A crazy lady with a crazy idea

This round 4 has been...well.chemo, so it's hard...but, has been OK.

The negative effects have been easier to deal with better pain and nausea medication management (thank you Elaine :), proper timing of a good Popsicle (thank you Mary :), Lots of rest (thank you Seriah and Thaxton :), and eating small, frequent meals (thank you my many dear friends delivering delicious, healthy food :). Eating, diarrhea and overwhelming fatigue continue to be the biggest challenges.

I have a couple of days off, and will be doing vit. C and ALA treatments this week on Wednesday and Friday, and chemo round again starting on Tuesday, Jan 14th. It is a crazy, crazy schedule, especially for someone that just prefers to stay at home and cuddle kids:).

I don't have a lot of energy, but clearly I have been feeling a bit better, because I have a crazy idea. I would like help putting together a prayer quilt :). It's a bit corny, but I would love the visual reminder of being covered in prayer :). And I would love to see the names of my prayer warriors on the quilt to remind me to pray for you too.

If you are part of my prayer team, I would love if you could donate a 10 inch x 10 inch, pre-washed quilt square. It can be from sewn together quilt squares, complicated or simple, or applique. I would like your name somewhere on it (fabric marker, iron-on fabric letters, iron-on fabric patches cut in the shape of letters, or embroidered). The edges of the square will be sewn into the neighboring fabric, so the outside 1/4 inch edges are not going to be seen (only the center, 9 1/2 inches will be seen after it is sewn into the quilt). If you are not crafty, there are many quilting groups I have found that have been very excited to help me figure this out. I just did a "quilt" google search. A 10 inch square can be done as a group or family. You can even buy pre-made 10 inch quilt squares on Ebay or Etsy.

Here are some examples:

There are many web sites on you can find online. Here is one for 10 inch quilt squares: https://www.patchworksquare.com/index.php?function=DisplayCategory&showCategory=Y&links=2&id=57&link1=60&link2=57

Here is an example of colors I am leaning towards (but a little less navy, and more chocolate brown). I love vintage designs/fabrics.

Please don't feel pressured, I know everyone has done so much for me and my family already, and I hate to make you feel obligated to take on something more. Having a visual reminder of being covered in prayer sounds amazing though and I know I am being fervently prayed for, even without a square of fabric :).

This was sent to me from a dear friend today:

God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah

a. God is our refuge and strength: Many of the other psalms begin with a description of the psalmist’s crisis. In Psalm 46, the poet begins with God’s provision. He looked to God for help in difficult times and found it. He could say these things by experience:

· That God Himself was a place of refuge, as the cities of refuge protected the fugitive in Israel.

· That God Himself was strength for His people, being strong for them and in them.

· That God alone was his refuge and strength, not God and something or someone else.

· That God Himself was their help – not from a distance, but a very present help.

i. A very present help: “The secret of the confidence is the consciousness of the nearness of God.” (Morgan)

ii. This has nothing to do with the safety or strength inherent in the creature. “We may be as timid by nature as the coneys, but God is our refuge; we are as weak by nature as bruised reeds, but God is our strength.” (Spurgeon)

iii. “All creatures, when in distress, run to their refuges, Proverbs 30:26 [The rock badgers are a feeble folk, yet they make their homes in the crags].” (Trapp)

b. Therefore we will not fear: The psalmist applied the logic of faith. If God is a real refuge, strength, and help to His people, then there is no logical reason to fear – even in the biggest crisis (though the earth be removed).

i. “Its robust, defiant tone suggests that it was composed at a time of crisis, which makes the confession of faith doubly impressive.” (Kidner)

c. The earth be moved…the mountains carried…the waters roar…the mountains shake: The psalmist considered the most frightening, humbling natural phenomenon imaginable. He then made the reasoned estimation that God was greater than them all, and fear before these in some way robbed God of some of His honor.

On Feb 14th, I will take whatever 10 inch shares I have and bring them to a local quilting group to have them sewn together, with a chocolate brown border of fabric and machine quilted. Kind of like this, but with different colors:

I plan on posting pictures of each square on my blog and some of the final quilt :).

Crazy?...well maybe...yes :), I have asked friends if it was, and they say "No", but I think they are trying to humor me :).

hugs, from the Crazy Lady

Squares can either be sent to my home address, or my PO Box

Labradoodledoo- Sandi

PO box 911

Gaston, OR 97119