Meet the Design Team - Gina

Hello everybody! My name is Gina, I'm a recent homeschool graduate from Pennsylvania. Since I was about 13, my family has been striving to raise me into a woman of God. And, although my parents and I sort of accepted Christ at the same time, I know I wouldn't have the hunger for Christ in my life that I do without my mom's faithful guidance. I am so blessed to have the community of support that I do, which includes the Salt blog and design team which I've been a member of since March. Because we are called to glorify the Lord in all we say and do, one by one, I've been committing my (sometimes very diverse!) interests to God. The Salt blog has been a real blessing to me in that manner, and it's just plain ol' fun. =)

I'm not sure what to write for my testimony... I could go on seemingly forever with what God has done in my life! Most recently He's has been teaching me obedience and trust. As a senior in highschool, I was constantly asked, "So, where are you going to college?" For the longest time, I dreaded those conversations... I dreaded having to hear the inevitable speech after responding with the fact that I don't actually plan on getting a degree! I don't believe God is leading me to go to college, and my hope for life is to be a wife and mother. It's been scary to give up what makes sense to me (like just getting a degree so I don't have to worry about my husband not being able to support our family one day,) but I'm learning more and more what a blessing it is to accept His plans with open arms!

Prayer

Hi, its my(Mona's) turn to host the challenge this week! In the last few weeks I have been studying Hagar and Sarah. Genesis 16:11 struck a cord in my heart - "God has heard your cry of distress." I was also touched by Psalm 56:8 (The Message).

"You've kept track of every toss and turn through the sleepless nights. Each tear you've entered into your ledger, each ache has been written into your book."

These verses touched my heart because every affliction, every thought, every worry are heard and remembered by the Father. He loves and cares about every single thing that happens in our lives every day, no matter how big or small. There have been times when I think that my problems are too big or small to share with God, but my 11 year old autistic child showed me that you can pray about anything.

While watching the hoopla surrounding the death of Michael Jackson, my daughter asked a few questions about him. She asked me about his children and if he was a Christian. When I explained to her that I didn't know, she got down on her knees right there and then and began to pray. She prayed for his children, she prayed for his family but most of all she prayed that God would take care of him. I was stunned! Initially I thought it was quite odd to pray for somebody like him, but then I thought "Why can't she pray for him?" Her heart was moved enough that she knew that he, like all of us need prayer. She may not know him, but she thought enough of him as God's child that she needed to pray for him. She has taught me that when God lays something on your heart, or when you are hurting or when problems stare us in the face, the answer to everything is prayer.

So, that's my challenge this week. Here are a few other verses that might help you along:

Romans 8:26
Psalm 116: 1+2

Here is how we interpreted the challenge. Can't wait to see your creations! Remember to link them so that we can check them out!

Mona Lythan

Pauline
Nikki Stacy
Tanis
Ruth
Hazel

Esther

Melita

Meet The Design Team- Esther Howard

I have been a member of Salt since it has started, and feel very privaleged to be part of such a caring and loving team of creative people. I really feel that God shows his gifts and diversity through the work that the team produce. I am 28, married for 6 1/2 years and have a cheeky son aged 4. We live in a lovely quaint town near the city of Bath, England. I became a Christian at the age of 15, and I am still learning more of God's grace (his undeserved favour). I have found God to be such a source of strength and help in my life, and I find that it is in those hard times that we can be drawn closer to Him. We never know what God has planned for our lives, but yet we can trust God not only as a friend, or as a Father, but so much more, as someone who is the Creator and Sovereign over all. I am always encouraged by the verse 'For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:11-13

The Fruits of the Spirit

Hi everyone! It's my (Melita's) turn to host the challenge this week! This challenge will also be along the lines of our last two challenges. Continuing along the same vein as Lythan and Kim, our focus this week is on the work on the Holy Spirit in us and how it is manifested in the community of believers, namely, through the fruits of the Holy Spirit in our lives which are so clearly laid out in Galatians 5:22-23. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law."

I love this verse at times and at others, I honestly have to say that I do get disheartened by it because I don't think I will ever possess any of these qualities in the way that God intends. Of course, I know that this is the evil one's way of getting me to forget about trying to apply any of them to my life. It is overwhelming to think about them all at once, but when I look at them separately, I know that God is working in my life and helping me to find measures of each to share with those around me. So that is my challenge to you. Look at each of these and share how God is working in that area in your life. Here are just a few verses to help you out.

Love: Colossians 3:12-15; I Corinthians 13:3-5

Joy: 1 Peter 1:8; Proverbs 15:30; Romans 15:13

Peace: John 20:21; Romans 15:13

Patience: Proverbs 19:11; Colossians 3:12-15; I Timothy 1:16

Kindness: Romans 11:22: Ephesians 2:7

Goodness: Psalm 31:19: Hebrews 6:4-6

Faithfulness:

Self-Control:

I chose to focus on peace. Being a stay at home mom, it is so easy for me to get caught up in the minutia in everyday life. I am all about have a well-scheduled plan. The schedule doesn't have to be the same every day, but I like for there to be one. I have learned that I don't like disruptions to my schedule. But, God is showing me how to find peace in the midst of disruptions (as well as patience too!). Here is how I interpreted the challenge this week. I can't wait to see what you do! Make sure you link us to your creations so we can come check them out!

Melita


Lythan

Tanis



Pauline

Kim
Julie

Hazel


Mona

Nikki

Stacy

Meet the Design Team - Tanis Giesbrecht

Hi Salt Readers!!

I'm Tanis and I wanted to start by saying how much I am enjoying this team :) It's great to study a topic and then have the opportunity to "create" what you've learned.

I grew up in a Christian home, came to know Christ as a little girl and have continued to grow in my faith. I'm thankful for the blessing of being raised up this way, and for God's amazing grace for me each day of my life.

I am a stay at home wife and mom to hubby and 4 kids (12, 10, 8 and 5).
I'm attending a Baptist church in Winnipeg, Manitoba right now where I teach preschool Sunday School and play piano and sing on our music team.

I have a boat load of favourite verses and passages of scripture, but here are 2 of my favourites...
Both are things I need to be reminded of daily!!

Be beautiful in your heart by being gentle and quiet. This kind of beauty will last, and God considers it very special. {1 Peter 3:4}

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I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!

I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. {Philippians 3:10-14}

Thanks for reading

The Community of Faith

For the next challenge I (Lythan) wanted something that followed in some way from the last one - the work of the Holy Spirit. So I have chosen to focus on one element of the Spirit's work - the community of faith. In Acts 2:42-47 Luke describes the amazing first congregation and how they share their lives together totally. It is quite something to try and live up to. How do we become Acts 2 communities today?

I also thought about Matthew 18:20 (where two or three are gathered in my name there I am in the midst of them). Being a Minister I feel I have to point out that this reading is not just a reminder of Jesus being with us when there are just a few of us there, but that the context is actually when people are falling out and how to deal with it - but that is part of being a community of faith too.

Community of faith could be a church, a group, your family, your area. You may want to focus on the highs or lows of trying to be the people together that Jesus has called us to be. I'll leave it to you and the Spirit to mull over as you create

Lythan
Nikki

Pauline

Kim



Esther


Hazel


Julie


Stacy




Melita

Meet The Design Team -Stacy Stone

Hello everyone, I am one of the new faces of the team and i am so excited to be here. I struggle so much as a christian. I find comfort and strength here with these ladies they are very encouraging and uplifting. I am going to tell a little story about me and i promise to be brief. I was born and raised in Alberta, Canada. I was born into a family with an extended family whom encouraged religion. I went through the motions of it. I was struggling with a divorce my parents, a remarriage both of my parents and some new siblings. My mom and dad were really not that involved in church. They were emtionally spent it was rough my dad was gone alot, my mom basically raised us but she was battling herself some. They had both divorced again some decisions they made were not good. After some really bad fights with my mom I moved out at 15. Moving back and forth and around alot. I made some really good friends who took me in made me family. I became a new born christian when i was 19 years old and i really have not looked back. Jesus Rocks as my kids would say, I have now been married to my wonderful husband almost 11 years we have 3 beautiful kids 2 boys 10 and 8 and a girl 7. There is so much more to my story but it would take pages lol Jer29:11 is my verse and i hold on to it thanks for reading

Love in christ

stacy