Ephesians 3:20-21

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (emphasis added)

My mom was a quilter. When she died 5 years ago, she left a number of unfinished quilts behind that were at various stages of completion. Because I am her only daughter, and no one else in the family sews, naturally all her unfinished projects made their way into my studio with the hopes of being completed one day. At first I was angry that I had to finish them. It seemed a burden to me when I looked at the stacks of fabric and the sketches and notes she had made to show her intentions for each design. I was resentful that she was taken from us before she had time to finish what she started, and I wanted to be able to enjoy the quilts immediately ... not after I had put time and effort into finishing them. It took me four years to get up the nerve to work on them. Even then, I felt overwhelmed, inadequate, and hardly worthy to work on these quilts that my mom had started with her immaculate precision and graceful style. How could I ever even come close to doing her work justice? The answer : only through God's grace. Over the course of the last year, God enabled me to finish three of mom's quilts. It was definitely an emotional journey, and sometimes it felt like it was more than I would be able to bear. But, the burden and weight of the task quietly faded and was replaced with an overwhelming gratefulness for the opportunity to share in the work mom started. I have finally realized that these unfinished quilts were a gift from God, and it was my privilege to be able to work on them.

In honor of my mom, and to keep a promise I had made with her many years ago, I entered two of her quilts in our local Quilt Show this weekend. It just seemed like the perfect end to this long journey, and a great way to honor my mom for the amazing artist she was. I told my dad that I didn't care if I won any prizes for either of the quilts, and that all I really wanted was a simple ribbon on one or the other as justification for all the work we put into them. I didn't even care if the ribbon said "219th out of 220 quilts entered" ... as long as it was a ribbon.

Well, much to my shock, both of the quilts (!) were awarded 1st Place Blue Ribbons in their respective categories. Praise God! He is INDEED able to do immeasurably more than we could ask or imagine. Wow. What a blessing! Here's some photos ...



Many thanks to ALL my friends who came to the show - I am truly grateful for your love and support.