One Square Mile

   Around the block out here on the prairie is a four mile trek. It took me almost a year to venture so far on foot. The varied scenery which extends far beyond a square mile is well worth the walk. My photography skills are nowhere equal to the beauty of it, but here are a few glimpses. This morning I went first west then north, east, south, then west again. The pictures are in order, but I didn't always point the camera the direction I was walking.

Starting down the driveway, going north:

Looking behind me at the sunrise:

Hoff Lutheran in Heimdal, a little town just to my north.

Almost home.
Our house is nestled in the trees on the left.

God's Choice

An old, broken vessel that no one can use

Is just such an instrument God says He’ll choose.

The weak and the foolish, cast off by the wise,

Are valued by God and esteemed in His eyes.

The standard by which He appraises our worth

Is not the one used by the men of the earth.

It’s not that He’s willing to take second best:

He really prefers what the worldly detest.

He chooses the poor and the crippled and blind,

Ignoring the glory of proud humankind,

The legs of a man and the strength of a horse,

And all the idolatry man may endorse.

In these the Creator takes no real delight,

For faith is the thing which is great in His sight,

And those who will fear Him and hope in His grace,

Regardless of what their condition or place,

Are pleasing to Him — and to them He is nigh.

He reckons them righteous and hears when they cry.

1 Corinthians 1, Psalm 147, Psalm 34

The Narrow Way

The way indeed is narrow;

   The entrance to it strait.

Don’t think with wicked baggage

   To enter at the gate.

The heart of Christ our Savior

   Is big enough for all,

But He reserves the pathway

   For those who heed His call.

His call is self-denial;

   Repentance is His cry.

Before the promised comfort,

   He says that we must die.

No more allowed to wander,

   Like sheep who’ve gone astray,

He calls us to surrender,

   And walk the narrow way.

There is a way that’s broader,

   That doesn’t cramp your style,

And doesn’t make much difference

   ‘Tween holy things and vile;

And lots of people take it,

   Who do just as they please,

Without a thought or worry

   Of God and His decrees.

All kinds of speech and music

   Are welcome on that road —

And every fad and fashion,

   However base the mode.

Some travellers there are trying

   To make themselves look good,

But none of them has power

   To live the way they should.

Some folks there speak of Jesus,

   And even call Him “Lord,”

But when they stand before Him,

   Expecting a reward,

He’ll tell them they are sinners

   Whom He has never known,

And into outer darkness

   In anguish they’ll be thrown.

The narrow way is better,

   Where sins are left behind —

With all the forms and theories

   That please the carnal mind.

By leading of the Spirit,

   Our carnal notions cease;

And trusting in our Savior,

   We find all joy and peace.

Nita Brainard,  Harvey, ND, July 3, 2012

Quick Afghan

   I needed a wedding present, so I chose a pattern for an afghan I thought would knit up quickly. I was right. I made this in less than a week.

   The pattern I chose was Lion Brand's Plush Throw, using Jiffy yarn, but I changed it slightly, using larger needles and adding embellishment. My version is:

Size:
40" x 50"

Materials:
5 balls each two colors of Jiffy yarn (I used Dove and Oat.)
size 13 circular needles
size 8 needles for embellishments

Holding two strands of yarn together, one of each color, cast on 84 stitches, using size 13 needles.
Knit 6 rows garter stitch. (Knit every row.)
Row 7: K across all stitches.
Row 8: K4, purl to within 4 of end; K4.
Repeat rows 7 & 8 until piece measures 48", ending with a right side row.
Knit 5 rows garter stitch.
Bind off on right side.

Finishing:
Weave in yarn ends.
Using one strand of yarn and size 8 needles, make  Nita's Flower, using one color for the center and the other for the petals of your flower. 
Make leaf on size 8 needles.


Leaf:
Cast on 5.
Row 1: K2 YO K1 YO K2
Row 2 and all wrong side rows: Purl
Row 3: K3 YO K1 YO K3
Row 5: K4 YO K! YO K4
Row 7: K5 YO K1 YO K5 (13 stitches)
Rows 9, 11, 13, & 15: K1 SSK, K to within 3 stitches of end, K2tog, K (5 stitches)
Row 17: K1 Sl1, K2tog, PSSO, K1
Row 19:  Sl1, K2tog, PSSO. Cut yarn, pull through last stitch.


Sew flower and leaf to lower right corner of afghan.


This afghan is available for sale on a make-to-order basis.