Since I do not have a scheduled post today, I thought I would take a moment and share where the Lord has led me with the Scripture Challenge for 2011. I have been praying for many weeks about continuing this challenge into 2011. I know many of you were praying for me too. Thank you! Anyway, I wasn't sure where the Lord was leading me. I did know, however, that if He wasn't clearly calling me to stop the challenge, then I was to continue. He certainly wasn't calling me to stop but I wanted a new twist on the challenge. So, I prayed about that, and as I was preparing our challenge for 12/5/10, I noticed in the index of the journal I use for notetaking for this challenge that we had many study words for the letters "A, C, F, G, H, etc.," but none for the letters "B, D, I, J, K, etc." Here are a couple of my index pages from this year's study:
Notice the letters without any study words? And notice how many we had for "F and H"? Then the light bulb went off--actually it was God saying "here is the twist you were looking for." He wants me to continue the Scripture Challenge for 2011 but we are going create ABC albums. It was PERFECT!!! Everything God plans is perfect. Much better than my ideas for sure! Anyway, He reminded me that there are 26 studies each year that I host, and there are 26 letters of the alphabet! So, why not choose words and go through the alphabet! How cool is that? I am SO excited. I hope you will enjoy this little twist on the study! I also hope many more will join in this coming year! Now let's look at the details.
Album, ATC, Cards--What Will You Use?
In the past, I have done ATCs and 6x6 pages for my Scripture Challenge pages. For the ABC Scripture Challenge, I will do 6x6 pages again. I love that size. It also can be displayed on a vertical stand or put into an album. Now here are a few samples.
These are ATCs I did for the 2008 Scripture Challenge:
And here is the 6x6 vertical stand I used for this year's challenge. I purchased it from Taylored Expressions. The stand can be stained or altered and will hold 6x6 page protectors.
Of course, if you are doing pages, you can create any size and use any album you want! You can also create cards and mail to people. You can create anything you wish. These are just ideas!
If You Participate, Do You Have to Create Something?
Absolutely not! :) You can just study God's Word and keep notes. You do not have to create a thing! I personally love the creating part and someday my kids can have these pages too as part of my faith legacy.
What if You Want to Study with People at Church?
Wonderful! Please do have them study along. However, I ask that you not copy my work. I also ask that you have the participants print the study directly from my blog post each time. It takes me many, many hours to prepare these studies, and they are inspired by the Lord. The studies are copyrighted, and I pray that you respect that. Thank you! At some point, I may have books printed to sell to those that may want to take the studies into local communities. If you have an interest in that, please e-mail me privately.
Now let me share a bit about how this challenge will work.
**I will post a word every other Sunday beginning January 2, 2011. Mark your calendars, and see the entire 2011 calendar below! :)
**Challenges will be posted usually by 5 p.m. Central Standard Time on challenge Sundays.
**My post will also share some thoughts, the scripture or scriptures that I chose (usually from the NIV), and a picture of my 6x6 page.
**Then you will study your Bible and find scriptures that are meaningful to you based on the word posted for that week.
**I love using Biblegateway to look up single keywords in the Bible. It is a great resource for this study.
**Then you will create an ATC, card, scrapbook page, etc., using your selected scripture based on the word for that week.
**Feel free to look at the 2010 Scripture Challenge to get an idea of how this ABC Scripture Challenge will work.
Is there a time limit to complete the challenge?
No, there is not a time limit to complete the challenge. This is for you so that you can study and learn to apply God's word to your daily life! You do what you can when you can. On occasion, I may offer RAKs, and at those times there will be a deadline. Watch out for those. :) You may join this challenge at ANY time throughout the year!
Do I need to sign up?
No, you can just subscribe to my blog to get the updates.
Will this challenge be hosted on other sites?
No, you will only be able to find the challenge here on my blog. Please do not copy the post to other websites. You may certainly link the study but do not copy the study. Thank you! And make sure you subscribe to my blog if you haven't already. :) If you have friends that you think may be interested in joining us, feel free to send them the link to this post!
Where can we share our work?
A lot of us will be sharing on our blogs and in various galleries such as Splitcoaststampers, 2Peas, Scrapbook.com, etc. Wherever you share, you can use this keyword and it will help others find your work more easily--ABCSCRC11. I will also use inlinkz.com for this challenge so that you can leave a link to your work here on my blog for others to see.
Is there a blinkie for this challenge?
Yes, but let's call it a button instead of a blinkie. :) It's a miniature version of the picture at the beginning of this post. I did not make one that blinks. It is a "stand alone" button. You will find it in the sidebar of my blog and below this paragraph. Right-click and save it to your computer. You can then add it to your blog, your signatures on message boards, etc. I hope you like it.
What's The Journal I Use?
When I study and prepare my posts, I keep a journal of my notes. It's nothing fancy, and it's just for me to see. Right now I have three of these journals because I have hosted these challenges for the past three years! Can you believe it has been that long? Anyway, eventually my children will get these journals. The scripture references you see on the page below are the ones I came across for that particular word I was studying. The asterick next to the scripture means I really loved that particular verse or passage and that I may use it on my page.
For those of you not creating pages, ATCs, or cards this may be something you want to do instead--just keep a journal of each word along with your study notes.
2011 ABC Scripture Challenge Schedule
Challenge 1: January 2
Challenge 2: January 16
Challenge 3: January 30
Challenge 4: February 13
Challenge 5: February 27
Challenge 6: March 13
Challenge 7: March 27
Challenge 8: April 10
Challenge 9: April 24
Challenge 10: May 8
Challenge 11: May 22
Challenge 12: June 5
Challenge 13: June 19
Challenge 14: July 3
Challenge 15: July 17
Challenge 16: July 31
Challenge 17: August 14
Challenge 18: August 28
Challenge 19: September 11
Challenge 20: September 25
Challenge 21: October 9
Challenge 22: October 23
Challenge 23: November 6
Challenge 24: November 20
Challenge 25: December 4
Challenge 26: December 18
To see all of the current challenges thus far for 2011, please click here. :)
Whew, sorry this post got so long. Book mark it. It will be the "main information page" for the ABC Scripture Challenge. Please e-mail me if you have more questions, and I would love to know your thoughts on this upcoming challenge. Feel free to leave comments here! Blessings, and see you January 2nd with our first ABC Scripture Challenge word!
Notice the letters without any study words? And notice how many we had for "F and H"? Then the light bulb went off--actually it was God saying "here is the twist you were looking for." He wants me to continue the Scripture Challenge for 2011 but we are going create ABC albums. It was PERFECT!!! Everything God plans is perfect. Much better than my ideas for sure! Anyway, He reminded me that there are 26 studies each year that I host, and there are 26 letters of the alphabet! So, why not choose words and go through the alphabet! How cool is that? I am SO excited. I hope you will enjoy this little twist on the study! I also hope many more will join in this coming year! Now let's look at the details.Album, ATC, Cards--What Will You Use?
In the past, I have done ATCs and 6x6 pages for my Scripture Challenge pages. For the ABC Scripture Challenge, I will do 6x6 pages again. I love that size. It also can be displayed on a vertical stand or put into an album. Now here are a few samples.
These are ATCs I did for the 2008 Scripture Challenge:
And here is the 6x6 vertical stand I used for this year's challenge. I purchased it from Taylored Expressions. The stand can be stained or altered and will hold 6x6 page protectors. Of course, if you are doing pages, you can create any size and use any album you want! You can also create cards and mail to people. You can create anything you wish. These are just ideas!If You Participate, Do You Have to Create Something?
Absolutely not! :) You can just study God's Word and keep notes. You do not have to create a thing! I personally love the creating part and someday my kids can have these pages too as part of my faith legacy.
What if You Want to Study with People at Church?
Wonderful! Please do have them study along. However, I ask that you not copy my work. I also ask that you have the participants print the study directly from my blog post each time. It takes me many, many hours to prepare these studies, and they are inspired by the Lord. The studies are copyrighted, and I pray that you respect that. Thank you! At some point, I may have books printed to sell to those that may want to take the studies into local communities. If you have an interest in that, please e-mail me privately.
Now let me share a bit about how this challenge will work.
**I will post a word every other Sunday beginning January 2, 2011. Mark your calendars, and see the entire 2011 calendar below! :)
**Challenges will be posted usually by 5 p.m. Central Standard Time on challenge Sundays.
**My post will also share some thoughts, the scripture or scriptures that I chose (usually from the NIV), and a picture of my 6x6 page.
**Then you will study your Bible and find scriptures that are meaningful to you based on the word posted for that week.
**I love using Biblegateway to look up single keywords in the Bible. It is a great resource for this study.
**Then you will create an ATC, card, scrapbook page, etc., using your selected scripture based on the word for that week.
**Feel free to look at the 2010 Scripture Challenge to get an idea of how this ABC Scripture Challenge will work.
Is there a time limit to complete the challenge?
No, there is not a time limit to complete the challenge. This is for you so that you can study and learn to apply God's word to your daily life! You do what you can when you can. On occasion, I may offer RAKs, and at those times there will be a deadline. Watch out for those. :) You may join this challenge at ANY time throughout the year!
Do I need to sign up?
No, you can just subscribe to my blog to get the updates.
Will this challenge be hosted on other sites?
No, you will only be able to find the challenge here on my blog. Please do not copy the post to other websites. You may certainly link the study but do not copy the study. Thank you! And make sure you subscribe to my blog if you haven't already. :) If you have friends that you think may be interested in joining us, feel free to send them the link to this post!
Where can we share our work?
A lot of us will be sharing on our blogs and in various galleries such as Splitcoaststampers, 2Peas, Scrapbook.com, etc. Wherever you share, you can use this keyword and it will help others find your work more easily--ABCSCRC11. I will also use inlinkz.com for this challenge so that you can leave a link to your work here on my blog for others to see.
Is there a blinkie for this challenge?
Yes, but let's call it a button instead of a blinkie. :) It's a miniature version of the picture at the beginning of this post. I did not make one that blinks. It is a "stand alone" button. You will find it in the sidebar of my blog and below this paragraph. Right-click and save it to your computer. You can then add it to your blog, your signatures on message boards, etc. I hope you like it.
What's The Journal I Use?When I study and prepare my posts, I keep a journal of my notes. It's nothing fancy, and it's just for me to see. Right now I have three of these journals because I have hosted these challenges for the past three years! Can you believe it has been that long? Anyway, eventually my children will get these journals. The scripture references you see on the page below are the ones I came across for that particular word I was studying. The asterick next to the scripture means I really loved that particular verse or passage and that I may use it on my page.
For those of you not creating pages, ATCs, or cards this may be something you want to do instead--just keep a journal of each word along with your study notes.2011 ABC Scripture Challenge Schedule
Challenge 1: January 2
Challenge 2: January 16
Challenge 3: January 30
Challenge 4: February 13
Challenge 5: February 27
Challenge 6: March 13
Challenge 7: March 27
Challenge 8: April 10
Challenge 9: April 24
Challenge 10: May 8
Challenge 11: May 22
Challenge 12: June 5
Challenge 13: June 19
Challenge 14: July 3
Challenge 15: July 17
Challenge 16: July 31
Challenge 17: August 14
Challenge 18: August 28
Challenge 19: September 11
Challenge 20: September 25
Challenge 21: October 9
Challenge 22: October 23
Challenge 23: November 6
Challenge 24: November 20
Challenge 25: December 4
Challenge 26: December 18
To see all of the current challenges thus far for 2011, please click here. :)
Whew, sorry this post got so long. Book mark it. It will be the "main information page" for the ABC Scripture Challenge. Please e-mail me if you have more questions, and I would love to know your thoughts on this upcoming challenge. Feel free to leave comments here! Blessings, and see you January 2nd with our first ABC Scripture Challenge word!
25 comments:
Oh YAY Patter! I'm so excited to "hear" all of this! The Scripture Challenge has been such a blessing to me this past year! I have been praying for you as you've been trusting God's guidance regarding 2011! An ABC Scripture Challenge sounds perfect! I'm looking forward to many more JOYFUL BLESSINGS in the New Year!...Nancy :o)
Yahoo for you, and for us, too, Patter! Though I've posted nothing, I've been incorporating Bible verses and themes into cards I make and give. Maybe it's time to make and keep something so my daughter will have it eventually.....
May our amazing Lord bless you mightily, and all those who follow your blog, journaling & creating with renewed inspiration thanks to you. Merry Christmas!!!
Love, Jennifer in Ohio
I am going to be a part of this. I am glad that you decided to continue. You are definitely blessed with your sharing of the Word.
Thanks so much :)
I am marking my calendar now.
Kim
how exciting
i was wondering and thinking what you wo uld do for 2011 - i have enjoyed previous ones so much
thank you
sse6@juno.com
Thank you for the time it will take for you to do this. I really appreciate it. I can't wait for the blessings I will receive doing this. I'm not sure yet how I will do it, will have to think about it a bit. I really like the idea of the atc's, have never done those before, I think they'd be fun. But no matter which way I do them, I love the idea of abc's.
I'm really excited about where you're being led with this!
I have followed you for a while....but I have twin 20 month old girls plus three other kids too...
I will continue to follow along and I hope to get creative this year too!
I am LOVING this idea!
I think I will create cards and pass them out to others at church!
Thank you for a great idea!
This is very exciting Patter! I wasn't able to join in 2010 but I'm planning on making this challenge a priority in 2011. Thank you for being so inspiring. :)
- April
This was e-mailed to me by Sue but I thought everyone might benefit from the question and answer.
"patter am so excited about next year's challenge
if we were to use a journal - how big do you think it should be? i am not sure if a purchased one would be big enough for the entire year
any suggestions?
thank you"
sue ellsworth
Sue, I have always used 5 1/4" x 8" journals from Hobby Lobby. I think they run about $3 or so. I always have plenty of room with pages leftover each year. I hope that helps you in choosing a journal. Blessings,
This sounds great Patter. I would feel like something was missing in my life if I did not receive your devotional thoughts and the challenge to search the scriptures to create my own piece of art. I look forward to taking part again next year. Mine will be the same size as this year - to display in a CD case which stands up against an Angel ( ornament ) my Husband gave me for Christmas last year.
Patter, I think this is a wonderful idea to do the ABCs! I definitely want to try to play along this year. I love those stands from TE, so I bought one the other day to save for a project, and this is the perfect project to use it for! I also love the above poster's idea to use the scriptures to put on cards to pass out...what an amazing way to spread the word of God! May God bless you in this new challenge! Praying for you!
I am so glad you are doing this again this year. I found your blog a few months ago and was bummed I didn't find you sooner to start from the beginning. I fully intend to start this year and am so excited to get so things together for the New Year. Thanks Patter for all you do.
I love the idea of A-B-C's. I haven't been able to participate like I wanted to this year, but I've enjoyed reading your devotionals. May the Lord bless you as you continue to follow his leading.
I am coming out of lurkdom (if that is a word :) ) The past two years I say I am going to do this with you all and start and stall. 2011 is MY year !!!! thanks for letting me join in
Hi Patter~
What a beautiful idea the Lord has left you with! And, what a generous and heart of leadership, too. This will surely be an exciting study for people to participate in!
I would be happy to seach for Scriptures with any missing letter you may want to assign me, if you would be willing. It would be the beginning of the process for me...and I love puzzles...especially knowing the Lord is on my side!
He IS Able,
Traci Starkweather
p.s. Reminding you I have a new email.
I am so marking my calendar and I am totally ready for this wonderful project! Thanks so much for heading this up and I can't wait to create...hugs...
Patter, I am so excited you will be hosting another Scripture challenge, this one sounds wonderful. Oh the Lord is good!
I'm so glad that you are going to continue the scripture study. I love getting your devotional thoughts and print them off each time. I made some in '08 and'09, but haven't made the ones this year, but I hope to later. I want to thank you for telling on your blog about the RAK Ranger ink holder. My husband ordered it for me for Christmas and I won the free one at the company site. So now I will own 3 of her units. I can hardly believe it.
Thank you Patter for another inspirational year ahead for 2011.
I am excited about the ABC challenge, when I did the first challenge I used a postcard size and ordered some and had an abundant supply that is just sitting in my scrappy area waiting for the perfect thing to create with them so it will be the cards.
I hope to do my study using your guidelines and am excited to see where the Lord will lead me in 2011.
Patter I am so excited about this. You are definitely anointed to be able to minister bi-weekly to everyone and you never know who will see it. I have about 4 words from this year to complete and then on to this one. Thanks for sharing all of this and I love the journal you keep. Inspired me to keep one by the computer to write the words and then my verses and what I receive from reading them. Thanks again for your ministry!
I just found you through April's blog and I'm super excited about this scripture challenge...I hope to be joining you for all of 2011. Thanks for following God's will and blessing all those who participate.
Patter, I am so happy you are hosting another scripture challenge. I started the 2010 one, but had to stop due to too many responsibilities that came my way. But now that I am free of them, I am so excited to start off 2011 with your scripture challenge!!
Hi, I am looking forward to participating in the Scripture Challenge this year! I found you at NickelNook and my new friend Nancy, her work has inspired me to join the study this year! I appreciate the work you put into your studies and look forward to a year of growing in the Lord.
blessings....
I am so excited that everything fell into place for this year's challenge!!! I plan on keeping up with the challenge this year!!! Thanks for all you do!
Patter, this is a complete surprise for my and how delightful! I subscribed to your blog because you are on the ODBD scrapbook team! I'm really looking forward to starting....
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