Month: November 2016

Monday Musings: Don’t Be Safe. Be Good.

Published on by Live Vi-Carrie-ously2 Comments

In the aftermath of last week’s election, a “movement” has gathered momentum on the Internet and Facebook. It’s the safety pin. It’s supposed to signify that the person wearing the pin is “safe,” to approach and talk to. I guess about anything that’s upsetting you, but is meant especially for the non-white non-heterosexual crowds.

safety-pin

 

 

I can see why wearing the pin would be appealing.

But, please, don’t.

Just don’t.

 

 

Who would ever approach a stranger with the intention of baring their soul? Unless they were paying $125 an hour for the privilege?

No one.

No one, except a true bigot/racist/hate monger looking for a target for their hate.

Don’t be a target.

Being “safe” for someone means having a relationship with them. It means talking together, laughing and crying together, having coffee and sharing a blueberry scone together.

I’m reminded of the C.S. Lewis quote from THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE. Susan asked Mr. Beaver about Aslan the lion: “Is he–quite safe?” Mr. Beaver replied, “Safe? … ‘course he isn’t safe. But he’s good.”

I guarantee there are enough hurting people in your home, in your workplace, in your neighborhood, in your community. You don’t have to go looking for someone to be safe to or to be a listening ear.

Instead, look around you. Find someone hurting. Take them to coffee. Be in their life. Love them.

Don’t be safe.

Be good.

 

 

 

Monday Musings: Quilting as a Metaphor, Part II

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I’m still musing about how quilting has so many life lessons, if only I would pay attention.

j-quilt

This is my second quilt.

It’s from a kit.

I purchased it more than a year before I finally put it together.

I thought it would be easy and quick. Which it was. Until it came to the satin patch just below the upper right.

 

While satin fabric is pretty to look at, it’s a pain to sew. It slips around. You can see I did a much better job on this quilt compared to last week’s. My seams are straight and even. Except for around those darn satin patches. I ended up have to zigzag them into place.

The extra stitches don’t really show. And they really don’t matter to darling Grand#2. She loves the quilt and still sleeps with it. I think you can tell from her expression how she feels about this quilt. She’s asked for a larger version because she’s growing and the quilt no longer fits on top of her. I’d love to fulfill her request, but I have two other grands who are still waiting for their quilts.

This quilt had a definite “make it work” moment. Instead of giving up when I had a problem with quirky fabric, I had to figure out a way around the problem. No one but me cares that the fabric is zigzagged instead of pieced traditionally. The quilt is warm and cozy and cuddles just the same. And the owner couldn’t be happier.

 

 

Book Talk Tuesday: THE UNDOING OF SAINT SILVANUS

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I’m a huge Beth Moore reader. I’ve done many (most?) of her in-depth Bible studies. I’ve read her non-fiction books. I’ve attended several of her live events. If Beth wrote it, more than likely I’ve read it.

unssSo I was super excited to be able to preview her first foray in fiction.

The Undoing of Saint Silvanus.

I expected to love it. I wanted to love it.

I was only given the first four chapters to read, so I’m going to believe I would have loved the whole book.

Jillian Slater is working as a waitress for the man she loves and lives with in San Francisco when she gets a call that the father she hasn’t seen in twenty years is dead. She’s offered a free trip to New Orleans to see her grandmother and help with the arrangements.

Jillian heads to New Orleans and promptly wants to leave.

Her grandmother didn’t know she was coming. Adella, her grandmother’s assistant, arranged Jillian’s passage. As Jillian prepares to leave, more information about her father’s death is shared.

That’s where my excerpt ended.

The opening didn’t grab me. The characters felt like cardboard archetypes rather than fully realized people living on the page. The writing is pretty good. The story has lots of backstory woven into the first pages, a no-no for current writers who are told to get to the current story ASAP and stay there.

I’ve been trying to review only books that I absolutely loved and it pains me horribly to give only three stars to this one, but I can’t give it any more without reading the rest of the novel.

If I had the whole book, I would have finished it. I don’t know if I would have recommended it.

I received a free excerpt of The Undoing of Saint Silvanus from Tyndale House and NetGalley in return for a honest review.