Earthen Vessels

Treasure

          2 Corinthians 4:7

Oh, we have this glorious treasure

      In a vessel made of clay,

Which has many imperfections,

      That we cannot wipe away.

But we don’t despise the vessel,

      Though it’s marred with many a scratch,

For the treasure that is in it

      We can’t duplicate or match.

God commanded light from darkness

      And has shined it in our hearts,

Having chosen earthen vessels

      For the glory He imparts.

They may seem like poor containers

      For the faith esteemed as gold,

But their value should be measured

      By the precious things they hold.

July 27, 2012

The earthen vessels are little dots in this picture of a very small portion of  the earth.
~ Dinosaur National Monument, Utah

Double Knitting

   One of the things that I normally like about knitting is that I can visit, meditate, and even pray while doing it. Sometimes, however, for good mental health a project that requires more concentration is what "the doctor" orders.

Thanks to Elizabeth Evans of Ravelry for my first double knitting project.

   Double knitting is when you knit two sides of a double thick project at once, using two different colors of yarn. Following a color chart for this is an excellent brain exercise, as your background color and the color of your motif keep switching back and forth. When you knit on one side, the cup is purple, when you work your way back, the cup is black. Besides that, every time you work one color, you also work the other, and there are stitches in both colors on your needle at the same time, even when you are in the midst of a solid block of color.

How does it work?

   You cast on with both colors at once, making two loops (one of each color) for every stitch cast on. Then you knit each stitch separately, knitting one color then purling the second. The knits become the front of one side of your project, and the purls are the back of the other side. The directions say, "As with any double-knitting project, be sure you’re bringing both yarns to the front and back as you knit one side and purl the other." What this means is that when you knit, both yarns are behind your work, and when you purl both yarns are in front. This seems counter-intuitive at first, but as your work progresses, you can see that the yarns actually end up in the middle between the two layers of fabric that are developing.

   Notice in the pictures that you actually have twice as many stitches on your needle as on the face of your project. The extra stitches are making a mirror image on the reverse side.

  

A Silly Hat

The Magic Owl Hat from Creative Knitting magazine (September 2012), using left over pieces of wool-ease.

Wrestling Jacob

      Left Alone

         Wrestling Jacob

            Genesis 32:24-31

Left alone as night draws on,

Left alone — but not to sleep —

All my earthly comforts gone,

Left a lonesome watch to keep.

Left alone to think my thoughts,

Feel my heartbeat, weigh my fears,

Reconsider schemes and plots

I’ve accomplished o’er the years.

Left alone where mem’ry haunts —

Voices echo through the hills,

Calling back and forth their taunts,

Recollecting former ills.

Where are now God’s promises?

Where’s the ladder to the sky?

Where’s the hope that God will bless

Such a wretched man as I?

Left alone — but not alone —

An intruder comes to fight,

Challenging what strength I own,

Wrestling with me through the night.

He who knows my failing frame

Wrestled till the break of day,

Touched my thigh and asked my name —

His He doesn’t need to say.

Left alone — oh blessed place!

Though by doubts and fears assailed,

God and I met face to face;

Met and fought till faith prevailed.

Now a prince with God and men,

Humbled, thankful, bold am I,

As the sun comes up again,

Halting on my wounded thigh.

Nita Brainard
December 11, 2012

Rainbow Park, Utah

WholeHearted-Home

Give and Take

True friendship involves give and take.

But what is giving and what is taking? 

Between friends giving is taking and taking is giving. 

I take a chunk of your time to give you a part of myself.

When you take a chunk of my time, you give me your confidence.

You take my confidence when you give me your secret, and you give me your trust when you ask me to give you something.

When you give me your ear, you are taking my heart. And when I give you a listening ear, I am taking in who you are. 

Unless you take my love, you don't truly give me yours.

If you don't take anything from me, you may give me charity or sympathy ~ but not friendship.

      
  Whole Hearted Home