Prayer Shawl Ministry Update

Hello all you beautiful ladies!  Hope you are enjoying the rain we have had this week.  After all the rain we had a year ago, and the drought before that and after that, I am astounded that everything green has not vanished yet.

Today we gathered in our usual room to start the process of putting together the prayer cloth tags.  We did a ton of work, but there is more to go.  If you are available and interested in helping, join us in our usual gathering place to tag more items. We will be there around 1:00 pm on Thursday, September 30, more or less. 

If you have baskets, please bring them by.  Put your name on them with painter’s tape or a tag of some kind.  It is best to have baskets with handles, but we will take any larger sized basket.  Needs to hold a large load, maybe 75 to 100 squares would be ideal. 

On Sunday, we have 4 services to cover.  So far I have Linda, Beverly and DeShawn down for the 9:30 service.  I have Beverly and Nancy down for the 11 service.  I will be at the 8:00 am and at the 11 youth service.   Anyone else want to join the fun?  if you sent an email that I did not receive, call me.  I would love to have 1-2 more for 8am, one more for 11am and one more for youth at 11.  It is my prayer that we have record attendance this week and use almost all our squares.  It really would be awesome to spread the word about the Word in that way, don’t you agree?

I was absolutely delighted last night with the numbers of gorgeous shawls submitted.  You all have been working so diligently and God is rewarding the dedication to this ministry.  We have seen lives touched, people changed, hearts opened and warmed.  We are so blessed to be God’s hands and feet, and I do hope you know how much I love each and every one of you. 

I will be putting a notice in the epistle for next week that will ask for donations of yarn.  I have gone through our cabinet and reorganized the bins.  Although it looks like a lot of yarn, we go through it very quickly.  Some of the yarn has been there for over a year due to color or texture.  We need to get our Zena thinking caps on and create new color combinations! If you have yarn you are not using at home, or if you know of someone who does, or if you are a member of a Sunday School class and can ask for donations, please let the Holy Spirit give you the courage and the words to ask.  This is not for us personally, but it is for God’s people.  Many folks have yarn at home they will never use, or have been a recipient of a shawl and would be willing to donate a Jo-Ann’s, Hobby Lobby, Michael’s or Wal-Mart gift card or a direct donation to the Prayer Shawl Ministry. 

As Christmas comes closer, keep in mind that instead of swapping $5 white elephant gifts at numerous parties, you can suggest each person buys 2 skeins of yarn to donate to a good cause.  Use your discretion along with a large dose of prayer to get creative.  I know that there are a million good causes to help with, but you will forgive me please if I am partial to this one.  It is dear to my heart. Can you imagine if everyone brought in one skein of yarn per person on one Sunday at church? What a difference that could make for the entire year in our ministry! (just sayin’….)

Have a blessed day and if we don’t finish tagging and counting today, I will see if anyone wants to party together tomorrow.  We are such wild chicks with sticks!!!

Love to all in the name of Christ,

Dana

Announcing the 2010 Bernat Knit & Crochet for Breast Cancer collection

Some  patterns for Breast Cancer awareness month.  The chemo cap patterns were sent with the previous email.  Let me know if you need any others.  If you want to get a pattern from the pictures just point your cursor to the picture and click.  It takes you directly to a downloadable version of the information  Or…if all else fails…call me!!  Think pink!

Dana

Member's Newsletter | September 2010

Our Yarns

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Store Locator

Bernat is Proud to Present the
Knit & Crochet for Breast Cancer Collection for 2010

We are extremely proud to present the 2010 Knit & Crochet for Breast Cancer collection, available at participating retailers while quantities last. AC Moore, JoAnns, Michaels, Walmart Canada and Zellers are just a few of the participating retailers that have joined us in our efforts to raise awareness and funds to fight this terrible disease.

Bernat is contributing $30,000 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure® through the purchase of the yarn in the Knit & Crochet for Breast Cancer collection from August 15, 2010 through November 15, 2010. For more information about Susan G. Komen for the Cure, breast health or breast cancer, visit www.komen.org or call 1-877 GO KOMEN. A portion of the Bernat® contribution will be directed to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.

The Knit & Crochet for Breast Cancer collection includes four limited edition pink yarns, all easy-care and wonderfully soft to the touch, along with coordinating project ideas that make thoughtful, comforting gifts or whimsical statements.

To give you a good start on your next knit or crochet project, check out our coupon in the Halloween issue of Woman's Day magazine - on newsstands now. Present the coupon at your favorite retailer for $1.00 off any pink Bernat yarn.

New Free Patterns in the Limited-Time-Only shades
of the Knit & Crochet for Breast Cancer collection

Greetings from Bernat®

When my Mum was diagnosed with breast cancer, our family felt helpless. The woman who brought us chicken soup when we were under the weather now had to deal with a serious disease and there was little we could do to help. Prior to Mum's mastectomy, I did some research and discovered that women recovering from the operation often benefited from having a small pillow placed under their arm to ease any pressure on their recovering side. My Mum taught me to knit and crochet and sew, so I put some of those skills to use making her a little pillow. I was thrilled to find something I could do, however small to comfort her. 5 years later, I'm proud to announce Mum is fully recovered and cancer free!

I designed this Comfort Pillow covered in hearts to allow all of you to show a little love and support for those recuperating from breast cancer surgery. Knit the pillow with Bernat Satin's "Flamingo" and you can contribute even more knowing a portion of your purchase will go toward breast cancer research.

Happy to have a healthy Mum;
Julia
Bernat Designer

The 2010 Bernat Mystery Afghan Crochet-Along begins!

It begins! It's time for our very first Mystery Afghan Crochet-Along.

You're officially invited to join the fans, employees and bloggers as we crochet our way, clue by clue, to a fantastic new afghan out of Bernat Softee Chunky.

You can download Clue #1 now on the Bernat Blog. Keep us posted on your progress through the comments, and come back each Wednesday for a new Clue. The final clue will be released December 7th.

How it works

The Bernat Crochet-Along is a sampler afghan crocheted in five colors of Bernat Softee Chunky. What the final afghan will look like is a mystery - you'll have to crochet each clue as it comes out and gradually discover the final result.

Who should join

Anyone who loves crochet or wants to learn is welcome. The first clues are at an Easy level, and the clues gradually get harder. Don't worry - we've got tutorials along the way to keep you learning. If you're an experienced crocheter, you'll love watching the clues unfold.

Have questions?

We've got answers! Check out our official detail page with answers to all of your questions.

Thank you,
The Bernat® Design Team

You are receiving this email because you have subscribed to the Bernat® newsletter with the following address: smith5006@bellsouth.net. Our apologies if you received this in error.

Copyright ©2010 Bernat® All rights reserved.

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keeping up with the bouncing ball of yarn!

Hello to all our friends from the Prayer Shawl Ministry!  It is time for another update so here I go….

First…next Sunday Oct 3 is World Communion Sunday.  Our group has been preparing for this for about 9 months now.  We have over 1200 prayer cloths ready for distribution at all 3 services.  I am asking (ok..I am begging) for help with this task.  We will need to print tags to go on the squares, and using a darning needle and some yarn, tie them to the items.  As you can well imagine, this is a rather large task to accomplish in one week, but  I have faith that we can do it!  I am planning on printing the tags Monday.  If you can help at all, please let me know.  I will be asking folks who show up on Wednesday to please help instead of crocheting or knitting that one night.  I will also need volunteers to help distribute these items at each service.  I need 2 people for each service plus representatives at the youth and children’s services.  So far one person has come forth to help and that isn’t enough to meet our needs.  Please prayerfully consider helping out even for just a small time.  The communion shifts will only be the 15 minutes it takes to serve communion. 

Second…the fall festival is just around the corner.  Unfortunately for the calendar, so is the Breast Cancer 3-Day walk that Barb and I will be participating in.  I am hoping for volunteers to transport shawls and other items from the church, to the campground and man the cabin while the festival is going on.  Last year some folks made treats to share and they were delicious.  If you can help with any part of that festival, please let me know by end of the week.  If we do not have sufficient folks available, I will need to let Cindy Walters know that we won’t be coming.  I don’t want to wait much longer in case she has someone else in mind for the space

Third…if you are on the email list and have not come to a meeting for a while, why don’t you come on in and see all the new patterns we have.  You are welcome to select yarn from our closet and do your project from the comfort of your home.  We have many folks out there who are not able to come to church but still donate completed items.  You can be one as well!  Just let me know and I will get you hooked up.  One other note..as this ministry relies solely on donations to pay its “bills” for supplies, we occasionally find ourselves in a bind for yarn.  If you have some at home that you want to share with us, please do.  If you would like to make a donation of yarn or a gift card to Jo-Ann’s, Michaels, Hobby Lobby or even Walmart to get supplies, we would certainly appreciate that as well.  I hate asking, but you never know when someone has a stash of yarn at home.  We can start our fall cleaning and get rid of old stuff while helping out with a great cause. 

There is a beautiful song which comes from the Shaker society which I believe has a lot of value for us in our present day.  We spend so much time rushing around trying to get everything we need done, that we lose focus on the things we love and our priorities.  Sometimes the “to do” list for ourselves trumps the “to do” list that God sets before us.  Spend time each day really worshipping Him. Pray for those folks listed above as well as others on your own list.  Pray for this ministry to be successful and reach those in need.  In keeping with the spirit of being simple, I remind you that although we have a growing book of pattern instructions and many color of yarn, your project does not need to be extremely complicated or intricate.  It can be one color or a block of several colors.  It can be a straight double crochet, or knit stockinet stitch.  It can be long, wide, triangular, or round.  The point here is that it is less about the prayer shawl itself and more about the faith that comes with the shawl, the prayers spoken over it, and the continuing prayers for the recipients.  Pick up a skein this week and before you even find the dreaded hiding end piece, pray that God is preparing the heart of the recipient, that He sees who this item is being made for and why. Pray for the hands which prepare these creations and the continued donations needed to keep our ministry running.  Then, chain some stitches, or cast on some stitches.  It is your choice and your creativity that makes each item special.  Enjoy reading the words and may your week be blessed, your days be invigorating, and your nights give you much needed comfy rest.

With love in Christ,

Dana

'Tis the gift to be simple,
'tis the gift to be free,
'tis the gift to come down where you ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
It will be in the valley of love and delight.

Refrain:

When true simplicity is gained,
To bow and to bend we shan't be ashamed.
To turn, turn will be our delight,
'Til by turning, turning we come round right

'Tis the gift to be loved and that love to return,
'Tis the gift to be taught and a richer gift to learn,
And when we expect of others what we try to live each day,
Then we'll all live together and we'll all learn to say,

Refrain:

'Tis the gift to have friends and a true friend to be,
'Tis the gift to think of others not to only think of "me",
And when we hear what others really think and really feel,
Then we'll all live together with a love that is real.

Refrain:

The Weekly Yarn

Good day to all you lovely ladies! I am getting this out to you now as I will be heading up to Nashville with a church group to work on a Habitat for Humanity house. I have never done one before and it sounds exciting. As a side benefit, I get to see my daughter in Vanderbilt on Saturday. God is certainly good!!!

We had a great meeting last night. We have continued to be a smaller group and missed those of you who could not make it. Please feel free to come on any week you can, even if it is only for a short while.

Hugs take very little time and last such a long time!

Dorothy again amazed us with her new creation. She was concerned about the colors being too bold, but the shawl never made it to the closet as it was grabbed up almost instantly for someone. Great job Dorothy!

Nancy continued to bring us love in the form of prayer cloths. I love the combo of colors. It is a true rainbow of delight.

Robin totally amazed me as she took a huge bag of yarn which seemed unusable (too thin, not much of any single color), combined skeins and made this fantastic shawl of many colors. It was gorgeous. That one left at the same time as Dorothy’s so it is gone. Robin…did you take any pictures of it?

That was such a great surprise and just shows us what God can do with the “unusable” when we listen to His calling.

Zena was back from her adventures, bringing in several wonderful shawls. Welcome back Zena – we missed your smile and laughter.

Kathy stopped by to donate yarn, which was almost instantly grabbed up.

Here is another God story. I was gathering yarn for Zena and could not find any of a certain color that she needed. I just got finished saying that she would need to change her ideas for this shawl when in walks Kathy with that exact yarn and color. God’s planning is amazing. His timing is perfect.

Beverly cleaned out her closet and donated many usable skeins of yarn. We will be kept busy for a few weeks with that donation. Bless you for that.

Of course, I could not resist loading her up with a few from our closet that I know she will make into masterpieces!

Deshawn was back for a while as well. Nice new yarn you have there Deshawn.

Folks drifted in and out and it was good catching up.

Martha received and sent in more gorgeous shawls from Carolyn in SC. Carolyn also sent in knitting needles of assorted sizes.

If anyone wants to learn a new skill, let me know as I love knitting. We can’t thank our home members enough for keeping us stocked with shawls and with love. You are part of our hearts each week when we pray together!

Sunday Oct 3 is World Communion Sunday. We will be at each service as well as at the youth service handing out prayer cloths to people. I will need two volunteers for each service as well as one or two at youth/children's services. I hope you will pray about this as we have an opportunity to reach many people that day with a blessing from God through us to them. I would love to make eye contact as well as heart contact with each recipient that day so we can truly share God’s love for His people. Please let me know if you are interested and available to help out. It will just require standing during communion with a basket of cloths.

Also, the fall festival is coming up again. I will not be able to be there as I will be participating in the Komen Breast Cancer 3-Day walk. Barbara will be with me as well. Does anyone feel called to be at the festival with our shawls and other items? You would need to transport them from the church and back again as well as man the booth area during the festival. I need to know by next week as if there are no volunteers by then I will be releasing the cabin spot to another group. We really would love to be represented, so pray about this please.

Just a reminder that Joann’s fabrics will take all competitor coupons for yarn. If the coupons have different numbers, you can use multiple ones at the same time. This will give you a hefty discount. Feel free to go shopping!

Personally I am asking for donations of yarn for my Christmas gifts this year. Wouldn’t that be fun to see what we get and how colorful our closet will be?

Got to run for now even though there is much more to share. I promise to get patterns to you when I return from Nashville.

Until then, keep blessing us with your handiwork and keep remembering to sprinkle a little extra love into your yarn.

With love in Christ,

Dana

the weekly yarn

Good day to all you lovely ladies!  I am getting this out to you now as I will be heading up to Nashville with a church group to work on a Habitat for Humanity house.  I have never done one before and it sounds exciting.  As a side benefit, I get to see my daughter in Vanderbilt on Saturday.  God is certainly good!!!

We had a great meeting last night.  We have continued to be a smaller group and missed those of you who could not make it.  Please feel free to come on any week you can, even if it is only for a short while.  Hugs take very little time and last such a long time!  Dorothy again amazed us with her new creation.  She was concerned about the colors being too bold, but the shawl never made it to the closet as it was grabbed up almost instantly for someone.  Great job Dorothy!  Nancy continued to bring us love in the form of prayer cloths.  I love the combo of colors.  It is a true rainbow of delight.  Robin totally amazed me as she took a huge bag of yarn which seemed unusable (too thin, not much of any single color), combined skeins and made this fantastic shawl of many colors.  It was gorgeous.  That one left at the same time as Dorothy’s so it is gone. 

Robin…did you take any pictures of it? 

(Why yes I did take a picture of it!!!)

 

That was such a great surprise and just shows us what God can do with the “unusable” when we listen to His calling. 

Zena was back from her adventures, bringing in several wonderful shawls.  Welcome back Zena – we missed your smile and laughter. 

Kathy stopped by to donate yarn, which was almost instantly grabbed up. 

Here is another God story.  I was gathering yarn for Zena and could not find any of a certain color that she needed.  I just got finished saying that she would need to change her ideas for this shawl when in walks Kathy with that exact yarn and color.  God’s planning is amazing.  His timing is perfect. 

Beverly cleaned out her closet and donated many usable skeins of yarn.  We will be kept busy for a few weeks with that donation.  Bless you for that. 

Of course, I could not resist loading her up with a few from our closet that I know she will make into masterpieces!  Deshawn was back for a while as well.  Nice new yarn you have there Deshawn.  Folks drifted in and out and it was good catching up.  Martha received and sent in more gorgeous shawls from Carolyn in SC.  Carolyn also sent in knitting needles of assorted sizes.  If anyone want to learn a new skill, let me know as I love knitting.  We can’t thank our home members enough for keeping us stocked with shawls and with love.  You are part of our hearts each week when we pray together!

Sunday Oct 3 is World Communion Sunday.  We will be at each service as well as at the youth service handing out prayer cloths to people.  I will need two volunteers for each service as well as one or two at youth/childrens services.  I hope you will pray about this as we have an opportunity to reach many people that day with a blessing from God through us to them.  I would love to make eye contact as well as heart contact with each recipient that day so we can truly share God’s love for His people.  Please let me know if you are interested and available to help out.  It will just require standing during communion with a basket of cloths. 

Also, the fall festival is coming up again.  I will not be able to be there as I will be participating in the Komen Breast Cancer 3-Day walk.  Barbara will be with me as well.  Does anyone feel called to be at the festival with our shawls and other items?  You would need to transport them from the church and back again as well as man the booth area during the festival.  I need to know by next week as if there are no volunteers by then I will be releasing the cabin spot to another group.  We really would love to be represented, so pray about this please.

Just a reminder that Joann’s fabrics will take all competitor coupons for yarn.  If the coupons have different numbers, you can use multiple ones at the same time.  This will give you a hefty discount.  Feel free to go shopping!  Personally I am asking for donations of yarn for my Christmas gifts this year.  Wouldn’t that be fun to see what we get and how colorful our closet will be?

Got to run for now even though there is much more to share.  I promise to get patterns to you when I return from Nashville.  Until then, keep blessing us with your handiwork and keep remembering to sprinkle a little extra love into your yarn.

With love in Christ,

Dana

the weekly yarn

Good day members and friends of the Prayer Shawl Ministry (otherwise known as the Chicks With Sticks). I wanted to catch you up on news from the meeting and beyond….

First, Dorothy brought in her first prayer blanket made in red and black.  It was wonderful! Many people stopped by and it caught their eyes as well.  Great job Dorothy!  It reminded us of the need for blankets in both UGA and GT colors.  Of course I am partial to GT colors since they are Vanderbilt’s colors as well! There are folks out there who love the Dawgs and Falcons, and just plain love the combo of red and black.  These folks may not be church members and may not want a prayer blanket if it is not part of their world, but God’s love comes in all forms.  Even those who do not yet know God and His amazing grace might take the first step by receiving that love in the form of a blanket or shawl.  Jesus wants us to reach the whole world, so why not try meeting the world on some common grounds like football, or college teams, or any other way?  Just a thought, although I still believe God knows which colors and items need to go with which person.

Which…..brings up the next story. 

Our dear Beverly has a heart bigger than all of the oceans put together.  She was on her way to deliver a blanket to a person at church on Wednesday.  She tells the story best, but I want to brag on the event and on God, so here I go. 

The person who she was to deliver it to was not at the church that night.  She had a specific one for this member, and instead of dropping it off for later pick up, she carried it back to the meeting.  When she was in the gathering area, she met a woman who was looking for a specific meeting in our church.  They got to talking (what a surprise!!) and never did find the meeting but instead found out that this woman’s mom was just diagnosed with bladder cancer and it was not looking particularly good.  So, as God would have it, Beverly asked her if she wanted the prayer blanket for her mom.  They had lots of hugs and tears together, and the blanket went home with the one God had chosen for it.  I tell you…isn’t God great!  Thanks to Beverly for being such a willing vessel to deliver God’s love and to hear His voice speaking. 

Do you have stories to share? 

Why don’t we make a book about them? When you have a touching story of a prayer shawl delivery or construction, please write them down.  The grammar does not need to be perfect and the spell check takes some of the fear out of writing, but what if we could compile these blessings for others to see, read, and share? What an awesome blessing it would become.  Feel free to write them on your computer, and email a copy to me.  I will keep them together and share with others, as well as starting a binder with these stories.  I had no idea that was going to come out of me when I started this letter so I guess it must be God at work…as usual…again!  We love you Lord!

Patterns and other news will follow in another edition, but that is all for now. 

I am leaving you with a chuckle for all those who have school kids.  It is too hot to relate here, but up in Minnesota I am sure they understand the humor!!!

Love to all,

Dana

today's update for the Prayer Shawl Ministry

Now, we all know that God is good all the time, but some days that realization is somewhat overwhelming.  Today was one of those days.  Just when you think things are slowing down, God sends you the message to keep on creating more shawls! 

As you know, today was communion Sunday.  We placed many of our items on the altar rail to be blessed by the congregation as well as for those who are in need or know of someone in need to be the messenger of hope.  We place trust in God for His provisions and He never fails us.  In true form, we had a cart stacked high with items at 7:45am, and it returned to the closet with just a handful left on it. 

How amazing that we were again able to supply the needs of a congregation and still have shawls and caps left over for the week!  Keep knitting and crocheting as we are down to less than a dozen shawls. 

I was astounded at the end of the 11 o’clock service.  I came in to collect any unclaimed items and as I entered with my cart, folks were waiting to take the ones that had not been displayed during communion.  We had one shawl left on the altar rail and only two caps.  I was richly blessed by the stories I heard and by the number of people stopping to express their gratitude to our ministry.  The Lord made me smile all day thinking of the love He has shared among His children. 

Reminder also that this Tuesday morning at 8am in the upper room there will be a Coffee and Conversations with God.  We pray for the needs of the church as requested by the staff, and then fellowship for a while together.  It is a small group with big hearts.  Please join us and pass this information to anyone you think might be interested in joining us. 

I am also going to copy and forward some info I received through Beverly.   I will save the thank you notes received to read on Wednesday but wanted to share the following now. Hope you all are having a very wonderful weekend, and be blessed in all you do.  Don’t go to sleep tonight without telling someone you know how much you love them.  It makes for much more restful sleep to do so.

From Beverly…..

This ministry began with a group of women who participated in the first Women’s Leadership Institute at Hartford Seminary.  One of the members began knitting “healing shawls” for women who were undergoing treatment for breast cancer and other illnesses.  Other member soon began to knit shawls for new mothers.  More recently, women have knitted shawls for men who are ill-and have received very heartfelt thanks for this gift of healing.  These wonder gifts of love can be found all over the country now.

Simple directions for crocheting a shawl from Knitting into the Mystery by Susan S. Jorgensen and Susan S. Izard.  This book has many ideas and prayers for this ministry.

Yarn:  Use 4 skeins of Lion Brand Homespun. 

The texture and feel of this yarn makes the shawl soft and warm.  Since it is 90% acrylic it is washable.  The yarn may be found at Michaels, JoAnn Fabrics and other craft stores. 

Before you begin your last skein, set aside yarn to make a fringe for both ends of the shawl.

Hooks:  Use size M or one which provides a loose fabric and a quick product. 

Pattern:  Chain 1, turn, single crochet in each of the stitches to the end.  Chain 3 and turn.  Double crochet in top of each single crochet.  Repeat this row two more times.  Chain 1 and make 1 row of single crochet to end.  Chain 3 and turn.  Do 3 rows of double crochet.

This pattern was developed by Rita Glod

To begin the shawl, chain 54 stitches loosely or chain stitches for the desired width of the shawl. Begin the first row of the pattern.  Repeat the pattern (1 row single, 3 rows double) to the end.  Finish with one row of single crochet.  Weave in loose threads from joining skeins.

Fringe:  The length of fringe is an individual decision.  You can fringe every stitch or skip several stitches.  You can tie beads on the fringe, knot it, or be creative in any way.

Decide the length of the fringe.  It is doubled, so cut the fringe twice the desired length.  Loosely wrap the yarn for the fringe around a piece of stiff cardboard as many times as you want pieces of fringe.  Cut the yarn along one edge of the cardboard.

Double the fringe piece and, using a small crochet hook, pull the loop through the stitch; insert the ends of the fringe through the loop and pull tight.  Knot the ends of any yarn that frays easily.

Alternate fringe:  With the uncut reserved yarn, crochet loops of yarn on to the end rows of the shawl using a single crochet stitch to catch to strands of the loops to make them stable.  No cut ends, no fraying.

This pattern makes a shawl good for wrapping around shoulders or around knees.  Make afghan sized shawls starting with more stitches.  You will need more skeins of Homespun yarn.

For those who want to minister with this craft here’s a prayer for beginning your work:

Creator God, I ask a blessing from all who have come before me, whose hands have been instruments of creation and beauty; who have picked up humble tools and homespun wool in order to provide cover and warmth for themselves and those they loved; who have felt, as I will feel, the yarn in their fingers; who have seen, as I will see, the growth of the fabric; who have heard, as I will hear, the yarn sliding over the hook.

Bless this yarn and these hooks.  May this shawl be a sign of your healing presence:  May it warm those who are weary, surround those who suffer and encircle those who are in pain.  May your gentle touch reach out to heal in the light of Christ.  Amen.

(Prayer adapted from "Beginning to Knit Meditation" by Janet Bristow)

Blessings to all.

Dana

The sort of weekly yarn...

Sorry about the delay in making contact this week.  Technical difficulties with my operating system as well as my email have kept me behind.  I sometimes wonder if this technology thing is all it is cracked up to be!  What happened to the good old days of talking face to face, or at least by phone?  I wish I could make it a weekly habit to call all of you and one week I am going to do just that, but for now, please accept this update. 

Sunday will be communion at all 3 services and we will again be displaying our prayer shawls for all to bless and to take as needed.  I hope you will encourage someone to come forward and accept God’s blessing if the need arises.  If you do know of situations which would benefit from personal delivery, please let me know and I will have Beverly or Helon make contact with those folks.  We are here to serve beyond our friends, and beyond our congregation to the mission field of God’s people.  Never be shy about doing work for the Lord!

I have been sorting through several patterns to send out to you.  I am only sending one of each type, both with a similar theme.  It seems that often we are left with small bits of colors.  We make them into prayer cloths, but it occurred to me this week that those seemingly useless amounts can add up to something bigger than itself.  God finds a way to take lots of people who have a common thread and knit us together for His purposes.  He takes some that are white, black, red, yellow, (fuschia, orange, teal, turquoise, and purple too) and weaves them together in an intricate yet simple way to create a bond that is strong for Him, one that reflects His image.  These patchwork patterns are all about that theme.  If you have a collection of short skeins, start making some uniform sized squares to put together.  As in the Amish barn raising tradition, we work together and before you know it… a new creation has risen!  Be part of that creation.  This will also take the pressure off those folks who do not want to make a whole shawl at a time, but want to collect and contribute pieces slowly.  Speed is not the goal here, but love for others is.

We love our home bound  and correspondence course members and thank you for bringing in or sending in your completed works.  What a pleasure to see them roll in.  They inspire us greatly.  Keep up the great work!

I would like for you to focus prayers this week on a specific thing.  If you can all pray that God softens the way for the Prayer Shawl Ministry to receive donations of yarn from stores which discard them, I would appreciate that.  I recently contacted Joann’s corporate office and the Wal-Mart on Collins Hill to ask for some donations of soft yarns being phased out due to shelf space or color.  Joann’s in Duluth has about 20 skeins of Homespun in yellow shades that I am asking to have donated.  I don’t know if this will happen, but your prayers are my best support in this.  I had to purchase crochet hooks as we have run short on these for new members.  If any of you have extra hooks or knitting needles that you no longer need and want to bring them in, please feel free to do so.

We look forward to sharing and caring again this week.  I hope young Jeremy will be back with his enthusiastic smile and his willing hands.  Thank God for youngsters who are not intimidated by us veterans! 

One last thing…On World Communion Sunday, I will probably need 4 volunteers per service to help with the distribution of the prayer cloths.  The early service is different than the other 2 but we will still need the volunteers.  Can you be in prayer and let me know if you can spare an hour that day?  More details will come in the next correspondence. 

Until then, be blessed and not stressed.  Let God handle the details and watch Him work His beautiful plan.  I dearly love all of you and look forward to another week of laughter, fellowship, and sharing.

In Christ,

Dana

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”
Eleanor Roosevelt

and more and more and more…