Staying on Track: Lessons from a Zipper!

As I sat by my bay window this morning, enjoying bright Georgia sunshine and working on my latest needlepoint project, I realized the zipper on my needlepoint bag had gotten off the track. I hoped it wasn't actually broken, as I really enjoy using the bag and use it a LOT! My husband gave it to me about 8 years ago to keep my current needlepoint project(s), yarn, and scissors in, and not only is it cute, but it's handy to carry around--and has been on quite a few vacations with me! Anyway, I hastily attempted to restart the zipper, hoping to get it on track. In my haste, I hadn't returned the zipper to the edge of the bag (in other words, the beginning of the "zipper track"). So in my hurrying I wasn't helping a thing - - the bag still remained open and my yarn was falling out. Then I realized the problem: I had to start the zipper at the very edge--or very beginning--of the zipper track. Once I slowed down and did that, the zipper worked perfectly, my bag now stays closed, and the yarn doesn't fall out! ~ I couldn't help but think how my life is kind of like that zipper: When I get "off track" (try to handle things myself and don't spend enough time in God's Word) it's like trying to close my sewing bag with a messed-up zipper - - useless! BUT....when I stay "on track" by spending time with the Lord and seeking His guidance for my life, things flow so much easier - - just like a zipper that is doing its job! May I always strive to stay ON TRACK and follow God's leading and direction for my life.

A Hopeful Heart

Christian fiction author Kim Vogel Sawyer has done it again---written yet another book that I LOVED !! Kim's "gentle stories of hope" are a pleasure to read, and I always know I'll be drawn into the lives of her characters and feel that I've stepped back in time as I get caught up in the events of the story. ~ A Hopeful Heart is set in 1888 in a small Kansas town, and follows the life of a young woman who traveled from the east coast to attend a "herdsman school"--a program that teaches young women necessary skills to become a rancher (or the wife of one!). This story held a few surprises for me, and included its fair share of action and romance. Most importantly, A Hopeful Heart demonstrates the amazing power of God at work in lives, and the changes that can occur when people follow the Lord's will for their lives. I highly recommend this book, and ANY of Kim Vogel Sawyer's books!