Song for Sunday: Sweet Caroline

After the rather disheartening loss last night, the Red Sox are down 2-1 in the World Series. I think may be they need a bit of encouragement from home.

So Red Sox Nation, sing along:



Where it began
I can't begin to knowin'
But then I know it's growin' strong
Was in the spring
And spring became the summer
Who'd have believed you'd come along

Hands, touchin' hands
Reachin' out
Touchin' me
Touchin' you Sweet Caroline
Good times never seemed so good
I've been inclined
To believe they never would

But now I look at the night
And it don't seem so lonely
We fill it up with only two
And when I hurt
Hurtin' runs off my shoulders
How can I hurt when I'm with you

Warm, touchin' warm
Reachin' out
Touchin' me
Touchin' you Sweet Caroline
Good times never seemed so good
I've been inclined
To believe they never would

Oh, no, no Sweet Caroline
Good times never seemed so good
I've been inclined
I believed they never could
Sweet Caroline
                       ~Neil Diamond




For those from away -- "Sweet Caroline" is sung in the middle of the eighth inning of every Red Sox' game at Fenway. Some say it is in honor of Caroline Kennedy, others that it was just a popular song that came to be viewed as a sort of good luck charm. Anyway:

GO SOX!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

 

I am participating in the October 2013 Ultimate Blog Challenge, but not very successfully. 

Song for Sunday: He Leadeth Me

"I can't complain but sometimes I still do." 

                                              ~ Joe Walsh

A friend of mine posted this as as his Facebook status, going on to say that he knows he has nothing to complain about because God has blessed him and that he is grateful that  forgiveness is always available when he complains anyway. This struck me because it is very true of me as well. 

Then, in church this morning, we sang "He Leadeth Me. The lines that caught my attention was "Nor ever murmer nor repine. Content whatever lot I see since 'tis my God that leadeth me." 

I am reminded of an activity the staff at CYC did one year. At "Staff-in," our one day orientation before the students arrive, we were given rubber bracelets. We were told that anytime we complained, we were to move our bracelets from one wrist to the other. It was meant as an awareness technique and I think it did some good. Most of us kept it up for the whole two weeks. 

Anyway, He Leadeth Me is a beloved hymn for many and today's "Song for Sunday." 

He leadeth me, O blessèd thought!
O words with heav’nly comfort fraught!
Whate’er I do, where’er I be
Still ’tis God’s hand that leadeth me.

He leadeth me, He leadeth me,
By His own hand He leadeth me;
His faithful follower I would be,
For by His hand He leadeth me.

Sometimes mid scenes of deepest gloom,
Sometimes where Eden’s bowers bloom,
By waters still, over troubled sea,
Still ’tis His hand that leadeth me.

He leadeth me, He leadeth me,
By His own hand He leadeth me;
His faithful follower I would be,

For by His hand He leadeth me.

Lord, I would place my hand in Thine,
Nor ever murmur nor repine;
Content, whatever lot I see,
Since ’tis my God that leadeth me.

He leadeth me, He leadeth me,
By His own hand He leadeth me;
His faithful follower I would be,

For by His hand He leadeth me.

And when my task on earth is done,
When by Thy grace the vict’ry’s won,
E’en death’s cold wave I will not flee,
Since God through Jordan leadeth me.

He leadeth me, He leadeth me,
By His own hand He leadeth me;
His faithful follower I would be,
For by His hand He leadeth me.

                           ~Joseph H. Gilmore, 1862

                             In the public domain

What lines from songs have been standing out for you?

Any thoughts on complaining?

A Scot Blessing

A Scot's Blessing:

 

May th' best ye've ever seen

Be the worst ye'll ever see

May the moose ne'er leave your girnal

With a tear drap in it's e'e.

May your lum keep blithely reekin'

'Til ye're auld enough to dee

And may ye aye be just as happy

As I wish ye now tae be.

 

 

"Translation"

 

 

 

May the best you've ever seen

Be the worst you'll ever see

May the mouse ne'er leave your pantry

With a teardrop in it's eye.

May your chimney keep blithely smoking

'Til your old enough to die

And may you always be as happy

As I wish you now to be.

 

 

This blessing was read at a beautiful wedding this past Saturday. The groom was of Scot heritage and wore a kilt. The favors were shortbread cookies, tea and honey. They were adorned with the family's clan crest which bears the words "Commit they work to God." This family, and the bride's as well, exemplify that.

 

I wish these two amazing young people a blessed marriage.

 

And I offer you the above blessing.

 

 

What is your favorite blessing?

 

 

 

 

I am participating in the October 2013 Ultimate Blog Challenge.

 

 

 



 

 



Song for Sunday: You May Be Right!

This song popped into my head  a week or so ago. I have no idea why. 

Then, yesterday, it was played at the reception at an absolutely beautiful wedding for two wonderful people that I had the privilege to attend.

Oh, and yeah, I love Billy Joel songs. 

So today's song for Sunday:

You May Be Right

Friday night I crashed your party
Saturday I said I'm sorry
Sunday came and trashed me out again
I was only having fun
Wasn't hurting any one
And we all enjoyed the weekend for a change

I've been stranded in the combat zone
I walked through Bedford Stuy alone
Even rode my motorcycle in the rain
And you told me not to drive
But I made it home alive
So you said that only proves that I'm insane

You may be right
I may be crazy
But it just may be a lunatic you're looking for

Turn out the light
Don't try to save me
You may be wrong for all I know
But you may be right

Remember how I found you there
Alone in your electric chair
I told you dirty jokes until you smiled
You were lonely for a man
I said take me as I am

Cause you might enjoy some madness for a while

Now think of all the years you tried to
Find someone to satisfy you
I might be as crazy as you say
If i'm crazy then it's true
That it's all because of you
And you wouldn't want me any other way

You may be right
I may be crazy
But it just may be a lunatic you're looking for

It's too late to fight
It's too late to change me
You may be wrong for all I know
But you may be right

You may be right

I may be crazy
But it just may be a lunatic you're looking for
Turn out the light
Don't try to save me
You may be wrong for all I know
But you may be right

You may be wrong but you may be right
You may be wrong but you may be right

                           ~Billy Joel

What songs have popped into your head recently?

I am participating in the October 2013 Ultimate Blog Challenge but I am way  behind. This is only post seven. Of 31. Oh well.

Knitters' Devotional: Kindness

                           "The person who sows seeds of kindness enjoys a perpetual feast"

                                                                                              ~Proverb


We have all experienced kindness. For many of us it has brought refreshment at a difficult time or a smile on a tough day. Small kindnesses are a real blessing.

Knitters have many opportunities to be kind. When we knit for others or teach someone a new stitch we are exercising kindness. We also have the opportunity to speak charitably of others as we work together. It is good to guard against unkind words and vicious gossip. Kindness also reminds us that others bear burdens, too, and we should not think ill of them for things they do or fail to do.


Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote:

                       

“Kind hearts are the gardens,

Kind thoughts are the roots,

 Kind words are the flowers,

 Kind deeds are the fruits,

 Take care of your garden

 And keep out the weeds,

 Fill it with sunshine

 Kind words and kind deeds”

It is true. If we cultivate kind heart and kind ways of thinking, the rest will follow.

It is always good to be kind.


Kind and loving God, grant that we may grow in kindness, May we ever realize that we are called to do good to others. In Jesus name, Amen.




Let not the wise boast of their wisdom
    or the strong boast of their strength
    or the rich boast of their riches,
 but let the one who boasts boast about this:
    that they have the understanding to know me,
that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness,
    justice and righteousness on earth,
    for in these I delight,”
                       declares the Lord.



This is my sixth post for the October 2013 Ultimate Blog Challenge.
 

Song for Sunday: Standing in the Need of Prayer

I attended worship at a church I had never been to this morning. The service was focused and the sermon challenging. The pastor spoke of how God is for us. For some reason as he talked this song came to mind. It's an old spiritual and there are many versions of the lyrics, but the idea is the same. The singer is the one who needs to pray for forgiveness, to stand before the Lord and accept grace. It goes for all of us.

So here's today's Song for Sunday.


Standing in the Need of Prayer



Not my brother, not my sister, but it's me oh Lord
Standing in the need of prayer
Not my brother, not my sister, but it's me oh Lord
Standing in the need of prayer
It's me, it's me, it's me, oh Lord
Standing in the need of prayer
It's me, it's me, it's me, oh Lord
Standing in the need of prayer

Not the preacher, not the sinner, but it's me oh Lord
Standing in the need of prayer
Not the preacher, not the sinner, but it's me oh Lord
Standing in the need of prayer
It's me, it's me, it's me, oh Lord
Standing in the need of prayer
It's me, it's me, it's me, oh Lord
Standing in the need of prayer

Not my mother, not my father, but it's me oh Lord
Standing in the need of prayer
Not my mother, not my father, but it's me oh Lord
Standing in the need of prayer
It's me, it's me, it's me, oh Lord
Standing in the need of prayer
It's me, it's me, it's me, oh Lord
Standing in the need of prayer

It's me, it's me, it's me, oh Lord
Standing in the need of prayer
It's me, it's me, it's me, oh Lord
Standing in the need of prayer




What song is on your mind today?




This is my fifth post for the October 2013 Ultimate Blog Challenge. 

Knitters' Devotional: Softness

Knitted things are soft. The softer the better. People love to stroke a soft scarf or sweater. They feel good when we wear them. That an item is “soft” is a high compliment to a knitter.

Likewise, gentleness is a prized attribute in the Bible. One of the fruits of the Holy Spirit, it helps to be right in our relationships. When we are gentle, we express sensitivity to those around us. There are times when we may need to be firm with children or unyielding in the face of injustice, but gentleness should characterize us.

We need to teach our children to be gentle, to stroke the cats softly, to be kind to their siblings. Gentleness is learned, and it in no way interferes with high spirits or innocent fun. It is good to establish the habit of gentleness early.

The Bible reminds us that our demeanor affects those around us. “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” By our words and actions, we can calm a situation or escalate. Let us seek to be the quieting influence.

Lord, help us to learn to be gentle. May we bring calm to times of chaos and anger. In Jesus name, Amen

A soft answer turns away wrath.

         Proverbs 15:1 (NKJV)

Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.

      ~Philippians 4:5



I am writing a knitter's devotional and would like constructive criticism and other feedback on the content, clarity, readability and grammar of this post, if you would be so kind.


I am participating in the October 2013 Ultimate Blog Challenge. The goal is to write 31 posts in 31 days. This is number four.

Prayer for a New Business

 I am starting a new business. It is a crafting business. I think that it is good to start all things with prayer. I went search for a prayer for a new business today and found this on Prayers for Special Help. It is exactly the prayer I want.

Dear Lord,

I ask for your help in starting my own business. You are my strongest ally, and my best partner. Please join me in this new venture so that I may succeed For myself, my family and the customers I will serve. Grant me your powers of good judgment, Your wisdom and guidance, So that my business may prosper and do right by us all in Your Heavenly name.

Thank you!

Amen

I ask that those of you who pray to God join me in praying for this new craft business of mine.

What prayers are you seeking right now?

Are you doing anything new?






I am participating in the October 2013 Ultimate Blog Challenge. This is post #3 of 31.

Craft Time: Easy Bean Bags

Bean bags aren't all that diffcult to make, but these are even easier than most. I think they would make a good first project for a child just learning to use a sewing machine.


You will need fleece, thread, scissors or pinking shears, and a 4" by 4" square of cardboard. In choosing your fleece, consider solid colors, swirls, polka dots and random patterns. Remember that some fabrics may require you to center a piece or match sides.

On the wrong side of the fleece, draw around the edges of the 4" by 4" cardboard square. Do this twice for each bean bag you wish to make. Cut out the squares. Pinking sears leave a nice edge, but scissors are fine, too. I tried to cut out two squares at once so they would be exactly the same, but found it didn't work too well. 

Put the wrong sides of two squares together. Using a thread that will blend in or a contrasting thread, sew three and a half sides of the bean bag 5/8" in from the edge. Use a smaller stitch than usual. I use a 1.5. If you are using contrasting thread, you might want to choose a decorative stitch.

Fill the bean bag with 1/4 cup of beans. It should be fairly full. Weight will help with both tossing games and juggling.  (If selling or giving away, label for the over three set.)

Close the fourth side using the same stitch as for the other three. Snip hanging threads and you're done!

Hope you enjoy this!

What's your favorite kid's toy to craft?

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I think I will do a "Thursday Craft Time" series for as long as my crafty ideas hold out. 

I am participating in the Ultimate Blog Challenge. This is post #2 of 31 for October 2013.

Photos by J. Parry.

Knitter's Devotional: Faithfulness

I am writing a knitter's devotional and would love feedback on this entry. Constructive criticism on content, clarity, readability and grammar welcome. Thank you.

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Sometimes, knitting can be a slog. We get to point where we just don't want to continue with a project. It's tedious or difficult or taking extra time. If we persevere, though, we will have the reward of knowing we were faithful to complete the task. We might also have the joy of knowing that someone is grateful for our gift.

Sometimes, the Christian life can be a slog. It's hard to keep going. We don't want to live for God instead of ourselves. We want to give up, to take the easy route, to succumb to the temptations around us. The hope and rest promised by those things, however, is false. What God  offers is real. Therefor, faithfulness is to our benefit.

If we are faithful, we will be rewarded. We know that we will receive the blessings of Heaven. We will know that others benefit. We will know again the joy of communion with Christ.

It's not always easy to stay faithful. God, through Paul, promises that if we run with perseverance the race set before us, we will reach the goal of full fellowship with God and His people. Sometimes it's a joy. Sometimes, we just have to push through, trusting that our faithfulness will be worth it in the end. In Hebrews, Paul gives us a list of faithful people like Noah, and Moses, and Rahab. They followed God and received their rewards. May we do the same.

Dear God, You are ever faithful to your followers. Help us also to be faithful to you. In Jesus name, Amen.


Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

                                                                       ~   Hebrews 12:1-3

“Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness.

                                                                       ~ Joshua 24:14


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I am participating in the October 2013 Ultimate Blog Challenge. The goal is to write 31 posts in 31 days. This is number one.