AWARENESS PLAQUES

After making the Breast Cancer patient and CHD family plaques, I felt that this plaque should be made available to others with chronic conditions. I hope these will be a measure of encouragement and strength. Below is a list of medical Awareness diagnoses and the colors that represent them. My "Peace Through the Journey" prayer will be the standard writing used on all of these unless you request a different writing of mine you'd like used in its place.

Listing of available awareness plaques and colors:

1. Breast Cancer (light pink or hot pink)

2. Congenital Heart Defect ( ½ blue; ½ red)

3. Autism (blocks of a variety of colors to symbolize a jigsaw puzzle)

4. Leukemia, Kidney Cancer (orange)

5. Bladder/Liver Cancer (yellow)

6. Stroke/Heart Disease (red)

7. Organ Donation/Transplants (green)

8. Colon Cancer (blue)

9. Alzheimer’s, Cancer Survivor, Crohn’s, Lupus, Epilepsy (purple)

10. Diabetes, Bone Cancer (white)

11. Melanoma, Sleep Disorders (black)

12. Lymphoma, MD (lime green)

13. PTSD, Tourette’s, GYN Cancers, Substance Abuse (teal)

14. Addiction recoveries (turquois)

15. Brain Aneurysm, Childhood rare or undiagnosed conditions (maroon/burgundy)

16. Eating Disorders (periwinkle)

17. Spinal Cord Disorders (cream)

18. Childhood Cancer (gold)

19. Children with Physical or Learning Disabilities (silver)

20. Traumatic Brain Injury (yellow/black)

(Scroll down to see the breast cancer and CHD plaque to read the prayer)

**Contact me by email at LCain43@windstream.net if you'd like to order one of these plaques or if you have any questions or special requests.

Peace Through the Journey for CHD and other illnesses...

While at the Sweet Corn Festival this past weekend as a vendor, we soon realized what God was doing. He was providing us a mission trip 30 miles from home.These words were from Him, through me, for others. There were many smiles and happy reasons why folks would stop, read, and sometimes buy to keep. There were also many challenging situations that caused folks to stop, read...and sometimes weep. They were in need, and their stories touched my heart in ways I will not soon forget. And I cannot make others feel what we felt that day. That was simply God's gift to us in that moment. It was, in fact, Church. Believers sharing together, laughing together, sometimes crying together, encouraging one another and giving praise to the One and Only. New friends in Christ were made.

These plaques aren't for everyone. That was apparent by the many who briefly cast a glance our direction and kept walking. That's Ok. God knows who needs them. My prayer has always been, "Lord, bring the people that need these prayers, these words, this hope, this comfort, this peace, this smile that can only come from YOU."

It never ceases to amaze me about the power of prayer. I had one family that stopped by and read Peace Through the Journey. That was my festival special for the day. The pink breast cancer patient plaques. After some discussion I offered to make this in a different color if they wanted me to. As it turned out, a year old little boy in the family was currently hospitalized with Congenital Heart Disease. The colors for CHD are red and blue. So, we agreed to make them a plaque that was half blue, half red with Peace Through the Journey on it. I am honored. I am humbled. And I am thanking God for the opportunity to share a word of comfort to this family...

We had the opportunity to share this same prayer plaque with another family whose baby girl was struggling from issues related to being born several weeks prematurely. And another opportunity arose to share it with a family whose little boy is fighting Leukemia...

I am still reliving these moments. This is my mission field at present. I thank God for it and I'm looking forward to the next opportunity! I will be sitting at a booth with the KY Connections group selling the breast cancer plaques at our town's twilight festival next weekend...praying for the ones who need this word of hope.

Lucy

*For a full listing of available plaques and contact/ordering info, see May 2012 post or simply scroll down this page. LCain43@windstream.net

The Crafting Process...

1. I buy my plaques in various sizes...

2. I choose the color of paint I want for a particular prayer poem and apply two to three coats on front and back...

3. I print prayer on cardstock of choice according to plaque size, and cut using a template I've created for each size...

4. I then adhere the cardstock to the plaque using a quality craft adhesive...and apply 2 coats over the cardstock to seal it...

5. I then apply a coat of durable clear gloss crafting varnish to the front and back, and place an alligator hook on the back so that it comes ready to hang. (Or plaques can be displayed on a stand alone easel.)

Each plaque is individually hand crafted in this fashion. Contact me if you have a special request. (See ordering/contact info post.)

Sample Small Plaque

The following are examples of the small, one stanza 3x5 or 4x4 wall plaques available in a variety of colors:

*To order, contact me at LCain43@windstream.net
*For more information, see "ordering/contact info" post from May 2012 that includes a complete listing of available prayer plaques.

Simple Prayers

SIMPLE PRAYERS


Lord, let me be a ray of hope
To someone who has a need
May they see Your love in me
Through my every word and deed


Lord, give me strength today
To meet my every task
Draw my heart near to Yours,
Dear Lord, is what I ask


Lord, give me peace inside
That can only come from You
Help me trust in all Your ways
And guide me in all I do


Lord, thank You for the blessings
You bestowed on me today
Help me be a blessing to others
Is what I humbly pray


Lord, You know my every need
Before I even begin to pray
Help me trust You will provide
All I might need today


By Lucy A Cain 4-23-12

The Making Of Simple Prayers...

Good morning! I start this blog today with excitement of a new venture. The making of Simple Prayers Wall Plaques started with one poem which I will post in the next entry. The journey has escalated into nearly 20 poetic prayers at present..and growing! These prayers are written for targeted population groups, and hopefully will touch the hearts and lives of people in many roles and situations.

The intent of these prayers is to help people devote their every day to the Lord..seeking His guidance, protection, will, strength, peace, and ways...no matter what role they play in life. Or situation they are in. I have been working on creating simple, attractive wall plaques for these prayers so they may be hung in a place easily seen, read, and focused on when needed. I even wrote a prayer for every UK Wildcat fan, our Kentucky horsemen, jockeys and fishermen. My next attempt will be to write one for our hunters...

I am humbled. Over and over again. For some reason, God continually gives me words to say to speak to the hearts of people by way of poetic words. I don't know why. I don't know why me. All I know is that these words come so swiftly at times I have to stop what I'm doing and go write them down for fear of "losing them." I've been writing poetry and other prose all of my life, or so it seems! My mother would ask me to write about someone or some event ever since I can remember. My father and I would leave little silly poems for each other every morning since he left for work long before I woke up.

So here we go! I don't know what God wants out of this journey yet, other than obedience. I feel in my heart that I am supposed to do this. I don't know to what degree or for how long. But, for now, I am going down the path set before me. :) Coming posts will include pictures of samples that can be made in most colors of choice. I hope you find these words a blessing to your heart and to your life. And hopefully some will just make you smile...

Lucy Cain