Knit and Crochet Bible Study

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  • Prayer Focus

    As I discussed before, my ‘word’ for the year is FOCUS. I am seeking ways to focus on myself, my life, my home, finances, family. I want to focus on my bible study and prayer.

    One way that helps me to focus better is by making lists. So I have started a prayer journal.

    I spend time with the Lord writing to him. Keeps my focus on Him (i am easily distracted). I can also see his blessing come and answered prayers and be reminded to thank Him.

    I have journaled for years. In fact, it was journal entries that created my current Knit and Crochet Bible Studies. 

    I don’t save my journals.  I usually destroy them after a period of time. After all, these are private thoughts, between me and God. I pour out my heart. No one else needs to see them.

    Do you have a prayer journal? Do you journal at all? Do you, like me, destroy your journals, or do you keep them?  I’d love to hear your thoughts if you would be willing to share them.

     

  • Welcome 2013–A New Word to Live By

    2012 has bid farewell, and 2013 begins anew.

    Last year was the first time I had worked on a WORD for the year. The word was Unfinished. A lot of things went unfinished, including my posting.

    I have not been diagnosed with A.D.D. I know several who have been diagnosed and take medication for it. They look at me and question the possibility I may be a bit A.D.D. I tell them I am just a multitasker. Unfortunately my multitasking has led to more “unfinished” projects.

    That is what last year’s word has shown me. I lose focus and leave too many tasks incomplete. Losing focus can come from physical pain, from crafting distractions, from life in general.

    In Bible Study my multitasking led to rabbit trails where I would seek additional information, but many times the rabbit trails led me out of the forest into a whole new universe. And often times once distracted that far it is hard to return to the study at hand.

    So, this year’s word is FOCUS. I can continue to multitask but I need to reach completion.

    I learned a lot about myself looking at last year’s word.  I work very well with deadlines. I have been fortunate to begin pattern testing for some designers through facebook. I watched myself set aside current projects to work on their assignment to completion.  I need to make assignments to keep me focused.

    So, my assignment for this week.

    Make lists:

    • Goals for 2013
    • Current unfinished items
    • Planned projects

    Then with list in hand, make deadlines and move forward. Become more focused on what I am doing and, if necessary, make an assignment of each project if that is what I will respond to.

    Most importantly is I need to forgive myself.  When I leave something unfinished I often punish myself. This must stop. I need to stop, pray, forgive, move on. It’s easy to write down.  It seems obvious to me now. But living it out is often difficult. With God’s help, I know I can do it.

    I think 2013 will be a very interesting year.

    Welcome 2013. Let’s get FOCUSED.

    P.S. Do you have a problem focusing or completing projects? How do you deal with it? What tricks it techniques have worked for you? Comment here. We can focus together.

  • Slow Down, You Move Too Fast

    Isaiah 30:15 convicts me, ” This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, say: In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.”

    Pain has had me in its grips for the past few days. I cannot concentrate so I am watching some old TV Land Andy Griffith shows. Today’s episode reminded me of this verse.

    A traveling pastor comes thru town and speaks on slowing down and taking it easy. “Why are we always in a hurry?” he asks.

    We are living in a day of technology that was supposed to offer us more free time, and instead, it seems to keep us busier than ever. We are never without a phone that dings every few seconds to tell us of incoming emails and Facebook posts.  We sit at tables in restaurants with family, everyone having their own conversation on their phones, not with each other.

    We can’t even watch television without the interruption it offers, announcing incoming phone calls.

    Being a multitasker myself (or perhaps it is A.D.D. or Type A personality or just I can’t focus on one thing) I find that I don’t do just one thing. If I have a knit or crochet project in my hands, I have headphones on listening to a book, or the television entertaining me. Even when I sleep my mind replays the events of the day and the list of items that remained undone that day.

    I find my biggest problem in doing one thing is during Bible Study time. If I use my laptop to study I find it easy to get distracted by notifications of messages and the temptation to see what is going on with family and friends on Facebook. When I use my printed Bibles I look around and feel I am neglecting duties around the house.

    It takes determination to set these things aside and focus totally on the Lord. Just like choosing to follow Him and choosing to knit or crochet, I must choose to rest. Perhaps if I focus on these verses I can bring my active mind into one accord with Him.

    Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee. Psalm 116:7.

    Matthew 11:28: Come to me and I will give you rest.

    Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the LORD has been good to you.“ Psalm 116:7

    “There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God”   (Hebrews 4:9).

    “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. (Matt. 11:28 NLT).

    Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray my soul to rest in thee. Give me comfort, give me peace, in your arms Lords, I will sleep.

    What do you do to clear your mind and find rest?

  • I Know the Plans I Have for You

    For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jer 29:11

    This is a wonderful verse. God has plans for my life. In fact He had plans from the very beginning. Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart. says Jeremiah 1:5. 

    Though these promises were made to Jeremiah, I know I can claim them for myself.

    God has plans for me, but I don’t always follow His plans.  But He doesn’t give up on me. Psalm 138:8 says The Lord will work out his plans for your life – for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever. Don’t abandon me, for you made me.

    I have one teddy bear pattern I enjoy using. Every time I knit this bear it comes out different. Here are some of the bears, all from the same pattern:

     

     

    That last one looked more like a mouse than a bear so I added whiskers and a long tail.  It is the same pattern, but yarn, stuffing, needle size and tension made some variations in His appearance.

    No matter what I do every bear and every person created in the image of God is unique as well.  Some have quirks, abilities, disabilities, etc. But everyone is made in the image of God.  He has plans for you. Seek Him and follow Him.  Allow Him to create you as He desired even before you were formed in the womb.

    Depend on God and keep at it because in the Lord God you have a sure thing.  Isaiah 26:4 MSG

    Do you have a favorite pattern? Tell us about it in the comments below.

  • God–the first creative artist

    My favorite Bible stories are the ones where God shows off His creative side.  I swell up a little with pride because I think I got my creativity from my Father.

    Scripture shows God’s creativity in so many ways. First, the most well-known, is in Genesis where we read about God creating the earth and its inhabitants in 7 days.  For the sun, moon, seas, and mountains He spoke; but when it came to creating man and woman, God stepped on the earth and with His own hands, created them. He blew His breath into their nostrils. We were hands on created.

    Check out Exodis28. God is giving  Moses a pattern for making holy garments for Aaron. Read the detail God gives for this outfit and its construction. He even includes underwear. Underwear!! God is definitely into the details.

    In Exodus 25 God gives instructions on making the ark a sanctuary in which He would dwell among them.

    These are just a few examples of God’s creativity. How many more can you find? Leave a comment with your favorite passage.

  • The More Things Change….

    Thanks to Netflix, I have just finished watching the entire Upstairs, Downstairs series. It was a British show in the 70s about a privileged family (upstairs) and their servants (downstairs) in the early 1900s. (If you enjoyed this show you might like to know I just found through google that a sequel was made to this popular series in 2011.) This show is along the same line as the current popular PBS series Downton Abbey.

    During that time their daily lifestyle had a lot of rules of etiquette. I enjoyed watching the characters change as life happened, how they responded to changes in society, tradition, inventions and routine.

    My dog likes routine. She is a sheltie/miniature border collie mix. She is very even tempered and easily trained. Do something twice and she registers this as how it is to be.

     

    We had sliding glass doors off the kitchen and she knew if she stood at the far left the door would slide and an opening would appear for her walk through. We changed out the sliding glass doors for french doors. Now the opening to pass through is not at the far left. It took several days for her to realize the opening had moved. She was accustomed to going out at the other end. 

    We create habits, traditions and routines every day.

    Tradition is very important in the Jewish society. It’s very interesting when doing a bible study to research into the traditions and history for clarity in understanding some of the passages. Take a moment to think of some family traditions or personal habits you have.

    Change is not easy. I know I get comfortable and like a schedule. As long as things go as I had planned I am fine, but when someone or something doesn’t follow my list of how things ought to be, my first instinct (I hate to admit this) is panic. That’s not how it should be!! I shout – sometimes out loud.

    Our every day lives have changed over time. Years ago, my mother used a cumbersome manual typewriter. I grew up with electric typewriters; my children with computers.  My grandson has no idea what a typewriter is!

    Yes, things change. There is an old adage that says the only thing that doesn’t change in life is that things change.

    I am excited and rest comfortably on one that does not change. No matter what period of life we are in, no matter who is in political power, no matter what inventions come along to make life easier there is one thing that does not change. Malachi 3:6 tells us “For I am the Lord, I do not change.”

    I take comfort in knowing no matter what, my God is the same yesterday as He is today and as He will be tomorrow. His steadfast ways are everlasting.

    You are my hiding place and my shield; my hope is in Your word.

    Forever Stitched in His Word,

  • Prayer Chain or Gossip Gab

    “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”   Ephesians 4:2

    With fall comes a return to bible study in many churches.  Is your church doing one of my Knit and Crochet Bible Studies?  If so, thank you.  And by the way, I would love to hear what you and the participants thought about it. Please send a note to knitandcrochetbiblestudy at gmail dot com  (you know how to put all that together, and this way the mean cyber robots won’t grab my email and spam with it, I hope).

    My biggest rule in being part of a Knitting and Crochet Bible Study is that there be no gossiping or back stabbing. Admit it, it is very easy, when gathered together relaxed and chitchatting, to slip into a little bit of husband bashing, child crushing and untold gossip. It tends to come almost naturally.  We must make an effort to control our conversations. If I were to visit your meeting would I find, as Paul feared in 2 Corinthians 12:20 “For I am afraid that when I come I many not find you as I want you to be. I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder.”

    Oh yes, our families are a joy in our lives, but occasionally they do get on the nerves.  And sometimes it is good to discuss situations to help us understand a phase you are encountering. We must find a way to do it that is God honoring, not harmful or malicious toward the family member and does offer a help.

    So what is is gossip? Proverbs 11:13 says “A gossip betrays a confidence”. In the same book, 16:28 reminds us “gossip separates close friends”. Moving on to 26:20 “without gossip a quarrel dies down” If any of these are a result of the talk, it is gossip.

    One of my biggest pet peeves I call gossip through prayer.  I have seen it many times. The conversation starts like this,  I have a prayer request for my husband/neighbor/co-worker/etc, he has been (insert fault after fault after fault here) and you just need to pray that he will get right and do what he should.  While we need to pray for one another, this manner just introduced a complaint about the person. Be careful. Consider these 4 things before you speak:

      1.  Will the person be harmed or embarrassed if it were known you spoke these words?
      2.  Will the words be God-honoring?
      3.  Are the words spoken in a respectful manner?
      4.  Have you prayed for this person yourself?

    I want to encourage you when you ask for prayer, first get down on your knees daily before God. Do not make your prayer request the only time you approach God about the situation. Don’t be like the hypocrites referred to in Matthew 6:5 that “stand and pray on the street corner so their prayers may be seen by man”.

    Above all, enjoy your time together. I love how these groups are often multi-generational. This offers an opportunity to see life situations from different aspects. No matter what your age, you can model a Titus 2 woman.

    What Must Be Taught to Various Groups

    1 You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine. 2 Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance. 3 Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. 4 Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God. 6 Similarly, encourage the young mento be self-controlled. 7 In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness 8 and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us. 9 Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them,10 and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive. 11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. 12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope–the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. 15 These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.

    It is my hope, no matter what bible study you participate in, that you open your heart to hear Him speak.

    Stitched into His Hands,

  • Forgotten in the Church Pew

    Our society strives to avoid any possibility of offending anyone except God – Billy Graham

    I used to be bothered by the story in  Matthew 18 about the shepherd leaving the flock of 99 to find the one lost sheep. I had understood over the many times it was taught that this shows us how important it is to Christ that not one person would be left behind. He wants everyone to have the opportunity to know Him and to live in eternity with Him.

    I had always understood I am one of the 99. But my fret came from the feeling that the 99 were being ignored for the 1. It was through a teaching by Fawn Brents of Unfolding The Truth that I realized as one of the 99 I was not ignored, I was first fed, cared for and tucked safely in bed with the heavenly hosts standing watch over me before the shepherd left.

    I feel that churches today are modeling seeking the one, but they are ignoring the 99. Consider my thoughts then share, respectfully, your thoughts. I am always interested in how several people see differently the same picture.

    Over the past several years the focus of the church has undergone a series of sensitivity changes in an effort to become more seeker sensitive, not wanting to offend unchurched Sam and Sue.

    Many churches no longer ask you to follow along in the Bible, because some may people not have one. As one pastor said to me we’ll just put up the verses on the screen that we want them to see. We don’t want to make them think they need a bible of their own.

    No more altar calls because we don’t want to embarrass anyone by asking them to come forward. 

    Instead of leading a congregation in a suit and pounding on the podium shouting fire, brimstone and the threat of hell, we now stand in shorts on the main floor to be among the people and tell light hearted stories so we can appear less intimidating.

    Communion, in some churches, moved to Wednesday nights because usually visitors don’t come to that service and we won’t embarrass them by having it on Sunday.

    I agree we are to be sensitive, show Christ to the unchurched. This is what Jesus did.It is good to be sensitive, to help, to lovingly show everyone that God loves them. I wonder though, in seeking the 1, have we ignored and left the rest of the flock unprotected?  Have we become so focused on  serving unchurched Sue and Sam that we no longer see the needs of churched Carla and Charles as they sit crying in our own pews?

    Pastors in the past had the burden of knowing everyone in the congregation turning to him for guidance. This was his flock and he, their shepherd. Many were overwhelmed with the magnitude of this, and rightfully so! Exodus tell us that Moses was overwhelmed with the charge of all the Israelites and he delegated duties. To help him from being overwhelmed the model of Moses was used. Now the congregation is divided among several good men who help with the burden. Unfortunately, there are some pot holes in the arrangement.  With the pastor there is the sense of confidentiality, not so with these good people. Too many times all is shared with spouse and in earshot of family, spreading words spoken in confidence like a rumor weed.

    Small groups are very common now, hoping to offer up a chance at relationships with others. While this setting may be good for learning, it is not always healthy for someone in need. Too often people in the group try to be armchair psychologists instead of prayer warriors, leading the person deeper in silent tears.

    No longer does the pastor sit with the family while the loved one undergoes surgery. Instead we say a prayer at the church with them on Sunday morning to get them through.

    I feel like these changes are an attempt to avoid the possibility of offending anyone, however, I believe we are offending the very people closest to us. Because churched Carla and Charles are inside the door, we continue the sensitivity by not getting too close. If they suddenly aren’t in church, no calls or visits are made to ask if they are okay because we don’t want to be pushy.

    A long time ago I had a pastor that had everyone sign in each Sunday. If you missed, a letter was sent saying you were missed and asking if everything was okay. The more you missed the firmer the letter was worded. Another church had volunteers calling a list of members asking if there was something they could pray about for the family. Both ideas can work IF a relationship has been established. I don’t believe this relationship is  encouraged in today’s pews.

    During service we are told we are family, shake hands with those around you then lets get started. There is no honest answer to the ‘hi, how are you’ gauntlet. No more care is given to that person than one you pass by in the mall.

    What about churched Carla and Charles?  They come to church each Sunday, stand for 20 minutes listening to the music, occasionally joining in. They listen quietly as the service is given, then they get generic nods from those around them as they walk out the door.

    The pastor says someone is up here if you want prayer but this was preceded by we don’t have an altar call, we don’t want to embarrass anyone by asking them to come forward. Churched Charles looks at Carla and says, if it would be embarrassing to come forward and acknowledge God, how can it be less so to step forward and pour out my heart where these people can see me? Besides, look at them, they are busy putting everything away so they can go home. This isn’t the right time.

    So churched Carla and Charles continue each week to sit in the pew, silently crying, desiring spiritual guidance and feel as if they are being pushed aside so nothing said or done would be offensive.

    My questions, then include, how can we offer the same caring for the churched as for the unchurched? How can we keep the weight of the stress of caring for so many off the shoulders of the pastor, yet offer confidence and caring to the people?  How can the person in the pews feel as desired and sought after as the person on the street.

    I don’t know the answers. I understand the many difficulties experienced by the leadership, but I wonder if we are being so super sensitive that we are looking past needs in our own pews.

    What do you think?

  • Unfinished Life–unfinished posts

    I have been down with  lot of pain for the last several weeks so that has kept be away from the computer and therefore put me way behind in my weekly posts.

    The good thing, however, is that my hooks and needles have been busy.

    First, the cutest thing ever would be the horse I made for my great-niece.   This is made from a  free pattern . (click here for link to pattern)

    I stuffed the legs with a heavy weight filler I found at a craft store.  It is like little bitty pebbles.  I put some into a ziplock bag which I wrapped several times with strapping tape. This filled the leg of the horse and ensures it will not open, and that the horse will stand.

    The hat is not in the pattern. Anna loves the color lello, and she has a lello hat I made her, so it just seemed appropriate to make a lello hat for the horse.  Now, to find time to meet up with her and give her this gift.  I sure hope she likes it.

    While laying down I watched all 14 episodes of Firefly. I loved that show! I now understand the uproar at its cancellation.  At the same time I was watching this, the book Knits for Nerds came out. In it is a sweater that resembles the brown dusters they wore the short-lived series.  I started it in a size to fit my daughter, she asked for grey.

    The stitch pattern on this is 12 rows at 223 stitches per row.  So when I screwed up the pattern the first time, I just frogged and started over.   The second time I tinked 7 rows of 223 stitches. (You do the math. that’s  a lot of stitches tinked off)

    After that, I inserted a life line at the end of each repeat (there are 12 repeats) so I can just frog to that point and reinsert the stitches on my needle and move forward.

    What is a lifeline?  With the stitches on the needles, insert a thinner thread through the loops all the way across the piece.  You must be very careful not to knit this thread into the stitch when you begin the next row.  This thread now saves the loops of the stitch so that if I must frog “(rip-it rip-it, rip-it) the loops are secured in the thread. No chance of dropping a stitch. Just run a needle through the loops along the thread line and begin to knit.   Hmm, lifeline. There is another post in me about our personal lifeline Jesus Christ.  Watch for it.

    I joined CrochetMe on Facebook with their Easter crochet-along and made Sir Stephen the Bunny.

     

    I purchased a booklet with  cocoon patterns and made both of these.

    So, I may not be very communicative, but I have been productive.

    Take care of yourself and keep on stitching. God is still stitching you into His kingdom.

  • Unfinished Life–Week 10

    My knit/crochet attention deficit disorder and startitis joined forces and bit me in the tushie this week.

    Several months ago I made these fingerless gloves as a teaching tool for the knitting cables class I teach at Michaels.

    These are made to be bulky so they can be worn over a pair of gloves.

    I made these from some Caron Simply Soft yarn I had in my stash. This is not the recommended yarn.  Though we had a mild winter this year, I did wear them often with and without the gloves and they are already showing wear.

    So I decided to make another pair, this time with some Red Heart Super Saver yarn I had in stash.  I finished one glove then got startitis fever and set the project aside.

    Browsing one day I found this beautiful victorian style neck warmer.

    I went shopping and this yarn jumped into my basket.

    Which very quickly became this:

    So when we popped in disk 1 of the 55th anniversary blue ray enhanced The Ten Commandments I decided to work on the 2nd wristlet.

    Unfortunately I forgot I made the 1st one smaller to fit tighter on my hand. Yep, you guessed it.

    I am now making another set just like this one 

    How was your week?