Chicks With Sticks Update 10-27-2010

Hi Ladies,

Just a short update for a small group with a big spirit due to a dark and stormy night here in Lawrenceville!  For those of you who couldn’t make it tonight, we understand, but you were missed­ – please join us next week.  God was kind to us as always.  Four beautiful Prayer Shawls and three Chemo Caps (thank you for the Chemo Caps, Ellen) in bright, beautiful colors came in tonight.  As always He knows what we need.  The Prayer Shawl cabinet is full and we have a few extras in the Prayer Shawl closet.

Jeremy brought in his first finished item – a butterfly!  Nancy has already started another bright burgundy, green and white shawl after turning in two in those shades tonight, and picked up new yarn for a man’s afghan.  Robin knitted additional length to her blue afghan.  I am still crocheting an aqua boucle shawl.  Cindy has an afghan or two ready to turn in!

Thank you notes came in from several recipients of Prayer Shawls.  It’s nice to be appreciated for the work we do, even though we are as blessed as the recipients.  Here are excerpts from the notes we received this week.

            Jim and Dian said “…thank you for the prayer shawl.  It has brought Jim so much comfort and warmth as he continues his fight with cancer…”

            Tom said “I was so pleased and surprised to receive the beautiful prayer shawl this weekend.  They were undoubtedly prepared by the most loving of hands.  The arrival coincided with the need of warmth and prayer associated with the treatments I have begun to receive for my cancer…”

            Bonnie said “Thank you all so much for your time and devotion to this ministry…Mine is by my bedside each night.  It truly is such a blessing . Thank you all.”

            Robin and Bruce said “ We want to thank you all so very much for the beautiful prayer shawl that you made for me and my husband.  We were so pleased to have received it knowing that it had been prayed over and the love, prayers and work that went into making it, makes it that much more special!...”

            Julie said “What a wonderful surprise to receive the lovely shawl!...I know that your Prayer Shawl Ministry is a great joy to many and I so appreciate being a recipient of your efforts. I am grateful also for your prayers…”

By next week, there will be a count of the wool helmet liners and the wool scarves that will go in the Care Packages going to the troops overseas that will ship around the end of November.  We’ll coordinate with Nancy Ford to as far as the number we need for the packages.  Last year the congregation brought in items such as cards, hard candy, stationary, letters, etc., that were added to the boxes.  We also put Prayer Cloths in the boxes and did the packing for Nancy.  It took about an hour to pack them and then Nancy shipped them.

We are truly blessed to be part of such a wonderful ministry.  I am thankful to have made so friends with so many wonderful Sisters in Christ. Please put the Wednesday evening meetings back on your calendars, 5:30 to 7:30.  It’s a great opportunity to develop relationships with other women, enjoy stories and laughter, share patterns and techniques, learn to knit or crochet!  And you are important to the ministry – not just for what you can make, but for the lives you touch and the lives that touch you!  Don’t miss out!

Love and blessings,

Beverly

"One kind word can warm three winter months."

Prayer Shawl Ministry update 10-16-10

Good day to all.  And…it is a very lovely day indeed.  The sun is shining brightly reminding me that the Son is shining in all our lives even brighter.  That is so obvious when we look at the work of our hands.  Jesus math is continuing as we seem to be blessed richly with donations this week. 

First, let me say how much I missed seeing everyone on Wednesday.  I was driving to and from Nashville to retrieve Emily for a weekend home.  It was a long ride, but well worth it all.  I must say that God was certainly present in the minivan as He made me oh so starving somewhere in North Georgia short of Chattanooga.  I got off an exit because I saw a Panera sign.  Little did I know it was 5 miles away from the exit.  As I was wondering why in the world I was going so far out of my way for a bowl of soup, I figured there had to be a reason and just gave in to the desire to have veggie soup.  WELL…. Of course God was behind it all as I found out after that by getting off there I was able to take some side road that avoided all of Chattanooga which was totally under construction.  It would have been a minimum of a two hour delay.  On the way home I actually passed the delay while flying 60 miles an hour in the other direction.  GOD IS GREAT, even better than a Garmin or Tom Tom GPS system.  He understands the value of spending time with your child instead of fighting the details of the schedule you had set for yourself. 

Donations this week were plentiful.  Ellen brought in a donation of Red Heart and Caron Simply Soft yarns.  Mills brought in two large boxes of yarn from our dear sister Carolyn.  She is our SC member who knits beautiful shawls.  She sent the left over yarns from her shawls.  Kathy donated some gorgeous fall colored Red Heart yarn.

Nancy brought in two shawls she made, Zena finished three (one of which was made specifically for Loretta to deliver), Barbara brought in a gold and white shawl, Becky turned in two shawls made from the peach colored Caron yarn, Dorothy made one for a UT Volunteer fan (bright orange!) or anyone who needs “just a touch” of orange in their life as my Uncle Herbert used to say, and Beverly turned in two boucle shawls plus several which needed some finishing TLC before they were ready for sharing.  There is such an abundance that the downstairs closet is full and the upstairs closet has some extra items.  Thanks to everyone for your contributions. No contribution is too small to count and no donation is ever unnecessary. Each skein of yarn represents hope to someone, each item represents comfort and might be the thing that helps an individual hang on to the love of God. 

We are so proud of our Jeremy.  He is the son of our Facilities Director who works diligently to maintain our beautiful church building.  Jeremy has been so persistent in learning how to crochet and wants to be with us each Wednesday.  He is the sweetest young boy and I hope you get to meet him soon if you have not already done so. 

You all are so precious to me and I am praying that each of you is doing well.  Let us know if you need deliveries of yarn to make items at home, or delivery of items to folks we are not yet aware of.  If you get a hankering or a coupon and decide to purchase any yarns, we can pick them up from you if you want us to make a shawl for someone or just for the common closet. 

Let God guide your decisions, let Him fill you with His wisdom and kindness, and follow your heart into the arms of Jesus daily.

Dana

Prayer Shawl Ministry Update

Greetings and love to all in the Prayer Shawl Ministry!  Whether you are an active contributor of items or a regular prayer support partner, you are a sister in the cause of sharing God’s love.  Welcome to another update.

This past Sunday we shared our love with the congregation and beyond by distributing prayer cloths to all who attended church upstairs and at the warehouse.  I am proud to say that some folks even asked for extras for people in need.  Our simple gift of love will be spread to many and God will be glorified greatly.  Praise Him!  We gave out between 1000 and 1100 items and have more left to share.  Isn’t the Lord amazing?  We originally said we thought we needed 1200, but 1400 would make us feel comfortable.  We actually counted each bag in anticipation of Sunday’s distribution.  Do you know how many we had?    No joke….1400 exactly.  We will be sharing some with the Co-op and other smaller churches in the next few weeks.  If you know of a need, please let me know. 

So….growing up in a Jewish home meant lots of guilt and lots of worry.  We worried that we were not worried enough about any matter.  My mother has multiple gold medals for Olympic Marathon worrying.  But…here is the reason not to worry.  God is great at Math.  So, you are asking yourself if I have lost it, but wait for the explanation.  Sure I know math.  Math is precise and easy to figure out.  Until you encounter God that is.  Last week we had about a dozen prayer shawls in the office cabinet and a few more upstairs.  On Sunday we did not put them out at communion.  Yet, we had requests for 5 of them and we were able to share.  This week the need was the highest we have had in a long time.  Since Sept 27 we gave out 21 shawls, 17 of them in the first week of October.  The loops of the yarn were barely tucked in before we gave them away, but when I counted the numbers in the closets on Wednesday eve, we had 27 left.  Now, you do the math and let me know if this reminds you of some fish and bread story we have been taught.  Why worry about where the supply will come from?  God provides in abundance.  It is a good thing He never went to school in Gwinnett county as he does not follow the rules of the Math AKS standards.  His math is miraculous.  Praise God!!!  Moral of the story….don’t waste time worrying about things.  Just trust God, lift it up in prayer, and let Him take it from you to do His will. 

One more thing and I am through, kind of, like Davis sometimes…

It is nearing Christmas.  I am feeling pretty sure that I don’t need any more stuff in my life.  Stuff is so unimportant to me.  This Christmas I am asking everyone I know who shares small gifts to purchase one or two skeins of yarn for the ministry.  I know of at least 5 small exchanges I am usually involved in and who needs any more white elephants or dollar store exchange items?  Please consider doing the same.  Think of the difference we can make in people’s lives if each person in the congregation donated one skein of yarn.  You know, our storage is limited, but our God is not and He will find space for storage if the harvest brings in a huge crop.  He has that math thing down.  Multiplication is His specialty.  I am not even going to worry about the storage, but am asking God to tell all to cast their nets on one side of the boat and let the nets be so full of yarn that it takes the whole ministry to lift the nets into the boat.  He’s done it with fish, He’s done it with people, and now let’s watch Him do it with yarn.

I love each of you dearly.  Your contributions make a difference in the kingdom and your smiles keep the days bright.  Your love is a light that shines in the darkness.  I thank God each day for each one of you.

Love in Christ,

Dana