I’ve got a new book out, We Shall Be Changed
… Well, not just me. Author, editor (and friend 
) Christy K. Robinson compiled this book of 365 devotionals for 2011. It’s a year’s worth of inspiring and uplifting stories from everyday life … and even quilting!
Read a sample devotional: That We May Be One
Visit Christy on her blog
Find We Shall Be Changed on Amazon
When I finished the final quilt block, I laid out all the pieces like a puzzle on the floor and stood back to view them. Squinting my eyes, I checked the composition. My daughter Annika stood beside me and studied the layout. “That one should be on the top and the top one should be on the bottom,” Annika declared.
“The first one is supposed to be on top,” I replied. Annika persisted, so we switched the arrangement around. I moved the two blocks, then a few others, and we came up with a much more dynamic composition as a result of our collaboration.
Since medieval times, artisans have joined together in guilds, which not only protect their mutual interests, but also provide a forum to exchange ideas, support, and advice. There are guilds for artists and writers, as well as piano technicians, automotive restorers, bread bakers, and handcrafted soap makers. There is also a quilting guild that meets close to my home. I, however, have not yet taken the time to join.
On the occasions when I am struggling by myself to master a new skill or agonizing over various compositions, I feel the void of a quilting community in my life. Sometimes I develop a new technique that I would love to share with others. Many times, though, I am too busy to notice what I am missing. Lucky for me, my daughter Annika has a good eye for design.
I can create impressive quilts on my own. But imagine how much more amazing my work could be if I had the support of a like-minded community. Think of the beginners that I could help through their struggles if I made the effort to join a guild.
We don’t have to stand alone in whatever we do. Quilters have guilds and Christians have churches where they support and encourage one another. This was Jesus’ prayer for all believers: “[I pray] that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” John 17:21 NIV. When Christians join together with each other and the Lord, there is nothing we can’t do!
UPDATE: This devotional essay is now available as part of a daily devotional book, We Shall Be Changed (Christy K. Robinson, editor, Review & Herald Publishing Association, 2010).
I contributed 31 essays to this book about spirituality, faith, family and daily living, three of which relate to quilting. This was my third devotional in the quilting series (read the first, The Humility Block and the second, The seam ripper).
The seam ripper is a modest but effective little tool. It can rip out errant seams, cut open buttonholes, and precisely guide tiny pieces of fabric under the sewing machine needle. It has a sharp point to cut wayward stitches and a smooth end to protect your project from tearing.
When I first began quilting I had no teacher, so I learned by trial and error. Some days I spent more time sewing in reverse with my seam ripper than forward with the machine! Now, though I am experienced, I still keep my seam ripper nearby. It helps hold the fabric in the right place, keeping my fingers clear of a sharp and dangerous needle. In addition, I do a lot of experimenting. Not all experiments turn out right the first time, so I need to remove many stitches.
I have learned to be careful not to misplace my seam ripper. Using other objects in its place is hazardous to fingers and projects.
When I find a mistake, it is tempting to ignore it in hope that the problem will simply go away. Stopping immediately and fixing the error with my seam ripper can save me untold trouble later. Overlooking mistakes does not pay. It can take ten hours to undo what took only ten minutes to stitch on a fast machine.
In my life, although I have gained years of experience, I still need Jesus beside me, just like the seam ripper in my studio. Jesus is the only one who can rip out my sin and make me new again. Ten sins or ten thousand, Jesus has the ability, the desire, and the patience to remove each one. We can lives our lives confidently, knowing that Jesus is right beside us, not only forgiving our sins, but also guiding us. We don’t have to ignore problems or make futile attempts to correct our lives on our own. That is a part of the old life, now we have the new. Colossians 3:10 NIV tells us, [You] have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old has gone, the new has come! 2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV.
UPDATE | NOV 2010: This devotional essay is now available as part of a daily devotional book, We Shall Be Changed (Christy K. Robinson, editor, Review & Herald Publishing Association, 2010).
I contributed 31 essays to this book about spirituality, faith, family and daily living, three of which relate to quilting. This was my second devotional in the quilting series (read the first, The Humility Block and the third, That we may be one).
In my spare time, I enjoy quilting. I love the rich colors and graphic patterns. A finished quilt can hang on the wall to be admired, or wrap a loved one.
The blocks women pieced throughout history give us a window into their world. “Churn Dash” portrays the device used to churn cream into butter. “Grandmother’s Flower Garden” reveals a relaxing moment.
Women expressed themselves through their quilting. Mathematically-inclined women drafted intricate geometrical patterns. Before women could vote at the ballot box, many boldly communicated their political views through the quilts they stitched. The Amish, who refrained from wearing bright colors, displayed their love of color with daring color combinations.
Some women included what was known as a “humility block.” This was a block made with a deliberate mistake. It indicated that only God is perfect.
The concept of the humility block was initially hard for me to accept. I could never put all that hard work in and then deliberately mar an otherwise-perfect work of art. As time went by, though, the humility block grew on me. I came to view it as charming. If one was good, why not four or five?
My embracing of the humility block, however, was not in the true spirit of the woman who initiated this custom. She used it as an acknowledgement of God’s perfection. I had reduced it to nothing more than a fashion statement.
For her, the humility block was a constant witness of who God is. It was a reminder to her family who went to bed and woke up every morning under her quilts. When she went about her daily chores, she would see the quilts and remember who God is. Passers-by would see a quilt hanging on the clothesline and would be reminded of who God is.
I will proclaim the name of the LORD. Oh, praise the greatness of our God! He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he. Deuteronomy 32:3-4 NIV
UPDATE | NOV 2010: This devotional essay is now available as part of a daily devotional book, We Shall Be Changed (Christy K. Robinson, editor, Review & Herald Publishing Association, 2010).
I contributed 31 essays to this book about spirituality, faith, family and daily living, three of which relate to quilting. This was my first devotional in the quilting series (read the second, The seam ripper and the third, That we may be one).