Especially Made: Enjoy the Ride Birthday Card---Join Us for our July Anything Goes Challenge at 613 Avenue Create!

Hello everyone.  So sorry if I'm super late in posting this card here on my Blog as the past weekend was super duper busy for me.  This card is my inspiration card for our monthly Challenge at 613 Avenue Create and we invite you all to link your wonderful projects with us this July.  As always, it's Anything Goes but you can take the optional theme of  "Make Your Own Background" to challenge your creativity.  I chose to make a CAS card and you can do so as well.

Nowadays, I am praying for the country I originally came from---the Philippines.  I was born and raised there before I got married and became an American citizen.  All the time I lived there,  I witnessed how dirty politics has been and how many of the leaders succumb to corruption.  I know that no government is perfect and how Filipinos grew tired of a system that was influenced by voter buying and popularity votes.  Many elected politicians came into power because people saw them in the movies as actors and actresses.  Though some were qualified, many other candidates were voted for because they were famous.  Aside from politics, another influential pillar in the Philippine society is religion.  Majority of the people there are Roman Catholics.  I was part of this religion for 20 years till I accepted Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior and  became Born-again (John 3:3). I learned of God's redemptive plan through the finished work of Jesus Christ at the Cross through the written  Word of God (Scripture/Bible).  I am grateful for the foundation I got from the Church I served there for many years.  Yet is was  only when I came to America (after working for years in the Cruise ship) that I started truly growing in the knowledge of the Word of God after attending Bible classes offered by our Church Bible school.  I'd been going for nearly 10 years now.  All the foundations I learned from my Church in the Philippines started to make sense and each teaching became meaningful as my new Church connected everything like puzzle pieces that now showed me a clear picture of what Jesus did for me. It's all in the Bible.   Through the Holy Spirit, I learned not to depend on any teaching or opinions of man (no matter who they are) unless it aligns with the infallible Word of God.

It's because of this that my heart is heavy for what is happening in the Philippines.  For the incumbent President (Rodrigo Duterte) mocked and cursed the God of Creation and ridiculed/insulted (with filthy language and cussing) the Word of God in many of his public speeches.  Many of his supporters were saying that he was just attacking the Roman Catholic church---their practices and doctrines.  But personally seeing several videos of his speeches, many of them were a direct attack to the One True God.  Growing up in the Catholic religion, I realized that many of their doctrines contradict the Word of God (which is why I left).  Like any religion (man-made), there's a lot of twisted/perverted teachings that causes people to stumble.  Yet, after seeing several videos of Duterte's mockery of God (supposed to be directed towards Catholic priests and nuns), his attacks truly goes beyond the religion.  In one video,  he questioned the Biblical teaching of Creation calling God "stupid" (a few times) for creating a perfect world yet allowing Adam and Eve to be tempted, therefore destroying his creation.  He also pointed out that mankind should not be condemned as sinners due to the sin of Adam and Eve (to the dismay of some while others were laughing in the audience).  On another video, he told people that if they build a church named after him which he called,  "iglesia ni Duterte" (church of Duterte)," everything is permissible. That if a man would want to marry five women, it's okay.  Another video questions the validity of the Bible as he questioned who published it since there's no printing press in those days.  There's so much more but I can't write it all down here.  All his mockery coupled by filthy language and cussing is truly hard to digest.  It's very obvious that this man doesn't know anything about the Word of God.  Though he claimed to have a God, it's evident he's not talking about the God of the Bible.  Ive heard many people mocking God but not so openly like this President .  He does not only distort the Word of God but invites others to believe his deception---poisoning the minds of those who are easily persuaded. And as their leader, he willfully invites the judgment of God to the entire nation.  Galatians 6:7-8 says, "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. Whatever a man sows, he will reap in return. The one who sows to please his flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; but the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life." You can read more about this Scripture HERE.  To all who worship the One True God in the Philippines and are brokenhearted by the conduct of this leader, I join you in praying for your President---that he comes to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.  I pray that the Truth of God's Word penetrate his heart as God uses people to impart to him the Truth of the Gospel.  Salvation does not come from any man but from God alone.  God listens to the petitions of His people, those whose faith is focused on Him.  Let us believe for the miraculous intervention of God among your leaders.  Nothing is impossible with God!  If you have any questions about Bible teachings/topic, please write it down in the comments.   I would love to share some answers based solely on the infallible Word of God.  God does not want anyone to be ignorant but want  everyone to know of His great plan and purpose.

For this Card, I used an image from Art impressions called "Got Style" that I colored using my Prismacolor markers.  The base is a white CS, cut and scored to make an A2 size card.  I also stamped and colored the banner image from Stampabilities.  I included a bit of washi tape from Tape Works and some glitters from Stickles (Crystal).  I made this for the mother of my friend as she is always so sweet to me and my family every time we come and visit them.  For something I put together at the last minute, this came out really well. 

ENJOY THE RIDE BIRTHDAY CARD

 ENJOY THE RIDE BIRTHDAY CARD LAYERS

ENJOY THE RIDE BIRTHDAY CARD WITH ENVELOPE

This Card is entered into the following Challenges:

Creative Fingers---ATG
Simply Papercraft---ATG
Little Miss Muffet---ATG


This it for now, guys.  Make sure to join us at our neighborhood---613 Avenue Create---for an Anything Goes Challenge.  Can't wait to see what you create. The Lord is with you every step of the way so, don't be afraid of the what the future holds---we are safe in the arms of Christ always.  Remember to pray for our leaders and put into office those who fear and acknowledge God.