Why don’t you come over for tea?

It’s been a long time since we met for coffee or for me tea! Let’s sit together and chat.

If we were having tea together, I would ask you how you are doing and what is on your mind at the moment.
What I would tell you for sure is that my blog has been online for a good 4 months now and I am curious to see where it will take me. I’m slowly getting used to writing regularly and I’m enjoying it. I am happy that I can tell you how good our God is! I would also admit that I don’t know what I’ll write about in the next posts. I trust that God will give me ideas. I recently restructured my emails for those who have subscribed, and redesigned it (you can always subscribe at the end of a post). I hope that the changeover works without any problems!

If we were having tea together, I would serve you my blackberry cake and tell you that I am amazed how well the blueberries and blackberries have grown this year. I don’t have to do much at all and they just grow! I like that… And since we are snacking anyway, I would let you try my homemade Rye Crisp experiment.

I would tell you that I had to move out of my cozy studio because the building is being torn down. For 3 years, we (many artists together) had a whole building in the middle of the city at our disposal at a really good price. It was great!
This means that I have brought all my stuff to my small basement studio and now I am sorting and disposing. I found a half-finished picture that I liked quite a bit. Finally, after months of “abstinence”, I am stitching again. Yes, instead of using brushes and acrylics I “paint” my pictures with needle and thread. Instead of canvas I iron crumpled thin plastic bags together. Meanwhile this piece is finished and framed and looks like this on our wall:

Maybe you would be a bit perplexed and ask me: What are your thoughts about it? I’d be happy to explain to you that the picture is like a map of life for me. The basic structure is more or less intentionally created when the plastic is ironed. The Bible says, every human being is wonderfully made by God. Every baby is unique and is created with character traits when it’s born. You could compare this with the structured white background. What this person experiences, which paths she takes and how she sees the world will color the background of her map with lines and patches of color. Have you ever thought about what your own map looks like? What does God still have in mind for you? Are there still entire neighborhoods on your map that are yet to be created? What could they look like? Which themes and talents are still emerging?

If we were having tea together, I would definitely mention that my husband is retiring next spring and that I wonder how we will change and what adjustments will be necessary in our relationship and in the understanding of our roles. I assume that we will (have to) talk to each other all the more.

Since I am one of those introverts, I regularly need time alone to feel comfortable. My biggest challenge will be to really take this time. I’m looking forward to it – even if changes are not easy. We feel better (as a couple and individually), if we consciously and purposefully tackle such situations, look at them and talk about our feelings! The older I get, the more I notice the negative effects of “sweeping things under the carpet” or postponing a conversation. I often have to force myself to do what I’m advising you to do! But it feels so good when everything that is bothering you comes to light. Two people working together usually find a better solution than one alone – and the best thing is that afterwards it feels like a breath of fresh air and we feel closer to each other.

If we were having tea together I probably couldn’t hold back and brag about my two kids / students. I am happy that they are doing so well and that they have both feet on the ground. It’s great how they are developing and that they are both moving forward in faith.

If we were having tea together, what would you tell me?