Only One

I was encouraged today to have inspiration for a new poem. 

                    Only One

There’s only one shelter and only one rest,

There’s only one place I can go when oppressed.

I’ve tried other options and find they are vain,

But in the Lord Jesus there’s peace and great gain.

There’s only one refuge, one fortress, one tower;

One sure place of safety in earth’s present hour.

There’s only one hiding place; only one rock

That offers salvation to all who will knock.

In all of the lists of the noble and brave

There’s no other name that is able to save.

The only deliverer is Jesus, God’s Son,

For He and the Father and Spirit are One.

An equal to God in His power and grace,

Christ died for the sins of the whole human race.

He’s faithful, unmoving, unchanging, and just.

In Him, and Him only, I dare put my trust.

Psalm 18:2; Acts 4:12; Psalm 62

Favorite Verses

My friend Judith at WholeHeartedHome posted some of her favorite Bible verses, and it inclines me to do the same. I'm choosing verses that have been favorites since I was a very young Christian which have been my food through the years. There are many other good ones, but these stand out:

1. Psalm 34:5  They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed. 

2. Galatians 1:10b  If I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. 

3. Philippians 4:6  Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 

Stash Buster Sampler Afghan

With three grandchildren on the way, I need to have a few baby blankets in store, so I made this one out of left-over and hand-me-down baby weight yarn. Here's what I did:

Step 1: Gather all yarn of similar weight. It doesn't have to be exact. You will be guessing at the amounts, but you should have a total of 16 - 18 ounces of yarn. Using a kitchen scale if needed, divide every yarn color and type into two equal piles. Put one pile in a bag and set aside.

Step 2: Choose a color from the pile not set aside. Using size 6 needles, CO 200 stitches. Work in double seed stitch pattern for approximately 12 rows. (If you have less yarn, CO fewer stitches for a smaller afghan.)

Step 3: Switch to a new color. Work 6 stitches double seed stitch. Knit across to last 6 stitches if your change is on the right side of work. Purl across if your change is on the back side. Work the last 6 stitches in double seed stitch. On the next row, work 6 stitches double seed stitch. Then choose a new pattern and knit across to last 6 stitches. Work 6 st double seed stitch. Continue with the new pattern for as long as you like, keeping your double seed stitch edging. Try not to use all your color up in one stripe.

Step 4: Repeat step 3 as many times as needed, changing the pattern stitch every time you change colors, and changing colors as often as you like, depending on how many you have.

Step 5: When you have used up your first pile of yarn, or your afghan is about half as long as you want it to be, get out the pile of yarn that was set aside. Match your color sequence going backwards. Don't match the patterns unless you want to. I didn't -- except the last color which is done in double seed stitch like the first.

Step 6: Bind Off.

Step 7: (The least fun one) Sew in all the yarn ends.

Double Seed Stitch: 

Row 1: K2, P2 across.
Row 2: K the knits and P the purls.
Row 3: P2, K2 across.
Row 4: K the knits and P the purls.

NOTE: Avoid rib and cable patterns as they will have a smocking effect.

You won't have the exact number of stitches for most of your patterns. When that happens, decide whether you want to stop in the middle of a pattern when you get to the end of the row or you want to have a few extra knit stitches on one or both ends. You may do it one way with some patterns and the other way with others.

I used the following books for patterns to sample:
Donna Kooler's Encyclopedia of Knitting
Sampler Afghans, Leisure Arts Pamphlet #932

A Gourd

A gourd sprang up to shelter me,

      And shade me in my grief.

I thought it would forever be,

      A source of sweet relief.

But after only one glad day,

      Which might my dreams confirm,

I learned it wouldn’t be that way,

      For God prepared a worm.

The worm attacked my precious shade,

      And smote it that it died.

The sun now beats upon my head,

      And I am sorely tried.

Like Jonah I am very faint,

      And wish myself to die,

But unlike him, make no complaint,

      Though unto God I cry.

I don’t deserve to have my way,

      Nor in the shade to sit.

The God who gave may take away,

       And I can but submit.

I can’t be angry, yet I plead;

      I dare to ask my Lord,

Unworthy though I am indeed,

       Please give me back the gourd!

                 PART II

I asked You for the gourd again,

      It was my only thought.

I felt its loss and cried in pain

      For shade that it had brought.

But when You took the gourd away,

      You never gave it back.

Despite my pleas, You said me nay —

      And let me feel my lack.

I don’t know why my hopes were raised,

      Then dropped and dashed apart;

Why I was left confused, half-crazed,

      And with a yearning heart.

But You have higher things in view,

      And know what’s best for me.

Without the gourd I can make do —

      But give me now a tree!

          PART III

Oh, Lord, if You would shelter me

      With some sweet second cause —

A short-lived gourd or towering tree

      Beneath which I may pause;

If you provide a resting place

      Where I may take a break,

Escape a while and slow my pace,

      And calm the breaths I take;

If I enjoy a short reprieve

      And revel in the shade,

Will all my strength for battle leave

      And idleness invade?

Will I expect to always rest

      And never leave the site?

Once of a little ease possessed,

      Will I refuse to fight?

Lord, help me proper use to make

      Of comforts that You send.

The benefits thereof to take,

      But not on them depend;

And not allow the gifts to block

      The Giver from my view,

But worthy of the Lord to walk

      In fellowship with You.

Wholehearted Wednesdays

Sampler Afghan

On display at the Beehive in Spencer, Iowa, this afghan is from a Leisure Arts pamphlet.

Things That Are Excellent

Philippians 1: 9-10

That your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; That ye may approve things that are excellent.

   Do you know what is excellent? Do you know what things to approve and what to disapprove?  When there is a deviation from the norm, can you tell whether it is for the good or bad? The Bible tells us, "he that is spiritual judgeth all things."  How do you know if your judgement is right?  

   The Bible tells us what we need in order to "approve things that are excellent." (Phil 1:10.) The things we need in order to know what is really good are the things that Paul prayed that the Philippians would have:
   "That your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgement." (Phil. 1:9)

   In other words, we need to have love and knowledge.  Judgement (or discernment) by itself will not put us in the place where we can approve the things that are excellent.  Knowledge and judgement must be mixed with love.  Likewise, love must be mixed with knowledge.

   It seems people generally fall into one of two camps.  Either they are all love and approve all things or they are all knowledge and approve nothing outside their own sphere.  The spiritual position is in neither of these extremes.  In order that our judgement might be right judgement, and that we might approve things that are excellent we must have both love and judgement.

   If we walk on this spiritual path we will likely have folks on either side displeased with us.  Some will say that we are too soft, that our way is too broad, and that we don't use enough discernment.  Others will say we are too hard, our way is too narrow, and we don't have enough love.  Let us find the path that includes both love and knowledge, so that we avoid the ditches on both sides of the road.

   One of the ways in which love will help us to make proper judgements is that it will prevent us from judging things by one issue alone.  Love will prevent us from condemning everyone who does not hold to our particular view of a favorite doctrine, or whose dress standard differs from our own.  Love will prevent us from excluding all who do not belong to our own circle of fellowship.

   On the other hand, discernment will keep us from embracing every wind of doctrine just because some dear Christians hold to it.  It will give us a foundation on which to stand, a perspective, and a solid footing that won't give way under the heaviest burden or the strongest love.  Let us stand solidly on the ground of truth, but let our love "abound yet more and more."

More Expectations

I'm still thinking about expectations, and the saying, Expectations ruin relationships. This is a true statement when applied to selfish and ridiculous expectations, but it can't apply to all expectations, for it seems to me that a friendship without expectations is no friendship it all. 

Expectations in Friendship

If I can’t expect a smile;

Can’t expect a friendly chat;

Can’t drop in and stay a while,

Then what kind of friend is that?

If I dare not speak my mind;

Dare not open up my heart,

Then my friend, however kind,

Is but friend to me in part.

I expect to trust my friend,

And expect that trust returned.

Expectations cannot end,

Where true friendship has been learned.

When you give what you expect,

Sometimes more, but never less,

Then your friendship you protect

From the snare of selfishness.

If you don’t expect at all;

Only give and never take,

Your capacity is small

Deep and mutual friends to make.

Expectations are not wrong —

Only foolish ones resist;

Those that flow from love belong;
Friends without them don't exist.

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