Reverse Lent: Week 5

Last week's beautiful sunny, Spring is almost here, day has been replaced with cold winds and storm clouds. Yesterday morning we even had rain, just enought to wet the cars, but not nearly as much as we need. Our weather just can't seem to make up its mind. The sudden, unexpected changes in temperature this last week is reminding me of life, where anything can happen at any moment. You might have plenty of time to craft one moment and the next be too busy to do anything enjoyable. Life is unexpected and this can be good or it can be bad depending on the unexpected additions to your life. Either way, just like with the weather, we have to deal with it and adjust our lives accordingly. 

As you probably guessed it, I am still behind in my Reverse Lent challenge. However, I am only 1 1/2 blankets behind now so I might just be caught up by next week....ok, well I can still hope that is true. This Reverse Lent has been challenging, but I am really enjoying the time I have spent crocheting the blankets for Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep. The blankets have to be plain, as in they only want medium colored blankets in a single color, which has been challenging, but I am trying to create pretty blankets by changing the stitch used.

I haven't taken any pictures of the blankets I have made thus far, but I promise I will bring taking pictures soon and will upload them at the end of the challenge. I also have been thinking about new projects for Spring and will be posting new DIYs in the next month, along with Spring cleaning tips and more ideas about how to stay organized. 

Reverse Lent: Week 4

Spring is almost upon us and everything seems to already be in bloom. The weather is warm, too warm for winter, and reminiscent of new beginnings. This week I have been thinking about the end of winter and putting last year behind me. Yes, it is March, 3 months into the new year, but there is still this focus on the past. I feel certain I'm not alone in this thinking or there wouldn't be the need for Spring Cleaning. I always liked Spring, with the flowers blooming, and the possibility of new beginnings looming in the future. This week, the week before Spring's official start, I am ready for new beginnings. I am still behind in my Reverse Lent challenge and my schedule does not look any clearer in the next few weeks. I am not complaining. I know I am blessed to be busy with school and work, not everyone has a job or the opportunity to further their education, but this also means I can't keep up with all of my projects without finding myself drained.

I am, however, anticipating a brief and I mean brief period without school, which I hope will give me the opportunity to catch up on my Reverse Lent blanket challenge. I also am hoping to finish some home renovation projects and catch up on Spring Cleaning. I am ready for Spring and for new possibilities. Where do you spend the most time cleaning for Spring? What are your best tips for surviving Spring Cleaning? Leave your answers in a comment.

Reverse Lent: Week 3

They say when it rains it pours and this week has definitely taken an unexpected toll on me. I am not one to complain, but it has felt as if it has been one thing after another. Health wise it has been a continuous stream of one thing and then another, ending this week with a likely ear infection or ruptured ear drum (pending a doctor's appointment). The decline in health probably has much to do with stress, but there are certain stressors in life that are unavoidable, such as going to work. I'm not complaining, but since I'm not super woman I am once again behind on my blanket for this week. In fact, I am so behind with blanket 3 that I haven't even started it. I know that eventually it will get done, but I do feel disappointed that I was unable to stay up on the challenge for this year.

Perhaps I set an unrealistic goal. After all I am once again a student, am working full time, and trying to find time to breathe. I probably should have looked at my commitments and known that it would be too hard for me to accomplish everything I needed to get done, especially without leaving myself room to be sick or brought down by health issues. I'm not ashamed. I envisioned a big plan for myself this Lenton season and am learning to be more realistic about my goals. In different circumstances it might have been possible for me to complete this challenge and it isn't impossible now, just unlikely I will finish on time. While I don't have a blanket to show for this week, I do have a few lessons I would like to share with you.

Lesson 1: Waiting
Waiting is inevitable. In life we are guaranteed we will have to wait. We will wait on people, dreams to be realized, and prayers to be answered. Personally, I have never been good with waiting. I don't like it. If I don't see a reason why I can't have something then I want it now and am going to be upset if I don't get it. Now, I'm not a child and so when I have to wait I don't throw a fit, but I am unhappy about it. I've noticed that the longer I have to wait the more discouraged I become. The discouragement comes from a lack of understanding. I read this great article When God Makes Us Wait and it explains why we are made to wait. Right now, this article speaks to my heart. I am in a position where I am waiting for prayers to be answered. If you're in this place too then I know how frustrated you are, but I can honestly say that waiting has a purpose. When you are made to wait, God isn't saying "No" and He isn't ignoring you, He is telling you "Not yet," He is telling you "I have something better for you," and He is telling you "I will strengthen your faith." So hold on, I know it is hard, but the answer you receive will be worth the wait.

Lesson 2: Change
Change, like waiting, is an unfortunate aspect of life. Some change we experience is good and rewarding, but change represents the unknown and is therefore scary to many people. I also don't like change and make it part of my life to avoid it, for the most part. I know some change is necessary and changes our lives for the better, even if not at first, but if you ask me I would probably tell you I could live without it. Change is inevitable and whether we like it or not, we need to learn to accept the change in our life. We don't have to like it, I don't like the changes happening in my life at this moment, but you need to accept it as reality. It is real and you can't go about your life pretending it didn't happen. I wish very much if we didn't like something we could change it back, but unfortunately we don't have that kind of control. The point is change happens and when you're unhappy with the change remember, "This too will pass." This might mean your feelings about the change will pass or it might be the change changes itself. Either way even change changes. Be patient and wait because it won't last forever.

Lesson 3: Endless Supply
Change, being made to wait, and the other stressors of life will bring you down and weigh upon you. You will face struggles and not want to go on, but you don't have to do it alone. God has an endless supply of whatever you need and He is waiting to give it to you. You just have to trust He will and then lean back to enjoy your endless supply. This week I have said more than once that I can't do this, but then God fills me up again and I can give it one more try. Yes, some weeks and some days you will have to cry out for replenishment more than once, but you will always be replenished. You might not be able to do it anymore, but God can. Remember His supply is endless and He is waiting to give it to you.

I don't know where you are this week, but I know I have been reflecting on these lessons every day and I am still learning. Some days are easier than others, but I know I'm not alone and neither are you. Have faith and be happy. You are loved. If you enjoyed this week's post, consider reading my blog Lessons detailing this journey of faith. 

Reverse Lent: Week 2

I am sitting here, on this beautiful day, reflecting on this past week of Lent. I can't help, but be reminded that this time last week I was sad and felt like a failure because my first blanket wasn't done. I was feeling sorry for myself, I was too busy, and I didn't have time, but I was missing the point: this wasn't about me. This Reverse Lent was about loving and caring about children because God loves these children and called them to my heart. Then there was also the fact that I was blessed to be busy with work, not everyone has a job or is able to work, and to be busy with school, not everyone can afford an education. I was selfish to complain. Now, I will admit they there are times when you need to complain, to vent, and to release that frustration, but it isn't healthy or beneficial to stay in that place. I left off last week feeling convicted and decided that I would finish the week smiling instead of complaining. The change in attitude proved effective because this week I am feeling blessed and accomplished.

The blanket for the first week of Lent is finished and simple, but beautiful. The blanket was made using Red Heart yarn in Grey Heather using single crochet stitches made with a crochet hook size G (4.25 mm). I originally intended this blanket for one of the All Kids Need Love comfort kits for foster children, but have since decided that the blankets I make during Reverse Lent will be donated to Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep Remembrance (Nilmdts Remembrance). This organization provides comfort kits to families who have lost a newborn or given birth to a stillborn. I was aware of this organization before, but only vaguely. This last week this organization was referred to me by my sister. She knows more about the organization and recognized their need for crochet or knit blankets to include in the comfort kits they send out to families. I knew that I had the ability to help this organization and felt convicted. As I sat thinking about this I realized that this might have been the reason why I had trouble finishing the first blanket on time. 

Yes, I still could have donated the blanket later upon discovery of the immediate need, but then the blanket would have been too large to be donated. Since I was behind, I was able to make the blanket in the size specified in the description: 16" x 16" to 20" x 20". This is significantly smaller than the blankets I intended on making for the foster care children. This much smaller size is much easier to manage. I am now back on track to finish a blanket a week during Lent while still maintaining my busy lifestyle. Even when everything seemed turned upside down this weekend, I was still able to work on the blanket for week 2, and handle the painfulness life sometimes brings. 

This week I have learned that there are times when we need to be weak, when we need to rely on our friends, and when we need to have faith that there is more than we can see or experience in our current state. I do not usually spend my posts reflecting on life or the shared experiences we have, but I feel that Reverse Lent is an opportunity to share more than just my projects, it is time for reflection. Although, the purpose of this blog is not to discuss life or the lessons we learn, I recognize the need to sometimes discuss life, after all it is a journey we all are experiencing. It would take too long to explain why this weekend was painful or why there was a need to be weak, but I can  assure you that the worst of storms will pass leaving you with a rainbow. 

I would like to leave you with a final thought, a passage from The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch:

"Proper apologies have three parts:

1) What I did was wrong

2) I feel badly that I hurt you

3) How do I make this better?

Yes, some people may take advantage of you when answering question 3. But most people will be genuinely appreciative of your make-good efforts. They may tell you how to make it better in some small, easy way. And often, they'll work harder to help make things better themselves.

Students would say to me: "What if I apologize and the other person doesn't apologize back?" I'd tell them: "That's not something you can control, so don't let it eat at you."

If other people owe you an apology, and your words of apology to them are proper and heartfelt, you still may not hear from them for awhile. After all, what are the odds that they get to the right emotional place to apologize at the exact moment you do? So just be patient. Many times in my career, I saw students apologize, and then several days later, their teammates came around. Your patience will be both appreciated and rewarded." (The Last Lecture, Pausch, pp. 162-163)

The only thing you can control in life is yourself so apologize when you need to and be patient with those who owe you an apology. You might never receive the apology you deserve, but that isn't within your control so you can't let the mistakes of others eat at you. Live your life in a way that you can be proud of when you are out of time. 

Reverse Lent: Week 1

The first week of Reverse Lent is coming to an end and I am already behind. I knew when I set this goal that it would be challenging, but I believed I was up for the challenge. Unfortunately, I didn't anticipate how busy I would be or the sudden onset of my seasonal allergies. Apparently it wasn't just the weather that missed the memo it is still winter. Anyways, I am not giving up on my Reverse Lent, but I just don't have a blanket to share with my readers today. I was feeling down today that the blanket wasn't finished, but I ended up reading my friend's blog that followed her own lent journey and felt inspired. Her blog features a new entry for each day of lent and reflects on her day, including the new lessons she has learned about God. As I read her posts today I thought about the things I have learned as I worked on my own lent journey.

 First, a little about the blanket I am working on as this week ends. I used a single crochet stitch to crochet the blanket in Red Heart Super Saver yarn in Grey Heather. The blanket is a little over half way done and when finished will be accented with Red Heart Super Saver yarn in Turqua. The blanket will be embellished with Turqua roses. The finished blanket will be simple, but will make a sweet gift for any foster child. 

 I mentioned earlier that I have been busy this week and it has been difficult to maintain steady work on the baby blanket, this hasn't been made any easier with the increased fatigue associated with allergies. The point of this is not to complain, but to point out how easy it would be to quit. It doesn't matter the extent of our problems, whether they are little or big, but how we choose to respond to our problems. The friend, whose blog I was reading, has faced so many challenges these last few years, and yet has never given up. She has faced tragedy and loss, but never once quit. She even had the strength to inspire others who were hurting along the way. I have watched how her family has handled their challenges and been inspired to follow her lead. 

This week I choose to face my challenges with my head held high, to persevere, and to not allow my challenges to weigh me down. As I finish the first blanket and move onto the next, while still maintaining my other responsibilities, I am going to do so with a smile on my face. Not because there won't be challenges, but because I know that I am blessed. 

Reverse Lent

Today is Ash Wednesday and for protestants worldwide it is the start of Lent. For those who don't know, Lent is traditionally a religious observance that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Easter Sunday (approximately 6 weeks). Lent is a season of prayer, fasting, and simple living, but has evolved to the removal of an unneeded item from your life (i.e. giving up chocolate or coffee). Last year I was introduced to Reverse Lent. In Reverse Lent, the person does something charitable during the 40 days of Lent. Reverse Lent might be 40 days of helping a different person or organization every day or 40 days of working to help a single person or organization.

I really enjoyed Reverse Lent last year and spent 40 days working on a baby blanket that I donated to Oliviana's Closet. Oliviana's Closet is an organization that helps single moms by providing them with new and gently used baby items. This year I am going to challenge myself and try to finish a blanket a week. These blankets will then be included in care packages for foster children. Each care package or "comfort kits" will include essentials for the child as well as extras that will provide comfort to a scared child and be packaged in tote bags. For those who don't know most children enter into foster care with very few personal items and the items they do have are carried in garage bags. Comfort kits that provide them with additional items, as well as nice bag to carry the items in, are beneficial to the adjustment these children will inevitably have to make.

BooBear's Love Notes

"No one has ever become poor by giving." - Anne Frank

One of the greatest gifts we can give to children is giving them a heart willing to give freely and we give this gift to them through freely giving ourselves. Years ago I envisioned creating "love notes" for children in children's hospitals, but was never able to fully realize this vision due to several complications. The vision for these "love notes" included a note and themed art activities for children of various ages. One of the complications was how to package these "love notes", but recently I came across a perfect solution 6" x 9" Manila envelopes and finished making the "love notes" using the supplies I had purchased years ago. It was a wonderful feeling to complete these "love notes". However, it posed another complication: would the hospital administration allow these particular donations. Previously I had received mixed responses as to what the hospitals would accept, but recently I received an email from a child life specialist accepting the donations. I look forward to donating these "love notes" to the children's hospital. 

A lot of people I encounter are not familiar with the field of child life and I wasn't familiar with it myself until a few years ago when I heard about it while I was finishing my bachelors degree. Child life specialists are pediatric health care professionals who work with children and their families in hospitals, as well as other settings, to help them cope with the challenges of hospitalization, illness, and disability (Wikipedia). Children are provided with age-appropriate preparation for medial procedures, pain management, and coping strategies through play and self-expression activities. Child life specialists also provide information, support, and guidance to parents, siblings, and other family members. The field of child life is a wonderful addition to the medical community. It is also the field I am preparing to enter into this year. I was fortunate enough to be accepted into a wonderful child life graduate program at the beginning of this year and look forward to being a certified child life specialist. 

Children, who are confined to a hospital for prolonged periods of time, experience changes in their "normal" routine and this can cause depression in these children. One way to combat depression is to receive visitors and letters from people who care about them. This is why I decided to create BooBear's Love Notes and send "love notes" to children in the children's hospital. The note was a way of telling the children they were loved while the activities included in the envelope were meant to provide the children with an activity when they were unable to leave their beds. Each envelope contains post cards, velvet magnets to colors, foam activities, and crayons. These items are centered around a theme, such as cowboys or pirates. Most of the items I have used were purchased from the Oriental Trading Company. Their website has several different items in various different themes. I was able to order plenty of supplies without spending a fortune.

I have pictured the "love notes" I have made thus far and am working on more "love notes", which I will show in upcoming posts. Are there any projects you have planned to help others? Or ideas for future "love notes"? If so, I would love to read about your projects and ideas in the comments below.