There are many ways for us to achieve peace in our lives, and I have written about several of those ways in different posts. God has given all of us certain interests and gifts, and when we participate in those interests, we find ourselves being at peace. Working with our hands and creating something is one of the best ways to calm our nerves and feed our spirits. There is something satisfying about creating things with our own two hands that gives us a feeling of satisfaction. God has given us these interests to help us find more joy in our lives and feel like we are accomplishing something, even when we feel as if we are standing still.

One activity that brings me a sense of peace and accomplishment is stitching. For me, there is something about taking a blank piece of fabric and creating something beautiful with it. I also love the repetitive motion that stitching provides, and it is sometimes amazing to me to see what a whole lot of Xs can create when placed in an appropriate pattern.

So today I thought I would take a break from my normal posts and show you a few of the samplers that I have made over the years. When I am stitching, I am only thinking about stitching, and the stresses of my daily life seem to fade away. When I am finished, I have a sense of accomplishment and when I look at the sampler that I made, I feel happy and at peace. God wants all of us to feed our spirits, and it is up to us to determine which actives will do that. Once we discover what will feed our spirits and we do it, we will have more peace in our lives and PEACE MATTERS.

~Dan~

Pattern by Jenny Hoffman

Pattern by Tina Woltman

One of my original patterns

Pattern by Tina Woltman

Pattern by Jenny Hoffman

Pattern by Tina Woltman

Pattern by Tina Woltman

One of my original patterns

These are some samplers that I am getting reading for A Kentucky Homespun Christmas Folk Art & Antique Show which will be held in Cave City, Kentucky on November 13th & 14th.