HYMN SCRIPTURE CHALLENGE WITH PATTER CROSS - #18 - O HOLY NIGHT

Patter has given us a lovely Christmas hymn and if you want to read a little about the person who wrote this hymn please take time to visit Patter's blog  HERE

I have been making a 6 x 6 digital page and a large double sided ATC this year but with this week being a very busy week and I packed a lot of my craft things away with having my two oldest  ( 3 and 6 year olds ) granddaughters come to stay for five nights last week, I feel I cannot get the ATC made so have just made a 12 x 12 page which I will print out at 6 x 6.

On my page I have shared the first lines from the song and chose a scripture which I feel fitted it well.
The scripture are Mary's words after she visits her cousin Elizabeth.  I found the following commentary words very challenging and they are from a commentary by Adam Clarke:

" My spirit hath rejoiced - Exulted. These words are uncommonly emphatical - they show that Mary's whole soul was filled with the Divine influence, and wrapped up in God. "

Oh, how I desire to be "wrapped up in God" as Mary was. 

( For my digital art I have used a kit that just happens to be called  " O Holy Night" which is a collaborative kit by designers at Stuff to Scrap ) 

FAITH CHALLENGE - DECEMBER - JOY TO THE WORLD

This month I am again taking part in a Blog Train with my digital designing and the theme for the kits we are all giving away is " Joy to the World" so I decided to use those words for this challenge.

If you want to create something ( digital or paper crafts ) and join me just choose one or all of the words. I chose to use the word "World" and therefore use the scripture John 3:16 on my little CD case sized artwork.
The digital pieces I have used for my page are all from the kit I designed and you are most welcome to pop over to my digital blog which you will see listed on the right side of this blog and download what I designed and then hop on board the Blog Train and see what the other designers have created and are giving away.

I do not have many thoughts to share this month as I am having a busy time. Last week I had my 2 oldest granddaughters come to stay while their parents and baby sister were in another state so their Dad could have an operation on his big toe. The week before the girls came I had a night in hospital with suspected heart attack. I am fine... turned out to be severe acid reflux which can have similar symptoms to a heart attack. I needed to be checked out as my father had a bad heart and eventually had a triple by-pass. My maternal grandmother died at 55 ( the age I am next year ) with a bad heart. All the hours I spent in the hospital I can truly say that my Heavenly Father gave me peace and at home my dear husband also experienced a deep inner peace.
 My last surviving Uncle died last Wednesday ( 12-12-12 ) so I have a funeral to attend tomorrow where I will be doing one of the bible readings and I know I am going to need the Lord's strength to get me through it as the reading is Psalm 23 which was also used at my Dad's funeral 7 years ago. My Aunt needed my help in typing up the eulogy which I have done.
So this time I just share a verse of prose and a quote from a Daily Bread reading:

He did not use a silvery box

Or paper green and red;

God laid His Christmas gift to me

Within a manger bed.

-Prentice-

The goodness and love of God became incarnate at Bethlehem.

I liked that poem so much that I used it on a hybrid card I made which I will now share and then I will share the page I created using the kit I designed.  

( the digital kit I used for the card is Christmas Traditions by Danimoy Designs)

I hope those reading this blog will have a very Happy Christmas with safe travels and special times with loved ones.

Hymn Scripture Challenge with Patter Cross - #17 - Sweet Hour of Prayer

What a wonderful old hymn that Patter has chosen for us this fortnight. The tune to this hymn is one that stays in your mind after you have sung the hymn.
I have chosen the share the first few lines of the hymn on my 6 x 6 digital art piece.

From a book by Oswald Chambers:

" We look upon prayer as a means of getting things for ourselves; the Bible idea of prayer is that we may get to know God Himself"

My prayer is that through my prayers I may get to know Father more and more intimately each day.

For my digital art I have used a kit called "Fruit of the Spirit" by Connie Prince.  The praying hands image was found somewhere on the web.

The printer did not do such a good job with the back and from of the large ATC: