Sewing for Orphans in Vietnam

Saw an article for this on Threadbias.com - a sewing community. Sewing for Orphans --click link to the blog to learn more about the sewing for Orphans in Vietnam Just wanted to put this up for anyone who might like to do this. --Here are some items needed shorts, dresses, messenger bags, pencil pouches and simple diapers

thou hast been faithful over a few things

I have been in a very reflective mood lately.
God has done so much with the trials and pain in my life. He has helped me through them to draw me closer to him.
I know that it sounds crazy to say I am thankful for the pain, but where would I be otherwise?
If I didn't experience anything difficult how would I have compassion to pray for others. How would I have compassion to want to help others.
I would be without emotion and desensitized to the world. Complacent, apathetic.

I really want to do a work for God. I don't know where he is leading me. I just want to do his will in my life. I want to hear "well done thou good and faithful servant".

The line " thou hast been faithful over a few things" in that chapter is the key.
God gives us little things to start with, then he will give more as we do more for him.

I think I get impatient. I want to do bigger things for God. I was told by my pastor that God had big plans for me. I want to jump in and get to those things, but I am not ready. I have to start with what I have and work my way up. I get a head of myself. That's where my stumbling has been.
I want to do more but haven't learned how and fail to do things right, and then get too hard on myself for not getting it right.

One step at a time. One victory at a time.

God's cry

Why is it we can feel lonely in a crowd, or when we have family and friends?
I was thinking about this after having a wave of loneliness wash over me. It's strange. I wasn't feeling that a few minutes before, but wham there it was.

I think our hearts ache sometimes because we know there is something missing, something not quite right, and it is always there in the background. We can interact with people daily. We can have wonderful friends and  family, and still there is just something wrong.

I know that when I was saved I asked Jesus in my heart. He is there even when I don't feel his pressence. I will never loose him. It's just not possible.
When I go to church and feel his presence sometimes I feel like it's home. Where ever he is, is my home.
Maybe the loneliness is just homesickness. When I am in eternity I will have his complete loving presence always.


A few years back I was going through marriage trouble and at the same time my father was dying of cancer. Life was so overwhelming.
I remember asking God "why?" Why did I go through the things I did? Why was I such a sensitive person that things could hurt me so much.
I ended up having this dream. God showed me the house I grew up in. There was darkness all around. I was a child in the dream and Jesus was holding on to me. I was surrounded by his light.
But I could hear people in the darkness screaming and crying in torment, pain and lonliness. The darkness issolated them and kept them from seeing a way out. They had no hope of escaping it.
Then I heard the most heart wrenching cry underneath it all. It was heart shattering. Like a mother grieving over a child. I was so shaken from that cry. What a lonely sound of mourning and longing to be reunited with a lost love. I then realized that this cry was God's heart crying out for all those people in the darkness going through pain and horror in their lives.
I just dont know how to describe how deep and wide is the love of our God toward us but that gave me a small glimpse.

The answer to my question why was that there are more like me, that don't know the way. And I was never alone during the bad times. He was there. He was crying over me just like those other people. I just didn't know it yet.
Its not for me to question God why anymore. It's for me to take from that and follow God's heart.
The one that cries over his lost loves.
And someday we will no longer have to deal with loneliness again when he wipes away all our tears from our eyes. He will no longer cry again either.

Sunflower Scrubbie

Sunflower Scrubbie
materials
tulle cut into 1 1/2  inch wide strips and tied end to end.
(I bought about 4 yards of tulle at a thrift store and made a large ball of it for future use. so the strips are long)
cotton yarn
J or k hook for tulle and cotton combo
I hook for petals and leaves

combining cotton yarn and tulle ch4 and sl st to 1st ch
rnd 1- ch 3, 9 dc into ch, sl st to beg ch
rnd 2- ch3, dc in same st. 2 dc in each st around.
sl st to beg ch. fasten off .

The first part of petals are made with chainless foundation (cf) stitches (half double crochet tutorial linky). Also called foundation stitches.

fasten yarn to any stitch of scrubbie, yo and insert hook in same st, *(cf) hdc, cf dc 2 times,cf hdc, ch2, going down petal hdc in hdc, dc in next two dc, hdc, and slst in same stitch. Yo and insert hook into next stitch of scrubbie, yo and pull through to start next cf hdc*

repeat for each stitch around scrubbie.

Chainless foundation double crochet video

Standing in the need of prayer

I have been wanting to create this square for a while but had a few of trial and error moments.
Will be posting this pattern in the near future. I am waiting to purchase a web cam to do a video tutorial on the stitch for this.

It uses my own version of a wave crochet stitch (could also be called mock broomstick).  Its an extended wave. I think it looks like people standing together holding hands.

We all are in need of prayer everyday of our lives. We need to continually keep in comunication with our Lord. He is in control and if we are not in comunication with him, its like not knowing where the pilot of the plane is taking you. God may not always let us know everything in advance as to what will happen next but staying in contact with the pilot will let you know he has got everything figured out.

Then there is the body of Christ. We need to continually stay in contact with the body of Christ. To encourage each other, and pray for each other along the journey.
We are in a battle and need our fellow soldiers of the Lord to have our backs.
 At church when we have our altar call, almost the whole congregation goes up to the altar. People surround those in need of prayer and pray over them. One time I stayed back and watched. I thought of the front lines of a battle. The elders of the church stood and formed what was like a line of protecting prayer around those in need of prayer. How can the enemy get through such a solid wall of prayer and praise?

Things that can break that wall is discord through gossip, and unforgiving or judging attitudes. Judging someone when you just don't know what they are really going through. Our perception of others can destroy the chance to help pray that person through to victory.

We need each other to keep going because we may be the next one standing in the need of prayer.

The Well

Leave a Well in the Valley You Go Through - uncertain of who the writer of this song is

To the Valley you go through
those around you  must go too
down the rocky path you travel they will go
by those learning of your trials
will find the secret of your smile
and you will help them more than you will ever know

Chorus
Leave a well in the valley
your dark and lonesome valley
for others have to walk that valley too
and what blessing when they find
the well of joy you've left behind
leave a well in the valley you go through

 And blessed is the man
who has learned to understand
and becomes a hand for God
to those in need
and all the tears he shed
with God's help becomes instead
a precious bond that will heal the
the hearts that bleed

Chorus

Leave a well in the valley
your dark and lonesome valley
for others have to walk that valley too
and what blessing when they find
the well of joy you've left behind
leave a well in the valley you go through

Up-cycled bag

Up-cycled bag: Gingham is from curtains bought at a thrift store. Sstrawberries are from a table runner (same thrift store). The pocket is from jeans. Inner linning is from an old shirt of my husbands. Polka dot ribbon and lace trim are from...yes ...the thrift store.