I've got a new glue pen

and I know how to use it.

I went to Imagine That's birthday weekend for a while on Saturday (after my church fair. Yup it will be a clash every. single. year. No fair. Well actually yes fair, no to spending all day in my fave craft shop. And to be fair, the Church is my paying job...). Anyhoo I did a Slice demo - its a fab machine if you don't have an electric cutter or if you have arthritis and find punching painful. Sadly I have one and not the other but I may just book a crop every now and then and use the shop one! I also did a make and take using fab craftwork cards goodies and - even better - a glue pen that really works (I've had bad experiences in the past). So one came home with me. And now I am gluing crazy.

Which brings me to this weeks Salt challenge. It is a really profound subject which got me thinking hard...

Comfort in Suffering

Recently, I (Kim) came across a heading in my Bible that made me read further, “Comfort in Suffering.” Suffering? Doesn’t sound very appealing, does it? No one likes to suffer and yet everyone has suffered to some degree in their lives, affected by sickness, death, divorce, disappointment…the list goes on. What good thing can be gained by suffering?

So what sort of a photo could convey that I asked myself? Of the ones that I still have online (due to losing many on hard drives that should have been backed up) Actually it was a good thing because I had to go deeper. And came up with an unlikely choice of shot. My feet in a pair of crocs
I realised that I do gain some comfort from my own suffering in that it gives me more understanding of other people's lives. Experiences of bereavement, family problems, serious illness do help me in my ministry. Not to play "oooh I have had that too" although there are times when that can be helpful, but just to know what to say, what not to say and when to shut up, hug and pray. SO that is what the layout is about.

I thought it was Letter size until I put it in the album yesterday. I think it is actually A4! (Why do we have to have different standard size papers here and in the US? makes no sense to me)
I found some Crate Paper Samantha papers that matched beautifully. The flower paper is one of those I love so much it is hard to cut into. But I did it! The quote from Romans is computer printed using my fave Journalling Hand font. The circles were cut with nestabilities. I have had this lace in my stash for years and never used it. And the half flower was left over from another layout. The title is made with MM glitter stickers. What you can't really see is just how bonkers I have gone with the glue pen. I added sparkly sequin flowers to the top of the layout and added glitter to quite a lot of the flower centres on the bottom. The journalling blocks also have glitter round the outside, and the flower is not unscathed either. Oh and there is a touch of stickles on the corners too!

Here is a close up of the journalling (and glitter)
Who says you can't be deep and sparkly at the same time?