Edie Wadsworth

On Vows, Teens, and Other Sacred Things

April 13, 2014 by Edie Wadsworth 42 Comments

We began Holy Week today with little ones waving palm branches as they made their way toward the altar, followed by 11 young men and women ready to make their confirmation vows to God—vows to follow Christ even unto death, to hear His Word regularly and to take His Supper faithfully. I was teary eyed from start to finish, listening to a group of young people articulate their faith with boldness and love.

75% of high school Christians leave the Church during college, a good many never to return. American Christianity seems to be failing at handing down the faith to the next generation. And by American Christianity, I mean you, me, our parents, our pastors, and our lay people. The statistics are startling and it seems that our answer to the growing mass exodus of our youth is to try to keep them around with activities, entertainment, music, and the like. In other words, we have often tried to keep them in the faith by serving up everything they can already get from the culture. Except that the culture does culture better than the Church.

What they really need from the Church are the things they can only get from the Church—confession and forgiveness, baptism, teaching, and the Lord’s Supper. In other words, they need Christ—His life, His death, and His resurrection delivered to them by the means of grace.

I didn’t grow up in a church that practiced confirmation, but I have been blown away by the commitment of our pastor and our church to hand down the faith of our fathers in a very ancient and intentional way. Our church describes it this way:

“Confirmation ministry is a pastoral and education ministry of the church which helps the baptized person through Word and Sacrament to identify more deeply with the Christian community and participate more fully in its mission.”

The girls’ confirmation class has been so good that I often stayed and listened in myself. There was no attempt to entertain and no attempt to make the class relevant or hip. It was a 2 hour class taught by our pastor for two years every other Sunday on all the major doctrines of the faith, extensive teaching on the small catechism, and a survey of every book of the Bible. The teaching was Christ-centered from start to finish.

He covered topics like the Trinity, the Atonement, Creation, the history of the ancient Israelites with all their wanderings and festivals, the events of Holy Week, the parts of the Divine Service, the Lord’s Prayer, the Ten Commandments and their meanings, Law and Gospel, Confession and Absolution, Baptism, and Communion, and much more. The one thing my girls said yesterday after they were confirmed is that they are sad the class is over. Granted, our pastor is a gifted teacher and I could listen to him all day, but it never ceased to amaze me how much my girls, even at their ages, enjoyed and looked forward to the class.

I remember when our girls first started—I was secretly worried about the time commitment. We live an hour away from church and I knew that this would be quite an effort and sacrifice on our part. It meant that many Sundays we left home at 8 and got home at 3. It meant we had to say no to being in the Nutcracker one year. It meant we had to drive two cars to church sometimes. It meant that for those two years, this class was the priority and trumped everything else.

But I wouldn’t trade it for anything. And watching them make their vows to God and to the Church to continue in the faith, to hear God’s Word regularly and to take the Supper often was certainly one of the highlights of my life. In a world that shirks vows and profanes sacred things, it was one of those moments that touched heaven.

It felt like coming home—to the best things in life.

The Confirmation Blessing

O, Lord God and Father in heaven, I rejoice that through the waters of Baptism You made me Your own child and by Your grace You have raised me to faith in Christ Jesus. As I remember the day of my confirmation, I rejoice in Your gifts; You have made me Your own, You have made me a member of the Body of Christ, and by Your grace You have sustained me in the faith with Your Gospel and Sacraments. By Your grace I am able to profess this faith. I pray that You will keep me faithful to my vows to the Church and help me to stand strong in the faith.

Help me receive You gifts of forgiveness, life, and salvation with humility and gratitude. Help me always rely on the words of Your beloved Son and on His body and blood to sustain me in the faith. All this, so that I may stand before Your throne on the Last Day, redeemed and sanctified, ready to feast forever at the foot of the Lamb.

Amen.

I highly recommend this podcast, called Giving Up Gimmicks and Reclaiming Youth Ministry from Entertainment Culture, for a different view of youth ministry and training.

I’d love to know what you think about the startling statistics of youth leaving church and how you think we can help stop the hemorrhage.

Did you grow up with systematic teaching something like a confirmation class? Do you think it was a turning point in your faith?

5 Surefire Ways to Breathe New Life Into Ordinary Days

April 9, 2014 by Edie Wadsworth 39 Comments

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I don’t know about you but I sure could use a reset. It’s so easy to let the busyness and details of ordinary life choke out the beauty that hovers all around us. I did a mental (and physical) reset a couple weeks ago and I’m so glad I did. Do you ever just wish you could push a button and get a do-over? Well, you can and I hereby give you full permission. You’ll be surprised at how much joy you’ll find on the other side. There are a hundred ways to do it but here are the 5 I started with:

1. Remember

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Don’t forget why we’re here. This hum-drum day is not about you. Wanna put some life and excitement back into everyday living? So do I. So, I have to remember who it’s all for. This is for them. This is for her. This is for you. Push reset on your life and walk back into it with fresh perspective. This day is so much better when I live it for someone else. Surprise someone with extraordinary, uncalled-for kindness and service today.

2. Rearrange

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I cannot tell you the life and inspiration that comes from just physically moving things around. As you do your Spring cleaning, try removing everything from the surfaces and rethinking where to put them back. Move them to another room. Put them away for while. Do the same thing when you clean out your refrigerator. (Yes, I think you should totally clean it out and rearrange everything. It worked wonders for me!)

Don’t be afraid to shake it all up. Move chotch-keys and pieces of furniture and even where you keep the ketchup. It will help you see your space in a whole new light. Like a small epiphany right in the middle of a regular old Wednesday. I took everything off (nearly) every surface in my living room yesterday and rearranged it all. It feels like a whole new space to me. (Just in time for Miss Paige to come visit!)

(And the red bud blooms I cut and stuck in a vase have already brought me endless delight!)

3. Revel

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I talked about the magic of porches and that would be the perfect place to revel. To sit for a good long while and marvel at all the everyday miracles you take for granted. To think about how magnificent it is to plant a bulb in the ground in November and then watch the most charming tulip race to bloom. To laugh until your sides hurt. To sit face to face and give someone your full attention. To savor every last bite of supper and then kiss the one who made it for you. No, I mean really kiss.

4. Reconnect

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I’ve been struggling recently. I’ve been doing a lot of writing about my past and it brings up SO MUCH junk. So many things I was sure I had thoroughly dealt with, so many memories, and often some pain. I’ve been intentionally connecting and reconnecting with people that inspire me or help me remember or fill me up. Make a date with your spouse or your mom or your ten year old. Call an old friend. Email that person that inspires you. Life is about the people and we need to tell them how much they mean to us.

5. Rest

It’s important. Get some. And rest comes in all forms. For me, it comes when I’m curled up with a good book. Or when I’m listening to good music. Or when I’m making a big pot of soup. And ironically enough, it often comes on the heels of hard earned sweat. Find that thing that gives you more energy and make a date.

Have you done a Spring reset? Tell me all about it. This list needs to be much longer!

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On Porches and Spring and Life in the South

April 7, 2014 by Edie Wadsworth 66 Comments

No front porches. My uncle says there used to be front porches. And people sat there sometimes at night, talking when they wanted to talk, rocking, and not talking when they didn’t want to talk. Sometimes they just sat there and thought about things, turned things over. My uncle says the architects got rid of the front porches because they didn’t look well. But my uncle says that was merely rationalizing it; the real reason, hidden underneath, might be they didn’t want people sitting like that, doing nothing, rocking, talking; that was the wrong KIND of social life. People talked too much. And they had time to think. So they ran off with the porches. ~Ray Bradbury

My favorite thing about being a Southerner in the Spring? Sitting on the porch. Or porch sittin, as we say. We are a porch sitting kind of people and I fear it may be a lost art. I’m trying to do my part to preserve this precious slice of Americana because nothing rages against the machine like a few people brave enough to just sit on the porch a while and rock. It’s a place that hovers between reality and fairy land. I suspect it may belong to that other world so I’m holding on for dear life. What if we started a porch sitting revolution? Would you join? Need a few pointers? Here’s how we do it.

We ponder and wonder and listen close to singing birds and lonesome wind.

We read poetry and novels and riveting memoirs.

We prattle on about rhubarb and tulips and nesting tree swallows.

We linger for hours and think about nothing in particular.

We leave hurry and dogma behind and find the last traces of home grown humanity.

We plan our gardens and our futures and our last dying words.

We remember what it was like to jump creeks and climb trees, before the world lost its ever loving mind.

We welcome kids and dogs and slow dancing.

We kick off our boots and our cares and cover ourselves in quilts stitched by saner hands.

We leave a trail of words a country mile long and then nap when we get tired of ciphering.

We watch the sun set and the geese fly and the love settle.

We were brave enough today to sit a while. It takes more courage than you think.

Come on by. We’ll leave the light on.

(And don’t forget some good porch music.)

Weekend Grace

April 5, 2014 by Edie Wadsworth 8 Comments

I’ve got lots more to say about this soon but one of my (crafty) dreams just came true. I’ve been ~~stalking~~ following Anna Marie Horner for years wondering when I might ever get the chance to sit with her around a sewing machine and learn from the master. She’s a fabric designer, master seamstress, brilliantly creative momma of 7 kids, and the queen of color! I’ve been buying her fabrics for various projects for years.

WELL. She’s launching a whole new series of workshops in Nashville this summer called Craft South. If you think you might meet up with me in Nashville for a couple days of crafty awesomeness and learning, let me know and we’ll make it happen. I’m really interested in taking her quilting class on Wednesday June 18th. I’m hoping to gather a few friends and head to Nashville for a day or two. More soon but check out the Craft South summer workshops! Also, you should totally be following Anna Marie on her blog and on Instagram. She is one of THE most inspiring women I know. You’ll love her too.

A sweet, beautiful friend from my town started this very Southern chic online boutique called Collard Queens and she writes a winsome blog to go along with it. You’ll love it! Head on over and give her some love! She also posts shop and blog updates on their Facebook page.

And this orange blouse needs to be mine. Because GO BIG ORANGE!

Don’t forget that my dear friend Paige is headed to town this week for a visit and a Noonday trunk show. You can place order here, if you’d like to purchase something but can’t come. Just add EDIE WADSWORTH into the “trunk show” field as you check out. If you think you might join us, let me know and I can give you the address. The show is Thursday night at 6:30 at the home of one of my good friends. I’m getting a spot ready on the screened porch for Paige as we speak!

I’m not sure what I’m cooking for Miss Paige while she’s here but I may have to introduce her to honey garlic pizza. I’m telling you right now that if you haven’t tried it yet, you have not yet begun to live. PLEASE, for the love of rising dough, give it a try!

And y’all. Thank you so much for your comments on this post. You remind me that things do not happen by chance. I am exactly where I’m supposed to be doing exactly what I’m supposed to be doing. I’m so blessed to call you friend. I send you all my love.

Happy Weekend! May it be full of grace!

The Year I Lost $150,000

April 2, 2014 by Edie Wadsworth 89 Comments

Death is to lose the earth you know, for greater knowing; to lose the life you have for greater life; to leave the friends you loved, for greater loving; to find a land more kind than home, more large than earth. ~Thomas Wolfe

Seven years ago this month she made one of the hardest decisions of her life. She remembers it like the anniversary of a death. She was sitting in one of her own exam rooms, hashing out the options of leaving her medical practice for a time. Her nails were perfectly manicured and she was dressed to the nines. She had a lot of help at home, she brought home the bacon and cooked it too, she had fewer wrinkles and was more carefree. Seems to me she had everything. People called her doctor and she tried to live up to it.

She decided to come home and some days she grieves the loss.

She traded doctoring for writing.

She gave up money for a different kind of treasure.

She turned in her white coat for yoga pants and a ragged ponytail.

She looks hard to see any evidence of the woman she left behind.

Then, she remembers that healing comes in all kinds of ways. And sometimes words cut deeper than steel.

Either way, someone’s always bleeding.

Progress at the Mountain Cabin {The Power of White}

March 31, 2014 by Edie Wadsworth 58 Comments

It was a wonderful week of break from all the things called normal life. I was so happy to share some of my friends with you last week through guest posts and I’m equally as happy to be back with you today! I missed you lovelies something awful.

We spent the week in the mountains working on our little mountain cabin, getting it ready for good people like you to come and spend the weekend with me! As soon as we finish it, I’ll be making plans for our first retreat so stay tuned.

We built the cabin ten years ago and haven’t done any updating since then. I decided that since my own house is chocked so full of color and pretty things, I’d let this place be a retreat from all my normal tendencies. So, we’re going modern, spartan, rustic on a background of white. Here are a few pictures from before we started, with yellowish/khaki walls and stacks of things from my trip to IKEA.

It’s basically a large front room that contains the kitchen and living area, with two small back bedrooms, a central bathroom and then a loft with another bathroom.

It’s hard to get motivated in this little slice of heaven because all you wanna do is a lot of porch sitting and big talking.

The cool mountain mornings make you think you’re in Narnia.

Everybody that was willing to work was handed a paint brush and an IKEA chair to assemble. We got so much done, which may have something to do with having no phone service and the slowest most countrified internet in the world. I tried to send an email at 8 in the morning and it finally went through at noon. This is horse and buggy internet but probably good for when you’re trying to retreat.

The 7th graders and the college graduates and the tired mommas alike got busy on the transformation. We all pitched in and put things together and painted like there was no tomorrow.

It didn’t take long in the painting process for the magic to start happening.

I bought the wrong size for the sofa cover, but now I’m waffling and wondering if I might just get the white one instead of the orange patterned one I had my heart set on.

Y’all. I’m not gonna lie. Every last thing in this little mountain home looks better dressed in white. The stacked stone fire place stands taller and the light bamboo floors walk softer.

The spiral staircase even seems to cause less vertigo.

If I’d have known this, I would have painted it white from the beginning.

And what white did I use? (If you’re like me, you’re probably wondering….)

Well. I took a Facebook poll that was split right down the middle between Simply White and White Dove.

So, I did what all lovers do and I threw myself with abandon into perfect peace and compromise.

It’s equal parts of both.

(Like most of the good things in my life are.)

My next question is? Would you come to the mountains with me so we can talk about Lewis (and his quote that causes the hairs on my arms to raise up)? So we can ponder the place where all the beauty comes from?

Also, I’m painting the outside of the cottage and you can visit here to see what color I’m contemplating.

What do you think?!?!?

LOVE Y’ALL and so happy to be back!

xoxo,

edie

ps. (Thank you to my friends who’ve inspired me with their love and white spaces. Yes, I’m talking to you Paige and Myquillin)

pps. (Can we have a moment of silence for my right hand which will hardly open this morning after all the writing and painting? Amen and thank you Lord for Motrin.)