Congratulations to Ambar, selected via random dot org. I will be shipping to Ambar 7 skeins of yarn, 2 knitting pattern books, a printed copy of the Salvation Colors Afghan, a set of knitting needles and a crochet hook.
I wish I could send something to everyone who commented. Each of you have a wonderful testimony. I was excited to read each of the comments.
I will plan another contest soon. This was a lot of fun.
My wall looks very bare. In past years Christmas cards lined the hallway wall, representing best wishes from family and friends
As a child I watched as my mother proudly displayed each card after reading it. Many were filled with pictures and long notes of the year gone by. As I set up my own home and started my family, I followed in her footsteps.
Ah, but alas, the world of technology has taken over. Combine the technology of facebook and the rising cost of postage, the past few years cards have become scarce. Today, only a few cards are displayed.
Don’t get me wrong, I like facebook and the world that technology has opened up. That technology has paid the bills in my home for many years.
With nearly 200 people who ‘like’ the “Knit and Crochet Bible Study” on facebook and over 900 on twitter, I certainly cannot use the United States Postal Service to send each of you a card. – hmmm. 1150 people times 44 cents each…..add the 2, carry the 7, double the 9….. that’s $484.00!!
So I thought about a gift. If cards are nearly $500 I certainly can’t send all of you a gift. BUT… what if….. I have been telling you about the yarn my father-in-law has sent me. I’ve heard from some who say they are jealous and would love to receive boxes like that. One person even said she’d rather have a skein of yarn than a birthday card! This got me to thinking. I am going to put together a gift package of yarn and I don’t know what else. I’ll find some other accessories for the package. How do you get it?
To qualify for the drawing to receive this package, leave a comment below. One per person with this exception. If you make a comment on the Knit and Crochet facebook page, then leave a comment here linking to the facebook comment. Now you have 2 entries. Want a third one? Tweet that you like Knit and Crochet Bible Study -@KnitnBibleStudy – then leave a comment here with a link to the tweet ( @KnitnBibleStudy and the hashtag #kcbspresent must be included in the tweet). There you have it, 3 chances. All entries must be in by midnight December 24. I will use random dot org to choose a winner on Christmas day. I will send the winner an email and post it on facebook and twitter.
Now on to your Christmas Card. So what could I do that would be a special Christmas greeting to all with a story of what is happening in my life? In comes Jon Acuff. I follow Jon’s blog “Stuff Christians Like“. He is a funny writer. He is now working with Dave Ramsey. Jon just released his book “Gazells, Baby Steps and 7 Other Things Dave Ramsey Taught Me About Debt“. He offered to write a Christmas card if his book was pre-ordered. So, I did. (I have since received the book and laughed all the way through it, realizing how true this thoughts were.)
So here is my Christmas card letter, as written by Jon Acuff. Merry Christmas to all. And to all, some good yarn.
Dear friends & family,
My name is Jon Acuff and recently on my blog I offered to write Christmas cards for people. I am happy to say that TerryAnn took me up on the offer. Why? Well, she’s probably really busy. For one thing, she’s on the edge of her 10 year wedding anniversary. For another she has found a creative way to incorporate crafting into the study of the Bible. That’s no easy feat. Be honest, did you ever read the book of Joel and think, “I could see finding a creative way to use these verses in a craft application?” Probably not, and neither did I. But TerryAnn is creative that way and so is her husband. He’s a Trekie and Scrabble enthusiast. Thus far he has not found the tie between the Old Testament and Star Trek, but if someone can it will be him.Thanks Jon. Wishing all of you a very blessed and merry Christmas.
“Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him.” Psalm 37:7
Christmas is so hard. You see wrapped gifts under the tree, and all you can do is peek at the wrapping, shake the package.
As children, we used to sneak under the tree with a flashlight, whispering together thinking mom and dad couldn’t possibly know what we were doing (they were watching from their bedroom, unknown to us).
The waiting is soooo hard. Patience is a virtue that must be developed and Christmas time is not the time to pursue it.
I get the same feeling when I am working on a large project. I recently made a SpiderWeb Afghan for my grandson for Christmas.
The bigger it got, the more I kept repeating “is this the last round? No! Then is this the last round?” Now that it is finished I am excited to see his reaction to it. I constantly look at the calendar and count the days until I give it to him.
While I am excited to give my gift, he is excited to see what he will receive at Christmas. “That’s long time grandma” is his response when we talk about that special morning.
The 2 hardest words in the English language might be ‘just wait’. Throughout the old and new testaments we read story after story of people’s lives and God’s promises fulfilled. In every situation we can look back and see God’s hand at work and each blessing received at the right time. But that time is God’s timing, not our own.
My husband and I are just coming out of a financially difficult time. Like millions of others we felt the sting of unemployment. Medical bills continued as my pain worsened and surgery was scheduled.
Throughout these days we trusted in God and asked ‘why Lord’. We waited on Him, I was impatient. No amount of worry, of crying, or foot stomping was going to change the situation.
There is only one way to learn patience. Through events that cause us to wait.
Old Testament figure, Joseph, experienced many “just wait” moments. He is sold by his brothers into slavery, is imprisoned for a crime he did not commit. He does not see his family for many years. He “waited patiently for the Lord” and became a person of authority serving Pharaoh. ( read about Joseph starting in the 37th chapter of Genesis )
Read the story of Mordecai in the book of Esther. He sent a warning after hearing of a plot to kill the king. It was customary to offer a token of gratitude. But none came. “But wait patiently for God”. On the night when Haman was plotting Mordecai’s death, the king could not sleep and read the chronicles. With God’s perfect timing he arranges for Mordecai’s public reward and discovers Haman’s wrong deeds. God put all the puzzle pieces in place and in the end His name was glorified.
Can you look back at your life and see incidents where no matter what you did, God’s hand was there without you knowing it. My best personal example of this took place at the still-birth of my first grandchild.
A package was delivered to our home. Before I could open it my daughter called to tell me the child she was carrying had died in the womb. The doctor was starting labor for her to deliver him.
With tears running down my cheeks I rushed to be at her side. I held her hand as this lifeless child came quietly into the world, born into Jesus’ arms. I spent the night with her in the hospital. When I arrived home I opened the box that was delivered. Inside was a plaque that read “Joy Comes in the Morning. Psalm 30:5”
The package was from my father-in-law and his wife. I called to tell them about the baby and how timely the plaque was. “Sherry didn’t know why, she just felt she was supposed to send it to you”.
God had touched her heart and prepared a special message of encouragement. If I had opened that package 24 hours earlier, the meaning would have been lost.
So whether it is a large knitting project, a job search, bible study or Christmas morning, we learn to “be still and wait patiently”. All things happen at the right time and no amount of worry or impatience will change this.
Maybe next time I work row after repeated row after repeated row on a knit or crochet project, while my hands are moving mindlessly, I will quote Scripture and memorize passages. While I struggle to block a sweater I will pray and ask blessings on others, naming one for every straight pin I poke into place.
Christmas is coming. So are the events of your life. Will you grab a flashlight and try to sneak a peek? Or will you wait upon the Lord, trusting all will work for good in His time?