Debby Thompson
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Celebrate Worldwide Knitting Day

One dark, quiet night, somewhere out over the Atlantic, I had an epiphany. Surrounded by masked passengers slumped in their seats, the activity of the lady across the aisle (and one row forward) captured my heart. While others slept, she knitted. With the speed and agility of an Olympic athlete, this individual’s fingers created row after row of a thirty-six-inch colorful boa.

With the speed and agility of an Olympic athlete, this individual’s fingers created row after row of a thirty-six-inch colorful boa.
— Living With Eternal Intentionality

And here is the best part: when we touched down at JFK, she made a formal gift presentation to her fellow traveler, “Here, this is for you. While on our tour, you commented on how much you liked my boa, and I wanted to make one for you.”

Wow! I thought to myself, “What an amazing souvenir.” Sitting undetected in the audience and watching the airplane theatrics play out, this drama pulled me in like a magnet. Because of that transatlantic flight, I enthusiastically determined to take up knitting.

So, after a trip to Hobby Lobby to purchase eyelash yarn specific for boas—and laboring step by step over YouTube tutorials—I embarked on my own delightful journey of creating handmade gifts. Endless mistakes and encouragement from fellow knitters punctuated my beginner’s path. When I wanted to quit and toss the whole ball of tangled yarn in the garbage, the image of the unknown lady on the plane kept me moving ahead (or, might I add, flying forward).

From time to time, I evaluate and ask myself, “Why do I love this activity?”

Blessings of Knitting

1. The sheer delight. I never expected to be able to knit!

2. Time, especially travel time, passes pleasantly and productively when one is knitting.

3. The feel of the yarn and its vibrant thread color provide a rich sensory experience.

4. Science supports the fact that knitting is a healthy endeavor. A few benefits: lowered blood pressure, slowed onset of dementia, a distraction from chronic pain, and an increased sense of well-being.

5. The surprised smile on the recipient’s face brings untold joy to my soul when I say, “Here, I made this for you.”

So, on June 11th, Worldwide Knitting in Public Day, give a high five to any knitter in your circle of friends. And, consider for a moment that the adventure just might be for you!

Living With Eternal Intentionality®

“He has also set eternity in the human heart” (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

What hobby captures your heart and feeds your soul?

Where did you learn this?

Could it be that someone is unobtrusively observing your interaction with your craft?

If so, how would they describe the benefits they see it brings to you?

Are You Afraid of God?

Fear. For years, F.E.A.R. described my relationship with God. I became a follower of Christ at an early age, and I knew heaven as my eternal destination.

Yet, the issue of control existed between God and me. I trembled at the thought of His plan for my life, fearing He would send me to Africa as a missionary. Afraid to release my grip on my own destiny, I relentlessly wrestled with God. This paralyzing fear dominated my relationship with Him, and gave way to “spiritual panic attacks”.

As a university student, in a dormitory bathroom, the course of my life changed forever. One afternoon, exhausted from the battle, I knelt on the cold hard floor and prayed:

God, I give up; I let go.
— Living With Eternal Intentionality

“God, I give up; I let go. I am tired of being afraid of You and Your plan for my life. I release one tight finger at a time, the fist of control over my life. My palms are opened; here, I am offering my life out of my hands into Yours. I finally realize if You loved me enough to send Your Son to die on the cross to pay for my sins, then You love me enough to provide what is best for me. I will do anything You want me to do; I will go anywhere You want me to go, even if it means Africa as a missionary.”

With my utterance of Amen, I collapsed, weak with relief. Even before getting up off my knees from the tile floor in Hathorn Hall at Mississippi State University, heaven itself flooded my heart with peace. With the contrast so extreme, I desired never to return to my former way of life, that of a fear-based relationship with God.

So, these years later, when my fingers start to tense around anything (and they do) I sense a heart tug by the Holy Spirit reminding me—Hathorn Hall, the bathroom, the ultimate life contract. Reject fear. Let go. Release this situation into the loving hands of your heavenly Father.

Intimacy with Jesus depends on a commitment to withhold nothing from Him. Intimacy thrives within absolute trust. The following words penned in 1887 by John H. Sammis are entirely true; I know.

But we never can prove the delights of His love

Until all on the altar we lay;

For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows,

Are for them who will trust and obey.


Living With Eternal Intentionality®

When did fear cloud your perspective of the true character of God?

How have you grown to realize that fear is a vicious tool of the enemy to keep you from experiencing all that your loving heavenly Father has for you?


Our Children’s Mental Health

Cleaning out my files inevitably unearths treasures. So, when I scanned the single page resting in my hand, I respectfully placed it in a prominent position on a nearby shelf with the expressed determination to share it with you, my readers.

Whether you are a pastor, Sunday School teacher, youth director, academician, coach, nurse, nanny, neighbor, daycare director, parent, or grandparent, the stewardship of younger lives rests upon us. Children populate our families, our churches, our schools, our neighborhoods, and most definitely, our hearts. They bring meaning, energy, laundry, bright smiles, sticky fingers, questions, and yes, heartache. So, when a tender one in our sphere of influence seems caught in the tentacles of fear and anxiety, we feel their pain and are highly motivated to engage.

Here is the shocking reality: American Psychological Association (APA) estimates that15 million of our nation's young people can currently be diagnosed with a mental health disorder. One needs only to listen to the nightly news for confirmation. So, perhaps the resource in today’s blog post, Declaration for Kids, can offer encouragement in building a foundation of strength.

Hear me say, “This is not a substitute for medical attention.” You must use your own judgment to minister individually and carefully to each child.

This content credit goes to IgnitingHOPE. While I have no prior contact with this organization and I do not know how the handout made its way into my file, I honor the heart and truth behind what they offer. Note: slight variations in the content have been made.

Be encouraged as you read, as you share, and as you guide a younger one to declare!

Declaration for Kids

Ignitehope.com

Declarations help us build our faith!

1. My prayers are powerful!

2. God loves to provide for me.

3. I am free from sin and alive in Him.

4. My health gets better every day.

5. God has supernatural protection for me.

6. I am great at relationships.

7. Because God is with me, the people around me experience His love and power.

8. Because of Jesus, I am loved 100% and super blessed/

9. My family is blessed.

10. I recognize and laugh at the devil’s lies.

Hearing truth helps us grow in faith.

1. My words direct my life.

2. God is on my side. I can’t be beaten.

3. I am a leader, I have great ideas, and God makes me powerful.

4. When I speak truth, my faith grows, and I become who God made me to be.

5. I think right thoughts, I speak words of life, and I make good decisions even when it is tough.

6. God will use me today to release His power and love to the people around me.

7. Today will be the best day yet!

To move mountains with Jesus I need to prepare.

1. Because I love Jesus, angels are working for me.

2. Bad things are turned away from me because of Jesus’ protection.

3. I am a person of peace and bring peace to those around me.

4. I tell . . . fear to leave in Jesus’ name.

5. This day is a blessed day. I can’t wait to see how God’s goodness shows up!

Living With Eternal Intentionality®

But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these”(Luke 18:16 ).

How do you envision this tool serving as a resource for you in your sphere of influence?

What would you add to the “Declaration for Kids”?