Prayer Shawls

A few months ago, a very nice lady asked me if I would be interested in helping with the church’s prayer shawl ministry. Since I love working with yarn, I agreed to make a couple. 
Well let me tell you I am very surprised at how very much I enjoy this.  My couple of shawls  has grown to probably 8 or 10 by now and what joy it brings me to be able to do for others.
If  you are not familiar with the Prayer Shawl ministry, here is a little information on it. 
“In the name of the Father, the Creator, the giver of Life, …” and so on begins another prayer shawl. This prayer shawl may go to a cancer patient, a person struggling with depression or pain that cannot be controlled. It may go to a daughter whose father is dying and she can’t be with him. It may go to a child whose parents are going through a divorce. It may be a member of the church or it may not be. Who it goes to is often unknown when a prayer shawl is started, but who makes it knows that their prayer for healing and hope with go with it.
There are no set guidelines for receiving a prayer shawl from the church. Often times the staff hears of someone with a particular need and sees that they get one. Sometimes a family member will ask if their loved one could have one. Some have gone to adults and some have gone to children. Anyone who is in need of prayer, hope, comfort and love may have a shawl.
 A prayer shawl can be knitted or crocheted. While being made, the person creating it offers prayers for its future receiver. When completed, the shawl is blessed, along with a prayer for peace. The recipient is then wrapped in the warmth of the shawl and the prayers of the Community. Prayer Shawls celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, friendship, love, professional and personal achievements. Shawls console those who are grieving, comfort those who are ill, bring hope to those who are in despair. If one could wear the heartfelt sentiments often found in a greeting card, it would be as a shawl.
 

What’s important.

From time to time I think it is important to check yourself. Just because I am getting older, am I getting meaner?  We have all had that crabby  old lady or mean old man in the neighborhood who would keep your baseball if it landed in their yard.  Do you want to become that person?  I sure don’t.  Growing older is hard enough with out growing mean too.
Life is hard. Sometimes it is flat unbearable. Disappointments can devastate us and sometimes we get angry.  Most times we don’t deal with the anger but just stuff it inside and keep going. Little by little it takes over and we become negative, controlling and very very angry.  Then you wake up one day and you are not so young any more.  The list of hurts builds up and all the anger has no where to go so  we take it out on friends and family.   You look in the mirror and there you are ..OLD AND MEAN.
When I was younger I was guilty of poking fun at the grumpy old neighbor man.  Now I find myself feeling sorry for them.  I now know how much pain they must have experienced.
I now try to deal with my hurts, loss and pain in a more understanding and tender way.
I want to be loving and trusting.
Old sure isn’t what I thought it would be.

5 on Friday

1. Which of your country's leaders (past or present) would you like to have a chance to sit down and talk to? SHEESH. So many options. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, Abraham Lincoln, John Adams ... I'd probably ultimately settle for George Washington. 
2. What job would you never want to have to do? OH MY. There are a few. I'll go with any profession involving blood, though. I don't do well with blood. 3. How many kids do you have and what are their ages? If you don't have kids, do you think you want any down the road? If so, how many? I have 3 sons, they are all grown. 2 of them live here in town and the other has lived in Australia for the past 10 or so years.
 4. Do you have a "blankie" or a favorite stuffed animal? What is it/what does it look like? I had a chenille crib blanket that was white with a bear I believe on it. (It was mine when I was a baby all those many many years ago.)  It got pretty thin in spots so I had a friend use the best parts of it and make the cutest teddy bear ever.  I gave the precious bear to my oldest granddaughter. 
  5. What is your favorite flower? As always my favorite flowers are peonies and lilacs.

Stuff to think about.

1. Roman Numerals...what are they good IV?
2.  Relax, we're all crazy. It's not a competition.
3.  Democrats and Republicans may not agree about politics, but they definitely agree about screwing you over.
4.  Over the Internet, you can pretend to be anyone or anything. I'm amazed that so many people choose to be complete idiots.
5.  Is it just me or is CSI just like Scooby Doo but for old people?
6.  I'll bet if it ever really rained cats and dogs, Bob Barker would be pissed because who's gonna neuter them all?
7.  I think Soulmate sounds like something Satan puts in his coffee.
8.  That scary moment when you realize your arm or leg is hanging off your bed... then quickly bring it back in so the boogie man won't get you.
9.  I thought that by 2013 we would have flying cars. Instead we have pocket catheters and Honey Boo Boo
10.  I don’t think the guy who wrote the program that estimates how much time is left on a download did not take his job seriously at all.
11.   I prefer older people on reality shows. A well-constructed putdown is much more interesting than tearing weave out of someone's head.

5 on Friday

1) 10 years ago what did you think you would be doing now?
I wasn't sure I would be around 10 years ago. When I was diagnosed with end stage COPD my life expectancy was 5 yrs.

2) Where do you think you will be in 5 years from now?
Probably the same place...hopefully

3) Do you live life one day at a time or look to the future.
I look to the future but enjoy each day as if it was my last.

4) Do you wish you could go back in time and undo something in your life?
Yes, I wouldn't have spend so long devoting time to undeserving people

5) If you could send a message back in time and give a younger version of yourself some advice, what would it be?
Don't give up. Believe in yourself. You'll make it.

Out my back door

 We had about 10 inches of snow over night. It is hard to show  in a snapshot but there it is. Poor Little John looks so cold.

 The river has a skim of ice on it, much prettier in person.

 This is snow on the railing.

 My poor old picnic table is covered in snow, and it looks like the feeder needs filled again.

The mighty Wabash River.