Knit and Crochet Bible Study

Category: Encouragement

  • UNFINISHED Life–Week 1

    Friday night I went with a friend to see a concert with the gospel group The Lesters.  I don’t know about you, but I just love this kind of music. I have a wonderful time.

    One of the songs they sang was the He Didn’t Throw the Clay Away. (click here to see a 1992 you tube version of the song)  This song really spoke to me and I became more fervent in my prayers seeking the Lord.

    At the same time, I received the monthly newsletter from author Debbie Macomber speaking of her word for 2012 and  several facebook posts (remember last weeks post about Crochet Concupiscense)  from people who select their word for the year. All of this came together to help me to determine a weekly post called Unfinished. 

    My life is unfinished, there is still much God has planned for me. I also have many, many, many unfinished projects laying in wait. So, to get myself back in weekly blogging and in project completion, this is my word for the year: UNFINISHED.

    Along the way I hope to write the 3rd Knit and Crochet Bible Study, use up some of my stash, finish some incomplete projects and challenge myself to step out of my comfort zone.

    I hope you will follow along as I explore my life and my craft in its unfinished state throughout the year.

    Welcome 2012! Let’s start this journey.

  • 365 Days / 52 weeks

    I have enjoyed Crochet Concupiscence for some time now.   Recently I have had the pleasure of corresponding with its blogger, Kathryn having won 3 (so far) of the 31 Days of Giveaways this month and sponsoring one of her giveaways this month. She is a very pleasant person I enjoyed conversing with.

    She faithfully blogs every day and is planning now what daily entry she would make in 2012. She blogs about crochet books and artists. She reviews various yarn and highlights crochet in the news. If crochet is involved, she blogs it. Looking back over her past entries, she has decided in 2012 to photograph what she is wearing each day and how crochet is part of fashion.

    I am impressed by this and want to do the same posting regularly, not offering pictures of myself, I am not photogenic and I have the pictures to prove it.   I need to make a commitment to myself and move forward. Pain has brought a stop to much of what I do, I need a goal to help get back on track. Because of this I feel I have failed the Lord and am having trouble moving forward.  I may try to make it 52 things and see if I can manage to post once a week faithfully.

    Now the question is what to focus on for 2012.

    Any ideas or suggestions?  What would you like to see?

  • A Knitters Night Before Christmas

    When I read my sister-in-laws facebook post A Nurses Christmas Poem I was reminded of a poem I saved several years ago. With some searching I finally found it.  I have not found the author in any of the posts so I cannot give credit.  Sorry. So for a moment, while you try to get those last stitches in before the kids come in screaming in search of their Christmas treasure, please enjoy A Knitters Night Before Christmas. 

    P.S.  crocheters will enjoy this too Smile

    Knitters Night Before Christmas

    ‘Twas the night before Christmas and all around me
    There was unfinished knitting not under the tree,
    The stockings weren’t hung by the chimney with care
    ‘Cause the heels and the toes had not a stitch there.

    The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
    But I had not finished the caps for their heads.
    Dad was asleep—he was no help at all.
    And the sweater for him was 6″ too small.

    When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
    I put down my needles to see what was the matter.
    Away to the window I flew like a flash.
    Tripped over my yarn and fell down in my stash.

    The tangle of yarn that lay deep as the snow
    Reminded me how far I still had to go.
    When out on the lawn I heard such a noise,
    I was sure it would wake up both Dad and the boys.

    And although I was tired–my brain a bit thick,
    I knew in a moment that it must be St Nick.
    Yet what I heard left me very perplex-ed
    For nothing I heard was what I expect-ed.

    “Move Rowan! Move Patons! Move Koigu and Clover!
    Move Shelridge! Move Starmore! Move Spinrite! Move over!
    Lopi, don’t circle around, just stand there in line.
    Pay attention you sheep and you’ll work out just fine!

    I know this is hard as it’s just your first year
    But I’d hate to go back to 8 tiny reindeer.”
    I peered over the sill. What I saw was amazing:
    Eight wooly sheep on my lawn all a-grazing!

    And then in a twinkle, I heard at the door
    Santa’s big boots stomping on the porch floor.
    I rose from my knees and got back on my feet.
    As I turned around, St Nick I did meet.

    He was dressed all in wool from his heat to his toe
    And his clothes were hand knit from above to below.
    A bright Fair Isle sweater he wore on his back.
    And his toys were all stuffed in an Aran knit sack.

    His hat was a wonder of bobbles and lace
    A beautiful frame for his rosey red face.
    The scarf on his neck could have stretched for a mile,
    And the socks peeking over his boots were Argyle.

    On the back of his mitts was an intricate cable.
    And suddenly on one I spotted a small label:
    “S.C.” in duplicate on the cuff.
    So I asked, “Hey, Nick, did YOU knit all this stuff?”
    He proudly replied, “Ho, ho, ho, yes I did.
    I learned how to knit when I was just a kid.”

    He was chubby and plump, a well dressed old man,
    And I laughed to myself, for I’d thought up a plan.
    I flashed him a grin and jumped up in the air,
    And the next thing he knew, he was tied to a chair.

    He spoke not a word, but looked down in his lap
    Where I had laid my needles and yarn for a cap.
    He began then to knit, first one cap then 2–
    For the first time I thought I might really get through.

    He put heels in the stockings and toes in some socks,
    While I sat back drinking a scotch on the rocks.
    Quickly like magic his needles they flew,
    Good Grief! He was finished by two!

    He sprang for his sleigh when I let him go free,
    And over his shoulder he looked back at me.
    I heard him explain as he sailed past the moon,
    “Next year, start your knitting sometime around JUNE!”

                                 Author unknown

     

  • All Knotted Up

    I just finished crocheting a teddy bear from a skein of knotted up yarn. Why? I don’t know.

    One of the first posts I made and actually the first writing that led to the creation of the ‘Knit and Crochet Bible Study’ book was comparing my life to a tangled mess of yarn filled with knots.

    I laughed at myself as I realized I obviously have not learned anything because here I was, once again, working on a project and instead of untangling the strands and rolling it into a usable ball, I worked as many stitches as I could from the free yarn. Then I untangled a few more feet of yarn and worked until I ran into another tangle. I worked the entire piece like this!

    Romans 7:15 kept running though my mind: “For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate.” (Romans 7:15 NAS)   Do you find yourself doing the same thing? You know what needs to be done, you know how you should do, yet you continue in your old habits.

    I looked through my stash to start another project. I hope I have learned my lesson. You know the old saying, “The third time is the charm”. Hopefully this time I will get it right.

     

  • Daily Contact

    I recently read a post by author and speaker, Kay Arthur of Precept Ministries that reads:

    What difference does it make if you’re not in the Word of God on a daily basis? It makes a critical difference. It’s the difference between a Hi-how-are-You?-By the-way-I’ve-been-meaning-to-tell-You relationship with God and a deep intimacy with your heavenly Father. Check out Psalm 119:2, “How blessed are those who observe His testimonies, Who seek Him with all their heart.”
    I spoke with a friend on the phone today, we discussed how difficult it is to talk and be mindful of one another when we don’t talk for a long period of time.
    I can’t imagine a day going by without speaking to my husband, our relationship is very special and constant contact with each other solidifies our commitment.
    Looking at how daily contact is so important makes me ashamed that I am so far behind in sending out the newsletter and even posting on the blogs.
    I had surgery on my back in July of 2010 and unfortunately I received no relief from the pain so I had a second surgery in March of this year. I neglected my knitting and crochet, I neglected contacting my friends, I neglected my prayer life and I neglected contact with all of you.
    While still in pain, I am taking charge to seek reconnection with all.
    I have pulled out the yarn, needles and hooks; I have started writing or calling friends, and I am writing to you now. Notice the verse in Psalm 119:2 says “those who seek him”.  Those words imply action. I must seek Him. God is always there, reaching out to me, but He will not force Himself on my life. I must in turn reach to Him.
    I must also seek contact with you. So I am starting over and will be blogging again.  I have a number of posts started waiting for me to finish.
    So grab your hooks, your needles, your yarn and your Bibles. Let’s get back together.

  • Goal Setting

    “The LORD says, ‘I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.’” (Ps. 32:8 NLT)

    In January I made a list of what I want to accomplish in 2011.  I figured if I did a plan for the year instead of a “resolution” I might accomplish it more easily.

    I made three columns: (1) My Personal Life  (2) Knit and Crochet Bible Study (3) Crafting

    I considered, as many do when a new year rolls around, reading the Bible in a year. I have tried this and after a few weeks, I miss one day, then another, then I am so far behind I get frustrated and give up. I found a group on Facebook that is reading the New Testament in 2011 reading one chapter a day Monday through Friday. If you like to check it out there is the link:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Read-the-New-Testament-in-2011/185576411468685

    For Knit and Crochet Bible Study I had planned to start a once a month radio show/podcast. Perhaps I can get started in February.

    My crafting leaves a lot to be desired.  I have started quite a few projects. Every day new patterns come to me through email, online groups, facebook and twitter that I get excited and jump on in.  I hope during this upcoming blizzard (yes, they are using the word blizzard in the forecast) I can just sit down and finish a few.  Maybe by stating it here I can be accountable to you.

    There is another personal goal: draw closer to God. The verse above, Psalm 32:8 “The LORD says, ‘I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.’”  He will guide, but I must follow. How many times He points me in one direction and I see pretty flowers along another path that I rush toward.  As He leads I slow down a bit, I stop awhile as He goes forward. I have to run to catch up.  I can understand the Israelites roaming in the desert. God led them, but they wandered other directions. It’s so easy to do, isn’t it?

    So, one month into the new year I have fallen behind in some areas, but I know that the Good Shepherd will not leave me behind.  He will take my hand and draw me to the still, calm waters where I can rest. And that place of rest is better than any flower patch along the road I can find. 

    So, how about you? In a few hours January 2011 will be in the past. Are you frustrated about your own goals? How are you encouraged?  Comment below and/or on the Facebook discussion tab.

  • Christmas is Coming; Patience is Tested

    “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?

  • FREE is One of My Favorite Words

    I am sucker for the word FREE.  I hate to admit it, but I have been enticed into many purchases because of the word FREE.

    Buy one, get one FREE.  I didn’t need the first one, but now I can get two!!  My biggest temptation comes when the offer includes a teddy bear.  I have so many teddy bears that many are still packed from our last move 3 years ago. I have no place for them. But they are teddy bears and many were offered as free with purchase or by signing up, or whatever FREE idea was popular at the time.

    My yarn and pattern stash is the same way. I have 2 rooms full of yarn and notebooks filled with patterns. More than I will ever use, but gee, lots of them were free!

    My favorite FREE offer comes from God. The gift of salvation. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.  (John 1:12 NIV)

    God’s FREE gift is offered to all. But not all will accept the gift. They will respond I don’t need that, I can do this on my own. I can get to heaven just being good.  None of this is true. Nothing you can do on your own is good enough. We are all sinners. God is God. He is perfect. He cannot abide sin and the sinful nature. So He has offered a way, a gift, to allow us to spend eternity with Him. That gift is Jesus Christ, His only Son, whom He sent as a sacrifice for my sin and for yours. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV)

    But God will not force you to accept Him. You must invite Him in. Will you?

  • But, God…..

    Two words keep coming  to my mind lately during my prayer time that I pray back “But, God”.  

    Things are distracting me from studying, But, God intervenes and opens a time.

    Health issues have taken its toll on me.  But, God sees to it His Word is proclaimed. 

    Little details draw my attention from the big picture. But, God steps up and says ‘lift up your eyes, look away from the difficulty and look at me.” 

    No matter what is happening ‘but, God” will have His way.  Many times in scripture a story is told of difficulties.  These are often followed by 2 little words; But, God.

    I pray that no matter what steps in your way as you struggle with whatever is facing you today, look away from it, lift your eyes and say “but, God” has it under control. 

  • Sharing God Through Knitting and Crochet

     Show the way for others, and you will find honor in the kingdom. Matthew 5:19 MSG

     

    As another year of Bible Study begins at my local church I look at myself and feel so unworthy of  speaking of God’s Word.  I fear I will fail Him.

    This led me to look over the second Knit and Crochet Bible Study Book.  It is a look at the Proverbs 31 woman.

    The class at my church, and I believe many others that host a Knit and Crochet Bible Study, is multi-generational. 

    Becoming the Proverbs 31 woman is a journey, a road traveled with twists and turns and even a few detours. It is not a journey you need to take alone.  Working alongside women of all ages helps us to grow emotionally and spiritually. Titus 2:1 tell us Your job is to speak out on the things that make for sound doctrine.   It is my prayer these studies lead you to that sound doctrine.

    Then verses 3-5 says Guide older women into lives of reverence so they end up as neither gossips nor drunks, but models of goodness.  By looking at them the younger women will know how to love their husbands and children, virtuous and pure, keep a good house, be good wives.

    But the older woman can also learn from the younger. Sitting side by side, many find their lives are woven together through their crafting,  through God’s love, through life experiences. With one simple shared gift, knit and crochet, they open a dialog with each other; one that may not have opened in other circumstances.

    The Proverbs 31 woman is not born the perfect woman you read about. She grows into that woman through work, friendships, prayer, experience, and learning from others.

    Perhaps in your local group you see a woman you look upon as The Proverbs 31 Woman. You admire her emotional strength, her family love, her ability to knit or crochet without even looking at her work.  Talk to her. Learn about her life and how she came to this place in her life; the struggles she endured; the losses she has experienced; how she learned to look to God in all things.  She is not now the woman she used to be.  But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me and not without results.. yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace. 1Corinthians 15:10 NLT

    Why are we doing all this? Read Titus chapter 2 verses 12 and 13 in the Message. We’re being shown how to turn our backs on a godless, indulgent life, and how to take on a God-filled, God-honoring life. This new life is starting right now, and is whetting our appetites for the glorious day when our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, appears.

    You are a beautiful woman, beauty that radiates from inside.  What matters is not your outer appearance-the styling of your hair, the jewelry you wear, the cut of your clothes-but your inner disposition. Cultivate inner beauty, the gentle, gracious kind that God delights in.  I Peter 3:3-4 MSG   

    With the passage of time you have grown from youthful vanity to honorable womanhood.   Use this time together in the presence of other women to learn how to be obedient to the Lord.

    Though I fear failing Him, I continue on, demonstrating God’s love as He allows. He is still working on me to become the woman He desires me to be. I am an older woman to some, who watch me from afar as a witness to demonstrate God’s command. I am also a younger woman to others as I watch them and learn how to walk pleasing to God.

    You knit me together in my mother’s womb Psalm 139.13 says. God has not put down his knitting needles yet. There are panels to complete, seaming to be done, a decorative crocheted edging to be added. He is still stitching you and me into a tapestry of life of which we are not even aware.

    So, I will continue to knit, to crochet and demonstrate God’s glorious love with those around me.  I thank the Lord every day for accepting me as His child and allowing me to speak of His greatness.

     Show the way for others, and you will find honor in the kingdom. Matthew 5:19 MSG