God's Strength

It was my turn (Julie) to pick the topic for this week and I chose God's Strength based on 2 Corinthians 12:9

"My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

It seems lately that I have been made aware of so many people going through so many difficult trials, serious illnesses/injuries, financial strains, marital stress, loss of loved ones, and more. It's often easy for us to begin to question God's purposes and worry or despair. In this chapter of Corinthians, we see the example of the apostle Paul, how he prayed 3 times for God to remove a "thorn in the flesh" (we are not told what it was). God's answer should be our encouragement and comfort as it was Paul's! "My grace is sufficient for you."

Matthew Henry in his commentary on this chapter states that

"Grace signifies . . . The good-will of God towards us, and this is enough to enlighten and enliven us, sufficient to strengthen and comfort us, to support our souls and cheer up our spirits, in all afflictions and distresses. . . . Christ Jesus understands our case, and knows our need, and will proportion the remedy to our malady, and not only strengthen us, but glorify himself."

Thank you for taking the time to visit. We would love to have you participate in our challenge this week and if you do, please leave us a link so we can be view your project! Don't forget also to visit the other Salt members' blogs and read their contributions for this week's theme.

Julie

Hazel Lythan
Melita
Pauline
Nikki

Kim

Mona
Ruth Esther

Gina


Tanis


Stacy

Meet the Design Team - Pauline Kerr

Hi everyone, I’m Pauline and I’m thrilled to be a new member of the SALT design team.

I’ve been married to Bryan for almost 10 years and have 2 girls of 5 and 6. We live in a small town in Scotland approx 45 minutes away from both Glasgow and Edinburgh. I’m a few weeks away from completing my post graduate qualification in teaching and in August will begin life as a full time secondary school teacher of RMPS (Religious, Moral and Philosophical Studies to give it the full title!) It has been a difficult year being back at university having been a full time mum since the girls were born but I’ve been well supported by Bryan and our families, and also by our church family.

I was brought up in a Christian home and went to our village Church of Scotland with my Mum and grandparents. I became a Christian while quite young and believe that God gave me the strength to cope with several issues I encountered while growing up and also as an adult. I decided to study Theology at university because I wanted to explore things more deeply and met Bryan who was training to be a Church of Scotland minister. We married just after I graduated and are nearly at our tenth wedding anniversary. There have been some ups and some downs in my life, one of the major ones being fertility problems, but I take great strength in my faith. One verse which I have turned to for as long as I can remember is “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13. I have always felt that my strength to deal with anything I have encountered is not from me but from God. He enables me to face each challenge, big or small.

Perseverance

It's my (Hazel's) turn to choose the topic this time and my theme of 'perseverance' is based on Hebrews 12:1 'Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.'

I am so encouraged that, although we are urged to persevere, the race is 'marked out for us', so we can rest assured that the plans for our lives are in God's hands. However, we must do our part and 'throw off everything that hinders' and keep on track with Him.

When I chose the theme I didn't even think about the closeness of the date of the London Marathon that was entered by 35,000 or so people last Sunday. It was interesting that quite a few of those running to raise money for charities were in fancy dress and, of course, the fancier, the greater the hindrance, meaning that they couldn't complete the marathon as quickly as those who weren't in fancy dress. So it is for us running the race that has been marked out for us. If we are to run the race well, we need to get rid of those things in our lives that would hold us back from going God's way.

Sometimes it is hard to persevere - when circumstances are such that life is difficult - but I believe that the key to our perseverance is in the next verse of Hebrews 12, where the writer says: 'Let us fix our eyes on Jesus.'

Thank you to all those who visit our blog. We would love you to leave us a comment and if you can contribute some artwork or crafting on this theme, we would love to share in it, so please leave us a link so we can come and have a look.

And please visit the blogs of our team members to read what they have written about their contributions.

Hazel

Pauline
Nikki
Lythan
Melita
Tanis

Inside of card...

Kim

Mona

Julie

Stacy

Ruth

Esther

Getting to know the design team: Nikki Blair

Hi everyone--I'm Nikki Blair, glad to be one of SALT's new DT contributors! I'm a SAHM of two handfuls of little boy, one 4 years old, and the other almost 11 months. My husband is a chaplain in the US Navy, currently serving with the US Marine Corps. In my life "BK" (Before Kids) I attended Central Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Kansas, and was ordained to ministry. I served in a church in Virginia for a short time before the Navy moved us to London, England for a few years. I started scrapping in early 1996, after getting married (yes, those were the "sticker sneeze" years)--thankfully I have come a long way since then (I hope! LOL).

A scripture that has been on my mind lately is Matthew 17:20 (there is also a fabulous musical version of this text on The Welcome Table cd by Dan Zanes & Friends). I've been thinking a lot lately about "impossible" things--or those things that feel impossible. I'm looking toward a change in the life of my family that feels deeply, painfully impossible; such a big shift in our everyday life that it's hard to imagine what we will be on the other side of it. As I was thinking about this and feeling really overwhelmed by it, I remembered that not too long ago we made another "impossible" change--another time when it was hard to see what our life would become, and yet, by the very grace and goodness of God, we were (and are) surrounded by friendships richer than we could have imagined. And what seemed so very impossible has become--perhaps not easy--but a time of great love and joy.

I guess sometimes "moving mountains"--facing seemingly impossible challenges, tasks, changes, losses--requires us not only to have faith, but also to have a good memory: even when that one tiny mustard-seed of faith is hard to muster up, just remembering God's past faithfulness can be the seed. Maybe if we remember that the mountains have moved again and again, we'll eventually stop seeing the impossibility of mountains all together, and instead be able focus on the surrounding view: the loves, laughter, prayers, joy... all the many gifts of this life that surround us and nurture our seeds of faith into abundance.

Blessings,

Nikki

Sheep of His Flock

Well... it's my (Gina's) turn this week! My choice of topic was SHEEP. The Lord has really been impressing on my heart my need to trust His guidance with everything, just as a sheep follows his shepherd. Trusting is not always easy though, which is why Psalm 23 is so encouraging to so many people! That Psalm seems to show up everywhere--a card, a key chain, cross-stitched and framed in your living room--but how often do we actually take it word by word and read it as a promise from our Savior? The Lord is your shepherd. He will lead you by the still waters. He does guide and protect you! Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life!

Don't forget to come back next Thursday for another in-between post!

And we'd love to see any crafting that this prompts you to do - please leave us a comment and a link so that we can come and look at your contribution.

Melita



Pauline
Stacy

Gina
Kim

Nikki Mona Tanis
Hazel


Ruth
Julie


Lythan

Getting to know the Design Team - Mona Scott

Hello everyone - I'm Mona Scott and I am so excited to be a part of this team. I am an Educational Assistant for the Public School System in Edmonton and I work with autistic children. I am also a wife to Chris for the past 12 1/2 years and mom to Kiana and Malachi who are also autistic. I used to get really frustrated at the fact that God "saddled" me with the burden of autism in my life, but over the years He has blessed me in a way I could never have imagined. He has truly shown me that "I know the plans I have for you."

I grew up in a Mennonite Church with my parents, going to church every Sunday. It didn't become real to me until I was a teenager. And although I put my parents and God through quite alot in my late teens and early twenties, they stuck by me and were patient with me while I found my way. God is truly good and merciful because I found my way back and He is ever faithful and is taking care of me. God truly is good.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord. That has been my stronghold for many years in my life and I am grateful that He is in control cuz if I was it probably would be a big mess.

I am so grateful for the opportunity to share with you and be part of this great team.

Easter

I don't know about you, but this year is flying by! Everyone seems as busy as ever, and EASTER is fast approaching! So that brings me (Esther) neatly on to the subject for this week...

'The real meaning of Easter'

how easy it is to get caught up in the commercial side of Easter, without reflecting on why as Christians we celebrate it. God sent his one and only Son Jesus to die on the cross to take away our sin and the punishment we so deserve. He died, and yet even death had no power over him, Christ rose victorious and is alive for ever more! If you put your trust in God and believe that he died to take away your sin you also may experience new life in Christ

This was a real challenge for us as a design team, do let us know how you get on.

DONT FORGET WE ARE NOW POSTING EVERY THURSDAY!

Esther Pauline

MelitaHazel

Nikki
Lythan
Gina
Stacy Mona

Julie
Ruth

Kim

Tanis