{SQT} On Words, Madness, Blankets, Baking, and Fighting the Good Fight

It seems that Quick Takes are already off to a sporadic start here. C'est la vie...and so it goes. Here is a quick recap of my heart and home over the last week (or so).

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My Word of the Year: I don't usually surrender to making resolutions, and though I have seen people adopt a word for the year, it wasn't something I had ever done...until now. Read all about it (plus a few other things) here.

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Cartoon by David Pope as shared on Twitter (@davpope)

Je suis Charlie: The world continues to go mad. Continues, because let's face it, the madness has been among us since the first drop of blood was spilled after the fall. I appreciated the response of artists following the attack at Charlie Hebdo in Paris. It just goes to show the vital part art can play in the expression of ideas and healing of hearts (and in the proclamation of the Gospel message, though that isn't quite at play here). 

The #jesuischarlie tag has become widespread in showing solidarity throughout webland, and I seem to not be the only one who has read that as Jesus is Charlie. A woman in my prayer & fasting e-group sent this reflection after her similar mistake.

When the media was showing the signs 'Je Suis" CharlieI kept seeing in the first two words Je Suis   JESUS  then when I looked at it I saw JESUS  ISThen when you learn that those two words in French translate to I AMIt gives me Faith and Hope of His everlasting Covenant  right?

He is, and always will be, the great I AM.

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Eternal Rest Grant Unto Them: This week also marks the anniversaries of both of our father's passing. My dad passed away 18 years ago and the Hubs' father passed two years ago. You would think after 18 years I'd have some wisdom to offer him, but there really are never any words. For both of us, we have children who will never know their grandfathers. We have mothers who still grieve in their own ways. We ourselves continue to make an attempt at grieving while still carrying on with life with small children. One day perhaps we will figure it out, but I have a feeling we will keep muddling along and grabbing onto Jesus to lift us up and dust us off as we do it poorly. Maybe we can at least hope to be able to have audible words to attach to the thoughts and feelings. 

In the meantime, we continue to pray for our fathers' souls, so that one day maybe our children will know them and we might aspire to see them again in the heavenly kingdom. Your prayers are appreciated always!

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Brrr! It's Cold In Here: (no Toros in the atmosphere - just cold) There isn't much of a story to go with that. I just wanted to share that picture because...well...HELLO...he's adorable! There's a similar picture of G in the window from past winters too. I will have to dig that out and do a side by side one day. Today is not that day. Now that I've been speaking of cold...I guess there may be a sad story to go with it. 

On New Year's Day, a man froze to death on a front porch in Pontiac, Michigan (which is in the northern metro Detroit area). There is now an effort underway to get warm items to the homeless who may not be able to make it to a shelter or warming center. Faith@Work in Troy is collecting items. I know we have more than enough blankets and winter gear at our home. Perhaps you'll join me (if you're local) in clearing out some excess and helping those whose lives may depend on things that are currently warming your closets instead of your bodies. Here is the official word from Faith@Work. 

PROJECT MICKIEJoin us as we collect freshly laundered blankets, hats and gloves in honor of Mickie Roquemore. Mickie is the gentleman who froze to death on a front porch in Pontiac, on New Years Day. Let us bring good out of the tragic loss of his life and let us honor his memory by helping others.Please drop your blankets, hats, gloves at Faith @ Work. We will work with other organizations like Song & Spirit to make certain they get to those on the streets.

Spread the word and pray for the homeless.

Faith @ Work, 1977 E. Wattles, Troy, MI   48085   248-250-9216

If you are local and cannot make it to Troy, please contact me if you have items you would like to donate and I will work with you to find a way to get them to those who need them. 

If you are not in the local area, please consider contacting agencies that work with the homeless or ministries that have outreach to those who are not making it into a warm place on these deathly cold nights. Here's a great chance to love selflessly and serve joyfully and allow others to live with dignity.

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Breaking Bread...Not Bad! My adventure into baking our own bread began by my mistakenly buying "light" bread at the store. I have a sensitivity to any artificial sweeteners (as in they make me ill), so I happened to read the label a little more closely before I opened it. A little knowledge can be a dangerous thing. Holy moly. I know, I know. I have read all the articles, heard all your voices. Natural is the way to go. Make your own foods. But y'all...I'm lazy, dontcha know?

Combine this reading exercise with the fact that my stand mixer now sits in the kitchen finally and has been seducing me with its shiny ways, gently calling my name...and I decided to bake my own bread. Nevermind that the yeast packets I'd gotten when I first had the idea were well "expired." I know about those dates too...scams, right? Thank goodness for the joys of social media! I posted the packets on Instagram and called out to the lovely ladies who actually are not lazy and bake your own bread. With their help, I figured out that dates on some packages are in fact a scam and got to Holly Homemakering it up. Add to this the scones I made on Sunday (because, hello, Downton Abbey is back), and I am now a domestic goddess in the making. It may be a very slow making, but here I go! 

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In the Shop: I've taken a bit of a break over the holiday, slacker that I am. I am about to take things back to full speed again with some new products and more of the mugs. Stay tuned as these start to be completed. If you want to follow along, you can find the shop on a separate Instagram page.

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Fighting the Good Fight: It seems like the holidays were filled with not the best of news. Cancer, death, you know, not the things that make your sing fa-la-la-la-la. Here are a few people who could use your help as they fight the good fight.

The Lenaburgs: Many of you know Mary and her dear Courtney, who went home to the Lord a few days after Christmas. While their immediate needs are met, there are approximately still about $27,000 in medical bills to be paid off, and if we could offer them a even little extra so their hearts and minds can rest and not have to think about provision at this time, wouldn't that be the best thing ever? If you feel called to donate, you can donate via PayPal or GoFundMe. While I only know Mary through her blog, her witness of selfless, unconditional, sacrificial love has impacted me deeply. Prayers for peace and healing as they grieve their beautiful daughter.

The Allors: Jaclyn is a friend of mine who was recently diagnosed with Stage 3 Uterine Cancer. Even after surgery, there is still a fight to be fought, and if anyone is gonna kick cancer's ugly butt, it is gonna be this lady! She is a fighter! Jaclyn has four children and piling medical bills, of course, so if you feel like you want to find out more about her or help them out, a friend has set up a GoFundMe in her honor.

The Coakleys: Paul and Ann are friends of Mary Wilkerson (of Let Love Be Sincere fame). Their story is just incredible in terms of the amount of fight they have had to bring. While their initial goals of fundraising have been met (praise God!), please go over to YouCaring or GoFundMe to read more and give more if you feel called, or simply add them to your prayers. They are fighting one heck of a fight.


That's all for this week. Now let's get out there and love 'em all like Jesus!

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