among lessons learned in seminary, this one was the most jarring, the most surprising, the most needed: learning to be at peace in & with silence. through my wonderful christian spirituality instructor, we were introduced to the practice of sitting in stillness and silence. we were led from the first intentionally silent moments of 2-3 minutes to eventually 20 minutes & longer. this practice of meditation and stillness is one that i loved and one that i need. i need to know how to BE in the moments of silence. as a minister & chaplain, these still, quiet moments are among those so dear to me: the woman who could not speak but whose touch was like touching the hand of God. silence while toughing the hands of so many... stories i could share, but i will hold within. in all likelihood, if you know what connection through silence + touch that i am referring to, you KNOW within your own story.
i'm not talking about "i wish i had more quiet" or "there's so much noise" but the silence that comes from attending to one's surroundings, to quieting oneself from within. sitting still & quiet. listening to your breath & heartbeat. perhaps offering thanks for oneself by taking that time to care for the self. this practice of quieting yourself from within by spending meditative time with yourself & the universe provides the space for peace-making within. when you are at peace within yourself, you can move into the world sharing that inner peace & attending to others in the process. the silence that comes when being present to another by putting them first and you are just be-ing (where your mind is free and non-anxious, but able to clearly attend). you know these souls who can attend, who can show such care through their very presence. this silence is an intentional space that is created to offer caring, attending, and a listening presence. you can be the listening presence to the great goodness that surrounds you, or you can send out a message of hope, peace, and love to the world around you in this created space. these spaces aren't empty, but full of promise and hope and desire--all with few, if any words or actions. of course there are good spaces for words, too. the peaceful space where your mind is free may allow clarity in the words you speak, and provide an inner knowing of what's most appropriately said.
my attention is often focused on making, creating, baking, caring...you get the drift. like me, you may find yourself in need of that inner stilling, that movement from the who, what, when, where of life into a deeper knowing. a knowing and understanding that life is good and meaningful. life sometimes sucks. sometimes it's grand. life is full of infinite possibility. life is life.
in those still moments of silence, when you can move beyond and move into, i find myself bonding more closely to the breath of life that is taking place in & around me. as i move from one task to another, i make space for the quiet moments. i turn off the radio, roll down the windows (a gift) and breathe in life as it's lived while i drive by. i let email sit in the inbox and silence the phone. i take a social media/media sabbath. just me. being. thinking as little as possible. moving into a meditative space where the Creative Spirt, the Holy One, the God of Creation and I meet, finding a sacred space. breathing space. creating a sacred moment. my soul is fed and i have found the silence i have so longed for. a longing recognized as it's met.
my heart is full. i see the spaces where god is present, not in cracks along the sidewalk, but in the grass that grows through the cracks in the sidewalk. may the silent spaces bring new growth into our midst, breaking forth with new growth and new life.
a work in process. 20 fat quarters were gathered and received. each was washed, ironed, measured, cut, ironed, stitched, ironed, and stitched some more. the pattern that's come forth will have a name, but i'm not sure of it just yet. how does this work speak to you? 
this quilt from my grandmother's home belonged to her mother's (my great-grandmother lennye) circle of women. i really don't remember the details, but my great-aunt's name, jennie, is embroidered on the quilt as is this name i can't quite make out: 
i do not know how many hands were involved, but i like to imagine a circle of women chatting well, sharing stories, with the sunlight beaming around them & their work. i like to imagine their love in each stitch, for a generation they wouldn't see to adulthood. i like to imagine they might have imagined me, my family, curling up with this quilt.
so lovely, even with the tea stains of time. 
and so much better with little toes and long toes on top. to touch each flower and enjoy the pinwheel shapes and movement that you see with your mind's eye.
and especially good to sit and read. to enjoy. to picnic in the house. to savor a moment with my boy on the floor and his loving spirit. he soon jumped into my lap after this picture and warmed up with a mother's love. joys shared in a timeless moment atop a quilt assembled so many, many years ago.
a quilt by the window. receiving light, creating comfortable space, visually appealing.
this quilt was made by my great-grandmother's hands. i remember her hands well, hands that held us close, loving us fiercely. she was quite a lady.
folded down, you can see the variety of polyester squares with the hand stitching, crochet, all around each square.
i love the simplicity of the design with the bold colors & variation in textures. i can imagine her wearing polyester pants. 
quilts are made to be used, to wrap yourself in or sit yourself upon. i love the boy at the window, looking down our street. he's at home. this quilt is a part of our home and the warmth & love we hold dear.
the three quilts to the right are quilts made by women in my family, both maternal & paternal relatives. i'm so in awe of how the years treat quilts when they are cared for. these are in my mother's home. she lent them for the women's retreat i led back in january in Mississippi. i'm so thankful to have been surrounded by so many beautiful colors with fabrics that were resourced well. we think the quilt you see with the green was made from flour or tea sacks from my great-grandmother's store. how wonderful are the works of your hands!
my mother found this small quilt (about 1.5'x2.5') at an estate or yard sale. i borrowed it for a women's retreat i led in Mississippi earlier this year. i love the color combinations and the contrasts of solid & pattern, especially the vintage fabric with the red. the circles speak to me, but also the "cross" patterns i see in the fabric. i left this with my mother, as i wasn't prepared to ask for it, but i hope to make some sort of traveling parament for an altar or table. 
my grandmother made this quilt. 
she made it for me. it was made from a variety of wool blend fabrics in many sizes. she made this quilt for me when i was fatigued a lot in high school as a lap quilt for when i napped or was cold. i was cold a lot, running a low-grade fever for almost two years. i remember being the typical teenager and not showing full appreciation for its shades of color or for its uniqueness. now it's one of the quilts i treasure most. because she made it for me, because she stitched it with love, because she continues to warm me through her quilts, i want to share this quilting love with others. 
life and art intersect for me constantly. what i create often reflects what we are engaged in through our backyard & nature outings, what's in the lectionary cycle, or where my dreams arrive. much of my focus in the present moment takes place as i recognize the colors, shapes, and sounds around me, often giving thanks for the unexpected. 
