Moving On

I’ve not written for a while, due to starting a new job. Much has happened here over the past several months, most of it good. Currently, my world-traveler daughter is home for a month from Indonesia and we’re loving it. She is happy teaching high school English at a Christian school in Indo so we’re happy for her, even though we miss her a lot when she’s gone.

I’ve had to cut back on my preaching about the need for more grandkids in this world, though. People (my kids) are getting tired of hearing it. Instead, I’m planning to adopt grandkids. Its the easiest way of getting them at this point, other than kidnapping.

We’ve had some difficult times in the last several months. My husband’s place of work – Taylor University-Ft Wayne – closed. That left him without a job. But thanks be to God, they called him back to resume his work as a maintenance worker. This was unexpected and a huge relief. It is a temporary position until the campus sells, but it is something with a pay check. We’re grateful.

It was hard to imagine with the current economy that any job were available. Please pray for the other employees who are now searching for jobs that they will find them.

I’ve been reading the book of Philippians in the Bible to stay encouraged. Among the many wonderful verses there I especially like these from the third chapter:

12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

We can be angry that so many people are out of work or that such a Christ-centered institution closed its doors. But that part of it is over and we need to look forward to see where God places those people in new positions. It may mean moving to a new location or changing professions. With God’s help it will be done.

How has the economy affected you? Are you having to make personal changes to accommodate the economy?

As of a couple of weeks ago, my husband and I will join the ranks of those being told their place of work is closing. Taylor University Fort Wayne, formerly Fort Wayne Bible College and Summit Christian College, will discontinue classes as of May 31, 2009. My husband works in maintenance at the campus and has a steady work history there. We have faith God will lead him and me, as I look for a job, to other jobs.
http://fw.taylor.edu/home/news/news_detail.shtml?inode=77392


I read these verses today and they really spoke to me about the Taylor University Fort Wayne situation:

Jer 24: 4 Then the word of the LORD came to me:

5 "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'Like these good figs, I regard as good the exiles from Judah, whom I sent away from this place to the land of the Babylonians.

6 My eyes will watch over them for their good, and I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up and not tear them down; I will plant them and not uproot them.

7 I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the LORD. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart.


The most important thing is for us to have a heart to know God and to turn to Him with all of our heart. Sometimes life doesn't go the way we want. But we can trust Him with our future.


I’m praying everyone at Taylor University Fort Wayne – students, staff, and faculty -- makes the transition well.

The election is Tuesday! Pray about all of these things! God’s will be done. Amen.

Labor that Satisfies

A friend pointed out that I had not posted a blog for a while. She’s right. Time got away and for a while I didn't feel inspired to share my thoughts. A daughter has moved overseas to teach in a school and that has taken some getting used to.

At the same time, I’ve been conscious, as have many Americans, of the affect the downturn in the economy has taken on lives. I know we’ve cut way down on our car trips to save money on gas. Back and forth to work and some occasional educational trips to a neighboring city have been the extent of our travels. We’re also gearing up for higher energy costs this winter. Oh joy.

Today I read verses in the Bible that seemed to apply to this national situation of tightening budgets. In Isaiah 55 the prophet wrote "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.”

That sounds great! Who would not want free food? I interviewed a director of a local food bank recently and she laments how the extra demands of customers this year has emptied her shelves. “For the first time in the 12 years I’ve been here I wonder if we will have enough money to get us through the winter,” she told me.

Food and drink – the necessities of life. How are you faring? Are you doing well enough to offer help to someone else?

The next words from the prophet project this, “Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy?” (1-2)

I think he’s saying to think carefully before spending your dollars. Will you really want that Vera Bradley bag in one month? Or could you use it to sponsor a child for six months in another country who is struggling to find money to go to school?

That is labor that satisfies.

I’ve been volunteering my labor in crocheting free caps for people who lose hair from cancer, burns and other illness through a group I helped to found called Stitches of Hope. You can find out more about how to help these people at our website: http://www.stitchesofhope.com/

We’ve received glowing thanks from hospitals and patients. There’s so much we can do to help others.

What help can you contribute to others during this challenging time? you won't regret it.

The unfolding of your words

“The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.”- Psalm 119:130


It seems to me this should be the goal of every writer – that the unfolding or laying out of our words would give light to the reader. The words would illuminate someone’s life journey. Our written thoughts would offer a simple explanation to the issues that are confusing and complex.

How are you doing with your writing? Are you attempting to keep it all simple and easily understood? Look at your pronouns. Is it always understood to the reader what you are referring to? After I’m done with an article, I read back through it, looking for areas that seem ambiguous, then inserting the subject’s name several more times. I figure it’s always better to be too clear than not enough.

Of course this can also apply to the words we speak, whether in a speech or conversation. My husband often has to ask me what I’m talking about, especially if I’ve changed subjects in mid-conversation (which really isn't much of a conversation!). All of the “hims”, “hers”, and “its” make for some confusion in my speech. Go figure!

Sometimes it seems tedious to have to back everything up and fill in the blanks. But it will lead to better “light” and understanding if you do.

Think about it.

Saying Good-Bye to Mandy

Mt 19:14 Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."

Today is a momentous day in our family’s history. Our oldest daughter left today to teach high school English in Indonesia. It is a 2 year commitment. She says she’ll come home next summer. That seems like a long time.

I’ve not cried after leaving the airport. I’m not sure when it will hit me that she’s gone. I’m going to avoid looking at her computer desk and bedroom for several days. But several pieces of mail came for her today. I opened them slowly. This was not something we had remembered to discuss. We knew to talk about passwords, transfer of car keys, phone numbers, car insurance. I’m not forwarding hardly anything as I’ve been told it takes forever for mail to arrive. That makes her seem very far away, which she is.

She’s called once to say she’s already had delays in departures leaving our local airport and then in Chicago.
Her trip halfway across the world will take 2-3 days. That’s a long time to be traveling alone in a strange country. I worry about her being tired and carrying a new laptop, a passport, some cash for meals. Somebody could steal them easily when she dozes in between flights.

I know she can take care of herself, but that’s if everyone else behaves themselves. Still, I can't worry or I’ll be too upset to do anything else.

She's always been a child of God -- when we took her to church weekly all during her growing up years and now as a beautiful young woman. She has chosen to stay close to God and honor Him in her life. She believes it's His will for her to go to Indonesia. We support her in that decision.

Still, it is difficult.

We will miss you greatly, Mandy. We pray for you constantly. Love you, Mom

Create for Others

“I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise your name for your love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word.”- Psalm 138:2

**
I’m involved in a new ministry and can't wait to tell about it.

This summer, my friend, Marissa Whitesell, and I have begun a fiber arts club among the women at our church. Last winter Marissa began telling me about her interest in crocheting and how much fun it was. I found a book on teaching yourself to crochet and it worked!

I’m by no means now an accomplished crocheter, but I do know the basics and am enjoying the opportunity to make something with my hands. I began knitting years ago and have resumed that also, due to another friend’s influence (see below).

Marissa has been sharing her crocheting talents via dozens of darling chemo caps for people who have lost their hair to illness.

She has also made baby blankets for friends, squares for afghans, and smaller projects for nursing home residents. Her energy and enthusiasm for helping people through this craft are limitless!

This summer we formed a group of fiber artists at our church, the First Church of Christ, in Bluffton, Indiana. Anyone who wants to crochet or knit can come together one hour a week to chat, learn new techniques, share patterns, etc. Marissa has put together packets of information to get people started. She’s so organized!

It’s been a fun way to meet people and become more familiar with ways our fingers and hearts can help others.

I took some pics of our projects to show here. Aren’t these chemo caps beautiful and professional looking? They were made by several of the ladies in our group. Marissa has sent out several caps to organizations around the country that need them for patients. We pray these will raise the spirits of those who are experiencing difficult times.

There are many national organizations that collect fiber arts items for the needy.

That leads me to pass on another inspiration for my recent interest in fiber arts. Since 1991, I’ve read novels by Debbie Macomber. She is an admitted knit-o-holic, and her passion for knitting provided the inspiration for five New York Times bestselling novels, beginning with THE SHOP ON BLOSSOM STREET in 2004.

Each book talks about knitting projects as part of the plot and each book also includes a pattern for a project mentioned in the book. In May 2008 Debbie’s newest novel in this series, 20 WISHES, lists even more projects.

As a result of her interest in knitting, Debbie has become involved with Warm Up America!, the knitting industry charity that provides homemade afghans and clothing to those in need, even joining their Board of Directors in 2005.

When the opportunity arose to lend her name, Debbie has donated all of her proceeds from a series of pattern books to charity. To date, she has personally donated more than $44,000 to various charities and she has earmarked the proceeds from 20 WISHES for three of her favorites.

Here are some of her favorite charities and ones I would recommend:

Warm Up America!: This is my personal favorite way to help because it uses leftover yarn to knit or crochet 7” x 9” squares, which can be joined into afghans and donated to men, women and children in need. For more information and complete instructions, go to http://www.warmupamerica.org/.

Project Linus (provides security through blankets): “Blanketeers” provide new, handmade, washable blankets to be given as gifts to seriously ill and traumatized children, ages 0 -18. All sizes are accepted, depending on the needs of the local chapters. For more information and suggested patterns, go to http://www.projectlinus.org/.

Guideposts Knit for Kids: A volunteer effort that connects individuals from all over the world through Guideposts Magazine. Supporters knit or crochet a Knit for Kids sweater in any color or size using one of the patterns provided online. Guideposts clothes needy children in America and around the world in places like Romania, Turkey, Azerbaijan and Kosovo. For more information and patterns, go to http://www.knitforkids.org/.


This spring I was able to meet and interview Debbie for a local book signing and it was a real thrill. She’s my favorite author, as well as my mom’s. We’ve read nearly all of her 80+ books.

I’m sharing details with you here in hopes it will encourage you to provide handmade items for needy people.

We’re inviting all who read this to become part of our goal to help others through handmade crafts. There are so many ways you can help others by creative efforts.

If quilting is your specialty, then consider donating a quilt to a fundraiser.
If you make woodcrafts, build some for kids to paint and then donate them (the birdhouses, not the kids) to a nursing home. The idea is to give of yourself through your creative talents. In doing so you will bless so many people.

If you’d like to share information about you or your group’s fiber arts projects, drop me a line or send a pic. We’re always looking for ways to encourage interest and promote generosity in the talents God has given us.

Take care,

A Meeting with Debbie Macomber!

Ps. 126:3 "The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy."

This week I had the privilege of meeting one of America’s best women’s fiction writers – Debbie Macomber. She was at a book signing in our area. My mother, Joan Brewer, and I have read over 60 of her books and enjoyed each one.

Mom and I arrived a couple of hours before the book signing and saw we were not the first ones there! Some women had showed up 4 hours early! It was held at a large department store so we were able to lunch and shop while there. That was helpful, but another bonus was meeting other readers who like Debbie’s books as much as we do.

One of them was Karen Pettyjohn, a reader from Ohio. She chatted with us for a while and agreed to take our photo. Thanks, Karen! Debbie is dressed in white. I am standing beside her.

My editor at the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel newspaper agreed to let me write an article about Debbie for a column. We tied in the interview I did with Debbie to a Fort Wayne book club that won a national contest as part of Debbie’s book tour. This book club submitted their name to the contest and won! The prize? A dinner out with Debbie! How fun would that be?

I was not part of the dinner, but I did interview the woman who was in the club and she and her friends were excited about meeting and dining with Debbie. This same woman was involved with a prayer shawl ministry, which Debbie mentions in her Blossom Street books.

If you knit or crochet, I encourage you to read these books. They will inspire you to use your skills to help others. If you have not knitted in a while, as was my case (20 years), they will encourage you to get started. I’ve done this and started a small knitting/crocheting club at a local coffee house. Anyone can attend. We are at all levels and are willing to share experience and patterns. It is a relaxing hour and most of us are using it to make items for others – baby blankets, chemo caps, and afghans.

Here is Debbie’s website for more information on her and organizations that can benefit from knitting talents:

http://www.debbiemacomber.com/

And here is a link to the story I wrote about Debbie and the book club that won a dinner with her recently.
Depending on when you read this, it may not be available:
http://www.news-sentinel.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080611/NEWS01/806110330

Let me know if you decide to start knitting or have another connection with this fun hobby. Even if you don't have access to a teacher, don't give up. Last winter, I taught myself to crochet using a Dummies book!

If I can do it, you can do it.

Take care,