christmas Eve services and live nativities. The pomp and circumstance of Christmas have arrived. Yet in the middle of all that is the simplicity of the nativity.
While introspection and reflection move to the background to make room for celebration, we should not leave them completely behind. Take a few moments to consider where you were last year and how that has changed this year. Celebrations and festivals are fabulous ways to mark time and changes because they are consistent events in our lives.
Be a messenger of hope, peace, joy, and love this Christmas, sharing these moments with others around us and spreading this message far and wide. Intentionally focus on the good and the positive this season and invite others to do the same.
Potential
I have to admit that I am looking forward to the completion of this advent series and the relative rest of the Christmas season. Through the process of writing these posts, I have had to confront areas of weakness in my own life, areas where I've failed, and areas where I don't measure up. Not to others' expectations of me, or even to overly high expectations I hold for myself. I don't measure up to my potential.
Yet this is the beauty of the "already-but-not-yet" that has been a theme through "Shadow and Light". We can look at our present circumstances and realize that while we are not where we want to be, we have the opportunity to get there. The challenge is in being aware enough of what we are comparing ourselves to that we can evaluate effectively and honestly.
This is a hidden value of rhythms and traditions in our lives. They give us the opportunity and the permission to look both behind and ahead without any baggage attached. They give us expected times to reflect on how far we've come as well as assess how we can push and challenge ourselves to more fully fulfill our potential.
I know that this year I will be taking more time for real reflection, writing it down so I can look back at how far I've come. Because we will never know how far we've come unless we document where we are right now. I have come a long way, but I don't really see that because I don't record it for myself.
Take some time this season to write down some thoughts about where you are right now and what you think your potential is. Then make a reminder to take that out and look at it again in a year to gauge your progress. Who knows, but this time next year, you may even have increased your view of your potential as you discover your worth.
Worth
We are just three days from Christmas, and the days are beginning to get longer in the Northern Hemisphere. It's not noticeable yet, but the darkness is beginning to recede in the face of the light. Yet even in the darkness, the dimmest light serves to light the path in front of us. The smallest light can bring relief in overwhelming darkness.
So much of this Advent reflection has revolved around light. The weeks of Advent are symbolized by and increasing number of candles, meaning that each week gets a little bit brighter than the last as we move toward Christmas. We have navigated through Hope, Peace, and Joy to arrive at Love.
Over the past several services at church, a repeating theme has been Worth. Many of us struggle with finding our value, our worth. We will belittle ourselves and sell ourselves short. Imposter Syndrome and comparison make it easy to feel that we don't have the skills, or anything new to contribute.
When we consider love, it is often in terms of others. Are we showing them love, are they showing us love and acceptance. In some ways, it's taboo to consider whether or not we show ourselves love and acceptance. But it's something we must consider. We know our own weaknesses and failings, the wounds and scars we carry.
The reality of who we are can be dark. The ugliness and brokenness can be overwhelming. But as we walk from Hope to Love, we can take that step to love ourselves, showing the unconditional love we all seek. We can take the first step in believing that we are worthy of love. Not just the love of other people, but the love and compassion we can offer ourselves.
Penelope discovered this in the 2006 movie "Penelope". Under a curse, she was so focused on finding someone to love her for who she was, it wasn't until the prince she sought turned out to be an illusion that she discovered that she didn't need a prince to love her and break the curse, she needed to love herself.
We find ourselves in the same dilemma. We look outside ourselves to find love and discover our worth. Yet so often the answer begins with the one closest to us: ourselves. We must find a way to accept that we are worthy of love, we are worthy of compassion, we are worthy of joy, we are worthy of good things.
“You thought I was worth saving”
As a Christian, I also need to look to God to find my worth. He valued us enough to come to earth and experience our pain, joys, and sorrows, and to ultimately be a covering for our sins, and healing for our hurts. Yet so often I fail to look to Him and just see myself falling short.
As we make the transition to Christmastide, my goal is to begin to see myself not through my flawed vision, but through the lens of the God who loved me enough to be my Savior.
Making a Christmas to Enjoy
As we wind down this season of advent reflections, we begin to look ahead to Christmas. The excitement is building, plans are coming to fruition, last-minute gifts are still being purchased. Gifts are being wrapped and exchanged, Christmas cards are written and sent out. We are barreling toward the day.
Yet for all the preparation, the celebration goes past in the blink of an eye. How can we extend the season rather than attempting to cram everything into such a compacted frame of time. The answer lies in part in extending the holiday, but in a way that's not cramming more and more in, but in a way that brings peace and space for deep contentment and enjoyment.
While we sing about the 12 days of Christmas, we don't really put them into practice any longer, at least in the social circles and cultures I am closest to. In this way we do ourselves a disservice. We lose the flow of work and rest, the space for both joy and solemnity.
This is something our family will be doing this year, slowing down and extending the celebrations. I don't completely know what that looks like for us, but do have some plans. I will be spending more time focusing on my family and friends, and resting. With snow on the ground, I'm also looking at ways to get back outside to enjoy the snow.
Create space for rest this season. Be intentional about spreading out the celebrations in a way that brings peace and joy. Be a counterpoint to hustle culture.
The Year Without Christmas
This time two years ago was not a good time for our family. We had lost my maternal grandmother just prior to Thanksgiving, which we were still processing, and my dad had found out he needed bypass surgery. Surgery was scheduled for December 20, and while we knew it was a major surgery, there was nothing that made us overly concerned. We anticipated probably spending at least some part of Christmas in the hospital as dad recovered, but nothing too worrying.
Surgery itself went well, but recovery was another story. As dad got further along in recovery, he actually started doing worse instead of better, until he could no longer move his left side. At that point in time they believed he had had a major stroke and were telling us that he was likely to be paralyzed on his left side. Then the seizures started.
The good thing about the seizures is that they showed that his left side was moving, which caused them to reevaluate the situation. As they got the seizures under control, he started moving along in recovery and everything started looking better. Until it became more evident that he was struggling with spatial recognition, writing, reading, and spatial recall.
On top of the roller coaster of emotions and recovery was the struggle of how to tell my not quite 2 year old son that his favorite person, his grampy, was sick, and we weren't sure how much better he would get. I cried for at least two days for what they both could lose.
We found a Little Golden Book of the Christmas story for my dad to read for the family on Christmas. That was probably the most poignant reading of the the Christmas story I have heard, as my dad struggled to read it, but yet wanted to participate in what is an annual tradition for our family. We did have another setback after that as his brain was healing and remaking connections, which made December 25 a not fun day.
We call it the year without Christmas because the whole season was so disjointed that we never had a proper Christmas celebration. We would open gifts with different people when we had the chance, but never really got anything fully together.
Yet in all of that, I believe we saw a Christmas miracle. Today my dad is fully recovered and would never know from talking to him that he had ever dealt with that type of recovery. There is no physical sign of the stroke, even in his brain. He and my son carry out their merry mischief-making, building tracks for various vehicles and finding new objects to turn into Hot Wheels tracks.
I want to encourage you today, that even when things look bleak, there is still space for a miracle this season. Regardless of your beliefs, be willing to make room for the good. Be open to the possibility that things can change for the better.