Original Repentance

"But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark..."



Original Repentance

By Rev. William Dohle



"I'm sorry...! I'm sorry daddy..."



My daughter cried this with tears streaming down her face the other day as she faced being grounded for hitting her brother.



"But Daddy... I said I was sorry!" she cries from her bedroom as she sits on her bed, grounded.



I don't know where that originated from. Where the whole notion of "being sorry" came from. I could say that it's genetic. My family likes to say they're sorry. I know she's heard these words from me. I could say it's just a part of who we are. But when did we first start saying "I'm sorry..." and when did we first start feeling regret over what we did.



You might be surprised where regret originates from in Scripture. It's not found in any human being. Adam doesn't ever say he's sorry. Nor does Eve. Nor does Cain or any other human being. Surprisingly the first one to say they are sorry... is God!



"God saw that human evil was out of control. People thought evil, imagined evil—evil, evil, evil from morning to night. God was sorry that he had made the human race in the first place; it broke his heart. God said, "I'll get rid of my ruined creation, make a clean sweep: people, animals, snakes and bugs, birds—the works. I'm sorry I made them."(Genesis 6:5-7; The Message)



God is the first one to say he's sorry. Sorry for making human beings. Sorry for creation and all the pain its caused him. Sorry to have caused all this mess.



God is sorry for creating such potential for evil and the drive to do nothing but bad. God is sorry for the pain of Abel after Cain's killed him and sorry for the hurt that this caused. God is sorry for the broken families that have emerged on the earth and for all the hurt and pain. God is sorry...



And so God does something about it. He decides to wipe the slate clean and begin anew. He's found Noah and his family, who are faithful, and decides to make the whole thing over again with him.



Of course sin still remains and the world isn't fixed. But that doesn't matter...cause something has changed for God after this whole big flood. God changes his mind about the whole thing. Instead of being sorry for making his creation, God vows to protect it.



God smelled the sweet fragrance and thought to himself, "I'll never again curse the ground because of people. I know they have this bent toward evil from an early age, but I'll never again kill off everything living as I've just done. (Genesis 8:21; The Message).



God changes. God repents. God decides that he loves this creation too much to wipe it all out. Maybe its not as bad as he thought. God repents of what God has done...and so begins the cycle of repentance for the rest of us.



We too, as children of God, walk in God's paths. God repents...and we can too. God changes...and we can too. God has sworn to love, protect, care for, cherish, and nurture this creation. We can too!



God of Repentance, you have shown us how to change our minds and turn to good. Enable us on our journeys to see where we have stumbled, to turn to your good, to return to your presence, and to know the joy of living, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

From Grandma with Love.........Claira the Pig

I knew my mom was working on something special for Matilda's 2nd birthday, but when Matilda opened up "Claira the Pig", I could not believe my eyes.  Total and complete adorableness! 

This pig doll is named "Claira" and was made from Heather Bailey's pattern "Claira and Clancy Pig Dolls".  Mom put her own twist on the pattern with her use of fabrics, trims and buttons.  The details in this doll are amazing!

 
I am in love with the eyes and the little eye lashes.  Also the sweet flower next to the ear is another special detail that makes this doll one-of-a-kind.

The doll pattern comes with boy and girl clothing options which makes it a great gift for a boy or girl.  The long, skinny legs with the bloomers are totally adorable.  I could seriously eat this doll up!  I didn't get a picture of it, but the arms are attached with buttons so they can move up and down. 

Matilda is one lucky little girl because mom made the clothing for this doll from Kate Spain's "Terrain" line that has yet to be released - she is SO cutting edge.  She used some fat quarters from the bundle that she picked up at the sample spree at quilt market.  This fabric will be released in September 2011.

As you know, I just love handmade gifts and this one is no exception.  I really should have taken a picture of Matilda with Claira because the doll is quite large and is 3/4's of her size.  I love seeing her walking around with Claira's long skinny legs wiggling around.  Matilda has added Claira to her nightly sleeping buddy collection along-side Elmo and her little lamb.

Hmmmm, wonder if Mom will be making one of these for little man too once he arrives?  I think Claira might need her Clancy!

Antique Style Bedroom.

antique style bedroom.

Altered Couture Magazine Fall 2011

It happened again - The Cottage Mama was published in the Fall 2011 Issue of Altered Couture Magazine!  I'm so thrilled to be part of this wonderful publication for the second time and I have to admit, I don't think I will ever get tired of seeing my work in print.  This issue of the magazine is full of all sorts of tutorials and inspiration for altering your fall wardrobe. Oh, how I love fall!

In the fall issue I have three pieces that are featured........

The first two pieces are combined into one article and they are my Shawl Collar Sweater and T-Shirt Shrug.  Both of these are easy fall pieces that can be made for next to nothing and both in under an hour.

The third featured piece is a felted wool coat I made last year for my oldest daughter, Savannah Rose.  The coat is made from several different felted wool sweaters as well as some felted wool yardage.  My favorite things about this piece are the leaves and the little mushroom button.  The coat will be too small for Savannah this year, but should be just right for Miss Matilda.

The fall issue of Altered Couture is on newsstands now, so if you love upcycled, recycled and repurposed fashions, I highly recommend you pick up the latest copy.  This is a quarterly publication so it should be available for the next three months.  Again, I'm so happy to be part of the Altered Couture family and I'm looking forward to sharing my winter piece with you in the next issue.

To view step-by-step tutorials for some of these pieces, visit my TUTORIALS tab for more information.

Crepe Paper Flowers

The crepe paper flowers that I made for Matilda's "Tea for 2" party were really simple to make and incredibly inexpensive.  I bought three rolls of different colored crepe paper and was able to make about 10 different flowers and a ton of ruffled streamers (and I still had some left over).  At $1.00 per roll, I would definitely say this was budget decorating.

Here's how to make your own crepe paper flowers........

Supplies:
3 rolls crepe paper (different colors)
Tape
Sewing machine

Directions: 

Grab your three rolls of crepe paper.   I chose two different shades of pink and yellow.  I purchased these at Walmart for $1.00 per roll and they coordinated with the napkins and plates as well.

Place your three different colored crepe papers on top of one another.

Set your sewing machine to the longest stitch length (mine is 5.0) and run a straight, gathering stitch along one of the edges of your crepe paper.  Do not back-stitch at the beginning or the end of your stitching or you will not be able to gather your crepe paper.

The length of crepe paper you cut is really up to you.  The longer the crepe paper length, the larger your flowers will be.  I used many different lengths for a variety of sizes, but you could do them all uniformly as well.  You might test one out first to see how long you want your crepe paper.

Pull one of the threads and begin to gather your crepe paper.  This will take a little effort, but keep pulling and sliding the gathers until you have successfully gathered the entire length of your crepe paper.

Here is what your crepe paper will look like after gathering.  You can see that it already starts to form the shape of a flower.

Work your crepe paper around in a circle and tape the back with clear tape to secure in place.

Above is your crepe paper flower before you fluff it out.  To fluff it, just seperate each layer of crepe paper from the other until you've achieved your desired look.

And when you have successfully fluffed your flower, you will have a gorgeous, full-looking crepe paper flower to use for your next party.  Try making these in a variety of colors and sizes to coordinate with any party theme.  These would also be really great for a baby or bridal shower as well!

Then the Lord said to Cain,"Where is your brother Abel?"
"I don't know," he replied. "Am I my brother's keeper?" Genesis 4:9

Our Brothers' Keepers
By Rev. William Dohle

This week my family and I traveled to Springfield, Illinois to visit the infamous Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. It was awesome! Both the museum and the library. The story of Lincoln's life literally came alive for us. It was as though President Lincoln himself was standing in our midst!

Though the Civil War is now over a hundred and fifty years in our past, the same events that shaped Lincoln's life are shaping life today. In Lincolns day the country was divided. The same is true today. In Lincoln's time everyone thought they were on the right side. The same is true today.

And though civil rights have moved forward, we are still preoccupied with the question Cain first asked of God.

"Am I my brother's keeper?"

Am I my brother's keeper... even though he is a black man?
Am I my brother's keeper... even though he is a gray confederate?
Am I my brother's keeper... even though he thinks, acts, and believes completely differently than I do?

That question ran through the civil war and it runs through our life today too.

Am I my brother's keeper... even though he's a Muslim?
Am I my brother's keeper... even though he lives alone?
Am I my brother's keeper... even though he voted democrat? Or republican? Or neither?
Am I my brother's keeper... even though he thinks, acts, and believes completely differently than I do?

The answer from God seems to be the same for us as it was for Cain. YES YOU ARE!! You are your brother's keeper! You should care about what happens to him. You should pray for him, care for him, and love him. You should be compassionate toward him, give of yourself to him, and lay down your life for him, if necessary.

Why? Well... that answer isn't given to Cain... but it's given to us. For we know that we keep our brothers because Christ keeps us. We love our sisters because Christ loves us. And we lay down our lives in service to them...because that's what God did for us.

Heavenly Father, you call us to love and care and pray for our brothers and sisters. Give us strength to put aside our differences and see ourselves as fellow human beings with all, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

{ Nesting } - Organization Overload

It's less than two months now until little man's scheduled arrival.  And when I say scheduled, I mean really scheduled since, unless I go into labor early, I have a c-section date already on the calendar (due to my previous c-section with Miss M.).  Anyway, I have since realized that there are 5000 things I want to get done before this little angels arrival and SO little time to get it all done.

Recently I went slightly crazy organizing the house.  I think my good friend, Lara, thought I had lost my mind when I was showing her all the insides of my cabinets.  Do any of you get crazy-organized before a baby arrives?  I have done this each and every time during all three pregnancies now.  I think it's my last ditch effort to have total control over my life until chaos ensues with life and a newborn.

I love feeling organized and I am feeling pretty good about the state of our house right now.  Here are just a few things I've been up to with my home organization.........

The Kitchen

Kitchen Cabinets:  I only did a little organizing in the kitchen cabinets, but I love having things placed in containers.  I think it makes the cabinets so much more pleasing to the eye.  I also think you can store so much more when you get rid of the bulky boxes.

Kitchen Drawers:  Ok, you might find this crazy, but I measured all of my cabinets, shelves, drawers, ect., before I went shopping for any containers.  I wanted to make sure I got the perfect fit and didn't over-buy or under-buy.  I headed to the dollar store (Dollar Tree) in my area for all these different drawer containers.  I find they have a great selection of organizing supplies, some even come in sets of three, and for $1.00, you can't beat it!

Corner Kitchen Cabinet:  This cabinet has always been a little awkward.  It's really deep and in the corner of our kitchen.  Things have tended to get lost towards the back.  I found these two shelves in my in-laws basement that they were using and I think they make the cabinet feel so much larger.  I've always loved having our cereal in these plastic containers.  It makes it easy to see how much is left and keeps it fresh longer.

Spices: I keep the majority of my spices in the double-tiered, lazy-susan pictured in one of the earlier cabinet photos.  But for the spices I reach for frequently, I keep them stored in this rack that is attached to our kitchen walls.  We found this one at IKEA several years ago and it has been great!

I keep all my cooking utensils in this tall white container (to the left) and our oven mitts in one of my favorite white woven stone bowls.  I always have a cookbook out and we keep our olive oil and white balsamic vinegar on the counter as well.

Kitchen Hutch:  This is one of my favorite additions to our kitchen - the hutch.  I bought this about four years ago from the JC Penny catalog.  It was not a very expensive piece, but it has provided us with so much additional storage that it was well-worth whatever the price was back then!

We keep our pasta stored in plastic and glass containers on the main shelf.  Baby bibs are concealed in that brown box and the little silver platter on top is a great catch-all for hair ties and little things that just end up out of place.  Our dinner plates are kept here and are easy to access.  I added a hook to the side of the hutch to hang all of our aprons (the girls each have one and I have one as well).

I keep some things we use less frequently in the bottom cabinet of the hutch.  I've got our salad serving bowls, decorative plate chargers, ramekins, creme brulee dishes, individual casserole dishes as well as some cocktail napkins and paper plates.

The Downstairs Bathroom

Downstairs Medicine Cabinet:  I kind of feel like we are getting personal here, showing you the inside of our medicine cabinet, but we're all friends, right?  Again, I got these sets of three little baskets from the dollar store as well as the one long basket.  Total cost of organization - $3.00 - totally worth it!

The Family Room

Media Storage:  I've stored all of our movies under our entertainment center.  I know it's hard to believe, but yes we still have a VHS player, therefore, we still have VHS movies.  Don't worry, we're not totally in the stone-age......we have DVD and all that other stuff too.  But if you are in the market for movies, I'm telling you, they are practically giving away VHS tapes at your local thrift stores.

I purchased these plastic bins at Wal-Mart and they fit the VHS movies perfectly.  We already had the photo storage boxes which work great for DVD, video games and VHS.  The one wicker-basket are pretty much all my husband's movies and the rest are all kiddo movies.

Someday when I'm being really organized, I'll use our DVD burner and burn all the VHS onto DVD, but who knows when that day will come.

Side-Board Storage: This is where my OCD measuring came in handy before I went shopping.  I found these three baskets at TJ Maxx and if I wouldn't have measured, I probably would have only bought two because they looked so big in the store.  But I pulled out my handy "Notepad Holder" and saw that three would fit exactly in our side-board.  We keep diapers and wipes in one basket and right now the other two are pretty open.  It's always good to have additional storage for the future so we're not constantly having to try to figure out where to put things.

Dining Room

Corner Hutch: I love this little corner built-in, in our dining room.  It's very reminiscent of the 1930's-1940's (which was when our house was built) and is original to the house.  I keep all our non-everyday glassware in here arranged by type.  I also keep some special occasion dishes on the bottom shelf as well.  It the bottom cabinet, I've stored our margarita glasses as well as some other special occasion tableware.

So that's what I've been up to lately........nesting, BIG time!  I'm trying to take full advantage of this amazing energy burst because I know it will soon be disappearing and I will be heading into the "I'm done being pregnant mode" during my final month.  I'll soon be showing your our "Nautical" themed nursery. It's not quite finished yet, but it's coming along.

What kind of crazy nesting activity have you all gone through?  Anyone else go organizationally crazy?