Ahh. If only my sewing was this straight forward…

Recently I have been working outside in our back and side yards. While the previous owner had some gardens, it is not quite to my taste and so I am re-evaluating, making decisions about which plants to keep in place or move and “designing” (more like talking out loud to myself as I wander through the dirt) what I would like to plant.

One of the things I have uncovered is landscape fabric. It seems to have been used everywhere on the property. I have only used landscape fabric once in my gardening life. We put it under the sand in laying our brick patio at our previous home. As a tool for flower garden beds I must say that I am not a fan.

It makes it very difficult to dig into the dirt to either turn over the soil, mix in nutrients, remove plants or to put in new ones. I will have to remove all the material before I begin with any plans.

As I was removing the fabric and trying to augment the soil in the one side garden it had me think about foundations: what are our basic structures that we build upon? Physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually? Are they foundations that hinder or help?

Foundations call to mind material. We need solid materials with which to work. Whether that is good soil, healthy plants, adequate nutrients as well as well-made and appropriate tools for the job.

Just recently I had to pick up some gardening gloves (Do other people go through gloves as quickly as I? I general get large holes in the fingertips of my fore and middle fingers.) As I was in a discount odd-lots type of place, I bought some gloves. When I got home I discovered two left hands. Sometimes you can reverse the gloves but in this case, the palm side had different fabric than the meshy back so as I quickly discovered one couldn’t do that. I had tried using them but got pricked and poked when I was cutting back a thorn bush.

I have also been doing some sewing- making curtains and pillows for the house. Turns out, the type and quality of the fabric matters as to the ease and correctness of the sewing. As is typical of me, I was trying to “use up” some leftover fabric from cut down curtains in our mudroom. The curtains were ones that I had picked up at a thrift store. I liked the pattern and they worked with the decor of the room. But I should’ve paid attention to the type of material. They were made of a non-natural material and so, continually frayed and almost dissolved under the cutting and sewing of it. A simple, easy project turned into one that was fraught with some blue air.

All of these incidences remind me of the adage that I have heard my whole life and do try to espouse: quality and good foundations are key to things lasting, saving time and money in the long run and in general, looking good. It is a principle that can be applied across the board. Think of food prep in cooking- fresh, quality ingredients, prepped and ready to go as well as using a quality kitchen tool (not necessarily the latest gadget) will produce a tasty quality meal. Certainly it applies to my sewing and gardening.

It can also apply to our physical and mental health. According the UK’s Mental Health Foundation the following are good foundational practices: (Click Here to view website.)

Get Closer to Nature. (Download here for a brochure describing interesting ideas)
Learn to Understand and Manage Your Feelings
Talk to Someone You Trust For Support
Be Aware of Using Drugs and/or Alcohol To Cope with Difficult Feelings
Try to Make the Most of your Money and Get out of Debt
Get More Sleep
Be Kind and Help Create a Better World
Keep Moving
Eat Healthy Foods
Be Curious and Open-Minded To New Experiences
Plan Things to Look Forward To

But more than the physical and mental, what about our spiritual foundations? I think of China and their official atheism. While they do allow some religious practice, according to the Council on Foreign Relations, the Communist party (of which there are more than ninety million party members) prohibits party members from holding religious beliefs and practicing in public. In 2017 the CCP paper warned members that putting faith in religion was “spiritual anesthesia”. What a shame because spiritual belief is a core foundational value for all societies. Without some type of belief system, society is traveling without a centerboard- skittering in one direction then another. We are designed for some type of belief system and if we choose to not have anything, it will be filled. We may think we have no system but nature abhors a vacuum. In some ways it is no surprise that with a vacuum of spiritual beliefs, the Communist Party has put that energy into power and material items (so much for their utopian idea of all people and monies distribution are equal). Things that will be destroyed and have no lasting value.

Since my life viewpoint is Christianity, for me spiritual foundations are key. But, when you think about it, all spiritual philosophies have these types of components (in parenthesis):

Praise and Worship God (attitude of gratitude)
Reading/studying of the Bible (reading inspirational words)
Prayer (communication)
Service to Others (get out of our heads)
There are more spiritual foundations, called spiritual disciplines that not only provide a foundation but also growth- solitude, tithing, fasting, to name a few. All are practices that develop spiritual character.

What about you? Do you have any foundational practices in your life? What are they? Have any changed over time? Have you ever had to “make do” with the wrong tool, material or process? What happened? Alternatively, ever have the right tool, the right material and process? How did that go?

As I am finding with my gardening, sewing and to some extent the house remodeling- firm foundations are important. Sometimes we have to re-evaluate those foundations- are they hindering more than allowing for growth? Are there any new practices that can be adopted?

We need to look for foundations that are solidly built and that have stood the test of time. It is through those strong, core practices that we can grow and thrive. Not only when times are difficult (which will come to all of us at some point) but when times are good.

*Firm Foundations makes me think of the old hymn:

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said,
To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?

“Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,
For I am thy God, and will still give thee aid;
I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.”

“When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of sorrow shall not overflow;
For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.”

“When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.”

“E’en down to old age all My people shall prove
My sovereign, eternal, unchangeable love;
And then, when grey hairs shall their temples adorn,
Like lambs they shall still in My bosom be borne.”

“The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to his foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no, never, no, never forsake!”

(1787- George Keith, R. Keen)