Faith, Trust and Breast Cancer: Charity Sewing

Showing posts with label Charity Sewing. Show all posts

Sunday, February 18, 2018

Philippians 4:20 Part 2. Updates on Charity Sewing. Book Date.

Philippians 4:20 Part 2
Part 1
Scripture

Observation
Praising God - Paul is praising Him right after he writes, "And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19 NIV.

And then comes verse 20:
To our God and Father, be glory for ever. Amen.
Application
He praises God for meeting his needs. period. and Amen. period.

Our children don't know what they need - they don't see the big picture.

In the same way, we don't know what we need - we don't see the big picture.

But God does on both counts.
We can trust Him.
And praise Him.
Period.
And Amen.

His will.
Not mine.
Hard stuff.

Really hard. I write this not because I have a cheerful, happy-go-lucky-life.
I don't.
Believe me.
I don't.

BUT
I try to live a joy filled life (The joy of the LORD is my strength. Nehemiah 8:10).

I'm learning that
1) His will, not mine, is always best and that
2) it's far easier to praise Him through my tears than fight Him through my pain.

He's trustable.
Prayer
Oh my LORD, how I've been challenged to grow up and put on my "big girl panties" lately. Just when I thought I'd made it faith wise, You stretch me just a bit more.

I thank You for being with me strengthening me with Your joy, the knowledge that the battle is already won and that Your will is always best for me.

Thank You for helping me to learn to lean on You instead of fighting You. It's so much easier and less stressful.

I love You, My LORD.
Amen.

Charity Sewing Update
JP Drainage Bags
Last week I wrote about Christy's (@ckscarves) JP Drainage Bag covers.  My cancer care group loved them, but suggested I use a wider ribbon. Someone else sent me some contacts who may be able to distribute them! I'll be following up this week.

CIL Squares
I've made 25 blocks so far - and feel so blessed to be able to do this!

During chemotherapy treatment and even before, I so wanted to sew for charity, but didn't think I had time. I prayed and wala! God has given me so many opportunities!

Comfort Dolls
Caroline at Sew Can She wrote about these Comfort Dolls that are given to the brave women in domestic violence shelters. This project was started by Pat Winters. I contacted her and received permission to make them for cancer patients. How I would have loved to have a little softie to cling to as I went through various tests, treatments, effects of chemotherapy and the year after treatment. I'm hoping to make some this week between appointments.

Book Date

https://www.amazon.com/
More-Than-Hobby-Americas-
Superstore/dp/1595559833

I finished More Than A Hobby by David Green with Dean Merrill! It was a good read and I will be writing down some of the wisdom Mr. Greene shared in my reading journal.

Image result for the story the bible as one continuing story of god

https://www.amazon.com/
NIV-Story-Audio-CD-Continuing/
dp/0310421772

I'm so enjoying this book! It's as though God is speaking directly to me and showing me His deep love and patience. As I mentioned last week, my church, Heart for the World, provides the study outlines that make this a wonderful devotional time!

https://www.amazon.com/
Quilters-Homecoming-
Creek-Quilts-Book/
dp/0743260236

The Quilter's Homecoming by Jennifer Chiaverini is an awesome read! As I travel from school to school, I can drive up to 1.5 hours a day! This audio book keeps me company!

https://www.goodreads.com/book/
show/835448.Why_the_Sky_Is_Blue

I just started Why the Sky is Blue by Susan Meissner and am already finding it hard to put down! Many of the books I'm reading are on my wish list at Paperbackswap.com or I learn about them from Kathryn's link up Book Date!

Check out these fun link ups!

Monday Making @ Love, Laugh, Quilt

Show and Tell Mondays with Bambi

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? @ Book Date

MovingIt Forward Monday @ Em’s Scrapbag

Main Crush Mondays

@Cooking Up Quilts

You make my day with your comments!

I love reading and responding to them!

Monday, January 15, 2018

Philippians 4:12 - 13. Covered In Love Blocks. Book Date.

Philippians 4:12
Scripture

Observation
Verse 11 stated that Paul learned to be content whatever his circumstances. He goes onto to say in this verse that he
- knows what it is to be in need and to have plenty;
- he learned the secret of being content in any and every situation
- whether he is fed/hungry or living in plenty/in want.

Regardless of his circumstances, he has learned the secret of being content.

Application
Wow.
Who of us can say that regardless of our circumstances, we have learned the secret of being content. What is that secret?
My heart cries out to know it.
What is that secret?!!
Here it is:

I. Can. Do. All. Things. Through. Him. Who. Gives. Me. Strength.

ALL THINGS.

Even find contentment in the midst of great trials.
We can do this - moment by moment - one day at a time.
Be gentle with ourselves.

As I go through my trial, I have a prayer I'll be praying. A friend taught it to me.

Perhaps there is some a problem that is
- completely out of your control,
- or perhaps you need to walk away so that God's will will be done.
Your heart is broken.
You have no power in the situation.
It's time to let go and let God.
And it's so excruciatingly difficult and painful.

My dear reader, God can be trusted, with our
fears,
pain,
emotions,
loved ones -
everything.

Prayer
Abba, I praise You for Your leading, for Your strength, for You. As I walk through the valley, I know others are walking that way as well. Bless us with courage, strength and peace my LORD. Let us lean on Your everlasting arms and recieve Your comfort and joy - for it is Your joy that is our strength. Let us learn to be content in all circumstances. Let us learn and see that we can do all things through You who strengthens us!
Amen.

Covered In Love Blocks
Tonight I finished these 12 blocks for Covered in Love.

I still have some strings left, so next Monday, I'll be making some more! I wrote about this wonderful charity and my reasons for participating here.

Perhaps you have time to make a few string blocks?

Book Date

Image result for nights of rain and stars

https://www.goodreads.com/
book/show/41958.
Nights_of_Rain_and_Stars

I'm still enjoying Nights of Rain and Stars by Mauve Binchy! I just love the characters and can hardly wait to see where their lives will end up!

https://www.amazon.com/
NIV-Story-Audio-CD-Continuing/
dp/0310421772

Our church is reading The Story The Bible As One Continuing Story of God. Also, very enjoyable. I really like the comments interspersed throughout the pages.

Linking up to

Monday Making @ Love, Laugh, Quilt

Main Crush Mondays

@Cooking Up Quilts

Moving It Forward Monday @ Em’s Scrapbag

Showand Tell Mondays with Bambi

It’s Monday!

A Quilting Reader's Garden

What Are You Reading? @ Book Date

Monday, January 8, 2018

Philippians 4:11. Covered In Love. 2018 Library Love Challenge.

Philippians 4:11
Scripture

Observation
I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.

Whatever.
The.
Circumstances.
Application
To be content whatever the circumstances? Think of Paul's life:
flogged
imprisoned
beaten
stoned
shipwrecked
lost at sea
hunger
cold
under constant threat
(2 Cor. 11:16-30)
Yet, he learned to be content in
WHATEVER
circumstance.
As we journey into 2018, can we
seek at least 30 seconds of contentment every day?
joy?
gratitude?
Sometimes, even this can be so difficult to do as we are buffeted by life.
Maybe, just maybe, if we can achieve this goal every day for 30 seconds,
the next week will find us doing it for 45 seconds,
60 seconds,
15 minutes
and so on.
Baby steps
to contentment.

Prayer
Dear LORD, You know how hard we fight to be happy, but to me, joy is more important. For when we have Your joy, we have strength Nehimiah 8:10. Please give us strength to spend 30 in a state of contentment every day - regardless of our circumstances. Lead us out of darkness into Your light.
Amen, my Abba, Amen.

Covered In Love Blocks Finished
As I perusing my "drafts" in blogger I found this post! Unbelievably, (or not so much in my case! :D), I forgot to share this finish with you last year!

I was able to make the 20 blocks for the August/September Covered In Love Block drive! Yea!

For those of you new to this project, Kat is a nurse whose mission it is to help families as they say goodbye to their loved ones. Nurses or hospital chaplains deliver a quilt to the dying patient and cover them with this gift of love. Then family members have a transitional item to take home with them. This quilt will provide incredible comfort in the days and years to come. I know. You see, when my mother-in-law was dying, my daughter bought a simple quilt from Target that, 10 years later, still brings my husband great comfort when he is feeling down.

So, to honor her memory, I make blocks for Covered in Love.

For January and February Kat from Kat and Cat Quilts has brought back my favorite blocks for Covered In Love - string blocks! Here is a sampling of blocks my daughter and I made last time:

We left them at the 10.5" requested,

played with layouts,

and I learned how pretty a constant color in each block just pops.

I wonder if you might have some strings needing a home?

2018 Library Love Challenge

The Red Tent: A Novel by Anita Diamant (1997-09-15)

After much patience, I have finally finished a novel! This is a huge achievement because during and after chemotherapy, reading books was such a challenge! After much patience, perseverance and re-reading, I finished my first book, The Red Tent by Anita Diamant!

To the best of my recollection, I started it in Sept/Oct 2017 and finished it in early Dec. It took a while, but I did it, praise God!
To mark this special occasion, I decided to join the 2018 Library Love Challenge.

I heard about it at Irresponsible Reader. This challenge had me at "support your local" library. I'm all for supporting local businesses and organizations.

My next read is Maeve Binchy's Nights of Rain and Stars. I'm also thoroughly enjoying this one as well!

Linking up to

Monday Making @
Love, Laugh, Quilt

Main Crush Mondays

@ Cooking Up Quilts

Moving It Forward Monday @ Em’s Scrapbag

Show and Tell Mondays with Bambi

It’s Monday! WhatAre You Reading? @ Book Date

Monday, October 9, 2017

Philippians 4:8 Part 3.. Chili Contest Anyone? Covered in Love Progress. Book Date.

Philippians 4:8 Part 3
Part 1 Part 2
Scripture

Observation
This verse remains in my heart. Paul is making some serious assumptions about what is true. After all, we all have different truths, right? Believing lies about ourselves have become our truth. Aha! But, we can find truth in God's Word. You see, Paul is doing what he always does - pointing us to God. We should be thinking on God's Word, HIS truth.
Application
So, I've taken some of the verses from Part 2 and went from this:

to this:

During a sermon, Pastor said it was easy for him to find time for Scripture memorization. He decided that every time he looked at his Smart Phone, he would look at his verse. Then he asked, "Do you realize how often we look at our phones?"

Here's my new lock screen:

Friends, so many times it's easier to believe those negative thoughts that have been pounded into our brains. Let's reverse this by filling our brains with whatever is
true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy!
Prayer
LORD, thank You for this post. I am hoping and praying that not only will my mind be filled with these thoughts, but also healed from the negativity that can rear it's ugly head. Let us all be filled with whatever is
true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy! Amen.

Chili Contest Anyone?
A friend of mine needed some bibs for a chili tasting contest. She made the pattern, cut out the fabric and I offered to sew a few up. Here's the first two!

Thankfully, they are pretty basic and easy to sew. Pretty cute, don't you think?

Covered in Love Progress
Kat @ Kat and Cat Quilts has a wonderful charity sewing opprotunity called Covered in Love. She provides quilts for people who pass away in the hospital. They are "transition items" to bring some comfort to the families. This opportunity immediately grabbed my attention because we have the quilt that covered my mother-in-law during her last days. Ten years later, it still brings great comfort to my husband.

Remember this fabric pull for the August/September Covered in Love blocks? Well, I feel like the LORD wants me to make 20 blocks. Here's my progress thus far!

Book Date

I'm still reading/studying Own It by Michael & Hayley Di Marco. It's quite an interesting read. Usually I read non-fiction books rather slowly so I can really digest them.

I'm also still enjoying The Red Tent by Anita Diamant!

I'm linking up to

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? @ BookDate (This link up actually has me reading more!)

Monday Making@ Love, Laugh, Quilt

Main Crush Mondays

@ Cooking Up Quilts

MovingIt Forward Monday

@Em’s Scrapbag

Show and Tell Mondays with Bambi

I love reading and responding
to your comments!

Wednesday, September 20, 2017

Philippians 4:7 Covered in Love and Kitchen Wares Fabric Pull.To Do Tuesday.

Philippians 4:7

Scripture

Observation
What does the peace of God do?
1. It defies understanding
2. It guards out hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
By the way, what does "in Christ Jesus" mean? Let's find out.
Application
During this study, I read the daily verse as if seeing it for the first time with a blank slate - tabula rasa. Then I pray (talk to God), meditate (listen to God) and write. Finally, I try to get a somewhat big picture.

With that in mind, I asked myself, so how do I get the peace of God? In fact, I'd wager to bet so many people in my circle and the world are seeking peace!

Notice how verse 7 begins with "and". When I see the word "and" in a writing, I naturally look to what came before. Do you?

When I read the previous verses, I read this:

In short, to obtain the peace of God,
1. Rejoice
2. Be Gentle.
3. Trust.
4. Pray With Thanksgiving
Four steps to the peace of God and they begin with rejoicing. Interesting, huh?

Prayer
Oh Abba, these last few days have been challenging, but Your people, music and faith got me through with victory. You are so faithful to us! Help me, I pray, to remember these for steps to Your peace! Amen and amen.

Last Post's To Do Tuesday

BOMs

Keep up with Quilty 365 - Oh oh!

Crocheting

Prayer Shawl #4 - make progress - Yes, in a way...I ran out of yarn so I made this hat! I need to find the pattern! The main reason I chose it is because when I lost my hair during chemo, I so missed feeling it on my shoulders! This hat gives one the feeling of hair! :)