Baby Steps in Quilting

As some of you may know, I have a desire to learn how to quilt.  I have always thought quilts are so beautiful, and each one tells a story.  They can be made with so many different fabrics, colors and sizes; no two quilts look quite the same.  I was in college when quilting first caught my attention.  My dear friend Megan is an excellent quilter and has made many quilts.  A couple years ago she gave me one as a gift, and it is still very special to me.  Well, this past week was my first baby step in learning how to quilt.  There is a woman in Sanborn that Dan's family knows, and she has owned a quilting store for many years and is an excellent seamstress.  I spent a couple hours with her, and she layed down the basics of quilting for me and recommended certains tools, fabrics and techniques to use with quilting.  She had me try several things and use her different sewing machines.  It was so fun, and I can't wait to buy a few things and get started!  She encouraged me to come back when I have the supplies and she can teach me a few more things.  Also, I don't have a sewing machine yet, so I won't be getting too far without borrowing hers :)

This is the quilt that Megan made for me :)

 Last week we had a few visitors to our apartment.  Rebecca, Alissa (our cousins on Dan's side) and Dan's brother Derek came to talk, play and eat cookies for an afternoon :)  And Alethia, Rebecca's daughter, came too!  It was great to spend time together and visit for awhile.

 

 

Rebecca and Alethia

Alethia had on the most interesting outfit.... bunnies and penguins :)
 

Today I made a loaf of beer bread.  It is very simple to make and has a sweet, soft inside with a light crust on the top.  Here is the recipe if you would like to try it:

-3 cups self-rising flour
(make your own self-rising flour by adding 1 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp salt per each cup of flour)
-1/2 cup sugar
-1 can beer (12 oz)

Mix ingredients together and bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.  Then remove and spread 1 T butter on top of loaf and put back in oven for 3 more minutes.

 

 

Beer Bread

Lastly, I would like to share a verse from scripture that has been encouraging to me over the past few weeks.  James 1:5-6 says, "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.  But let him ask in faith with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind."  Are any of us in need of God's wisdom?  I think we all are.  Then this verse stands as a command to look to God for his wisdom instead of relying on our own.  May we ask for this wisdom with confidence supported by faith in God's grace, for God surely does not back out on his promises.  By refusing to ask my heavenly Father for this wisdom, it shows that I think I don't need it, that I can figure things out on my own.  Nothing could be farther from the truth!  It is my prayer that God will work his Spirit within each of us to ask daily for this wisdom.

With love,
Leah

Arizona

Today I am writing from Grandpa and Grandma VanderWilt's patio in Green Valley, Arizona!  Dan and I have been thoroughly enjoying our spring break here.  When we first arrived the weather was a little chilly... here that means anything lower than 70 degrees.  It has warmed up nicely to the 80's so we have spent plenty of time reading/studying outside, sitting at the pool, and going for golf cart rides.  Last year we made this same trip, only then we were with Tim and Carrie also.  We went on a hike with them on Mt. Wrightson which has an elevation of 9,452 ft, and made it about to the 7,000 ft mark.  Well, this year Dan and I were feeling adventurous, so we got up early this morning and hiked all the way to the top! It took us over 6 hours, and we are already feeling a little achy from the trip, but it was well worth it :)  The weather was beautiful and the views along the way and at the summit were stunning.

Dan and Grandpa spent one morning at the Titan Missile Museum.  The Titan II is the largest thermo-nuclear missile that the U.S. has ever developed.  There were 54 missile sites in the U.S., but in the 1980's they destroyed them to cut military costs.  This one, by Tucson is the only one left intact as a national historical museum.  Grandma and I decided that a little shopping would suit our taste better :)

It has been such a delight to spend time with Grandpa and Grandma.  We have had lots of laughs, lots of good food and wine, and have gained a lot of wisdom from these two snow birds :)  What a rich blessing it is to be with them, and it makes us look forward to a couple months from now when we will be moving down to Pella where they live.

Here are some pictures from our trip:

The first warm day!

Reading in the sun...one of my favorite activities from our trip.

Grilled ribs for Sunday dinner. Yum!

Taking the golf cart for a spin.

24 hour clock at the museum.

The Titan II missile is 10 ft in diameter and 103 ft in height.

Half-way to the top of Mt Wrightson.. still smiling!

About 0.9 miles from the top. This is the view to the east where there was a fire 2 years ago.

It takes a manly husband to wear a fanny pack!

At the top!

What a breath-taking view!

At the top we took a few pictures, had a snack and then started the (much easier) hike back down.

May the Lord bless you and keep you!

With love,
Leah

Some Thoughts on Technology

Greetings to all!

Apparently I told Leah that if she started a blog I would help her out and write my own posts every once in a while. Well, she decided to hold me to that this week! So here goes my first attempt at blogging....

The other day in my personal finance class we had a guest speaker come and talk to us about ways to wisely handle our finances. One thing she talked about was the difference between cash, debit cards, and credit cards. One major distinction between them is that both cash and debit cards are limited by how much money you have in your possession (whether in your wallet or in your bank account), but credit cards have no such limit. Yes, you can put a limit on how much you can put on your credit card in one month, but you don’t actually have to be in possession of that money in order to spend it. Noting that this was a danger sign, but also recognizing its value, the lady said, “In and of themselves credit cards are just a piece of plastic. They’re neutral. It’s how you use them that can make them good or bad.”

Really? Are credit cards simply neutral? Consider the common pitch-line that credit card companies throw out to customers to reel them in: “Have it now. Pay for it later.” Is that a neutral statement? I would argue that it is not at all neutral – it is full of values. The most obvious one is the value of “having things now” which is translated as instant gratification. Another value imbedded in that statement is that people should have things even though they can’t afford them. Knowing that the average American household credit card debt is over $7,000 is enough to convince me that many people are affected by marketing that says “you need our product now in order to be happy” even when they can’t afford those products.

As Christians I think this is something we need to be very aware of and cautious about. I have yet to find a place in the Bible where instant gratification and consumerism are encouraged. The values that a credit card holds are values that we should be avoiding, not embracing. Now I don’t think this means that Christians should not have credit cards. I myself have one and use it quite regularly for gas and groceries. What I think is important is that we as Christians recognize the values that we welcome into our lives. When we sign up for a credit card we are inviting the values of the credit card into our wallets and purses. Of course it is possible to use the credit card responsibly, but the very nature of the credit card encourages irresponsibility. In the words of one of my professors, the credit card is something we need to “use with caution”.

Obviously this is an issue that applies to more than credit cards. Everything we use in our lives contains values. Here are a few more examples:

·                         Vehicles: we ought to be able to go wherever we want whenever we want.

·                        TV’s: we ought to have access to entertainment whenever we want.

·                        Microwaves: we ought to be able to cook our food as fast as possible.

·                        Cell phones: we ought to be able to contact whoever we want whenever we want.

I should apologize right now for wording everything so far in a negative way. I wanted to stir up a little bit of uncomfortableness at first. ;) Here are all the same technologies with a positive value.

·                         Credit cards: we ought to have a safe and convenient way to spend money wherever we are.

·                         Vehicles: we ought to have a safe and easy way of travelling to see family.

·                         TV’s: we ought to have access to relevant news, weather, and sports information.

·                         Microwaves: we ought to be able to cook our food more efficiently than in an oven.

·                         Cell phones: we ought to be able to make emergency contact wherever we are.

As you can see, every technology we use in our lives has both positive and negative values. I think it is important for us as Christians to take advantage of the positive blessings technologies can bring us, and do whatever we can to limit the impact that the negative values have on us. It is my prayer that we can glorify God through the way that we use the technologies that He has blessed us with.

 Sorry I don't have any pictures to post with my blog...I guess my life is pretty boring! I hope you all have a great week and a blessed Lord's Day tomorrow!

Until next time,

Daniel