Faith Discovery Challenge - {Woman of Virtue} and a FREEBIE

Hello! Before I begin, I wanted to feature this beautiful LO posted for the previous Faith Discovery challenge -Stay Focused. This was created by another beautiful and extremely gifted CT member of Faith Sisters, Cheryl in FL a.k.a. gonewiththewind in the gallery.
She is such a beautiful person inside and out and it definitely shows through in all her creations.

Her journaling reads:

"The Road goes ever on and on down from the door where it began. Now far ahead the Road has gone, and I must follow, if I can, pursuing it with eager feet, until it joins some larger way where many paths and errands meet. And whither then? I cannot say."

And this is what she says in regards to the quote:

"I am not sure where my path is going, but I must follow it with eager feet, knowing that God will place me where many other paths and errands meet. Although I often want all the answers and struggle, it is so refreshing to lean on Him and know that He has my path, my road, in His Hands."

Please check out her gallery for more inspiring layouts and you will definitely be blessed, I promise!

Featured Layout for "Stay Focused" Faith Discovery Challenge

By Cheryl in FL

Can you believe it's MAY already? I can't! May is one of my favorite months of the year and also one of the busiest aside from the holidays. To name a few of the reasons I love the month of May is because of the annual National Scrapbooking Day that everyone all across the nation and even in some other parts of the world, is excited about. So much is happening in all the scrapbooking communities and it doesn't matter which way you scrap--paper, digital, hybrid--we all have the same passion to preserve our memories and tell our stories for our future generations. Woohoo, I can't wait! If you want to know what's happening right here at Faith Sisters, please check back here often during this weekend. You won't want to miss it!

{Woman of Virtue}

Another special reason I love the month of May is, Mother's Day which is on the 11th (also the day my DH proposed to me :). Not only do I love being pampered, but it's always a special moment for me to remember how extremely blessed I am to be a mother AND it also serves as a reminder to me that we should honor and give appreciation to our own mothers, grandmothers, aunts, sisters, friends and relatives who share the common gift of motherhood. My own mother went home to be with the Lord when I was only 11 years old. And even though it's been a very long time since then, memories of her life and godly example has never left me. There was one day at the hospital before she passed away that I clearly remember and the last words she spoke to me was something that I believe were words that God knew would help me stay close to Him throughout my life. This is what she said,

"Always remember to love Jesus and to keep serving Him because He will take good care of you. Be a good girl and finish school so that you will live a good life. Pray for your sisters and Daddy to keep going to church and to always love the Lord."

I believe that was her prayer and God definitely heard it because most of it has already come to pass. After so many years of being lost, I found my way back to the Lord, I'm currently in school and blessed with a wonderful husband and two precious children, and my Dad re-dedicated his life to the Lord 3 months before he died. So, it's only a matter of time before my sisters and their families receive the gift of salvation which I have been fervently praying for and know will also come to pass. I guess what I want to share is, the prayers of a mother are very powerful. Like my pastor, Rev. Mary Stewart (wife of our beloved Rev. Ed Stewart) would say,

"Don't underestimate the power of your prayers. God listens and He hears and is faithful. Your prayers have value and we have such a privilege to be able to pray to our God who is alive and is able to do exceedingly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us."

So in honor of all the mothers that we love and care about, this week's challenge is based on a passage that I think describes the highest standards of what a mother is and the beautiful role that they play. I know that we all would love to be as perfect as this proverbial woman, but I know that even if I may not do all that it says, there's one verse that I believe we should all focus on and it's Proverbs 31:30, "Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised." My mother was hardworking and sacrificed so much of her life for her family but. the one thing about her that was unforgettable was her love and faithfulness for the Lord, which is my understanding of what true virtue is. My prayer is to do the best that I can be to be a woman of virtue and to leave behind for my family, a legacy of faith, just as my mother did...

Challenge #11 - In honor of Mother's Day that is just around the corner, this challenge is based on scriptures found in Proverbs 31. This passage has always given me a glimpse of what a virtuous woman is like especially Proverbs 31:30 - "Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised." For this challenge, I thought I'd ask you to read and study this chapter in Proverbs and create a LO of your mother or someone that reflects the character of a proverbial woman. For some of us who may want to scrap about a sister, a friend, or a relative would be perfectly fine, too. Another option to this challenge if you'd like, is to scrap about what you feel in your heart when it comes to the person you are and the things that matter to you as a woman of virtue.

*click on images to see credits*

By Dahlia Co

In honor of my mother, Erlinda A. DeGuzman

By Terrie L.

By Jackie Ann

By Tammy

By Rita S.

I do have one more thing to mention!!!! Don't go away just yet! I have a free download for you and maybe you'll be able to use it for this week's challenge! I hope you like it!

Download here.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend and I look forward to seeing your work! It's never too late to do any of our previous challenges so feel welcome to join in at any time! :) For discussion and info, please visit our FDC forums as well. Take care and have a blessed weekend!

Faith Discovery Challenge #10 – {Stay Focused}

Wow, 2 weeks flew by really fast! Now it’s time for another challenge but, before I do that, let me first start by picking the featured layout for our previous challenge, “Time Is Precious”. Even though there were only a few, it was still a challenge for me to pick just one. But, I couldn’t help but pick this layout by one of our talented Creative Team members, Tammy McClain. The photo is really dramatic and most of all I strongly understood her words of wisdom and her message really spoke the truth about how precious time is. So, be sure to give her some love and check out her layout and more of her awesome designs in the gallery! Thanks Tammy for your inspiring work!

Featured Layout by Tammy

Go to her gallery here.

{Stay Focused}

Focus. I tend to think of a camera when it comes to that term. If you’re like me, trying to hold a camera still, zooming in and out to bring the object into clear view, getting the right lighting, etc. can be such a chore just to take a picture. But, we still take it anyways and find that more or less, the picture comes out perfectly fine. We love capturing moments on photos because one day we know we will want to look back at this time in our life and remember the special people, places, and events that took place. And when we’re gone, those photos will hopefully be kept in someone’s loving care to share with the next generation and the next. Focus. What important things do we focus on? For me, I’m a SAHM which means my focus right now is to take care of my sweet little boys and hubby, to be the best mother and wife that I possibly can be. Like a camera, it takes discipline and practice but, basically I know what my priorities are and believe that the love I put into this family will eventually reap an abundance of blessings through my children. There are days that I feel overwhelmed, weary, frustrated, and tired but, I know that God is my helper and His grace is sufficient for me. The Lord helps me to focus on the things that glorify Him rather than glorifying things that are worldly and temporary and I praise the Lord for that.

Staying focused. Why can it be so hard sometimes to keep our focus on the Lord and His promises? So many times, I find myself sidetracked by all the chaos that occurs in life. Not to mention, I often forget that He is control. He knows my days from the moment I wake up to the moment I lay down to sleep. He will do what He promised to do in His time, not mine. But, when disappointments and setbacks come my way or prayers are left unanswered, people I love get hurt and mistreated, stories of innocent people dying, violence, and war on the news, couples getting divorced, children abandoned and abused…so on and so on. These things fill my mind and my heart with so much grief, I can hardly bear it sometimes. Doubt and fear is the enemy’s tactic to cause us to lose sight of this race, to lose trust, to lose hope in God. There’s a battlefield in our mind that constantly tests our faith. Yet, when we read His word, pray, and spend time with Him, He gives us the right perspective and shows us how to stay or get back on track. We are all running a race and sometimes the trials in life can make you stumble but, just keep going and don’t let the enemy stop you from reaching your goal to serve the Lord. Finish your race and in the end, God will say to you, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” (Matt 25:21) So, stay focused!

Challenge #10 - We all have a potential to lose focus on the visions and plans that God has revealed to us. Setbacks, disappointments, confusion, stress, disbelief, sickness, strife, etc are some of the things that create obstacles in our paths. Yet God wants us to keep running this race, He wants us to reach our destinations that lead to His Kingdom, He believes we can keep going if we keep our eyes on Jesus. But, we have to have faith if we want to finish this race despite all the hurdles that causes us to stumble and fall. Share your story about this race you're running and what is it that keeps you from giving up? What are some things that have thrown you off track? What are things that you can share with others that will help them finish their race?

Faith Verses:

1 Cor 9:24 - "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize."

Phil 3:12-14 - "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But, one thing I do; Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

Hebrews 12:1-3 - "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."

John 16:33 - "...In this world, you will have trouble. But, take heart, I have overcome the world!"

By Dahlia Co

By Tammy

By Jackie Ann



By Terrie L.

Looking forward to your designs and learning from you! Upload your layouts to the FDC gallery and you could be our next featured scrap artist for this challenge! You can also check in our forums for discussions or updates. Be creative and be blessed!

Faith Discovery Challenge #9 - {Time is Precious}

It’s so wonderful to be back! I had a very wonderful time being able to take care of some important things over the break and also spending some quality time with hubby and kids. I feel renewed, refreshed, and ready to be inspired and blessed by all of you! I really missed my wonderful faith sisters and never really thought about how precious they are to me until now. The past few weeks, although I did enjoy it, I also had some moments that needed me to request prayers and support. So, of course other than turning to the Lord, I also turned to my sisters and really felt the power of their prayers over me. It’s an awesome feeling and I’m so thankful for being a part of this beautiful family of FAITH SISTERS!

I have some minor changes to make for the Faith Discovery Challenges that I hope will make things a little bit easier for everyone, including myself, to participate in. Anyways, the challenges will no longer be every week. L I have minimized it to every other Thursday, instead of weekly. I think this would give many of you the opportunity to catch up with these challenges and not really miss out on other challenges going on at our site as well. Besides, I feel that many of us would like to take more time to pray and think about these challenges. Some of you have mentioned that the challenges are just that—challenging. And having more time to do them would give you a chance to express what God has put into your heart. I too, believe that with the topics the Lord has given me, require you to have a deeper perspective of life and the lessons that we have gone through that has made Jesus such a reality in our lives. So, hopefully now with more time, I'm praying that more of you will join in! So, stick around and be prepared for another round of Faith Discovery Challenges!

I will also be selecting a winner for the challenges and showcasing their layout in our blog. This will be announced at the next challenge post, 2 weeks from today. I know that this will be a challenge to me because I have witnessed so much talent, creativity, and inspiration for these challenges so far.

Free downloads will from now on be at a minimum. I would love to keep designing freebies each time but, with so much on my plate, it can be pretty overwhelming. Even with the help of my fellow designers, the collaboration kits can also be time consuming to coordinate. So, I will try my best to give you goodies when I can and surprise you every now and then. Deal?

Now on to this week’s challenge….

{Time is Precious}

Living in such a busy world, our time is often taken for granted. We feel that our time is so limited to be able to do all the things we’d like to do so we sometimes forget the things that do matter in life, like our family and loved ones. One day, my son was asking me if we could play with his blocks together. And I was busy with homework so I told him, “Later, okay?” He politely said, “Ok.” but with a disappointed look on his face. Five minutes later, he asked if we could play with his blocks again. And again, I explained that I would be done with my homework soon and that he needs to wait. Well, time flew by and I didn’t realize that I had forgotten my son’s request. I went over to him and said I was sorry for not playing with him like he asked me to. He said, “Mommy, you forgot.” I was crushed just to hear those words. I realized that although it may not have seemed so important to me but, it was definitely important to him. He wanted to have time with me and build memories together. When I thought about it, my homework wasn’t due for another week or so, and I felt so selfish to have let that time we could’ve had slip away. A week ago, a close friend of our family had been had been instantly taken away from us without notice. I can’t imagine how lost and broken I would feel to lose a loved one and recall that I had been too busy to make time to talk or be with them. Life is short. And instead of wishing I had more hours in a day to do everything, I’m praying instead that “God may give me a heart of wisdom that I may know the number of my days.” We all have no clue that maybe tomorrow will be our last or the last moment we’d get to have a loved one with us. I sure hope that we will try our best take some time out of our busy lives, to let someone know that you care and that you remember that even the little moments matter. Most of all, ask the Lord for His grace to help us make time for Him every single day, that we may live a life worthy and pleasing to Him. After all, He is the the Lord and Creator of TIME itself...

Challenge #9– Create a layout of a moment in your life where you discovered the reality of how precious time is or can be. Share your thoughts about the challenges you faced when it came to spending time with family, loved ones, or with God. How has God helped you in the area of appreciating the time we have while we are here on earth? Or what has reminded you that time is a precious gift from God?

Faith verses:

Psalms 90:12 – “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

Ecclesiastes 3:1 – “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:”

Ecclesiastes 3:11 – “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”

Proverbs 19:21 – “Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails.”

Here is my layout:

Every Little Moment Matters

Credits here.

God bless you and please share your thoughts and comments in our forum here. And once you’ve completed your layout, be sure to upload it into the FDC gallery! I look forward to seeing what you’re going to come up with! Blessings!

Faith Discovery Challenge {February Highlights}, Announcement, and a FREE Gift

February is now behind us and we’re now approaching the end of the winter season for most parts of the world. Springtime is starting to make its way back and from where I live, I’m already seeing the changes that are taking place outside. The air is warming up under the sun, flower buds are opening, leaves are starting to sprout from the bare branches, and I’m beginning to see more birds flying around the neighborhood. I guess I’m one of those people that really love to watch the different transitions between seasons and the little changes that take place especially the RENEWAL of life in different forms. It’s something that keeps me reminded of how God renews us when we grow weary or tired, He gives us strength when we need it most, He lifts up our heads when we feel suppressed, He makes us new inside and out. He is our redeemer that keeps us from stumbling and helps us on our journey through life. Every day is a new day, a new beginning. One of my favorite verses that I love to read when I'm feeling spiritually or physically exhausted is in Isaiah 40:31 - "But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not grow faint."

Speaking of RENEWAL, I’d also like to make a little ANNOUNCEMENT! I will be taking a few weeks off to take care of some business with housework, family, and my wonderful taxes, so please know that the FAITH DISCOVERY CHALLENGES IS ON BREAK! Spring break that is! I do want you to keep coming back for updates on some new changes and new things that I’m going to be doing when I do return so, please don’t forget to check back in a few weeks! And because I appreciate you all so much for being so wonderful and supportive of me throughout this all, I made a little freebie for you!

Download here.

Anyways, the Faith Discovery Challenges for February were about things that dealt with love and hopefully gave us a better understanding of God’s amazing love towards us all. It also gave us a chance to remember certain loved ones in our lives who were great examples of Christ-like love, a love that simply surpasses our expectations. To me, it was a challenge to really pick the topics that I felt the Lord wanted to have me share because there’s such a wide range of themes that I could have touched on. But what I came up with was to emphasize the love of Christ and His ultimate demonstration of real, immeasurable, sacrificial, selfless love that nothing in this world can compare to and how we can follow that example. I appreciate all of you who participated and gave me an even greater appreciation for His perfect love, just by reading some of your precious words concerning the love of Jesus. Thank you so much for being a blessing to me as well as to everyone who were touched by it!

Again, I have prepared slideshows for all the layouts created for each FDC challenge in February weeks #4 - #8. If you’d like to take a closer look at these galleries, please go to our Faith Discovery Challenge Gallery and leave some love for these talented ladies! These layouts were taken directly from our gallery so, if you do have a layout for these challenges that are in a different place in the gallery, please let me know and I will add it in.

Week #4 - {Desires of the Heart}

Week #5 - {A Pure Heart}

Week #6 - {Lover of My Soul}

Week #7 - {Sacrifices of Love}

Week #8 - {Unconditional Love}

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FDC Forum

FDC Gallery

Faith Discovery Challenge #8 - {Unconditional Love} and a FREEBIE

There was a time that I felt like nobody cared and that I had no one to trust my heart with because I always felt like the moment I’d let someone grow close to me, I would just end up being hurt. I felt that if someone really knew all my faults and weaknesses, it would just give them a reason to shut the door and leave. Deep down, I felt alone and wanted so desperately for someone to care about me regardless of the things that aren’t perfect about me or my life. When I came to know the Lord in my early years of being a Christian, I still had so many insecurities about myself and kept this guard up so that no one would be able to see how vulnerable I was. There was this distance that I kept between myself and everyone I met. I just felt like I needed to protect myself even though I knew I was being surrounded by so many well-meaning, compassionate, and godly people who only wanted to help me grow and mature in my relationship with God.

Shortly after being settled in my new church home, I began to open up and met this wonderful young man who became nothing to me but, a very good friend or should I say ‘brother in Christ’. I actually felt like I could be myself with him and share everything about the person I am, even things of my worldly past without feeling at all embarrassed. It was a wonderful feeling to be honest with myself and know that this person honestly still cared about me despite my past. He made me realize that God does love and care about me even when we I mistakes or have fallen short. His friendship was one I had never known in my entire life, one that was literally genuine and real. Eight years later, he is still my best friend and also the man I’m happily married to! We’ve been through so many changes and so many struggles in life but, as time went by we have learned that nothing can separate the love we have regardless of how imperfect we are. God would reveal to us every day that His love is faithful. We’ve grown to always turn to the Lord when we fall short and know that when we repent and ask forgiveness, God is faithful to forgive and His love is unfailing. He is our rock, our redeemer, our everlasting Father! And forever, He will keep us close to Him if we seek Him and love Him with all of our hearts…

As I think back of all the things that I did against the Lord’s will, and wonder how can God still love a person like me? Have you ever thought that? Even today, I feel so undeserving of His love and grace as He continues to bless my life. I believe we all should be reminded of the unconditional love of our Savior who died for us. I know that every challenge so far has been about the love of Christ and how it cost His life to give us salvation. I just can’t stress it enough how amazing His love is that even when we fail, He never fails. His love can never be measured nor will anything we do to fall short is ever too much for Him to not love us. No matter what we do, we can never change His love for us. His love is eternal and endless and what a privilege it is to belong to Him!

Here are some verses that have spoken to me during this challenge:

Psalm 103:12 – “So far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”

Romans 8:38-39 - For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

1 John 1:9 - If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Romans 5:8 - But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Challenge #8 –Create a layout of what unconditional love is to you. What things has God revealed to you about His love for you even when you feel like you don’t deserve it. We know Christ loved us unconditionally and went to the cross for our sins... But, what are some of your experiences? With your spouse, children, family or friend? Maybe someone taught you the meaning of what it means to love someone despite their failures or mistakes. Or maybe someone loved you enough despite all of your imperfections. Whatever it may be, let God speak to your heart and have Him reveal His love to you in a deeper way...

Here is my layout:

All designs are from this week's free collab kit, "Unconditional Love". See below!

Be sure to upload your layouts to gallery for this week's challenge!

This week's giveaway is a lot bigger than what we've normally been giving so, I hope you leave us some love and post some comments! Also, it would be great to see your work using this kit so, please share in our gallery! Also, I know a lot of people download the freebies we give each week for these challenges but, don't take time to participate... Also, I know a lot of people enjoy our freebies we give each week for these challenges but, haven't been able to participate... So, even if you can't do some of our challenges, it would be great if you could let others know about our site so, they can also be blessed to meet us and know all about Faith Sisters! Thank you very much for supporting us and please come back again each week for more challenges to deepen your faith!

This week's collaboration, Unconditional Love, will be free for one week only! If you come back and missed the free access, don't worry because you can find it in our shop under "Collaborative" as well as our past collaboration kits. Enjoy!

Unconditional Love

Download here.

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FDC gallery.
FDC forums.

I've been tagged!!

So, this is my first time being tagged by my good friend, Michelle. Here it goes!

You must post the rules before you give your answers. You must list one fact about yourself for each letter of your middle name. Each fact must begin with that letter. If you don't have a middle name, just use your maiden name. After you've been tagged, you need to up-date your blog with your middle name and answers. At the end of your post, you need to tag one person for each letter of your middle name. (Be sure to leave them a comment telling them they've been tagged and need to read your blog for details).

My middle name: Deborah

D: Dahlia is my first name which is a flower.
E: Eating chocolate makes me happy.
B: Books, books, books are one of my favorite things, I just love to read!
O: Oprah Winfrey is one person I'd love to meet.
R: Robert is the name of my husband whom I am so blessed to be married to.
A: Anything ARTsy is my passion--love colorful papers, paint, stickers, pencils, etc.
H: Having a relationship with JESUS is the best choice I have ever made in my life.

I don't know too many people in the blog world so I hope that those I pick won't be wondering, who is it that tagged me! I'm just randomly picking people I know of but, probably don't really know me. I'm just following the rules!

I couldn't find one for the letter O. But here are the people I tagged, all members of the Faith Sisters community:
Dena, Eressea, Barb,
Rita, Alisa, Heidi

Faith Discovery Challenge #7 - {Sacrifices of Love} and Paper Pack Freebie!

Hope you all are having a wonderful week! The timing seemed kind of off for me considering the long weekend we just had for President’s Day. Having DH home an extra day for the weekend made Tuesday seem like Monday so evidently, I didn’t expect Thursday to come so soon! And on top of that, while Faith Sisters was closed for the server upgrade, it felt like time was slower than usual and waiting for it to re-open seemed like forever! However, the moment could not have been at a better time for me because I was knocked down with the flu while at the same time, both my boys had ear infections! Ha! So, even though it would’ve been the perfect opportunity to catch up on house chores, clean up my computer files, and yep, even do some long awaited scrapping, all I did was lounge and cuddle up with my DH and kids on the couch. Then, I realized what a blessing in disguise that this server upgrade was for me! J Now, I’m wondering…what did everyone else do besides anticipating and waiting for FS to come alive again?

For last week’s challenge {Lover of My Soul}, I really enjoyed the wonderful pages that everyone created about the people they love especially the ones of husbands and wives. There was one outstanding layout that one of our digital CT members, Terrie aka ScrapEvangel came up with that I just had to share with everyone. I just love the three dimensional design of her page! The depth of her layout really draws your eye in!

Check it out!

By ScrapEvangel. See her gallery.

Also, this was another LO that really catches your attention because of the powerful truth it holds when it comes to a LOVE that is beyond our comprehension, the LOVE of a risen Savior who gave His life for us in exchange for our sins that we may have hope of eternal life with Him…

By Helen Parker aka sbg3396. See her gallery.

This week’s challenge is almost similar to last week’s but, I guess it takes it a little bit further into detail. This week is about the sacrifices of love that we or someone has done for another. Sacrificial love is a selfless act that a person is willing to give of themselves even if it costs their time, their energy, and freedom. It isn’t out of obligation but, of true servant hood motivated by genuine love and honesty in order to seek the best interest of that person. It is the act to serve rather than to be served. In John 13, Peter was astonished when the Lord came to wash his feet and was resisting that He would do so, because Peter felt that he should be the one to wash the Lord’s feet. But, after Jesus finished washing all of the disciples’ feet, He told them that they needed to follow His example of being a servant. Jesus taught His disciples the importance of sacrificing their self-will if they wanted to have a true part in Him. Jesus also said in Matthew 16:24 - “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” That seems like a huge price to pay but, when we look upon what Jesus did for us, it shouldn’t be hard to understand that if we want to tell someone about Jesus, the best way is to love them the way Jesus loved us—selfless, enduring, and unconditional. Jesus didn’t have to go to Calvary, He didn’t have to take up His cross, and He certainly didn’t have to die for us but, He did. He did it out of a sacrificial heart that was willing to serve and obey our Father’s plans and to demonstrate His great love for those who believe in Him. To Jesus, we were worth the sacrifice and there's no other way to repay Him but, to love Him with all of our hearts...

Challenge #7 – This week’s challenge is to create a layout about the sacrifices of love that you or a person has made in order to honor the Lord and be obedient to His word and His command to love with a love that is selfless, long-suffering, patient, faithful and true. Ideas come to my mind that may be common to most of us is our choice to be a SAHM to our children rather than work outside of home or vice versa where you are working hard to make sure your child is blessed with everything they need. Again, it doesn’t have to be about you but, of someone you know that has had an impact upon your life or others because of their act of sacrificial love. There’s probably many situations where people serve others in various ways to seek their best interest and the sacrifice may have been big or small but, the point is how this sacrifice was done out of sheer steadfast love.

Here is my layout:

This is my DH's grandmother and great grandmother to my children. She is such an amazing woman of God and her life has made an impact upon me in such a huge way. All the sacrifices she has made as a mother, a grandmother, and now great grandmother has surpassed my understanding of what sacrificial love is about. I love her sweet and gentle spirit, yet her strong and enduring faith in the Lord and to those she loves....

The papers in this LO are from the "Sacrificial Love" freebie down below.

Credits here.

Here is this week's free download! Enjoy! Remember, it'll be gone for one week! If you use them in your layouts be sure to upload it into my design gallery! Thank you so much!

**Download expired.**

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Faith Discovery Challenge #6 - {Lover of My Soul} and a FREEBIE!

Hello and HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY! I’m sure most of you have special plans on this day to celebrate with the one you love. Every year that this day comes around, it causes us to stop and appreciate that special person in your life, the things they do for you that often go unnoticed or taken for granted, the time and effort they put into making your relationship work, or simply because they are who they are and day after day, their lives bring joy and laughter into your world, not to mention purpose and meaning in your life. Traditionally, Valentine’s Day would be more suitable for couples in love but, today many have come to include their children, their parents or grandparents, best friends, or even their favorite pet or stuffed animal (as a child would see it). =) However, I believe that God puts special people in our lives to be a vessel of His love and to bless our lives in such a way that we know that they’re a gift from God! So even though Valentine's Day is a day to cherish others by giving them gifts, cards, flowers, and chocolates... Be sure to let that person know just how thankful you are that God created them to be a part of your life and the love that you share!

Speaking of love, let’s not forget that we have a Savior who loves us, who cares about us more than we can ever care about anyone. He laid His life down for you and me. John 15:13 says, “No greater love has no one than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” The cost of his love was free but, it was not cheap. That is something that my Pastor would always preach in His sermons. It’s one thing that I’ve always meditated on as I thought about the love of God. That although our gift of salvation and eternal life was freely given to us, it came with a huge price--the very life of God's only Son. The most common verse that speaks of this love is John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but, have everlasting life.” Although, I learned to recite this verse at such a tender young age, it really never occurred how significantly this speaks to us about love—unconditional love that is—until later in my adult life. Especially since I am a mother of two boys, I often agonize at the thought of being in such a position to allow my son to willingly die for the sins of all mankind. But, God had a plan however and out of His grace and mercy for us, He allowed a way for us to know that love in such a real and tangible way through Jesus Christ. The life that Jesus lived amongst humanity was the greatest example of love in every way. But, as He chose to sacrifice His life for our sins, it was an ultimate act of love that nothing in this world can compare to. So for Valentine’s Day, even though we would normally focus on the people we care about, take time to thank the Lord for all He has done in your life and most of all, for loving you with a selfless and enduring love….

Challenge #6 – This week is pretty simple and sweet. Basically, create a layout about that special person who God has blessed you with and what that person has done to make your life meaningful. Like I mentioned above, it doesn’t have to be about a spouse (although generally that would be the case) or someone you’re in love with, but you can also scrap about a family member or special friend. I believe God puts certain people in our lives to demonstrate His love to us and that’s simply what this challenge is about. I look forward to seeing what everyone has to share about the special blessings in your lives!

Here is my layout:

The journaling reads: Our purpose is to LOVE each other, so that other purposes will be fulfilled.

That was something that the Lord put in my heart when we were engaged because I remembered praying and asking God, what is our purpose together? And that was what I heard in the form of a quiet voice within my heart.... And after 4 years (seems like a long time but, really isn't) I have seen countless confirmations of why God has put DH and I together. One very significant proof of that is our two beautiful children. I know that God has special callings for my two boys and see how this purpose of ours is important for them, that they may fulfill the plans God has destined for their lives. There's more I wish I could share but, for now this is my take on this week's challenge! Thanks for looking!

Credits: Papers, frame, ribbon, felt heart, scalloped trim, chipboard bracket, chalked heart and wax seal from this week's freebie collaboration kit, "Lover of My Soul". Watercolor swirl and label from my "Heart's Desire" kit. Flower from my "Gift of Faith" kit. All found in the shop at Faith Sisters!

This week's free download is another collaboration brought to you by Susan Godfrey, Eressea Designs, and myself--Dahlia Co! For now, you can download this freebie from my 4shared account since our site is temporarily unavailable due to the the upgrade initiation. Then, once that's been successfully completed, you'll be able to download it in the shop! Remember, free for one week only! Enjoy!

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Faith Discovery Challenge #5 - {A Pure Heart} and FREEBIE

If you're wondering why I'm posting this week's challenge a day early, it's because we thought it was best to move it to Thursdays. New freebies in our shop are announced on Fridays which covers up my post for the challenge which we would rather not happen! We try to keep watch over how things flow on our blog so that every post gets a chance to be read. Just trying to be fair and square! :) So, don't forget! FAITH DISCOVERY CHALLENGES ARE NOW ON THURSDAYS! Don't mean to shout, just trying to get it out there clear enough for you to see... {HUGS}

Hope you are all having a wonderful week so far. I'm actually under the weather with a yucky cold which normally happens to me when my kids get sick. So here I am, hoping to relax and recoup over the weekend...

So, last week's challenge #4 was about {Desires of the Heart} and if you remember in the post, I mentioned that for the month of February, the challenges will be based on our HEART. Even after this month is over, I hope God will continue to work deep into our hearts throughout the rest of the year as we do these challenges. So, keep your hearts open and allow God to minister to you and show you how important it is to have a pure heart...

Speaking of pure hearts, this week's challenge is about keeping our hearts pure. There are so many things in life and situations we face that tests our heart in making the right choices and keeping our hearts pure. It seems like in these days, people are consumed with what the media says is right for you, how to be happy, what to wear, how to be rich, how to look attractive, how to meet the person of your dreams, what you should eat, how to make your marriage last, how to raise better children, etc. You get what I mean? I'm not saying that everything out there is bad for you but, I believe that the Bible holds a lot of the answers to all of those questions that many people have including myself. And if we take time to read what God says about our life and how to deal with real life situations, I'm sure our hearts would be kept safe from those things out there that are deceiving. King David cried out to God in Psalms 119:11, "I have hidden Your word in my heart that I may not sin against you." King David, had sinned and knew that God's word would keep him from sinning but, he also had a repentant heart. We are human and are imperfect creatures but, we can seek God's help to live a pure and blameless life by reading His word. So, the key to maintaining a pure heart is simple: READ GOD'S WORD DAILY. It's so important as a child of God to feed your soul with the living bread of God's word that you may know the difference of what's real and what's not. As you read, pray for the Holy Spirit to help you receive and understand the truth, so that you become a man or woman of conviction, willing to turn away from things that may contaminate your hearts. And being able to hide His word so deep within, that nothing can lead you astray from keeping a pure heart and obeying the Lord.... Matthew 8:5 - "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." I'm definitely not perfect but, I know that because of His word my heart has been protected from making mistakes that would have ultimately brought suffering and shame upon my heart. So, I am so gratefully blessed for His word and for the power of His word to keep my heart blameless and pure.

Challenge #5 - Create a layout about what things have challenged your heart from keeping it pure either in the past or present. How has God helped you in keeping your heart from being impure? What things do you do to prevent yourself from being led into temptations? Or, if these are too personal for you, then you can definitely create a layout with your favorite verse, favorite song, or things that remind you of what it means to have a pure heart such as little children for instance. Remember, have fun and don't be too critical of yourself because this should be a layout that will inspire and encourage you or others that having a pure heart is a blessing and it is possible through the power of God's word!

Here is my layout:

Everything in this kit is from this week's freebie, "A Pure Heart", created by our Design Team except scalloped trim from "Cottage Chic" by Leora Sanford @ LDD!

Credits here.

This week's freebie is going to be an awesome one! I had asked the Design Team to help me out this week and ended up creating one fabulous collaborative kit! But, wait... It's FAITH SISTER'S FIRST COLLABORATIVE effort and guess what? It won't be the last because from now on, we are going to do this regularly! Once the week is over however, the kit will go on sale in the shop. So expect to receive one awesome freebie each week for these challenges, put together from most, if not all, talented designers here at Faith Sisters! Yay! So, hope you enjoy what we've come up with and don't forget to post your layouts using this kit in the gallery! Blessings!

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Faith Discovery Challenge - {January Highlights}

Hello sisters! I honestly have to say, I have been so blessed beyond words this last month. When I began the challenges, I had no idea what to expect. All I knew was that God placed me here and He has given me this opportunity to be His vessel and be used for His glory. Looking back 10 years ago, I probably would have never imagined that I'd be doing what I'm doing now. I wasn't even living in God's perfect will and serving Him with my whole heart. Like most people who grew up in a Christian home, I was led astray during my teens and lived a life far apart from God. Yet, I was searching for something real and knew about Jesus but, couldn't seem to find my way back to Him. It wasn't until I reached the bottom of the pit that caused me to really let go of the life I was living and surrender it all to Christ. The rest was history…. Soon, God began to work in my heart and in my life in such a miraculous way. The moment I made the decision to live my life for the Lord, was the moment that I truly began to live my life. Nothing in the world could compare to the love of Jesus and what I once considered to be fun and exciting was suddenly revealed to be empty, vain, and destructive. And what I thought was going to last forever proved that without Jesus, would only be short lived and temporary. Being here at Faith Sisters is not temporary (God willing) because what I do on earth will echo into eternity. (A line from the actor, Russell Crow, in the movie “The Gladiator) I could be doing something else or maybe nothing at all but, it’s no accident that I was brought here. YOU, my friends, were brought here on purpose, for His purpose, to fulfill your divine purpose… Romans 9:17 says, "For the scripture says to Pharoah: "I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." Reflecting on just this past month and even past years, it is so obvious that the Lord has directed my steps and led me to do what He has destined me to do… Thank you all for supporting Faith Sisters and our community. We couldn’t do this without your love and prayers…

Okay, where was I? ahem… J Well, because I have been so wonderfully amazed at the creativity and talent these past weeks, I want to publicly showcase the beauty of your layouts on the front page. So, from now on I will collect the layouts from each challenge and create a slideshow for them and post it on the FS blog at the end of each month. That way, we can all see and appreciate the amazing work that was created for these challenges. Sound good? Well, here are the layouts for the January’s Faith Discovery Challenges!! Praise God!

Week #1 - {Open the Door to a New Day}

Week #2 - {Time For Change}

Week #3 - {Your Family Legacy}

My Heart's Desire Freebie, New CT, and New Friday Freebies

Hello! Just dropping by to say hello! It's Friday and wanted to share some cool stuff that's happening at Faith Sisters. Check it out:

Our New Creative Teams:

We are happy to announce our new Challenge and Digital Creative Teams!!! You will see their work here on Faith Sisters and all over the scrapbooking community!

Faith Discovery Challenge #4 - {Desires of the Heart}

It’s the first day of February! Winter isn’t completely over but, hopefully we’ll continue to survive the cold (at least where I am) until spring arrives. Ah, springtime is such a beautiful time of the year. I’m always looking forward to seeing the first flower bloom or hearing the first sounds of birds chirping and of course, more sunshine. All of the sudden, everything is so green and lush! I guess having all this rain did do some good after all. What would we do without rain? God is so awesome to have created everything for a reason. Everything on earth is purposely made to do a specific job. I believe nothing is by accident and though some things may seem coincidental, the Bible says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28) This also means that He created you for a specific purpose! God does have a plan for your life! Praise the Lord!

Last week’s challenge was {Your Family Legacy} and was also a great opportunity to submit your layout to Scrapbook News + Review’s March Call for faith based layouts about/with/for your family. Anne, thank you for giving us this opportunity! Also, thank you for adding that suggestion for those who found it difficult to do the challenge for personal reasons, that they can also create a layout of a personal letter that shares your faith with your family or a specific person. By the way, I really enjoyed seeing all of your beautiful families and reading what God has put in your heart for them. Thank you once again for participating! Anyways, I hope those of you who are still wanting to participate in these challenges know that you are always welcome to do them at any time! But, be sure that you come to the forum designed for that specific challenge to let us know, so we can visit your gallery and offer you praise. Many of you are already doing that which is great! It’s such a blessing to see what God has done and is doing for you!

Now for the month of February, I felt led by the Lord to base the challenges for this month on a certain theme. Can anyone guess? The title above should’ve already given it away but, it is going to be about our HEART. Not only because of the fact that we celebrate Valentine’s Day this month but, because we all know our heart is such a vital part of our lives both physically and spiritually. The heart is the center of our being and it is the core of our feelings and emotions. Most of the time our actions are based upon the motives of our heart so it's evident that God knew we needed a Savior to come into our heart. To make our hearts new so that He can dwell in it and keep our hearts in check. There are so many references to verses in the Bible that speak about the matters of our heart and the importance of how it affects the way we live. Luke 6:45 says, "The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart." God wants us to have a pure heart and before anyone can change, it begins with our heart. Now, there are so many things that I could challenge you to create concerning the matters of the heart but, because this is God’s work I’m doing, I’m going to trust Him to help me with these challenges and that they be used to open your heart to Him. After all, He wants your heart, not just some of it but, all of it. Are you ready to surrender your whole heart to Him?

Challenge #4 – Create a layout about the desires of your heart. We all have desires both earthly and heavenly but, according to Psalm 37:4 – “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.” God fulfills these desires which work according to His will and plan so there’s probably reasons why some of our desires weren’t granted. I believe that He knows what’s best for us and gives us our desires if it’s going to glorify Him. Some other ideas for this is you could also create a page about a desire that God already granted or desires of a loved one who has passed away or even what you think are the desires of God’s own heart. You may have a list of things or maybe just a few but, take time to really think about your heart’s true desire.

Here is my layout:

All original designs from the freebie "My Hearts Desire" mini kit created for this

week's challenge only!

I've put this little kit together for you using the designs that I created in my layout. It's only free for a limited time only until next Friday, February 8th! So enjoy and thank you for supporting me and playing with my designs. Be sure to upload your work in my designer gallery if you happen to use this kit. I'd love to see it!

My Heart's Desire Mini Kit

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