SALT Challenge - The Valley of Death

It's time for another SALT Challenge! And I know...one heck of a title, huh? :-) Lythan, due to her work in the ministry and needing to deal with these weighty issues on a regular basis, suggested this week's topic. And even though death is a difficult topic to discuss, it is necessary from time to time, not only so we can minster to others in a time of grief but to also to consider our own mortality. (You can read Lythan's write up on the SALT blog but I also want to mention the Scripture verses she provided; Romans 8:38-38 and Psalm 23, since I used a different one on my layout).

What's that saying, "only two things are certain in life; death and taxes." No matter how healthy you are right now, how many vitamins you take, how much you exercise, or how much you try to avoid thinking about it...death is inevitable. The Bible clearly states that "it is appointed upon all men once to die." The London Baptist Confession of Faith has this to say about the state of man after death, "The bodies of men after death return to dust, and see corruption; but their souls (which neither die nor sleep) having an immortal subsistence, immediately return to God who gave them. The souls of the righteous being then made perfect in holiness, are received into paradise, where they are with Christ." This is the glorious promise for those who are trusting in Christ and so while death is difficult for those left without their loved ones on earth, we can have a hope that we will be with them again one day. This can bring great comfort in times of grief. If you hold to the believe that there is no God, or that when we die our bodies simply go in to the ground, or that there is no such thing as heaven and hell, I encourage you to search the Bible to see what it has to say...even if you think the Bible is just another book or that it holds no truth that can make a difference in anyone's life...read anyway. A good place to start is The Shorter Catechism, which includes basic Biblical truths. The one that I've linked to also includes Scripture texts as proof of the statements made. Read through what it has to say and then pray that God might reveal the truth to you. Certainly, anyone would rather know the truth now, before it's too late. A family member once said, "if there is no God and no judgement what do I have to lose by trusting in Him? But if there is a God and a judgement, I lose everything by denying His existence."

As for my layout, it features a photo of my Mom when she was a teenager, taken just seven years before I was born. Fifteen years after my birth, my Mother passed away when she was just 37; my brother was barely 10. It is a difficult thing to lose a parent, maybe even more so when you are very young. And even though I miss her and so wish she was alive now to see her grandchildren and meet my wonderful hubby, I believe that my Mom was a Christian and I have great hope that I will see her again. Products used on my layout include new paper from Basic Gray, verse stamp by Verve, ribbon by American Crafts, Tissue Tape and Film Strip by Tim Holtz, rhinestones from Prima, and butterfly punch by Martha Stewart. I pray that today's challenge, even though it was on a difficult topic, was a blessing. If you're feeling inspired to create based on this week's challenge, please stop by the SALT blog and leave us a comment with a link back to your blog or online gallery. We'd love to see what you've made!