Happy Birthday Scrap of Faith!               www.scrapoffaith.com

In This Issue

☻ Welcome

- By Sally Clifford

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♦

       She’s All That ….

               With God

- by Tracey Smith

Last issue we talked about asking Jesus to swap your burdens for His light one, thereby getting you off the treadmill of this world. It’s possible you might think all that advice was just a sham when we look this month at the description in the bible that has become commonly known as the Proverbs 31 Woman. But bear with me …

Ah yes, Proverbs 31. I remember well the first time I came across her. She was perfect. She set a standard that to me was unattainable. She did everything right. She seemed to fit 48 hours of effort into every 24, had no time management issues, seemed to require little sleep, worked her tail off and her husband and children thought she was the best thing since sliced bread. Part of me hated her – I thought she was the over-achieving Type A personality of the bible! And part of me wanted to be just like her – because I thought she was God’s ‘perfect woman’. The result was that the “P31” has probably lived most of her existence in the too-hard basket of my life.

I hated her because I compared myself to her and found myself wanting. Yet I couldn’t fob her off because if that was God’s view of perfection then I wanted to be like her! So  again I compared myself to her and failed. But hating her and aspiring to be like her were just the flipsides of the same coin. And that plays right into the enemy’s hands, because that coin is the enemy’s currency and all it buys me is a fast trip into one of his most overworked traps – the trap of comparison. Comparison is the handiwork of the devil and one of the fastest ways back onto the treadmill of this world.

Do you find yourself doing it?

Say your best friend has four kids and seems to just sail through life  – do you compare yourself to her, and think there must be something wrong with you when you cant cope with your one, two or three?

Or are you a stay at home mum whose husband works really long hours – and if you compare yourself to him, how can you possibly justify ever feeling tired?

Maybe you look at the wonderful scrapping creations of other girls … and then look at yours and think … well, let’s not even go there!!!

In Proverbs 31, we read that she (P31) is strong, dignified, wise and kind. Well, I try to be all of those things, but sometimes I’m just weak, undignified, foolish and mean. P31 is prepared, she plans .. and she’s a willing worker. I plan, but my to-do list often becomes overwhelming, and as for willing .. well, not always ….

P31 is a woman who cares for her husband, loves and respects him, protects him. It doesn’t matter what translation you read, the language is just beautiful – “the heart of her husband trusts in her”. Oh yes, I so want that to be true – and yet, I know I’m not the perfect wife.

And as for her children rising up and calling her blessed ??? Well I’ve had struggles enough with that one, it’s probably my most often visited comparison trap.

You know,  I can look at the Proverbs 31 Woman and see a description of someone who is perfect - and I could just give up.

But this time around I think I’ve stumbled on some clues to P31’s  success that I hadn’t seen before.

P31 ‘dresses herself with strength’ – in Hebrew the term is actually ‘she girds her loins’. To me, girding your loins is a battle term, it’s a step you take in preparing for a battle. That reveals to me that God knew what our lives would be like, that we would have battles to fight, even if it’s the battle to get to the bottom of the to-do list with any degree of sanity left intact, or fighting the battles of the mind, like comparing myself to others. So P31 prepares for battle …. But how does she do that?

The answer comes when we read the summary of what makes her value ‘far above that of rubies’

v30 Charm and grace are deceptive, and beauty is vain [because it is not lasting], but a woman who reverently and worshipfully fears the Lord, she shall be praised!  (Amplified Bible)

Her value isn’t in her ability as a woman, wife, mother, homemaker …  it’s in her spiritual life! It’s in her relationship with the Lord! That’s where the strength and the weapons and the strategies to fight the battles comes from!

If I try to do things in my own strength, more often than not, I fail. But through my faith in Jesus, I have His strength to call upon (if only I’d remember to call on His help before I get myself into a mess!). In the book of  2 Corinthians, 12:9 it actually says that His power is perfected in my weakness. And in the book of Philippians 4:13 it says that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

God knew that we would have battles to fight. He knows we are weak. He knows we cant do all we need to do alone. He created us after all! So of course He didn’t go completely off course from what He says in the rest of His word and put in a description of a perfect woman in order to trip us all up and make us feel like failures! He gave us a glimpse of all we could aspire to be as well as the roadmap to making it happen – our personal relationship with Him.

I needed to look at the woman described in Proverbs 31 within the context of the whole of God’s word and my personal relationship with Him in order to discover a whole different picture to the one I previously had in mind.

Yet again, the most important tool I have to keep me off the world’s treadmill is my personal relationship with God. It’s the one place where I have unlimited access to infallible advice that is completely geared to who I am as an individual, to my health, my safety, my wellbeing, my purpose. Actually, it’s not completely true to say the access is unlimited – it certainly is on God’s part, but if I don’t choose to avail myself of His wisdom for me, then I’m the one who has limited the access.

I can always choose to paddle my own canoe. I can choose to relegate P31 to the too-hard-basket of my life. But if I aspire to be all that I can be in this lifetime …then I need to ask God to show me what He wants me to see in Proverbs 31. And you can do the same. I wonder what He will show you?

In my eyes, or the eyes of the world, I can fail. But I cannot fail in my Father’s eyes. Because in my weakness, He is strong.

So, dear P31 – consider yourself rescued from my too-hard-basket. You’ve shown me that I CAN be all that – but only with God.

www.biblegateway.com

* BLBLBLBLBLBLLBBBBBBBBBBBLBLBLLBL

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My Purpose

- by Sally Clifford

Step by step instructions to recreate this page for yourself.

Click here for the full lesson.

Living With Purpose

- by Roz James

Step by step instructions to recreate this page for yourself.

Click here for the full lesson.

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- by Rowena Field

Always wanted to know how to make a cool date stamp to go on your layouts?  Or are you like me and love the look of a date stamp for your traditional layouts, but haven't bought one?  Then  make your own.  Ro shows us how.

Click here for the full lesson

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Faith Tins

- by Gail Comber

Full step by step instructions on how to alter tins.  Get all the tips and tricks on how to get your tins covered with a smooth finish.

Click here for the full lesson.

♦ SoF Girls found at Scrapping with Soul

What a great time was had when a group of girls from Scrap of Faith journeyed to Nowra on the picturesque south coast of NSW to join other likeminded scrap lovers for a great weekend of scrapping fun.

Read the article and see the pictures Here

When it’s the 4th Saturday of the month, we at Scrap of Faith hold a "Cyber Crop". 

What is a "Cyber Crop"?

A Cyber Crop is an evening where regardless of the distance that separates us all geographically, the computer and internet bring us together!  To be able to participate in the cyber crop you will need to email sally an MSN address. If you don't have MSN (free chat program) you can download it here http://messenger.imagine-live.com/Messenger/Launch80/?Locale=en-au

PLEASE READ FOR CYBER CROP ACCESS http://scrapoffaith.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=22510#22510

We have a few Scrapping Competitions for the Cyber Crop which we put up in the forum and the winners are announced here.  

These nights are a fantastic night of cropping and fellowship.   It doesn't matter where you live, you can be part of our next Scrap of Faith Cyber Crop :-)

Click on the images to see the full size

 Challenge 1 Allison (AJW)      

   Challenge 2 Gennie (Smithsinafrica)

July's winners - $25 Challenge vouchers go to Gennie and Allison and a $10 voucher goes to our bingo winner, Nat Mardon.

All challenge winners are drawn from those who have submitted a layout or item for the challenge within the given timeframe.  We don't pick a favourite or say who did it the best.  If you scrapped the challenge we leave the rest up to the Lord to choose who is blessed with a prize that month.

Challenge 1 was, "Create a layout about yourself in the colour combo of pink green and white that includes a handmade embellishment/accent... and as usual at least one bible verse..."

Challenge 2 was, "To make a matching card & tag. Must use ribbon & at least 2 different stamps. Please use a Bible verse somewhere on the card or tag."

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To celebrate our first year of Scrap of Faith we are excited to announce our "Book of Faith" competition!!

Over the next 12 months we will be embarking upon a journey of putting the spotlight on various aspects of our faith. For example, this month we have been examining our purpose in this life.  We hope that as you share this journey with us, you will be inspired and encouraged to scrap about your faith – and as a little extra incentive to keep on scrapping, you will also be eligible to enter our “Book of Faith” competition

What do you have to do to be eligible to enter? Complete a layout each month on the topic being explored for that month.  Topics will be listed each month and previous month’s topics will be recapped so anyone at any stage over the 12 months can join in. All entries must be uploaded into our gallery in a special competition folder by August 30th 2008.  You must email sally for the login details for your competition folder and upload instructions.

You must do a cover page with the title "Book of Faith" for the album that your 12 layouts will go into.

The only deadline is the final deadline August 30th 2008 for all layouts to be completed and uploaded.  The aim is for you to scrap a year’s worth of faith layouts and it doesn't matter if you do a layout per month or all the layouts in one hit! The point is that you do them :) You can enter either the class layouts or your own work, but your layouts must correspond with the monthly themes and each must include one bible verse.

THE PRIZE - A full retreat package costing $150 (if you win and have already paid for the retreat your monies will be refunded in full).   For overseas competitors who cannot make the retreat you will be sent $150 worth of scrapping goodies, or a $150 dollar gift voucher (Australian value) to the favorite scrap shop of your choice.

Topics we have covered so far which require layouts......

COVER PAGE

AUGUST 2007's THEME - Your Purpose.

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We are having a RETREAT!!!  YEAH!!!!  for all the details click here.

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We are proud to support Mercy Ministries and are hosting a charity crop in November to raise funds for the fantastic work they do with young women. Lots of fun, games, prizes, Calico Scrap of Faith bag full of goodies and much more!!  Find out the details here.

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1) Name and Scrap Name: Carolina Gonzalez AKA f0t0girl

2) Family details: Happily married to Lalo & mother to one almost three year old Jesse.

3) Location: Mount Isa, QLD- Rodeo Capital of Australia J

4) How did you find SoF?  The lovely Rowena Field emailed the link and the rest was up to me… now I wonder what I did before SoF with the time I previously had LOL

5) Scrapping style? I chop & change…sometimes clean lines other times grungy & busy and I love to try new things J

6) Fave elements to use? Chipboard and flowers but with only a boy to scrap it makes it hard LOL

7) Scrap room/location? Love my space just behind the lounge in my living room, I can watch TV and be with DH while I create.

8) Became a Christian when … Grew up in a mostly Christian family but really made my own decision for Christ as a teenager. After marriage my faith has grown in leaps and bounds and I’m loving the season God & my family are going through right now.

9) Tell us something quirky about yourself.  Quirky…? I don’t know I have anything quirky to tell…That’s a bit boring isn’t it?

10) Love about scrapping … I really love the process I take to create and then to have something I can show and leave for anyone and everyone to see. I love seeing the different reactions and emotions when my work is being looked at either by DH or DS or a total stranger! Lately I’m also discovering how to tell the story of my faith and my walk with God.

11) Hate about scrapping … So many photos & stories to tell and so little time!

12) A goal, dream or ambition. To move closer to family & to be on a design team *blush*.

13) Fave movie.  One that comes to mind is an old one called The Ghost and the Darkness but to be honest I’m not really a movie buff… in fact I won’t watch a movie on TV unless I can sit and scrap at the same time LOL.

14) What do you listen to when you scrap? Usually a good show on TV

15) Fave LO and why? Just from my pile that is yet to be out into albums I choose ‘The Bottom Line’ (it’s in the gallery) coz it’s a photo I totally love and finally managed to scrap! There are really heaps I love though as they each tell a special story important to my little family J

16) What are you working on with God right now? God and I are getting reacquainted on a personal level- Ok, I’m getting reacquainted with prioritizing my time and he is just as he always is…THERE!

Thanks for taking the 16 Questions Carol! :-)

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Thank you so much to those who wrote an email to us after our first edition and for giving us permission to share them.  Your emails have been such an encouragement to the team and have been a great blessing to all of us.  A BIG THANKS!!

this is awesome!!! a blessing at the right time. :) Anne

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Sally, Hi.

I haven't commented on your forum yet, but am part of it and got your newsletter this morning.

I had to email and say it really was a blessing. Thank you. You guys are doing an amazing job. And yes, you were being attacked this month.

I want to share a little story with you....My friend and I have set up a Christian mothers group which meets every Friday morning to reach out to the community. Guess what happens every Friday morning? Yep, we find ourselves grumpy, angry, upset, frustrated. Under attack. Sometimes its just simple but unexpected things which throw us, other times big nasty things. And we've realised that as the time draws near to us actually being out there, working for God, we are attacked. Ok, so we were a bit slow on the uptake but we've cottoned on to it now! And have God's protection around us each as we step outside our comfort zone we are attacked. The attacker knows how vulnerable we can be, how anxious we are, and what we are doing and works on that.

Funny thing is, I sat in Church yesterday, and was told again how we as Christians will be under attack, but he will bless us for this, and he does! Isn't it amazing how God works?

Sally you and the team are doing a great job. You are bringing much needed hope and faith back into the community. It might have started small, but its growing. And we all know why. Hang in there. Keep struggling through. You will be continually blessed as I'm sure you already feel.

Best regards,

Trina McClune

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Yes please keep sending it to me! Look forward to next month's issue. Kay

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Thanks so much for the Scrap of Faith Newsletter. It was so informative.

I love the fact it has a practical project/lessons in it with traditional and digital scrapbooking.

Congratulations to the ladies that have had babies!

Thanks for this.

Debbie (aka Godzoned)

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Dear sally thank you for a wonderful newsletter. It is wonderful that you persevere and God answers prayers with all the hassles you had with your newsletter. It a wonderful way to serve our Lord and Saviour. I am very interested in your spiritual scrapping camp in 2008 as I love to go to a scrapcamp but haven't as yet because of my faith and as being a SDA Christian I would not be comfortable in scrapping ordinary layouts during the Sabbath hours but to be able to scrap pages on our Faith and our love for our Saviour with other like minded ladies . what a wonderful idea. I will certainly pass your newsletter on to other and keep you all in our prayers. What a wonderful way to witness for your Lord. Snazzybear

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All letters are welcome and please note that we ask for permission to share with our readers.  No letters to Scrap of Faith will be published without the author's consent.

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We are Siebe and Ingeborg Dijkstra, the owners of Heaven-Sent Scrapbooking and web masters. Well ... to be honest, Siebe does all the technical stuff and me (Ingeborg) is the creative brain and scrapbooker. We started our business after realizing there is not a lot of Christian Scrapbooking products available in Australia. As Christians, we know that we incorporate our faith in many of our pages and therefore we started importing products from the US. We started very small, but are slowly building our range of general and Christian Scrapbooking products.

We didn't just want to have a shop, because we believe it is important to connect with our customers and users of the site too. Therefore we recently added a forum and our blog. The gallery is meant to inspire our visitors and us too!

Sandra Joseph (from Reminders of Faith) writes: “Write down the insights and life lessons God teaches you about Him, about yourself, about life, relationships and everything else. Record these so you can review and remember them and pass them on to the next generation.” From the best-selling book, The Purpose Driven Life, by Rick Warren.

We believe that scrapbooking is more than only preserving important milestones and memories through pictures and albums, because it is important to leave a spiritual heritage to our children and to tell them the importance of our faith in God and the many different ways He has blessed us. As said in Psalm 78: 5 - 7 (NIV)

" ... he commanded our forefathers to teach their children, so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands... "

Scrap of Faith would like to thank Ingeborg and Seibe for their support and generous sponsorship of the site.  Check them out at http://www.heaven-sent.com.au/
 

The PDF files of past classes have been uploaded to the site, so accessing our instructions is just a mouse click away. 

I have updated August 2007 to June 2008.  July 2008 & August 2008 will be uploaded in September.

Past classes can be found here. 

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Scrap of Faith started in July 2006, and is not a scrapbooking shop, but a community dedicated to providing inspiration and friendship though our faith and scrapbooking. We are Not for Profit and unless we are organising a Charity Event or Retreat all our services are FREE.  Our scrapping classes are devoted to scrapping our faith and life's journey. Each month we send out a newsletter with full instructions for one or two scrapping projects, Digi tips, BTP projects & tips, Craft tips & Inspiring Articles. We also have a very friendly forum & monthly Cyber Crop. To find out more information about our Forum & Gallery please visit our site www.scrapoffaith.com . 

While you are there have a look around and Meet The Team.  Each month this bunch of ladies does a lot of behind the scenes work to bring Scrap of Faith to you.  They are Gail Comber, Rowena Field, Tracey Smith, Nat Mardon, Roz James, Lara Moss and Sally Clifford.  As well as our team, every lady in our forum and gallery are also a vital part of Scrap of Faith.  The encouragement and support that is offered to each member by the other members is truly inspirational. 

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Wow! Our second newsletter and thanks again for reading it and being a part of Scrap of Faith.   Please forward this newsletter to as many people as you would like and if you have been forwarded this newsletter and would like to receive it personally in your inbox each month then we invite you to subscribe click here.

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