Cheerful Acceptance of Penances (?)

Again this Lenten season, Floss is hosting a weekly link-up on Sundays and Mondays in which people reflect on thoughts, ideas, books, sermons, people, poems, art ... just about any process leading up to a personal reflection prior to Easter.  This link will take you to a plethora of bloggers giving pause.

A thought I read on Jean's blog Saturday has given me pause.  Instead of paraphrasing, I'll just re-post it here. In part, says Jean:

One of the two or three things I can remember from a lifetime of sermon-listening is the suggestion that the cheerful acceptance of the penances life imposes on one can be more meritorious than laboriously carrying out the ones one has thought up for oneself. (I got home from church that day and found that the Aga had gone out, which sort of underlined the message.)

Isn't that brilliant?  To cheerfully accept your burden, or if not cheerfully, at least one can just pick up that cross and get on with your living.  The Scripture reading at church yesterday was to pick up the cross and follow Jesus.  To emphasize that point, there was a wooden cross at the altar; it was lying on it side, hauntingly taunting communicants at the rail with its message of picking up one's burden. Which brings me back to what Jean wrote about laboriously carrying out the self imposed burdens of consequence versus just the acceptance and picking up of life imposed burdens, perhaps the more meritorious act.

It comes down to picking up penances and keeping to the higher ground: Lent.

Another Poppy Finished today

36" x 24"' acrylics.  copyright McCarroll

Joining Paint Party Friday

Gift Enclosure Cards and Fiber

Everyone has favorite images saved on their computer, just because.  So take a few of your favorite pictures, sandwich them between plastic laminates or clear plastic sheets from recycled products and make some interesting gift tags or book markers with the help of your sewing machine and left over bits and bobs of ribbon, buttons or bows.  (Clear plastic sheets can be purchased at any craft store.)

Images are held between clear plastic pages, then stitched to separate pictures. Cut beside the stitching lines to create open topped envelopes.

Now an enclosure card, your business card, or just a quick "thank you" note can be slipped into the opening of the card you made.

Here are a dozen made within an hour.  (Be sure to discard your needle after sewing because the plastic will dull the point of the needle when sewing through the plastic.)

Joining in Finished Objects Friday and Fiber Arts Friday, here is a finished Looped Loop cowl made from Shetland hand dyed and hand spun wool.  It was completed right before going to Phoenix for the Scrabble tournament, but it was too warm there to wear it.  Never fear, more snow will blow in Colorado this March, so it will get lots of use.