Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Hymn Scripture Challenge with Patter Cross - #2 - It Is Well With My Soul

The hymn " It is Well with My Soul" is one I have sung many times and have heard before  the story behind the writing of this wonderful hymn. Please pop over to Patter's blog to read the very touching story and how strong the faith of the writer of this hymn was.

On my digital art I chose to share the third verse of the hymn as it is a verse that gives me great hope and I knew what scripture I would also share as I knew how well it went with this verse:
My sin oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part, but the whole,
is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more;
Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord, O my soul!

The scripture is:
.... having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This He set aside, nailing it to the cross.    - Colossians 2:13-14

I found these words about this scripture from The Peoples New Testament Commentary:


Nailing it to the cross. When the Jews nailed Jesus to the cross they drove the nails into their own law. The old dispensation was ended; the blood of the new covenant was shed from the wounds of the nails.

Whenever I watch the movies depicting  the crucifixion and hear the sound of the nails being hammered ( I heard this many times when I acted the part of Mary at the cross during a community presentation of "Christmas the Full Story),  shivers run through my body. How thankful I am that my Saviour took the punishment I deserved.  
Thankyou Jesus for those nails.


For my digital art I used a kit called My Angel by Terry Maruca and also an action by Terry Maruca to create the folded corner.


Week 4 in the Bible Study

With this being the final week of the study we were asked to apply what we learnt to ourselves.
Here is my final page:


Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Week 3 in the Bible Study

For week 3 we were asked to look at the contrasts, comparisons and repeated words we had marked last week.

Here is my page now:


Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Bible Study with On Step Away International - Psalm 1

Here is the instructions given for this week of the study:
(copyrighted instructions - used by permission)

As you may know, the keys to inductive study are reading, reading and re-reading the text to see what it says (i.e., observation), and prayer, asking God to guide our thoughts and open our eyes and hearts as we read to see what He says.

This week as we read and pray, we will mark repeated words, words that are key to the sense of the text. If they are key words but not repeated, don't mark them.
I usually start with God or Jesus the first time through (mark each word in a separate reading -- re-reading is one of our goals and marking is a tool to help us do several things including re-reading). It is during this step of marking God that I usually see another repeated word. Then I begin the process again with the next word which often reveals another ... Yes, synonyms count! 

As you're reading keep in mind the "5 W's and an H" -- those interrogatives, when, where, why, who, what and how. Who was writing, who was the audience, what was the context, what is the action, what is the problem, what was the writer's/speaker's goal, how is it accomplished, when does this happen, etc. 

Read again marking any comparisons and contrasts.
Read again marking any expressions of time.
Read again marking any terms of conclusion.
Read again marking any terms of purpose. Note: sometimes "that" is one and sometimes it's not. A good test is to try "in order that" if it works, then this particular "that" is a term of purpose.

Maybe this sounds familiar even if you're new to inductive study. It's possible you were taught something similar in school. In the 90s I did a brief seminar in Holland on inductive study for an international church in Eindhoven. An African fellow asked me why we were approaching the Bible as he'd been taught to study literature. He was concerned proper reverence wasn't being given to God's Holy words, that mystical creation ... admirable attitude. I admit he had me stumped, but out of my mouth came these words, "When God chose to speak to man, He did it in a ... book." That made sense to him, and boy howdy was I glad! 

Bless you as you read, pray, mark AND continue to note questions that arise from the text. Please include them in your scrap as well. You can always put a flower or something on top of them if you want to keep them private! 

And this is how my page with notes now looks:


Sunday, January 13, 2013

Hymn Scripture Challenge with Patter Cross - 2013 - # 1 - Lift High the Cross

To start the year off Patter has shared an old hymn that I do not remember ever singing - Lift High the Cross.
If you would like to read about the writer of this hymn and also hear a version of this hymn please visit Patter's blog  HERE

This year as I am busy with added commitments I am only making a  6 x 6 digital page for these challenges. I display them in sleeves from an album and hung on a frame that my husband made for me.

I found a longer version of the hymn and liked a verse that was not included on the version that Patter shared. So that is the verse I have shared on my artwork along with a Scripture that I felt fitted the verse well.
Here are some words by Oswald Chambers that I found:

"I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me."  
( these are Jesus words found in John 12:32)
The one thing we have to do is to exhibit Jesus Christ crucified, to lift Him up all the time. Every doctrine that is not embedded in the Cross of Jesus will lead astray. 

Here is my artwork:

( for the digital artwork I have used - paper and journal may by Zesty Digi Designs; flower by Tami Miller; flourish by Brandy Murry; 



Thursday, January 10, 2013

NO FAITH CHALLENGE THIS MONTH

This month I am not hosting a Faith Challenge as I have done during the last two months. I may be back next month with one.

But I would like to encourage anyone to join me in the Bible Study I am taking part in over at One Step Away International : you can register HERE

I have chosen Psalm 1 for my study this month and I will share my initial page ready for adding my study notes to :

The digital paper I used is by Thao Cosgrove

As I take part in this Bible Study ( a form of study I have never done before ) I plan on sharing what I do as it progresses. If there is any really personal things the Lord brings out in this study I may need to blank those out when I share my page. I am a little excited to take part in this study and look forward to where the Lord will lead me as I study this lovely Psalm.