Timothy's Commission

The reading this morning came from 2 Timothy 4:1-8.

Rereading that passage kinda makes me think about all the people that believe the theory of evolution, but that has nothing to do with today's sermon.

According to recent surveys, the most trusted brand name in Australia is the Salvation Army. This indicates to us that we are doing all the right things. The Salvation Army is also the most trusted charity.

The fact that The Salvation Army is primarily a church seems to get lost in today's world. Many people know of our work but few know us as a church. Even I myself didn't know about the church side of The Salvation Army until I started attending services. We need to live up to our name. We are about the salvation of souls! It is because we are a church that we reach out to help others.

Paul urges Timothy to preach the word, correct, rebuke and encourage.

How many opportunities do we take advantage of to share the Gospel? I know I haven't taken advantage of many of the opportunities that have come my way. We should have confidence, just as Paul did.

Richard.

The week that was 26-02-11

The end of another busy week of ups and downs.

I think I'll go through the ups first.

I finished several projects this week, some of which appeared here last wednesday and some that will appear next wednesday. They include several drink bottle cosies and a few angels. I'm not sure if it's the right time of year to be making christmas angels, but I did anyway.

I'm almost due to go back to the trainer for another assessment of how my exercise program is going. I have been going to the gym for about 8 weeks now. I don't see any difference when I look in the mirror but I certainly feel something, especially across the shoulders. I have actually cut back to twice a week in the last couple of weeks because I am going to the local community centre on friday mornings to help teach people how to crochet.

Teaching crochet at the community centre is going well. So far I have only been teaching one lady how to do chain and double crochet (english not US) but I hope to move her onto treble and double treble soon, and then I can teach her all the variations of these stitches and how to read patterns. If anybody we teach starts downloading patterns from the internet we may need to teach them the difference between english and american pattern, but we will cross that bridge when we get to it.

Today was market day down in Benalla and we did reasonably well. We managed to sell several towels, Heather Hippo (stuffed toy) and a set of wine glass socks. The total take for today was $76 which I figured to give us about $10 profit after taking the cost of the stall, the petrol to get there, materials and insurance into account. Not exactly a livable wage but it give us a little pocket money for when we decide to go back to the LYS.

On the down side, Sue and I got the results of our blood test back. While mine were OK (not good or bad really), Sue's showed a possible problem and she had to go back for further tests which involved spending 2 hours at the pathology place. We will get the results of this test back on wednesday.

With all the bad things that seem to be happening in this part of the world lately (floods, cyclones, earthquakes, etc) diabetes may be a small thing to worry about but I would still like to ask those of you that pray to include Sue in your prayers this week, especially since she has so many other health problems (she will be seeing a specialist on monday about getting booked in to have both knees replaced)  at the moment.

Richard.

WIP Wednesday 23/02/11

The hooks have been flying again  this week with several finished objects and progress on a couple of others.

The first finished object for this week is the drink bottle cosy in Albury Tigers colours.

I don't know if I'll make any more of these until I actually start selling them. There wasn't much interest at the last couple of markets, but then last Saturday's market wash a wash out. I have had some interest from someone that wants one in Salvo colours, so maybe I'll make a few in red, blue and yellow. I could always use one myself.

The next item to be completed was the frog pouch and flies to replace the one I sold a couple of weeks ago.

This is quite a popular item so I'm sure I'll be making more of these.

I also sold a little turtle that weekend so I thought I should replace it also.

I quite like this little turtle and it only takes a few hours to make.

Another item I sold was a little christmas angel (even though it's not christmas) so I made a few of those.

I almost forgot to take a photo of these so they ended up being photoed on the dining table with a flash instead of outside in natural light so the colours aren't quite right in this photo.

One of the WIPs that I've managed to make a bit of progress on are the scarf to go with the beanie that I finished a few weeks ago.

It's actually looking more like a scarf now although I'm not sure how much wider I'm going to be able to make it. I may have to use some of the other ball of wool I have which means I won't be able to make a beanie and scarf combo out of it. I'll just have to see how wide it is when the first ball runs out.

The WIP is the Salvation Army Crest rug.

The crest part is almost complete, just another 7 rows to go, then I drop the second colour for another 3 rows before starting on the border. It's progressing a lot quicker now that there are few changes in colour in each row.

I plan on taking the blanket and scarf to class with me on friday morning (I'm helping teach crochet at a local community centre) and to markets on saturday so I should be able to make good progress on these this week.

I'm also planning my next projects. 8 table runners similar to the Australian piece I did a couple of years ago, one for each state and territory in Australia featuring aspects of that state or territory (animals, birds, flowers, landmarks, etc). I expect each one to take a little more than a month to make once the design layout has been finalised, so I should be able to complete all 8 in a year.

That's all that's on my hooks this week.

Richard.

Jonah's Temper Tantrum

The reading this week comes from Jonah 4 and finishes the story of Jonah.

Hitler could be in heaven! If he accepted Jesus Christ as his saviour before he died he would be! Most of us would feel that this isn't right and that justice would only be served if Hitler was rotting in hell, but God doesn't work that way.

Jonah rebelled, repented, was forgiven and eventually went to Nineveh and preached God's word. As a result of this the Ninevites repented, received forgiveness and were spared. To Jonah this seemed very wrong and he became angry. He didn't want them spared. These were evil people and they deserved whatever punishment God would dish out.

God's forgiveness is available to anyone who would call on His name and repent. All christians need to tell people about our loving God.

Do we have a heart to see people saved or, like Jonah, would we prefer to see them punished?

Richard.

The week that was 19-02-11

This week I have been busy making drink bottle cosies for today's market. Not that there was a lot of point in making these as this morning's market was a bit of a washout. I did manage to sell 4 hanging towels before the main part of the rain hit us, so it wasn't a complete waist of time.

Yesterday morning Sue and I went to the local community centre to meet up with the ladies that I may be teaching later this year. The guy that is currently teaching crochet wants to take a bit of time off so he asked me if I could take over. I had only met him once at the previous Thurgoona Markets and he asked me about this as soon as he heard I was a crocheter. He also put me onto some other people who a re looking for someone to teach Butan refugees, so it looks like I have a bit of work ahead of me.

The sun came out this afternoon and I was able to dry out the gazebo after this morning rain but the stock still needs airing. Hopefully we will have some fine weather this week.

This morning's sales didn't have any effect on my to-do list as I have plenty of towels in stock. This means that I will be able to concentrate on the frog pouch, turtle and angel for next week. The frog is almost finished already as I spent time on it this afternoon. It just need fronts leg, a tongue and some flies and it will be ready for market. If all goes well I should have those items complete before wednesday so will need find something else for the rest of the week.

Next Saturday I will be in Benalla. I do hope the weather will be kinder.

Richard.

WIP Wednesday 16/02/11

This has been another busy week. I managed to add a few rows to the crest blanket and scarf while trying to sell things in Myrtleford. It still amazes me how surprised people are to see a guy crocheting in public. I didn't bother taking photos of these as the progress is fairly minor, maybe next week if I manage to add a bit more to them.

I did manage to finish 2 tea cosies this week. The first in basket weave decorated with flowers, leaves and a butterfly.

It's a little big for the tea pot I put it on but I'm sure it will suit someone's tea pot.

The second tea cosy is in Blackberry Salad Stitch and just decorated with leaves to make it look like a big berry.

I'm still trying to teak the design of my tea cosies but I think I'm on the right track.

This evening I started work on the drink bottle cosies that are next on my to-do list. I should be able to get a couple of them done before saturday. I'm not sure if I'm going to manage the keep sake pouch and the turtle before then though. Hopefully I can get at least the keepsake pouch done as that is quite a popular item.

That's it for this week.

Richard.

Jonah: A Second Chance

The reading for this morning came from Jonah 3.

The message of Jonah 3 is forgiveness and giving a second chance. Jonah was given a second chance to take God's message to Nineveh, and the Ninevites were giving a second chance when they asked for forgiveness.

The main part of this morning's message was in the form of a video of a man who forgave his son's murderer. It looked at the story from both sides, how the father held on to his anger for so long, how hard it was for him to write the murdered the letter forgiving him for what he had done and how angry the murderer got when he received the letter as no one had ever dared to contact him in this way before. The story ended with both men finding peace and becoming friends.

Holding a grudge, unforgiveness and hate is like giving someone space in your head without charging them rent. The only way to get them out is to forgive. Of course, this is a lot harder to say than to do.

Richard.

The week that was 12-02-11

Another busy week of crochet, doctors appointments and driving Sue around has come to an end.

This week I have managed to finish a couple of drink bottle holders that I'm experimenting with (still need to tweak the pattern a little) and a tea cosy (picture to come on Wednesday). I have also started another tea cosy and a scarf, and made a little progress on the crest blanket that I showed in a WIP Wednesday post a few weeks ago. At my current rate of progress I will be finished in plenty of time for the show.

This morning we got up at the crack of dawn, packed all the stall items into the car and headed for Myrtleford. It was a little quiet but they tell me that that's expected at this time of the year. I guess I'll have to take their word for it. I did manage to sell a few items including a toy turtle, a boy's keep-sake pouch and angel and a booties and bonnet set. Of course this means that my to-do list just grew with the addition of the items that I sold, and here was me thinking that I was making good progress through the list. I was a little disappointed that no-one asked about the drink bottle cosies that I had made in Myrtleford Saints colours.

So, my to-do list for this week looks something like this:-

Complete tea cosy currently in progress (Blackberry Salad Stitch in maroon decorated with leaves).
2 drink bottle cosies in Lavington Panthers colours.
2 drink bottle cosies in Albury Tigers colours.
A boys keep-sake pouch with flies.
An angel (or 2)
A baby's sunhat and booties set.

And, if I have any time left after all that, 2 more drink bottle cosies in blue and yellow (another local footy team but I can't remember their name), a couple more in Salvation Army colours (I want one of these for myself) and do a bit more work on other projects already started. Somehow, I don't think I'm going to have time.

Richard.

WIP Wednesday 09/02/11

Another week has passed and my hook and darning needle have been quite busy.

The first finished item this week was the bottle/can holder.

All it needed was the loose end sewing in.

I also finished the beanie.

I made 2 more bottle holders, one for large drink bottles and one for small bottles or cans.

I'm still tweaking the pattern for these but I think I'm pretty close. I specifically chose these colours as we will be setting up the stall in Myrtleford this Saturday and these are the colours of the Myrtleford Saints football team. Hopefully that will spark a little interest.

I also started another tea cosy.

It doesn't look much yet.

Nor does the scarf that I started.

It's a crocheted rib in the same wool as the beanie completed earlier. I like to have matching pairs of these sort of things.

Sue has made some progress on the matinee jacket (just needs buttons now) and booties (just need ribbons) so I'll take photos of those before I put them on the stall. She also did a little work on her tartan rug.

My to-do list is looking a little shorter now. I would like to do another tea cosy once I've finished the one I started today and more baby's clothes but there isn't anything else that's pressing at the moment. There are lots of things I would like to make but I'm not sure how they would sell. Of course I will need to think about replacing anything I sell at the next market which will be this Saturday.

On the market front, we are booked in to attend 3 markets this month. Two of these are monthly markets and the other is currently quarterly but considering going monthly so I think we have enough places to sell our goods now. If we don't, there's always the Artfire shop (http://rosescrafts.artfire.com).

Richard.

Jonah Part 2

The reading this week is Jonah 1:17 - 2:10

According to the Bible, Jonah lived inside the belly of a fish for 3 days and 3 nights. There have been many arguments as to whether this story is real or a parable. I believe that God can create a fish big enough to swallow a man whole and also keep him alive inside the fish for 3 days.

Whether you believe the story or not doesn't matter because this isn't the real story. What happened inside Jonah is what matters. The most powerful prayer that Jonah ever prayed was most likely prayed in the belly of the fish.

Some points to remember:-

God answers us while we are still in sin.
God loves us even when we rebel.
Even when God is displeased with us He doesn't dessert us.
God rescues us in stages. Jonah needed time to contemplate before he was ready to obey God.
God answers us to gain our attention.

Eventually, Jonah came around, gave thanks to God and was saved.

We need to pray because God loves us.

As a side note, while Sue was helping with Sunday School, I attended the prayer meeting and during one of the prayers one of the people prayed about those that ask "why does God allow bad things to happen" and a thought came into my head. God allows bad things to happen because, for some of us, that's the only time we think about Him. Most of us never think to thank Him for all the good things He gives us but are quick to blame Him for the bad that comes our way.

Richard.

The week that was 05-02-11

This week has been quite busy with visits to the chiro and doctor giving me a chance to a bit more crochet.

We've also had a mixed bag with the weather, hot and dry for the first part and warm and wet for the second. In some way I prefer the warm and wet but it can turn hot and humid fairly quickly.

I have finally managed to open my Artfire shop. I only have a few items listed as yet but I'll keep adding more as time permits. You can find it at http://www.artfire.com/users/RosesCrafts. I'm not sure if my prices are suitable or if I'm setting them too high  or too low but I figured that that's what I would like to get for my hard work. It's more than I'm likely to get at craft markets.

Thinking about craft markets, I have found a list of markets within about an hour from home and have started to contact the people in charge to organise a site so hopefully I'll be able to sell something a nd make a little extra cash. I'm not sure what I'll do if something I'm selling on Artfire sells at the markets and online. Guess I will just have to get busy and make a replacement as quickly as possible to send to the online purchaser. I should be able to make a new crocheted item withing a few days but knitted items generally take me longer.

I'm still looking for other items to make. I'm starting on beanies and bottle/can holders in footy team colours but I'm not sure about taking items in team colours of one area to a market in another area. Might get a little interesting.

That's it for this  week. If anyone is interested, my price for custom made items is $15/hour plus materials. :)

Richard.

WIP Wednesday 02/02/11

It has been quite difficult to be able to crochet this week as it has been so hot. I have made a little progress on the towels I have been putting together but not much.

I have managed to do little while in air-conditioned waiting rooms but how many doctors and chiro appointments can a person make in one week.

I have almost finished the can/bottle holder. Just need to sew in the end.

And started a new beanie with some of the wool I bought in Bendigo last August.

In the meantime, Sue has put down all her blankets and has been making a baby's jacket.

I believe she is working on booties to go with it.

That's all for this week.

Richard.