Scripture Series: Will Hope Continually Card---It's Anything Goes/Inspirational Challenge at Word Ard Wednesday! Come and Join Us...

Hello there, friends!  This is coming out a day late but I'm here to bring you an inspirational post featuring our wonderful Scripture Word Art (you can download for free) at our Anything Goes Challenge at Word Art Wednesday (WAW).  It's taken from Psalm 71:14 which says, "But I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more."  When we go through the entire chapter of Psalm 71, it talks about God's ever present help from the time we were born till we are old and gray.  When the time comes for us to leave this temporary existence, our lives should be a testimony to others of the faithfulness of God.  We were born in this world as a sinner that inherited the sins of Adam.  We were hopeless and helpless from ever pleasing God.  We were marked for death and such was our fate had we not received Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior in this lifetime.  No matter where we came from, the color of our skin, the people and culture we grew up with and the good deeds (or the lack there off) we've done, we are going to suffer the same punishment less we receive the new birth Jesus offered us (through His finished work at the Cross) to be set free from our bondage to Adam.  We are misled if we think that a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is the same as merely knowing His name or occasionally calling upon Him and aligning Him with the many other saints and idols that religions of the world  taught us to embrace.  What I'm talking about is a personal experience of truly knowing the God of the Bible!  An intimate encounter with the Alpha and Omega---the Creator of heaven and earth.  An incredible and supernatural event in every believer's life  knowing that the Lord of lords and the King of kings is inside of you through faith which gives birth to repentance and surrender.   Jesus is not somebody we just read about!  Knowing Christ is lifting Him off the pages of the Scripture and experiencing the reality of His presence through faith.  The Bible declares in John 4:24, "God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth."  There is a parallel reality that we know is true yet our five senses cannot perceive nor our minds can fathom.  God has given us spiritual faculties such as conscience, communion and intuition to attest to the reality of the spiritual world. Deep inside each of us is a longing for the spiritual filling that only God can satisfy.  When I allowed Christ to be my personal Lord and Savior, I realized the importance of all the years I wasted running my own life.  I became aware of all the deceptions of religion and worldly principles that have shaped my being which were all designed to separate me further from knowing Christ.  But everything made sense when God's Word in Romans 8:28 spoke into my heart and it said, "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."  I realized that all the joy, pain, triumph and hardships I encountered in my early life made me who I am today and have been used by God to bring me to His presence and equipped me to fulfill the work He has set for me to do.  I had lots of happy memories but there were those that were depressing and had brought me a great deal of hopelessness.  I thank Him because even at the lowest point of my life, He was with me, prodding my heart to take His hand to save me from the sinking sand I was in.  I came to the Lord just as I was---all broken and torn up!  I offered to Him every piece of my life and He restored me, better than who I was before.  After many years, He is still adding meaningful colors to my life.  No matter how old I become, one thing is sure---He is there for me through thick and thin!  I am never alone in the triumphs and struggles of this life!  For all of that, I am grateful for the privilege to praise Him daily and for all eternity!  Jesus deserves all the glory! I hope you consider to investigate the religion or belief system you are in today.  All you really need is to know is the One who gave His life on the Cross to save you from death (spiritual, physical and eternal deaths).  The answer is in the pages of the Scripture.  You owe it to yourself to seek the Truth so as not to risk the only life you have by refusing God's only plan of salvation.  While we are leaving and breathing, there is always hope and I pray you start now.  Leaving you with Bible verses that tells us the importance of knowing Christ...

"Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"  Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.  If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him." (John 14:5-7)

"This is what the LORD says: "Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches,  but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight," declares the LORD.(Jeremiah 9:23-24)

"My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.  We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person.  But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him:  Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did." (1 John 2:1-6)

For this Card, I used an image from Sassy Cheryl's Stamps called "Noah's Tire Swing" which I colored with ProMarker/Prismacolor markers.  The base is a white CS, cut and scored to create 5.5 inches square card.  The DP's are all from Paper Studio (Barnwood Pretty Stack) and the brads are from Recollections.  I rounded a couple  of corners using my Corner Chomper.  Lastly, I added some regular and fancy stitching all over this card.  It's been a while since I made a masculine card.  What I love about it is that you don't have to go overboard with embellishments.  Colors are simple and neutrals are a must.  I am truly happy with this creation.

WILL HOPE CONTINUALLY CARD:

WILL HOPE CONTINUALLY CARD LAYERS:

WILL HOPE CONTINUALLY CARD SIDE VIEW:

 WILL HOPE CONTINUALLY CARD INSIDE:

WILL HOPE CONTINUALLY CARD WITH ENVELOPE-BOX:

This Card is entered into the following Challenges:

Inspiration Destination---ATG
Moo-Mania---Masculine
The Paper Shelter---Layers and Lots of Them
Penny's Paper Crafty---ATG
Simon Says---ATG
Wonderful Wednesday---ATG
As You Like It---Matt or Shiny and Why?  (I love Matt papers because it's easy to work with)
Cute Card Thursday---Stamping Mad
Clear It Out---Thank you/Stitching
Scrap-Creations---Favorite Embellishment (Brads)
Inky Chicks---ATG
Party Time Tuesday---ATG
Sweet 7---Anything New (image is new)
TTCRD---ATG
Tuesday Throwdown---Facets of Crafting (Brads)
Crafting from the Heart---ATG
Craft Your Passion---ATG
Creative Moments---ATG/Sketch
Love to Scrap---ATG
My Craft Creations---ATG
DL.ART---ATG
Art by Miran---ATG
Not Just Cards---ATG
Whoopsi Daisy---ATG
Kit and Clowder---ATG
The Paper Nest Dolls---ATG
The Pink Elephant---ATG
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends---ATG
Scribble and Scrap---ATG

Make sure you join us at WAW Challenge.  You can use the free Word Art in your creation and link it to our Challenge but is not a requirement.  As long as it's family-friendly, uplifting and inspirational, you can enter up to 5 times this week.  Lots of prizes to be won from our two wonderful sponsors---Loves Rubberstamps ($10 GC) and All Dressed Up Digi Stamps (3 Digi Stamps).  So excited to see what you come up with.  Anyway, cheer up and let the peace of the Lord overtake you today.  I serve a good and faithful God---Jesus Christ!