On Any Given Day – Page 2 – One Day Wonders with JBK

They Made Me Cry

February 4, 2025February 3, 2025 Quilter2 Comments

Children do not realize how they can bring parents to their knees. Well—maybe the grown-up ones know.

This has been an emotional week, triggered by our youngest. The text message read: “I’m in a bad place right now and need to talk with you & Dad. But my schedule is full until Thursday, can we meet then for dinner?”

My heart sank. A momma never wants her child to hurt. What could it be? The unthinkable crossed my mind, only maybe she got fired from her job. Then what? There was nothing I or her dad could do but wait it out.

A week went by until our dinner date.

Wednesday night arrived and was told she is on her way here now. What was so urgent that could not wait one more day for us to resolve? (I was proud of myself for not voicing my what- ifs to Dave. He would only counteract them with platitudes.)

Upon arrival, in she walked with her out-of-state brother! Oh no. Things were so bad she had to call upon him to set things right?

As the truth comes out, nothing was wrong. Jamie was here on business and made a point of visiting us. The two of them, correction, three, Dave was in on this surprise too. Tears of joy flowed. Our times together are few and far between.

The evening at the restaurant we were chatting it up. People passed by to be seated but we paid no mind—until a figure out of the corner of my eye stopped at our table. Cindy! Our out-of-state daughter, traveled to join us for dinner. More tears flowed.

Four states of the Union were represented. A rare and precious time was had by all. After dinner we gathered at home, where more laughter and tears reigned. Families that live close by miss out on the thrill of the surprise. Just as Jesus would have it, we were united in spirit.

We reveled in the joy as past memories came to the forefront. In so doing, we made an additional memory. I’ve made a personal decision that has yet to be announced. We can make this an annual event.

It’s not easy for me to say that because of the miles between us. But the degree of love we share does not know distance—we just pick up where we left off the last time we were together. Ditto for the love Jesus has for us. He is capable of pulling off a few surprises too.

TMI Risk

January 14, 2025January 7, 2025 Quilter2 Comments

Can I do this?

I had the best experience from an undesirable situation. But I don’t want to gross you out. Let’s see if I can share without offending you. Let me know if I succeed, please.

The date was set during the Christmas season last year. Not the best time of year, but then when is a good time for medical procedures? This was not my first rodeo. The last time was horrible and wound up making me sick. Just to find out if all my innards are as they should be.

The process began five days in advance of the doctor visit. Happenstantially, it was at this time that something jumped out to me from my Bible study. “Purification ceremony” presented itself for me to contemplate. My five-day advance took on new meaning. John chapter eleven, verse fifty-five is where I was reading.

A little back story for you to understand the scene I had read. This was prior to Jesus being crucified on the cross. It was during the Jewish Passover celebration. People came from all over to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices in worship. The need was for the participants to be cleansed in order to meet the criteria of sacrificing.

Because I was on a special diet that would become more intense as the hospital arrival day neared—I latched onto this purification and took it personally. Literally, I was undergoing a cleansing. The day before was a clear liquid diet.

I was ready for what was coming, with anticipation. For the procedure itself, I’m unconscious. Although waking up is usually difficult, at least it would all be over. To my surprise, I woke up alert! The good news is all is well for me until five years when I get do a repeat performance. I’m not dreading it either.

More than once I discussed this with Jesus. Generally speaking, thinking is always worse than the actual ordeal.
The directions were different compared to my previous experience.
I prayed for an accepting heart to do what must be done.

What made the difference? Was it my nagging the Lord over this concern? The more palatable directions? Or praying for an accepting heart? My answer is yes to all of the above.

The things that concern us, are in Jesus’s wheelhouse. He’s got this. Stuff that we have no control over are his specialty.

Elephant Eating

November 12, 2024November 11, 2024 Quilter2 Comments

Today I have tackled eating an elephant. Figuratively speaking. How does one eat an elephant? One bite at a time.

My ‘elephant’ is in the sewing room with a dreaded project hanging over my head. Let it be said here that knowing how to run a sewing machine does not equate to being a skilled seamstress. Or in this case, a tailor. The zipper on my windbreaker jacket broke and needed replacement.

Some time back I ordered a white separating zipper online for a bathrobe. The package was delivered in a timely manner with one little problem—the zipper was black. Realization comes to me slowly at times. The windbreaker is black.

In my thinking spot I realized this was to my benefit. Take out the broken and replace with the already paid for mistake. Easy to say, a challenge to do. What I did not realize is how well made the windbreaker is. Really well made. To ensure that all the pieces of jacket remained in place I basted before I started ripping out. Unfortunately, the zipper also wanted to remain in place. I suspect fabric glue was part of the construction.

As I basted away I came across a surprise. Inside the jacket is a hidden pocket! I love inner pockets and thrilled at what I have hidden in plain sight. Visions of sugar plums dance in my head as to what I can now carry sheltered from wind or rain.

Well—sometime anyway. My days are full and this project will not be accomplished anytime soon. Completion may not come until the dead of winter when it will be too cold to wear a jacket. Baby steps. One bite at a time. This was a dreaded project because seldom can I make a repair on a ready-made garment and have it looking as good as a factory finish. My skills do not match my intentioned goals. But it will work, even though it may look as though I tampered with it.

Look closely at what you may have hidden in plain sight. Whether it be a pocket, an opportunity or something packed away. You know what I’m talking about—that thing you could not bear to part with because someday it could be useful. Today may be your day.

Life is like that. So is Jesus. Do you have circumstances that you dread—fearing it is going to be a big deal? Something you would rather not deal with? I get it.

As far as this zipper project goes, I have decided to ask Jesus to give me the wisdom and skill to get it done. If you like, you can try Jesus with your thing too. I have every confidence he will come through—for both of us.

PS The bathrobe is patiently waiting.

Scrubbed Clean/er

October 29, 2024October 27, 2024 QuilterLeave a comment

Well almost.

We have this sandstone rock outside our door that looks its age. A quick glance tells it has seen the hard knocks of outdoor living—dirt and dust abound. Along with years of rain, snow, and sleet to ingrain itself into the porous stone— manufacturing mold.

Yuck, what is even more disgusting is we breathe that stuff in. So much for going outside to catch a breath of fresh air, right? Thank goodness it does not seep into our pores for a permanent residence.

As I scrubbed away at the mold, the appearance looked a little better. But I could not help thinking the human race has much in common with the stone. Not the mold, but how the places we gravitate to can unintentionally permeate our life.

The cheaters in the classroom, the office staff that five-finger lifts supplies for personal use at home. Some young moms we encounter at the grocery store give their little ones a fruit to eat as they shop. It keeps them occupied and quiet and we think nothing of it. But its ingested food never paid for. Not true. We shoppers, all of us, pay for it.

It’s just not right. The Good Book calls the things not right as sin. It may sound harsh, but wrong-doing can easily sink into our minds and hearts if we are not alert to it. That is why Ezekiel, a priest back in the Old Testament, got a word from Jesus about it that he shares with us today.

^{“And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.} ^{And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.”}^{Ezekiel 36:26 &27}

^{What a relief that to know that Jesus can scrub the things we may not even recognize as sin and make us clean. Or should I say cleaner. Like my stone, it still bares marks, but is improved. Living this side of heaven, we may bare a few marks too, but our words and actions will definitely be an improvement.}

Cops & Doughnuts

October 15, 2024October 14, 2024 Quilter3 Comments

Where do I even begin in sharing this? There is much to tell—some of which may sound unbelievable. Believe it because I never aim to deceive.

Cops and Doughnuts bakery has become a regular stop-over when visiting my brother, Bruce. He and his wife Sharon moved to the little town of Clare in Central Michigan long ago. The town takes pride of being the Gateway to the North.

At the time it was sleepy little place. But as time marched on, discount stores made Clare home, putting many of the smaller retailers out of business. It was getting depressing. When the local bakery, owned and run by family members for one hundred years decided to close their doors—it was the last straw.

The local policemen would. Not Have it. The unthinkable was about to happen if they didn’t do something. Nine brave officers, who knew nothing about making doughnuts or running a business stepped up.

Many have heard the love affair a policeman has with doughnuts. Their book, Cops & Doughnuts, told to Anne Stanton, tells the story of how this all came about, explaining the why of it. When an officer has the late night or early morning patrol, they often have a need for a little pick-me-up to see them through their shift. The only places one can count on to be open is the doughnut shop. Now you understand the connection, you’re welcome.

These officers had a very short time to crash learn the ins and outs of doughnut making and carrying on business as usual. But they did it with results business owners dream of. A smashing success. The town is sleepy no more. Police from all parts of Michigan have come to support or learn the how-tos of the bakery business. Making national news helped put them on the map, visitors come from around the nation.

Through the years it has expanded both in real estate and merchandise. The mugs and T shirts bearing clever sayings are popular. “Don’t glaze me bro!” or” D.W.I Doughnuts Were Involved.” It has become an event for busloads of shoppers, complete with signage, “Inmate of the Month: Parking Only.”

These officers have an enviable sense of humor and play it up to everyone’s delight. It shows policemen in a different light. They are real people (gasp!) that have a respect and a shared commitment to their community. Countless occasions have provided them to help individuals as well as its citizens. An FYI, none of the profits go to the owners, they already have a viable occupation. All funds earned go back into the bakery.

It meant a lot to me to sit briefly with Bubba—I learned they all have nicknames—giving me free reign to the pictures in the book and telling the story. As I introduced myself being Bruce Baldwins’ sister, it was necessary to clarify which Bruce Baldwin.

My brother has a Clare story too. When he and Sharon moved up from the Detroit area, they were not warmly received. City slickers. You understand. It took ten years for them to become accepted residents. But that was only half the problem. It seems they already live there, folks with the same name, well-known among the police force and town at large. Meaning not in the best light— the problem was real. Thankfully, they were able to outlive the mistaken association.

Today was a feel-good post. The book indicates they have a relationship with Jesus, proving with him, all things are possible.

Memory Lane

October 8, 2024October 7, 2024 Quilter2 Comments

Returning to our home state is a walk down memory lane. So many places to go and people to see. More so this trip than the others. What took us back to Michigan was a fifty-five-year class reunion. It was determined that Dave and I were married the longest. Or should I say we married the youngest?

We saw people all right, ones that we mostly didn’t recognize. It was a bittersweet evening. Ribbons with photos of classmates no longer with us. One in particular I was anxious to reconnect with, not to be, she entered her eternal home. Joining us at our dinner was a classmate that knew and remembered me more than I did him. That can be a little disconcerting.

While there we made the routine trip visiting our past homes. Where Dave grew up, where I grew up, where our children grew up. I don’t miss the homes as much as I miss the trees. They are everywhere, shielding us from bright sunny days. This time, the skies were mostly overcast. Another thing I miss, cloudy skies.

As we gawked at the home of my grandparents, we got to speak with the new owner. The home has never looked so good. New homes have taken the place of Grandpa’s fruit trees.

The unexpected perk in visiting my brother was receiving drawings our mother did that I had never seen before. Mom was a gifted artist. She could have made a living from them had she pursued that avenue. Instead, her time was invested in my father and us kids. One time she confided that she should not have married. Housekeeping was not her forte.

She had too many interests to be concerned what our home looked like. Knitting, I am certain I have a tablecloth she crocheted, piano and her artwork. Those things fed her soul, just as seeing the trees fed mine. What feeds your soul?

There is beauty in the world if we look for it. Either in the nature Jesus created for our pleasure or the activities that bring joy.

There were more pleasures in our travel that I will share at a later time. Stay tuned.

Be Encouraged

September 17, 2024September 16, 2024 Quilter2 Comments

Do you feel as though the world has run amuck and a little encouragement would be refreshing?

I came across the writing that Servant Hearted Sisterhood made public. Maybe you have not seen it—so I present it to you:

“Don’t feel sorry for or fear for your kids/grandkids because the world they are going to grow up in is not what it used to be.

God created them and called them for the exact moment in time that they’re in. Their life wasn’t a coincidence or an accident.

Raise them up to know the power they walk in as children of God. Train them up in the authority of His word. Teach them to walk in faith knowing that God is in control. Empower them to know they can change the world.

Don’t teach them to be fearful and disheartened by the state of the world, but hopeful that they can do something about it.

Every person in all of history has been placed in the time that they were in because of God’s sovereign plan.

He knew Daniel could handle the lion’s den.

He knew David could handle Goliath.

He knew Esther could handle Hamen.

He knew Peter could handle persecution.

He knows that your child can handle whatever challenge they face in their life. He created them specifically for it.

Don’t be scared for your children, but be honored that God chose you to parent the generation that is facing the biggest challenge of our lifetime. Rise up to the challenge. Raise Daniels, David’s Esther’s and Peter’s.

God is not scratching his head wondering what he is going to do with this mess of a world. He has an army he is raising up to drive back the darkness and make him known all over the earth.

Don’t let your fear steal the greatness God placed in them. I know it’s hard to imagine them as anything besides our sweet little babies, and we just want to protect them from anything that could ever be hard on them. But they were born for such a time as this.”

Unknown Author

I cannot think of anything to add, this says it all.

Disconnectedness

September 10, 2024September 9, 2024 Quilter2 Comments

Today’s blog almost did not get written. All because I cleaned my writing room. One could think it doesn’t pay to clean.

Correction. Cleaning homes is a profitable endeavor unless you are cleaning your own home. Such as I do. More than the normal dust and dirt was tracked around the house. I was saving it.

Those that know me well and love me anyway, know my cleaning pattern. Wait until it gets really bad, then clean to make the effort worth the time invested. If you have the same tendency, I will share one of my better household hints. Allow clutter to accumulate on as many flat surfaces as you can. It keeps the dust off your tables.

Later, I sat down to write—but could not. My laptop worked fine, not so the monitor. Ditto for the printer, it too, refused to cooperate. Checking all connections, I was baffled to what was the problem.

In such instances, I call out to my husband, Dave. He always comes to my rescue and is handy to have around—the man can fix anything. As he investigates, I mention the printer as well. He gave me ‘that look.’ It was just the incentive I needed to try harder.

What I learned is that I am a lousy connection checker. He located the issue on the monitor and bless my soul—I managed to get the printer up and running all by my little self.

Welcome to my life. Another day to realize more of us suffer from disconnectedness than we realize. It comes in many forms, the aforementioned electrical, mechanical, relationally deficit—don’t forget Jesus. Have you tuned into him lately?

You’re busy? I understand, so am I. But have discovered a revelation that I will pass on to you. If I devote time to be with Jesus in prayer or even silent moments thinking about him, my day goes much better. I’m diligent to my tasks, have more energy, and go to bed at night satisfied with what got accomplished.

If my to-do list is too long, it happens. I can still rest easy, looking forward to another day of opportunity. Give it a shot. What have you got to lose? Don’t say time because Jesus redeems time—as was stated above, with more energy.

It. Is. Finished!

August 27, 2024August 26, 2024 Quilter2 Comments

This man of mine is so resourceful. Dave had me in mind, planning to build a bookshelf. I don’t deserve it and had not requested it—but he knew I would love it. The cabinet appears to be built in, wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling, and I could not be happier with the outcome.

The project took the bulk of his summer. Thought, planning, editing dimensions, drawing and more drawing went into it before the work began. It takes a lot of brain power and heart to devote this much time to an endeavor of this magnitude. Each morning, he was at it, taking few days off to recoup.

Bottom line, the room is so ‘me.’ For several years this space has been my quilt room. Since I have begun writing, quilting has taken a back seat. I sit in awe with so much joy. It will take some practice to call the room by its new name. Lady J’s Lair. If you are interested in knowing how the name came to be, read my blog Intermission IV.

Both of us were amazed at how many books were gathered from the nooks and crannies of the house. My fabric stash now resides with book roommates. Space even for some of Dave’s favored reading, as well as some treasures of mine. The flag on the top shelf was given to me at my father’s military funeral. The newspaper bag is not prominent but hails from our son’s days of delivering the local paper many years ago.

Intermixed with these projects Dave has made—another awesome event took place. I met Jesus. That too, puts me in awe. Jesus had a hand in creating the world we live in. It took a mere seven days without any breaks—considering the work of his hands good. It was we humankind that muddied things up. Jesus let his creation realize this world was no longer perfect. However, he had a plan. Jesus made a way for us to live with him in perfection.

Currently Jesus resides in heaven, but had a thirty-three-year stint here on planet earth. Evil men, not fans of Jesus, determined to end his existence, putting him on a cross to die. Jesus was well aware, only his plan extended to beyond the cross. He rose from the dead. That sounds unbelievable, but each spring we see plants come back to life.

Know that Jesus is capable of anything and did not stay dead.

Much thought went into this, he had you in mind. When he returned to heaven, he sent the Holy Spirit to give us hope and encouragement. It is there for the asking, but you have to want his help. Ask for it—even if you feel you don’t deserve it. Jesus’ love and forgiveness is greater than any wrong humans can commit. Sit quietly, in awe and enjoy all he has already done for you. It is finished. Jesus said so himself.