in wanderland

My name is Liz.
Indiana/ Atlanta/ Narnia.
Dreamer.Adventurer.
Baker. Photographer.
Christ follower.

Handmade things.
Coffee.Tea.Reading.
Antique stores.
Old hymns. Pretty dresses.
Countryside.
Kindred spirits.
lizabethrussell@gmail.com

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The books or the music in which we thought the beauty was located will betray us if we trust to them; it was not in them, it only came through them, and what came through them was longing. These things—the beauty, the memory of our own past—are good images of what we really desire; but if they are mistaken for the thing itself they turn into dumb idols, breaking the hearts of their worshipers. For they are not the thing itself; they are only the scent of a flower we have not found, the echo of a tune we have not heard, news from a country we have never yet visited.

C.S. Lewis

Everybody go to Tiny Fete and order some sweet things for your little girls! Her dresses are always precious and she’s created some pretty aprons for bake day too… with lots of customizable fabrics! Too cute! Plus you’ll be supporting the Graham family beauties. They are wonderful people!

Photos by: Lesley Graham
Model: Matilda Graham

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If the unity of Christians in One Body makes the Church a sign of God in the world, and if men tend unfortunately to conflict and division by reason of their weakness, selfishness and sin, then the will to reconciliation and pardon is necessary if the Church is to make God visible in the world. Nor can this pardon, this communion in forgiveness, remain interior and invisible. It must be clearly manifest.

So the mystery of the Church demands that Christians love one another in a visible and concrete way…Christ will not be visible to the world in His Church except in proportion as Christians seek peace and unity with one another and with all men. But since conflict is inevitable, unity cannot be maintained except in great difficulty, with constantly renewed sacrifice, with lucid honesty, openness, humility, the readiness to ask forgiveness and to forgive.

- Thomas Merton

Little junky picture bits from Christmas!
Made homemade dino cinnamon rolls. Had Christmas morning breakfast at my uncle’s home. Watched a Christmas Story together and drank three cups of coffee. Yeee!
Cute cake pop machine from cousin.
Vintage Lee litho gift!! So dreamy!!
And handmade leaf earring beauties.
Thankful for time with family. Thankful for the pretty snow today. Thankful for Christmas. For God coming to earth and changing everything! Also thankful my grandpa is eating tons of fruit, walking the hallway a bunch, and was moved to a regular room today! Wowee! Praising God for all of these wonderful things!

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Messiah - Bifrost Arts

My favorite. It’s Christmas eve! My grandpa is feeling better and eating popsicles! Cinnamon rolls are in the oven and I have presents to wrap. Hope you’re all being squeezed super hard by your families today and staying warm and feeling lots of joyfulness inside. Watch some Christmas movies, sing some songs, eat lots of cookies! Trying to find a candelight service for tonight. In love with them.

♥ Liz

Not much else matters right now when your Grandpa is in an ICU room hooked up to 8 billion tubes and machines. Who coded on the operating table and also in his room. Whose kidneys are in lots of trouble from the medicines, and who has an incision that goes from his neck to his belly button. Praying to Jesus that this is all worth it. That the Lord uses this little miracle of surgery to gift him more life here.

Yesterday he opened his eyes for the first time, squeezed my Grandma’s hand extra hard.. and then went back under. Many tears when I heard that. Open heart surgeries are absolutely mind blowing. Grateful they exist and can make broken things into working things but they are just shockingly brutal. Don’t even google how they do them and what recovery looks like. It’s really bad.

His most dangerous blocked artery also happened to be the smallest one to the heart, which meant the least amount of damage! Praising God for that. Praising God that he is off the ventilator today!!! Praising God that he is TALKING today. Praising God that he is ALIVE. Praying for a kidney miracle. That they not be damaged. Praying for absolute HEALING. That the Lord makes his heart STRONG. That more and more relief and healing will happen in these difficult days ahead. Praying for protection from pneumonia and any other infections! Praying he feels the Lord’s peace now. For comfort in the midst of any pain. That he feels loved and cared for and not alone. That he feels calm and not anxious. That he feels filled with all hope. That God be glorified and praised!

The LORD is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.

- Psalm 28:7

Dear friends, asking you for prayer.

My Grandpa is currently in a hospital in Texas about to be opened up after having his very first (small) heart attack this morning. I would love your prayers for him. Lord willing, he will come out of this doing so amazingly, all fixed up, and make some good changes to be stronger and healthier than ever. In my mind, he’s pretty much the healthiest old man I know! 76 and was just riding his bike the other day! I am praying for more of that! Lots of healthy happy years ahead to be the raddest Grandpa in existence. Plus I really want him dancing crazy at my wedding someday. He is too far away for comfort. If anyone feels like buying me a plane ticket to Dallas, I wouldn’t talk you out of it. :)

♥ Liz

*update: Got word from my family. Doctors said a triple bypass is needed, and set to take place tomorrow. Not at all what I was expecting and just feeling sick over it. He will spend Christmas and beyond in the hospital. Please pray for God’s hand of protection. It’s an awful feeling to be this far away. Just awful. Thank you loves.