The obvious answer to this question is my three sons. When Randy and I decided to marry - we had hoped to have five children some day. We married between our third and fourth year of seminary and upon graduation (1980) - we spent the summer directing a children’s camp near Midland Ontario. It was an absolutely super summer. We began our full-time ministry at First Baptist Church in Orillia in September of 1980. Randy was the co-pastor at the church - a fairly large church - with a booming ministry. We rented a cute little house from Christian friends and we were so happy. I didn’t work outside of our home - instead helped Randy in his ministry. We wanted to start our family and have our children when we were young - grow up with them - so to speak. It was so exciting to find out in the spring of 1981 that our first born was expected in late December or early January. Zac was born January 15, 1982. When Zac was 7 months old we found out we were expecting baby number two the next April. Ben was born April 6, 1983. Fast forward 8 months to Christmas time and the very familiar fatigue set in and baby #3 was due the next summer - Pete - August 20, 1984. My three sons! We had all three babies by C-section and our doctors advised us to call it quits as far as anymore children went.

Raising our three boys was our greatest joy and delight. We loved being parents and especially being the parents of our three young sons. How grateful we were (and are) that God gave us the gift of our boys. Each stage was busy and exciting. Randy and I always said to each other that we’d rather raise three great humans than have all the money or prestige or status in the world. That happened!

Before I write about the “thing” that I’m especially proud of - here are some of the other projects I’ve made and activities I’ve done over the years. They bring back pretty great memories.

My Mom taught me to knit when I was just a little girl. I’m so glad that I’ve already passed that tradition on to some of my own grandkids. When Randy and I were dating, I decided to knit him a sweater. During the summers while attending seminary, I lived in Cornwall and Randy lived in Burlington. My sister and brother-in-law - Brenda and Ken - owned property at Devil Lake - near Westport - and we spent many - most weekends there in the summer. My parents and I would drive up to the lake from Cornwall and Randy would drive from Burlington. I remember one weekend my Dad had worked nights on the Friday night and we were driving to the lake on Saturday morning. My Mom was driving - I was riding shotgun (and knitting - working on Randy’s sweater) and my Dad was sound asleep in the backseat. I ran into trouble with my knitting project and my Mom explained what I should do but I still couldn’t figure it out - so she pulled over and proceeded to rip out rows of stitches - and fix my knitting mistake. I can still see the place where we pulled off to the side of the road. My Dad woke up when the car stopped and couldn’t figure out why we would stop and fix a knitting thing! We had a good laugh over that. That brown sweater lives on. After Randy passed away - Zac took the sweater home and I love it when I see him wear it. It’s stretched and has balls all over it and it’s almost 50 years old now but each stitch was knit with love for the one who would wear it.

There was a time when I thought I’d sew my own clothes. My mom taught me to sew (as well as knit) and I also took home economics in grade 7 and 8. Remember Home Economics - such a fun, useful subject. I decided to sew a bathing suit! This was such a bad idea in so many ways. I got the pattern and the material and sewed away. It was blue. It was a two piece - the top was like a blouse and closed at the back. I finished the bathing suit in time to wear it to our youth group’s swimming party at the beach - to celebrate the end of the school year. I still remember going into the Lake with all my friends - and then realizing my blousy bathing suit top was stretching - stretching - stretching. When I came out of the water, the top was hanging down below my knees. I was mortified! I changed immediately and rarely sewed anything for a very long time.

And then there was the year our family decided to “make” our Christmas presents. I made pj’s for all the kids and grandkids and promptly - cut the material upside down. I couldn’t believe it. I cried and then I laughed. At least when everyone looked down when they put them on - the penguins and snowmen and reindeer were looking up at them.

Sewing was not my strong suit.

I’ve knitted baby sweaters and hats and blankets - of which I’m super proud. I’ve knitted sweaters for all of my sons - including the Icelandic sweater I knit for Pete last year - that one was an amazing project.

Sports - I’ve always loved playing and watching - having five older brothers certainly helped. I played most sports when I was a teenager in high school - volleyball - basketball - badminton - track (not flag football or hockey though -I wasn’t allowed!) I played a lot of volleyball and squash and tennis in my 30’s when we lived in Listowel. It was in my 40’s and 50’s that I got into some serious running. I trained with the Cambridge Harriers for a time and learned a lot. I also trained with my brother Bob for a bit as he had been running quite seriously at the time as well. He taught me that if I trained my body to run one kilometre at a certain time, I could train it to run 5 or 10 kms or more - each kilometre run at the same pace. I trained accordingly. I ran 10 half marathons in my 50’s - one each year. My best time for a half was just under two hours - 1 hour and 58 minutes and 30 seconds. I also had a personal best at the age of 52 in a 5 km - 22:38. I’m thankful that a few years ago I ran the Ottawa 2 km “marathon” with Luke and Ben. Three generations running the same race. We even made the CTV 6 o’clock news! I also swam/cycled/ran several triathlons - after Pete and Randy did the Guelph lake triathlon, I decided to start training. I participated in several triathlons over the years and often placed in the top five in my age group! Now I play pickle ball and you know how much I love the game. I try to play at least 3 times a week. I still go the gym 4 or 5 times a week and love it. I love training. The highlight for this year will be walking part of the Camino Trail in Spain - 125 kms in 5 days or so.

Now - the “thing” -

I think it was in either 2006 or 2007 that I decided I wanted to learn how to make a quilt. My Mom had quilted all her life and had made at least 50 quilts through the years. Quite an incredible feat. If I was going to learn, I would learn from the best. (By the way - cool fact - there is an article and pictures of my Mom and the quilts she made in the magazine - Our Canada - when she celebrated her 90th birthday!)

After my Dad died in February of 2007, my Mom came to stay with Randy and I over the winter of 2007/2008. That’s when my Mom and I would begin the quilt. I decided on a very simple patchwork quilt. I would cut out 4 1/2 inch squares and I would cut out hundreds of them. I used odds and sods of material that my Mom had - I don’t think I had to buy any material at all. When Mom asked me if I wanted to make a “table runner” - I told her I was thinking more along the lines of a quilt to fit our queen size bed. I cut squares and the pile grew and grew and grew. I cut out 529 squares.

Some people like to use their sewing machines to sew their quilts together but I wanted to do it the old fashioned way and sew it by hand. Mom showed me how to mark the squares for 4 and 1/4 inches so I would have a 1/4 inch seam. She showed me how to sew the seams together with even stitches. In the evenings while Randy and I watched the Leafs - I sewed. Mom went home in the spring and I was still sewing those squares together. Finally the squares were sewed together and then I had to iron each seam flat. Once the squares were sewed together in strips and pressed - I sewed the strips together and then pressed those seams.

By now - all three of my sons were married and it wasn’t too long before the 2011 babies were on the way. I set aside the quilt and started making baby blankets and “spit” rags and knitting baby sweaters and bonnets. The babies were born and it was time to resume the quilt.

The next step was to connect the quilt top with the batting (middle) and bottom piece of material. In the olden days, the quilt would be set up in someone’s living room and women would gather for quilting bees. That would have been so fun. I didn’t have that opportunity nor did I know any women who still quilted. I bought a round quilting frame - about 18 inches in diameter. I drew a heart on each of the plain squares and Mom showed me how to make the tiniest of stitches. On the coloured squares - I quilted inside the “ditches” and quilted an X across those squares. It was a long process to quilt all those 529 squares but eventually in 2012 0r 2013 - I put the last stitch in that quilt.

Now you can’t leave the quilt with all those unfinished edges. I needed help to learn how to bind the edges. There was a lady at our church - Carol J - who was a wonderful seamstress and she said she’d come out to our house in Everett and spend the day with me to teach me how to make the binding and finish the quilt. That was a special day. We chatted as we worked and finally after several hours - the quilt was finished. That very night, Randy and I slept under the quilt - and slept under it until he passed away. It’s especially meaningful that my friend, Carol, helped me put the binding on the quilt because she passed away suddenly, shortly after Randy went Home to Glory.

I’m proud of that quilt. I’m thankful that I learned from my Mom. Will I ever make another one! Not likely. It took me 6 years to make it, yet I’m thankful for the hundreds of nights that I quilted and Randy sat with me, watching the Leafs and the Jays and the Raptors. He was so proud of me.

When I was a child my parents reminded us quite frequently of this great Bible Verse - “Whatever you do - do it all to the glory of God.” This has to be one of my favorite Bible verses. It speaks to the all-encompassing nature of my relationship with God.

Whatever you do – whatever it might be – do it ALL to His glory. When you eat, do it to His glory. When you walk, when you speak, when you work, when you play… do it all to His glory. There is nothing in our lives that should not come under the umbrella of giving glory to our God.

When we truly step back to think about it, I think we can all be at least a little wowed. Everything to God’s glory? Even the mundane stuff? Every single nitty-gritty detail?

When I was raising our children - changing diapers - making meal after meal - loads and loads of washing - pushing the swings at the park - reading bedtime stories night after night - cheering them on at their activities - supervising homework - I did my best to do these things to Glory of God. (Not always did I have the best attitude - but I tried).

When I was sewing and knitting, it was to the Glory of God, trying not to fret and worry when countless stitches had to be ripped out and projects started over. Even in the mistakes, showing God’s Glory.

In my driving and someone cuts me off - show God’s Glory. (I still struggle).

In the sports I’ve played and continue to play - show God’s Glory.

I read this quote a few weeks ago and it sums up today’s thoughts!

“You can’t skip chapters - that’s not how life works. You have to read every line, meet every character. You won’t enjoy every line - nor meet every character. You won’t enjoy all of it. Some chapters will make you cry for weeks. You will read things you don’t want to read - but you will have moments when who don’t want the pages to end. Keep going. Stories keep the world revolving. Keep creating. Continue to bless others. Live fully. Don’t miss out!”