Playing catch up...well sort of

I made of few goals for myself this eyar and one of them was to get more into the Word and have a better relationship with the Guy Upstairs. I have been doing pretty good and I really feel like things are clicking better than they have in the past. I have been studying, praying, and to help make it fun participating in Patter Cross' Scripture Challenge 2 I am really enjoying myself because not only do I get to become closer with God I get to make something pretty. I have been participating and have not been able to find a moment to upload to my blog so I thought I would share challenges 1, 2 and 3 here and tell a little about each one.

Challenge One - Hope
Now I already did this one but I really was not happy with it at all so I redid it. I found a scripture that keeps popping up lately. Psalms 25:4-5

Show me the right path, O Lord, point out the road for me to folow. Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me all day long I put my hope in you.

Here is another view closer up where you can see the bling in the middle that I colored with a Copic Marker. I hope you can also see the pretty sparkle paper and the delicate ribbon. So often I feel like my Hope is delicate and and fragil. That is why I decided these verses were more fititng to me. I want to be able to remember to put my hope where it belongs in God. I want to be lead by him and taught by him each and every day.

Challenge word two - Temptation

Ah temptation...this is something I know a lot about. It is also something I am very bad at, something I need to avoid. I always give in. For this one I did my card in green, one of my favorite colors. I chose green because it is crisp and fresh. I feel that if you are fresh and alert temptation is easier to avoid. I also added some hidden journalling behind my scripture choice so that when I look at it I can remember that I can do this if I stay fresh...get enough sleep, spend time with God, exercise, eat right, these things make me feel better and if I feel better I feel more able to look temptation in the face and resist it.

1 Corinthians 10:13 The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience and God is faithful. He will not alow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted He will show you a way out so that you can endure.

view with the journaling tab basically I just wrote a prayer that I have here front to back.

Patter's latest challenge word...wow...Abide

This word was tricky at first. Even though I have been a Christian for many years I don't think that you can always tell as I am not Abiding in him. I decided that for this one I realy needed something to shout at me...HEY YOU make sure that you are remaining by God, constant contact, take up residence...I saw this word and I looked it up in my bible...nothing, so I grabbed another one, and then another, and another ahh this one has a reference to look at other words {obey, remain} so I grabbed another this had abide and listed scripture. I then went to the concordence and wow there was tons of scripture. It has been really great going through it all but nothing is jumping off the page at me that I wanted to put on a card and then I did a search on line for Abide and came up with some songs. One of them really made me pause it was so beautiful it is by Ana Laura and it is called Abide in me. The song talks about making a place in your heart for Jesus. if he does not have a place in your heart you will be a fool. Abide in Jesus every day. Let Him into your heart in all areas of your life where He belongs. This struck me and I am tired of being a fool I want Him in all areas of my life not just the ones that "I" pick out. I want to make sure that I go to Him with my thoughts, my problems, my joy, my mundane...He cares about all of that stuff and if I let Him in He will be there. You know what...I bet He will even help me out with that temptation factor err or lack there of.