Stampin' Sisters in Christ challenge 156 . . .no neutrals

Happy Sunday stampers! It is time for another challenge from Stampin' Sisters in Christ, where all of our challenges are based on scripture. This week's hostess is our northern sister Jerusha, who has selected this verse from Romans 3:23-24 " For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins." 

Her challenge is to use only bright colours, no neutrals, blacks, browns, etc.

I am excited to read her words and thoughts on this verse like the rest of you. When the devotionals appear, it is a treat for the rest of the design team as well since we don't see them before hand. We do see the lovely cards and projects as they appear in the photo files, so make sure you go to our home page for both devo and cards! 

Our sponsor this week is The Craft's Meow! which is offering a stamp set of the winner's choice to one randomly selected participant in this week's challenge. 

And for anyone reading this I have to apologize for my lack of commenting this summer. My husband has had health issues as has his mother, we have an exchange student here and school has just recently started. We've been to more doctors and medical professionals than I can count and then you top it off with the forms and the bills...it doesn't leave much time to spare!

I love this verse because there is so much you can glean from it. First and foremost every time I think of my own salvation I am filled with such happiness and joy. I have to say though that I didn't fully grasp, and don't think I grasp even today, the enormity of that gift. And I didn't grasp for a long time that I was included in that word "all." We all fall short, we are all sinners. 

One day a sermon on the radio really brought it home for me. I was driving along thinking ill of someone who had really hurt me through their own sinful behavior, listening to the sermon and imagining just how much that person needed to hear these words! How much they needed to change and be sorry for what they had done! 

Then the speaker, Erwin Lutzer, asked the congregation, which building in Chicago is taller, Moody church or the Sears Tower? At that time the Sears tower was the tallest building in the world, the answer was obvious. Then he asked, if two people left from the tops of those buildings, traveling at the same speed, which would be first to reach the constellation Orion? Stars are light years away from our planet, the difference in arrival would be infinitesimal compared to the total journey. THAT, he said, is the difference of our sin in God's eyes. Any sin, all sin, no matter what size, how it is packaged, is the same in scope when compared to God's perfection.

That is when I realized my sins are equal to anyone else's. I have no right to have those dark thoughts of who did what to hurt my feelings. Now, I still fall into that sometimes and yes, I can get my feelings hurt and suffer the consequences of sinful actions. But what are the consequences of my own sin? How great is my own sin? That is where my thoughts need to be and that is the wellspring of my gratitude to Jesus Christ, because without his sacrifice, there is no bridge for me to get over the gap of my sin and into heaven. 

Thanks for looking. We hope you can play along this week. 

Stamps: The Craft's Meow (butterfly), MFP retired sentiment
Ink: Carribbean Sea (?) kaleidacolor pad, black
Paper: white, assortment of greens, blue, Cosmo Cricket DeLovely pad
Other: silver cord, rhinestones, embossing plates and tools, MFP banner die