Scripture Series: Call Upon Me Card---Join Us for Another Family Friendly/Anything Goes Challenge at Word Art Wednesday!

Hello there, Crafty friends!  This is coming out pretty late but I am here to share with you my inspiration project using our free Scripture Word Art for this week's Challenge at Word Art Wednesday (WAW).  It comes from Psalm 50:15 but in order to understand the message clearly, I would like to quote both Psalm 50:14-15 and it says, "Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High: And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me."  Many times, we only remember God when we are in challenging situations.  Sad but very true!  We bought into this idea that as long as there's something we can do about it, we don't want to bother God for help.   In trying times, we begin to realize that we don't have all the answers and we are not in control.

However, someone who comes under the Lordship of Jesus Christ (Born-again, John 3:3) and have received the message of the Gospel (His death, burial and resurrection) and holds God's Word as the only standard by which to live the New Life (New Birth)---knows that we can only go through each day by faith in what Jesus Christ accomplished.  Every life's trials and pain find its answer at the Cross!  Everyone that boldly proclaim the message of the Gospel has an awesome testimony to tell!  Every single one of them have gone through different kinds/levels of trials.  Some physical, emotional, mental, financial, abuse, neglect, abandonment, rejection torture, depression or combinations of all and others I may have failed to mention. Having gone through our lowest points, we have found a new meaning to life when Jesus came to free us from all our bondage.  It's not something that we just hear people say but it's a true and real experience of the love, goodness and kindness of our God!  We call it a personal encounter with our Savior!  In the Scripture, people that truly experienced God from the Old Testament and New Testament have never been the same after their encounter with Him.  There's something about the presence of the Lord in one's life that enables us to do great and mighty things.  

As we continue to walk with God, we become thirsty and hungry for more of His Word.  We tell Him of the many things we want to do to proclaim His glory through our lives.  But then, we also realize that there is nothing we can truly offer Him that was not His in the first place.  Our life, strength, knowledge and abilities all came and sustained by Him.  And we are grateful!  Upon seeing the wonderful things taking place in our lives, the unmerited blessings He bestows upon us daily---all of these brings us to rejoice and sing songs of praise to His Name!  All is well and we have every reason to celebrate God's goodness... However, life does not stay this way all the time for believers!  In fact, the devil is doing his best to discourage us in many ways, shape and form.  So we find ourselves in a predicament.  In fact, things seem to be falling apart with no help in sight... Can you see yourself rejoicing when you receive your final paycheck after losing your job?  Will you be able to sing songs of praise when your beloved child chose a wayward path?  Are you going to dance for joy after your home gets taken away due to foreclosure?  Are you going to lift your hands to thank Him after a love one passed away?  Are you shouting for joy after you learned you are terminally ill?  I submit to you, on our own, it's impossible! But the Holy Spirit lives in everyone who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ!  It is Him who will enable us to do what is impossible for  us to do.

It is extremely important that we learn to trust God in times of trouble!  It's the kind of faith that claims the victory and believes it's going to happen when we are surrounded/outnumbered by our enemies.  There's nobody that can help us anyway but Him...When we offer sacrifices of praise  unto the Lord and thanking Him regardless of our painful circumstances, we are offering Him a different breed of faith!  It's that supernatural kind of faith that only comes from the working of the Holy Spirit in our hearts.  In essence, God  is receiving the faith that is purely from Him and through Him.  When we allow ourselves to come under this marvelous revelation---no matter what circumstances we encounter in this life, we will find countless reasons to praise our God and fulfill what we promised Him to do! Therefore, we shall be living testimonies (giving glory to what the Lord has done) on how He saved us in those troubling times...I just want to share the following verses to encourage us to continue praising and trusting God no matter what life throws at us:

"In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials,  so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ."(1 Peter 1:6-7)"

 "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. "  (1 Peter 2:9)

"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us." (Romans 5:1-5)

 For this Card, I used an image from Sassy Cheryl Stamps called "Indiana Joe" (discontinued) which I colored with my ProMarker/Prismacolor markers.  The base is white CS, cut and scored to make a 5.5 inches square card.  I embossed a white panel with a Cuttlebug embossing folder.  The image background was further brought to life by layered inking using Tim Holtz Distress inks namely Broken China, Tumbled Glass and Faded Jeans for the sky as well as Antique Linen and Pumice Stone for a muddy water effect.  I added several silver metallic gems and stitched all over this creation.   I really love the blending of the distress inks for my background and how the image compliment this week's Scripture Word Art.  What do you think?

CALL UPON ME CARD:

 CALL UPON ME CARD LAYERS:

CALL UPON ME CARD INSIDE:

CALL UPON ME CARD WITH ENVELOPE-BOX:

This Card is entered into the following Challenges:

As You Like It---Bright or Pastels (I can create both but most likely prefer brights for boldness)
Crafting with Attitude---ATG
Crafty Girls---ATG
Cute Card Thursday---ATG
Digital Delights---ATG
DL ART---ATG
DRS Designs---Fall-ing for You
Creative Moments---ATG
Inspiration Destination---ATG
Wonderful Wednesday---ATG
ODBD---Seasonal Photo or Verse
Passion for ProMarker---Lots of Layers
Retarte---ATG
TTCRD---ATG
Crafty Friends---Use Gems and/or Pearls
Jo's Scrap Shack---ATG
Craft Your Passion---ATG
Crafting from the Heart---ATG
Art by Miran---ATG
Crafty Girlz---ATG

I surely hope you will come and join us at the WAW Blog.  You can upload up to 5 entries as long as it has an uplifting/inspirational message.  Wonderful prizes are awaiting the winners courtesy of our sponsors this week---Fred She Said and the Flying Unicorn Store.  Our Challenge is "Anything Goes" so you can be as creative as you want to be.  I can't wait to see what you come up with.  So, this is it for me today.  Have a blessed week and remember, in Jesus, we have complete victory. To Him all glory is given!