Gifts Of LoveRecently the quilters provided me with a wonderful gift. It is a lovely wall hanging stitched with the symbols of faith. Every stitch is hand done with a symbol of the cycle of our Biblical faith story. One it is the lamb, there is the open Word of God, the trinity symbols, the manger, the Alpha and Omega. We hung it over the couch so every day I see the Biblical story and am reminded of what God has done for us and what faith encompasses. I treasure it because of the kind women who thought to stitch each square . Having quilted myself, I know how painstaking it is to get the stitches just right and how sore your fingers get, pushing in and out the needle. I also know there is comradeship that develops between the sewers. Whenever I get caught up in day to day struggles and find myself at times frustrated with things, this banner reminds me of the cycle of faith that envelops us all in its loving hold. There are several other special items in my office I cherish. A beautiful framed hand stitched needlepoint of the Corinthian characteristics of a genuine faith that hangs over a book case. It was done by a family in Spartanburg. The husband was a beloved physician in the area both he and his wife were strong members of their church. I have a cross made out of horse shoe nails with an abstract figure of Christ hanging on the cross. It was made by a farrier. There is an elephant given to me by the children and parents at Pisgah to remind me that like the beautiful mother elephant and her baby, we will never forget each other. There is a cherished plate made by the children and childcare workers at St Johns. Each little M&M stick figure circling the plate is a finger print of one of the children in the childcare pro-gram. My office is a little cluttered but each items needs to be out because it re-minds me of the awesome gift of ministry and the wonderful people who have journeyed along with me and given gifts of faith along the way. Pastor Pam Aldersgate Experience The October 20th, 2013 Aldersgate United Methodist Church Rock Hill, SC www.aumcrockhill.com Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors, The ChurchThe People of the United Methodist Church