A Throw of Many Colors.....

Joseph had his coat of many colors.....

Genesis 37: 1-3 

1And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan.

2 These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report.

3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours.

Dolly Parton had her coat of many colors.....

And now.................

My daughter has her "Throw of many colors."

A little over a year ago, my sweet hubby brought home a HUGE yarn stash that he had purchased. There were literally bags and bags of yarn in every color and thickness. I have been trying to work my way through the stash, but I was not having a lot of luck.

Recently, on one of my Pinterest searches I found a pattern for this "scrap afghan". I knew I had found my answer. Over Christmas break I began working on it. The throw or afghan is worked with 3 different pieces of yarn at the same time and a very large hook. As one color of yarn ran out, I would join a new one and just keep crocheting. This causes the colors to blend rather than end abruptly.

Here's a close-up:

The only color that I used throughout the entire thing was the white or cream color. (I had plenty of that.)  My daughter had a great time selecting which color would go into the mix next. When she left home about a week ago to return to college, I had her pick out the next several colors so that I could finish it. Tonight I put in the final stitch and ended. I really should have kept track of just how many skeins or bundles of yarn went into the blanket. I know that it was a lot. With all of that yarn, the throw weighs a total of 6 pounds! 

I sent my daughter a picture of the finished throw, but it really did not do it justice. I can hardly wait to see her reaction when she sees the finished product in person. Hopefully she will know that, just as with Joseph's coat, this was made with love in every stitch. When she is laying under its warm layer, I hope that she can sense the hug that I have stitched within it as I crocheted each and every little loop. 

Oh..... by the way..... That yarn stash? Well, there is still lots left, so I will likely make other things for other people that I know and love.  

A New Year

Isaiah 43: 18-19

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! 

Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? 

I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.

Here it is- a new year and new beginning. Rather than looking back on the old and what HAS been..... I choose to look forward on the new year.

I sit here with a smile on my face, ready and waiting for whatever the Lord allows to spring up. In Isaiah 43, God tells us, "I am doing a new thing". I trust that he will continue to do new things, here in 2015, thousands of years after he first made that promise.

I often find myself wondering about what choice I should make, what direction I should go, or what I should try to achieve- so I suppose you could say that I, too, find myself wandering in the wilderness. I trust that God will guide me, if I ask him and listen to him. He will make a way for me......

I know that God also told us not to dwell on the past, but I feel that he will understand that I must glance back in order to see from whence I came.....

The last year was often filled with stress, trouble, and turmoil. There were health issues for my family, as well as myself. I have often found myself overwhelmed with work, debt, and pressures of life. I have not had nearly as much time to create and relax as I would have hoped or liked.

Over the past month or so, I have felt that God might be telling me..... "Stella, you need to slow down. Rediscover the joys in life. Take more time for you, for your family, and for me."

Perhaps that is the "new thing"-  Perhaps I am meant to return to some of the joys that I have enjoyed in the past. I am open to that.

Won't you join me in my efforts to learn what God can make possible in this new year? If you, too, want to discover the "new things" that God has planned, would you pray with me?

Dear God,
I thank you for your continued love and guidance in my life. As I stand here, at the beginning of a new year, I am ready and willing for whatever you would have me to do. I know that I can be stubborn, and sometimes I try to make my own way. At those times I would ask you to gently remind me that YOU are there and you know what is best for me. I also know that I sometimes allow life and its pressures to blind me and to overtake my life. At those times I would ask you to do what you need in order to turn my vision back to you and your will. 

I do not know what the new year will bring- but I do know that it will certainly be filled with new experiences, enriched by your love and your presence. You WILL make a way for me in the wilderness of daily life and you WILL provide refreshing streams when I need them most.

Thank you Lord, for your love, your guidance, and your tender touch as I continue throughout this new year!