New Year Challenges - Faith Crafting

As I was perusing some of my favorite blogs, I clicked on Lori's Blog and came across an inspiring idea for 2008. Lori was moved by the Holy Spirit to meld her love of her Christian Faith with her love of papercrafting. She invited a few friends to join her and keep her accountable - and Scripture Chicks was born! What a FAB name, huh? Basically - this group of gals are picking a Scripture passage to memorize each month, then printing it out and papercrafting it up real pretty - then picking a way to display it. I LOVE the idea and am hoping to join them in this Faith Crafting journey.

I was at the Christian Mom's Retreat at Bishop Lane Retreat Center all weekend this past weekend and received my project inspiration there. It's going to take me some time to get it together, but I hope to get it done and post a pic of it here - it's a Prayer/Scripture Board. My goal is to get my January Scripture Card done first though, as this is the point of the entire idea! So many Scripture passages to memorize, so little time! :)

The second Challenge - or really inspiring idea - came from Angel, one of the Scripture Chicks (click on her name to visit her Blog) - and that was choosing ONE WORD to use as a guide for this new year. I look at it as a kind of Mission Statement in a nutshell. My word...

STEWARDSHIP:

Riverside Websters II Dictionary defines a steward as: One who manages another's financial affairs or property.

The Catholic church, and I believe most (if not all) Christian churches teach that everything we have - our time, talent and treasure - is from God and IS God's and we are given these gifts to be good stewards of. Whether it is how we spend our time, how we use our talents or how we use our treasure (physical bodies, money, belongings, etc.) All has been given to us to use for His Glory, that all hearts would turn toward Him. some parts of Stewardship have been "easier" for me, while others have been much more difficult. In choosing this as my word this year - it is my hope to allow the Holy Spirit to bring further balance to how Stewardship is enacted in my life.

Here is a prayer I am using to this end, I hope many of you will also find it useful and meaningful:

Stewardship Prayer

O God, I resolve to put You first in my life.

I recognize that You have blessed me with all that I have & all that I am.

I commit to giving back to You the first portion of my blessings.

Doing so may seem scary at times, but I hear Your reassurance in Scripture,

"Be Not Afraid" and "Do Not Worry Anymore", and I know that I can depend on You.

I resolve, with the help of Your Grace, to sacrifice when necessary -

but always to do so out of a spirit of sincere love, just as Your son, Jesus, did for me.

I humbly accept the challenge to share from my means, rather than my excess.

I recognize that being a good steward is nothing more than being truly Christian.

From my heart, I thank You Lord for blessing me., and I trust in Your Love.

Dear God, I resolve to be generous with my time, talent and treasure -

giving in proportion to the gifts I have received.

At times I may fail, but I pledge to keep trying.

In so doing, I will confidently live each day with a spirit of true peace and joy.

Amen.