Author: Rebecca Gilbreath

What Lies Before Me

Published on by Rebecca Gilbreath2 Comments

I heard a song called “Bloodline” a few weeks ago and immediately wanted to listen to it over and over again. I started this blog post to share the song as a quick post, but it was in the editing stage. Little did I know I would soon be taking John to the emergency room, which ended up being a five-day hospital stay. Thursday night (July 2), we decided to take him in after having had fevers, vomiting, and extreme abdominal pain since late Monday. This is not the first time it has happened, but no solution has ever been found for what has been causing these episodes for over twenty years. An ultrasound found his gallbladder wasn’t working properly, and he was added to the surgeon’s schedule for Monday, July 6. The cholecystectomy was started, but the surgeon couldn’t get to the gallbladder to remove it due to John’s liver. We have known about the fatty liver for years, but it is now a serious problem. A liver sample was sent off for examination, and we will know the results by the end of the month. We suspect a majority of the stomach problems he’s had are due to all the medication he has taken over the years for chronic migraines. The surgeon told me that he is concerned, but that whatever is wrong, it is in the beginning stages. I love the line in this song, “Many times, I’m walking by faith, and I can’t see what lies before me, but still I see victory.” I’m not really a “hand raiser” when it comes to praise, but that right there might do it. The treatment could simply be a change in diet and weight, so we are trying not to overthink and borrow trouble when we know so little. John is feeling sore from the laparoscopy, but overall, he is ok. Now we wait for information and try not to get discouraged. If what lies before us is an answer to this pain, we are grateful and can pray for wisdom in this new phase of his health. This song has been on my mind, and maybe it will be a blessing to you as well.

“Bloodline”, written by Betty Kirk Gurganus

Even though my spirit’s low
And it seems I can’t hardly go
But still, I see victory.
Many times, I’m walking by faith
And can’t see what lies before me
But still, I see victory.

I just gotta tell you, Satan
You can’t cross the bloodline
Because I’m covered by His blood.
And you may stare and you may fight
But you’re gonna lose this battle tonight
‘Cause remember
You can’t cross the bloodline.

Sometimes our battles get hot
And it seems we’re fighting a lot.
Oh, I remember, I’m standing on the Rock.
So, Satan, if I were you
I’d turn around and give up too
‘Cause I do believe you’re bound to lose.

I just gotta tell you, Satan
You can’t cross the bloodline
Because I’m covered by His blood.
And you may stare and you may fight
But you’re gonna lose this battle tonight
‘Cause remember
You can’t cross the bloodline.

You may stare, and you may fight
But you’re gonna lose this battle tonight
‘Cause remember
You can’t cross the bloodline.
You must remember
You can’t cross the bloodline.

https://genius.com/11th-hour-christian-bloodline-lyrics

The Part You Play

Published on by Rebecca GilbreathLeave a comment

The part you play, however small, is greater far than none at all.

Arthur Guiterman, “Of Trifles,” A Poet’s Proverbs, 1924

It’s been almost three weeks since John had a reverse total shoulder replacement on his right shoulder. The first week after surgery was stressful due to complications that needed a trip to the emergency room. The stitches have since been taken out, and the incision looks good. He is feeling sore and stiff, and we are still catching up on sleep after a few weeks of rough nights. The in-home care after surgery was nice, as a nurse came by a few times to check on the bandage to make sure the gash on his shoulder wasn’t infected. A physical therapist came by as well to help with exercises and general movement. John is right-hand dominant, which has made basic life skills challenging. We take so much for granted- simple things like putting socks on, sleeping comfortably, showering, and eating! I am so thankful for Jonathan, who is gifted at helping and has genuine care. I would take the night shift, helping John as needed, and Jonathan would assist during the day. John even needed help pulling the handle on his living room chair to lift his legs/feet up and to lower them down. Now that his arm isn’t bound up, he can do more for himself, but still needs to be careful. Sometimes he naturally reaches out with his right arm to do something and is quickly reminded that it’s too soon. He will begin outside-the-home physical therapy in the coming weeks, which will last for a few months to rebuild strength and muscle tone.

We are thankful the surgery went well and that there was no infection. We are glad, too, for simple rhythms that have kept meals on the table and dishes washed. Jonathan has been helping me in the kitchen since he was little, and we move around each other in a small space with ease, just knowing what needs to be done next. In all this, because it has become a natural part of our lives, we recognized God’s hand in placing stray gifts in our path – gentle reminders that He is always there in every part of our day.

Here is the latest record of graces entry (photo collage below):

Top Row: Homemade soup and bread are our love language in this house. I like to make a big pot of soup that will last a few days, and we eat it with sandwiches for an easy meal. Our favorite soup this year is Lemon Chicken Orzo. Often, I fill the crockpot with boneless, skinless chicken and cook it until it’s shreddable. I then have cooked, shredded chicken ready to go for several meals – for soup, enchiladas, quesadillas, chicken salad, or a casserole. Making dinner is so much faster this way when the meat is already cooked. If you like making your own bread, you might like this recipe. I used freshly milled hard white wheat berries. I recently started using sunflower lecithin and vital wheat gluten, and they make a world of difference in bread texture!

A family in our church contacted John around the time of his surgery, sharing that his family wanted to provide a meal for us so that at least one night, I didn’t have to cook. We told him pizza would be nice because it would be easy enough for John to eat with his left hand. The day we were contacted about the pizza was the day after we had finished the soup, and I was going to need to cook something new. Perfect timing! The pizza was brought to us nice and hot, and we enjoyed it very much. What a blessing this family was in thinking of us and providing a meal. He didn’t just say, “Let us know how we can help”. He took that burden and expressed interest in bringing us food, and the men worked out a day that was best. He also offered to go to the store to get anything we needed. He may think he played a small part in helping, but to us, taking action was a big deal.

Middle Row: The first photo is of a thank-you card I made for the family who brought us pizza. I’ve had the front panel made for a long time, but I had never put it together with a card base. It was nice to have something partially made, which made finishing the card easier. The second photo is of ice plants we bought months ago at a nursery. I keep meaning to put them in a shallow flower pot with succulent soil, but haven’t yet. Apparently, they haven’t minded too much, and the plants are still producing flowers every so often. The third photo is of the passionflower vine we planted earlier this year. It’s good to see it climbing. It’s an aggressive vine and should cover at least half the large wall it’s against in a few years. We have another one on the other side of the yard, and the two vines should creep towards each other in time to make a nice cover for a large, bare, stone wall. The vines will attract butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds within the next year.

Bottom Row: Summer is dreadful in the desert with extreme UV rays and intense triple-digit temps. I gave up on some of the plants the past few months and made peace with not having too many potted plants this year. I even cut the mint and tried to propagate it inside, but didn’t have any luck. I was outside the other day watering what was still alive and couldn’t believe more mint was growing! New growth! I’ve heard mint was hardy, but wow! The middle photo is of scapes from my friend’s garden in PA. She said there should be about 3,000 of these that they sell, give away, and keep for themselves. The last photo is from the same friend on their property. I love bird photos! I’m thankful for friends and family who often share their stray gifts with me. The part they play in this scavenger hunt for the graces is such a blessing.

A Record Worth Keeping

Published on by Rebecca Gilbreath2 Comments

We write to remember our nows later.

-Terri Guillemets

Around this time of year, I begin to receive reminders from WordPress that a payment will soon be due if I want to continue using this web space. Also, around this time of year, I ask myself if I care to continue writing and if it’s worth the effort or cost. I’ve been blogging here since 2017, but this isn’t the first place I began to share online. I wrote on another blog years ago, and also on social media for a time or two. I’m a creative, and my hands and brain need to be creating. But there’s something deeper and more meaningful to this blog than having a creative outlet. It has been a healing part of me that I didn’t have a name for. It all began when I read the book One Thousand Gifts – A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are by Ann Voskamp. It’s an emotionally heavy book, and I nearly wept through the whole thing. While my life experiences were not the same as hers, I resonated with grief and emptiness. “Where hides this joy of the Lord, this God who fills the earth with good things, and how do I fully live when life is full of hurt? How do I wake up to joy and grace and beauty and all that is the fullest life when I must stay numb to losses and crushed dreams and all that empties me out?”, she wrote. “Our fall was, has always been, and always will be, that we aren’t satisfied in God and what He gives. We hunger for something more, something other.” “How do I give up resentment for gratitude, gnawing anger for spilling joy? Self-focus for God-communion.” It was a lot to process. Still is.

Every year, I review from the beginning why I started this blog. I go back to earlier entries, and I’m glad that they are there. I’ve come a long way since then. With renewed purpose, I keep writing, keep studying Scripture, keep sharing the stray gifts in this location, because I believe it’s a record worth keeping.

Why the name, “A Record of Graces”? In 2012, I took up the dare to live fully – and began to write as I continued to grieve several life-changing moments. I lost my mother and sister when I was 3 years old, and I forever lost a part of me. My mother died of hepatitis soon after she delivered my baby sister, who didn’t live very long. My parents were missionaries in Lima, Peru, at the time. I didn’t even know my sister’s name until my son found her birth/death certificate on a genealogy website a few years ago. And I really didn’t know who my mother was as a person until I was in my 20’s – shared through her side of the family. I felt a lot of sorrow through the years over what might have been. Half of my identity felt missing. Voskamp wrote, “God reveals himself in rearview mirrors…there are times when we need to drive a long, long distance, before we can look back and see God’s back in the rearview mirror. Maybe sometimes as far as heaven – that kind of distance. Then to turn, and see His face.”

The second life-changing moment was when we buried our stillborn youngest son, Zachary, in 2003.

Added to that in time to come was my husband’s body slowly breaking down, and more dreams needed revising. Another surgery. More physical therapy. New medications and complications. Hassles with the VA and care at times, feeling forgotten. I kept writing. I kept processing grief. I kept looking for stray gifts, miracles in every day and kept a record.

While there are things I don’t understand about God’s will and what He allows to happen, there are things I do understand, see, and hear. The stray gifts I document are His redirection of my self-focus. “Look, Rebecca, at the rare sighting of a hummingbird in the yard, flying in place for a few moments so you can take a good look. Listen, Rebecca, to the sound of eggs frying on a morning when John feels ok and starts cooking breakfast. Notice, Rebecca, that card you sent when I nudged you to make it, encouraged someone today.” There are so many ways for Him to fill up a day, a life, a heart. Trusting Him fully is more than just trusting His work on the cross and in His resurrection.

I have questioned God why He allowed certain circumstances to happen. But then I have to ask why I should be exempt from heartache when I was never promised a perfect life. No one is. I was promised, however, a Comforter, an ever-present help in times of trouble. I am coming to a place where I realize that by grace and through faith, I will be upheld. Whether I am to know His mind or not, God has His reasons. I have wished many times to be able to rewrite my story. Yet, there’s a reason why God wrote my story, and I didn’t. It is easy to get distracted and to look away from what He has promised. He always gives new grace every day for anything I face. For now, I will keep recording. I look forward to the gifts in the day and enjoy looking back, remembering there is so much to be thankful for.

Is his mercy clean gone for ever? doth his promise fail for evermore? Hath God forgotten to be gracious? hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? Selah. And I said, This is my infirmity: but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High. I will remember the works of the Lord: surely I will remember thy wonders of old. I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings.

Psalm 77:8-12

Answer Back the Bird-Note

Published on by Rebecca Gilbreath2 Comments

May. — The very word makes the heart leap. Birds, Buds, Blossoms, Beauty! Break away from every bondage of circumstance or low spirits and go out into the sunshine. Answer back the bird-note in your heart, kiss your finger tips to every new blossom, and be a part of the spring.

Eva D. Kellogg, “May,” 1902

New construction and landscaping are underway around our neighborhood, and the area is bustling with activity. Trees and bushes are attracting the birds and butterflies, and it’s so nice to see. A few months ago, we planted passionflower and morning glory vines in the yard, and while there aren’t any flowers yet, the green vines promise flowers to come. The main bird sounds we hear are from the grackles and finches, which have been uplifting, especially since I’ve been sick again with a bad cold. We love to sit outside on our patio, soak up some morning sun, and watch as yellow butterflies enter and exit our yard. I am on the mend from the cold, but still feel quite physically tired. I’m having to pace myself and things I want to do in a day, which is helping to regain strength. Even though illness took over for some time, the stray gifts still kept showing up in my path, whether woven through my own days or through the days of friends and family who share their gifts with me!

Top Row: It’s a happy feeling to receive birthday cards in the mail! It’s nice to be remembered! My dad and I both have birthdays in May, and we enjoyed a meal at Olive Garden to celebrate. I managed to make a card for him even though I wasn’t feeling well. He loved it and enjoys adding to his collection of handmade cards I make him from time to time. The flowers were bought a few weeks ago for a church Mother’s Day activity. I bought them on Friday, but the next morning I knew I would not be able to attend. I felt like a weighted jacket had been placed around my shoulders and knew I was coming down with something. I separated the flower bunch and placed the flowers in various parts of the house, which added brightness and a soft scent. John even commented that he liked seeing the flowers in the bathroom, which isn’t a usual place I put flowers. When others in the home notice the touches of color and scent in the rooms, it’s rewarding to me as a homemaker.

Middle Row: We’ve had a yellow bell plant in a pot for years, and it looked like it wasn’t coming back this time around. Jonathan and I had talked about cleaning it out to plant something different, but hadn’t done anything with it yet. Lo and behold, a bit of green popped up from the soil one random day (after a lot of neglect!) – I love when that happens. Yellow mums are quite cheerful in the backyard. The last photo was taken at an outdoor nursery earlier this month. It has greenhouses, old trees, and hundreds of plants everywhere. We bought star jasmine for the front yard and ice plants (succulents) to try something new.

Bottom Row: The other day, I glanced toward the front of the house and noticed a shadow on the door. It was coming from the new jasmine we had planted by the side of the house recently. The last two photos are from friends who regularly send me their stray gifts! How sweet to share this journey with others as we look for God’s hand in various ways together.

Life Is a Series of Obstacles

Published on by Rebecca Gilbreath2 Comments

Life is a series of obstacles preventing me from crafting.

(Shared from a craft company I order from)

I have it in mind this year to really concentrate on using my crafty paper for cardmaking. I have more paper to make cards than I have friends and family to send them to, so I want to send more to charity over the next few years. One of the charities I have sent to in the past collects handmade cards and places them in the hands of those working in hospitals, veterans homes, nursing homes, rehab centers, and many more places. Thousands of cards are sent in by crafters to this charity and are passed along to various organizations which help uplift and care for others. I found another one that I am interested in, which gathers birthday cards for hospitalized children. My brain was full of ideas until the first week of February. All three of us were sick for all of February and March with a cough that would not go away. I barely even looked in my craft room during that whole time. John went to a clinic to get care, and the antibiotics prescribed didn’t help. Eventually, the cough subsided, and we are getting back to better sleep and waking hours. Hallelujah! The cough was exhausting. On nights when we couldn’t sleep, we stayed up and watched our favorite movies until we couldn’t keep our eyes open any longer, and the cough subsided for a bit. Sometimes, that was until 5 a.m.! It’s a fun memory…sort of.

I do still have a few stray gifts to share that popped up since the last blog update. Some of the gifts not included here are photos sent to me by friends of new spring growth happening in their area. A friend from Texas sent me photos of tulips from her local arboretum. Breathtaking! A friend from Pennsylvania often sends me photos, and I especially love the ones where one week is snow, and the next, green sprouts are popping up all over the property, and trees are growing leaves again. I love this time of year.

A description of these photos is below the collage.

Top Row: 1) We had our own bit of snow in January! As little as it was, it was still exciting. 2) During our illness, we ate a lot of homemade soups and sandwiches. This recipe was a lemon chicken orzo soup, which was fantastic and very nourishing! 3) A good friend of mine sent me this mug out of the blue. She said it reminded her of me and my cardmaking. So thoughtful! I love it and use it for hot tea regularly!

Middle Row: 1) Jonathan and I planted alyssums, basil, lemon thyme, and mint in this new planter we bought recently at Home Depot. It still has spaces for a few more flowers. We love sitting on the back patio and smelling the freshness of the flowers and herbs. There are mums and daylilies in the black flower pots. 2) Farm fresh eggs! A woman at church raises her own chickens and brought a gift bag of eggs for each family. What a treat! 3) We planted this passion flower vine a few years ago when we lived with my dad. This vine is aggressive, and we love it for it’s color, for its ability to cover a blank space, and that it attracts butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds! This one at my dad’s house had buds all over it. We planted two at our house this past week, as we have a lot of rock wall we’d like to make pretty.

Bottom Row: Here are just a few cards I’ve been able to make this year. The first one is an anniversary card I made for John. We celebrated 31 years in March. The middle card was made for a niece who turned 10 years old this year. I made a bunch of cards like this third one. I made enough to send a small box to charity and to send to a few friends and family.

Happy Easter! We enjoyed being in church for the second time since we’d been ill. There is a young family that we had started getting to know earlier in the year. The last Sunday we saw them, she shared that she had a big garden planned and had already started her produce growing indoors. I was very impressed! We talked about her compost pile and about trellises and all the vegetables she has on the way. I gave her a bit of Morning Glory seeds we had collected from when we lived with my dad and had them growing in several locations in the yard. The flowers drop seeds at the end of the season, and we collect them to plant more. She was very happy to receive them and was excited to plant them in her yard. Another stray gift found in fellowship and in talking about growing things! I look forward to more conversations with her and hearing about her own stray gifts.

The Test of All Happiness

Published on by Rebecca Gilbreath2 Comments

The test of all happiness is gratitude.

G.K. Chesterton

One of the most recent stray gifts that has stayed with me is a road trip we took last month. John had spotted a body of water on the map months ago and was curious, so we made a plan to make a day of it. We packed a picnic lunch and set out, not knowing exactly what we were looking for. The three of us were definitely up for the adventure and excited about heading out onto the open road and away from the city. What we were looking for was Red Bluffs State Park and Reservoir in Orla, Texas. When we did find the lake, we couldn’t believe how much water there was! There were quite a few ducks and even a blue heron! We enjoyed the day out very much and were grateful John felt well enough to drive and get out for the day.

Winter Wishes

Published on by Rebecca Gilbreath1 Comment

Having grown up primarily in New England, I remember snow falling around Thanksgiving. Our house was on the corner, and snow plows would shovel and pile the snow several feet high. When it was new and clean, it made for great forts for us kids to play in. I also remember having a winter wardrobe of ski masks, gloves, scarves, winter boots, and snowsuits. Living in the desert now, my outerwear winter wardrobe consists of cowboy boots and a cardigan sweater for the colder days. I may need a jacket for the earlier months in the year, but for the most part, winters are mild. I feel nostalgic around this time, especially when my friend from Pennsylvania starts sharing snow photos beginning in November. While I wish for a day or two of pretty snow falling, I am thankful for the 60-degree afternoon temps right now. We enjoy walking outside more because it’s the only time of the year the sun doesn’t beat down relentlessly! While it’s technically not winter until December 21, it’s been on my mind, seeing the news of snowstorms in various other places.

I have a few stray gifts to share from the past few weeks – including a few winter photos from PA. Descriptions of the photos are below the collage.

Top Row (left to right): I was washing the dishes one night and looked up to see the moon pictured just so in that top window. Where we live now, we can see the moon and stars very clearly outside. The constellation Orion stretches big as you please across the sky, and we enjoy the brisk night air. I don’t always go outside to look up, so noticing the moon in the window that night took me by surprise. The middle photo was sent to me by my mother’s cousin. She found my mom and dad’s wedding invitation in a scrapbook she had saved. I don’t remember ever seeing it since my mother died when I was really young, and I never had many items of hers. Jonathan is the keeper of family documents and photos and was thrilled to see it…and save it in his files. The last photo is of a corner in the house finally resolved. I read somewhere that if you move to a new space and you’re not sure where to put things, don’t rush to fill it and let the room rest. Live in it for a while and see how you move around, what you use, and if you need anything new at all. I had boxes of music books piled next to the piano, just waiting for a shelf of some sort. With the dimensions I had, there wasn’t much space. I had been thinking about and eyeing a rotating shelf on Amazon, and finally took a leap of faith that it would work out. I’m very happy with the way it looks, and it fits all my hymn and chorus books, plus a few of my all-time favorite books like our Jan Karon ones.

Middle Row: Here are three wintery photos shared from PA. The deer was quite close to the front of my friend’s house! The cardinal pictures every year are just stunning! And what’s not to love about a red barn and a pond on a snowy day?

Bottom Row: I made various types of Christmas cards this year using a few of my favorite techniques. The first card was made from a few 1×3-inch scraps! Add a poinsettia, and I have a pretty card fairly quickly. If you follow me on my crafty Instagram page, you may remember that I’m obsessed with a torn-paper card. I guess I love the rustic look of it (along with Kraft cardstock!). The last cards pictured were made using a postage stamp die and stamp set. I love the look of old stamps, and I enjoy making pretty paper look like them. I made a ton of other Christmas greetings as well, which over the next few weeks will be posted on Instagram.

Speaking of cards, I keep track of what I send out. I record to whom I send, for what occasion, and also when I receive a response. I counted 230 handmade cards, which didn’t include the last stragglers of Christmas cards that went out this week. I’m thankful to my dad, who supports this ministry. He provides stamps to mail the cards out, funds to send card packages to friends and family who will use the cards to encourage others, and also to purchase new supplies as I need. What a blessing!!

New Struggles

Published on by Rebecca Gilbreath4 Comments

“Lord, help us in our new struggles”, John prayed. This was back in July after a car accident which totaled our car. We were on our way to church when a man ran a stop sign and hit the driver’s side of our car. In the motion of it all, our car crashed head-on into a rock wall at the street corner. In the days to come, John and Jonathan were in great pain. After an ER visit, x-rays showed Jonathan had two cracked ribs. John had just finished physical therapy for neck issues at the time, but felt all the positive work that was done was undone. I was shaken, but fine physically. In the heat of the summer, we trudged through car lots, climbed in and out of cars, and talked to sales representatives while looking for a new vehicle. It was exhausting. To add to the frustration, our car had JUST been paid off!! My heart sinks just writing this. While I was fine physically, I was a mess every time we went out. At every intersection, I had a sense of panic, and while I am better now, I still am hypervigilant at all times. After the insurance settlement was received, we found a car and are moving forward as best we can. John and Jonathan had multiple chiropractor visits after the accident, which, at least, helped Jonathan. John still has right shoulder issues and is going to need physical therapy.

I have a few stray gifts to share from the past few months. I do still look for them and always have a new blog post in mind to write, even though I don’t post here as often as I plan. The days are getting cooler now, and I love how the gifts change with the seasons. Descriptions of the photos are below the collage.

Top Row: (first two photos) After purchasing a replacement vehicle, we were still unsure whether we wanted to keep it. John wanted to take it for a long drive to get comfortable with the car, so we headed out away from the city and towards the Guadalupe Mountains. We love road trips, and this was exactly what we needed after the accident – no stop signs, lights, or traffic for miles. The last photo in this row was taken at the chiropractic clinic where John and Jonathan were receiving treatment. The lush greenery inside is impressive!

Second Row: This was taken over a month ago, when I first started noticing the daylight change in the evenings. I loved the glow coming through the back door window. Photo two is of a pothos plant in our bathroom window. We had a few weeks of rain, and I noticed that before the rain, the plant would have water drops on the leaves. I had never seen that before. I thought the bathroom vent was somehow leaking water. The third photo is of roses the guys brought home for me after a trip to the store. The flowers brought such beauty to our home and smelled so sweet.

Third Row: All three of us are pretty talkative, and since we spend a lot of time together and have a lot to say on many topics, quiet times are highly valued. My friend, Jonna, sent me a cute card and these super soft socks in the mail since she knows the struggle – haha. I just want to go craft, ok? Oh – and these last two photos are from my friend Kara in Pennsylvania. She lives on a gorgeous property and every season is just full of stunning views. She knows I miss a traditional Autumn season and shares photos with me often of the changing scenery. While we don’t have views like that around our area, I do appreciate the cooler weather. I am enjoying the earlier daylight and our evening walks around the neighborhood.

There Is a Season

Published on by Rebecca Gilbreath2 Comments

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.

Ecclesiastes 3:1

Do you ever notice a particular theme running through your days- something you know you need to pay attention to? I have had the words “consuming vs creating” pop up in the last few months. As a card maker, I am constantly looking at new and creative ideas. When I first started making my own greeting cards, I had no idea how many different ways one could cut paper and lay it out on a card front. I didn’t know there was a whole crafty universe of pretty cardstock, paper trimmers, scissors, and supplies. On Pinterest, I have 3,649 creative ideas saved of handmade cards alone. I have inspirational screenshots captured on my cell phone and videos on YouTube to watch later. At times, all the ideas and new products that come out every month from all the companies I love cause my brain to freeze, and due to the overwhelm, I am unable to create.

I used to write more on my blog, but looking too much at what other people are writing keeps me silent and uninspired.

Another area that has been on my radar is Bible reading. Reading Scripture daily has slipped away over time, and I haven’t been reading my Bible like I should. I have looked at multiple devotional books, wondering which one would be just right to get me back on track. There are so many! Should I read about rest? Do I need a book on motivation? I have a study guide book covering the Psalms, which is always a good place to begin again.

I watched a YouTube video recently covering the topic of “consuming vs creating” and decision overload. When I am constantly looking at other people’s ideas in cardmaking and not creating myself and playing around with different ideas, I am a consumer of ideas, not a creator of them. When I read too much what other people are writing about the Bible, the Scriptures become less personal, and I have nothing gained of my own to share. I have notes written along the margins in every Bible of mine. There are messages from my dad, my husband, speakers from various special meetings, former pastors, and preachers who have since passed away. What a history! There is so much richness there, just in the notes from God speaking during those times.

There is a season to consume ideas and gather up inspiration. Lately, I have been in a creative phase and have made well over fifty cards rather quickly. Most of them have been mailed out or sent to friends who like to use the cards in this encouragement ministry. There is a time to read devotionals and be inspired by the perspectives of different authors, and there is a time to read the Bible alone to see what God has to say directly with no filters or preconceived thoughts. I can open anywhere in the Old and New Testaments and find a notebook’s worth of moments when God was speaking. I am in the season now where I want to begin reading the Bible again to hear from God myself. Currently, I am following this plan of reading the New Testament.

Consuming ideas vs creating something touches many areas of my life – including what to cook for dinner! God has been weaving this theme throughout my days and moving me towards a bit of action.

That Which Concerneth Me

Published on by Rebecca Gilbreath5 Comments

The LORD will prefect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth forever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.

Psalm 138:8

When I don’t write consistently here on the blog, stray gifts and updates pile up, and I find it difficult to know how to start a new post. Where do I begin? How far back do I go? How much do I even share? I stay off social media except for my cardmaking Instagram site, so my posts here can lean toward the lengthy side at times. I haven’t made any new cards in a few months, so there are no updates since April. If you have followed along here on the blog for some time, you know that John’s journey to health as a disabled veteran has been challenging. We have had to rethink our life plans and pivot in many areas. To keep the update short, five years ago, John was barely able to walk and couldn’t drive. Migraines and chronic pain kept him secluded and unable to work. Since then, he has filed for and was granted full disability. Also, since then, through physical therapy and various medical treatments, he is able to walk without assistance and can drive. Slowly, but surely, with determination and with a lot of prayer, his mobility has progressed, and his mind is clearer. So much so that we were able to recently buy a house! There have been moments of doubt whether or not God sees and hears, but we always come back to knowing that our life does concern Him and He is working through us. Through it all, I have kept up with documenting stray gifts. Friends and family who have been following along with this scavenger hunt are still sharing their great finds with me. Here are just a few of the latest. A description of each photo is below the collage.

Top Row (left to right): The first two photos were taken around the Grants, NM area. Between 1998 and 2001, we lived there and worked in a church with youth, music, and bus ministry. It was there that we met our friend Carolyn. Throughout the years and our many moves, we kept in touch and stayed close friends. In April of this year, she passed away suddenly at the age of 71. It was such a shock. We texted every week, sharing our new crafting obsessions. She was a quilter, and I am a card maker, and we always had a few projects going on at the same time. She loved my handmade cards, and I would send her a package of five every so often to write out for others. “I received your beautiful cards today”, she would text. “I’m going to write and send some out today”. She followed along with the stray gifts, often sharing things she found in a day. She read my blog and would text me that she enjoyed reading my updates. We have a long history – too much to share here. She impacted all three of us deeply in many ways. We traveled to Grants for her memorial service. We drove around to where we lived and the places we would go. We drove up Mt. Taylor, something we never made time to do when we lived there. It was a beautiful drive with bits of rain here and there. Carolyn loved the mountains and enjoyed collecting pinecones. While unpacking the other day, I found the box of pinecones she brought me last October when she came to see us. She was thoughtful in many ways, and we are thankful to have known her.

The third photo is a huge stray gift. When we moved back to Texas to be closer to my dad, we started looking at the possibility of buying. Everything went surprisingly smoothly – from obtaining a VA loan to the location of the house and the house itself. It’s a one-story home, and the layout is easy for John to navigate during the bad days with his health. It’s close to my dad, so we can be a help to him. So far, living here is going well.

Second Row: 1) As we were moving in, John and Jonathan surprised me with fresh flowers for our new home. They even remembered to bring a glass jar to put them in! 2) It’s like Christmas some days as we unwrap items we packed months ago. I found a pink glass jar a good friend had gifted me for my birthday one year and immediately made my favorite True Lime Black Cherry drink. 3) Roses are blooming at my dad’s house. This is a new bush we planted for him in the backyard.

Third Row: 1 and 2) Recently, my Aunt Carol shared a few stray gifts with me. “The deer picture was taken where we work at the day use park. There are 13 of them and some just had babies”, she said. She mentioned that there are 5 of them! We don’t see deer here in our area, so I always love it when others share their neighborhood nature photos. The middle image was taken from her garden. It looks so peaceful! 3) My friend Kara in PA sent me a view from her swimming pool. With triple-digit temps here in Texas, that sure looks refreshing!

I always hope to update the stray gifts more regularly, but a quote comes to mind that my friend Carolyn often said, “Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans”. So true!

Today, let there be peace within me, trusting that God has planted me right where I am meant to be. -Unknown