Hooray For Inspiration!

During a recent visit to a country town that was celebrating the winter barrenness of the trees in its main street with 'Jumpers and Jazz Festival', i.e yarn bombing, or decorating bare branches and trunks with all things crafty, this inspiration came from a shop window.

I was inspired on my return home to make some flowers to decorate the palm tree by the deck.
Here they are!

Pretty nifty for a simple idea, I got a lot of pleasure from making them, hanging them and enjoying them on the tree. Hooray for inspiration!

Simply Susan

What a Flower Represents

While sitting quietly outside this morning, enjoying time alone at home, I thought I would try taking photos with the 'new' setting for flowers that I discovered on my camera yesterday, I've only owned it six years!

I strolled around enjoying the perfume of jasmine on the breeze, dead heading petunias and pansies while keenly searching for the appearance of buds on the perennial bedding plants that I split into dozens a couple of months ago, I'm expectant because they put on such a show - golden flowers against olive green leaves, just glorious, I'll see if I can find a photo so you can appreciate my quest.

I can't believe that this is the only photo that I have of these magnificent gold flowers, there will be hundreds in a few weeks and I shall take a photo of the show!

Anyway, I snapped this very pretty, cupped, David Austin rose called "Heritage", only one bloom on a rather straggly bush as a result of it being moved around the garden several times, in attempts to find the perfect spot.

I wondered again how does God engineer perfume into a flower, so much beauty in colour and form, but such lovely perfume as well. It lasts long past the petals falling, no matter how many noses sniff the bloom the perfume is sufficient for all to enjoy.

The thought then came to me that, despite the bush not being in the greatest shape, for whatever reason, the flower is still significant, still beautiful, still beautifully perfumed, still able to offer joy to the observer who witnesses it's presence. That gave me great encouragement as I considered the placement of believers in this world. Whatever, wherever their situation, they display God's glory and are a sweet smelling savour to Him, a testament of Him to those who witness their presence. Salt, and light to those around them.

Take a moment today to enjoy God's creation and consider Him.
Simply Susan

It's Important To Go Back and Fix Mistakes

It's so important to go back and fix mistakes.

I made the most of my time during a train trip on the weekend, by taking my knitting to occupy me, in the absence of modern techno equipment. My lilac shawl grew in leaps and bounds, I was so glad that i had thought to take it. To my annoyance there was a knotted join in the yarn, so I made a larger join with ends long enough to sew in later. However once home, I realized that all was not well and decided to take it all off the needles, unravel a couple of rows and tidy the join up to my satisfaction. This I did and continued to knit three or four more rows. I checked my progress and was frustrated to find that I had made a couple of errors picking up the stitches, which on close inspection looked strange. What to do?

The yarn is of uneven texture,and the tension loose, the pattern is plain garter stitch, hence mistakes are clearly visible. No question, I needed to fix it.

I picked up a crochet hook, dropped the stitches back to the trouble spots and carefully picked my way back up through the rows, back to the 'live' row. Happy with that I proceeded with my knitting.

This incident got me thinking about life, how important it is to recognize mistakes that we make and to go back and make things right when and wherever ever possible. Ignoring them can cause further problems and foster guilt. Better to repair, and, if necessary seek forgiveness before moving on.

Just like knitting, the patterns of our lives need close attention to produce pleasing results to God.

Keep an eye on the pattern...
Simply Susan