Weekly Yarn ~ June 9th

Meeting Notes:  You missed the Western theme in the room tonight.  Because of VBX, our room was decorated with bandanas, all manner of “critters”, western hats, and even a holster on the door! 

We miss you when you’re not at the meetings; however, we were busy praying over the Prayer Shawls, scarves, Chemo Caps, and Prayer Cloths.  Some of the Prayer Cloths were taken to the Upper Room, since the bowl had been emptied.  The Prayer Shawls were placed in the storage closet and are ready for Communion Sunday on June 20^th.  The Chemo Caps and scarves were taken to the Church Office for distribution.

Zena, we’re praying for good news about your hands from the doctor tomorrow.  Thank you for being there and picking out the colors for the unfinished project.  Linda, the two shawls you brought in earlier this week are beautiful…keep up the good work.  Loretta, we need all of the Prayer Cloths we can get as you know, and it looks like the Prayer Shawl is almost complete.  Dana turned in a waterfall colored blanket weave shawl.  Alida, the two shawls are wonderful.  We appreciate your hard work.  And thank you, Alida, for keeping up with the Prayer Cloths. 

New Member:  Please welcome Carla as a new member.  She will be a member who works remotely because she’s attending the Financial Peace University at the present time and teaches classes on Wednesday evenings in the fall.  However, she will happily contribute Prayer Shawls to the Ministry. 

Off-site Prayer Shawl Chapter:  Susan from a local Assisted Living Community is also joining the Prayer Shawl Ministry and is willing to start a group of crocheters and knitters at that location.  Sheri, Dana, and I met with Susan on Tuesday, June 8^th, to talk about how we work.  Susan said she’s an organizer and can get 10 women in her living room! 

She is going to “talk to her facility about putting a notice in their next publication so that residents who would be interested in joining a crochet/knitting group for prayer shawls should contact her - Methodist, Presbyterian, Baptist or whatever.  She knows a couple already that are interested and this will get the word out to more.”

God works in wonderful ways.  Many of you may already know Susan, so please welcome her aboard.

Reply to Thank You Note for Yarn Donation:  Last week, the Prayer Shawl Ministry received a large box of yarn from Mrs. V.  A Thank You Note was sent to her, and this was her reply. 

“You are very welcome for the yarn.  My mom has done a lot of knitting and crocheting in the past, but is trying to downsize right now, so she is giving away a lot of things.  She was so touched that your church gave my brother Mark a prayer shawl and I think she wanted to bless you all back.  Recently a friend of mine from Michigan sent me a prayer shawl at a time when I really needed it.  It has meant a great deal to me.  God bless you and have a great summer!  Love,  Laurie”

The yarn is certainly a blessing to the Ministry and will make many Prayer Shawls or other items.

Unfinished Projects:  Over the last week, Dana and I have organized the Prayer Shawl Ministry storage closet due to the new yarn donated the last few weeks.  In the process, we discovered several projects that came in with donations that are partially completed.  Linda happened to stop in for additional yarn and picked up a Granny Square to complete and a bag of Prayer Cloths that needed tidying up.  Thank you, Linda.  Zena picked up six matching Granny Squares to put together to make a new item by adding additional yarn.

If any of you are interested in looking at the projects to complete or “recreate”, the bin will be brought into the meeting room for you to peruse.  It’s a good way to get a head start on an item!  Some of the items can become Prayer Cloths just by tucking in loose ends or adding a trim row.

Helmet Liners:  This article is in the latest issue of Woman’s Day magazine.  If you wonder what the helmet liners that we made last year mean to military personnel, consider this article.  We’ll start making them again soon!

Serving Her Country:

“I joined the military in 1989 out of sheer stubbornness,” says 44-year-old Charlisa H. of Louisiana. “My dad said women didn’t belong in the Army. I wanted to prove that he was wrong.”

Once enlisted in the Army Reserves, Charlisa trained twice as hard to prove she could protect fellow soldiers; her natural leadership skills drew others to her when they had a problem or needed an ear. “I loved the discipline and responsibility,” she says. Working on hurricane duty and community activities, Charlisa became an officer, and by 2001, she knew Afghanistan or Iraq was in her future. “I wasn’t afraid,” she says. “I’d taken an oath to defend the Constitution of the United States, and I was proud to do it.”

But something more immediately life-threatening arrived first: In 2004, Charlisa wasn’t feeling well. Her blood pressure was high and she was nauseous. Concerned, the army discharged her. She was diagnosed with kidney failure, signaling the end of a military career she loved and the beginning of dialysis three days a week for the rest of her life unless a matching kidney is found.

Deeply depressed, she found knitting to be her only salvation—and it changed her life. One day in 2005, as she stood in the library with a few knitting books, she overheard two women talking about how they could help their family members serving overseas. “I’m a soldier,” Charlisa interrupted. “I can help.” Together the three women started a support group, which has now grown to include 300 families. Not only do they help provide childcare and emotional support to local military families, they also send as many donated goods to soldiers overseas as they can. “I know what it feels like not to have family support, and I want to make sure that our troops know there are people back home who care,” says Charlisa.

Wanting to add something personal to the care packages, she came up with the idea to knit helmet liners. Her knitting group has made about 300 to date. Joset J., a sergeant first class in the Louisiana Army National Guard, knows firsthand what a knitted helmet liner means to a Louisiana soldier. “For those of us from a warm climate, the freezing nights in Afghanistan are a real shock,” she says. “Charlisa’s helmet liners cover everything on your head but your eyes.”

The troops in the Louisiana National Guard also know that Charlisa is the go-to person when they have a special request—like a traditional Louisiana crawfish boil. (Much to the delight of the soldiers who asked, Charlisa found a way to have all the ingredients shipped overseas!)

“What else would I do?” says Charlisa matter-of-factly. “I’m a former military officer. My job was—and is—to take care of soldiers. Just because my kidneys don’t work doesn’t mean I can’t do what God put me on this earth for.”

Just a Note:  Hilary gave me a book called “God’s Little Devotional Book on Success”.  This is an excerpt from it that seems to fit the Prayer Shawl Ministry.

Snowflakes are one of nature’s most fragile things, but just look what they can do when they stick together.

“When people tell me that they would like to do something but think it would be impossible, I think to myself, Yeah, I used to think that way myself…”   The old adage, “There’s strength in numbers” is still true.  When people work together toward a common goal they can accomplish the impossible. 

“Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another.” – Hebrews 10:25

Love and blessings,

Beverly

"Satisfaction lies in the effort, not the attainment. Full effort is full victory." – Mahatma Ghandi