Edie Wadsworth

The Blessedness of Ordinary

December 3, 2012 by Edie Wadsworth 25 Comments

(this post is recycled and slightly re-edited from last November.)

In His incarnation, Christ has knit creation back together and sanctified our flesh, our mundane. He has redeemed for us all the ‘actual textures of physical life’ and granted us the ‘full extent of the mysteries of the incarnation and all that flows from it, and all that make our mortal life fruitful once more.”

“The incarnation took all that properly belongs to our humanity and delivered it back to us, redeemed. All of our inclinations and appetites and capacities and yearnings are purified and gathered up and glorified by Christ. He did not come to thin out human life; He came to set it free. All the dancing and feasting and processing and singing and building and sculpting and baking and merrymaking that belong to us, and that were stolen away into the service of false gods, are returned to us in the gospel.”

You know the list. Laundry, cooking, dishes, schooling, some crafting, a whole lot of reading and even the noble task of rearing young girls in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. It’s quite noble work but it’s so easy to despise it. To wish it away while daydreaming about grandiose plans and schemes of lunches with friends, slow workouts followed by lingering visits to the coffee shop.

But my life doesn’t look like that most days.

Most days, I’m here, doing ordinary work, in a never ending cycle.

Washing the same dishes, cooking the same food, teaching the same prepositions and direct objects and fractions.

But today, I choose to relish it.

I hold the laundry tight and inhale extra long and think about the love that is modeled when a woman washes the same clothes over and over, day in, day out—-almost touching something sacred—-this washing and consecrating of materials things for a noble and good purpose. Lingering in the renewal that comes from being clean. My heart aches for that washing too. Perhaps it’s a blessed thing, this daily rhythm of life. We love the grand scale, the best days, the shiny things. The bright newness of God’s blessed restoration.

But what about all those ordinary days? Where is God then?

He always chooses the ordinary things to do his greatest work.

He rode into Jerusalem on a donkey.

He chose ordinary fishermen.

He comes to us in the most humble of ways.

He gives bread to feed us. Water to wash us. A baby to save us.

He is no despiser of the small days.

It is in them that we see the key to life.

Not in falling in love but in loving everyday, with clean socks and warm soup.

Not in that one blissful day of childbirth but in the birth of each day, one a time, where the daily routine teaches us to depend on our Father, who has made no provision for tomorrow—but only today, in this daily bread.

Perhaps this thing I’ve come to dread—-this daily drudgery—-is in fact my greatest teacher, in disguise.

Teaching me to live in this moment. With these children. And this sacred work. It’s really all there is.

Today is the day of salvation.

So, I hold on tightly to little hands. And I stir the soup. And I fold the towels.

And I say thank you for this work, this calling.

And for this blessed ordinary day—where grace and mercy rain down and turn water into wine, drudgery into vocation, and curse into blessing.

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(quotes taken from Evangelical is Not Enough by Thomas Howard, first quotation paraphrased and links all to podcasts of Issues Etc.org )

I wish you joy in all of your ordinary days!

And blessed Advent to you.

xoxo,

edie

Holiday Tablescapes 2012

November 29, 2012 by Edie Wadsworth 48 Comments

I wasn’t even gonna post about my Thanksgiving tables because let’s be honest, y’all have moved on and are knee deep in Christmas decor. But then I remembered that the beauty of using non-traditional colors is that you can use them for any occasion. I think I may just use the same ideas for Christmas. And dinner next week. So, here goes a bunch of holiday tablescape ideas!

We had a sit-down dinner for 34 people on Thanksgiving night. Mercy. It was wonderful and chaotic and beautiful. I do believe that every dish and cup and piece of silver ware I own was used that day.

1. Use non-traditional colors

I was determined to have deep pink napkins and couldn’t find any that color—-so I bought some wonderful fuchsia cotton fabric at Joann’s and made my own.

This was the only table I had envisioned before the big day. I love the nontraditional colors and the pink napkins just make me happy.

2. Use natural items

Not only did the artichokes make for beautiful table decor but they also made for hilarious table conversation.

I’m not gonna mention any names but a few people wondered if they were pomegranates—-which we thoroughly ‘discussed’ and kept bringing up at random times.

3. Everything is more fun with help.

I totally winged the other three tablescapes. But setting tables is fun so don’t be afraid to let your guests help!

With a lotta help from my eager staff, (the poor girls stuck with helping me) they turned out cute too!

I bought this chevron fabric back in the summer from Hobby Lobby. It was used the Better Homes and Gardens photo shoot when the darling stylist, Elizabeth, duct taped it together. (The January issue should be out in a couple weeks!)

For Thanksgiving, I cut (or rather tore) the fabric into 3 equal pieces (the girls looked at me like I was performing sacrilegious acts on the fabric) and then draped them across a huge white king duvet cover (which I pretended was a table cloth) and voila!

It nearly looks legit. And now, the girls will never wonder where to find a huge white tablecloth. They’ll immediately think king duvet.

4. Make it personal

Name cards make so much sense. Noone has to wonder where to sit. And let’s face it, everyone loves their name, whether it’s in print or out loud. Names are important. Use ’em!

I subscribe to Emily Jones’ monthly printables and I think these bird cards were in one of the past month’s subscription. Then, I printed the names in the Albemarle swash font and taped it the bird cards. Easy as pie but packs a punch!

Then I sweet talked these two little ladies into printing and cutting and hole punching and assembling all the menus and name cards.

I used this tutorial to make the menus.

They were happy to oblige, for the most part. I kept adding people and running out of paper so they became a little flustered with me.

I’ve always liked having little individual menus and that-away, if someone doesn’t recognize one of my concoctions, they can consult the menu in the privacy of their own place setting.

This year’s mystery item? Mashed potatoes. They looked like hominy or grits or something. But not mashed potatoes. I can’t even explain to you what happened but they looked funny.

So, to accommodate a sit down dinner for 34 people, we moved some of the furniture out of the living room and set up two tables. I pulled chairs from everywhere. And then told my trusty helpers, Jordan and Ali, to find something to add to the plates. The oranges were perfect and it ended up looking like I planned the whole thing out.

Edie is my name; Helter Skelter is my game.

from the front door and featuring my cute little momma:

We even pillaged around and found enough stuff to set the young adult table. The weather was beautiful (if not a little chilly) for outdoor dining. And noone was impaled by the driftwood.

And see JamieKnoxville over there by the fire? That was her happy place. We spent as much time as we could squeeze in huddled by the fire. I think I’ve built one nearly every day since Thanksgiving and the girls and I sit out there to read our Greek mythology.

The kids table was cute too, in its own little way.

Nothing like dinner in the laundry room. I can tell you that the only thing these wee ones were concerned about is whether Aunt Gina was making mac and cheese.

There was a big sigh of relief when she walked in with the Velveeta. They were saved from brussel sprouts and broccoli casserole.

(Polka dot napkins from Hobby Lobby.)

And the labor of love to set all this up and take it all down was provided by my two lovely helpers, Jordie and Ali.

I just had to snap their picture when I saw them take a much needed break on the screened porch.

Thank you, girls!!!! You were awesome and so much fun!

for you

November 25, 2012 by Edie Wadsworth 30 Comments

How was your weekend? Don’t you just love holiday weekends? I LOVE them. The post holiday games and food and football and lazing around. It doesn’t get much better. I even did a little crocheting.

Hope yours was dandy, too.

You are so very special to me. The fact that you meet me here, week after week, through thick and thin, is nothing short of a miracle to me.

Thank you, dear friends. You are a lifeline to me. Really. You are. I adore you.

I love you so much that I made you a pie.

Then a bunch of people I’m related to ate it.
So, I thought I’d give you some internet love instead. I’m also working on a long post of our Thanksgiving pics and hope to share it soon.
1. I wrote a (long) article about my journey to Lutheranism. A lot of you have asked me over the years about it and I finally put paper to pen, so to speak. You can get it from Issues, Etc by clicking the big red button on their main page and subscribing to their journal. Since the winter journal was already sent out, you may have to email them and ask them for a copy of it. Let me know if you have trouble and I’ll get it to you!

2. Speaking of Issues, Etc.——I LOVE the show. It’s a christian internet radio talk show that covers topics from theology to current events to current trends in American christianity. They interview the best guests and cover the most relevant topics. They just did a 24 hour broadcast on the main tenets of christianity as a thank you to their listeners and I’m SO enjoying catching up on it. This podcast on law and gospel by Pastor Bill Cwirla is nothing short of amazing. Please give it a listen. And then listen to anything Jeremy Rhode has to say, especially his series on “The Gospel for Former Evangelicals.” This show is an unbelievable resource for christians and such a powerful witness to any who are interested in the faith. Steve and I have long been committed to supporting the show with our money and prayers and hope you’ll find in them a valuable resource for your faith struggle.

3. I finally updated book club. I’m so behind and will not finish Plato by next week. Since we’re reading Julius Caesar for December and it’s relatively short, I’m gonna keep reading Plato through part of December and save Julius Caesar for Christmas break. If you’re behind and drowning in chores and to-do lists like me, never fear. We’ll get there. Just keep reading! The intro to Plato post is up!

4. The first Sunday in Advent is next week. In preparation, I’ve been busy gathering my supplies. If you’ve never done an Advent devotional/calendar, you should do it this year. It will make Christmas all the more meaningful when you’ve anticipated the coming of His birth with your family. I’ve used many different resources/devotionals but this year, we’re using Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s book called God is in the Manger. Bonhoeffer writes about the faith with a deep, richness that is unparalleled. Steve and I both read Bonhoeffer’s biography by Eric Metaxes this year and we’re both completely enamored by his writing in Life Together. I ordered his Advent book through Amazon and it should be here this week.

I can’t wait to start our nightly Advent readings. I also like this book which has specific readings for lighting the candles.

You can order Advent Candle Set and even a Advent Candle Set which includes the wreath. I just use individual candle holders and arrange them in a circle and then add fresh green to the base. Ann Voskamp has an awesome Advent resource that we’ve used before too. And who doesn’t love Ann?

5. Your comments on this post were life-giving to me. Did I mention that I adore you? I’ve been doing a lot of work on the ‘back end’ of my blog lately—fixing broken links, making sure the content is easy to find, and in general making this place an easy place to visit and navigate and find encouragement. Your suggestions are welcome. Can you find what you need when you need it? I’m also working on my 31 days ebook. I hope to release it mid December. It’s been ALOT of work. ALOT of work. But I hope it’ll be a good resource for you to use and to share with friends.

6. I’ve been pinning a lot lately, in anticipation of decorating for Christmas. Do you pin? It’s like internet crack. Don’t do it. I go in phases. I pin like crazy for an hour and then I don’t pin for a week. My favorite photo from last Christmas was this one. That’s what I want more of this Christmas. Lingering long by the lights. By the Light.

I’m planning on making a lot of handmade gifts with my girls, doing a lot of reading and crafting and using more natural decor. I want an old fashioned Christmas. I want to slow time down. I want to work puzzles and knit and crochet. I want to see plays and listen to Handel’s Messiah. I want to make memories that don’t involve shopping malls. I want to do less and be more. Shall we start a revolution?! I think we shall.

Mwahhhhhh!

My poverty (and yours)

November 19, 2012 by Edie Wadsworth 95 Comments

This week we are swimming in abundance.

I spent the weekend making all manner of preparations. While Stevie smoked back ribs all day yesterday, the rest of us flew into a frenzy of buying and storing and cleaning and prepping and sewing and ciphering. All this to make sure 28 people know how thankful we are to have them in our lives.

Everywhere I turn in my house, there’s excess. I have bowls and stemware and linens and food and candles and silver, galore.

There is wealth and bounty aplenty.

Everywhere, that is, except in me.

It’s the poverty of my own heart that scares me to death.

It’s my inability to be who I was created to be.

It’s my impatience and unkindness to my children—-the lack of grace and love and joy.

It’s the tally of hurts done against me that I keep record of and file away for later use.

It’s the wretched cycle of my own sin that makes me sick.

And when I stood at the end of this week, looking at the trail of brokenness, that’s when I saw the beautiful paradox of want.

This poverty of spirit that plagues me is the beginning of repentance. This is where I find Him.

When I have come to the end of my resources, to the last shred of hope in myself, that’s where He waits.

And the truth is, the sooner we discover this poverty—that we all happen to share—-the sooner we can learn to live from His wealth.

Because everything is His.

And if our hands weren’t so full of our own decaying riches, He’d show us what abundance really looks like.

It looks something like peace, joy, love, kindness, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, temperance, forgiveness.

We may be the richest (most in debt) country on earth but we live in sheer destitution.

Our lives look more like strife, sadness, cruelty, harshness, wickedness, faithlessness, stubbornness, excess, blame.

At least mine does, if I’m honest.

And I hate my inadequacy. I want, for all the world, to be capable and industrious—to have it all figured out, to have the perfectly coiffed life.

And you probably do too.

We don’t want to feel our need, our desperation.

So we hide, we medicate, we pretend, we run, we seek cheap relief wherever it may be found.

But at the end of the that long, scary road of our stubborn self-sufficiency and our rusty heap of riches and our swirling addictions, He waits.

Because He is gentle and kind and faithful and full of peace and forgiveness.

He is love, incarnate.

And He became flesh to know this very pain. He took on this desperate poverty in which we live to give us wealth untold. He is our Father. And our inheritance cannot be measured.

And if we are wise, we will learn to thank Him for those things that remind us of our true condition: the very circumstances that break our hearts and cause us to despair.

Those are His gift to us, to help us see clearly.

By nature, we hate the heartache which drives us to Him and keeps us begging for relief, begging for answers, begging for the scraps from His table.

But from that lack, he will give us heaven.

Let us not forget that it was in desperation that David wrote Psalm 51 and from prison that Paul wrote Ephesians and Colossians.

It’s in our poverty, not our abundance, that He will give us His kingdom.

We don’t have to try to be poor in spirit to receive His kingdom. We are poor in spirit and we must beg Him to show us our emptiness in order that He may fill us with the bounty from His table.

Everything is His. And so everything is yours.

“Taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him.”

ourpoverty

Plato, introduction

November 16, 2012 by Edie Wadsworth 6 Comments

I’m so behind with bookclub. I’m so overzealous in every part of my life. I want to do and learn and see and cook and read EVERYTHING.

But, alas, there are only so many hours in the day.

I hope you’re reading and please accept my pathetic apologies for the delay on Plato’s introduction.

I’ve got too many balls in the air and this time of year, they start crashing to the ground 🙂

Since Julius Caesar is scheduled for December and is relatively short, I’ll be reading Plato until the middle of December.

Then I’ll catch up on Julius Caesar at the end of December. So don’t panic if you’re in the same boat as me. Keep reading Plato and we can catch up over Christmas break.

Let’s tentatively plan on discussing Plato near December 14th. At least that’s what I’ll shoot for.

Don’t you love my optimism?!

I do love Plato and I’ll add some links of lectures that I’ve listened to.

Here’s my video introduction.

There’s a series of Yale lectures here that are helpful.

Bonus Day 13:: A free printable for all your handmade gifts!

November 14, 2012 by Edie Wadsworth 7 Comments

You thought you were gonna get a break from me? Well, around these parts, we like to keep the awesome coming!

My friend Heather made us these great printable tags to add to all our beautiful projects! I made a dishmat this week and wrapped it around a cookbook to give as a gift and then tied a cute little ribbon around it with one of Heather’s tags. I’ve made this dishmat SOOO many times in the past 3 years. So easy, so cute, so useful. Make some this year, why don’t ya. This one is not really for my sister, Gina, but I am making her another one because hers is all kinds of abused and perhaps even leaning toward the moldy side. It never gets a break at her busy house.

Then I used Jan’s tutorial and have made 4 make up bags so far!

There are six tags total and you can download them and print them onto card stock and then cut out and add to your handmade gifts!