The Grand Prairie Quilt Society met Dec. 14 at the First Christian Church fellowship hall in Stuttgart with eight members present and three guests, according to a news release.
The leader opened the meeting with a reading from the Gospel of St. Luke about how Mary accepted God’s plan for her to give birth to Jesus. This is Mary’s response to Elizabeth from Chapter 1:46-56:
“And Mary said: ‘My soul praises the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me — holy is his name.
“‘His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers.’
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
“Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.”
MEETING DETAILS
Meanwhile at the Grand Prairie meeting, the leader’s Thought for the Day was a crafter’s Night Before Christmas.
The November minutes were read. A thank-you card from Arkansas Children’s Hospital was also read. Birthday greetings for December were extended to several members and a guest from Alaska, who was visiting his great-aunt.
Twenty pillows were delivered to ACH this month. The members were encouraged to subscribe to the DeWitt Era Enterprise so they can get all the Arkansas County news. They were also reminded to bring dry beans for the ICCM Food Bank.
A member asked everyone to give a special Christmas memory from their past. Many reminiscences were brought forth for the group to enjoy. Quite a few were from simpler times with simple joys, but they were enjoyed as much as or even more than the more extravagant celebrations of today, according to the news release.
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A member had her Crown Royale quilt to show. Everyone admired another’s quilting technique.
A member had a Christmas ornament and a microwave cozy. She also had a special dishtowel with an essay, titled “The Towel”:
“At first glance, one looks at a kitchen towel and thinks, ‘Wow! A towel! I needed a new one,’ or ‘Wow! A towel! The old ones are getting stained and worn.’ But have we ever stopped to think that for years, even thousands of years, the towel has not just been used in the kitchen, but for a variety of reasons?
“Take for example, the mother who wipes the tears of a little child to soothe the physical and emotional hurt. The physician who binds the wound of a bleeding patient. The woman in her home wiping her hands as she moves from task to task. The weary traveler who wipes his sweated brow. Some other examples would be the manager of a boxer who ‘throws in the towel’ to save the life of his protege, or the young man wiping the grease off his hands as he fixes the old car.
“Notwithstanding all of the above examples, perhaps the most significant use of the towel was about 2000 years ago when our loving Savior took an ordinary towel in His hands and dried the feet of His disciples only hours before His crucifixion. Sure, the towel is a handy item with a myriad of uses, but it also has deep symbolic meaning when seen in the hands of the Savior during a work of kindness for his fellow men. So take this towel, knowing it is given with love, and do works of goodness with it, as the Savior worked goodness with His so many years ago.”
The leader also brought a special treat, sweet potatoes, for everyone to take home.
After the meeting, a Round Robin game was enjoyed by all as members tried to remember their right from our left. The person who won the pot invited everyone to pick out their favorite item from the pile of goodies.
A potluck was enjoyed by all with much exchanging of recipes. Upcoming projects were discussed as well as plans for holiday visiting.
The next meeting will be a Sit ‘n Sew on Jan. 11 at the church.
“Bring your projects and lunch and come join us,” a spokesman said.