Toil and tears-giving

I was just thinking while at church how we give to our churches our 10% and if we are able we give a little more. I try when I can to give to my churches mission department. Sometimes it's not much, just some change in my purse. But God put something on my heart today when the offering was taken up tonight.

Here is the thougth that he gave me:
When the world chose sin over God, how much did that break his heart? Shattered into billions and billions of pieces. A piece for every person that has and will ever live.

 I work hard but don't get paid much. I usually don't have much to give to missions. We can put a lot of toil and tears into our jobs, but what we get in return for our work just barely gets us by sometimes.
I think of the small coins that I may throw in sometimes, thinking it is not much at all, just a few pieces. But God sees it differently. It's like the pieces of his heart are being sent forth. Sent out be reunited with those that need him. It may not be much in my human eyes, but to God I just helped in some small way to pay for the churches electricity so a soul could come in and get saved. Just putting a dollar in for missions is one piece of his heart that can go accross the sea to touch the heart of a child in Africa.

I also thought about our prayers in this way too. It may seem like a small thing, but we give when we pray.  Praying for others is giving of ourselves spiritually. Our tears and toil in prayer moves the hand of God in ways that money can't. It can reach dark places in a persons heart. It can change course of a persons life. It certainly changed mine.

I hope that the next time you pray or give a "little" something, you will think of it as being in His heart mending ministry.

The Power of Sisters

Take a step into my living room for a minute. Come and sit on my comfy red couch and take a look at this example of Christian sisterhood.

As I wrote in my previous post I recieved different squares from ladies in a Christian group on Ravelry.
Each sqaure was prayed over while it was being made for me.
If you look at each square they are all very different from each other in design. Each beautiful and each precious to me. Just like the women who sent them. The squares are all stitched together in one blanket, just like these ladies are united in Christ's body.
Sisters can be a powerful force in a person's life. They can be ones to lift you up, or put you down. They can be the older sister you look up to and aspire to be. They can also be the lessons of what not to do. That is in the natural earthly sense.
In the spiritual sense this can also be the same. Sometimes a "sister" in church can take a perspective of judgementalism  and criticize. I have had those moments of negative thinking where I was in a bad frame of mind. I have also been on the receiving end of it too. We don't realize the harm we can do with the words of our mouth. The Bible talks of the tongue and how words can be life giving, or just the opposite.
There is a song that I heard in church " I Need You to Survive". It says "I need you, you need me, we are all a part of God's body". It goes on to say "I won't hurt you with the words of my mouth"
Why would a foot step on the other foot to harm it? It would then make it difficult for the body to move forward and the extra pressure would then be on the other, working foot, to carry all the weight. The body would then move more slowly limping along.
As sisters in Christ we have to be careful of what we say and do. We could be the ones keeping things from going forward or we can be the encourager that keeps the others lifted up.
In the Bible Moses had to stand and watch over a battle. If he kept his hands lifted up, the battle would go in the Israelites favor. If he put his arms down to rest them, the army would start to lose. It got to a point where his arms were too heavy to keep them lifted. He then had others come along side of him and they held up his arms for him.
This is such an example of what we are to be for each other. We are in a battle. I may right now be fighting for my life going through a struggle, and need someone to stand with me. It may be you next time. We need each other to survive.
A woman at church comes up to me everytime she sees me and gives me a hug. Last week she came up to me at the altar call and just hugged me for a while.  I really needed that, and didn't even know it until she did it. It reminded me that I have a spiritual family that I can lean on.
 I am sitting here right now typing this with my prayer square blanket wrapped around my shoulders keeping me warm. I feel the prayers that were sown into it by the ladies who made them. I am grateful for sisters like these ladies because I need them to survive.

The Power of Sisters part 1

Not my earthly sisters but my spiritual ones.
I belong to a lovely group of Christian women on Ravlery.com.
It has been a blessing to be a part of that group.
In the group there is what I call a ministry of prayer squares.
Over time and through different swaps we send each other 6" afghan squares. We create these squares while praying over them for the recipient.

Here is what I have collected from my sisters in Christ. I am so blessed by this and just love each and every square.

I am so close to finishing this as a lapghan. I will post pics of it finished soon.

God Craft Life community

Well I had a bout of insomnia last night. I just could not sleep.
What did I do? I ended up creating a community for God Craft Life. Its a place for discussion and connecting with others.
I have a section for knitting and crocheting too.
I know there aren't that many followers here to really get this going but maybe over time.
"If you build it they will come"
Yes my head is full of silly things like that quote. Most of the time I try to ignore them, but I couldn't resist.

So without further ado
Here is the link
 You will also notice the tab at the top of this blog where you can also click on to bring you there

Cornerstone

Pattern for this Prayer Square comming soon

Luke 20:17 And he beheld them, and said, What is this then that is written, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner?

The conerstone was the foundation stone that everything was built upon. It sets up the whole structure for a building. Everything else is built around it. Jesus is that foundation.

I think that is fairly common knowledge amongst Christians

In building stone bridges each stone is very important but you'll notice the one stone in the center. Its shape is different. It is the keystone. It is what locks all the stones in place. without it the structure would collapse.

Jesus needs to be that foundation in everthing in our lives. We also need him to be in the center of our lives. Our focus and centering force.

Without him we can do nothing the Bible says.

He is what makes each of us strong.

I read up on bridge building and one statement stood out. It said the bridge is only as strong as the weakest stone. We need each other to keep strong too. We reinforce each other with our prayers, our encouraging words, and our willingness to serve each other.

When there is weight and movement on the bridge, the vibration of it goes througout the whole bridge and the weight is evenly distributed through each stone.

Together and with Jesus we can withstand the storms and pressures in life.

Rivers in the desert

Pattern for this Prayer Square coming soon

This square is inspired by Isaiah 45:19

Is 45:19 Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, [and] rivers in the desert.

I have been brought through many trials and have had my wilderness places as well as dead or dry desert places. They are terrible places to be in and go through, but oh what amaizing lessons God gives.
I have never felt closer to my savior then in the midst of a storm when he came near to me.
The Bible says he is near to the broken hearted. It's true.
I had never felt his presence before when all in my life seemed to fall apart. My father was dying of cancer and my husband and I were headed for divorce. That is when I really began to seek God with everything within me. That is when I found him.
Jer 29:13-14 And ye shall seek me, and find [me], when ye shall search for me with all your heart. And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive. 

I think I must have read through Isaiah two or three times during that wilderness time. I had never seen things the way I did when I was hurting the most. It's like the Bible came to life and became so personal. There were times when I swear that God was speaking in my ear.

Is 43:1 But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called [thee] by thy name; thou [art] mine.

I do not regret the wilderness places because God showed his mighty hand in my life. He showed me his healing love and his saving grace. Where would I be now if I had not experienced it? He brought me out. I was able to witness to my father before he died and God saved my marriage.
He is still doing wonders in my life. I am just amazed by him and overwhelmed by his love.
Allelujah!

Mercy Said No

Mercy Said No lyrics
I was just a child, when I felt the Savior leading
I was drawn to what I could not understand
And for the cause of Christ, I have spent my days believing
That what He'd have me be, is who I am

As I've come to see the weaker side of me
I realize His grace is what I'll need
When sin demanded justice for my soul

(Chorus)
Mercy said no
I'm not gonna let you go
I'm not gonna let you slip away
You don't have to be afraid
Mercy said no
Sin will never take control
Life and death stood face to face
Darkness tried to steal my heart away
Thank You Jesus, Mercy said no

For God so loved the world, that He sent His son to save us
From the cross He built a bridge to set us free
Oh, but deep within our hearts, there is still a war that rages
And makes a sacrifice so hard to see

As midnight fell on the crucifixion day
The light of hope seemed oh so far away
As evil tried to stop redemption's flow

(Repeat Chorus)

(Bridge)
And now when heaven looks at me
It's through the blood of Jesus
Reminding me of one day long ago