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    Knitting, Praying, Forgiving: A Pattern of Love and Forgiveness
    Knitting, Praying, Forgiving: A Pattern of Love and Forgiveness
    Knitting, Praying, Forgiving: A Pattern of Love and Forgiveness
    Ebook126 pages1 hour

    Knitting, Praying, Forgiving: A Pattern of Love and Forgiveness

    By Cheryl Wunsch MEd RNCS

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    About this ebook

    In Knitting, Praying, Forgiving: A Pattern of Love and Forgiveness, Cheryl shares her story of faith and her journey to forgiving the young man who murdered her mother .She provides a user-friendly pattern to experience love and forgiveness with the craft of knitting and an ancient monastic prayer practice: Lectio Divina. You may find encouragement in Cheryls story, and her pattern will help guide you to forgiveness one stitch at a time.

    A grace-filled book for knitters and contemplatives, Knitting, Praying, Forgiving is a practical and inspirational guide to the transforming power of knitting Gods love into shawls of forgiveness.
    Susan S. Izard, co-author of Knitting into the Mystery

    Cheryl Wunsch has an amazing story to tell, and she does so with great courage and compassion. Knitting, Praying, Forgiving lays out the path to a new life for anyone who has suffered at the hands of evil. I love this little book.
    Paula Huston, author of A Season of Mystery and Simplifying the Soul.

    Thoughtful and touching, Wunsch weaves together deep appreciation of a centuries-old prayer tradition with the needs of today. Her approach reminds me of the weaving of baskets prayerfully performed by the desert monks of long ago. Both spiritual and practical, this approach is another way to pray always.
    Brother Bede Healey, OSB Cam.

    Cheryl Wunsch weaves in her tender book Knitting, Praying, Forgiving a simple pattern of prayer, reflection, and craft (knitting) that abides as the heart of a loving and forgiving life. In the manner in which she knits her story, her prayer, and her practice together, Cheryl creates a radiant shawl of quiet that speaks powerfully as the fruit of faith and forgiveness.
    Glenn Mitchell, spiritual director and director of training and programs for Oasis Ministries

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherInspiring Voices
    Release dateJul 16, 2014
    ISBN9781462410163
    Knitting, Praying, Forgiving: A Pattern of Love and Forgiveness
    Author

    Cheryl Wunsch MEd RNCS

    Cheryl is a licensed psychotherapist in private practice for twenty-five years. Her areas of specialty include bereavement, trauma, and personal growth. Cheryl is certified in contemplative spiritual direction. She is a mother, grandmother, and Camaldolese Benedictine Oblate.. Cheryl resides near her family in Los Angeles, California. Visit her at www.knittingprayingforgiving.com

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      Book preview

      Knitting, Praying, Forgiving - Cheryl Wunsch MEd RNCS

      1.jpg

      Copyright © 2014 Cheryl Wunsch MEd RNCS.

      All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

      Inspiring Voices

      1663 Liberty Drive

      Bloomington, IN 47403

      www.inspiringvoices.com

      1 (866) 697-5313

      Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

      Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

      Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

      ISBN: 978-1-4624-1015-6 (sc)

      ISBN: 978-1-4624-1016-3 (e)

      Library of Congress Control Number: 2014912176

      Inspiring Voices rev. date: 7/15/2014

      CONTENTS

      Foreword

      Acknowledgments

      Introduction

      Part One

      A Forgiveness Journey

      Chapter 1 Visits With Anna

      Chapter 2 Forgiveness: A Path To Love

      Chapter 3 Forgiveness Prayer Shawl

      Chapter 4 Prayers From The Heart

      Part Two

      A Pattern Of Love And Forgiveness

      Chapter 5 Remembering: The Person Or Group You Want To Forgive

      Chapter 6 Gathering: Your Thoughts, Feelings, And Memories

      Chapter 7 Holding: God And Your Journal

      Chapter 8 Gleaning: Knitting Into God’s Word-Lectio Divina

      Chapter 9 Transformation

      Endnotes

      Appendix A Scriptures For Knitting Into God’s Word: Forgiveness, Love, Compassion

      Appendix B Embracing God’s Word, Lectio Divina

      Appendix C Prayer Shawl Card

      Appendix D Dorothy’s Peace And Forgiveness Prayer Card

      About The Author

      2.jpg

      For my mother,

      Dorothy Jean Griffin

      1924–1971

      FOREWORD

      Through her own personal story of tragedy, heartbreak, and grief, Cheryl Wunsch has written a poignant and unfolding story, sharing with readers her spiritual evolution of forgiveness and personal faith journey. Using the ancient prayer technique of lectio divina, readers are guided through spiritual exercises—the framework for the contemplative practice of prayer, meditation, and personal journal keeping.

      Weaving in biblical and modern-day quotes, readers are guided through her five core forgiveness foundations of remembering, gathering, holding, gleaning, and transformation. Insights and instructions are given for applying these techniques to create a love and forgiveness shawl, or some other form of a tangible gift, to honor a person or group.

      Threefold blessings to Cheryl! She offers deep-filled insights, inspirations, and contemplative tools for her readers. As a prayer shawl maker myself, [I recognize that] she has laid a new path for creating forgiveness shawls that not only bless the recipient but the prayer shawl maker as well. For anyone who takes up her book, a journal, and set of knitting needles, her message continues to widen the circle of God’s universal gifts of forgiveness and unconditional love.

      Victoria A. Cole-Galo

      Cofounder of the Prayer Shawl Ministry

      ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

      I want to thank God for the gift of faith and for my three beautiful daughters, two amazing sons-in-law, and two adorable, precious grandsons. I am blessed! A special thank-you to my cousin Meryl, for always encouraging me about my writing, and a loving thank-you to each of my cousins, my two sisters, my brothers-in-law, and my three fantastic nephews and beautiful niece. Thank you for your love.

      My deepest gratitude to Daniel Stern, for daring to believe in me. A thank-you to Barbara for your kindness and patience in typing my early handwritten journal notes. When I first met Anna, I wanted to get my amazing miracle experience on paper, and my dear friend and then-colleague Jill typed as I spoke. Thank you, Jill; you always know my heart! I am forever grateful to Sister Jeanne for guiding Dorothy’s Peace and Forgiveness Prayer Shawl Ministry after I moved to California. I never could have written this book without your love, support, and feedback. Thank you! Much gratitude to my dear friends Cheryl, Aye, Mary, and Susan, who listened, prayed, and supported my writing for many years. Thank you, Cheryl, for being a beacon of God’s light when I would get lost in my writing. Thank you, Marge, for all of the good times while knitting and crocheting shawls and for teaching me how to crochet. I think of you with every ripple shawl I crochet. A special thank-you to our Pennsylvania prayer shawl group. I think of you all with love and prayers.

      After moving to California a few years ago, I was blessed and welcomed at my new church, the Church of the Good Shepherd. Thank you to Monsignor Thomas Welbers, my pastor. Thank you, Sister Virginia, for inviting me to organize our church prayer shawl ministry and for your support. My sincere gratitude to all of our prayer shawl knitters and crocheters. A special thank-you to Nicole for your support and prayers—you inspire me—and to Ethel, for always having words of praise for our prayer shawl ministry. My heartfelt thanks to Father Colm O’Ryan, Mary Ann, and each person in our meditation group. Thank you, Annette, for your encouragement and prayers, and my deep gratitude to Sister Audrey for your kindness in correcting my grammar. A thank-you to Jayne and Stephanie, my neighbors and friends, for your encouraging words. A warm thank-you to Father Robert, for your oblate guidance, and to Brother Bede, for deepening my experience in lectio. My sincere thanks to Paula for helping me early on to get my book off the ground. I want to thank Andrea and my fellow New Camaldoli oblates and monks. You are my spiritual family, and I carry you in my heart.

      INTRODUCTION

      You cannot forgive without grace, and grace is not something you can demand. You can only sweep out the chamber of your soul and be ready to receive it when it comes.¹

      —Mirabai Starr

      No matter how dark the tapestry God weaves for us, there’s always a thread of grace.²

      —Mary Doria Russell

      I did not plan on knitting a forgiveness prayer shawl or creating a pattern of love and forgiveness. I believe God revealed both to me, and He wants me to share my story and my pattern to encourage others. That is why I wrote this book. It is my prayer that my story and pattern will encourage and bless you on your journey to forgiveness.

      It began when I was in my early twenties and pregnant with my first child. I was happy and very excited about becoming a mother. I never thought twice about my mother being there for me, and she was there—for a few short months. I am grateful that my mother met her first granddaughter and that she was there to help me learn some of the basics of

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