taking some constructive criticism

On Saturday I drove to Glenside to do something new.

And at Dovetail Artisans I placed myself out in the open because of my desire to sell stained glass. The owner of the shop spoke honestly with me. She liked what I like best about my work-- the designs and the color. What she had problems with was my soldering, especially the hooks on the sun catchers. I hate that part of the process. I have struggled with those hooks so I found an easier way, but that led for to really large hooks. I guess you can say the designs won out since she took 9 and rejected 8, but I could see the desire in her eyes for those I brought home. As I wandered around her shop I was honored to have become one of the craftsmen she represents.

Last night at church four of us sat with the tower of Babel story in Genesis. God's ways baffled us, but one there brought up the theory that building a tower to honor themselves was what led to God's action. we talked about pride and how that gets in our way. God has given me a doodler's heart and I need to see my creations as a blessing.

At Dovetail Artisans, I was listening to criticism and I could feel the tension that such words can cause in a prideful person. But I sat with that emotion and told myself that it was a good thing to hear.

Like when mosaic woman tells me I am a fool if I walk down the hallway with bare feet. I found this in the carpet the other day, and now I have to take the blame for it because it sure does look like some glass I was cutting this week.....