Advent 2017 - Hope

Devotion for the Week...

It's Advent season again! Like so many others, I love this time of year. I love the decorations, the tree, the food and the music. More than anything, though, I love the reason we celebrate.

"For to us a child is born,

    to us a son is given,

    and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called

    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6).

Jesus came as a baby, born into this world to bring hope to a people who were completely hopeless. I'm not talking about the Jewish people, though they were hopeless under Roman rule at the time. I'm talking about the entire human race.

We are, after all, one people. Though we've divided ourselves according to religious and national differences, we are really only one people and Jesus came to rescue us all.

I've been thinking about it like this: one of the little girls I babysit is named Edie. She's 18 months old and she loves to sit at my kitchen table and play. Sometimes, she wants to play with our Little People barn or one of our big Tonka trucks, but they're too big for her to get onto the table herself. She picks it up and tries to get it that high, but she can't do it, and by that point she's in such an awkward position that she can't put it down either.

That's when she starts calling out for me. "Help, help, help, help," she'll yell over and over until I come and take the toy from her and set it on the table.

We were like Edie. We had a burden too heavy for us to lift and impossible to put down. That burden, of course, was sin. Romans 3:23 says, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." All. There is no one who can say they have never sinned, except Jesus. That's what makes it possible for Him to remove that burden of sin from us and set us free. Verse 24 goes on to say, "and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."

That is the hope that came to us as a people when Jesus was born in Bethlehem. That is the hope still offered to so many who are struggling in their sin, not knowing or not willing to accept that Jesus came to take their burden.

Without Jesus the entire human race was hopeless, without a way to escape from sin. But with Jesus? What hope we have!

QuiltCon Submission Quilts

I decided to submit two quilts for QuiltCon this year, for the first time. Actually, I had to join the MQG to even be able to submit, lol. I'm not sure why I had never joined before, but now I finally have 😊

The quilts I've submitted are Pinwheel Whirl and Medallion Magic. They're both entered in the piecing category.

While I'm hoping they get in, obviously, I'm also keeping my expectations realistic considering all of the amazing quilts that have been rejected in years past. If nothing else, I'm now a member of the MQG and can take advantage of the webinars and other resources they have available. Are there any MQG webinars you especially recommend?

On another note, have you purchased the Handmade with Love bundle yet? If not, you can read more about it here, or see everything that is included and pick up your copy. The free Craftsy class is still available until the end of Thursday, November 30th and the whole bundle is available until Monday, December 4th.

Have you ever submitted a quilt to QuiltCon?

Handmade With Love Bundle

The people at Ultimate Bundles have created an awesome crafting bundle that I know you're not going to want to miss. There are patterns galore in quilting, sewing, knitting, embroidery and more.

The quilting section includes patterns by Alison Glass, Yvonne Fuchs, of Quilting Jet Girl, and Alyce Blyth, of Blossom Heart Quilts. The sewing section includes a softie pattern by Abby Glassenberg, of While She Naps.

The bundle has over 200 patterns! All of the patterns are digital downloads, so there's no waiting for things to arrive in the mail. You can buy your bundle and be making something new as quickly as you can gather the fabric (or yarn) from your stash. Click here to see everything that is included.

Now, if you're anything like me, you're thinking, "Well, I'll never use all of them, especially since I don't knit." But even if you never use most of the patterns, the ones you do use will more than justify the price of the bundle, which is only $29.97 😊

But there's more.

The bundle also includes a 6 month subscription to Make Modern magazine (and you know I love Make Modern!). That alone is worth the price of the whole bundle.

But there's still more!

The bundle is available until Monday, December 4th, but if you buy yours by Thursday, November 30th, you also get a free Craftsy class (and I love Craftsy too). Again, that by itself is worth the price of the bundle.

I told you it's an awesome bundle! And yes, I realize I've used way too many exclamation points in this post, but sometimes they're justified 😊

Get your bundle now

Remember, the bundle is only available for 1 week, and the free Craftsy class is only available through Thursday, so pick up your copy now.

** This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on the link and then make a purchase, I will receive a commission. This does not affect the price you pay.