Over year and a half ago, as I was reading through 1 Peter 4:10 and God really challenged me with it:
Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.
Craftiness runs in my blood. I thoroughly enjoy making almost anything that involves fabric or glue. It is something that has always been easy for me and something God has gifted me with to use for his purposes. I felt him nudging me to do a craft ministry that makes items to give to others in the community. I had no idea what this would look like or what it would entail and leading it seemed daunting. I have hardly any expertise in leading. I prayed about it for a few months before I mentioned it to anyone. This is where Pocket Blessings was born.
It just so happened that
God had moved Juli and her husband, Scott, to our area a few years before and
we had met in Sunday school. She is the craftiest person I know. Naturally, God
directed me to ask her what she thought. It never ceases to amaze me how God gifts us
in certain areas and calls us to use them for his glory. And how he
brings people beside you to help you and show you the ropes.
The neighborhood we live in is referred to as the pocket and our focus is on small things because it is the small things that make up the moments, that turn into years, which form memories - hence the name was born of Juli and her husband, Scott.
The goal for Pocket Blessings is
to make an impact in our community for Christ one handmade blessing at a time. Each
item comes with a verse attached and is covered in prayers, both for the person
who made it and the one receiving it.
It such a rewarding time for both
the people involved and the people crafting. The community comes together and
God brings the people he wants to be there and the people he wants to receive them.
It is a win - win.
Praying God will give you guidance and direction if you feel him leading you to participate or put in to action something he has placed in your heart.Praying that you would embrace your gifts and that God would show you how he wants you to use them in your current season of life, whether in big or small ways. Praying that if you find yourself wondering what your gifts are that the Lord would you reveal them to you and you would accept them as the present that they are,
Interested in starting a Pocket Blessings craft night in your community / church / area?
Praying God will give you guidance and direction if you feel him leading you to participate or put in to action something he has placed in your heart.Praying that you would embrace your gifts and that God would show you how he wants you to use them in your current season of life, whether in big or small ways. Praying that if you find yourself wondering what your gifts are that the Lord would you reveal them to you and you would accept them as the present that they are,
Interested in starting a Pocket Blessings craft night in your community / church / area?
Here are some tips to get you started:
Choose how often: we do
once a month on the 3rd Saturday at our church but you can do it whenever works
for you.
Who: we like to
open it up to not only our church but community, too, so we leave fliers throughout
town (i.e. coffee shops, library) but the choice is yours. You can do it by yourself
or with a few close friends. Do not
let numbers stop you from making a difference or crafting abilities. We do a
demonstration for each craft before we start and help through the night.
Craft:
varies, we like to incorporate upcoming holidays (we make it the month before,
so delivery can be arranged by the month of the holiday). Each month I will post what we will doing, along with any resources (i,e, printable tags) that we are using.
Who to give to: we pray about which organization / place (i.e.
local nursing home, hospital units, rehabilitation homes) God wants us to give
to leading up to craft night - he has not let us down yet. So pray and do not
be intimated to ask around. Perhaps a friend is the perfect recipient or knows
someone who is.
Supplies: use what you
have and/or ask for donations - people love to give and most have some supplies
they need to get rid of, especially for a good cause. Freecycle is an awesome resource for free crafting supplies.
Message: we start out with a prayer and teeny message explaining what we are making and a pull it together with a verse
Share: If you are interested crafting along, be sure to tag on instagram @ingracealways or #pocketblessings
I will share more about the craft we are doing for November in the coming weeks and how you can prep for it. And of course, if you are in the Sacramento area, we would love to have you attend.
Message: we start out with a prayer and teeny message explaining what we are making and a pull it together with a verse
Share: If you are interested crafting along, be sure to tag on instagram @ingracealways or #pocketblessings
I will share more about the craft we are doing for November in the coming weeks and how you can prep for it. And of course, if you are in the Sacramento area, we would love to have you attend.