Patsy Reiter

Writing stories for children and adults for over fifteen years

Easy Mother’s Day Cards for Kids

With Mother’s Day just around the corner, I pulled out a few simple card crafts. They’re easy and inexpensive to create. You may have a lot of the craft items in your home.

A few years back, I printed the watering can cutouts from the web.

The felt flowers and butterflies below were Easter garland. I purchased it on sale and cut off the string. I painted the black dots and adhered magnets to the back. These will be included in Mother’s Day cards.

These cards were made from egg cartons and baking cups. Easy for the little ones.

The spoon card was created by the children’s director at my church.

Maybe you have elderly neighbors, church members, or a nursing facility close by. Cards for lonely seniors are always welcomed.

Pull out the construction paper, card stock, ribbon, markers and crayons and let the kids go to town.

Happy Mother’s Day!

 

Prayer Shawl Ministry

Guest post by my dear sister, Bonnie, who has a servant’s heart.

When Bonnie opened her Christian financial planning practice, it was to serve God by helping people learn to be good stewards with their resources. She retired recently and now serves by volunteering at her church and in the ministry.

Prayer Shawl Ministry

Having been retired for just a few months and moving to what had been our summer home in Oscoda, Michigan, my husband and I are now full-time members of the local United Methodist Church.

I now have time to become involved in the ministry of this church and was deciding how I wanted to serve our Lord. I attended a couple of meetings with the local United Methodist Women, and decided my outreach goals could be met through this committee. At the second meeting I attended, we discussed starting a prayer shawl ministry.

I have since knitted three prayer shawls and crocheted one. These shawls and those made by the other women will be blessed with a prayer so we can present them to members of the church, family, community, or anyone in need of God’s healing touch.

I also volunteer at the local assisted living facility and will provide shawls for the residents. In addition, I offer religious classes, visitations, and we are working on providing a twice-per-month service.

As we begin work on our shawls, we bless them with a prayer.

Example:

Prayer of Blessing for the Shawl

May God’s grace be upon this shawl, warming, comforting, and embracing. May this mantle be a safe haven, a sacred place of security and well-being, sustaining and embracing in good times as well as difficult ones. May the one who receives this shawl be cradled in hope, kept in joy, graced with peace, and wrapped in love.

After the shawls have been blessed, they are wrapped to be presented with a Bible verse such as:

Matthew 11:28

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

Isaiah 40:31

Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint.

Blessings, Bonnie