ABC Scripture Challenge with Patter Cross - #26 - ZEAL

This is the last challenge for this year and of course the last letter in the alphabet so Patter gave us the word "Zeal" for our Scripture Artwork.
I will share the verses that surround the verse I chose to use.

Romans 12:9-13
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honour one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervour, serving the Lord. Be joyful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practise hospitality.


It is scriptures such as these that make me realise I need to be helping fellow believers more than what I do. I hope to give more financially to organisations like the Barnabas Fund who help the persecuted church.

Next year Patter will again be hosting a Scripture Challenge that I plan on taking part in as I do enjoy them. Her plans sound exciting as we will be looking at Hymns and the people who wrote them.
I may do my artwork in two parts... the scripture in digital and the hymn itself in papercraft.

For those who visit my blog...... My prayer is that this Christmas Season may you have safe travels and blessed times with loved ones.

For my digital art I chose to use a kit called Daybreak by one of my favourite designers - Thao Cosgrove

ABC Scripture Challenge with Patter Cross - #25 - YIELD

My choice of verse for our word this fortnight - YIELD, was possibly inspired by the sermon our Pastor gave last Sunday. Our worship service concentrated on the Persecuted Church and in the teaching it was mentioned how those Christians who face horrific persecution often display a deep down joy because of their faith. It is not the joy that the world knows.  This sermon and a Bible Study on Stewardship that my husband and I recently finished has made be more eager to help financially fellow believers who are being persecuted. I feel God's wants me to use my money for helping my brothers and sisters in Christ.

I struggled with creating my page this time... possibly because I am going through a sad time of my life. I have peace but there is still great sorrow. My elderly mother ( 87 ) is dying of inoperable liver cancer. She lives about an hours drive away so at this stage my husband and I drive to visit her every second day. She is still alert at times - sits in a chair during the day. Because of her Dementia she does not understand she is dying even though the doctor did explain to her what is happening. I think it is best emotionally that she does not realise. She is being cared for in the Aged Care Facility she has been living in since October 2010. The staff there are doing a wonderful job of caring for her. 

ABC Scripture Challenge with Patter Cross - #24 - Exercise

This fortnight we are up to the letter "X" for our challenges and Patter chose the word "Exercise" for us to use for our artwork.
I found this great scripture in the Message Bible. Also found a digital kit which I already had, called "Fitness" by Brandy Murry that worked well for my page. ( the flowers are from another kit and are by Meredith Cardall )

The four words were in the kit and I thought they would work well for my page. Here are verses I found  for each of those four words:
Philippians 3:14 - By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the GOAL, where God is beckoning us onward - to Jesus. I'm off and running., and I'm not turning back. (Message)
I do like how the Message bible words this verse and what a wonderful picture to have in our minds that God is beckoning us onward.


1 Corinthians 9:26 - Therefore I do not RUN  like a man running aimlessly, I do not fight like a man beating the air. (NIV)
As I live my life for Jesus there is purpose in my day to day living. I am not going through life aimlessly as this verse speaks of. He gives me that purpose because of drawing me unto Himself.


Philippians 4:13 - I can do everything through Him who gives me STRENGTH.  (NIV)
This is such a helpful verse to take hold of when going through tough times. But we must let the Lord do the doing and not try to do things in our own strength. 


Hebrews 4:10 - For anyone who enters God's REST also rests from his own work, just as God did from His. (NIV)
Our rest is in Christ. There is nothing we can do - no good works - that gain us eternal life. It is only resting ( believing) in the fact that Jesus died for our sins and gives us the free gift of Eternal life. 

ABC Scripture Challenge with Patter Cross - # 22 - Weary

For this fortnight our word is "Weary". Once I read the word Patter chose of us to work with this verse in Matthew came to my mind. I asked my sweet husband what verse came to his mind when we he heard the word "weary" and he quoted the same verse.
I used the NIV bible version for my page but decided to read it in the Message and I am going to share it plus the two verses that follow this one:

"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me - watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."

How often I forget that I should be walking with Jesus  and giving Him my burdens. He wants to keep company with me - how wonderful is that?  I like those words " Get away with me" but do I really live them. do I really get away with Jesus - do I really spend as much time as I ought to in prayer - communing with Him. He wants me to.   He wants you to, as well.

For my digital art I used a kit called Fresh Start by Find Your Bliss Designs

ABC Scripture Challenge with Patter Cross - #22 - Value

For this fortnight Patter, gave use the word "Value".

I feel the verse I have chosen to use is a very important one to keep in mind when the things of this world get us sidetracked. All the nice things we see and have really do mean nothing in comparison to the importance of knowing Jesus.
Right now, my husband and I are doing a Bible Study on Biblical Stewardship, which is really teaching us that we own nothing..... all that we have is because God has provided it for us.  So we should use what we have wisely and not wastefully. We need to place value on what we can do with the things we own to bring glory to our Lord.

For my digital art I used a kit called " Make the Time" by Connie Prince.

ABC Scripture Challenge with Patter Cross - #21 - Useful

This fortnight the word given by Patter for our artwork is the word " Useful". When I went searching on BibleGateway for a verse to use on my page at first I could not find something that stood out to me to use. Then I checked what was in the Amplified Version of the Bible and found the scripture I have used.
How true it is that really we cannot be useful to the Lord if our lives are full of bitterness, wrath etc.  Finding this scripture plus a good book I am reading at the moment have helped me stop and look at myself and realise I have not been very useful to the furthering of God's Kingdom lately.  With the Lord's help I will now get back on the right track and be the witness for Christ that I need to be.

For my digital art I used  a kit called Fruit of the Spirit by Connie Prince. 

ABC Scripture Challenge with Patter #20 - Trouble

For this fortnight Patter has given us the word "Trouble".
The verse that I chose to use on my digital page is one that I plan on memorising as it is a good one to claim when going through difficult times.   God does care about the anguish we feel deep inside of us. Recently I have been going through times of regret over past failures but now I have peace knowing that God's love is unfailing. His love for me does not depend on how obedient I am to Him.

For my digital art I have used:  alpha from Sleep Over by Jenn CK Designs; papers from Dreaming by Inspired by Dominic Designs, flower and swirl from Evening Sky by Stella K Designs.  The font I used is Tempus Sans