The News Connection

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We all pass things down to our children, one generation to the next, the good and the bad whether it is beautiful blue eyes or a stubborn streak. Donna Bradshaw of Lantana had a love of quilting passed down to her, from her grandmother, to her mother, and then to her. Like a twine ball gathering girth and strength as it gets larger, Bradshaw’s quilting passion has grown from the desire of having something to pass down to her own three children to a ministry called Pocket Prayers that has so far provided about 3,000 United States servicemen and women with a personal message and a bible verse sewn on a patriotic square of fabric that will fit easily into a pocket, a backpack, or a helmet. I had the good fortune to spend some time with Bradshaw this week, and it was quite a treat to hear her talk about her passion for quilting. Enthusiasm is contagious, and even though I’ve been known in my forties to ask my mother to hem a pair of pants, I left Starbucks thinking that maybe I, too, could quilt. Bradshaw, who moved with her husband Sid to Lantana about a year ago from San Clemente, California, brought her quilting supplies with her and began a Pocket Prayers ministry at their new church home, Chinn Chapel United Methodist. The seed money for the ministry came from Bradshaw’s cousin who wanted to honor her late husband’s memory, and now a group of about 16 are involved in an effort to quilt the little four inch squares of fabric that are passed out to service men and women to let them know they are never alone. Sometimes accompanied by her church friends, Bradshaw goes to DFW Airport and hands out the Pocket Prayers to troops that are either flying in or out of the airport. “It’s very emotional,” she said. “They come through very quickly. You can pat them on the back, but their hands are full. They are loaded down, so we stick the Pocket Prayer in a pocket, or a backpack, or anywhere we... [Read More]

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