10 years of Center Point and 10 years of Stitching
Today was one of the most special days in my life. You may be wondering what possibly happened today… did you get married? Have a child? Today, the church I have been a part of for 10 years since its beginning turned 10. It may sound crazy to most people reading this however, to me and my family our church is our life at times we spend as much time there as we do together or sometimes even working. Again I know this sounds crazy to most but to my family, friends and people I go to church with totally understand.
So how does this tie into my blog and the stuff I cover here. Well, as part of this church plant that started out of a college and career bible study we have all come a long way in 10 years. We have gone from 4 founding elders (my husband being one of them… love you Mark!) to 24 Charter members to over 600 people that attended our special service called ONE. As I reflected I realized I was alaso celebratign ten years of stitching.
During this process of growing as a church, my husband who was my boyfriend at the time had a platelet disorder called ITP (idiopathic thrombocytopenia purpua) It came to a point where he only had 3,000 platelets in his body .. your body should have 350- 500,000. We spent a lot of time together going to doctors visits, we spent a lot of time praying and a lot of time with our families both at home and at church. After a long process my husband had to have his spleen out because his spleen was filtering out his platelets faster then his body could make them. As we found ourselves in a hospital room I stopped at my local Michaels, picked up a skein of red heart yarn super saver, a G hook and a leisure arts book that touted that I could teach myself how to crochet in one day! I remember sitting there teaching myself how to crochet as I sat there while Mark recovered. While it was tough I was so lucky when Mark’s mothers best friend Mrs. McMillan came to visit she gave me a couple of pointers. And when Mark went home to her house she taught me how to make my first Granny Square.
And so as the church began, my stitching journey picked up. (I had learned how to knit earlier in my life from my mother on chopsticks…yes chopsticks…another story for another day) I soon learned how to make scarves and started using other yarn options. I made one for all my girlfriends (most of who were from church). I continued stitching as Mark got better. Then as my husband got more engaged in our church I started to bring my stitching to keep myself occupied and out of the way. Then I realized that I could stitch as my Pastor and good friend Brian taught. (He was about 25 at the time) His only rule was that in large groups it was ok but if we were in small groups it distracted him too much ! So more stitching time got added!
I was in college at the time at Quinnipiac University in a fast paced, science curriculum studying physical therapy. I started toting my stitching with me when we had breaks and to relieve my boredom during the many hours at the library. I was running track (indoor) at the time and started to bring it to meets to keep myself occupied.
Our church continued to grow and I was able to share my stitching with friends that came to church. My friend Suzanne and I spent many a days at Starbucks stitching. She also turned me on to Starbucks coffee…mmmm pumpkin spice latte. Also my friend Emily Jerome who is a missionary with YWAM NY. She learned how to knit at our small group bible study and she helped to coordinate a scarf program for an orphanage in south america.
My friend Leoni saw me knitting one day and showed me a throw she was making and she showed me how mistakes add character! She purposely added, dropped and creatively stitched to make a gorgeous throw for her home.
Cassandra and Lauren were two other members of my small group who I taught how to knit.
Our Pastor Brian in the last 2 years, had an idea to help everyone connect to start something called a common interest group where people come together and share their common interest. Of course I started a knitting and crochet group so here is to you girls….. Tina, Caitlyn and Courtney Wrigley, Teri Kroll, Stacie and Katie Lester, Rose Kennedy, Vicki Puccio, Karin and Trish and new members Fanny and Charmaine. We have gone on trips to the Rhinebeck Fiber Festival and will have a couple attend Vogue Knitting Live.
And a long the way, I have stitched for the all the amazing babies that have come our way. We started with a group of 20 somethings… well we all got married and well now there are 65 children that have come forth so to Brady, Conor, Zoe, Jackson, Quinn, Casey, Jamie, Emma, Dakota, Zac, Landon, Jordan, Riley, Kelly, Nicholas and RJ and the next set of babies that are due next year…. thank you for letting Miss Suzy stitch for you. I love you all very much.
Even today as I was leaving the amazing celebration, a long time friend Sherri asked me if she could join us in stitching and to bring her daughter. So Sherri please do ! Lets see what the next 10 years bring us.
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