A Time for Everything...

God appoints a time for everything.

We so often want to see him work quicker, and too often to our own time frame.

We are reminded beautifully in Ecclesiastes of how God works in his time.

¹ There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens: ² a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
³ a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
⁴ a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
⁵ a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
⁶ a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
⁷ a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
⁸ a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

The most important thing is to know God, seek his will and wait on him to work in his time.

Please ponder and pray, and create something in your time, please leave a comment as we would love to see what you create.

While we're on the subject of time, we have an important announcement to make. The current Salt team have decided to make this the last challenge for the foreseeable future. We are so grateful to all the followers and participators over the last 2 years or more.

We would like to thank all those who have been part of the Salt team
Esther
Gillian
Casey
Kimberly
Julie
Mona
Tanis
Melita
Nikki
Gina
Kim

God bless you!

We will be keeping the blog online so it can continue to be viewed, and in the near future we will be updating it to include Christian websites and blogs that we recommend.

Ruth

Being part of the Salt team has been such a blessing. Not only the discipline of crafting for Christ on a regular basis, but the spiritual challenge of the thoughts expressed by my fellow team mates. So often I have heard the Lord speaking through them. Let us keep being Salt and Light in the communities we live and in the virtual ones that we encounter online.

Pauline

Although I've only been part of the SALT design team for a relatively short time, I've found myself being blessed in so many ways by it. Firstly, there's the new friendships formed with others on the team. I've found everyone so supportive, always willing to share their faith journeys and what has helped them when they've encountered difficult 'life' situations. The second blessing is the spiritual growth I've experienced as we've wrestled with the challenges, discussing them and sharing our thoughts. Thirdly, it has been such a privilege to share a little of my faith through my crafting with everyone who follows the SALT blog. I will miss all of this and much more.

Hazel

I have been privileged to be part of the Salt team since the challenge blog started at the beginning of August 2007. It has been a pleasure to get to know so many gifted Christian crafters both within the team - past and present - and those who have shared their creativity with us in response to our challenges. I have been encouraged and blessed by so many and have formed friendships that I know will continue. I'm thankful to fellow team members for their prayerful concern and fellowship and also for the challenges that I've been presented with, not only to help develop my crafting, but also to enable me to delve deeper into the scriptures. I hope and pray that this blog will continue to be a blessing to any who still come to visit.


Lythan

I have been with Salt from the beginning and have so enjoyed being challenged to express my faith creatively. The team have been such an inspiration and prayerful support to me. Thank you Saltinies, past and present for all that you have shared!

Freedom

In the UK today a referendum is being held. At present, the UK uses the 'first past the post' system to elect MPs to the House of Commons. What we are being asked today is: should the 'alternative vote' system be used instead?

I'm not going to get into any for or against discussion, but simply to reflect upon the freedom we have in this country - freedom to have our say, whether or not we exercise that freedom by voting - we have the right to choose.

It got me thinking about freedom in a wider sense, conscious of the fact that for many Christians throughout the world there is a lack of freedom - a lack of freedom to speak openly about their faith, with the threat of persecution.

If, like me, you are blessed enough to live in a peaceful part of the globe, please pause and thank God today for our freedom - and if you are not in that position then I pray that you will be given the strength and courage to maintain your faith in difficult circumstances.

True freedom, of course, is ours only if we put our trust in Jesus as our Saviour and Lord. Jesus said: 'So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.' (John 8:36) We can enjoy that freedom regardless of our physical or geographical state. I am enjoying that freedom - are you?

The Great Commission

Before I introduce the challenge for this week, we have some Design Team news - Kim is stepping down from the SALT team after having been involved for a considerable length of time. We're all sad to say goodbye to her, having been inspired by her reflections and thoughts on the challenges and having enjoyed the fellowship we've had on the team. Thank you Kim for you for everything you've done for the SALT blog, for your insights on the challenges, and for the friendship we've been able to have with you.

We hope you will join with us in wishing Kim every blessing.

__________________________

It’s not quite Ascension Day (40 days after Easter), however, since the Easter celebrations are now a few days ago, in today’s challenge I (Pauline) asked the team to reflect on Jesus’ final teaching to his disciples. The words of that teaching are found in Matthew 28:18-20,

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

When I was a child, I learned the following song, based on these verses;

God's spirit is in my heart
He has called me and set me apart
This is what I have to do
What I have to do
He sent me to give good news to the poor
Tell prisoners that they are prisoners no more
Tell blind people that they can see,
And set the downtrodden free
And go tell everyone
The news that the kingdom of God has come
Just as the Father sent me
So I'm sending out to be
My witnesses throughout the world
The whole of the world
Don't worry what You have to say
Don't worry because on that day
God's spirit will speak in your heart
Will speak in your heart

The Easter story is a powerful one, but it does not end with the resurrection of Jesus and the restoration of our relationship with God the Father. Jesus is calling us to allow him to work in and through us. The Great Commission is for us all and is made possible by Jesus’ completion of his great mission on earth.

Remember if you create something based on the challenge, leave us a comment and link to your blog or gallery. We love seeing what people create!

Pauline



Hazel


Lythan
Ruth

Jesus Suffering and Resurrection

I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies and whoever lives and believes in me will never die John 11:25

With the coming easter season we are reminded of what Jesus did for every single one of us. How he took away our sins and he died on the cross for us. Now if i did not know the rest of the story i would think WOW. I have to say i am in many ways not ready to die, i think very few people crave suffering or look forward to death. I hope when my time comes that i am brave and have faith knowing that it is only the beginning.His suffering and Death was only the beginning of the story as it will be for us.Christ gave us a victory that we did not deserve or earn .He has liberated us from fear. He gave us a glimpse of the wonder of eternity and joy with him. Happy Easter Everyone He is Risen..

The Servant King

We are now approaching Holy Week which begins with Hosannas on Palm Sunday and ends with Alleluias on Easter Sunday. And in between comes the awe and sorrow on Good Friday. Which layers on the meaning of Palm Sunday as we watch Jesus entering the city of Jerusalem in triumph but in a way that inverts expectations. He comes, not as a warrior, but himbly on a donkey. He comes, not to wage a battle against the Roman oppressors but against sin and death - the oppressors of the whole world. His victory does not come with the slaughter of others but his own death upon a cross. And he finds time to share food with his friends and humbly wash their feet. What a wonderful Saviour!

This challenge is to reflect creatively on what the Servant King means for you. If you feel led to join us this week on our challenge, please leave us a comment with a link back to your blog or online gallery. We'd love to share in your creation!

Pauline Hazel
Lythan


Ruth

Coveting

Now there's an old fashioned word that you don't tend to hear too often.

In our church's children's club, they have been learning about the Ten Commandments.  My husband Tom has been taking it in turns with our Pastor to do the little talk with the children.  Today he will be covering "Do not covet".  We had some discussion last night as to what that actually means.

I have to confess it is not a Commandment I think about that often, and find it difficult to apply to my own life.

Does it mean that you should not desire to possess anything that anyone else has? You shouldn't be greedy? You shouldn't want anything you don't actually need?

As Tom and I were chatting, he said he felt the essence of the Command was teaching us that we shouldn't desire to be somebody we're not.  That by desiring the possessions of others, it is not only their belongings we want, but who they are and the lifestyle they might possibly have.

As a crafter and someone who loves looking at other people's Blogs for inspiration I can often fall into this trap.  I sometimes think - if only I had that new product that person used, my cards would look just as beautiful as theirs, and then maybe I’ll have as many followers as them and be asked to be on design teams like them...and so on.  Can you see how the desire for a thing turns into wanting to BE someone else.

God requires us just to be us.  To be accountable just for ourselves.  To come to Him just as we are, with all our faults and gifts, imperfections and hopes.  To be made complete by Him, through the work of Jesus.  To the live the life we have been given, to do the tasks he has set and created for us to do, to love the people around us and to share the love of Jesus with everyone we meet.

So rather than get down and feel ever so guilty about all the times I have coveted, I am going to look to Jesus, to remind myself I have been made perfect by him.  That God has a plan for my life and it's my job to find it and follow it, and with God's help run the race set before me.

The Cure for Worry

Thanks so much for joining the SALT team for another challenge. This week it was my (Kim) turn to set the challenge and I chose the topic of worry. I have a tendency to worry and thought this would be an excellent study for me, especially as we all face such uncertain times in our world. I read through a sermon by Martyn Lloyd-Jones on the topic and it was a real blessing. My notes below are from the sermon Worry: Its Causes and Cure, based on the Scripture verse from Matthew 6:34, "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

First, what is worry...Jones describes it this way, ".....worry is something positive that comes and grips us and takes control of us. It is almighty power, an active force, and if we do not realize that, we are certain to be defeated by it. If it cannot get us to be anxious and burdened and borne down by the state and condition of things that are actually confronting us, it will take this next stop, it will go on into the future. Worry about the future is so utterly futile and useless; it achieves nothing at all. The result of worrying about the future is that you are crippling yourself in the present; you are lessening your efficiency with regard to today, and thereby you are reducing your whole efficiency with regard to that future which is coming to meet you. In other words, worry is something that is due to an entire failure to understand the nature of life in this world. The result of sin is that there is always a problem in life. The great question is, how are we to face those troubles?"

"According to the Lord, every day has its problems; some of them are constant from day to day, some of them vary. We are allotted our quota for each day. Very well; we must face that and meet it; and He has already told us how to do so. We must not go forward and tack tomorrow's quota on to today's, otherwise it may be too much for us. We must learn to realize that the God who helps us today will be the same God tomorrow. We must learn to take things to God as they arise. Live day by day; live a life of obedience to God every day; do what God asked you to do every day. Never allow yourself to indulge in thoughts about worrying about what tomorrow will bring. God gives us grace once and forever but He also gives grace to us in parts and portions day by day. Start each day by saying "Here is a day which is going to bring me certain problems and difficulties; very well, I shall need God's grace to help me. I know God will make all grace to abound, He will be with me according to my need". This is the essential Biblical teaching with regard to this matter; we must learn to leave the future entirely in God's hands."

"We can sum it all up by saying that, as we learn in wisdom to take our days one by one as they come, forgetting yesterday and tomorrow, so we must learn this vital importance of walking with God day by day, of relying upon Him day by day, and applying to Him for the particular needs of each day. The fatal temptation to which we are all prone is that of trying to store grace against the future. That means lack of faith in God. Leave it with Him; leave it entirely with Him, confident and assured that He will always be going before you. As the Scripture puts it, He will 'prevent' you. He will be there before you to meet the problem. Turn to Him and you will find that He is there, that He knows all about it, and knows all about you. May He, in His infinite grace, give us wisdom and grace to implement these simple principles and thereby rejoice in Him day by day."

I pray these sermon notes are as much a blessing to you as it was to me. I chuckled reading it feeling as if Pastor Jones had perhaps written it especially to me. :-) (The book that this sermon was in is called Studies in the Sermon on the Mount by Martyn Lloyd-Jones). If you feel led to join us this week on our challenge, please leave us a comment with a link back to your blog or online gallery. We'd love to share in your creation!

Kim

Pauline Hazel
Lythan

Ruth

Stacy