And I will drive 100 miles...

as the Proclaimers didn't sing
Actually it was more like 140 yesterday and today. Why?
to stay in a travelodge in Derby.
Why?
Cos I meet up twice a year with two colleagues to talk over work issues. Two of us live reasonably close to each other but the other is in Cumbria so Derby is kind of in the middle. We have met at the same place three times now. There is a pub next to the travelodge so we meet work, eat and then relax at the pub. In the morning we stroll down the hill to the excellent Sainsbury's cafe for breakfast and more work before coming home again. And as we do it over 24 hours you can still fit in work on the morning of day 1 and the evening of day 2. Result!

It did mean I wasn't around for the Salt launch this week but I had actually got my layout done. Which may well be the last one in my first Salt scrapbook. It is an American Crafts lever arch one but I think it is getting to the point where it won't close!
the Salt challenge this week follows on in a pattern from the two before

The Fruits of the Spirit

Hi everyone! It's my (Melita's) turn to host the challenge this week! This challenge will also be along the lines of our last two challenges. Continuing along the same vein as Lythan and Kim, our focus this week is on the work on the Holy Spirit in us and how it is manifested in the community of believers, namely, through the fruits of the Holy Spirit in our lives which are so clearly laid out in Galatians 5:22-23. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law."

I love this verse at times and at others, I honestly have to say that I do get disheartened by it because I don't think I will ever possess any of these qualities in the way that God intends. Of course, I know that this is the evil one's way of getting me to forget about trying to apply any of them to my life. It is overwhelming to think about them all at once, but when I look at them separately, I know that God is working in my life and helping me to find measures of each to share with those around me. So that is my challenge to you. Look at each of these and share how God is working in that area in your life.

I had decided that I wanted to focus on USING the fruits of the spirit early on so after selecting an apple coloured top I got Phil to photograph me eating an apple which I then photographed close up and then ate. Yum. There is no Bible reading (gasp!) as I just couldn't fit it all on the page. I might write it out for the back of the layout. I know the passage well but not everyone who reads the scrapbook when I am gone may do!
The papers are straight in real life, it is the crop that is squiffy now I notice honest! I have used my new best friend, October Afternoon papers again - the Cherry Hill ones. The layout is a simple version of this weeks Pencil Lines sketch which was good for layering. The apple and label are OA; the butterfly is KandCO
The buttons are from my stash which I have now put in colour coded bags; lettering is adornit and American Crafts. And for those that need a close up

Right off to do a short worship service with the Brownies and Rainbows and then part 2 of a bereavement course; followed by a relax and catch up with Phil while we watch Big Bang Theory. So fab!