Thing Called Love Card---It's Anything Goes at our Neighborhood, 613 Avenue Create!

Hello there, friends!  I'm here to bring you another creation for our Anything Goes Challenge with an Optional Theme, "Man of La Mancha" (Masculine Card) at 613 Avenue Create! We just came back from camping for a few days and like always, we had so much fun!  My boy (10 years old) went fishing for the first time and God blessed him with a catch (three catfish---each about a foot long).  He was very happy!  He didn't have his own fishing rod and the one he used was just found from the park we visited a year ago that he cleaned and fixed.  His Dad taught him a few tricks and now he thinks he's an expert...LOL

As my son was patiently waiting for a fish to take his bait, he told me how he's excited to make a good catch.  I told him that man can do everything he can but Almighty God is the Lord of the harvest!  I remembered the Scripture in Luke 5:4-7 which says, "When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink."  It is very important for people to know that every good and perfect gift (blessings) comes from above (James 1:17).  We can work so hard all day/night and not get anything from all our hard work when we rely on our own abilities to produce fruit/harvest.  The sooner we realize that we exist in this world in partnership with God and that all we have inside and outside of our existence is provided by Him and through Him, we will fall into many frustrations and disappointments.  

It is extremely important for me to tell my son that we are to live this life in complete reliance upon God.  Yes, we needed to bring our fishing rods, baits and tools.  We must also be willing to give time and effort, learn the techniques and exercise a whole lot of patience (to wait upon the Lord).  But a good amount of every endeavor is "FAITH!"  It is believing/trusting that the Lord will send the fish (harvest) your way.  As we went talking to other people that were fishing that day, almost everyone have sophisticated tackle boxes filled with different kinds of baits but none of them caught more than my son did in that short period of time.  One of them asked my hubby what we were using as bait?  Oh well---it's just hotdogs!  He asked if they were the very expensive kind?  Not at all---in fact they were just eighty-eight cents!  As I listened in one corner, I can't help but smile as I looked unto the heavens and gave the Lord all the glory.  

You see, I praise God for all the ways He has taught us the principles of His kingdom, often in a very practical way!  In many ways, we are  in this great ocean with people and we were hand-picked by the Lord and given the equipment (faith in Christ) to catch souls for God's Kingdom.  If we have the heart for people and desire for them to come to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, our Savior (the only means we can escape eternal torment), we would desire to be fishers of men.  To be willing to do the work of casting our fishing rods (or a net) using God's Word as our bait and have faith in God's provision to provide us a great a harvest.  The world is your lake, river or sea. Are you willing to fish with Jesus?  The Word of God declares in Luke 10:2, "He (Jesus) told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."

Now, for the inspiration project I have for our Challenge, I used an image from our sponsor this week Sami Stamps called "With You" and colored colored it using my ProMarker/Prismacolor markers.  I did quite a bit of paper-piecing as well.  The base is white CS, cut and scored to make a 5.5 inches square card.  The DP's are from Recollections, the flowers I layered are also from Recollections, the leaves are produced using Fiskars punch and a couple of the corners were rounded using Crop-A-Dile Corner Chomper.  I also incorporated a brad from Recollections, nail head gems from Imaginisce and Washi Tape from Hobby Lobby.  The main sentiment is a cut-out from one of the DP's and the stamped images in the panel were accomplished using Recollections stencil with Distress Inks (Milled Lavender, Victorian Velvet and Pumice Stone) and the stamped scribble border is from Hot of the Press.  Finally, I stitched all over this project.   I planned a quite simple card but as you see, it didn't happen...LOL

                                                   THING CALLED LOVE CARD

                                              THING CALLED LOVE CARD LAYERS

                                               THING CALLED LOVE CARD INSIDE

                                     THING CALLED LOVE CARD WITH ENVELOPE-BOX

This Card is entered into the following Challenges:

Art Impressions---Add a Brad/Eyelet
Crafts Galore---ATG
Craft Your Passion---ATG
Crafting from the Heart---ATG
Crafting with Friends---ATG
Crafty Calendar---ATG
Simon Says Stamp---April Showers Bring May Flowers
Cre8tive Hands---ATG
2 Crafty Girls---ATG
Brown Sugar---ATG
Lacy Sunshine---ATG
Dare 2BArtzy---Polka Dots
Dragonfly Dreams---Spring is in the Air
Dragonfly Journeys---April Showers
Eclectic Ellapu---Spring Flowers/April Showers
Robyn's Fetish---Add a Sentiment
Stamping Sensations---One for the Girls
Artistic Inspirations---ATG with Optional Twist
Crafty Boots---Use a Sentiment
Melonheadz---Girly
Not Just Cards---ATG
OLLCB---Words, Words, Words
Our Crafty Corner---ATG
Crazy Challenge---Spring is Here
Paper Nest Dolls---ATG 
Where the Heart Is---ATG/Sparkle and Bling 

This it for now, guys.  Make sure to join us at our neighborhood---613 Avenue Create---for an Anything Goes Challenge.  If you want to be challenged (like I was), take on the Optional Twist.  But there's really no reason for you to miss it.  Our sponsor, Sami Stamps is giving away 3 digi image for the winner.  Can't wait to see what you create. The Lord is with you every step of the way so, be at peace that you have Someone you can trust and have your back always.