In my quiet time one morning, the Holy Spirit prompted me to work on a hat I'd been crocheting for my granddaughter. I'd never felt prompted in such a direction before, but after a bit of initial wondering, I did what I felt I was being led to do.

The Holy Spirit most often teaches me through the very simple things in my life, and since He dwells within each of us, why should that surprise us? As I worked along in the early morning quiet, welcoming whatever fellowship or lesson He might have for me, The Holy Spirit showed me the following through my simple crochet project.

1. Make sure you have a Vision – keep a clear image before you at all times. It's critical to begin working from a good Plan.

2. Assemble all the necessary tools at the outset – check your gauge and adjust your tools as necessary and don't skip any of the preliminaries.

3. Don't give up because the initial stages seem unclear. Move forward, trusting in the Plan.

4. Beginnings can be awkward; you may feel like you're "all thumbs." Don't be discouraged if your start is slow, or if you need to begin several times. Press on. If you refer to the written Plan frequently the pattern will eventually emerge and become clear.

5. Once you have a well-established, easily recognized pattern, continue to refer to the Plan – never proceed totally from memory. One small error can lead you way off track.

6. Stick with the Plan until the completion of the project. If you've not yet seen results, don't change the plan; consistency is the key! Complete each pattern as an integral part of the whole, leaving nothing out – no shortcuts.

7. By working with a known Designer you will avoid errors in the Plan, which will impact the final outcome.

There's nothing new here, and those of us who crochet or sew or garden, cook or do jigsaw puzzles, whatever project we undertake, the rules are the same, if the outcome is to be assured. God is a god of process; not a single thing God has done and recorded has been done outside of process. How can we expect results in any area of our lives without operating in the same principle?

Consult the Plan early and often and make sure it is a Plan from the right Designer. Do what works, and the diligent hand shall rule (Proverbs 12:24, NIV)!