Providence 365 - Week 52

Luke 2:10-16
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
I love hearing the story of Baby Jesus from the book of Luke. And it doesn’t matter if I hear it during worship, during a children’s Christmas program…or when Linus shares the Word during Charlie Browns Christmas – it is a story that never gets old, brings a smile to my face and warms my heart.

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

As we bring Providence 365 to a close, I pray that you have been blessed through our year long journey. Barbara (Precepts and Promises) and I (Pam of by the Shore designs) have enjoyed sharing His word and pray that you have found words for reflection that have been timely and inspiration for your scrapbooking layouts using our word-art.

Please take a moment to share with us in the forum at Faith Sisters how our Providence 365 journey impacted you. Thank you for joining us in 2011. Please make sure to visit us on our blogs for more inspiration in 2012 – God Bless and give Glory to God in the Highest!.

(Click on the image above or here for your word art for week 52)

AND.....MERRY CHRISTMAS!

My Lifetime Story RE-RUN: Challenge 52 - A Letter to Future Generations

Video coming soon!

Be sure to SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube Page so you don't miss any of our videos!

Before we go any further I would like to encourage you to leave a comment to let our faithful Creative Team know how much you have appreciated their work this year for the My Lifetime Story Challenge! 
Life got in the way for many, we thank all of you that have taken part in this challenge and all of you that served on the Creative Team for any amount of time. A very special thanks to these ladies who have stuck it through to the very end! Your hard work and dedication has been such a blessing to so many. You may never know how much until you are in heaven, but we hope that this challenge has been a blessing to you throughout all of that work and will continue to be a blessing to you and your family as you cherish your Lifetime Story album.
Although there are many things left to tell in our Lifetime Story albums and we have no plans of being finished, we found it fitting to go ahead and end the year of challenges with the final page of the album. Make sure to allow room to put page protectors in before this page as you continue to add to your story!

For the final page we would like to encourage you to write a letter to the next generation about Jesus. Picture them reading this last story in your album. They've met Jesus through your life, and their hearts are tender. Now, bring it on home. Share the love! 


My Letter reads...I hope you have had as much fun reading my lifetime story as I have had sharing it with you. When you read my stories did you feel a tugging at your heart? Maybe you heard yourself saying, "I would like to know God like that." Jesus tells us to come to Him like little children. Little children don't wait to figure out the love of God, they just run into his arms. Would you liked to be loved, forgiven and held by Him like I have? All you have to do is believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that he took the punishment for your sins on the cross so that you could be forgiven and he rose from the dead three days later and is waiting for you in heaven! He is real. He is alive. He loves you very much. All of the blessings and miracles that I have had can be yours too. Jesus is my rock. He has healed me from sickness and poured blessing after blessing over my life. This storybook would not be filled with such happy memories if it weren't for my Jesus. I want you to know the wonderful love of Jesus. He is not a secret that should be kept but shared with the world! He wants to have a relationship with you. Just BELIEVE and ask him to come into your life. He will change your life forever. You will never be sorry! I love you. ~Michelle 


Be sure to follow this challenge in our forum and post your page in our gallery under the appropriate category! If you are a digital scrapbooker, be sure to find some great products in our shop to help you with your project! 


Here are a few inspirational examples from the team for this challenge: 
by JackieaAnn


by Sharon


by Tammy


by Amy

Providence 365: Week 51, the 4th Week of Advent

Today is the fourth Sunday of Advent, and traditionally, the candle lit for today is the candle of peace. 
Isaiah 9:5-7:

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Christ has come and brought peace, sweet peace between sinful people and a righteous God. Only when we are at peace with God will we, or indeed can we, have true, lasting, peace among men. 


But, our peace didn't come peacefully.  
We love the story of the Christ Child, but He didn't stay a pudgy, cuddly, sweet little baby.  He grew into a man, fully man and fully God, who walked the earth, who ate our food, who felt all that we feel. 

Wonder of wonders!

Mystery of mysteries!

The peace He brought us, he didn't obtain as a baby.  It was through His work as a man, His suffering in our place on the Cross, that we can stand before God, clothed in the righteousness of Christ.  Our forgiveness came through the blood and sweat and pain and despair of a very real man, who suffered so greatly that I want to weep when I read descriptions of the crucifixion.  

But, praise God! the story doesn't end there!


No, the veil was ripped in two, the wall of division between men and God, and between men and men, was torn down with His bare, nail-pierced hands.  


And, then the stone was rolled away, for death could not hold Him, the Maker of the Universe.  Oh, does your soul not soar with that thought?

 The Babe in the manger was just the beginning of the story....

You can find the word art HERE.  And, this week, when you download, I'd so appreciate a comment, especially if you've been blessed by our journey this year.  Pam and I so appreciate each and every little note we receive.  This will be my last P365 posting, so thank you so much!  God bless you as you seek Him in all of the Providences of your life.

My Lifetime Story RE-RUN: Challenge 51 - Today's Technology

Video coming soon!

Be sure to SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube Page so you don't miss any of our videos!

If you would have told me fifteen years ago that I would have hundreds of friends from all over the county, and other countries I would have thought you were crazy. If you would have told me that I would be able to talk to them on a daily basis I would have known you were crazy because there is no way I could have afforded to call hundreds of friends long distance, let alone have the time to talk to all those people!
The internet has changed our lives in such a dramatic way! I really do have hundreds of friends that I communicate with on a daily basis. Many of those friends who I know from the internet are some of my nearest and dearest friends at heart. Those friendships would never have been possible if it weren't for the internet.
Imagine how much things are going to change in the future. It is hard to think that anything more could be invented, haven't they thought of it all already?? However, I know in 10 years we will be looking back at this post and laughing at how primitive the internet was back then!

Create a layout about your daily uses of technology. Talk about how things have changed over the years. Are there things that you dislike about technology? How do you thinks things might look in the future technology wise? 


Be sure to follow this challenge in our forum and post your page in our gallery under the appropriate category! If you are a digital scrapbooker, be sure to find some great products in our shop to help you with your project! 


Here are a few inspirational examples from the team for this challenge: 

by Karma


by Tammy


by JackieAnn


by Amy


By Sharon

Providence 365 Week 50

REJOICE!

Light one candle for Hope. One bright candle for Hope. He brings hope to every heart, He comes He comes.
Light one candle for Peace. One bright candle for Peace. He brings peace to every heart, He comes, He comes.
Light one candle for Joy. One bright candle for Joy. Every nation, shall find salvation in Bethlehem’s Baby Boy.
Light one candle for Love. One bright candle for Love, He brings love to every heart, He comes, He comes

Several years ago when my daughter was in our church Christmas Pageant, they sang this song. (And I wish I could give it proper credit, but I am unable to find the author) During the season of advent, it is a song that plays through my head and brings a smile to my face. Not only does it bring happy memories of a little girl in a velvety red dress , it reminds me that during Advent we wait and prepare.

Today is the third Sunday of Advent. It is often known as Gaudete Sunday. In Latin, Gaudete means REJOICE. On this third Sunday of Advent, we rejoice that our Good Lord is coming.

Today’s Bible verse comes from Philippians 4:4-7


Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

REJOICE!
During this season of Advent – how do you prepare? How do you rejoice?

Here is the word art for this week. (click on the image to download)

Can’t wait to see what you share with us in our Providence 365 Forum and Gallery at Faith Sisters.

And join me this week as I continue to ‘buck the trend’ and say MERRY CHRISTMAS to everyone I meet.

My Lifetime Story RE-RUN: Challenge 50 - I Believe In Miracles

Video coming soon!

Be sure to SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube Page so you don't miss any of our videos!

It is hard to believe that we are nearing the end of our year of My Lifetime Story Challenges! 2010 is drawing to an end and so is this weekly challenge. But never fear! Our stories will continue and so will this challenge. We plan to continue to add challenges to this My Lifetime Story album! 
This week is all about Miracles. There seems no better time to talk about Miracles than right here at Christmas as we reflect on the miraculous birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 
Miracles are hard to believe. Usually, they don't make sense. Many times people have a hard time believing in miracles and try to prove them with natural reasonsing. Do you believe in miracles?

Here are some miracles from the bible:
Read Luke 5:4-7
Read Acts 16:24-26
Read John 4:46-54
Read Matthew 14

These are just a few examples of miracles. God performed many miracles in bibile times. Do you believe that God still performs miracles today?

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever" ~Hebrew 13:8

This week journal about why you believe in miracles. Start your journaling out "I believe in miracles because... then tell the story of a miracle or miracles you have witnessed or heard about. 



It is important that we help our future generations to see the stories of God's power displayed in our lives, it will build their faith to believe that He will intervene in miraculous ways in their lives too.

Be sure to follow this challenge in our forum and post your page in our gallery under the appropriate category! If you are a digital scrapbooker, be sure to find some great products in our shop to help you with your project! 


Here are a few inspirational examples from the team for this challenge: 

by Tammy


by Amy



by JackieAnn

Made Ya Look Monday

On Mondays we feature some amazing layouts in our gallery that just "Made Ya Look!"




We invite these ladies to snag our NEW featured blinkie to wear on their blog and in the forums!


by nagato




by JackieAnn




by Flohbock




by Abby




by Tammyshere



by coltsmom414




by LivyBug



by snojewel



by Manja



by auntrachel



by suslyn



by lalysc

Providence 365, Week 49: The Second Sunday in Advent

This is the Christian season of Advent, the time of anticipation, of looking back at Christ's first coming, and also looking ahead, expecting, His second.  For centuries, Christians have lit candles in an evergreen Advent wreath, reading Scriptures as reminders of what the King of the Universe has done for us, His people.  The light from the candles grows each Sunday as one more is lit, reflecting that Christ is the Light of the World, and His light is filling our dark world.

The first candle of the Advent wreath is the candle of hope or prophecy.  Traditionally, the second candle, this week's candle, symbolized Bethlehem, the lowly birthplace of Jesus.  It reminds us that He came in God's Providence, as a man, humble, to live and "tabernacle" among us. 

This weeks verse is from Micah 5:2:

But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
   who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
   one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose coming forth is from of old,
   from ancient days.

This verse is a reminder that God has chosen the lowly of this world to bring His glory to us; He has chosen the weak to confound the wise, leaving us no room to boast in our own wisdom. 

 

My prayer for you this Advent Sunday is that you would seek for Him with all your heart, for He is willing to be found, meek and lowly, in Bethlehem.
You can find the word art here.