New Year Resolutions

If you’re like many people - you make resolutions each year, only to find by the end of January (or the end of the week!), you’ve already blown it.  Why do we seem to fail so miserably at resolutions?  I believe, in part, it could be our heart motive behind those resolutions.

Without a doubt, the most common resolution we hear about is losing weight.  With America’s obesity crisis on the rise, this would be a good resolution to stick to; but it’s difficult to break bad habits and start new, good habits.  So the resolution itself is good - but our heart attitude is off.  We really want to lose the weight, but we don’t relish the hard work and effort we know it will take to make that happen.
Years ago, I stopped making New Year’s Resolutions.  If I felt the Lord leading me to change or correct something, I didn’t wait until New Year’s Day to put it into action.  Am I always successful at everything the Lord tells me to?  I wish I could say yes, but the truth is - No, I’m not.  Why?  Because I’m a sinner.  I am not perfect and I am still a work in progress.
So what’s my rambling point?  :)  My one resolution and goal for this coming year is to grow even deeper in my walk with the Lord.  I want to more fully and intimately know him.  I have looked back on 2006 and while it’s been a blessed year, it’s also been one of my most stressful.  I find myself busier than I ever wanted to be and that busyness has left me tired, stressed and not digging into the Word like I used to.  You will also notice a drastic drop in articles by me here on the T2CHK web site.  I’ve been active in ministry, but so side-tracked with other responsibilities, I have not taken the time to contribute articles like I have in the past and really would like to.   I read my Bible - and I do pray and hear from the Lord, but it’s not as close a relationship as it used to be - and it’s my fault.   I let life get in the way of what should always have been my first priority:  my relationship with Christ.

Now, it wouldn’t kill me to lose about 15 pounds, do some more organizing on my home, take more time of solace, prayer and just quietness; but I know that the root of all the good things I want/need to do will come after I first seek God and put Him first above all else.  My heart was seeking worldly things before the one heavenly relationship I needed to accomplish that which I need (spiritual growth) and want (lose weight, organize my life, etc…).  No wonder I was stressed and tired!  I was trying to do all these things!  I can only do all things through Christ who strengthens me, if I let Christ strengthen me.  I was leaving out the important element in my plans: Christ!

So I’m breaking with my normal tradition of not setting a New Year’s Resolution - and I’m setting one now.  The year 2007 is going to be a year of rest, less stress and spiritual growth for me.  I know this is what God is calling me to - and without this step, nothing else will get done that I want.  I must first do what I need to do.

Is God calling you to do something?  Get your priorities in order and all else will come in God’s timing.  I pray God abundantly blesses you in 2007.

In Him,

Traci

Stuffed Felt Christmas Ornaments

by Wardeh Harmon

The same year I made the felt Christmas stockings, I made these felt ornaments for my own family and our extended family and friends. They were super easy. I completed about 40 of them in a couple of evenings, while relaxing on the couch watching my favorite Jane Austen movies.

Supplies

• Felt in deep, rich colors
• White embroidery floss, or your choice of color with good contrast
• Embroidery needle
• Polyester stuffing
• Trinkets to sew on the front
• Wire ornament hangers

Instructions

1. Cut out the felt. Cut out two matching pieces of felt for each ornament. Choose simple shapes — such as hearts, squares and circles — that are about 2 to 3 inches in diameter. You can make yourself a template for each shape out of cardboard or by using the shapes you first successfully cut out of felt.

2. Blanket-stitch 2 matching pieces together for each ornament. Use 2 threads for all stitching. Stitch around entire ornament, but leave a 1-inch opening. With needle dangling and threaded, stuff ornament with polyester filling. Finish stitching it closed. You can find information on how to blanket-stitch at ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Simplicity. Refer to the pictures of my ornaments for a general idea of the look you want to achieve. If you’re not using white embroidery floss, choose a color that contrasts well with the felt color(s).

3. Attach trinket to front of ornament. For this step, use just 1 thread of the embroidery floss to sew the trinket to the front of the ornament. How you attach it will depend on the type of trinket you choose. Very often there will be a little circle at the top that is meant for using thread or wire to attach the trinket to some object.

4. Add a hanger. This can be accomplished in 2 ways. You may poke a wire ornament hanger through the stitching at the top of the ornament. You may also create a thread hanger — use 1 strand of the embroidery floss and sew through the top of the ornament. Instead of drawing the thread tight, leave a loop while you push the needle through the top of the ornament about 3 more times. Each time, leave a loop that matches the size of the first loop. Next, stitch a couple of tight stitches (without leaving a loop) to secure the thread hanger.

That’s it! If you have comments or questions, please let me know. You can comment below or write to me at wardeh@t2chk.org.

© Copyright 2006 by Wardeh Harmon. Used with permission from the author.

Easy & Simple Felt Christmas Stockings

by Wardeh Harmon

My children’s felt Christmas stockings — featuring a penguin, a snowman and a mitten constructed from simple shapes out of felt.

I created these stockings for my children in the Christmas of 2003. We still adore them. I planned to also make a stocking for my husband and me, but the felt for those is still sitting in my fabric stash. These aren’t hard stockings — in fact, they’re very easy — but I made the mistake of planning to make too many of them at the same time. Perhaps this will be the year that I finish ours? Just writing out the instructions is inspiring me to finish the last two!

Just like many Christmas stockings, these stockings are not that sturdy. We hang them on the wall during the Christmas season. After filling them for Christmas morning, we then lay them on the floor in front of the Christmas tree or leaned up against a wrapped gift.

To make these stockings, you’ll need two-sided fusible interfacing; embroidery floss and a needle to perform the blanket stitching; and felt in the colors of your choice. The felt for the stocking itself should be constructed from a purchase of felt-by-the-yard. For the image featured on the front of the stocking, inexpensive felt squares work wonderfully.

In addition, you need to locate another ready-made stocking in order to trace the stocking shape. Also, you need a pattern or some ideas for the stocking front design — the image you want the stocking to feature (for instance, a snow man, a reindeer, etc.) Please don’t think this will be difficult. If you look at your own Christmas decorations and items in your household — on coffee mugs, sweatshirts, books, magazines, Christmas ornaments, other stockings — I am certain you’ll find something really quickly that you can trace.

Click to view a related craft — Stuffed Felt Christmas Ornaments.
Ready to start? Here we go!

1. Figure out the design. Choose a simple image that will go on the front of the stocking. Pick something that can be broken down into basic shapes and layered up. You might consider adorning the item. For instance, I chose a mitten made up of simple shapes for my daughter Naomi’s stocking and I adorned it by adding a heart on top of it. You could choose typical Christmas adornments, like stars and hearts.

Naomi’s mitten stocking adorned with a heart.

2. Cut out all the felt pieces. Cut out two stocking-size pieces from felt for the stocking itself. From the same color of felt, cut out a rectangle that is about 1 inch wide and 6 inches long. This will end up being the hanger.

Now cut out pieces of felt in the colors of your choice for the image that will go on the front of the stocking. Choose bright colors with good contrast. Play around with the layout by laying out the pieces to see how they go together. If necessary, change the colors, using extra felt, until you get it right.

When you have the design arrangement right, cut out a matching piece of double-sided fusible interfacing for each of the design pieces.

We chose a penguin for Haniya’s stocking because that was the year we read and loved “Mr. Popper’s Penguins” by Richard and Florence Atwater. This penguins reveals the contrast developed by colors and simple shapes layered up.

3. Fuse the design pieces to the stocking front. Use one of the stocking-size pieces and all the little design pieces for this step.

There are two types of this interfacing (of which I am aware). For the first kind, fuse the interfacing to one piece of felt, then peel off the interfacing’s paper backing, which will expose another fuse which you should fuse to the front of the stocking. For the other type, you’ll put the interfacing between the shape and stocking (or shape and another shape) and fuse them together in one step.

For whatever type you have, follow the manufacturer’s directions to perform this step, your goal being to end up with all the image pieces fused to the front of one stocking piece. Start with the pieces that will be on the bottom layer of the image and finish with the pieces that adorn the image. If it will help you get the order right, lay all the pieces out first, then move them to the side and flip them upside down.

4. Blanket-stitch around all pieces of the stocking design. Choose a color of thread that will achieve the kind of contrast you desire. You don’t have to use the same color for all pieces; work what looks best. You can find information on how to blanket stitch at ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Simplicity. Refer to the pictures of my stockings for a general idea of the look you want to achieve.

5. Add buttons and embellishments. The sky is the limit with how to adorn the stocking front, however I would encourage you to keep it somewhat simple. Buttons work great for eyes and to sew all over the face of the stocking. Once again, use my stockings to give you ideas. You can also stitch into the stocking front, making little X’s or snowflakes. To get a little fancier, you could stitch little hearts or the recipient’s name.

6. Blanket-stitch the two stocking pieces together. Do this around the entire outer edge of the stocking, leaving the top open. To finish off the stocking, attach the hanger to the inside of the top opening, putting it on the side opposite from where the foot comes out.

On our son Mikah’s stocking, I really should go back and add tiny buttons for the snowman’s eyes. I think I will!

That’s it! Have fun with these. I’d really love to see a photo of your unique designs. If you have comments or questions, leave a comment below or email me at wardeh@t2chk.org.

© Copyright 2006 by Wardeh Harmon. Used with permission from the author.

The Happiest Birthday Ever

A King was born two thousand years ago,

He came without pomp, without a show,

He was born amongst stinking straw

In a damp dark stable with a rank earth floor.

He was held aloft by rough carpenter’s hands,

Not even a midwife’s, just a man’s,

And as He breathed and cried out loud

He breathed in air that was quite foul.

I wonder how Mary felt

With no women there to help-

No water to wash her face and hair-

Just Joseph watching full of care?

Did Joseph feel he could cope?-

He must have felt out of scope-

For men delivering babies just wasn’t done-

And this Babe was special- God’s own Son.

I wonder, too how Mary felt,

Watching Joseph as he knelt

Searching out a place cleanest of all-

And found a crib: the cattle’s stall?

How sad the only place for her baby to lay

Was a rough prickling crib of hay.

How Mary’s spirits must have plunged

As she surveyed the dirt and dung………

But how she must have been revived

When she heard angels singing loud outside,

And what a great and glorious sight

As she saw the star which shone so bright.

Yes, such was Jesus’ lowly birth

For Jesus cared not for things of earth,

But rather of things of Heaven,

And from there those glad tidings were given-

For Jesus cared not about His poverty,

You see, for He was far richer than you or me-

For His treasures were those found in Heaven,

And can for us be freely given.

So I believe this humble birth

Was the happiest one ever on earth,

And we can all share the joy thereof

When we ponder on God’s way of showing His love-

The King of all eternity,

Born in filth and poverty-

Destined to bear all our sin

So that we can enter in

To life eternal, the greatest gift-

But I really have to ask myself if

People have forgotten the Babe of Bethlehem,

Have they really turned their back on Him?

And see only tinsel, gifts and trees

As if any one of these

Really honours Him on His birthday,

Because there is a better way;

Like going to church if you can,

Loving your Lord and fellow man,

Inviting Him into home and heart-

Take Christ’s birth setting for a start-

Don’t fret over earthly gain,

You’ll never have enough, only pain-

Concentrate on Heavenly treasure;

You’ll find blessings beyond all measure.

© Glenys Robyn Hicks

Luke 2:1-14 “ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ* the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

The Word Became Flesh