Meet the Design Team: Julie Masse

It's my turn to share a bit about myself but I really have no idea what to write! I live in Maine with my family which includes my husband, Jeff, our four children, Emma (7), Anna (5), Ethan (4) and Aaron (2). We will be adding #5 to our family in early October and are looking forward to meet this new blessing!

As for my "spiritual background" I was blessed to have been raised by Christian parents who made sure that my brother and I received Godly instruction, whether at home, at school or at church. I remember as a small child praying the prayer asking God to save me because of Jesus' wor on the cross but I believe that it wasn't until a bit later on that I actually was regenerated and changed by Holy Spirit of God. I am constantly amazed at God's grace and mercy extended to me! There is a hymn we sing often at church (in fact we just sang it last Sunday!), How Sweet and Awful Is the Place written by Isaac Watts. You really need to read the entire hymn, but two verses in particular always speak to me:

“Why was I made to hear Thy voice,
And enter while there’s room,
When thousands make a wretched choice,
And rather starve than come?”

’Twas the same love that spread the feast
That sweetly forced us in;
Else we had still refused to taste,
And perished in our sin.

The Christian life has not been easy (we are never told it will be!) nor have I passed many of the tests but I praise God for His long-suffering and faithfulness. That reminds me of another favorite hymn - Great Is They Faithfulness! When my oldest was born I used to sing that to her over and over and over and over. She got to know it quite well and always calmed down when I'd sing it to her. "All I have needed Thy hand hath provided . . ." how true that is!

I've been so blessed to be on this team! Sometimes I struggle with how to translate a topic in papercrafts but I always learn something and grow by studying the topic a bit more. Thank you to those who follow along with us - you encourage us every week by your visits and comments and I hope that our entire team is an encouragement as well!

Imperfection

I (Pauline) spent a long time thinking about what my first challenge on SALT would be. I had lots of ideas but kept coming back to something we've been looking at in church over the summer. We've been reflecting on Bible stories with a beach/sea theme which set me thinking about the book of Jonah. It’s one of the Old Testament books that I studied at university and which I learned so much from.

We see Jonah being incredibly frustrated by being asked by God to take a prophecy to the Ninevites. For Jonah, Nineveh is an example of all that is evil and wrong in the world and he struggles with the idea that if the people repent then that is enough to wipe the slate clean. He realises that if he is to take the prophecy to the people then God is giving the people a chance to repent. Jonah can’t cope with the thought of this so tries to flee from the presence of God. It doesn’t work. Jonah realises that he can’t flee from God and that God works with the imperfection in Jonah’s life just as he worked with the Ninevites.

Jonah wasn’t perfect and just like Jonah, we aren’t perfect. We don’t wait until we are perfect to follow Christ, we follow knowing that we have failings but being assured that God will work with us. For me it’s a huge sense of relief knowing that God works with us even when we are stubborn and failing, there’s no expectation of perfection, just an expectation that we will try. The verse that really speaks to me is Jonah 4:2, "you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love".

My plan for the layout for the challenge was to use this verse however I couldn't seem to find the photo I was looking for. I've ended up departing from the plan completely and focussing on the theme of imperfection. It's one of the things that I love about the design team - that we each reflect on the theme for the challenge and produce very individual pieces of work. I hope that you can be inspired by what we do and allow it to springboard your own reflections.

Keep checking back on the blog over the next few days - with it being holiday season there are several of the design team away but there may be additions to this post as and when people are able to.

Pauline
x

Pauline

Kim

Lythan

Julie


Ruth



Hazel

Stacy

Meet the design team: Hazel

I've been on my Christian walk of faith for many years, having a simple faith in the saving grace of Jesus as a child and a commitment to follow Him, I'm now a senior citizen, the 'granny' of the Salt team! I can testify to God's goodness to me in so many ways throughout my life. Things haven't always been easy, but He gives sufficient grace and strength. For some time now John, my husband, has had serious health problems and is still in hospital at the moment - we are being upheld by so many friends in prayer and know God's hand of love upon us through the difficulties.

I was privileged to be part of Salt at the beginning - it is now two years since we launched our first challenge. I have so enjoyed combining my love of crafting with my journey of faith, sharing expressions of this with like minded sisters. I have gained so much for the contributions of everyone else on the team (both present and past members) and the fellowship and support we share despite being physically scattered around the world.

I could quote many scriptures that have been particularly helpful to me over the years (but this post would then be too long!) - I would encourage you to scroll down through our challenges and see my responses, as well as, of course, the rest of the team.

According to His Purpose

When it came time for me (Nikki) to choose our SALT challenge, I had to go with this verse, which has provided a refrain throughout my life: "All things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28)

From the time I was a child, my family moved frequently... typically every 3 years or so, but sometimes even more often. I'm now almost 35, and still the longest I've ever lived in one place continuously was just under 4 years (and that was in the '80s!). My family moved because my dad's business demanded it, whether for promotions or tranfers or company changes. And this is the verse I so clearly remember hearing from my parents over and over again through those years, as they tried faithfully to make the best possible choices and moves for our family.

After all those years, when my husband joined the U.S. Navy as a chaplain, this is the verse that immediately came to mind... and now, as a military spouse of 9+ years, I'm still holding it close to my heart. Next week we'll be making another move, and it is going to be a difficult adjustment, leaving a church and a community we love, and dear friends who have become family to us. So once again this promise is one I need to hear, over and over, as I always have. Had it not been for the "all things" that led us here, we would not have received the many gifts of grace that have been given to us in this place.

We all have those "all things"... whether moving, money, health, relationships, or any other challenge. It's not always easy (or possible at all!) to see how they will "work together for good." And we may never see the "good" that God works in the lives of others through the "things" we are facing. But by our faithful listening to God's call, and by our faithful commitment to His purpose, we can be assured that He will work His goodness in our world.

Because of our upcoming move and the several months of transition ahead of us, this will be my last SALT challenge as a member of the SALT team. I look forward to watching how the blog continues to share creative expressions of faith, and to how all who participate here continue to bless others through creative expressions of God's love! Grace and peace to you all.

Nikki

Pauline

Kim

Tanis

Ruth


Lythan

Julie

Hazel



Stacy



Melita

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