COMFORTER MINISTRY Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 A mission of comfort and compassion, reaching out to women with cancer with God s Word and the love of the Comforter through journals and comforters. NEWSLETTER Autumn 2012 A letter from Su Wrapped in the Love of the Comforter October is an anniversary month for me it marks the month I was first diagnosed with ovarian cancer back in 1996. Remembering has included quiet dinners with my husband at home or at a restaurant, flowers from family and, always, prayers of thanksgiving. There are some things in life worth celebrating like Life! I m excited to announce that the 2013 Comforter Ministry Calendar- Greetings from the Quilter project has come to completion and the ordering frenzy can now begin! You are encouraged to use either the calendar order form online at www.comforterministry.com, click News, Notes and Newsletters and you ll see the link there to the actual form OR you can use the order form included in this newsletter. Deadline for receiving orders is by the end of the day, October 1. Printing will begin shortly after that and all calendars mailed out before Thanksgiving, Lord willing. CM quilters included in the calendar are St. John s Martha Circle- Greenleaf, WI; Kay A-Lenexa KS; Kathy D-Shawano, WI; Marianne D-Plover, WI; Dorothy E-Prairie du Sac, WI; Christine H-Milwaukee, WI; LWMS Group-King of Kings-Garden Grove, CA; Sherry M-Mecosta, MI; Anna M-Avoca, NE; Carol M-Coppell, TX; Belle S- Alexandria, MN; Jean Z-Green Bay, WI. Congratulations! The final installment, Part 3, on Caregivers is included in this issue of CMN, Thoughts to Share. I hope this series has been a blessing to many of you. Don t forget to make www.comforterministry.com a Favorite I m working very hard at keeping the site relevant to those who do frequent it PLEASE NOTE: FREE tickets for quilt show being held in Madison, WI are available by friend and donator, Carne Andrews. Show is September 6-8, 2012. She has one-day and two-day tickets. If you would like ticket(s) contact Carne at carneandrews@yahoo.com or 715-385-2698. Thank you, Carne! AND Please Remember IF YOU KNOW OF A WOMAN WITH CANCER AND WOULD LIKE ME TO SEND HER A COMFORTER AND JOURNAL, PLEASE CONTACT ME! Celebrating Life, Su
With a Thankful Heart... I thank my God every time I remember you. Philippians 1:3-5 As of August 15, 2012, 72 Quilters/Quilt Groups from 18 states and one Canadian province have made 271 comforters that have comforted over 350* women with cancer from 31 states (USA), one Canadian province, Australia, the Caribbean, and Japan. As I share the following information with you, my heart overflows with thankfulness to God for each of you. Quilters.. Recipients Alaska 2 Alaska 3 Tennessee 1 Alaska (QG) 1 Arizona 2 Texas 28 California 1 Arkansas 1 Virginia 2 California (QG) 1 Colorado 2 California 8 Washington 4 Florida 1 Colorado 4 West Virginia 1 Illinois (QG) 1 Connecticut 2 Wisconsin 176 Iowa 1 Florida 10 Wyoming 1 Kansas 1 Georgia 2 Idaho 1 Michigan 3 Illinois 15 Australia 1 Minnesota 3 Indiana 4 Caribbean 1 Nebraska 3 Iowa 7 Japan 1 Nevada 1 Kansas 3 Ontario, Canada 2 North Carolina 1 Kentucky 1 North Dakota 2 Michigan 27 Ohio 1 Minnesota 26 South Dakota (QG) 1 Montana 1 Texas 3 Nebraska 8 Texas (QG) 2 Nevada 3 Wisconsin 24 New York 3 Wisconsin (QG) 14 North Carolina 4 Wisconsin (LGP) 1 Ohio 4 Wyoming 1 Oklahoma 2 Ontario, Canada (QG) 1 South Dakota 5 *Several comforters have been given on behalf of the Comforter Ministry, but I have not been given further information as to names of recipients, addresses, etc. QG=Quilt Group LGP=Lutheran Girl Pioneers Prayers... The prayers of a righteous man are powerful and effective. James 5:16 Prayer warriors who pray regularly for the Comforter Ministry and all CM recipients Quilters who pray for the recipients of their comforters as they work over their labors of love, in most cases never knowing where they are sent or who receives them Participants in Comforter Ministry Prayer Gatherings Those who pray the monthly prayer found at www.comforterministry.com under News, Notes and Newsletters AND from their CM 2012 Calendar
Gifts Received... And whatever you do; whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:17 All those willing to have their CM Newsletters sent via email HUGE THANK YOU! Trinity-Minocqua, WI School Children, K-8 creative, handmade note cards Thank you, children! (See Below) Pat B-Arbor Vitae, WI cancer resource booklets/sheets for CMN Many thanks, Pat! Carol W-Anchorage, AK pretty, pretty handmade note cards They are lovely, Carol. Thank You! (See Below) Kathy W-Manitowoc, WI wonderful article printed in last CMN on caregiving AND resource ideas included in this current CMN Thank you, Kathy, so much! Gifts of Money received since June 1, 2012 Jeanette H-Oshkosh, WI; Anita S- Cottage Grove, WI. I Thank God For Each Of You And Your Generosity! Trinity Children K-8 Carol W Requester s Basic Instruction If you know of a woman with cancer whom you would like to receive a CM comforter and journal you may contact Comforter Ministry, Inc. and request they be sent to her, providing the recipient s name and complete mailing address. A cover letter will be included, stating YOU are the one requesting they be sent. Quilter(s) Basic Instructions Make your quilt according to CM Criteria for Making and Donating a Comforter (criteria by request to CM or go to CM Website). Make sure your name, city, state and date you finished your quilt are displayed in some permanent method on the back of your quilt. Request CM journal, and fill out Greetings from the Quilter page of journal. Provide three (3) colored pictures (preferably all the same) of your quilt. Send Quilt, Journal and Pictures to Comforter Ministry, Inc. All materials, including postage are covered by Quilter(s). Recipient s Basic Instructions Between the cover letter and CM journal all details are provided and explained, including the following: who made the request CM comforter/journal be sent to you brief explanation of CM what to do with the comforter/journal when ready to do so, you or your family have several options, including 1) sending comforter/journal back to Comforter Ministry, Inc. 2) sending them on to another woman with cancer 3) keeping both - With option 1 or 2, postage is covered by recipient or recipient s family. what to do with the comforter/journal before sending them back to CM or on to another woman with cancer
Thoughts to Share... New Quilts Received since June 2012 Judy R and Trinity Lutheran Quilters- Minocqua, WI; Abiding Peace Lutheran-Kings Daughters-Elgin, IL; Belle S-Alexandria, MN; King of Kings Lutheran LWMS-Garden Grove, CA; Lois S Middleton, WI; Renee H Iron River, MI. WELCOME to new quilters, Lois S and Renee H! Thanking God for each of you! Check out the CM web site to see photos of some of these quilts at www.comforterministry.com and click Photo Gallery. Many Hands I m always amazed by the many ways people participate in CM. This ministry truly engages many hands as it reaches out to women with cancer with God s comfort and compassion. To help give you a sense of what I mean please allow me to share just a few examples: LWMS Group from Garden Grove, CA trace, cut, label, tie, quilt, ship (one woman works for a national shipping company); Kathy D-Shawano, WI Kathy is a nurse and one of her local GYN doctors quilted Kathy s quilt at no charge and used a quilting pattern that included hearts throughout the piece; Belle S-Alexandria, MN handwritten letters and notes of support and encouragement to me, personally; and, of course, PRAYER which is absolutely HUGE. I love it! I ll share more of these inspiring examples in the future. Although most letters and emails I receive come from someone requesting I send a CM comforter and journal, there are some that are written directly to me simply to say hi or share a burden or a joy. These letters and note cards are usually handwritten and make the receiving of them a special event in my day. The writer will often introduce herself to me after having learned of the Comforter Ministry, she may have attended a previous presentation, she needs to tell me about cancer in her life, whether it is herself or a family member. I may read of a story from her past, what is going on in her life, or the reason for the note might be to serve as an update on the cancer journey of a CM recipient she knows. Although I m not able to respond to each piece of correspondence I receive, I so appreciate every one of these letters of love. THANK YOU!!! Gayle was very grateful for the comforter and journal. The comforter will be especially nice when she goes to Mayo for a stem cell transplant. She will be there for 3 months So that reminder of her Lord and home will be much appreciated. Blessings in Christ, Donna K. What a wonderful thought a CM comforter and journal as a reminder of her Lord and home. Comforter Ministry Presentations Coming in September and October, 2012 I m excited to report that I ve been invited to make Comforter Ministry presentations Saturday, September 22 LWMS Crow River Circuit Fall Rally in Alexandria, MN Tuesday, October 2 and Wednesday, October 3 St. Paul s Lutheran Evening and Afternoon Women s Groups in Menomonie, WI. I m so looking forward to these opportunities to talk about the Comforter Ministry
Sharing What I Know... Because the Comforter Ministry s mission is to reach out to women with cancer, each Comforter Ministry Newsletter will include information about a specific cancer or a related subject. By being better informed about cancer, my hope is that readers will be aided in detecting cancer in regard to themselves and others and, if necessary, know where to go for further information and qualified assistance. CAREGIVERS Part 3 Resources for Caregivers The following is by no means an exhaustive list of resources on the topic of caregiver/care giving but a start in the right direction, I would like to think. I hope you will find several items of value if you should be in a privileged position of caregiving or know of someone who is and desire to show them encouragement and support. Thank you to those who helped me to compile the resource list, most of whom have walked the walk of a caregiver and truly understand what other caregivers need. (2 Corinthians 1:3-5 ) Books The Holy Bible Blessings and Prayers for Caregivers (Concordia Publishing House) includes Bible verses, refreshment and renewal for the exhausted caregiver. Help Me, Lord (Northwestern Publishing House) by Richard Lauersdorf is a book of 25 devotions written especially for those of us who must find our way through a flood of questions and emotions as a loved one nears death. From Hiccups to Hospice: A Survival Guide for the Cancer Caregiver by Betty Garrett is the premier how-to manual for caregivers tending cancer patients. The Companion by Betty Garrett is filled with tools for tracking your loved one s progress through their treatments, appointments, daily medications and more The Breast Cancer Caregiver HUSBAND & HEROES by Brenda Ray Coffee is a guide to help husbands and thank them for all they do as a breast cancer family, Brenda and her husband understand that caregiving does not come naturally to most men. Magazines Today s Caregivers (www.caregiver.com) Coping with Cancer (www.copingmag.com) Websites Caregivers4Cancer Betty Garrett Unless you have a medical degree or background, chances are you don t know how to care for a cancer patient If you are dealing with a loved one or friend who has cancer, trying to get through the maze of healthcare, need a resource to help you stay the course, feel overwhelmed but don t want your loved one to know, you ve come to the right place. Betty offers useful information, including articles, tips, resource materials and more. Betty is a former CM recipient I had the privilege of meeting her earlier this summer while I was in Texas. welswomen.net - Click Caregivers from the menu for several items that will bring spiritual comfort to the Christian caregiver. Cancer.org American Cancer Society has many, many informational items on any aspect of cancer, including How to be a Friend to Someone with Cancer Listen with Your Heart (Talking with the Person Who Has Cancer) Being a Caregiver www.comforterministry.com educates, inspires and informs!
Our Featured Quilter Sue J May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us yes, establish the work of our hands. Psalm 90:17 Quilters are sent a questionnaire, asking several questions in regard to their life as a quilter. This is what Sue J, from Wrightstown, WI, had to share. How did you first become interested in quilting? When our children were young I sewed for them. My husband and I were General Leaders of a local 4-H Club for many years. One of our other leaders talked me into taking a quilt class from her. This was about 25 years ago. I never looked back and my sewing room closet is full of fabric and the number of quilts made has grown to provide my children, grandchildren, and now I can say friends, family and Comforter Ministry lots of warmth and Christian love. Last year in January-February I made 35 quilts; some for Comforter Ministry and some for our church. At this time we took quilts to Manitowish Waters where I got to meet Su and her husband. What a joy! I am so happy the Lord has given me the ability to quilt. This has helped me keep my mind busy as I have had breast cancer twice, and the Lord has blessed me so much. How long have you been a quilter? 25 years What is your favorite quilt pattern? My favorite pattern has to be the Log Cabin (coat of many colors). Just for fun Which quilt pattern best describes your personality? Why? The pattern that best describes me is the Crazy Quilt. I like to laugh and have fun with my family and friends. How did you learn about the Comforter Ministry? What moved you to make a comforter for the ministry? I learned about Comforter Ministry through a friend from our quilting group. You see, I quilt with a group from my church and also with a group of about 30 of us. It was through that group that I met a friend who I played with as a child many years ago. To reunite our friendship was/is a lot of fun. It is truly a great feeling when I can make a quilt to help someone feel good; whether it be tying piecing, or hand quilting. Please share your favorite Bible verse(s). My confirmation verse I like: Psalm 37: 5 Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. A Personal Note from Su: As Sue mentioned we were able to meet each other last year which is always a treat for me as I don t often get to actually meet, face-to-face, the quilters who make and donate to Comforter Ministry, Inc. It was a huge blessing! I don t know Sue that well but I am quite familiar with the church group she is a part of as that group headed up by Gloria S has been part of CM for many years, all the way back to the beginning in 2005. As a matter of fact they will be one of two quilt groups featured in the 2013 Comforter Ministry Calendar. St. John s Martha Circle was featured in a previous CM newsletter but to refresh your memory, they have made over 25 quilts that have comforted over 37 women with cancer from 9 states, including Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Texas and Wisconsin. Thank you, Sue and St. John s Martha Circle!
Words of Comfort... This meditation is the tenth in a series based on the supporting scriptural references of the Comforter Ministry Mission Statement and found in the Comforter Ministry journal. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27 The Gift of Peace The verse above was spoken by Jesus to His disciples immediately following His promise to them to send the gift of the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name and will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you (John 14:26). This conversation would be the last talk of Jesus with His disciples and last opportunity to speak with them at length. You see, this particular evening was Jesus last evening with His disciples. Jesus knew what lay ahead of Him in just a few hours: betrayal, deceit, abandonment, suffering and death. He knew the events to follow could hardly be described as times of peace. Jesus knew what His disciples needed was the gift of peace. So that is what He gave them right then and there the gift of His peace. This peace was not a worldly peace that is temporal, external and fickle. Jesus peace was a heavenly peace, a peace that transcends worldly peaceful endeavors and wishful thinking. This was a peace initiated, planned and executed by the holy God so sinful humankind could be made right with Him. True, lasting peace could be gifted to those led by the Holy Spirit to trust in His Son, Jesus, the Christ, earning forgiveness of sins for the world since the world could never earn or attain such a peace on its own. The days, months and years to follow this particular evening discourse between Jesus and His disciples would be time filled with anything but what would appear as times of peace. The gift of peace would insure quietness and security in times of turmoil which lay ahead of the disciples; it would assure the disciples of God s grace and mercy as they remained unmoved by evil and unjust threats by their enemies. You and I have been given that same Gift of Peace, just like Jesus disciples in Jerusalem on that historic evening 2000 years ago. As believers our hearts need not be troubled or fearful. The Prince of Peace gives a peace the world could never understand. Jesus never promised to bring peace to the world in the way the world tries to define peace apart from Jesus. Jesus peace doesn t depend on harmony between countries and tranquility in families. It isn t as fragile as the next temper flare-up or grab for power. It isn t disturbed by plans gone awry (The Peoples Bible-John). Jesus peace will always be a gift directly from Him to His believers (His disciples-his followers). Through God s Word the Holy Spirit, Comforter/Counselor, implants this peace into believers hearts. Jesus peace continues to calm troubled hearts and make fearful hearts confident, not because of anything a believer can do to overcome trouble or fear but because of the promise made by the Gift-Giver of Peace, the Prince of Peace Jesus. His peace provides a surety that our sins are forgiven and all is right with our God. Even when you and I don t feel peaceful our God s promise of peace is what is real and transcends our understanding. You and I are right with God through the merits of the Gift-Giver of Peace. Dear Reader: My prayer for each of you is that you remain in God s Word where you will be continually reminded of the peace that has been earned for you through the blood of Jesus and the reality of this peace as it sustains you in each and every hard and difficult situation you encounter, knowing and believing in your heart that you can trust the Gift- Giver.
2013 Comforter Ministry Calendar Calendar order forms are NOW available on the Comforter Ministry Website at www.comforterministry.com and also included in this issue of the Comforter Ministry Newsletter. Please consider who you might include on your CM Calendar Gift List (mothers, sisters, daughters, teachers, quilters, etc. Don t forget one or more for yourself, too! As was done previously Orders will be taken BEFORE printing can take place Complete order form(s) AND payment MUST be received no later than October 1, 2012. Payment MUST accompany order form! Every effort will be made to ship your order(s) before Thanksgiving 2012. You will be able to purchase calendars as GIFTS and have them sent directly to recipients along with a note, stating YOU as the gift-giver. Cost per calendar will be approximately the same as previous calendars ($12) and includes shipping and handling. Please note you are to send your calendar order form(s) and check (payable to Comforter Ministry, Inc.) to Sharon Nienow, 3869 Bluebird Drive, Stevens Point, WI 54482 and NOT the CM address. Thank you. The 2013 Comforter Ministry Calendar theme will be Greetings from the Quilter, a page from the Comforter Ministry journal where the quilter shares her thoughts, prayers, Bible passages and so forth with whoever the recipient(s) may be of her labor of love. Along with each monthly Greeting will be a picture of the quilter and one of her quilts. The verse, May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us yes, establish the work of our hands (Psalm 90:17) will serve as the calendar s Scriptural theme. Prayer is what the calendar is all about, the reason behind the idea of creating a calendar in the first place A Comforter Ministry Calendar is to be used as a daily reminder of prayer for the Comforter Ministry, its recipients, the recipients families, friends, caregivers, the medical communities that serve them and the research groups working on a cure for cancer. It also provides a gentle reminder to pray for those you may know personally who are on a cancer journey. Comforter Ministry, Inc. Susanne Hanson 12326 Fitzgerald Lane Manitowish Waters, WI 54545-9104 715-543-8483 comforterministry@yahoo.com www.comforterministry.com