A little Scrapjack fun...and lots of prayers too.

Some of you may not be familiar with the fun and games that go on in the scrapworld. It's not all just memory-keeping and recording birthdays and holidays when it somes to scrapping pictures. I had the chance to play along with some of my Fashionista friends from SIStv and as we were invited to be 'guest Jackers' over at the Scrapjack blog.
What a scrapjack is really is looking at someone's page/project and taking away some sort of inspiration from it and then you go back to your scrap space and create your own page/project. (Here's the link to my page above.) It's a fun concept and this round happens to feature a SISter as well as offers a prize for the best Jack- which is a $25.00 gift certificate to the ScrapInStyle Boutique! How's that for fun and scrapping?!
I hope to do more scrapping and playing around and just plain ol' having fun this summer.
I also want to remind some of you about the needs of some of my 'online friends' as their summers aren't going quite as they had planned.
Of course, there is the Steven Curtis Chapman family who continues to appreciate and need our prayers as they grieve the death of Maria. I have found this blog to be a good source of keeping updated on how best to pray for them.
Also, Jaymun is in much need of our prayers and I know his family was so grateful for cards and gas cards and just the thoughts any of you can send their way as he battles for his life for the second time. I wish they were just looking forward to a summer of fun and games with him and the rest of their kids...but it looks like God has other plans at this time. Please keep praying and checking out his blog. I'm hoping we can watch another miracle unfold in his life.
Tomorrow {Monday} happens to be a really hard day for the Smith/Sponberg family. Many of you have followed and prayed for Todd and Angie as they welcomed Audrey into this world and then said their good-byes to her on the very same day. They have been a picture of God's strength and mercy in light of the death of Audrey. Yet I know they feel weak and incapable of bearing their grief and sorrow even though God is their rock. The feelings have been even greater the past few days as they joined Todd's sister Nicol and her husband, Greg, in sharing in the sorrow and pain of the death of their infant son, Luke. Monday is Luke's memorial service and Angie has been so gracious to share her thoughts and their addresses where anyone who wishes may send gifts and cards.
My heart is heavy for all these families and even others I know who I continue to pray for in time of grief, sickness and sorrow. Life can seem overwhelming at times. It's true. But I also know, without a doubt, that God is so real and shares in our burdens and when we give our pain to Him, He often turns it right around and makes it a gift to us. It doesn't always lessen the pain and sorrows we feel... but in time, there is often great peace and purpose and there is always Hope.
Thank you for caring for so many who need our prayers, for loving them through the web and your comments and cards. And for those of you who don't fully understand how God is able to bring good out of that which can destroy, I urge you to just bookmark these stories and watch the miracles unfold. God is good- ALL the time. Even when we don't understand His ways. I will never stop praising Him and giving Him glory for all He still does in my life and the lives of countless others.