Soldiers' Angels Germany: All Sewing / Knitting Projects

Soldiers' Angels Germany: All Sewing / Knitting Projects: Blankets of Hope . Blankets (no lap robes or knitted items, please) are always needed both in Germany and at the Combat Support Hospitals. ...st

Just sharing with all the stitchers out there. Those who quilt, sew, knit, crochet. I am a lifetime member of Soldier's Angels. They have many ways you can help, even if you don't do crafts you can adopt a soldier that has no family ( and believe me there are) and send letters randomly to them for encouragement, for just paying it forward.

I have always had a special interest in this group. I joined the year my son Brandon went to Afghanistan. He never responded to anything I sent but I still sent encouraging letters and packages. This was his choice to make and I still dont' know who or if they were sent out to others or helped him, but this I know for sure, I didn't realize how many soldier's had NO ONE to encourage them while deployed until I went to the welcome home ceremony and also speaking with the chaplain. I decided the next year to join this, to continue sending and realized that I may not hear a thing from the soldier my mentor connected me with, but I still continued to send and write.  I hope it made a difference. To this day, I never heard from that soldier as well. That was the end of 2011.

Then in 2012, the day after Christmas, I met for the first time a "retired soldier, a First Sarg. Major"
who changed my life all for the better. He had been retired after 25 years. Our story turned to a love story as you know. While he was over in Afghanistan for 5 months, we wrote over 4000 letters back and forth.  God rewarded me with a very, honest caring man of which I had not known my entire life.

This year for 2013, I will continue on, even though times will be tightest of tight in finances, it's my pay if forward for the military has touched me in many ways.

In reflection I can remember the day my son brought a recruiter to the house and I totally went ballistic as (per the chaplain) most all moms do over their sons joining because its a natural instinct to protect our sons and daughters. However, from the pinning ceremony, the pure pride I felt for my son to do what he wanted to and also help our country, to see his happiness in whatever he did, no matter how nervous it made me, convinced me to let go.

I don't know exactly how I will help Sodier's Angels this year but I know that 2013 proposes a new "adopted soldier" for me. My heart is leaning towards making things for the soldiers in Germany hospital. I don't know if that is what God is leading me to do but I do feel it.

I wanted to share this on my blog for one reason:  there are over 700 readers here and it's a good way
to share volunteer opportunities to help. For the spirit of Christmas, we should keep in our hearts all the year long, per Charles Dickens and this is one way to do it.

Sending love even if the person doesn't want it, is not a wrong thing because one day, the person who doesn't want to receive love will realize through some life experience, that this is what life is all about. There are many people who can send love but not as many to receive and recipricate.That takes an open heart with truth. In this program, working for the greater good of our country without expecting anything in return is the kind of fiber, I want in my design, that I call me.

I place my heart on scripture that says that the truth will set us free. This world needs alot of communication and sharing, understanding and caring if we only would open our hearts. Sometimes it's really hard to do. No one of us is perfect but I pray this year that hearts are opened, truth be known, and sharing gifts to those in need.

http://soldiersangelsgermany.blogspot.com/p/all-sewing-knitting-projects.html

Thanking soldiers forever,
Jennifer

Thank a Soldier sampler

Thank a Soldier Tag

designed by Feathers in the Nest

copyright 2011

I enjoyed writing my first snail mail and packing a little box of goodies to reach my adopted soldier.

I sent him some pics from our local area that I took on Easter with the beautiful flowers, a booklight, a book, and a funny DVD movie with his letter.

I haven't stitched this up yet but thought I would share as through the blog I've received alot of military family personal emails and thought you might want to stitch one up as a gift tag with you package or to a family who could send with their gifts!

The Colors I'm using are Freedom and Liberty. I love those blue colors for Americana pieces but of course you can stitch in your colors of choice.

It's simple and a quick finish that will bring a smile to someone special.

Had a great day here at the homestead doing alot of reading, planning, and finally deep cleaned the screened in back porch with the Shop Vac.

For your progress on WIPS, post

 

 Have a great Monday morning.

Jennifer

Thankful Thursday

I received this in the mail day before yesterday. Unexpected.

Completely unexpected. Didn't order it. This is a solid coin to help me remember my committment as a Soldier's Angels member.

I've always collected angels and by no means think I am one (LOL) but I do believe in prayer and support to those in need. Interestingly the whole box here:

My membership card with the reverse side, key info to keep.

I feel blessed to have received this and will treasure it forever.

An incidental meet-up this week with a retired General out of the blue, struck up a conversation about the military, current issues, my son's deployment and reactions, and many more things. He was just "dropping by" to see his daughter at the time who is one of my good friends and he was so easy to chat with and he seemed to just tell me things that I needed to hear.

I don't think it was mere coincidence that we met that day and chatted for he shared many things with me that enlightened me and caused me search my soul. He told me about times that he knew that prayer was the only thing that saved him in a very bad time of one of his earlier days in combat. I listened to him in amazement with his stories and shared some our my fears during Brandon's deployment, and shared that honestly, as a mother years ago, I totally was against my son joining because I was afraid of danger to him. He said that was very common and he understood. 

 Through the years, life changes our views. Acceptance with the reassurance that God listens to our prayers is a consolation to me.

I'm very proud of my son as he does an excellent job at whatever he undertakes. He has endless energy and made me laugh alot.

I have learned through the journey of life that I can only be responsible for how I react to other's hurtful actions and words, and that God will take care of the rest.

I share this with you because life is so short and I do believe we have a purpose even in a shaded world.

I know there are people who use us for what they can get from us to better themselves, they even call themselves our friends. But the truth eventually comes out and I can make peace with that.

I know for sure that I'm not a perfect human being but I strive hard to keep my integrity through life. My fiber, I call it.

I know for sure that sometimes it's one step forward and 2 steps back, as with everyone.

I know for sure this is a committment that will make a difference to someone in the world and that's the whole reason for our very existance.

As I get to know this soldier through letters, please pray for me so that I can do my best to send him what he needs to help fight for our country. Sometimes I realize that as the poem The Weaver I posted the other day,

I won't know until the loom is unrolled one day, what the purpose for the dark threads were.

I know he needs prayer and that's one thing I know for sure.

There's several things I'm thankful for on this Thursday:

for knowing the difference in real friends

for the ability to work and play

for understanding some of the reasons why we exist

for finding ways to uplift and make a difference to those who truly appreciate it.

 for the courage, for understanding those that reject us and truly don't appreciate us,

for always since childhood believing in angels, for this is one sure way to console me that my kids are being protected.

for the ability to see, both visually and through the heart so many truths this year and beyond.

Here are 3 fat quarters I picked up at the local quilt shop.

I'm definitely not but an amateur seamstress and do not know yet what I will do with this fabric but I just had to pick it up when I saw it.

In God I trust,

Jennifer