Encouragement Series: Sunshine Elephant Card---There's Still Plenty of Time to Join our 613 Avenue Monthly Challenge...

Hello everyone...I'm here to feature my card for our 613 Avenue Create Anything Goes, November Challenge.  I took on the optional twist which is "Cute Critters" with this Safari card design.  It seems like I hardly use animals in my creation.  It's not intentional.  As a matter of fact, I have quite a collection of animal stamps and I really need to use them for future projects given some time. 

Anyway, I've been away from the Blogging world for several weeks now.  As always, I've been so busy and there's always a lot of things to do than what I have time for.  Some of you are aware that I also love to Crochet and I'm trying my hand on some Knitting as well.  So, there's always a lot of crafting to do when I'm not around here.  But of course, serving the Lord and having time for my family comes first.

Nowadays, there's so many things happening in the world that are truly alarming.  Where evil is obviously saturating the news and fear and chaos are promoted.  Evil things are right before our eyes and yet many seem to turn a blind eye while many others are even supporting and promoting them.  It behooves me why many no longer care nor appreciate the freedom and security of this country and have allowed the lawless and abusive people to rule over them who are clearly robbing the people of their protected rights, and empowering the lawless to kill, steal and destroy this country. To these people, nothing is sacred.  I remember what I read in the Bible back when I was still a new believer in Christ.  I couldn't fathom then what God was saying about "how people could call evil good and good evil" (Isaiah 5:20).  Because many that time still understands the clear line between the two with the exception of those who are literally crazy or deranged.  Yet from then and fast forward to this time,  God's Word is true.  Because many have rejected God, Who is the only source of true wisdom and understanding, they have literally lost their minds. Without Christ, every man's default setting is "God's enemy."  And people who are clinging on religion instead of having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior are not exempted from the deception of Satan. 2 Timothy 3:1-9 says, "But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith. But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men."

Now more than ever, we have to trust God and refuse to be persuaded by the lies of the enemy.  Unlike the old days, we have advance technology now to affect millions (if not billions) of people.  Majority (if not all) of the big Social Media sites have aligned themselves with the demonic agenda of Satan and are pressing on us every minute of everyday.  God's Word is crucial  in this fight.  Every believer shouldn't slack in studying and sharing God's Word.  The Bible told us how Satan tried to entice Jesus (after He fasted forty days and forty nights) in the wilderness by twisting the Word of God to get Jesus to worship him.  But Jesus had the truth and power of God's Word to silence the enemy's attempt of deception.  Needless to say, we have to meditate on the Scriptures day and night to stand against the cloud of deception that is hovering over our country and the world today.  We have to fight with the full armor that God found in Ephesians 6:10-18.  Among these weapons is the  "Sword of the Spirit" which is the Word of God.  It is not just a defensive weapon but more than anything, offensive!  Hebrews 4:12 tells us, "For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account."  In conclusion, don't buy into everything you see and hear in the natural but inquire from the Word of God and test the spirit it carries so as to see clearly in this blinding world. For the battle is not just physical but also spiritual. 

For this Card, I used these cute elephant clear stamps and colored it using my ProMarker markers.  The base is a pre-cut A7 Kraft that comes with an envelope from Paper Studio.   The DP came from DCWV, the film strip die cut from Sizzix and the leaves punched with Fiskars.  I also layered some flowers from Prima and Recollections, some glitters from Stickles (Crystal) and the brad from Recollections.  The sentiments were from Stampendous and Printworks. Lastly, I stitched all over this card. 

 

SUNSHINE ELEPHANT CARD

 

 

 

SUNSHINE ELEPHANT CARD LAYERS

 

SUNSHINE ELEPHANT CARD INSIDE

 

SUNSHINE ELEPHANT CARD WITH ENVELOPE

This Card is entered into the following Challenges:

 2 Crafty Critter---ATG with Critter

A Bit More Time---ATG

A Perfect Time---ATG

Classic DT---ATG

Craft Dee BowZ---ATG

Crafts Galore Encore---ATG

Crafty Animals---ATG with Animals

Craftyhazelnut's---ATG with Patterned Paper

Createful Heart---ATG

LeAnns World---ATG

Let's Craft and Create---ATG/Fave Sketch

Love to Craft---ATG

Love to Scrap---ATG

MIU---ATG/Make Own Background

Morgan's Artworld---ATG

Not Just Cards---ATG

QKR Stampede---ATG

Scribbles Designs---Feature a Creature

Sognando---ATG and Fave Color (Green)

Crafting Challenge---Add a Sentiment

YSP---ATG

Lavinia---ATG (Rubber or Clear stamps only)

Pattie's Creations---ATG

This is it for now, guys.  Make sure to join us at our neighborhood---613 Avenue Create---for an Anything Goes Challenge with optional theme, "Cute Critters."  If you want to be challenged more, take on our Optional Twist.  But there's really no reason for you to miss it. Can't wait to see what you create.  Anyway, the works of the enemy is apparent in our day and time.  We are to study and arm ourselves with the Truth in order to discern the works of Satan and act with wisdom and power.

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