about shop patterns projects printables extras sponsorship wild olive twitter flickr pinterest subscribe

pattern // I have always loved you

I Have Always Loved You Embroidery Pattern


I have always loved you.

Wouldn't it be wonderful to hear someone say this to you? Being human, it's difficult for us to say this and mean it. But guess what? There is someone who says this and truly means it. God.

These words are from Malachi 1:2, and they are spoken by God to His people, Israel. And those who love Him are welcomed into this family (in fact, Wild Olive is named so for a verse that talks about this!). But whether you believe and accept Jesus as God's Son, forgiver of all wrongdoing, God still says this to you:

I have always loved you.

With Valentine's Day close at hand, love is in the air. Or at least there are a lot of hearts in the air. As a single lady I choose to enjoy the talk of hearts and love, and think on a love that has always been. And that includes stitching it!


The design will just barely fit in a 6-inch hoop, so I'd recommend going just a bit larger. Try it in traditional Valentine colors or in shades to match your decor. Oh, and the pattern has the Scripture reference on there, but it looks great without it too.

And maybe, while you stitch, no matter who you stitch this for, think about the love that inspired this pattern.

Happy Stitching!

20 comments:

  1. Such a wonderful reminder of His love for us! Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love it, I'm single too and this is so beautiful. Thank yoi

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ohhh. Wonderful reminder of something that is sometimes so difficult to believe. Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I think your designs are great but as a non-believer I find it self-centered, disrespectful and disgusting when a believer tells me, "God loves you". What I hear is "I don't respect your choices, ability to think or freedom of belief; my beliefs and feelings are more important!". Please - atheists and people of other religions do NOT want to hear that your god "loves" them.

    I'm not saying you shouldn't have it on your blog of course; it's your blog and you can write about loving a god and him loving you (and other believers) as much as you want.

    But telling non-believers that someone they believe does not exist has feelings for them is like me saying the Flying Spaghetti Monster loves you. Worse, really, because there's no history of people torturing non-FSM-believers for not believing, and making laws based solely on what FSM wants to the detriment of non-believers.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Gaby,

      I'm truly sorry that my post was taken as disrespectful. Please know that wasn't my intention (actually, I think you do know that).

      I do like writing and sharing about the things that I believe and hold close to my heart, even though I know not all of my readers agree with those beliefs. I don't share them to hurt people though, and I will take into consideration your thoughts on this.

      I want Wild Olive to be a positive and loving place, and I want you to know that, even though we don't really know each other, I care about you, your thoughts, and opinions. Thank you for taking the time to share!

      Delete
    2. Hi Mollie, thanks for your reply.

      I've no doubt that you didn't intend to be disrespectful, because from what I can tell you believe that being loved by your god is the greatest thing in the world. I understand that religion means a lot to many people, and there's no way I'd ever suggest you censor how you and other believers feel about your god.

      I was trying to show you how your words (*specifically* those ones directed to non-believes) were disrespectful. If you'd left off the bit about your god loving non-believers then I wouldn't have commented, like all those other posts where you've mentioned god. I respect your decision to believe and write about it, and just ignore that stuff.

      Sure I don't follow what you follow but I know that if I choose to read your blog then occasionally something religious will pop up. As you can tell, I still read! I still think your work is great! I just wanted to share with you how this non-believer (and I'd guess many non-believers) feel when believers say that kind of stuff.

      Thanks again for your reply, and for taking into consideration my thoughts.

      Delete
    3. I'm so glad that we can talk about this sort of thing in an open way. I maintain that crafters are a very fine bunch of people, and I'm happy to be in this community.

      You are right to think that I find God's love to be great news. It brings me joy and hope. And like anyone who hears or experiences something wonderful, I want to share.

      Thank you for reading my blog, even when I do post things that you don't agree with. Obviously, this is mainly a craft blog, but it's still personal too, and I try to share who I am through all I do. Again, I really appreciate that we can talk kindly and openly about this.

      Delete
  5. Mollie, I love this design, beautiful! :)

    And to the poster above, as you said, this is Mollie's blog and she can post whatever she wants to. If you don't agree with it, you don't have to visit her blog and you don't have to stitch this pattern. And also, whether you believe in God or not, He DOES love you. Just because you don't believe in Him doesn't change that fact. I'm sure you will find this disrespectful also, but as a Christ follower, I love you and will be praying for you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous3:57 PM

      Love your words Shauna!

      Delete
    2. Thanks for your support, Shauna. It makes me sad that Gaby feels disrespected by my work, especially when that was the opposite of my intention. Without changing my believes or boldness, I want to make sure that people feel cared for here.

      Delete
    3. You were in no way disrespectful Mollie. You are a lovely human being and I enjoyed the post today. It is so refreshing to hear someone stand up for their beliefs. Please don't let 1 person discourage you from writing what you believe on your own blog. God Bless.

      Delete
    4. Amen to that Shauna! I agree that you were not disrespectful in the least Mollie. This is YOUR blog. I for one am so glad hat I happened on your blog today and for your inspirational words. Keep it up.

      Delete
  6. Anonymous3:55 PM

    Malachi is one of those small books that gets lost but has such wonderful truths to discover!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think I will read some of hat book this week.

      Delete
  7. What a gracious reply above Mollie. I love the pattern and can't wait to stitch it, Thank you. Please continue to share your faith with us. Atheists do not have more rights than theists.
    Gaby ~ if you don't like the post don't read it.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi Mollie, I love this pattern so much, it is just adorable! (I have a thing for fonts!)
    Anyway, nice reply to Gaby, I just want to let you know that I don't think you were being disrespectful in any way. I don't think you're "self-centered, disrespectful and disgusting" by telling us that God loves us. After all, you are entitled to your own beliefs, and this is YOUR wonderful blog. :)
    Again, a cute pattern, can't wait to try it! And reminding us that God has always loved us makes me feel happy. It is hard for humans to say that, as I don't hear it often, so thanks so much for reminding me! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, MJ! In her defense, I didn't feel that she was calling me those things...merely my actions (grouped into a general sort of declaration).

      Delete
    2. You have such a loving heart.

      Delete
  9. Thank you. Today was just one of those days that I really needed to be reminded of the beauty and power of love. Imagine: a love that has always been. What could be more beautiful than that?

    ReplyDelete

I often reply to comments in the comments...check back if you have a question!