SALT Challenge - The Cure for Worry

It's time for another SALT challenge and this week it was my turn to set the challenge. My topic, the cure for worry, was based upon a sermon written by Martyn Lloyd-Jones. With all that's been going on in the world (and with my tendency to worry about future events), I thought this would be a good subject for study. You can read my write up, and see the other SALT creations, on the blog. Enjoy! Oh, the card...Background paper from Tim Holtz (isn't it dreamy...butterflies and kraft paper!!) Scripture text from Sweet 'n Sassy, and that fabulous map print behind the text is also by Tim (one of his new sets!!)

SALT Challenge - Truth

It's time once again for another SALT challenge and Ruth picked a fabulous topic - Truth. Please stop by the SALT blog to read her write up, which focuses on not lying and on the truth of God's Word. In general, people are uncomfortable with the idea of absolute truth, at least as it applies to Christ and the Bible. In his excellent book, "The Reason for God" Tim Keller shares this quote from someone who visited his church, "How could there be just one true faith? It's arrogant to say your religion is superior and try to convert everyone else to it." My guess is that many reading that quote would heartily shake their heads in agreement. However, Keller goes on to say that if you try to explain away all assertions of truth as one or the other or something else you will find yourself in an untenable position. C.S. Lewis in the "The Abolition of Man," states the following ...you cannot go on "explaining away" forever; you will find that you have explained explanation itself away. You cannot go on 'seeing through' things forever. The whole point of seeing through something is to see something through it. It is good that the window should be transparent, because the street or garden beyond it is opaque. How if you saw through the garden too? A wholly transparent world is an invisible world. To 'see through' all things is the same as not to see." If, for example, you say that all truth-claims about religion and God are just psychological projections to deal with your guilt and insecurity, then so is your statement. The idea that you hold to is your absolute truth. Some kind of absolute truth-claim, then, seems unavoidable. It's inconsistent to work against oppression when you refuse to admit that there is such a thing as truth. Keller's also quotes from G.K. Chesteron, "the new rebel is a skeptic, and will not trust anything...therefore he can never be really a revolutionary. For all denunciation implies a moral doctrine of some kind. Therefore the modern man in revolt has become practically useless for all purposes of revolt. By rebelling against everything he has lost the right to rebel against anything. There is a thought that stops thought. That is the only thought that ought to be stopped." So we can see that everyone holds to their own version of absolute truth. The challenge is knowing how absolute truth applies to the Bible, Christ, and Christianity. This is a huge topic and one that could fill numerous blog posts so I'll simply share a quote from Bono (the singer of U2), "...either Christ was who He said He was - the Messiah - or a complete nutcase. The idea that the entire course of civilization for over half of the globe could have its fate changed and turned upside down by a nutcase, for me that's far-fetched." The truth is that Jesus Christ, who claimed to be THE truth, the way, and the life (John 14), radically changes everything about people; who they are, how they see, and how they live. If you have ever known anyone before they became a Christian, you can testify to this fact. So either they have, in their own power, brought about such changes or absolute truth can be found in Scripture and the work of Christ on the cross. If you're unsure how to respond to these ideas, begin by praying and asking God (even if you're not sure if He exists) to give you clarity on these topics, to help you understand who He is and to show you the truth about Him. Seek God while He may be found...And may He be pleased to reveal those truths to your mind and heart. Please stop by the SALT blog to read Ruth's write up and to see the other word submitted by the design team.

SALT Challenge - Love Your Enemies

It's time for another SALT challenge and this week it was Pauline's turn to set the challenge and she chose "love your enemies." You can read her write up on the SALT blog. I confess that I'm posting this just this morning vs. last night and therefore haven't had much time to think through a detailed post. However, I will share that I chose my Scripture verse based upon what is needed for us to truly love our enemies...God's grace. It is not natural for us to love our enemies or those who mock us or our beliefs or who dislike us for no apparant reason. It's natural for us to either seek revenge or to fight for our own reputation, to want to come out of the corner ready for a fight. Yet Christ commands us to love those who don't love us and pray for those who hate us. And what Christ commands He did Himself. For as he hung upon the cross, he prayed for his crucifiers, who were then used Him in the most despiteful, as well as cruel manner; saying, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." Matthew Henry has this to say on loving your enemies and a Christian's duty, "The Jewish teachers by neighbour understood only those who were of their own country, nation, and religion, whom they were pleased to look upon as their friends. The Lord Jesus teaches that we must do all the real kindness we can to all, especially to their souls. We must pray for them. While many will render good for good, we must render good for evil; and this will speak a nobler principle than most men act by. Others salute their brethren, and embrace those of their own party, and way, and opinion, but we must not so confine our respect. It is the duty of Christians to desire, and aim at, and press towards perfection in grace and holiness. And therein we must study to conform ourselves to the example of our heavenly Father. Surely more is to be expected from the followers of Christ than from others; surely more will be found in them than in others. Let us beg of God to enable us to prove ourselves his children." That leads me to the verse that I used on my card for how can the natural man really care about and truly love those who are unlovely in their conduct and words? Only by the grace of God, who is able to transform our hearts. We are weak in our own strength, unable to do this grand thing that Christ commands. But it is in our own weakness that we can take courage, for there must be a consciousness of weakness before we can have victory. May God be pleased to grant us grace to love our enemies and to pray for those who use us for He may be pleased to use our conduct to touch their hearts. As the centurion said as he gazed upon Christ on the cross, his heart obviously changed by all that had happened that day, "Truly, this was the Son of God." Please stop by the SALT blog to see the other lovely works created by the design team and feel free to create a project based on this week's challenge. We'd love to share in your work!! PS - OK...don't laugh because it appears I rarely have nothing to say...so much for being unprepared! LOL!

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!

SALT Challenge - Pray for Holiness

This week it was my turn to give the challenge to the SALT DT and since New Years typically brings with it resolutions, such as losing weight or exercising (both good goals by the way!), I thought this would be a good opportunity for us to also meditate on spiritual matters. If we seek to first renew the inward man then we can be sure that the outward man will also improve. The Scripture verse for this week's challenge, Pray for Holiness, is from 1 John 5:15, "And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him." I tend to have a "I can do it myself" kind of attitude when I approach challenges and while I don't think that's necessarily a sinful attitude to have I do think it can be a stumbling block to real practical and spiritual progress. I'll give you an example. I'm not a terribly patient person and I found out early on that having children is not for one who is lacking in patience. So...I prayed, I prayed and asked God to make me a patient person. Guess what? He didn't. You know why? I expected God to hit me on the head with some magical wand and turn me into a totally different person...pesto, chang-0...I'm now and forever more...patient. What I failed to realize is that God doesn't work that way. He works by us stepping out in faith, behaving in the way He's instructed us to behave in Scripture, and then relying on Him, through prayer, for the strength to do those things He called us to do. Martyn Lloyd-Jones had this to say on the challenge verse, "We can pray that all the precepts, all the promises, and all the prophecies in the Bible with respect to ourselves may be fulfilled in us. "For this is the will of God, even your sanctification" (1 Thess. 4:3). If you pray for sanctification, you can be sure that God will sanctify you. It is God's will that we may know His love; ask Him therefore to reveal His love to you by the Holy Spirit, and you can be certain He will do so. And it is the same with all the various other promises that are in the Scriptures. "Ask and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you" (Matt. 7:7). Are you concerned that you do not love as much as you ought? Tell Him about it; ask Him to shed His love abroad in your heart, and He will do so. Are you concerned about some sin that casts you down? Pray a confident prayer. It is the will of God that you should be delivered from sin; so pray for it. Are you concerned that your heart shall be clean? Offer David's prayer ("Create within me a clean heart, Oh God; and renew a right spirit within me, "Psalm 51:10) and I assure you, on the basis of the Word of God and His character, that He will answer you, and the blood of Christ will cleanse you from all sin and all unrighteousness. Go through your Bible, and make a list of the promises of God to you; then take them to God, use them in His presence, plead them, and you can be quite certain that you have your petitions. You already possess them, and in His own time and way God will give you a full realization of them and a full enjoyment of them." It's been almost seven years since I became a parent and I still struggle with patience from time to time but since I confessed that I couldn't "do it by myself" and began to "ask, seek, and knock" while simply exercising patience and praying for strength, I have seen an amazing transformation; not only in my own attitudes but more importantly in the behaviors of my children and in my general mood during the day. The bottom line is that God has called Christians to live differently. We are called to live a holy life; the Scriptures promise us that whatever His will is for our lives (live holy), He will enable us to do. We simply need to grab hold of God's promises and never let go...Not only is He able to grant us the strength to live as we ought but I suspect that He delights to hear and answer our prayers. If we would only ask... If you feel inspired to create a card, scrapbook page, or other project based on this week's challenge, please visit the SALT blog and leave us a comment with a link back to your blog or gallery. We'd be delighted to share your artwork!! ATC Details: Stamps: Unity Stamp Co. & Tim Holtz Paper: Ruby Rock-It

SALT Challenge - The Greatest Gift

It's time again for another SALT challenge and this week it was Hazel's turn to set the challenge. Since it's so close to Christmas, she chose a great topic...The Greatest Gift; the birth of Jesus Christ. She had an excellent write up on the SALT blog, I recommend giving it a read! (See the inside of my card below) I've opted to re-post portions of a devotion from Charles Spurgeon, which focuses on the text from John 7:37, "If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink", and although this verse doesn't specifically focus on the birth of Christ, it focuses on what He came to do in the hearts of man. Christ's proclamation is made most freely, that every thirsty one is welcome. No other distinction is made but that of thirst. Whether it be the thirst of avarice, ambition, pleasure, knowledge, or rest, he who suffers from it is invited. The thirst may be bad in itself, and be no sign of grace, but rather a mark of inordinate sin longing to be gratified with deeper draughts of lust; but it is not goodness in the creature which brings him the invitation, the Lord Jesus sends it freely, and without respect of persons. The sinner (and we are all sinners by nature) must come to Jesus, not to works, ordinances, or doctrines, but to a personal Redeemer, who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree. The bleeding, dying, rising Saviour, is the only start of hope to a sinner. No waiting or preparation is so much as hinted at. Drinking represents a reception for which no fitness is required. A fool, a thief, a harlot can drink; and so sinfulness of character is no bar to the invitation to believe in Jesus. We want no golden cup, no bejewelled chalice, in which to convey the water to the thirst; the mouth of poverty is welcome to stoop down and quaff the flowing flood. Blistered, leprous, filthy lips may touch the stream of divine love; they cannot pollute it, but shall themselves be purified. Jesus is the fount of hope. Hear the dear Redeemer's loving voice as He cries to each of us, "if any man thirst, let him come unto Me and drink..."

As for my card, it's a bit like a package...I created a tri-fold card and held it closed with a belly band and twill ribbon. The inside image is from Sweet 'n Sassy and is available as a digi set; Light of the World. I kept my coloring simple, as well as my design, instead highlighting this wonderful text from John and showing off the great colors from the My Minds Eye (this line is called Be Loved). Enjoy today's card and be sure to visit the SALT blog for the other crafty goodness from the DT!

SALT Challenge - Transformation

It's that time again...time for another SALT challenge! This week Pauline brought us our topic of transformation. You can read her thoughts on the SALT blog. In her write up, Pauline referenced a verse in 2 Corinthians, "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature." Since I'm feeling a bit under the weather this week, I decided to bring you a few thoughts from Martyn Lloyd-Jones (italics mine), taken from his daily devotional "Walking with God." The topic of the devotional focused on this Scripture verse is titled, "A New Creature." "A Christian can have an entirely new birth, a new start, a new nature, a new life. This is the very thing that happened to Paul. (Read Acts 9 for the account of Paul's transformation...it was quite extraordinary!) In his old life Paul was a self-satisfied, proud Pharisee, a highly religious and highly moral man - a very good man and a very nationalistic Jew. Yet he despised everyone else and was proud of himself....boasting that he kept the moral law while actively seeking to jail and kill those who followed Christ. But once he realized the meaning of the death of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross, he made an absolutely new start. Saul of Tarsus died, and the apostle Paul began to live. It was Paul who penned the words, "if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature." There is nothing that will get rid of the old sinful man, that we all are by nature, except through Christ's death on the cross. If you believe in Him and in the purpose of that death and what that death accomplished, you are truly dead to your old nature. Your old nature was crucified with Christ and that is gone forever. As a result of this, our whole position and status is entirely changed before God and man...You are free!" Christ really does have the power to fully transform an individual and that was my thought behind the sentiment, from Sweet 'n Sassy (the tree image is also from SNSS), on my ATC. The butterfly isn't just a bit different after it emerges from it's cocoon, it's transformed into a new creature. Such is the person who trusts in Christ... I pray that you enjoyed today's topic...Be sure to stop by the SALT blog to see the art submitted by the rest of the design team and remember, if you create something based on our topic, leave us a comment with a link back to your blog or gallery!

SALT Challenge - Who is my Neighbor

It's time once again for another SALT challenge and this week Lythan chose a great topic, "who is my neighbor." You can read her write up on the SALT blog... As I considered this week's challenge, while rifling through my assortment of Scripture verse stamps, I came across a darling Sweet 'n Sassy stamp (this is a retired set but you can still get the digital set of Scripture text here) that included a great verse from Romans 12:10, "Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves." What a great text to consider, especially in light of the current political climate in our country. I continue to be shocked and deeply disturbed by the behavior and comments made against anyone who holds to conservative views. Of course I understand that this can happen on both sides of the aisle. However, the difference I've noticed is how hateful some of the comments are when aimed towards conservatives....(Just this week a talk show host screamed about how she hoped a conservative candidate would go to hell) Even people I have known for years, and considered friends, have taken to name calling on public forums because a certain group of people hold to a different opinion. Is this an example of honoring others above one's self? Of course not, it actually reveals what is really in a person's heart. As the Bible clearly says, "the abundance of the heart speaketh the mouth." If you speak hateful comments then hate is in your heart. Matthew Henry had these helpful comments on the text in Romans, "These verses signify not only love, but a readiness and inclination to love, the most genuine and free affection, kindness flowing out as from a spring. It denotes the love of parents to their children; such must our love be to one another, and such it will be when there is a new nature and the law of love is written in the heart. This kind of affection puts us on to express ourselves both in word and action with the greatest courtesy and obligingness that may be. It should be a respectful love. Instead of contending for superiority, let us be forward to give to others the pre-eminence. And there is this good reason for this because, if we know our own hearts, we know more evil by ourselves than we do by any one else in the world. We should be forward to take notice of the gifts, and graces, and performances of our brethren, and value them accordingly. Be more forward to praise another, and more pleased to hear another praised, than ourselves." What a fantastic commentary and reminder of how we should not only treat our immediate and church family but the people around us, including our neighbor, co-worker, and friends. It can be difficult (especially for folks like me who have a hard time not speaking up and defending my beliefs and my right to hold to those beliefs) for Christians to not get sucked into the "insanity", wrapped up in an effort to depend our religious or political beliefs. But Christ calls us to something higher for if we get entangled in the same kind of bad behavior and/or speech then we are no better and any good we would want to accomplish would be lost. Let us therefore seek to love around us, not just those that agree with us, but perhaps even more those who don't. May God be pleased to give us the strength, through the work of the Holy Spirit, to accomplish such a task and then may He be pleased to change the hearts of those around us. In these uncertain times, let us not get entangled in meaningless arguments but keep our focus on Christ to be a light and help to our neighbors. My card today features paper from October Afternoon and stamps from Sweet 'n Sassy. Enjoy and please visit the SALT blog to see the team's beautiful work!

SALT Challenge - God's Righteousness

This week it was my turn to set the SALT challenge! Here's my write up from the blog... Last week we had a guest speaker at our church and his sermons really stuck with me as he raised some very common questions that I, and I suspect others, hear frequently when talking about God. One of those questions was, “Is God righteous?” The only way to effectively answer such a question is to head straight to the Bible. Romans 3:21 states, “But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe.” Matthew Henry has these helpful comments on these verses, “Never was there such a demonstration of the justice and holiness of God as there was in the death of Christ. It appears that God hates sin, when nothing less than the blood of Christ would satisfy for it. The iniquities of us all being laid upon Him, though he was the Son of his love, yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him. Mercy and truth are so met together, righteousness and peace have so kissed each other, that it is now become not only an act of grace and mercy, but an act of righteousness, in God, to pardon the sins of penitent believers, having accepted the satisfaction that Christ by dying made to his justice for them." The one thought that I walked away with from hearing those sermons was that God is good. There is nothing in us that deserves God’s favor, it is only His mercy and long suffering that sustains us, even through those times that we walk away from Him or ignore His kindness. It may be argued that we deserve whatever we want or that God’s requirements are too heavy, too hard. Yes, God requires something from us but it is merely faith, faith in the One who was sent to deliver us from our sins. Christ is the answer, He came to take away the sting of death to stand in our place and take the punishment that we deserve. How great is His love and how righteous His works! May God be pleased to show you the love of Christ today! We're blessed when you share your artwork and thoughts with us...If you feel inspired by this week's study and/or art please leave us a comment on the SALT blog with a link back to your blog or gallery...we'd be delighted to see your creations! For my ATC, I used a lovely stamp set from Sweet 'n Sassy. The embossing on the ATC base is from Tim Holtz.

SALT Challenge - Speaking with Kindness

This week it was Julie's turn to set the challenge for SALT and I had to "scold" her about her chose of "Speaking with Kindness" because this topic hit too close to home! The Lord likes to work that way...Bringing up topics for study where you are lacking....even when you didn't really want to think too much about said topic. :-) Julie shared a wonderful paragraph from the book, The Virtuous Woman, Vicki Courtney on a chapter about speech. "A virtuous woman . . . speaks with wisdom because because she wisely considers her words before she opens her mouth. When in the presence of gossip or hearsay, the law of kindness remains on her tongue. With an awesome fear of the Lord, she is quick to remember ' that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken' (Matt. 12:36)." Wow...how convicting to consider that we'll have to give an account for even the words we've spoken. I'm not sure I noticed my words much before having children. After...sigh...it can be a challenge to speak with kindness and love when both of your children are pushing all of your buttons, at the same time while you're trying to cook dinner or do some other activity. It's also really hard if you're a person who struggles with being patient (humm...I don't know anyone like that...). I notice it even more when I hear the boys talking to each other in an unloving way. Not that they're not responsible for their own actions but certainly they copy what their parents do more than they do what they say. It makes me think of parents who tell their kids not to smoke while they're lighting up...The same holds true for when we tell our children to be kind of one another and yet as parents too easily lose our patience of fail to respond in a loving manner. Just last night, after having a difficult day with our oldest, I thought to myself...When he responds in anger, I must respond in love. When he responds with impatience, I must respond in love. When he doesn't obey, I must respond in love. For isn't this an example of what Christ has done for His people. When we were rebellious, loving ourselves more than anyone else, when we failed to obey God's commands and preferred to indulge our sins, when we ignored the One who gave us life and all that we have....He responded in love, humbling Himself and giving up His life, even though He had done nothing wrong; simply because He so loved His people. If Christ did all this for me then surely I can rise to the challenge of speaking with kindness to those around me. May God be pleased to empower us to do those things that He calls us to! As for my ATC...it was a quick creation, using a Tim Holtz script stamp and a flower stamp from Waltzingmouse Stamps, Big Blooms - Chrysanthemums. My Scripture verse was printed out on my printer. I went with a two-color combo this week and love the idea of keeping things simple and bold. The SALT team created some amazing projects this week so take a quick peek on the blog and if you're feeling inspired by this week's challenge, then please leave us a comment with a link back to your blog or gallery. Enjoy!

SALT Challenge - Something New

Welcome to another SALT challenge! Have you had a chance to play along with our challenges? To do so, just visit the SALT blog, create a card or scrapbook page based on the weekly challenges, and leave us a comment with a link back to your blog or online gallery. This week it was Hazel's turn to set the challenge and she chose "Something New", which is a fantastic theme! Stop by the SALT blog to read her lovely write up and see her scrapbook page, dedicated to her Father...beautiful! When I think of new beginnings the first thing that came to mind is having a new life in Christ. My ATC reflects the verse that I immediately thought of when I heard the challenge, it's from 2 Corinthians 5:17. I believe this is the greatest promise of the Gospel, that by trusting in Christ, you will be transformed. Matthew Henry shared these helpful comments on this verse..."The renewed man acts upon new principles, by new rules, with new ends, and in new company. The believer is created anew; his heart is not merely set right, but a new heart is given him. He is the workmanship of God, created in Christ Jesus unto good works. Though the same as a man, he is changed in his character and conduct. These words must and do mean more than an outward reformation. The man who formerly saw no beauty in the Saviour that he should desire him, now loves him above all things. Peace has been made by the cross, God beseeches sinners to lay aside their enmity, and accept the salvation he offers. Christ knew no sin. He was made Sin; not a sinner, but Sin, a Sin-offering, a Sacrifice for sin. The end and design of all this was, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him, might be justified freely by the grace of God through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus." For me, nothing seems quite as glorious as knowing that my formerly pride-filled heart has been changed. And that change did not come through my own will (for I never knew I was that way!) but only by the work of the Holy Spirit who opened my eyes and made me see my need...Praise be to God alone! My quick little ATC was created using stamps, ribbon, and ink from Papertreyink. Please stop by the SALT blog to see the rest of the design team's lovely creations!

SALT Challenge - In Celebration of Marriage

Today it was Stacy's turn to pick our SALT topic and she went with a perfectly timed one (little did she know it), the celebration of marriage. What a great topic!! For one, I'm quite thrilled with marriage and two, my good friend's daughter is getting married on Saturday! WooHoo!! Stacy had much to share on the SALT blog about her own journey as a child and how those experiences formed her view of marriage as an adult. Worth a read... For me...I share some of Stacy's experiences as my parents were also divorced when I was young. And I could post a novel about the ravages of divorce, the affects on children, the broken relationships, the trust issues children of divorce face in their own marriages, etc. but....I'd rather focus on the joys of marriage today!!! I'll just say that divorce should never be an option, outside of unfaithfulness, for a husband and wife. That's why one should seriously consider who they'll marry. If you can't see yourself with the person you're with until your old and gray, then get out of the relationship before you put the ring on your finger. Traditional marriage is taking quite a beating nowadays...Many are dead set against marriage, viewing it with some kind of "ball and chain" mentality. But the Bible tells that marriage is a delight and a blessing. If that's the case then can it be all that bad? Maybe it's the people in the marriage that are broken...not the institute itself. If that's the case, then should we toss out marriage? Instead we should take a closer look at ourselves to see where the real change needs to take place...in the hearts of men and women. In all honesty, I wasn't very commit-minded myself before I met my husband. I enjoyed my single life!! However, once I met my husband everything changed...in an instant. Within two weeks of meeting, we knew we would get married. And we did, five months later! (Hey, I was 32!!) And I've never had any regrets. That doesn't mean everything is always perfect, far from it. But we're committed to our marriage and to making it work, especially now that we have two children to care for. And when we struggle the most? We pray. We pray for God to fill our hearts with love for each other; to help us to put aside our selfish desires so we're able to be of better help to each other; to work together to compromise; to see the other in a better light. God has yet to disappoint me...those prayers have always been answered...I believe it's because God delights to help us fulfill His will. As for those young lovebirds getting married this weekend....I have no doubt that they are fully head over heels in love and fully committed to their pending marriage!! They're young so I suspect there may be some bumpy roads ahead but I'm quite certain that they are in it for the long haul; no matter what comes, trusting that the Lord will bring them through whatever trials or struggles lay ahead. And we pray that God would bless their marriage so that they may enjoy many joyful years together! I've found that those tingly, oogley-googley feelings fade over time...but oh how much more deep and profound the love for your spouse becomes...and that is a tremendous blessing!! OK...the card!!! Well I have to share that I was totally channeling Amy Sheffer for this card (have you seen Amy's work? Stunning!!!). A week or so ago she posted a card using this beautiful paper from Graphic 45. Turns out I have some of that paper in my stash...Then she posted a card using this beautiful rose ribbon...Turns out I have that ribbon...And then another card with some sparkly bling...Hey, I have bling in my stash!! So I simply had to create a Amy-style card for this weekend's big event! And, as it turns out, the wedding colors are black and pink...Fabulous!

With all that fun stuff on the front of the card I had to put the sentiment in the inside, which provided me with another opportunity to design...yeah!! And a spot to showcase a Sweet 'n Sassy digi sentiment. (The sentiment on the outside of the card is from the same set) These are from the Wedding Sentiments digi set, which is available for only $3.50. This was a pretty easy card to put together since I didn't do any stamping and instead used a photo from one of the sheets of designer paper as my main image. All I added was some more decorative paper, paper piercing, and aging before laying down the bling and ribbon. I'm happy with the way it turned out (thanks for the inspiration Amy!!) and am looking forward to the big day on Saturday!! (My little Beanie is going to be the ring bearer...you should see him in a tux...darling!!) Enjoy your weekend friends, and celebrate your marriage!! Oh, and head over to the SALT blog to check out the other work from our design team!

SALT Challenge - The Trinity

It's time for another SALT challenge and when reading this morning's write up I realized that SALT is three year's old! Wow, I can't believe three years have passed with this wonderful team!! So Happy Birthday to SALT! And since we're talking about the number three, today's theme is the Trinity (God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit). I'm running out the door in just a few minutes so I'll re-post later with my notes and ATC details but for now you can hop on over to the SALT blog to read Ruth's lovely write-up on this topic! Enjoy!

SALT Challenge - A Trouble-Free Life?

Hi all...It's time for another SALT challenge and this week it was Pauline's turn to select our topic and she choose a passage from Luke 8:22-25; the account of Jesus calming the storm when He and His disciples were crossing a lake. Pauline has a lovely write up on the SALT blog, where she discusses trusting Christ at all times, even when we're in the midst of a figurative storm. I found a commentary on this text and thought I'd share a few portions of those comments: "The miracles all raise one question. That question cannot be any more clearly stated than it is at the end of this first miracle where Jesus calms the storm: "Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him." While Matthew describes the storm as a "shaking" (seismos) of the boat, Luke calls it a whirlwind (lailaps). Only Jesus is resting, unaware of the danger that surrounds him. The text expresses the danger in a peculiar fashion--the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. The storm threatens them. Jesus is physically there but appears to be mentally absent, taking a nap, unable to help them in their hour of need. In their anxiety they awake him, announcing impending doom if nothing is done: "Master, Master, we're going to drown!" The next three parts of the passage are loaded with significance. First Jesus rebukes the wind, so that calm is immediately restored. Called upon to help his disciples, He responds faithfully. The event is the catalyst for two commentaries, one from Jesus, the other from the disciples. Both present aspects of the passage's teaching. Jesus rebukes his disciples for lack of faith. By asking where their faith was, He is reminding them of his care of them. Even though he seemed to be absent and uncaring, a point Mark 4:38 makes explicitly, He was there and they could rest in the knowledge that He knew what was happening to them. Faith would have told them that God would take them through the terrible storm. So Jesus takes the calming of the storm as an opportunity to remind them that He will care for them. They need to have more faith in God's goodness. They need an applied faith that will hang tough under pressure. Meanwhile, the disciples are pondering the event. Full of fear and marvel, they ask, "Who is this?" The question is a good one, because anyone who knew the Old Testament or Jewish theology would have known that Yahweh has control of the wind and the seas (Ps 18:16; 104:3; 135:6-7; Nahum 1:4; also Solomon 14:3-5). In fact, Psalm 107:23-30 says that God delivers the sailor who is imperiled at sea. Earlier Jesus had forgiven sins; now he calms the seas. Who can do such a variety of things? Luke leaves the query unanswered here. The reader is to ponder the question. But the topic of Jesus' identity keeps popping up in the Gospel and in Acts (Lk 9:7-9, 18-20; 20:41-44; 23:49; Acts 2:30-36; 10:34-43). In the meantime, faith is called for in the recognition that Jesus is there and is aware of his disciples. Jesus' authority means he has the power to deliver those who depend on Him. Calm waves can come only from the One with the power to restore order. We are therefore left with this question, "Is God there and does he care? No question is more basic to human beings' relationship to the creation and to one another. If He is not there, then life is a free-for-all and we must do the best we can for ourselves. Often this worldview means that the one with the most power wins. If God is there, then finding Him and responding to Him is our most basic need. For if He exists, then power resides with Him and everyone becomes accountable to Him." May God give us all the faith to seek Him while He can be found... My ATC was created following a tutorial on Michelle Zindorf's site. (Love her work!) Stamps are from Sweet 'n Sassy, a new release called Serene Silhouettes. Please stop by the SALT blog to read Pauline's write up on this text and to see the other beautiful work created by the team! We'd love to have you participate in our challenge this week...

SALT Challenge - To Obey is Better than Sacrifice

Welcome to another SALT challenge! This week I was blessed to have the opportunity to present a topic to our wonderful DT and I chose a verse from I Samual 15:22, "to obey is better than sacrifice." How can we apply this verse to our modern lives and experiences? We can think of those we know that are very giving, maybe even putting professing Christians to shame. They feed the poor, give a lot of money to charities, sacrifice their time to certain causes, etc. However, these same folks will never bow the knee to Christ. In Matthew 7:22 Jesus tells His followers, “many will say in that day “Lord, Lord did we not prophesy in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name? And then I will declare to them, I never knew you…” That said, I agree that works are important, God calls us to good works (James 2:14) but to offer works without faith in Christ is empty. I spent many years proudly boasting of the many things I didn't do. I had a neat little list; I didn’t drink, didn’t smoke, didn’t listen to “worldly” music. The problem? I don't believe that I was trusting in Christ; I was merely worshipping myself and my list of man made rules. Had God not truly changed my heart, I would have been one of the ones He confessed to not know. My study Bible has this to say on faith and works, "...(there are those) that know the gospel and even agree with it, but fall short of trust in God. Failure to grow, develop, and bear the fruits of righteousness shows that the free gift of Christ has never been received. The answer for those with such a faith is not to save themselves by establishing a righteousness of their own, as if they could create faith by their own efforts, but to call on the name of the Lord (Rom. 10:13)." I pray that our topic is a blessing and encouragement to you! Feeling inspired to create based on this week's theme? Please visit the SALT blog to see all of the DT's work and leave us a comment with a link back to your blog or online gallery. ATC Details: This was a 30-second creation! I used a pre-printed ATC card from Ruby Rock-it and then added a piece of ribbon, circle of coordinating cardstock, verse, and a pre-formed chipboard butterfly (I added a few rhinestones), also from Ruby Rock-it. Enjoy!

SALT Challenge - A Mother's Love

It's time for another SALT challenge! And this week our theme of a Mother's love is brought to us by Julie. She has a lovely write up over on the SALT blog, please check it out when you have a minute. For this challenge, I decided to focus on the joy of Motherhood and created an 8x8 scrapbook page of my two handsome boys, who are the joy of my life. The journaling, which is taken from a most excellent book titled, "The Mother at Home" by John S.C. Abbott, is noted on my layout and it reads, "Are there no thrilling emotions of enjoyment in hearing the hearty laugh of your happy boy; in witnessing the unfoldings of his active mind; in feeling his warm kiss and ardent embrace? (There is) delight in seeing your boy run to meet you, with his face full of smiles and his heart full of love; and in hearing him, in lisping accents, call you Mother." Ah, there's nothing like the writings of faithful men and women from the 18th century - so much depth! Just reading that sentence makes any frustration of any day melt away, renews my strength, and has me delight that God has blessed me with the privilege of being a Mom to these two little boys. Well friends...I just spent an hour writing the rest of my post and when I hit the publish button...it disappeared. Talk about frustrating...Since I don't have time to do a complete rewrite, I'll simply share a snippet of what I had written, starting with a quote from another excellent book, "Shepherding a Child's Heart" by Ted Tripp on the role of parenting. "This shepherding process is a richer interaction than telling your children what to do and think. It involves investing your life in your child in open and honest communication that unfolds the meaning and purpose of life. It is not simply direction, but direction in which there is self-disclosure and sharing. Parenting is shepherding the hearts of your children in the ways of God's wisdom." We have an awesome responsibility as parents! We are given our sweet little ones for such a short time, to love and care for obviously, but to also teach them about the deeper issues of live. While I can't force anyone to be transformed, not even my children for they will ultimately grow up and make their own decisions, it is my job to point them in the right direction. Proverbs 22:6, "train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it." My greatest desire is not to see my children grow up to have all that they ever wanted or to necessarily be wildly successful by the world's standards but to see them become courageous, strong Christian men. May God be pleased to answer those prayers... Please stop by the SALT blog to see the beautiful creations posted by our design team! As for my project - All products by Tim Holtz...children by Kevin and Kim. ;-) Enjoy!

SALT Challenge - Be Witnesses

It's time for another SALT challenge!! This week it was Hazel's turn and she chose a text from Acts. She provided us with such an excellent write up that I'm simply going to share snippets of what she wrote, along with my own thoughts, and would encourage you to head over to the SALT blog, to not only read her entire write up, but also to see all of the beautiful work the design team has created. The specific verse for today is Acts 1:8:"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Acts 2 records how the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit and as a result they were able to speak in languages understood by those around, telling them about Jesus. Peter spoke with such power, saying: "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off — for all whom the Lord our God will call." The Lord called 3,000 people that day... The story in Acts is a powerful one, God gave those men special abilities for a particular time in history. Those gifts and that power were given so that men would know for certain that it had come from God Himself since, for example, none of us today would be able to instantly begin speaking in a different language. While the Holy Spirit no longer works in the exact same way as He did in Acts, that same power is available for us today. The Holy Spirit can give Christians the strength and courage to testify to others of the saving grace of Jesus Christ. More (or just as) importantly though is the power that the Holy Spirit has to transform a life. To transform a person's heart, thoughts, desires, and actions. I read an excellent quote a few months ago from a Christian writer and he said, "If I'm killing myself, I do not need to be rehabilitated. I need to be transformed. I need to be another person. Therapy does not make you another person. Rehabilitation rarely removes bad stuff. Transformation replaces bad stuff with good stuff. That is the difference." Only Christ has the power to truly transform an individual and the Holy Spirit works within the heart, before and after that transformation, to grant us the strength to put away our damaging sins and to sincerely follow Christ in heart and conduct. One last thought...Hazel looked up definitions of the word 'witness' and one of them is: "One who can give a firsthand account of something seen, heard, or experienced." In Acts, the apostles were witnesses to those around them of what actually happened to them and through them. As Christians we have a story to tell - a firsthand account - of our own experience of God's saving grace in our own lives and of the work of the Holy Spirit. My story is simple, "Believe on Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved...." Please stop by the SALT blog and if you feel led to create something based on today's challenge, leave us a comment with a link back to your blog or gallery. Thank you for visiting today!!

SALT Challenge - Putting Him First

It's time for another SALT challenge and this week it was Tanis' turn and she chose an excellent Scripture reference from Matthew 6, "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." My study Bible had this to say on verse 33, "We are to make God's sovereign rule, and a right relationship with Him, the highest priority in life." The thing that sticks in my mind is "and a right relationship with Him" because putting God first has been weighing heavily on my mind and heart lately. Do I really put Him first? Life can be particularly busy for Moms, who not only care for children but also care for the home and meals, may have a job or may homeschool or manage school related activities, etc. To say that most Moms have a lack of time is an understatement! I don't say this as a way of complaint, for I am very, very thankful for my children, husband, and home life, but the truth is since having children my devotional time has suffered. It's not uncommon for me to have a "just let me finish this Lord" attitude when I feel that tug of "you haven't spent time with Me today" in my heart. Our relationship with God is much like our relationships with a spouse or children. If you ignored either, wouldn't the relationship suffer? How much more does our closeness with Christ suffer if we continue to put other things in our life before Him? He is so much more important than a few extra minutes of sleep, a clean kitchen, a vacuumed floor, or a completed craft project and yet it can be too easy to silence that nagging feeling in our conscience assuming those things will bring us satisfaction. God has promised His children all the blessings that He has to offer (most importantly eternal life) if we would but put Him first...Spend those first few minutes in the morning in communion with Him, take time during the day to ask for strength in weak moments, seek His face for forgiveness when you've sinned, thank Him for the many blessings you receive each and every day. For in doing so we would be lifted up in the midst of trials, joyful in the completion of mundane tasks, strengthened to do what is right, and focused on the Savior, which is the key to deep and lasting happiness in this life. (This is such a perfect thing for me to be reminded of today...oh how God works in mysterious ways!!) Please stop by the SALT blog to see the other beautiful creations posted by our design team. And if you're inspired by this week's challenge, please leave us a comment! As for my creation...I once again channeled my new BFF Tim (do you think he knows we're so close?) to make another vintage ATC. The background is from one of Tim's new 12x12 paper "Lost and Found" paper stash. Isn't that amazing? I did nothing to the paper, it came out of the pack all grungy...how divine! I simply added a few swirls, from one of Tim's new sets (Shabby French), and a bird, verse, and ribbon. That oh so fabulous button is also from Tim...See, Tim and I, we're close like that... Enjoy!

SALT Challenge - Honor and Respect

It's time for another SALT challenge! This week it was Stacy's turn to pick the challenge and she picked a verse from Romans, “This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor." She also has a great write up on honor and respect on the SALT blog. I chose to work with a portion of Romans 13:1, "let every soul be subject..." This section of Romans (vs. 1-7) focuses on Christians and civil government. Although this might seem like a difficult challenge, we know that all Scripture is given for our benefit so what can we glean from this portion? I'm going to take the easy way out and share some notes from my study Bible: Civil government is a means ordained by God for ruling and maintaining order in communities. It is one of a number of such means, including ministers in the church and parents in the home. Each such means has its own sphere of authority under Christ and the limits of each sphere are set by reference to the others. In our fallen world these authorities are institutions of God's kindly providence, standing as a bulwark against anarchy and the dissolution of ordered society. Because civil government exists for the welfare of the whole society, God gives it the "power of the sword," the lawful use of force to administer just laws. Christians must acknowledge this as part of God's order. However, if it forbids what God requires or requires what God forbids, Christians cannot submit, and some form of civil disobedience becomes inescapable. (For example, if government forbids the worship of God. As a Christian, we would be compelled to "disobey" this government imposed law, since this would be an overstepping of their God-given role in society). Christians should urge governments to fulfill their proper role. They are to pray for, obey, and yet watch over civil governments reminding them that God ordained them to rule, protect, and keep order. The verse I used is a reminder that every soul is subject to God, no matter how powerful their position. The second part of vs. 1 states that "there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God." If anyone in authority abuses their power or those under them they risk judgement from the same God that appointed them to their position. That judgement may not come in this lifetime but it will most certainly come in the next. "...for it is written, Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, says the Lord." This is a serious warning and should give everyone with authority over others a reason to soberly consider their own actions. God will hold that person accountable, not just for how they ruled, but also for how they treated those under them. Likewise, we may not always be happy about certain ruling authorities, however, we are still required to pray for them, and to show them respect, trusting that God is in control. "The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good." -Proverbs 15:3 For my ATC, I decided to channel Tim Holtz because...well....I love Tim Holtz...*smile* The idea for today's art was taken from his new book. I used a number of his new sets, along with a grunge paper swirl, cut using one of his new dies. (Yes, I've been doing just a bit of shopping at Wholly Scrap!!) The sweet little butterfly is from a Gina K stamp set, A Beautiful Life. Be sure to stop by the SALT blog to check out the amazing work posted by our design team...they outdid themselves this week!! And don't forget that if you're inspired to create something based on this week's theme, that you can leave us a comment with a link back to your blog or gallery. We'd love to see what you come up with! Enjoy!

SALT Challenge - Penitence

Lythan provided the SALT team with today's challenge - "Penitence" and she made the following comments on the SALT blog, "I would put simply as "being aware of what we have done wrong and seeking God's forgiveness" or having a sense of regret for sin and wanting to make a sincere change. The focal reading for me is this one 1 John 1:8-9 "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." What does it mean to be aware of our wrong doing and of the forgiveness we receive through Jesus Christ? How can we sincerely make a change in our lives? Our challenge reminded of a song by Jewel in which she sings, "if we want to be forgiven, we must first believe in sin." It's true...Based upon conversations with many friends over the years, I don't think most people see themselves as all that bad. One of my favorite lines is, "well I've never killed anyone." It's like that's God's only criteria for determining whether someone is "good" or not. Or we compare ourselves to those around us and figure that most of the time we behave better. I mean I give to the poor, use fabric grocery bags instead of plastic, am faithful to my spouse, that's enough, right? This turns the gospel of Christ on it's ear...assuming that God has some giant chart up in heaven where He keeps track of all the good and bad things that you do and as long as the good things outweigh the bad, then you're in! The truth is we're all far worse then we even realize. And even one little sin, one small transgression is enough for God to cast us into hell. It's His great love and mercy that offers us hope....that hope is Christ. Spurgeon, in one of his Morning and Evening devotions, says the following, "It is true that our Lord Jesus does redeem all His people from the wrath to come; He saves them from the fearful condemnation which their sins had brought upon them; but His triumph is far more complete than this. He saves His people 'from their sins.' Where Christ works a saving work, He casts satan from his throne, and will not let him be master any longer. Sin will (continue to) be in us - it will never be utterly expelled till the spirit enters glory - but it will never have dominion. Sin will never get the upper hand so as to be absolute monarch of our nature. Is sin subdued in you? If your life is unholy your heart is unchanged, and if your heart is unchanged you are an unsaved person. If the Saviour has not sanctified you, renewed you, given you a hatred of sin and a love of holiness, He has done nothing in you of a saving character. The good news is that "if we confess our sins, Christ is faithful to forgive us our sins." This is a most powerful verse for me for it is the one that God used to bring about real change in my own heart. Salvation isn't based upon a set number of good acts, it's based solely upon the work of Christ, Who came to save His people not in their sins, but from them. "Without holiness no man shall see the Lord." If not saved from sins, how shall we hope to be counted among His people? If you feel lead to create something based on this week's topic, please leave us a comment on the SALT blog with a link back to your blog or gallery. We'd love to share in your creation. See the SALT blog to see how the design team explored the challenge.