Entertaining Angels Unware

Blanket angels come in all shape and sizes and usually when you least expect them.

Case in point: This week we have literally been up to our elbows in fleece, thanks to gifting from many generous donors and kind hearts in unexpected places all over the country.

Starting with Debbie, Julie, Anne, Jennifer and the whole crew at Hancock Fabric off Canton Road.

Not only did this group forgo the standard,
"We can't make these decisions, you have to run it past cooperate" WITHOUT even knowing what you might need or why.

No, Hancock's quickly found a way to accommodate us in very generous ways. Though we virtually cleaned them out of fleece fabric this past Monday and Tuesday, they continued to be helpful and thoughtful to the point of posting and promoting our blanket event in both English and Spanish in their store windows and at their counter!

Store Manger Julie

Julie and Anne

Next the 'F-Team' spent 3 afternoons this week

cutting hundreds of yards of fleece from rolls and bolts.

Despite some reservations regarding our fabric choices

everyone worked with a glad heart.......well...um...for the most part...

(any of rumors of FBCW running a sweat shop on the third floor are just false or... at least greatly exaggerated.) It was sweaty for some...but, well let's not go there today, okay?

After 3 days of blood, sweat and jeers

(scissor blisters can be painful!!)

we were down to the fringing stage.

On Friday, beginning at 8am, we held the first of two mini Flock parties at American Heritage Academy. Mrs. Huffman's 1st grade class was first and today they learned a bit about geography, Social Studies, good citizenship and empathy for others.

Once these little Blanket Angels learned how they could help the families of

McDowell County have a nice, warm holiday,

they tied hundreds of love knots and within one hours time, finished six blankets. Mrs. Huffman's class were genuinely moved, plan to send goody stuffed socks and personal hand written cards and letters with their blankets to their counterparts in West Virginia.

By days end on Friday, our area Daisy Troop followed

Mrs. Huffman's class lead and tied six blankets of their own.

Oh!! Least I forget, when I got home Thursday afternoon from a day of fleece, I spotted 2 large shipping boxes in my library addressed to Mary and I. Once opened, we discovered a treasure trove of 14 beautiful blankets courtesy of Fleece for the Flock supporters in Maryland. Seems this was the harvest of their latest Girls Night. Brought me to tears yet again y'all!

"Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. " Hebrews 13:2

tammy and mary

With So Much More Than We Could Ever Deserve

Two Weeks and counting; this is where we stand

Jason delivered 600 plus yards of fleece Friday afternoon.

We quickly set up stations and cut blanket sets. In a few short hours we had ninety blankets cut, ready to fringe and knot.
and...

Praise God!!
Due to extraordinary donations, we are set to purchase an additional 375 yards in the next few days. Once that fabric is purchased, we will only need about 50 blankets to reach our goal of delivering 500 blankets to the family's of McDowell County for Christmas.








Folks, this means we will have several hundred blankets that still need to be tied between now and the first week of December.

How YOU Can Help

We will be holding a flock party each day from 11:30am to 2:30pm next Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at

First Baptist Church of Woodstock

on the 3rd floor choir rehearsal area of the worship center building. If you are able, please plan on joining our faithful crew in preparing the fleece for our blanket tying marathon affectionately titled a
Heven-ly Harvest Hoedown

Friends, this event is just 2 weeks away on Saturday November 21st between the hours of 8am and 5pm.

You do NOT have to spend the day with us!

You can if you choose, but you don't have to.

If you do nothing else, bring your family, friends and neighbors - spend a portion of your day tying some love knots, signing a few cards and send up some thoughtful prayers for our Appalachian neighbors.

We will have delicious foods courtesy of

Diane and Augie Oberkrom of The Soul Food Market

A terrific group of performers including the musical talent of

Heather Richardson as she debuts her new CD "He is Good"

Many local Fleece for the Flock members plan to attend.

But we will need a host of other blanket angels to complete the task.

If you can tie a knot, sign a thoughtful card or say a prayer make the time and get yourself there. If your schedule prevents it, let others know who CAN make it. Let them fill in for you.

With every ones help, we can be the hope for

McDowell County this Christmas!

For all you flock members unable to attend in body,

continue to pray for the rest of us and the folks

receiving each blanket, scarf and socks.

Dear ones, God has blessed us all with so much more than any of us could ever deserve and we should all be reminded of what Jesus said,

" I tell you the truth, whatever we did not do for the least of these, you did not do for me"

Much love,

tammy and mary

"If you are generous with the hungry
and start giving yourselves to the down-and-out,
Your lives will begin to glow in the darkness,
your shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight.
I will always show you where to go.
I'll give you a full life in the emptiest of places—
firm muscles, strong bones.
You'll be like a well-watered garden,
a gurgling spring that never runs dry.
You'll use the old rubble of past lives to build anew,
rebuild the foundations from out of your past.
You'll be known as those who can fix anything,
restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate,
make the community livable again."

to be blessed by the full text check out Isaiah 58

We Need an Army of Volunteers

Come to an all-day gathering to assemble 100’s of fleece-tie blankets benefiting the

West Virginia Christmas Mission!

• Please bring can goods to help our local food pantry.
• Stop by the Cornucopia Canteen for
delicious homemade soups, baked goods and beverages *

When? November 21st, 2009 from 8:00 am ‘til 5:00 pm

Where? First Baptist Church of Woodstock
In the Basement of the “B” Building

There will be music, fun, games and food!
The only thing missing is

YOU!

We need an army of volunteers with open hearts and willing hands to help assemble hundreds of fleece-tie blankets for needy families in the West Virginia Appalachians.

Young, old, everyone is welcome and can help in some way.

Come share our bountiful blessings with our neighbors near and far.

*All proceeds from The Cornucopia Canteen will go to our local Church on the Street ministries.

Email us for further information

Hold on to your Hats & Save the Date!

Prayers have been answered

As of today
The Magic Number is 421!

Okay Everybody,
We have so many good things to report, you might want to have a seat and hang onto your hats...your coffee, whatever!

God has blessed us with some major donations this last couple of weeks, as a result we will be placing an order for almost 10 rolls of fleece....

that's 600 yards or enough fabric for 200 blankets!!

Are you all kick'n up your heals yet???

Mary and I are!

It will take some time for the fabric order to arrive and with our church celebrating Love Loud this week, we have canceled this weeks Thursday flock party. Instead, we have planned a Flock Party of Ginormous proportions!

so please...
Save the Date
On Saturday November 21st, Fleece for the Flock will be hosting a marathon blanket making party. As part of the festivities we will also host a Holiday Soup Bowl (think festive soup kitchen) with an opportunity for those in the community to share in a delicious bowl of soup, a drink and fresh baked goods all for a $1 donation or a canned good, All proceeds from the Soup Bowl will go to local Church on the Street ministries and area food pantry's.

With your help tying knots and spreading the word, we expect a bountiful harvest. Please save the date and begin telling your friends. With a good turn out we can touch many lives this holiday season: Those in Northwest Atlanta and our neighbors over the West Virginia mountains.

More details will follow shortly, but for now, please RSVP and let us know if you're planning to join us. We will need all the willing hands and open hearts we can round up, we sure hope to see you there!

"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,
I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me,
I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
"Then the righteous will answer him,
'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
Matthew 25:35-40

Thanking God for each one of you,
By His grace and for His glory,
Tammy and Mary

Sharing the Joy and Blessing

With over 430 blankets to make, we have been busy looking for more ways to spread the word and cut our cost per blanket.

To that end, check out Fleece 4 Less where we are able to purchase printed fleece for as low as $2.98 a yard. As of this morning we have received enough donations to purchase more than 90 yards of fleece at this lower price. Let us know if you are interest in purchasing a few yards or maybe a roll.

We have a video that does a good job of outlining the many challenges facing our West Virginia neighbors while illustrating how Fleece for the Flock can bring love and hope to these families this Christmas.

I don't know about you, but Mary and I regularly forward all sorts of cute and silly video's to family and friends. Rarely do those video's have the potential to effect lives like the one below.

It is our prayer that you will utilize these latest resources as you spread details of this mission with everyone in your particular circle of influence. Let your friends, family and coworkers share the joy and blessing of helping our less fortunate Appalachian neighbors this Christmas season.

Blessings and Grace,
tammy and mary

"Because we know that this extraordinary day is just ahead, we pray for you all the time—pray that our God will make you fit for what he's called you to be, pray that he'll fill your good ideas and acts of faith with his own energy so that it all amounts to something. If your life honors the name of Jesus, he will honor you. Grace is behind and through all of this, our God giving himself freely, the Master, Jesus Christ, giving himself freely." 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12

Fleece - Pass it On!

Mary and I just got a wonderful FB message from a friend of one our Fleece for the Flock group members. Seems this friend saw a FFF update, read it and thought it would be a good project for a group of home schooled girls she teaches. These homeschoolers have been busy and have 6 blankets ready to deliver.

The girls also wanted to know if they could add a letter or card to each blanket and we of course said YES!! What a blessing folks and just the infusion we needed.

Today Mary and I had our Thursday Flock party at FBCW. Many willing hands and hearts joined us, but we had no fleece. We suspected all along the need for fleece products would always exceed fabric donations - IF we ceased to spread the word!

Tonight we are expressly requesting that everyone genuinely interested in supporting this ministry invite everyone you know to jump in and lend a hand.

We ask that you especially let your friends know that this current campaign to make and gather over 425 blankets and wraps is for the families in one of the poorest regions in the United States, McDowell County, West Virginia.

FYI: This once thriving Appalachian community has been hit by one hardship after another leaving it's diminished population physically cut off, with little to no means of making a living, the county's infrastructure is in shambles as schools, homes and businesses have been long ago abandoned. Due to a series of economic and natural disasters many roads in and around the towns and through the mountainous hollers are virtually impassable. Just getting things to them is its own unique challenge.

These are our neighbors’ folks. Not across the ocean, but on our soil and right in our own backyard. We can not rescue them or fix all their problems, that is not our intent…we are no ones savior.

We CAN be the hands and feet of Jesus.
We CAN send something warm and personal, attach a card or letter.
We CAN lift them up in prayer and in all of these ways we CAN Love them Loudly!

By His grace and for His glory,
Tammy and Mary

"Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock."
1 Peter 5: 2-3

32 Blankets and a Mess a Scarves!

You all did good...no, strike that...

Y'all did great!!

Just look the beautiful collection of warm, colorful and very prayed over coverings Mary and I had the pleasure of wrapping for our West Virginia neighbors!

Take a look at all the love heading up to the Appalachians this week

For the record, this is 32 blankets and a mess of scarves pictured here!

The first installment of two lots of coverings and cold weather gear.

As a result of your efforts, fall and winter will a whole ;lot warmer for a few of our mountain neighbors. A special thanks to those of you who stepped up to make tie blankets, crocheted spreads, cotton quilts, knitted scarves and assorted donations of fleece and yarn; and of course so many of you who regularly pray for the recipients who will take comfort beneath them in the cold days ahead.


A mission team leaves Thursday and along with the Hands of Hope Ministry they will distribute these goods to the needy folks of McDowell County in conjunction with a planned men's conference later this week.
Thank you for being the hands and feet of Jesus to families right here in our own back yard. Without your help, this would not be possible.

For anyone who missed partaking in this blessing, the second load of blankets is still to be made. We need approximately 465 pieces of cold weather apparel. The wraps may range in size from a small baby size coverlet to full blown bed covers. We would also like to donate as many scarves and hats as possible.

Have I mentioned it gets cold up in those mountains?

Email us for a list of Flock Parties or let us know if you would like to host one yourself. A Supply List can be found here.

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'There is no commandment greater than these." Mark 12:30-31

By His grace and for His glory,

tammy and mary