SALT – Serving

It’s time for another SALT challenge today. This week’s was set by Kim and she’s written about it over on the blog. I felt prompted several times when I was thinking about the theme of serving for God’s glory and kept coming back to how I can serve God in my day to day teaching. I decided to use photos of my planner which is where all my notes, lesson planning etc are kept. It’s invaluable! The papers are all Cosmo Cricket which I love at the moment!

Please pop over to the SALT blog as well as everyone’s personal blogs – they’ve been much more organised and posted before 10pm!!

 

Paying it Forward

I’ve been blog hopping tonight and on Lynz’s Domestic Light and Magic I spotted that she was taking part in a crafty pay it forward challenge.  Since I frequent Lynz’s blog I thought I’d give it a shot (the temptation was that I have 365 days to do it in!)

The rules are:

1. I will make a little something for the first three people who comment on this post. It will be a surprise and it will arrive on your doorstep when you least expect it!

2. I will have 365 days to do it in.

What’s the catch? To get a handmade prezzie from me, you have to play too.

1. You must have a blog.

2. BEFORE you comment here, you must post about your Pay It Forward on your blog to keep the fun going, and display the Pay It Forward button

Now, since I don’t get a huge amount of traffic on here (which is entirely my own fault for rarely updating!) I will copy Lynz and have some reserves in case I don’t get 3 comments!!

Happy it’s Friday – this weekend the girls are staying at my mums while Sharon (sister in law) and I go to Nick Nairn’s cook school.  This was our Christmas pressie from the in-laws (well, my in-laws, Sharon’s parents!) and it’s taken us until now to get round to it, how bad is that?!   We’re looking forward to a girlie day though so better head to bed!

 

Bad Blogger!

Ooops, I’m terrible at updating this blog, sorry!

I’m late with the latest SALT challenge because our schools were on holiday last week so as well as a very welcome week off work it was also a chance to spend some time as a family so we were in Blackpool for a few days. No scrapping was completed during the week hence my blogging tonight when I’ve finally had the chance to upload my layout!

The challenge was set by Hazel and was on the theme of Confidence in God. You can read her reflections on the theme over on the blog. My layout is using a photo taken at the top of Blackpool Tower. There is a glass panel in the floor up at the top of the tower and the girls were perfectly happy to sit and have their photo taken. At the time I was amazed at their confidence and because it fitted well with the theme of the challenge I thought I’d use an up-to-date photo! The verse from Philippians is one I learned many years ago on a Scripture Union camp. When I was a student I went as a team member on several camps and it continues to surprise me that I can remember verses from then.

Supplies used are: White cardstock (not sure of the brand, it’s definitely not Bazzill but otherwise I’m not 100%!), American Crafts Remarks letter stickers and Cosmo Cricket Girl Friday patterned paper and stickers.

For the next challenge I must try to be on time!

 

SALT – Growth

Today’s SALT challenge was set by Esther and her chosen theme was growth.  I had a few ideas for the challenge with specific photos in mind, but when I came to put the layout together at the weekend could I find the photos I was looking for?!  I did find the one of these hyacinths which Hayley grew last year.  Her primary school has a competition each year to grow 3 bulbs (either hyacinths or daffodils).  Hayley has never won but was happy last year that the bulbs grew and looked great!  She had put a lot of effort into caring for them so this is where I took my layout’s theme.  I chose the verse from Colossians, “Keep your roots deep in him, build your lives on him, and become stronger in your faith as you were taught.”  I see now that I’m adding my layout to the blog (late thanks to an incredibly busy week and no internet connection for most of yesterday) that I’m not the only team member to choose the verse!  It’s always fascinating to see what inspiration we’ve got from the theme – well worth having a look!

Supplies used are: Rusty Pickle French Market patterned papers, Making Memories noteworthy journalling page, Heidi Swapp chipboard clock (I’ve been hoarding these to use on a ’special’ layout which hasn’t happened so have decided it’s time to get them on layouts!) and Doodlebug letter stickers.

 

SALT – Listening to God

It’s SALT day today and Tanis set us the challenge of reflecting on the theme of Listening to God. My layout was inspired by the fact that I find it quite difficult to find ’space’ in the house to reflect and to spend a quiet time with God. I found an assortment of photos that I’d taken on my phone hence the poor quality! They show our girls dressing up and playing in a local park. I thought the bottom left one with Hayley yelling into a megaphone was appropriate!

The journalling reads, “With 2 young children in the house it’s rarely a quiet, contemplative place. They love music, dancing and generally having fun – fair enough! Add to their noise the phone, dogs barking, the washing machine etc etc! I know that in order to really hear God in my life that I need to set aside time to listen. It has to be a conscious decision I make to set aside that time, but I know my relationship with God will suffer otherwise. I get reminded by the passage in 1 Kings 19 – ‘After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.”

Supplies used are: Imaginisce Sam and Abby patterned papers (Daffy Dills and Stripeys), Making Memories chipboard letters, Doodlebug paper frill, Heidi Swapp date stamp (with which I stamped the wrong date – it should be June not July!), felt flowers and embroidery floss.

Check the rest of the team’s creations on the blog!

 

SALT day

Today’s SALT challenge is set by Nikki.  We were challenged to reflect on Romans 8:28 and how God works for the good of those who love Him.  It is a challenging verse for me – while I really do believe that God works for good and that we are called for a purpose, I often find it difficult to see the good in every situation.  The example that I knew I had to use for my layout was of our youngest daughter, Iona.  She’s a gorgeous, fun-filled, cheeky girl but we’ve had behavioural issues almost since birth.  I have suspected ADHD for several years and we’ve been in the process of diagnosis for almost 2 years (waiting lists are a bug bear of mine!)  We have had a diagnosis from the paediatrician but now in order to put support structures into school for her we have to see the Child and Families team.  It was a difficult first meeting a couple of weeks ago so this was uppermost in my mind when I was reflecting on the verse.

Supplies used are: Bazzill Kraft cardstock, Making Memories patterned paper and Journalling pad, chipboard letters, stamps and butterfly embellishments from a swap a while back!

 

Salt challenge – prayer

I’ve been truly dreadful at blogging recently, the school holidays are really knocking me off balance!  I think because the start of the holidays was the start of a new and temporary routine until I start working in August that it’s been harder to find my feet if that makes sense?!

Anyway, it’s SALT challenge day and this week we’ve been set a challenge on prayer by Mona.  I chose to focus on the verses from Psalm 116 which are the journalling on my layout, “I love the lord, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy.  Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live”.  (Psalm 116:1-2)

I decided to use two images which immediately come to mind when I think about prayer, particularly if I’m praying at home.  The Willow Tree angel of prayer is one of a small collection of Willow Tree figures that I have in the house.  I love their simplicity and the meaning behind each of the figures.  The other image is of praying hands.  Bryan has one of these ornaments in his study, as do several of our friends.  I’ve kept the layout extremely simple (when do I not?!) and have tried to focus on the verse as much as the images which is why they are quite small.  Supplies used are: Bazzill cardstock, Basic Grey Periphery patterned papers, rub on from a Summer Survival Kit from last year so I’m not sure of the make, a Basic Grey chipboard swirl which I coloured with a gel pen to fit in the colourscheme and the same gel pen was then used to draw on the border.  Not sure about the border now it’s done but the layout was very very plain and looked like I had made virtually no effort!

As a family we’ve had a difficult week with an appointment with the local Child and Families team.  For about a year and a half we’ve been trying to access some support for behavioural difficulties that Iona has with the suspicion that she’s got ADHD.  This was confirmed by the paediatrician we saw in November but it’s taken until now to see the Child and Families team.  Unfortunately it was not the most productive of meetings and it left us all feeling very let down.  We’re not very sure what happens now because they’ve said they want to contact the nursery she’s just finished at and also the psychologist who visited Iona at nursery.  Of course the school holidays mean that there is yet another hold up!  It’s very frustrating when you want to do your best for your child but feel as though you’re shouting into the wind.  The prayer challenge was very timely because it helped me refocus on the fact that God does hear our cries for help and we can always call on him.  So thank you Mona for a thought provoking challenge.

Hopefully I will be updating the blog over the next few weeks – I’ve got layouts to add to the flickr gallery and various updates I should have added in before now!

 

SALT – God’s Strength for Us

It’s SALT challenge day and there’s inspirational layouts and cards to see over on the blog.  The theme this week is God’s strength made perfect in weakness.  I decided that I wanted to use an image that showed an adult’s hand holding a child’s hand because it was when I was growing up that I really became aware of God’s strength holding me up and getting me through all the challenges that I faced.

The journalling (in my teeny, tiny handwriting!) reads, “When I was growing up I prayed many prayers asking for God to make my problems go away.  I wanted to see my parents have a happy marriage, my Dad to stop drinking, have the bullies at school leave me alone.  I didn’t get the answers I expected (or wanted) but I learned more of God’s care and concern for me and how His strength is made perfect in my weakness.  (2 Corinthians 12:9)”

Supplies used are: Scenic Route patterned papers (Graftan Hewitt Street and Olive Splash), MM Felt Alpha, Basic Grey chipboard (I think, if you know for sure let me know!) and Doodlebug mini brads.

It’s been good to have some time out to reflect on the challenge this week, it’s actually very apt for my life right now.

 

SALT – Perseverance

It’s SALT day and Hazel’s turn to challenge us!  She chose the theme of perseverance and you can read her thoughts over on the blog.  I struggled a bit with the theme and I was under a bit of pressure to get the challenge completed early before I started this final placement so there was the added struggle of completing it before the deadline!  I was browsing photos hoping to find something suitable and came across this one of Hayley last year.  She was desperate to be able to roller skate but was struggling to get her balance.  I spoke to her a few times about sticking with it and persevering and that’s why I chose it as my layout photo.  It’s all to easy to give up on things, including faith, but perseverance is so important.  Supplies used are: White Bazzill, Cherry Arte princess patterned papers in Sheri and Emma, making Memories mini shimmer alphabet, a small scrap of a trimming (I think it came in the Homegrown Scrapbooks Summer Survival Kit last year but am unsure!), black ink and foam pads (to lift up the little journalling block).  I dithered a lot over the journalling block because I really wanted to write more but felt that the size was going to swamp the layout.  Now I’m looking at it critically thinking that it doesn’t say enough!  I really am my own harshest critic.

Hope you have a look at the SALT blog, there’s fab work to see!

 

SALT Easter Challenge

This week the SALT team have been thinking about the true meaning of Easter.  I had an interesting conversation the other day with someone who was of the opinion that Easter is becoming as much of a commercial opportunity as Christmas and I have a slight tendency to agree with her when I see all that our local supermarkets have to offer.  As the wife of a minister Easter is as much of a busy time in the Manse as Christmas.  I tend to find that I am personally less busy though and enjoy the opportunity to think about what Easter means to me.

With this in mind I knew that I wanted to use this particular photo as the focus of my layout.  It’s of a cross which is in the church we moved from 2 years ago.  It was made by a local artist and set into a piece of local stone.  I saw the progress from design ideas to the final piece and it was really quite profound.  It’s beautiful and locally significant for the people in the congregation.  I kept the layout extremely simple because I wanted the focus to be on the cross.  The quotation is from John Piper and says, “The highest act of love is the giving of the best gift, at the greatest cost, to the least deserving.  That’s what God did.  At the loss of His Son’s life to the totally undeserving, God gave the best gift – the display of the glory of Christ who is the image of God.”  I feel so privileged that I have been given this gift, that the highest act of love can be for each of us if we choose to accept it.  The photo and black type is directly printed onto white bazzill.  All I have added are the 3 red Making Memories brads and the red chipboard letters.  I’m having a blank moment about who the letters are by so will update if I remember.  Take a moment to think about Easter and to check out the team’s creations.