The Weekly Yarn - Ash Wednesday, February 17th

Even though there wasn’t a meeting this week, God still provides opportunities for the Prayer Shawl Ministry to work.  Prayer Cloths were placed on the altar rail prior to the Ash Wednesday service, and individuals were allowed to take one after they received the ashes if they chose.  Approximately 2/3 of the Prayer Cloths left the altar rail for a new home!

Two Prayer Shawls and a Prayer Cloth were turned into the Church Office earlier in the week.  Thank you so much, Melanie, for bringing the completed items to the office.  We’ve missed you and hope to see you soon.

Special Prayer Request:  Dana has requested special prayers, and a note to her mother if you feel led to do so.  This is her request:

My mother’s biopsy results came in today and confirmed that she indeed does have breast cancer.  This is her third round with cancer as she has successfully battled breast cancer and lung cancer before.  She will be seeing a surgeon on Thursday at 1pm and I will update you on any progress.  I will need to go up to NJ sometime in March, but not sure when yet.  I would ask for your prayers for her well being and also will ask for those of you who are good with letters of encouragement to please send her a note.  I did this once before and it really lifted her spirits to know that people were concerned about her.  She is so negative about the church but loves to get these cards, so I am considering it a witnessing and get well tool at the same time!  If you would care to (please don’t feel obligated) you may send her a note at:

Erin is in need of additional prayers at this time also.  Please keep her in your prayers.  She has received a Prayer Shawl and Chemo Cap.  Dana is going to deliver a Prayer Cloth too.

Prayer Shawls Needed:  I met with Sheri yesterday regarding individuals in need of  Prayer Shawls, and there are nine (9) individuals God has selected to receive Prayer Shawls.  Please let me know if you can help with the delivery of any of these items.

Thanks to each and every one of you for your faithfulness, hard work, and willingness to be God’s hands and feet for the Prayer Shawl Ministry.

Love and blessings,

Beverly

“I have chosen you and will not throw you away.  Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” Isaiah 41: 9-10

The Weekly Yarn - February 10th

A group of cold weather friends braved the winds on the 10^th and made it to the meeting last Wednesday.  It was a noisy, intimate meeting with lots of talking, laughter, and shared stories.  We had to keep talking, knitting, and crocheting to keep warm!  Such an abundance of Prayer Shawls, afghans, scarves, and Prayer Cloths were turned in…so many that each of us had more than one item to hold while we prayed.  God is good as always.  The Prayer Shawl cabinet is nicely full now!  Thanks be to God.

February 17^th:  There will not be a meeting on February 17^th to allow our members to attend the Ash Wednesday Service at 7:00 PM in the Sanctuary.

February 24^th:  We will meet at our regular time and place on the 24^th.  Reverend Sheri Smith is also holding a Prayer and Healing Service in the Upper Room at 6:30.  Anyone interested in attending both is welcome to step out of our meeting and come back. 

February 28^th:  Communion Sunday is February 28^th.  Our Father blesses us with the opportunity to put Prayer Shawls on the alter rail for our church family to pray over, and to take if they need.  Some individuals won’t come forward at other times to ask for help, so this is a wonderful way to allow them to be wrapped in God’s love.

Please mark your calendar to help arrange the Prayer Shawls, Lap Robes, and Prayer Blankets for the 9:30 and 11:00 services.

 

Bible Verse Selection:  Based on your votes (by one vote), the verse that will be etched on the crystal bowl in the Upper Room that holds the Prayer Cloths is:

John 14:27 (New International Version)

²⁷Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Love and blessings,

Beverly

“Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see”. – Hebrews 11:1

Weekly Yarn – February 3, 2010

I missed the meeting on Wednesday evening, but there are always a couple of items to send out.  In the meantime, this is the story of the meeting as I heard it! 

  

“The meeting went very well. Helon and Jane brought a friend.  Jane's husband brought boxes and boxes of new pattern books....only opened up four or five of them.  Dana sorted and reorganized our stash. She also "encouraged" Zena to take several extra skeins to work on...We added five shawls to the cabinet, and only three had gone to new homes since the last meeting.  It was a lively group.” 

Great job, ladies.  God works through you all the time!

February 21^st:  February 21^st is the next Communion Sunday.  Please let me know if you can arrange the Prayer Shawls at 9:15 for the 9:30 service, at 10:45 for the 11:00 service, and fold and put away at 12:15.  Thanks for your help.

   

Bible Verses: Yes, this was in the e-mail last week.  There haven’t been very many replies and I want to give everyone an opportunity to vote on the verse they prefer.  If you have already replied, thank you.  If not, and you wish to voice an opinion, please let me know.

 

There is a crystal bowl in the Upper Room, on the right just as you enter the chapel.  The bowl holds Prayer Cloths for individuals to take with them if they choose, after a service or a meeting with Steven Ministers.  The bowl will be etched with one of the following three Bible Verses. 

Isaiah 41:13 (New International Version)

¹³ For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not    fear; I will help you.

Ephesians 3:20 (New International Version)

²⁰Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,

John 14:27 (New International Version)

²⁷Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Please select one of the three, and let me know your preference by February 13^th.

Love and blessings,

Beverly

I am God, and there is no other; I am God and there is none like me.” Isaiah 46:9

Weekly Yarn - January 27th

 

The first month of 2010 ended with a joyful meeting.  Several beautiful Prayer Shawls, a Lap Robe, and Prayer Cloths were turned in to pray over, which is always the highlight of the meeting.  God continues to supply completed projects to be delivered and new yarn for new projects. We are truly blessed.

Prayer Cloths for World Communion Sunday:

As of the 27^th of January, there are approximately 180 Prayer Cloths ready for World Communion Sunday in October.  To reach our goal of 1600, two hundred per month are needed.  There are a few at member’s homes that haven’t been turned in, so we are on schedule.  Great job!  Please keep up the fantastic work. 

Communion Sunday:  February 21^st is the next Communion Sunday.  Our Father blesses us with the opportunity to put these items out for our church family to pray over, and to take if they need.  Please mark your calendar to help arrange the Prayer Shawls, Lap Robes, and Prayer Blankets on the altar. 

New Member: Sean, our first male crocheter, joined us on the 27^th.  Sean did a great job of learning the chain stitch and double crochet, and left with pictures of the stitches so he could practice.  Welcome Sean – we’re glad to have you in the Prayer Shawl Ministry.  You are a great addition.

Bible Verses:

There is a crystal bowl in the Upper Room, on the right just as you enter the chapel.  The bowl holds Prayer Cloths for individuals to take with them if they choose, after a service or a meeting with Steven Ministers.  The bowl will be etched with one of the following three Bible Verses. 

Isaiah 41:13 (New International Version)

¹³ For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not    fear; I will help you.

Ephesians 3:20 (New International Version)

²⁰Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,

John 14:27 (New International Version)

²⁷Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Please select one of the three, and let me know your preference by February 13^th.

Thanks for your reply.

Love and blessings,

Beverly

“Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people.” – Isaiah 57:14

The Weekly Yarn - January 20th

There was a full house again on Wednesday evening…and dare I say, the usual noise and laughter.  This is the most joyous meeting I’ve ever been involved in.  We hope to see those of you who are missing out on the joy next Wednesday!

Jane blessed us with new patterns for knitting and crocheting, and plans to bring in many more in the next few weeks.  Be sure to check the pattern files for new patterns if you are looking for something different.

Helon wrote a moving story of one of the experiences she had while delivering a Prayer Shawl.  Once again, if you haven’t been blessed with the opportunity to make a delivery, step forward now!  You’ll volunteer over and over once you make one delivery.

The Prayer Cloth inventory for World Communion Sunday in October continues to grow.  You’ll receive a count by the end of this month so we can stay on track to achieve our goal of 1500.  Compliments of Loretta Pena, attached are two new Prayer Cloth patterns to crochet.

Communion Sunday:  January 31^st is the next Communion Sunday.  Please let me know if you can arrange the Prayer Shawls at 9:15 for the 9:30 service, at 10:45 for the 11:00 service, and fold and put away at 12:15.  Thanks for your help.

More Yarn: Ellen picked up more full skeins of blue, purple, pink, and red, as well as smaller amounts of other colors from Goodwill on Thursday morning!  Our supply continues to meet our needs.  Thanks, Ellen.  And if you need help putting colors together, Zena has a great way of combining the hues!

New Members:  Two new members joined us this month.  Please welcome Laurel and DeShawn.  Laurel is a knitter and DeShawn is a crocheter.  Both are active in Bible Study.

As we look at what we do each day in the Prayer Shawl Ministry, it often seems overwhelming as new opportunities open up. 

On January 14^th, in the Upper Room devotional, the verse reads “The Lord says “See, I am doing a new thing!” – Isaiah 43:19. 

The Thought for the Day reads “God does not call the prepared; God prepares the called.” 

We need to keep in mind that God provides us with what we need to complete the task he calls us to perform.  We just need to step out in faith.  He will be with us.

Love and blessings,

Beverly

Okay – maybe it’s not this cold right now!

 

Sandie's Filet Prayer Cloth

Size: depends on hook, but try to make pocket cloths no larger than 4” x 5”

Materials: G or H hook (or whatever size goes with the yarn you chose), smallish ball of yarn, worsted weight gives the size listed but you can actually use any weight if size doesn't matter (check with coordinator for the requirements for their charity effort)

Time commitment: about 20 minutes

Note: If you prefer to have all the “holes” the same size, ch one less and do (ch 1, sk 1) instead of (ch 2, sk 2)

ch 16 (or 15 - see note above)
Row 1: dc in fourth chain from hook and in ea chain across. ch 2, turn. (14 dc)
Row 2: dc in ea of next 5 dc, ch 2, sk 2 dc, dc in ea of next 6 dc (including tch), ch 2, turn
Row 3-5: repeat row 2
Row 6: dc, (ch 1, sk 1, dc) twice, ch 2, sk 2, dc, (ch 1, sk 1, dc) twice, dc in tch, ch 2, turn
Row 7: (dc in next dc and in next ch-1 sp) twice, dc in next dc, ch 2, sk 2 chains, (dc in  next dc and in next ch-1 sp) twice, dc in last two stitches, ch 2, turn.
Row 8: repeat row 2
Row 9: dc in each st across, working 2 dc in ch-2 sp
You will end on right side. With either same yarn, or contrasting color, work border on this side.
Border: ch 1, sc around, working (sc, hdc, sc) OR (sc, ch 2, sc) in corners (whatever keeps your corners from curling). Work 2 sc in post of each dc along side and 1 sc in each stitch along top and bottom. If your work does not lie flat, try using a hook one size smaller for border.

 

Sandie's Puff Stitch Prayer Cloth

Materials: same as filet
Size: depends on hk
Special Stitch:
Puff Stitch: yo, insert hk in next sc, yo,pull through (3 lps on hk), yo, insert hk in same sc, yo and pull through (5 lps on hk), yo, insert hk in same sc, yo and pull through (7 lps on hk), yo and pull through all 7 loops.
Note: The puffy part will be on the wrong side. That's okay. Work your border on that side.
Instructions:
ch 14
Row 1: sc in second chain from hk and in ea chain across. ch 1, turn. (13 sc)
Row 2: sc in ea of next 6 sc, puff st in next sc, sc in ea of next 6 sc, ch 1, turn
Row 3: sc across, ch 1, turn
Row 4-9: repeat rows 2 and 3
Row 10: sc in ea of first 2 scs, (puff, sc) 5 times, sc in last sc, ch 1, turn
Row 11: sc across, ch 1, turn
Row 12-15: repeat rows 2 and 3
You will end on wrong side. That is where you want to work your border.
Border: ch 1, sc around, working (sc, hdc, sc) OR (sc, ch 2, sc) in corners (whatever keeps your corners from curling). Work 2 sc in post of each dc along side and 1 sc in each stitch along top and bottom. If your work does not lie flat, try using a hook one size smaller for border.

The Weekly Yarn - January 13th

It was a great evening at the meeting on the 13^th.  Sixteen of our members attended – the highest number for us in quite a few meetings.  The chatter and laughter showed how much we had missed each other.  Those of you who haven’t attended for a while, we still miss you and hope to see you soon!

Additional Prayer Shawls and Prayer Cloths were turned in and prayed over.  The Prayer Shawl cabinet is “comfortably full” now.  We’re running low on items for men, or at least in colors suitable for men.  Many of the patterns work for anyone by changing the color and type of yarn used.

Several thank you notes from recipients of Prayer Shawls, Chemo caps, and other items – written and verbal – were received and read.  It’s always wonderful that God blesses the recipient and the deliverer. 

I know I’ve said this before, but if you haven’t delivered a Prayer Shawl yet, and shared the blessing of the moment, felt the presence of God, and shed tears with someone in need, you have missed out.  We have several individuals in need of Prayer Shawls…please let me know if you can deliver one!

Praise God we have heard from Living Waters and all of the individuals working with them in Haiti and all are well, and on their way home as soon as transportation allows.

As Davis said in his sermon this week, it is important “…to give of ourselves and to give freely of our talents.”  As members of the Chicks with Sticks, you’re doing a great job!  Thank you.

Love and blessings,

Beverly

“Surrender your blunders to the Lord.  He can use them to make the pattern of your life more beautiful.”

Corrie ten Bloom

The Weekly Yarn - January 6, 2010

The New Year brought us a cold night outside and a blessed night inside for our first meeting of 2010.  As we met and talked, more and more women braved the cold to attend the meeting.  We were glad to welcome two new members last night, one knitter and one crocheter.  We reviewed last year’s activities, and all of the new opportunities God will bring us this year.  

I invited our youngest (8 days old) future member as a visitor – Leah.  She hasn’t decided whether she’s going to knit or crochet yet.  Of course Hilary, her mother, came along too.

God’s Bounty:  God’s hand was so evident in our meeting on the 6^th.  The Prayer Shawl cabinet was looking sparse, with eight or nine shawls at the beginning of the evening.  The discussion centered around the upcoming Rainbow Group meeting, and the individuals that would be comforted with Prayer Shawls, as well as additional individuals who had extended family members pass over the holidays.  It appeared the already sparse cabinet would be depleted. 

A few shawls sat on the table in the center of the group as we prepared to pray.  By the time the shawls were distributed, the twelve members in attendance each had a shawl to hold!  Robin prayed that God would order our time so we would be able to meet the needs He brought us, and Dana prayed He would bring us additional yarn to keep us supplied.  As we prayed, two more shawls were delivered and a donation of yarn came in.  God gave us a bounty to pray over.   

Prayer Cloths:  It was discussed and agreed on last night that enough Prayer Cloths will be knitted or crocheted by the first Sunday in October, World Communion Sunday, to offer one to everyone in attendance on that day.  The total needed will be approximately 1400 to 1500 in order to cover the individuals in the Sanctuary, the Upper Room, and the Youth areas.  We have eight months to complete the total required, which means about 200 per month.  If each person on our membership roster made one per week, we will meet our objective.

The Upper Room magazine article for January 6^th talked about doing a big task a little at a time, rather than trying to complete it all at once.  By breaking it down into smaller parts and doing a little each week, this objective doesn’t seem daunting – but very doable.

The verse for the 6^th was appropriately “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own.  Today’s trouble is enough for today.” – Matthew 6:34

Thanks be to God:  In mid-December, the Grief Share support group gave Prayer Shawls to the participants to help them through the holidays, when it is often most difficult to handle their loss.  Several individuals stopped by at our last meeting in December to thank us for making the shawls they received. 

Reynata and Joan stopped in last night to tell us how much the Prayer Shawls meant to them during the holidays, and how they wrapped themselves in the shawls, how they slept with them at times, and felt God’s love many times over the holidays.  We are so blessed to be able to provide this service for God, to share the tears with the recipients of these items, and to feel their grief and relief.

You are missed when you’re not at a meeting.  We hope to see each of you very soon!

Love and blessings,

Beverly

Your greatness is not what you have, it’s what you give. - Unknown