Fruit

"In Christian service, the branches that bear the most fruit hang the lowest." --Anonymous

The Crafty Angels met on Saturday, May 17, and we had the opportunity to view, and sample, much fruit -- both of the yarny goodness type and edible! Jeannine Patt, Peggy Kingsley, Carol Flowers, Doris Ahlstedt, and Sandy Rice were there -- as was Birgit Yacoub, via a BIG BOX. In John 15, God as the vine dresser shapes His branches to bear fruit, and the Angels exemplified that on Saturday. Just take a look!

Lovely spa cloths from Carol Flowers, which will be delivered to women in Cornerstone Community Outreach's shelters! And she has been busy crocheting on her lunch hours:

Look at this lovely collection of scarves! Carol said she'll start one and do a few rows before she leaves for work, work on the scarf at lunch - getting most of it done, and then finish the last few rows at home at night. Incredible!! They will be perfect for the families served by Cornerstone Community Outreach!

One of Carol's signature baby blankets - and in a bright yellow color! I can just envision a newborn at Swedish Covenant Hospital wrapped up in it to go home!

Carol also made this lovely prayer shawl in one of our favorite patterns! It will be just perfect for one of the seniors served by Cornerstone Community Outreach.

Peggy Kingsley made this lovely baby blanket for a newborn baby girl at Swedish Covenant Hospital! We all really liked the pattern she chose.

Sandy Rice finished this lovely scarf for a teen served by Cornerstone Community Outreach -- it was the first time she had tried double-stranded knitting. We all agreed that it turned out very well!Jeannine Patt made this gorgeous hat and scarf set - the Angels really liked the stitch pattern she chose. The flower she crocheted for the hat was the perfect touch!

Jeannine was so happy this baby blanket turned out so well - she committed to using up yarn from her stash - she wants to be like our "stash queens" Debbie Kreusch and Helen Watson! We all agreed that this baby blanket was a great choice - even though Jeannine said she would never again use that particular stitch to connect the panels!Jeannine also experiemented with the ruffled edging you see on this baby blanket -- it took some practice to get it right -- but the results were stunning! She said that if you plan to try this ruffle edging, know that it takes much time, and LOTS of yarn! It will be perfect for a newborn baby girl!

And look at this precious baby sweater and hat Jeannine made -- it was another "destashing" project that turned out excellently!

Doris Ahlstedt made baby things for Swedish Covenant Hospital, too -- just look how even her stitches are in this blanket! This was the first time she tried this pattern, and said it was great mindless knitting. She used a Pound of Love yarn, smaller needles than the pattern called for, and made it 128 stitches wide.

Doris also "destashed" by making preemie and newborn baby hats -- our Supervisor Cowboy refused to come out of the closet, so we had to do the laydowns ourselves! Needless to say, the effect isn't as good as when he does it!

Doris also made this lovely scarf for Cornerstone - it was the first time she had knitted with Jiffy yarn - and she really like it. The scarf was wonderfully soft.

Then we opened Birgit Yacoub's BIG BOX, which could hardly contain all the yarn goodness inside! Take a look!

She included over THIRTY spa cloths -- each one different! We spent considerable time looking at all the different stitch patterns she used - how inspiring!

Look at this adorable baby poncho and hat Birgit made for Swedish Covenant Hospital! Can't you just picture a baby girl in it?

This baby blanket Birgit made for Swedish Covenant Hospital caused quite a stir - it's filet crochet, and if you look closely, you'll see a puppy. There is another puppy, too - and there is a big balloon floating over them! Birgit even made the little toy to go with it!

Birgit also included items for Cornerstone Community Outreach - like these lovely scarves above.Look at the gorgeous prayer shawl that Birgit made - complete with matching slippers! I liked the pattern so much that I had to take a close-up of it! Just lovely!

Won't this prayer shawl and slippers set be a ray of sunshine for someone going through a difficult time? The Angels were in awe of the Mary Jane slippers Birgit made! They are just incredible!

Birgit also enclosed some treats for the Angels in her BIG BOX - packages of the Wild Cherry M&Ms you see pictured up top (they were just GREAT!) and Dove milk chocolate bars!!! Well, let me tell you, our get-together just TOOK OFF once we discovered those goodies at the bottom of the box!!! Fueled by the M&Ms, Dove chocolate, coffee, and the doughnut holes that Carol brought, we had a such a grand time going through the Filet Crochet book, testing out new stitches, and talking so much that I COMPLETELY FORGOT TO TAKE PICTURES!!!! Yes, a good time was had by all!

Later, as I munched some more of those wild cherry M&Ms, I thought about John 15 and the quote up top. You could take that quote a couple of different ways: first, having spent growing up time on a fruit farm, I know that when branches have lots of fruit, they DO hang low because the fruit is heavy and sweet. That indeed does describe the Angels. Second, you could read the quote to mean that those who are humble, who are low, bear the most fruit. That also does describe the Angels.

And third, you could read it to mean that the branches that reach low bear the most fruit. The great personality hallmarks of each of the Angels are humility, compassion, willingness to serve, and love for neighbors - here and around the world. Their branches actively reach for those people whom many consider "low" -- low income, lower class, lower education. But all the Angels see are neighbors - neighbors they love and care for, and would do anything for in order to help. So those low-reaching branches do bear much fruit, because they are actively living out what Jesus, the vine dresser, calls the second greatest command -- "Love your neighbor as yourself."

I think it's a combination of all three -- and Sandy, Carol, Jeannine, Doris, Peggy, and Birgit, thank you for responding to the divine vine dresser, and bearing so much fruit! You are a blessing to so many!

Love

"The love you give and receive is a reality that will lead you closer...to God as well as to those whom God has given you to love." -- Henri J. M. Nouwen

For my birthday, Angel Lisa got me a subscription to "Turning Points," a monthly magazine and devotional by Dr. David Jeremiah - who speaks on numerous radio and TV shows. I really enjoy this devotional - it is always clever, well-written, and inspiring. I found the quote above in the March issue -- and when I first read it, I had to sit with it a minute and let it sink in. The love we give not only brings us closer to God, but brings us closer to those God has given us to love -- and that is so true of the Angels! So many of you have emailed or written me to say that the more you give to those we serve, the more you care about them and want to do even more. And some lovely examples of that love arrived this week!

Angel Lisa has been moving a warp speed at work, and decided that she really wanted to make more things for those we serve, but what she made needed to be small. She decided on spa cloths -- which have been wildly appreciated by the women served at Cornerstone Community Outreach's shelters. Look what she dropped off on Monday night at our Bible study group:

"Even I would want to take a shower with the cloths Auntie Lisa made - and you know what I think about showers!!!'

All sorts of lovely spa cloths, in all sorts of shapes and colors - crocheted and knitted! Lisa said she had great fun making them, and plans to make more. Thank you, Lisa -- the ladies will LOVE your expression of love for them! I like to make the spa cloths, too, as the weather warms up -- they meet all my requirements for a satisfactory summer project: they are quick, portable, small (no hot pile of yarn sitting in your lap!), colorful (the cotton yarn comes in all sorts of happy, springy, and summery colors!), and creative -- you can try out lots of stitch patterns, and there are literally hundreds of free washcloth patterns on the internet.

Monday night Mary Coleman, a Crafty Angels "helper," brought over a BIG box of goodies that had arrived at church from Angel Jacci Canino, who lives in Round Lake Beach, IL. You might remember the wonderful Easter bunnies she made for the kids served by Cornerstone Community Outreach (scroll down to the post entitled "Three Things"), or the toys she made them for Christmas. In her letter, Jacci said her gifts of love were all for the Mother Bear Project, "I used their basic crochet pattern and then personalized them per the guidelines. That was the fun part! I went on their website and browsed through some of the previously donated bears made by others first - it is a great way to get ideas for giving each bear a look and personality of their own....I hope the children enjoy them as much as I enjoyed making them for them!" I think the children will, just take a look!

These girls are quite the fashion plates! I just love the giraffe Jacci embroidered on the purple dress!

Look at the little hat Jacci put on the boy bear just above on the left - there are real pockets on his pants, too! And check out the belt on the boy bear in the middle - she even embroidered the buckle!

Check out the overalls on the boy bear above -- and the headband with the flower on the little girl!

I love the clown bear in the middle!! He is so creative! Thank you, Jacci, for all the love you packed in this box for children in Africa suffering from HIV/AIDS or who lost their parents to HIV/AIDS. Can you imagine the impact these will have on the children who receive them?!?!

Angels Lisa and Jacci, you are fulfilling Father Nouwen's idea above - what a wonderful endless circle of love you have created - I can just imagine when you get to heaven, you will get to meet all those who received your love here on earth. What a party that will be!!

Grace

"Grace isn't a little prayer you chant before receiving a meal. It's a way to live." -- Jackie Windspear

I've been thinking a lot about grace lately -- it seems everything I pick up and many of the Bible verses I've been reading have something to do with grace. When that happens, I've learned that God is trying to teach me something.

In theology, there are many kinds of grace: divine grace, irresistable grace, actual grace, preventient grace, just to name a few. I struggle with some of those definitions and don't agree with all of them. I've told the women in the Bible study group I lead that one of the hardest things about Christianity that I've had to learn is that God extends grace unconditionally. And "grace = love" in my denomination. That's not something that happened in my growing up - so it's an ongoing struggle for me to accept that wonderous gift and internalize it.

The dictionary has even more definitions. But the kind of grace I've been thinking about the most is: "a disposition to kindness and compassion." Our culture often seems mighty short on that type of grace, doesn't it? Even the world seems that way sometimes, if you look at what is happening in Zimbabwe, Darfur, Kenya, and Myanmar this week.

One of my New Year's resolutions was to try to live out that definition of grace on a daily basis -- it's not as easy as I thought it would be! If you are going to be true to the concept of grace as a disposition to kindness and compassion, it means that you have to be that way to everybody in all situations -- even in those situations you don't like and to people you don't like (or who are irritating you at the moment!). But I have noticed that extending grace does change you over time. Your mind changes and your heart changes -- and it gets easier.

The Angels epitomize grace as a disposition to kindness and compassion to me. Every time I open a box of yarny goodness, I am gobsmacked by grace, overwhelmed. So many women extending kindness and compassion to so many - every single day -- it takes my breath away, especially when I know some of the "backstories" of what is going on in the Angels' lives.

Cathy Falkenstein from Loomis, CA is a perfect example. She sent me a box packed with yarny goodness -- and I know that she lives on a farm, and spring is probably one of the busiest times of year on a farm (I spent part of my growing up years living with my family on my grandfather's farm, so I know what it's like!). But she's been busy extending grace -- just take a look!

"OK, Mom, I'm not mad at you anymore -- and I know the Angels have been emailing you to see if I was OK!"

Bright, cheerful, springy baby blankets for newborns born at Swedish Covenant Hospital! I think these are great, because babies of many nationalities are born at Swedish Covenant, and some of those countries like to see their babies in bright colors - particularly yellow, orange, and red, which are considered lucky colors. These blankets will make the new moms and dads very happy! And there was more!

"Give it up, Mom. This is the best shot you are going to get after making me put on that baby hat!"

Brightly colored baby hats to go with the blankets! Perfect! What wonderous expressions of compassion and kindness! Thank you, Cathy, for taking the time out of your very busy day to extend grace to people you'll never even meet! You are a role model for me!

After Supervisor Cowboy finished supervising the laydowns of Cathy's bounty, directing the "flow" of the pictures, and choosing the camera angles, he was quite insistent on having a "glamour shot" taken -- he kept sticking his nose into the camera lens. I guess he wanted to send all the Angels a closeup, so here you go!

"This is my 'pensive, movie star' look -- it gets extra treats out of Mom every time!!"

Leaving on a Jet Plane and Coming Home

"It is no use walking anywhere to preach unless we preach as we walk." -- St. Francis of Assisi

BIG NEWS! Yarny goodness made by the Angels will be leaving on a jet plane and winging its way to Japan on Saturday! Candi Tepke, president of the Central Conference Women's Ministries, is leaving for Japan to participate in the Evangelical Covenant Church's Prayer and Cultural Education Cross Cultural Opportunity. She will be visiting our denomination's missionaries and churches there. Candi is a big supporter of Crafty Angels, and wanted to let our missionaries know we are thinking of them -- so she asked if the Angels had created some yarny goodness that would be small enough to fit in her suitcase, which could be given as gifts to our missionaries.

Sure enough, when we went through the bins of completed items over the weekend, we found some lovely fancy scarves, spa cloths, and crocheted pot holders (perfect for missionary families!). Candi has safely packed these treasures in her suitcase and will spread the word of our work in Japan. How exciting! Keep Candi in your prayers as she travels and greets our missionaries.

That picture up top is what Candi will be seeing when she arrives. Frank's cousins Bob and Reinhold just returned from two weeks in Japan, and Bob took that lovely picture. Those are the famous Japanese cherry trees -- in glorious full bloom!

The "coming home" part is for me -- you must have thought that I had stopped posting about the Angels' work! Well...I did, but for a good reason. The Central Conference had its annual meeting, which I organize, in Iron River, MI at Grace Covenant Church - and the last 4 weeks have been a complete blur! Putting together the annual meeting is always lots of work, but the folks at Grace Covenant made my job onsite so much easier! They were truly a blessing to me. Now that all the follow up work is done, I can get back to focusing on the Angels!

And LOTS of things came in while I was gone! Ginny, our church secretary, kept stacking boxes up in her office and Frank helped me get them home on Sunday. There is lots to see -- too much for a single post, so I'll be breaking it up into a couple of posts.

You will see that this first post is sans either our world-famous spokesmodel, Cowboy, or his sister, Princess Cody Grace the Magnificent. The Crown Prince of the house absolutely refused to budge off the Polarfleece blanket on the bed last night, and Her Highness refused to come out of the closet - Frank and I are still getting snubbed periodically for being away for a week at the annual meeting, even though the kitties were VERY well cared for by their Aunties Margo and Kathy! So I had no assistance in doing the laydowns, photo styling, or directing -- which made the process much faster, albeit with not as good a result! Want to see?
The Angels were the beneficiaries of Angel Alexis Lueth's (from Winter Springs, FL) ongoing purge of her Homespun stash -- and there is enough of each color to make a prayer shawl. Thank you, Alexis!

Angel Julie Scigalski from Chicago has been very busy -- she made some gorgeous yarny goodness:
Three completely different scarves! The one of the left will be perfect for one of the men served by Cornerstone Community Outreach. The middle one will be perfect for our fundraiser to raise funds to send our bears to the Mother Bear Project. And Julie thought the one on the right would be perfect for a 'tween girl served by Cornerstone.
Julie also knitted this lovely afghan, which I think will be perfect for one of the seniors living at Friendly Towers.
And look at this absolutely gorgeous prayer shawl that Julie made -- my poor photography skills and lack of good lighting just do not do this work of art justice! The golden yarn stripes have a lovely soft furry yarn knit in, and the dark green stripes are lovely silky yarn. Pure perfection, and I am POSITIVE it will be treasured by the recipient! Thank you, Julie, for spending so much time making such beautiful expressions of love!

Angel Judi Druzik from Crest Hill, IL sent a box, too. Take a peek at what was waiting inside:
Judi made TWO of these hat and sweater sets -- perfect for newborns served by Swedish Covenant Hospital! And there was more!
This layette is so gorgeous! Judi's handiwork is so fine, and the yarn she chose for the blanket is incredibly soft. The new mom who receives this will treasure it always!
Just look at the cabling detail in these hats! Last summer Angel Deb Kruesch and I took a cable class at the Woolly Lamb, so I know how hard it is to keep your cables even and make them match across an entire item. Judi did an incredible job here -- these little hats are priceless! Can't you just picture the newborns we serve in them?
I really liked this blanket that Judi made -- I have to confess that it is my favorite varigated yarn for baby things when I make something for a baby. I just love the colors -- and I am sure that a lovely little girl will look just angelic wrapped up in it to go home for the first time! Thank you, Judi for all the wonderful yarny goodness!

Angel Carol Stephen from Forest Park, IL also sent a box with LOTS of yarny goodness inside! In the card she enclosed, Carol said she did more baby things (her absolutely favorite things to make!) for the Swedish Covenant Hospital newborns. She used donated yarn I sent her, and there wasn't enough of any one color to make a complete set -- so she tried combining different yarns. Look at the AWESOME results!

Just look at these beautiful layette sets for baby girls born at Swedish Covenant Hospital! I think my favorite is the pink and green set -- very fashionable at the moment! And she didn't forget the boys, either:
Can't you just picture these on some handsome little newborn boys? I can just see the new moms' faces now!
Look how creatively Carol combined colors and scraps to make these two blankets and bibs! I think they each look like a bit of springtime captured in yarn! I really like the way the blankets turned out -- Carol, your experimenting worked very well! Thank you so much!

I've been thinking a great deal over the past four weeks about "talking the talk" and "walking the walk" as I prepared to preach at the annual meeting during our worship service and blessing of our Bringing My World To Christ prayer slips, and the quote by St. Francis of Assisi above came to my mind several times.

In our world today, lots of people "talk the talk" about caring for others -- and may even help out after a cyclone, a crisis, or some other big event. But unless you "preach along the way" by doing all those little, everyday things like praying for someone, knitting or crocheting for someone in need, sending a note, making a call -- your "grand gesture" is rather hollow. As St. Francis showed in his life, those little things add up to have far more eternal impact than the "big things" we do. And that's what the Angels do the best -- faithfully doing the little things, day in and day out, that change the world. I am so proud of all of you -- and so THANKFUL you are who you are!

Scattering

"Do not lose by saving, but gather in by scattering. Give to the poor, and you give to yourself. You will not be allowed to keep what you have refused to give to others. -- Saint Peter Chrysologus

I've been thinking a lot about "scattering" lately - it started when I compared Frank's Tante Kathl's neat, tidy, very Austrian yard and garden to mine. Of course, I know you shouldn't do that, but the temptation was too great.

I have a yard and garden which is nothing like Tante Kathl's. I tend toward what I fondly call "controlled chaos maintained by benign neglect." In the first years of my garden's existence, I worked hard on the "bones" of the garden, and relied heavily on native perennials. Then I let God, Mother Nature, and all the birds and critters that live in our neighborhood take it from there. The scattering of seed by wind, rain, birds, and critters commenced, and in the height of the season, it looks like the prairie came to pay my backyard a visit. It's wild and crazy - just like God. I love it!

In His magnificent abundance, He paid back more than double the seeds, greens, and fruit the garden fed the birds and critters. And that tiny crocus up top (the first one of the season!!!) is one of the many results. I could never have planned, or executed, such beauty. Scattering was what made it possible.

Scattering by others is also what makes the Crafty Angels possible. All of our yarn is donated - and whenever the bins get a little thin, I start praying. I know that if God can make my abundant garden possible, He will facilitate abundantly the work of those hands who care for His sheep here on earth (which also scatter, by the way!). I've been praying lately, and look what arrived late last week:

One hundred and nine skeins of yarny goodness from Chris Connolly in Chicago (and yes, if you look closely, that's NOT our supervisor there - it's his sister, Princess Cody Grace the Magnificent)! Chris does scrapbooking and card making, and over time, she'd amassed quite a collection of yarn that she used as embellishments on her pages and cards. She didn't want to just throw it away, so she decided to scatter it. She went on the internet and found the Angels and decided to scatter these seeds in our garden. I can hardly wait to see what blooms from these seeds! The colors, textures, and fibers are wild and wonderful - just like God. Thank you, Chris - your yarn will bloom into gifts of love for people all around Chicago - and the world!

Want to see some blooms of seeds scattered in the fall? Take a look at what Angel Alma Wamsley made with donated yarn from last fall (and yes, the Princess is still modeling here):

"I think the colors of these hats and scarves show off my white 'necklace' very well!"

Alma has always made the best hats - she has this secret "recipe" many have tried to duplicate over the years, but our hats never turn out as well as Alma's. She just has a real gift. Alma made these before her recent illnesses, and she's afraid she may not be able to make any more. But I have a feeling God isn't done using Alma's hands quite yet...... These will be perfect for the families served by Cornerstone Community Outreach!

Angel Penny Sawczak also dropped off some blooms from scattered seeds from last fall - look at these lovelies:

"I can't believe you'd let the Princess take over the photo shoot, Mom!! I AM THE STAR!!"

Penny made the hats and scarves extra thick - she wanted to keep the homeless people Cornerstone Community Outreach serves warm in the coldest weather. I think these will fit the bill well - and the women wearing them will look like blossoms!

I love the quote by Saint Peter up top. Gathering in by scattering seems to be such an "out of the box" concept - but I have absolutely seen it work with the Angels. Several times a week I get emails from Angels around the country who say they receive so much more joy and peace making things for the families we serve than the work it takes to make those gifts. Many say that once they started "scattering" they couldn't stop - and that they are more generous in other areas of their lives now, too. Like the movie, they are now "paying it forward."

At Reverend Larry's memorial service late last week, one of the pastors who spoke talked of Matthew 25: 31-46, where Jesus charges us to care for the poor, the hungry, the thirsty, the strangers, the sick, those who need clothes, and those in prison (one of my most favorite passages in the Bible). He said that we'll be asked whether or not we did those things, and Rev. Larry could say "yes" to all of them. Thanks to scattering, and the abundance that results, the Angels can say yes to most of those commands, too. Thank you, Chris, Alma, and Penny for scattering your love in such tangible ways!

k2tog

"Always stay connected to people and seek out things that bring you joy. Dream with abandon. Pray confidently." -- Barbara Johnson

On Saturday, March 29, the Crafty Angels got together for the first time since December. Weather had kept us apart during that time, and the Angels who attended had lots of catching up to do -- and lots to show off! The laughing and talking kept our supervisor Cowboy hiding upstairs in the closet, so there are no photos of him in this post. But rest assured that once the Angels left, our supervisor came right into the dining room to give everything a good sniffing over!

We had a full house -- look who showed up:

Jeannine Patt and Doris Ahlstedt check out some new knitting magazines.

Carol Flowers shows Peggy Kingsley (just home from a hospital stay) a new stitch.

Debbie Kreusch tests the coffee and cake -- and look at that gorgeous sweater jacket she made herself in the right-hand corner of the photo. We were all drooling over it!

Cathy Jones brought lots of yarny goodness with her!

New Angel Angie Lyker checks out her new notions bag.

The Angels had made so many lovely things that I've had to just put a selection of photos up on this post, otherwise it would probably crash Blogger!! The yarny goodness these Angels came up with was just amazing, and I've had a hard time choosing what to show you. But here goes:

Angel Chenoa Knight wasn't able to be with us, but she sent her first completed bear for the Mother Bear Project with Carol. We all just loved the grin Chenoa embroidered on him! And Chenoa and Carol were the Angels who brought me the GODIVA CHOCOLATES (!!!) in the photo up top!!! They felt bad that the chocolate box Carol had sent earlier didn't have chocolates in it. I must say, I have felt completely spoiled by this generous gift - I've portioned out one a day to make them last longer!

Carol made more of her wonderful baby blankets and scarves -- we all LOVED the colors she chose -- and agreed that it was high time that we saw some color like that outside.
Debbie, the "scrap queen" made these two amazing "scrapghans" for our seniors at Friendly Towers. We all really liked the pattern she used for the second one here -- very creative!

Deb also made "the afghan from heck" -- completely made from slippery, fuzzy yarn that is very difficult to work with - ESPECIALLY when you aren't knitting it as a "carry-along" with yarn with some substance. She made an ENTIRE afghan out of this stuff -- and she said she would never do it again. But it is gorgeous - and we thought she deserved a medal for her efforts.
Among many other things, Deb made this great tiger - along with the scrapghan beneath him. Won't this make a great gift for a young boy served by Cornerstone Community Outreach? ROOAAARRRR! Jeannine made this lovely prayer shawl and these gorgeous sweaters for the children served by Leland House -- her handiwork is always so gorgeous. Check out the "faux cabling" on the pink sweater - amazing!

We decided that Doris also deserved some sort of medal for actually FINISHING a baby blanket with the yarn above. Debbie, Jeannine, and I had all tried working with it - using both knitting and crocheting - and gave up. So had the person who donated the yarn! But Doris made a gorgeous baby blanket out of this challenging fiber - just perfect for a baby born at Swedish Covenant Hospital.

Doris also made this great collection of baby hats for Swedish Covenant Hospital babies - and a gorgeous prayer shawl -- she said that we had been giving so many prayer shawls away in the last couple of months that the bin needed to be restocked.

Prayer shawls were on Cathy's mind as well -- she made several, including this beauty.

Among other things, Cathy also made these gorgeous baby sweaters and this blanket - which was made from an entire "Pound of Love." This blanket pattern was the most hotly discussed pattern of our get-together -- and I guarantee you will be seeing it again in future posts!

Angie was making her very first afghan - her first project that wasn't a scarf! Don't you just love the colors she chose? It is like a jolt of spring! Way to go, Angie!

I've been thinking a lot lately about friends and "k2tog." K2tog, in knitter-speak, literally means "knit two together." With the Angels, I've decided it can also mean knitting the Angels together with the people who receive their gifts of love. And I have been just thrilled to see it coming to mean knitting the Angels together as a group.

Case in point - the Angels prayed for Peggy when she was in the hospital, and not only prayed for Angel Alma Wamsley when she was ill (Alma was not quite up to joining us yet at our get-together), but also sent her cards and letters. The Angels all around the country email each other, share patterns, help each other, teach each other, support each other, and share life stories. That, to me anyway, is what friends do for each other -- even if they've never met each other in person because of distance -- and reminded me of Barbara Johnson's quote above. The Angels are staying connected with many people and doing what they love. And it doesn't get better than that!!! Bless you, Angels!

Peace Be To His Memory

I learned this morning that one of the Crafty Angels' biggest, and first, supporters died unexpectedly last night. Rev. Larry Griffin was a big man with a bigger heart for folks in need. Rev. Larry supported my idea of the Crafty Angels from its birth, and cheered me - and all of you - on for the last seven years. I had the privilege of working with him at the North Park Friendship Center, first as a volunteer and then serving on their board with him. He helped me raise funds and get grants for our various projects. Whenever he saw me, he asked how you all were doing, and truly believed in what you all were achieving. Nothing pleased him more than seeing a Crafty Angels hat or scarf go walking down the street in the Friendship Center's neighborhood.

Angel Karen B. sent me an email today, which I read through my tears - and when I finished it, I realized God was at work, or Rev. Larry was looking down at us from heaven, because it summed up Rev. Larry's thoughts about all of you:

By the time the Lord made woman, He was into his sixth day of working overtime. An angel appeared and said, "Why are you spending so much time on this one?" And the Lord answered, "Have you seen my spec sheet on her? She has to be completely washable, but not plastic, have over 200 movable parts, all replaceable and able to run on diet coke and leftovers, have a lap that can hold four children at one time, have a kiss that can cure anything from a scraped knee to a broken heart -and she will do everything with only two hands."

The angel was astounded at the requirements. "Only two hands!? No way! And that's just on the standard model? That's too much work for one day. Wait until tomorrow to finish." "But I won't," the Lord protested. "I am so close to finishing this creation that is so close to my own heart. She already heals herself when she is sick AND can work 18 hour days."

The angel moved closer and touched the woman. "But you have made her so soft, Lord." "She is soft," the Lord agreed, "but I have also made her tough. You have no idea what she can endure or accomplish." "Will she be able to think?", asked the angel. The Lord replied, "Not only will she be able to think, she will be able to reason and negotiate."

The angel then noticed something, and reaching out, touched the woman's cheek. "Oops, it looks like you have a leak in this model. I told you that you were trying to put too much into this one." "That's not a leak," the Lord corrected, "that's a tear!" "What's the tear for?" the angel asked. The Lord said, "The tear is her way of expressing her joy, her sorrow, her pain, her disappointment, her love, her loneliness, her grief and her pride." The angel was impressed. "You are a genius, Lord. You thought of everything! Woman is truly amazing."

And she is! Women have strengths that amaze men. They bear hardships and they carry burdens, but they hold happiness, love and joy. They smile when they want to scream. They sing when they want to cry. They cry when they are happy and laugh when they are nervous. They fight for what they believe in. They stand up to injustice. They don't take "no" for an answer when they believe there is a better solution. They go without so their family can have. They go to the doctor with a frightened friend.

They love unconditionally. They cry when their children excel and cheer when their friends get awards. They are happy when they hear about a birth or a wedding. Their hearts break when a friend dies. They grieve at the loss of a family member, yet they are strong when they think there is no strength left. They know that a hug and a kiss can heal a broken heart. Women come in all shapes, sizes and colors. They'll drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you to show how much they care about you.

The heart of a woman is what makes the world keep turning. They bring joy, hope and love. They have compassion and ideals. They give moral support to their family and friends. Women have vital things to say and everything to give. HOWEVER, IF THERE IS ONE FLAW IN WOMEN, IT IS THAT THEY FORGET THEIR WORTH.

And that is what Rev. Larry championed -- that women have value and that their handiwork is worth its weight in gold. He believed that your efforts to show love and care for those in need made you God's hands on earth. He would want you to know how much God values you and your work. His gentle spirit will be missed, and I will truly miss him. Peace be to Rev. Larry's memory.

Transparence

"There is a unique kind of transparence about things and events. The world is seen through, and no veil can conceal God completely. So we are ever alert to see behind the appearance of things a trace of the divine, and thus our attitude toward life is one of expectant reverence." -- Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel

Two boxes, wrapped in her signature duck tape with lots of stickers, arrived from Angel Helen Watson in Wadsworth, IL. She had emailed me earlier to say that she and her husband Dave had gone online at Joann.com and done a "yarn tithe" -- and that she was sending along a few skeins of yarn to help refill the Angel's yarn bins. Given the weight and size of the boxes she sent, I can't imagine what Helen would think was A LOT! Take a look at what was inside:

Cotton yarn for spa cloths! Helen really liked our idea of giving spa cloths and special soaps to the women served by Cornerstone Community Outreach, and decided to send along lots of colors of cotton yarn that could be used by Angels to make the cloths. Since the spa cloths are just PERFECT summer knitting, it looks like we have our knitting planned out for us this summer! And to inspire us, look what Helen made:

"Mom, they can't see the rose well in this kind of shot!"

"Here, let me hold it down for you, so the Angels can see the rose better!"

Our Supervisor and Spokesmodel Cowboy has now started to direct these photo shoots as well as arrange the items and model....... But there was more! Yarn fumes warning (for those of you who are susceptible!):

"Angel Helen picked the right yarn -- it's so soft I think I'll take a short nap -- doing all this directing is hard work.....zzzzzzz."

Perfect yarn for prayer shawls - in just the amount needed to make a shawl in each of the colors. And if you look carefully, you'lll even see those big skeins of yellow and pink - which allow you to make a whole baby layette from them. I'm already envisioning lovely things for newborns at Swedish Covenant Hospital!

I always see a bit of the divine in whatever Helen sends -- and in the emails she send me to make me laugh! Did you know she is also my Yarn Fairy? During the months of March and April (and whenever else I get swamped at work), Helen knits for me by proxy. In her latest email, she said that I (Chris) had been very busy knitting - finishing off two hats and a scarf in record time. Thank you, Yarn Fairy!!!! You've allowed me to clone myself so I can be "doing" two things at the same time!!!!! How divine is THAT?!?!?!

I also heard from Angel Ruth Siburt from Decatur, IL. She's been busy too -- take a look:

"I really like the way this stitch feels, Mom. Can we put it in my Kitty Condo -- please?!?!?!"

Ruth said that this blanket took her six months to knit -- and it was worth it! I can just picture it wrapped around a newborn baby girl, born at Swedish Covenant Hospital! She also had very exciting news! She said that the Angels had inspired the ladies of her church to start their own knitting and crocheting group! They call themselves the "Stitching Sisters" -- and they are learning and fellowshipping together twice a month. Crocheters outnumber knitters 6 to 2. Some of the Stitching Sisters are more experience than others and are helping those less skilled -- and everyone is having a blast! I have to say that this news just made my MONTH!!! I've been praying blessings on the Stitching Sisters ever since I got Ruth's note -- this is truly divine news! Thank you, Ruth, for caring about others enough to follow God's leading and take on the challenge of starting the Stitching Sisters. I see great things in store for the Sisters!

Angel Lisa dropped off another Seafarer's Scarf for Christmas at Sea on Easter Sunday when we got together to review our weekly readings of "My Utmost for His Highest." Her handiwork is so divine:

"If I wear this Seafarer's Scarf, do you think I can catch some salmon and tuna? Princess Cody Grace the Magnificent would LOVE that! I think this scarf makes me look quite worldly and handsome....."

I thought of Rabbi Heschel's quote above when I looked at the results of Helen's, Ruth's, and Lisa's gifts -- because they represent each woman's view of our transparent world, and how they, too, catch glimpses of the divine. Helen, Ruth, and Lisa live in expectant reverance -- and I want to strive to be like them. Thank you, Angels, for reminding me how transparent the world really is.

Eloquence

"Action is eloquence." -- William Shakespeare

Angel Lisa has some pretty amazing friends, and they are our newest Angels. Jean Bianchi works downtown in Chicago, and she sees all the homeless people shivering in the cold on her way to and from work - and she wanted to do something for them. A little over two years ago, she was thinking of scarves to give out to those folks for Christmas, but since but since it was November, she knew that she couldn't do it all herself. She was at a stamping party (making cards and scrapbooking) and she mentioned it, and Diane Elliot, whom she did not know, said she makes scarves to try out a pattern before knitting or crocheting afghans - and she had a lot of scarves that she didn't know what to do with and she'd give them to Jean.

By Diane and Jean taking action, one thing led to another, friends told friends, and Jean and Diane started a loosely-knit (no pun intended!!) group to knit and crochet scarves for those folks they saw on the street. This past Christmas, they had more scarves than they could use, and thanks to Angel Lisa, they just donated them to the Crafty Angels! Supervisor Cowboy is modeling his favorite up top!

Just look at what they made:

These scarves are awesome -- and will keep people served by Cornerstone Community Outreach nice and warm!! As Jean said in her email: "It was very rewarding to give the scarves to the homeless. I wrapped them and made it look festive -- everyone was so appreciative. So little effort, and it brightens someone's day." She is also going to take action to rally some of the women who made the scarves to make things for the Crafty Angels!

Angel Penny Sawczak also took action -- awhile back she started a group to meet at lunch where she works (at Northeastern Illinois University here in Chicago) to crochet, and to teach others to crochet. She has been making lovely things for the Crafty Angels -- and look at the yarny goodness she dropped off at my office on Monday:
Lovely baby blankets for a newborn boy and girl born at Swedish Covenant Hospital! She even washed the toys to make them safe for newborns! Penny may have made them safe for newborns, but for some reason they completely freaked our Supervisor and spokesmodel out -- and he refused to pose with them (maybe our Supervisor's ego is just getting too big and he didn't want to share the spotlight with those very cute bears -- just asking!!!). And there was more:

Penny made this beautiful blanket for one of our female seniors at Friendly Towers - it is so nice and warm, and has a very unique ruffled edge.

And check out these hats!!! They are super-warm and will be great for the women served by Cornerstone Community Outreach!

When she dropped off these gorgeous items, Penny also picked up a trash bag full of yarn -- she was in the mood to do something different, so she took action and is going to make blankets for the men at Friendly Towers.

"Raw" yarny goodness arrived on Tuesday via my friend Bill Bowen at work. His wife Sonja is very active in Fourth Presbyterian Church's knitting ministry - and they received a donation of yarn that wasn't quite right for the people they serve. So Sonja took action and donated it to us. Take a look at the bounty we received:
See that skein of loose red yarn in the lower right hand corner of the picture? Yes, you know our Supervisor well - he gave in to temptation! As soon as the camera clicked, that skein was off the table, out of the dining room, across the living room, and stuffed under Frank's recliner -- and I had to practically fight Cowboy to get it back for the Angels!!!

I love Shakespeare's quote up top, and Jean's, Diane's, Penny's, and Sonja's actions eloquently showed their love and concern for those less fortunate than themselves. Through yarny goodness, they actively reached out to those around them. Thank you, Jean, Diane, Penny, and Sonja for having such big hearts and so eloquently taking action for the people we serve! You are ANGELS!!!!

Wesley's Rule

"Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can." - Rev. John Wesley

I collect poem pictures, which are small, inspirational prints that were very common during the Depression. People gave them to each other when they wanted to give more than a card, but didn't have much money. I just love them and what they stand for - a positive outlook, a concern for others, and a love of home and family. I've picked them up at flea markets; yard, rummage, and estate sales; antique malls; and out of trash bins. My most favorite poem picture is up top -- according to the writing on the back, it was given to Betty for Christmas by S.S. in 1934. It's my favorite because it's a modernization of what became known as John Wesley's (the father of the Methodist movement) Rule. Here it is the way he originally wrote it:

"What shall you do? Do good. Do all the good thou canst. Let thy plenty supply thy neighbor's wants; and thou wilt never want something to do. Canst thou find none that need the necessaries of life, that are pinched with cold or hunger; none that have not raiment to put on, or a place where to lay their head; none that are wasted with pining sickness; none that are languishing in prison? If you duly considered our Lord's words, "The poor have you always with you," you would no more ask, 'What shall I do?'"

I guess you could say that Rule is my life rule, and along with my Confirmation verse (James 2:26), it has guided the course of my life. The Crafty Angels came out of it, along with the Proverbs verses on the right-hand side of this page.

So I'm just tickled to pieces when I meet someone who epitomizes that rule! And just such a person is our newest Angel, Birgit Yacoub from Springfield, IL! She found us over the internet, and used to live in the Albany Park neighborhood - where many of the families we serve live. She is very familiar with Swedish Covenant Hospital as well. This creative, talented woman wanted to give back to that neighborhood and look what she sent:

"This box smells really, really interesting, Mom -- hurry up and open it!"

Isn't Birgit's handiwork just beautiful? And I love the little headband and poncho she crocheted! But there is more:

This set is amazing! The little shrug is gorgeous, and Birgit made booties in 3 different sizes because, as she said in her note, "baby feet grow FAST!" And look at the diaper cover!!!

This little dress is precious, and I loved the bear buttons!

"Ok, Mom, let's not get crazy here with the baby cape. I'm not a doll - and OBVIOUSLY you haven't had enough chocolate today or you would know that!!!"

The new mom who receives this hoodie and baby blanket will treasure it always! And there was STILL more:

I can just picture these shawls keeping one of our female seniors at Friendly Towers warm, or comforting someone experiencing a loss or serious illness.

This hat will keep a woman served by Cornerstone Community Outreach nice and warm when the snow flies!

"This is just for my legions of fans around the world!!!"

And Birgit also included something for ME -- CHOCOLATE! In her note she said it was only fair, because I didn't get chocolate in the box Carol Flowers sent that was a chocolate box!

YUM! Cowboy doesn't have to worry about ME not getting enough chocolate for oh........the next two or three days!!!

Birgit, thank you for personifying John Wesley's Rule - and giving back to those who once touched your life. The recipients of your lovely handiwork will treasure those items -- and the love that just radiates from them! Thank you for being an angel to so many! We're so glad that you have joined us!

Angel Joann Larson has been busy spreading the word about the Angels at her church and among her friends -- I received a box from another new Angel, Stacy Hayden from Northbrook, IL! In her note, she said that she was excited to learn about us, and wanted to get involved. Look at the beautiful shawl she sent:

Stacy knitted the shawl with several kinds of yarn held together -- I think this will be perfect for our fundraiser to raise money to send our bears to The Mother Bear Project! And she sent yarn to help refill our bins! Look!

Naturally, when our spokesmodel and supervisor Cowboy finds yarn, mayhem ensues:

The pink fuzzy yarn was his favorite. Then the phone rang, and when I came back, I found this:

"You got the chocolate, so these really soft, sqooshy skeins are MINE -- ALL MINE!!!!"

It was a challenge to get those skeins away from him, too! Thank you Stacy, for the gorgeous shawl -- and for the yarn -- but mostly for thinking of others and caring enough to go out of your way to touch their lives. You are a blessing to us!