Stampin' Sisters in Christ challenge 49 . . . let your light shine

For the Papertrey Ink July blog hop post, please scroll down one.


Happy Sunday stampers! It is time for another challenge from Stampin' Sisters in Christ. I am this week's hostess and although you can read my chosen verse and challenge here in my blog, you simply have to go check out the samples from the rest of the design team. They will take your breath away.

This is my chosen verse for the week:
Luke 8:16 "No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a lampstand, that those who enter may see the light."

The big question with this verse is what is the nature of that light? Is that light ourselves? Our personality, our wit, cleverness, or persuasiveness; even when believe we're using those talents to advance the gospel message? I'll give you the answer. No, we're not shining the light of ourselves.

In Jesus' time and for many centuries thereafter, people had to use flint in order to light a fire. Their lamps weren't electric, the light on the end of the lampstand was a flame.

They didn't carry a book of matches with them or a Bic lighter. My husband has tried to teach me how to use a flint and steel and even with dryer lint it takes me about twenty tries to light a fire. He can do it in three.

Flint requires friction to create a spark. It requires something dead—dried leaves, withered grass—in order to ignite. I don't know about your Christian walk but I know that the times of greatest growth for me and at the same time the most humbling are when God introduces friction into my life to teach me that it isn't about me; that I have to die to self and surrender to Him. Note that phrase as well, 'dying to self.' When we die to ourselves, when we surrender, then that light on the lampstand is God's light burning.

That's how we will lead people to Christ, the true light of the world. That's how we can shine the light of the gospel. Jesus Christ is the light on that lampstand and when we allow that light to consume us, so there is nothing left of ourselves—our misguided pride, our sense of self-sufficiency—then people will be attracted to the true, pure gospel message and find their salvation.

My challenge this week is to create a votive holder. Again the design team has outdone themselves with their beautiful samples. If you choose not to make a votive then use a light in your image, a candle a lamp, something that burns or gives light in a card or other project.

I used a digital image from this week's sponsor, Karen's Doodles found at http://www.karensdoodles.blogspot.com. I chose the cross image and was able to size it on my computer and print it out on vellum. Then I colored it in with a combination of prismacolor pencils, twinkling H2os . . .I used nutmeg and a blue one. . . then used a gold gel pen to outline portions of the image and the burst around the dove. Hope you get a chance to play along with us this week.