Prayer Shawl Ministry

Another month has come and gone, and again shawls were sent from our church to many. In some of the packages, we have added a little angel pin or a book to go with the folder of prayers and the hug.
We sent a hug to Judy Thompson in Kennebunk, Maine. Those of you new to our church may not remember her, but I grew up in the church, and Mrs. Thompson was not only our minister’s wife, but she was also a neighbor of mine in Hambletonian Park. She truly loved the shawl, and she thanks the entire church shawl ministry for the lovely folder of good thoughts and prayers that came along with it. Feel better, Judy. (Judy and Pastor Thompson enjoy reading the Tower Tie each month.)

Again I want to share with you the lovely thoughts that have come back to us. Here are some of the recent notes that came in:

- Dear Shawl Ministry, Thank you for CARING and for being the wonderful people you are. I can honestly say your church has done more for my family than our own parish. You are wonderful people and a blessing to many. Linda B. (who is from Warwick, NY and recently lost her sister to lung cancer)

- Dear Ladies of the Shawl Ministry: Thank you so much for the beautiful and thoughtful prayer shawl baby receiving blanket. I didn’t know about them previously, so it was a real pleasure reading the meaning behind them and what the colors stand for. I plan to bring my new baby home from the hospital wrapped in your gift. Thank you so very much for being the special people you are. I hope someday I can thank each of you personally. Love to all, Meghan and Phil.

- To our friends and crocheters at the First Presbyterian Church in Goshen: Thank you so very much for the prayer shawl. I had it with me on my bed at Westchester Medical all the time. Everyone complimented on it, and I was so glad to share the story of your group with them. It is now on Delilah’s rocking chair waiting for my little baby to come home to her nursery. Thank you again. Love, Mario, Joanna, and Delilah B. (Westtown, NY)

- My Dear Ladies: Thank you so much for your thoughtfulness. The prayer shawl is extraordinary and so very special to us. I cannot wait to present it to my sister-in-law who is suffering from cancer. I know it will help her through this very rough time in her life. God bless each of you. Jane and Rich.

- To the Prayer Shawl Ministry: I recently received one of your especially created prayer shawls from a dear friend. I appreciate your mission and generosity of spirit and will remember fondly the impact on our lives. God’s blessings on each of you. M – M Harvey, NY

These are just several of the notes that came to us in the recent weeks. I have told many people that the shawls bless us after they are delivered and often the blessings are three-fold.

It is wonderful that Dorothy Gott has been feeling good enough to crochet again and is once again adding to the shawls we have available for those who need a hug.

Barbara Hankins has a great (and easy) pattern from which to make a hat, and several of the ladies are working on those. These will be great additions to many of the church projects such as the Midnight Run and the Giving Tree. If anyone wants to make hats (and it is a great way to use up small leftover yarn), please see Barbara for the pattern.

On Easter Sunday, I noticed that our yarn bin is overflowing. This is wonderful! Our congregation has been so very generous in keeping our fingers making gifts. Remember, if you hear of someone who can use a shawl, please tell a member of PSM, Pat, or Pastor Kingsley so that we can get a gift to that person. We don’t all get the news, and we don’t like to miss anyone, so your help is very important. We can only move forward with your help.

Once again, we thank you all for your support of this ministry. God bless each of you and consider yourselves hugged.

Wendy Lee Paffenroth
PSM Secretary

The following shawl colors represent:
- Ivory: goodness, purity, faith, safety
- Blue / Aqua: tranquility, healing, trust, balance
- Green / Teal: hope, peace, confidence, protection
- Purple / Violet: wisdom, creativity, dignity, grief
- Red / Pink / Raspberry: joy, friendship, love
- Peach / Orange: compassion, courage, goodness
- Yellow / Gold: wisdom, happiness, energy
- White: purity, innocence, strength, peace
- Tan / Brown / Black: dependableness, calmness, honesty
- Gray / Silver: determination, character, mindfulness