Potholder Perspectives: Priorities

It's finally time to wrap up the potholder perspectives series. To be honest, I've been spending a lot more time with my horse than with my yarn (www.sanesoundspotted.blogspot.com). This current crocheting motivation might have something to do with the weather; winter approaches and I am keen to pick up a project again for the rainy weekends and dark nights.

With work, relationships, and other interests all competing for my time, crocheting has taken a fall on the priority list. I used to say, "I don't have time," but I eliminated that white lie from my vocabulary. If it's important enough, I make time. So the truth is: other things are more important to me than crocheting, and priorities are simply about decisions.

This final pair of potholders is for my secret santa co-worker. The Christmas season is well underway. Each year I think it couldn't possibly get more commercial and then it does - a good example of misplaced priorities. Jesus is swept away in a flurry of advertisements and wrapping paper.

Sifting through the season makes me realize how I've struggled recently to put time with God first. We talk everyday, but haven't been spending as much quality time together. My mind has been involved in personal circumstances and distracted by endless work details. In the meantime, time flies by and before I realize it, a week's gone by without Kingdom change.

Crocheting can stay for several months at the bottom of the priority list, but my walk with Jesus is too important to sit on the back burner. Lord, please help me to make you my number one priority.
 

Matthew 6:33"But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." (ESV)

Pattern: Linda's Snowflake Potholder
Credit: ravelry.com

Happy Thankgiving!

Potholder Perspectives: Persuaded

“For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate me from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus my Lord.” Romans 8:38-39

The same day that I made this Valentine themed potholder, I came across an old list I wrote in college titled, “How I know God Loves Me.” Here’s an excerpt:

1.       He sent Jesus (to start with the obvious…)

2.       He created horses.

3.       He gave me such a great family that I get homesick.

4.       He made chocolate.

5.       He smiles when I baby-talk my pets.

6.       He wrote harmonies for me to sing.

7.       He listens, even when I don’t.

8.       He inspired Jane Austen to write novels.

All I can say is I am persuaded I love Him too.

Potholder Perspectives: Princess

These latest potholders have a bit of pizzazz thanks to some glittery thread I crocheted together with the regular worsted weight yarn.

A few months ago I finished reading a book called “The Supernatural Ways of Royalty” and it changed my perspective on how Christians walk in authority as sons and daughters of the King. It also gave new meaning to my name, which is Hebrew for “princess.”

Princesses are such a stereotyped cliché in American culture that they’ve become little more than singing Disney heroines. They conjure up images of pink and poodles, tiaras and gowns, arrogant bumper stickers and movie icons. This caricature tainted my perception; I’d never thought about how the identity of a spiritual princess would affect her behavior, decisions, expectations, self-worth, beliefs, and actions.

A daughter of the King has confidence, because she knows her worth is based on a rank given by grace, not achieved by performance. Rejection doesn’t crush her self-esteem, because only the King’s opinion matters. She is not afraid to act, because she has the authority to do so. She is comfortable in her own calling and significance, so she can selflessly pour herself into others.

In the couple months since finishing the book, the Holy Spirit keeps confirming these truths in my life. Related topics come up in small group discussion. Multiple friends specifically mention the meaning of my name, out of the blue. My pastor preaches a sermon series about our identity in Christ because of who He is.

In my name, God has  been declaring an identity over me my whole life, and I’m just now starting to believe it. Now that’s worth some sparkle.

Psalm 45:13 "The royal daughter is all glorious within the palace; her clothing is woven with gold." (NKJ)

Pattern Credit: Ornamental Potholder by Alice Best. Available at ravelry.com.

Potholder Perspectives: Paradox

I’ve made only one of the two hexagonal potholders in this set so far, but I’ve had a lot to contemplate in the making.

The Christian faith is full of paradoxes, because God is full of paradoxes – seemingly contradictory, yet in reality, truth. A judge who is both just and merciful at the same time; a man who must lose his life to save it; a kingdom where the first shall be last. Some of these puzzles I can make sense of logically, but others I have yet to wrap my brain around.

I have a harder time comprehending the practical application of a salvation accomplished by grace yet demonstrated by works (Eph 2:8-9; James 2:24). The Bible tells me that the Holy Spirit allows me to know the thoughts of God and have the mind of Christ (1 Cor 2:11-12, 16), yet God is omnicient and still holds many unfathomable mysteries. Most recently, I’ve been struggling with the concept of sin post-salvation. The fact that a Christian is a “new creation” (2 Co 5:17) who “does not continue to sin” (1 John 5:18) seems incongruent with reality and personal experience.

It makes a lot of sense why Jesus taught in parables, using metaphors to explain spiritual truths in earthly stories we could understand. I wish these were as easy as a pat answer. I welcome your thoughts and comments. In the meantime, I’ll think I’ll go ask God for some insight, and ponder through a few more hexagons.

Pattern Credit: African Flower Potholder by Darlisa Riggs. Available at ravelry.com

Potholder Perspectives: Perfection

It was only after I finished stitching the circular pieces of this potholder together that I noticed one was wrong-side out. The undiscerning eye would probably never notice, but I would know.

I'm a perfectionist down to the details, but healthy doses of flexibility and failure keep me in check. As a kid I had an irrational fear of getting in trouble, and so I tried to be good. No, my parents weren't overbearing disciplinarians - in fact, they never pressured me to achieve.

Still, my self-worth was built around performance. I pulled straight A's in school because of this self-imposed drive to do my best, an attitude which transcended many areas of my life. And while striving to do one's best is certainly not a fault, perfection is an exhausting standard to attain. And it was very easy to fall into living like God had the same performance-based expectations of me that I had of myself.

My current job search has afforded many new opportunities to fail. It's hard, but I know it's refining the gold crown of this princess. God promises that I will be perfect someday, yet even now, He sees no flaws because Jesus has reconciled our relationship. It's built on His perfect achievement instead of mine.

2 Cor 12:9 "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'" (NIV)

So I left the potholders as they were, mistake and all. They'll be perfectly fine.


Pattern Credit: Interlocking Rings Hotpad by Caitlin Pensak. Available at ravelry.com.

Potholder Perspectives: Pieces

This set of potholders has been sitting for six months waiting for their story to be written. Frankly, it has taken this long to find inspiration about what their “P” is. Recently I heard a song play while I sat and crocheted another project, and then I knew what they were for. The song was “Pieces” by the band Red, and for me, it has a lot of meaning and memory tied to it. One line of the song says, “I come to You in pieces, so You can make me whole.”

When I think of pieces, I think “broken” or “separate”. If you’ve been in church any length of time, like me, you’ve probably heard someone talk about brokenness as a spiritual virtue.

"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart…" Psalm 51:17 NKJ

 Recognizing that I was broken was a key step to understanding my need for God, but now that He’s my dad, I don’t have to be broken anymore! Jesus’ work on the cross accomplished everything needed to make me whole; still, becoming whole is also a process, because sometimes I break myself, or let others chip off pieces.

Religion teaches self-abasement and calls it humility. Acting broken and worthless is not glorifying to God, and I don’t think He wants to break me. Jesus spent his ministry making people physically and spiritually whole!

“The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed.” Luke 4:18 NKJ

A one piece potholder is too thin to handle hot dishes - it requires two pieces to make it double thickness – only then can it serve its purpose. God made me whole so I can live as He intended me to! So how do I live as one made whole? What can God do with a life no longer in pieces? Well, He’s teaching me. Piece by piece.

For more great thoughts on being broken vs. whole, check out this link:
http://oasiswell.wordpress.com/2009/10/29/does-god-want-me-whole-or-broken/

“Pieces” by Red


Pattern Credit: Cool Flames Potholder by Julie A. Bolduc. Available at ravelry.com.