Challenge #77 - Exodus 8:9-11

A blessed day to you! Welcome to Stampin' Sisters in Christ, where our challenges are inspired by scripture. We pray you will be blessed by your fellowship with us, as we are blessed by yours!

Before we get started today, I have a sad announcement to make. Our dear Patti J Gilliam has stepped down from the design team to focus on personal demands. We all have those, and sometimes they pile up. I know it was hard for her to make this decision... and it was hard for us to hear it... but we understand and we love her and wish her well. Hopefully she'll find time here and there to play in some of our challenges. So thank you, Patti, for blessing us with your sweet spirit and words of encouragement and cheerful friendship! You will always be our Sister in Christ!

We are excited to welcome back Doodle Pantry as our sponsor! One of you lucky ladies will win a $10 Gift Certificate to spend at the Doodle Pantry store for playing in this week's challenge!

Please be sure to stop by Doodle Pantry and show them some Stampin' Sisters in Christ love!

The inimitable Peggysue Turner is up to bat today as our challenge hostess!

Scripture: Exodus 8:9-11 "Moses said to Pharaoh, 'I leave to you the honor of setting the time for me to pray for you and your officials and your people that you and your houses may be rid of the frogs, except for those that remain in the Nile.' 'Tomorrow," Pharaoh said. Moses replied, 'It will be as you say, so that you may know there is no one like the Lord our God, The frogs will leave you and your houses, your officials and your people; they will remain only in the Nile.'"

Most people are familiar with the story of Moses and Pharaoh and the ten plagues the Lord placed on Egypt and its people. The idea I had for my challenge is something the pastor at our last church pointed out, and you might be familiar with this but it was new to me.

If you look at the passage above very carefully, one word pops out. That's the word "tomorrow."  If you read back a bit to the beginning of chapter eight in Exodus, this particular plague meant there were frogs everywhere, they "covered the earth" and were in kneading troughs, in ovens, in beds, on tables, chairs...you couldn't get away from them if you tried. There wasn't just one frog quietly croaking in a corner, they were pestilential!

Pharaoh urgently summoned Moses for him to pray to God to remove the frogs, but when Moses asked Pharaoh when he should pray for their removal Pharaoh answered "tomorrow."

Why tomorrow? Why wait? We can raise endless speculation as to Pharaoh's reasons for that answer, but instead of speculating about Pharaoh, it's much more helpful to point that scripture at ourselves.

The general gist of the message in church that day as it related to this passage was that we can be clinging to some secret sin and like Pharaoh, stubbornly refuse to let it go. Part of us wants to, but maybe our pride gets involved and we insist we can handle the problem ourselves and don't need any help. Or maybe, just maybe, that secret sin is too enticing, too . . .secretly enjoyable and we really don't want to let it go. We want just "one more night with the frogs." One more night with that sin. I'll give it up tomorrow. . . tomorrow.

In my own life, I would have to point to one frog that give me consistent problems. It is food. I have celiac disease which means, among other ingredients, I have to avoid wheat in my diet. When I eat it, it makes me sick. I can be sick for three days. When the doctors first diagnosed this disease, with all of their thorough testing and experience I refused to believe them or believe the situation was serious. "Oh no, they can't possibly be right, it won't hurt me to eat this . . . cookie, bread, cracker, pretzel." It took more than one bout of being sick to admit that maybe they were right. Even now, almost ten years after diagnosis, I still very occasionally give in to temptation. Really? I want to spend a night with THAT frog? Unfortunately, sometimes the answer is yes. And I pay for it dearly.

I have a choice of what I put in my mouth and it directly affects my health, future and happiness. For me, it IS a sin to eat that which I know I cannot. All sin is the same in that we have a choice. Pharaoh had free will. You have free will. I have free will. The question is, will I use my will to be wise, and when I'm struggling to take my problem to God in prayer and ask Him to help me conquer it, to help take away that frog? Or give in and suffer the consequences? Believe me, I know it isn't easy! I mean, I eat every day! This sin of mine is always lurking around the corner with every meal, every snack. So if I have to pray for God to help me each and every day, that's the best solution, rather than stare that frog in the face once again.

Challenge: Use the color green in your card/project.

For creative inspiration, behold the beautiful cards created by our Design Sisters:

Chris Olsen: Twinkles Glow With Stamps

Grace Nywening: Th-INK-ing of You

Linda Lucas: Lovely Linda's Craft Central

Lisa Hjulberg: The Craft's Meow

 Miesje Flach: Craft Room With a View

Rebekka Reed: Diamond in the Rough

 Peggysue Turner: Roses By My Window

We can't wait to see all of YOUR creations! You may enter as many times as you'd like! ** Please link us to your actual card/project post(s), not just to your blog or gallery, by 11:59 pm PDT (GMT -8) on Saturday, February 26th. The prize winner will be randomly drawn and announced on Tuesday, March 1st. Plus, three of you will be awarded the Stampin' Sisters in Christ Shining Star blinkie!

**If you are entering more than one card for this challenge, please leave a link for each card/project.

Have a blessed day!


Need help linking your card? Click Here *Ü*