Hi, this is Jill with my mom Margaret!

We have waited for a long time to have a chance to visit with Cathie,

 see her lovely Little French Sewing Room and catch up on family news.  

Thanks for the delicious Lemon and Blueberry Muffins, Cathie!

Sent from Cathie's Little Room that I (Jill) call the 'Girl's Room'.

Thankyou...

**This post was actually written yesterday afternoon and placed in the Study Room, however, because so many of you have been faithfully praying for my mom, I felt that it was important to share it here, in Pure Grace, as well...

thank you!

Hi Girls, I just wanted to thank you so much for all your prayers these past few weeks and to let you know that I haven't dropped off the side of the planet... I really am still here and missing you like crazy I might add!

Here is my mom, looking quite pleased with herself as she takes her daily walk... and so she should, she's been through a lot.

Today we were finally able to pick her up from the hospital and take her home. I put her dinner in the oven while she settled herself down on her 'own wee couch', then tidied out her fridge and restocked it with new groceries.

I have been so blessed to have such caring and loving sisters during this season; God, daily, has been ministering to me through His Word and by His Spirit, may He see in me a truly thankful child.

Looking forward to seeing you all soon!

With love,

Home Is Where the Heart Is...

I received a phone call just a few days ago letting me know that Takako is going Home.

Her two sisters have come all the way from Japan,

and in just a few short days they will escort Takako onto the plane,

and they will all fly back to Japan together.

Yet,

Takako's journey Home,

is not to Japan -

her Home you see,

is where her heart is.

And this sweet woman's heart belongs

to God.

I wanted more time to put together a little book for her.

The few hours that I had was time enough.

Polished it is not.

Full of love from her sisters in Christ...

it is.

In early February,
in the Bible Study Room,
I wrote...

Please pray for Takako.

This dear woman has just been recently told that her cancer has now spread to her brain.

Many, if not all of you girls have heard Angie speak often of Takako.

I had the joy of meeting her last July when we went to visit Angie's Auntie Jean, I remember that when I was about to take her picture, she quietly asked me, "Is my wig on straight?" I was so astonished and said, "Takako! I didn't even know that you were wearing a wig!"

She smiled the sweetest smile, which was captured in the picture above.

Lovely.

God's banner over this precious woman is 'Love'...

and so as we pray for God's will to be done in Takako's life,

we are praying beyond all that we ourselves could ever ask or think.

Although Takako was not able to physically join us in our weekly Bible Studies,

she has always been a much loved and important part of our group,

through Pure Grace.

There are 47 pages in this little memory book,

may it bless you Takako,

as you make your way Home.

With love,

your sisters

Showers of Blessing!

Look at the lovely gifting of tulips, among other things, that my 'Home Girls' blessed me with today. I now have a new book to read, a bird house for my garden, seeds to plant, lovely notepaper and note cards, plenty of fruit to fill my kitchen table basket with and.... a large package of Quinoa! It looks like the Girls are convinced!

So,  as I promised, and as my way of saying Thank You for your showers of blessing upon me this morning, I offer you a variety of recipes for your newly found food... Quinoa! Just click on the collage of recipes below, or click here to go to one of my favourite recipe sites 'Epicurious'... and prepare to enjoy!

With love,

                        recipes and corresponding pictures from Martha Stewart.com

Women of Many Hats!

I had a lovely few hours over at my friend Linda's last week. It was a time to exchange Christmas gifts, talk about our lives, our families, our grandchildren.

We had a tender time of contemplative worship as we listened to music pointing towards the coming of our King. And then these two grannies did what all girls love to do... we played dress-up with hats!

After I left, I still had afternoon errands to run, dinner to make and then off to evening church services...

I wore a hat.

The Gift of Sisters

click on pictures to enlarge

Just look at some of the wonderful women that I got to hang out with this morning, and let me just say that we had us some pretty amazing Bible Study and fellowship together!

Margaret and I both arrived at the same time thinking that it was so quiet we must have gotten something wrong... the time... the place... that date?

But nope. Once Angie opened the door we saw Debbie sitting at the table and the other girls began coming through the door one after the other!

Edna has just returned from Mexico and is as BROWN as anyone I have ever seen! White was definitely in her colour palette for this morning... and that is why she was sitting beside me! My pale, washed out winter complexion certainly highlighted her 'golden hue' beautifully! Edna had brought some beautiful bookmarks for each of us from Mexico, I could just kick myself for not taking a picture of them... they were made from avocado leaves and hand painted. That's not all I could kick myself for... I forgot to choose one for myself as they were passed around the table! Edna, could you choose one for me and keep it until we see each other again?

Joan looked so Christmasy in her red and as always she was a wealth of information in our study. She even brought hymnals for our time of worship... but more about that in a minute.

Angie had the coffee brewing to warm everyone up on this very wet, rainy, grey morning, and there were a few bowls of goodies on the table to snack on as well.

Margaret and I took this quick 'self portrait'... usually I cut off part of the head whenever I attempt to do this, and even if we both look a little dubious about the result of our efforts, I was just pleased that we came out... whole!

Wendy was so please when her daughter Cat was able to come this morning. Did you know that we have four sets of mothers and daughters that are doing this study together? Not all of them were able to make it this morning, but I am thrilled that Wendy and her daughter Cat, Angie and her daughter Marnie, Debbie and her daughter Sherri, and Margaret and her daughter Jill are with us!

After Angie opened our Bible Study in prayer, committing all things to the One Who had gathered us together, and after we had all agreed with our collective, Amen!, Debbie burst out with... OK, I have a question! And we were off and running!

After our study time together we had a time of worshipful singing. Marnie's dog Dash joined in... and let me just say that Angie's cat Bandit made a contribution 'of sorts' as well!

Again, I could just kick myself for not getting pictures of those two!

Lovely gifts were handed out, and as usual our hostess Angie lavished us with gorgeous desserts, delightful presents and the warm and hospitable ambiance of her home. It was a wonderful morning and after our many good-bye hugs and lingering conversations at the front door, all I could think of as I was driving away was... "Lord, you have blessed me beyond measure in the gift of my precious sisters."

And The Winner Is...

At the beginning of the Pure Grace Sweeter Than Chocolate On-Line Study, I had made a Beaded Bookmark to be given as an End of Study Giveaway.

Congratulations Jan! If anyone grew in leaps and bounds during these past 6 weeks, surely you must be counted among their number!

I believe that it was in Week Three that you said in the Comment Cafe... "Hi Cathie,

I am still here! I too have been struggling a bit with the length of Lesson 3. I almost did not attend our group session on Thursday because I felt I was just going around and around not getting anywhere..."


Just 4 short days later, you wrote, "... I also am finding that the studying is going better this week and I am even getting into the Digging Deeper sidebars. I have also been reading 1 Samuel and now am starting 2 Samuel. I have been in Genesis and Joshua and plan on reading Jeremiah 18 as well. I am finding that, for me, the Psalm is getting clearer and easier to understand. Vs. 96 was causing me a bit of difficulty understanding what the psalmter was trying to say but then reading all the translations of that verse clarified my thinking. I have really enjoyed this week...."


And 11 days after that, you wrote, "Hi to all my sisters in Christ,
I have had another burst of understanding this week. I am sure I should have 'gotten" this before but I am one of the simple that the psalmist speaks about in vs 130. Cathie, I remember how you spoke about using God's word to explain God's word and I never quite understood but this week with the help of my sisters I began to do much more cross-referencing than I had done before and I really began to see how God's word builds on God's word. I felt as if a lightbulb had flicked light on over my head just like you see in the comics. I began to see how checking 1 cross-reference led to another and I could feel my understanding of what was being said greatly increase. Like I have said many times, it seems to take me a wee bit longer to catch on but eventually I do. I am blessed by that verse, knowing that God will have patience with me and will give me understanding, even if it takes a while...."

And just 3 days after that, you were the first one to fly through the door of the Comment Cafe, coming prepared with the research you had done on the Trinity and presenting it to your sisters! You said, "I am so excited this morning. I was working on my study late last night when I got to the question aboout the Hebrew word for salvation which the psalmist hoped and longed for. YESHUA!!! Meaning help, deliverance. saving... I am going to do more looking as I know you have said we should be careful about commentators but I was beside myself last night to see how everything in the Bible fits together to point to our Lord Jesus as the Messiah.

More later.

It was the "more later" that just sent me into giggles and my joy over the top! Jan, it is with great love that I pass along to you this little Bookmark. May it be a reminder to you of the precious time that you spent, close to The Word, Yeshua!, in Psalm 119. You have been an inspiration and an encouragement to all of us, and we just plain love you, o-o-odles!

love,

Seven Frog'ettes' Out For Lunch!

I had the sheer pleasure this morning of spending time in Bible Study with Edna, Margaret, Cat, Wendy, Jan, Debbie and Joan. It was so good to be together again in person, to share what we had been learning through our study of Psalm 119, to ask questions and dig deeper into God's Word.

Then it was out to lunch at the Frogstone Grill! Chatter, chatter, chatter and lots of laughter... like I said it was a sheer pleasure. I will be posting more in the On-Line Bible Study Room, but until then, here are a few pictures for you to look through... enjoy!

Hokey Pokey!

A few weeks ago, the Summer in the Psalms girls got together for our Summer Windup. When I posted the pictures of the evening I found out that my little aDell was unable to accommodate me in uploading the video of the Hokey Pokey, (sigh)... it was then that I knew that little aDell's finest hours were somehow behind her.

Well, here I am today, trying to learn how to up load my videos onto my new Mac while being a little creative at the same time... and look what I can now show you! It is a little late but just as cute and fun as ever.

I remember when I was looking at the picture and the emotion that came over me as I looked at that circle of feet, I wrote...

I was just thinking as I looked at that group picture once again, that those precious feet have taken us so many places throughout our lives - each of those feet once took their very first wobbly baby steps, they took us to our first day of school, on our first dates and down the aisle on our wedding days.

They have walked the floor in heartbreak and taken us to the bedsides of ailing loved ones. They have run and tripped and skipped and strolled, they have taken us places that perhaps we should have never been. Those feet have found themselves many times weary at days end and cute in a pair of summer sandals.

Yet no matter where our feet have taken us, or our particular life's story, every one of those feet in that circle now belong to the Lord, and we have become His feet upon this earth.

I am quite overcome with love for each of you, precious sisters, precious feet.

I am still of the same mind.

Where's Cathie?

Oh for heaven's sake! Our new fall On-Line Bible Study Sweeter Than Chocolate! started yesterday and this morning I awoke to find this message...

Hi Cathie,I can't seem to find your posting for today, Sept. 14. Is everything okay with you, I am worried about you. Hope you can get back to me.

I immediately realized how 'blogligent' I have been over the last little while as I have been spending a lot of time redesigning the format of this blog page and also putting together the On-Line Study page. This poor girl had showed up exactly where she had expected to find me ... and I was somewhere else!

You have probably noticed that there have been a few changes made, over the past few weeks, to the Pure Grace Page. For all you registered On-Line Bible Study girls, you will now be able to find me and the rest of your sisters by scrolling down the sidebar and clicking on "On-Line Study Group Site".

The Pure Grace Home Page will now be used primarily for my musings and writings... which will be coming soon!

My Little French Sewing Room is where you will find everything handmade by me.

The Room to Grow is all about my home, family and garden.

I hope that you enjoy the new format, and although there are still a few things that will be added over the next few weeks you can begin to get familiar with it all now as the links are all 'clickable'.

Gotta post this quick in case someone else is playing a game of 'Where's Waldo'!

Love you big,

Fun - Food - Fellowship and the August Giveaway Drawing!

Early yesterday evening, I loaded up the car with a lemon meringue pie, a dessert loaf, two handmade journals, a picnic basket and a few other odds and ends. I was heading over to Linda's house where our Summer in the Psalms Windup would shortly be taking place. Linda, who had also followed along with the Summer in the Psalms had kindly opened up her home so that we could continue our summer theme in her lovely garden.

As the girls began to arrive it was fun to see them gather in the backyard gazebo, place down their sumptuous offerings of food, squeal and hug like crazy, and get caught up on each other after a long and eventful summer.

Linda's husband Bob was available to take everyone on a pre-dinner garden tour, but it was our gardener Edna who got a head start on us all! I had to literally run to catch up to them to snap this picture before they headed off again. (Do you think Edna looks happy?) Bob had recently come in 4th out of 3,000 entries in the BC Best of Gardens competition sponsored by the Sun newspaper; his garden has been featured in Garden’s West and has been included on the Maple Ridge Garden Tour, so this was a highlight of the evening indeed!

Another highlight of the evening and centre piece of the garden is a full sized play-house... big girl size!

Some of us were more ready to play than others - I just love it when the 'little girl' in all of us comes out to play! Although truthfully, it didn't take but a few minutes and everyone was ready to move into this lovely wee house!


Here are Linda and Jan on the little porch of the playhouse, getting to know one another better. I wish I could have had my camera ready, to capture the expression on her face, when Linda found out that Jan was born in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho... Bob and Linda lived in Bonners Ferry, Idaho for years, so this was a sweet connection indeed. I mean really, how many people do you meet that come from Idaho?


One of my personal pleasures of this evening came from watching all my sister-girlfriends all coming together at one time, in one place. It was lovely to see those that God has so lovingly placed in my life getting to know one another, I have always thought of the precious women in my life as the flowers of my life garden and so this particular setting was very poignant for me.



Then it was time to eat... and there was p-l-e-n-t-y of good and sumptuous food for all!



Everyone found and settled into their own gathering place in the garden and into the 'breaking of bread' together.





As the evening sun began to sink deeper and twilight began to bathe the garden, the little scattering of garden lights began to make their luminous showing and deeper conversation and sharing began to flow.



Peek a boo!



Oh, I almost forgot! We had our August Summer in the Psalms Giveaway drawing that same evening - I thought that because Linda was our lovely hostess that she should be the one to draw the name out of the cup... she put her whole self into this endeavour...




...and pulled out her own name! Congratulations Linda! May God bless you as you journal your way through our next study 'Sweeter Than Chocolate'!

It was a truly lovely evening. Every one of us have busy, full lives, yet in the midst of it all God purposed us to be together for this one, very special evening... I am still basking in the afterglow of it all!


With love,

P.S. If you would like to hear more reflections about this evening, read some of the comments from yesterdays posting - I'm a little late in posting the pictures and the girls just couldn't wait, ...Sisters, You Gotta Love 'Em!