Life is Good...Interesting...and Quite Active

From Roy's 1st Birthday party.  If you look closely you can see some

icing on his hands. 

He wasn't too thrilled about the sticky feeling but was cute about it.

He did eventually enjoy the cake itself.  

And then was going super strong until falling asleep singing at the top

of his lungs.  One moment he was vocalizing...the next second he was silent.

It was hilarious.

The shop is transitioning to Autumn Themes.

 My brother's Mushroom Art is perfect for coming into the Autumnal Colors.

Harvested from a Black Locust Tree this fungus becomes the perfect

canvas for a little chippy.

I love the appearance of dimension Allan achieved through careful shading.

A one of a kind piece that the sports art collector would love to have.

 For the bird lover.

Such a beautiful piece.

I love the subtle touches in this one 

with the branches and berries.

Our large room gets to set the theme as the seasons change.

It's kind of cool to see this wreath against the background 

of the Alden House Bed and Breakfast next door.

Not a day goes by that someone, usually more than one person,

compliments the way things are displayed (curated) in the shop.

Always the credit has to go to Chelsea.

She has such a gift.

I'm so very blessed to have her on the job.

It's challenging as a wife and mother who also lives at the location

but she pulls it off gracefully.

Would you mind keeping Chadd in prayer as he looks for a job?

We couldn't have gotten the shop set up and opened without him...

at least not in the tight timeline we set for ourselves.

However, now, he is a bit bored as the faster pace of 

moving and getting set up is past.

Of course he is still a huge part of the business as we host

special events and receive large shipments but it isn't 

a full time gig for him any longer.

He is anxious to find work that is challenging and rewarding 

to him in a different way.

We completely get that!

So...if you know of anything in the Lancaster County area....

We are headed into the biggest weekend of the Summer.

Friday - Sunday we are hosting a Feedsack Extravaganza.

We will have approximately 1,000 feed/flour sacks on our porch.

ALSO...Friday is Second Friday which means we will be open until 9pm.

Saturday is the Rotary Craft Show which brings approximately 50,000 people to 

downtown Lititz and Sunday afternoon we will have a quieter time from 12-5 for 

the final hours of the Feedsack Extravaganza.

It's going to be GREAT!!

Beautiful cotton fabrics such as these will be on display and for sale.

So....not much chance I'll get back here before next week....

but we would LOVE to see you at Pebbles & Lace at 56 East Main Street

in the beautiful town of Lititz.

First Birthday is Coming Up Fast!

We enjoyed a kid invasion a week ago last Sunday.

How awesome was that??

I whipped up some mac n cheese 

and put out whatever I had around.

They hung out and chattered like crazy.

Sweet!!

Auntie Em and Roy are now thick as thieves. 

It's too funny how he decided one day that week that she

was o.k. and he has found her hilarious ever since.

That evening they decided to take a selfie.

But Roy also thought it great to chase the camera.

So funny, these two!!

In the rarely happens category...

Chelsea, Chadd and Roy went out to dinner with 

Warren and I recently.

As we were finishing our meal the sun was coming in

at this glorious angle.

I loved getting some great shots of Roy and his Daddy.

 I've got to scoot. 

Had a few extra minutes this morning because I'm waiting 

for a supplier to open their doors.

But now...It's time to hit the road.

Leaving you with just one more bit of 

little man Roy.

Who will be ONE on the 26th.

What a first year he has had.

God's Most Mysterious Ways

Eighteen years ago God led us to the smallest church in Lancaster County.  This was after we had boldly proclaimed that we were going to find a huge church and get lost in it.  No joke!  That really happened. 
During those eighteen years our church has been small more than it has been anything else...but it has had heart.  Big, big heart. 
Our children were raised there.  They were loved on, challenged, encouraged and supported through all that normal young people go through as they grow up.  When they each married they found churches that suited themselves and their spouses away from the church each of them were raised in.  I think that must be kind of normal....Warren and I did the same thing.  It's sad for me...but I think I understand it.  Part of the leaving and cleaving.
During the last ten years Sonrise Christian Fellowship swelled in size and volume with many large families...most driving long distances to be there.  We greatly enjoyed a season of growth.
Over the more recent years we have observed God's call on many of these families to find a place of worship closer to home.  We missed each of them like crazy...because we don't worship or fellowship casually...but knew that if we were in their position we would likely not have done all of that driving, planning, packing and everything else for as long as they did.  We were happy for the time we had with them.
Last week was the last Sunday for the last of our "distance" families.  They had been with us for at least eight years.  Eight years of driving nearly an hour every Sunday.  As God would have it, I now work much closer to this family and look forward to continued fellowship with my dear sister, Kelly. 
Now, up until recent weeks, I had become quite discouraged and just tired of the status quo of our Sunday routine.  I was always completely wiped out from busy weekends at the shop and it seemed others were in the same detached state that I was when we arrived.  I felt frustration that it seemed we were all going through the motions to have church.  Now, it could have just been me.  Seriously...I was one hundred percent spent by the time I arrived there each week.  But...I think it was more after seeing how the last couple of weeks have gone.
Recently our size shrunk again to less than can support the building we meet in for very long.  A congregational meeting was called and our dear Pastor Mike challenged everyone there to search their hearts and God's will for each one.  If anyone felt a call to be elsewhere this would be the time to follow that call.  Those who didn't feel such a calling should remain and see what God wanted to do with us. This led to two additional families moving on their next path.  It was with tears that we said our goodbyes.  We bear no hard feelings to any who have left.  We are thankful for them having the courage to follow God's call in their lives.  It is often WAY easier to continue in the status quo. 
That leaves a remnant of about 21. 
There are about 21 of us who are seeking God's face for the future of our church.  Now, honestly, I have been o.k. with whatever God wants to do....move us all on, or supply our needs here and grow us to the numbers that can support our place of worship. 
Here's where I get the title for this post.  I completely expected the remainder to just make the logical choice that Sonrise Christian Fellowship was done.  But that didn't happen.  We met.  We prayed.  We got together and reduced the number of chairs in the sanctuary.  We shared in fellowship.  We decided to hold off on Sunday School for the Summer.  And we have been worshiping.  With all of our hearts.  Pastor Mike has been preaching with a clarity and passion beyond belief. 
There is no logical explanation for this.  We should be crushed.  We should be discouraged.  We certainly miss those who have gone.  But we just shake our heads at the presence of God in our midst as we lift our voices and hands in song.  As we pray for the concerns on each heart.  Tables are pushed together because none of us wants to be at separate tables as we share fellowship meals. 
Unexpected offers of help have come from within our midst.  I say unexpected because these people have been faithful to attend but have never stepped up into leadership roles .....probably because someone else was happily serving in that role.  But it is so super sweet to see these acts of faith.  Not to say, "Well, it doesn't matter because we will close soon", but to say..."Hey, I'd love to do that!". 
I have no idea what God is doing with us.  But I will say this....if He is working toward closing our doors I couldn't be happier about the joy He is giving us in our final days.  However, if He has more for this little Fellowship to do, I will rejoice in His growing us once more.  In the meanwhile we will wait.  And see. 
If you happen to be looking for a SMALL church who loves Jesus, worships together and plays together we welcome you to visit with us.  Sundays at 10:30.  Contact me for location and schedule.
You know I use this blog as a diary of sorts for when the big things happen....this is kind of a big thing.  And I'm super curious to see what will happen next.  I didn't expect to find us thriving and happy together.  Honestly.  I didn't.  I thought at this point we would be packing up everything and in a search for a new church ourselves.  It may still happen...but I'm just not so sure.

Photos...and a sweet story....

 Second Fridays in Lititz are a big deal. Each shop tries to do something

special on that night.  Often it is a sale, a guest artist or something.

We had a musician on the porch and a couple enjoy dinner

as they listened to him last month.

This month we were hoping to have swing dancers performing

but the timing didn't work as there was a conflicting event in

town that weekend for the dancers.

And so, we decided to host a deserving mom and her immediate family to

dinner in our garden. 

After asking for nominees we chose a mother of twins who had

suffered multiple pregnancy losses prior to having her

sweet girls.

After she had them an emergency heart surgery became necessary 

for her.  Her mother shared her story in a heartfelt way and I knew

that we would not only want to host the daughter and her family

but the mom and dad as well.

They were all available to come.

Chelsea and Chadd set up a beautiful table.

They went to Wilbur Chocolate and got special chocolates.

I got a pizza order and we had it waiting as the family arrived.

Below is a photo of the beautiful family.

The twins insisted on being held by their grandparents

for this photo.

As a new Grandma I just loved that!

We were so pleased to provide a quiet space and 

beautiful environment for this dinner.

What a lovely family!

The next day I needed to serve appetizers.

All of the shops were taking turns serving food.

I got crackers, cream cheese and red pepper jelly.

Easy...and tasty!

Mother's Day flowers from Mikey and Emily.

Aren't they pretty??

In the garden...the shrooms have arrived.

So bright and colorful.

Gotta love them!

From inside the shop....

Local artist, Liz Hess, is extremely popular in our shop.

Often you will find a red umbrella in her works...

but not always.

I have examples of both in this post.

 This is a print from Liz's latest series, Jerusalem.

Another popular local artist is 

Mary Charles.

She is self taught, a great person and has

mastered the art of color!

Mary says she uses the colors that the Amish use

for their clothing.

We often think of the Amish as plain and colorless but that 

couldn't be further from the truth.

Lots of bright colors are worn by the entire family

but primarily by the younger crowd.

C&C Sheets created this 

amusing and attractive sign.

A fun new scarf display in the boutique room.

A pop up note pad and Curly Girl card.

Lovely towels!

Truth!

From our friend, Amy's shop

in our shop....

 We love her style!

Finishing up with a bit more 

from Liz Hess.

What amazing talent!

It's wedding season....

Have a wonderful day...

It's time for me to hit the road.