August 17, 2019 (Added post)
As promised, here's a devotional I wanted to share with you and it comes from 2 Corinthians 4:7-12 which says, "But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you." I chose these verses as it deals with "jars of clay" that coincides with our optional theme of decorating/creating a container. I created this basket not with clay but using some appropriate yarn, tools and the skill and ability the Lord blessed me with. From the talents we are given, we are able to produce beautiful and useful things. But have we pondered on the reality that apart from our creation, we are first masterfully created by God to be beautiful and useful for His kingdom? As human beings, we intentionally create things for a purpose. Just as I created the basket you see in here to hold my yarn and stuffed animal, God has a unique purpose/mission for each and everyone of us.
Though we were given talents, we couldn't function without the life, strength and the brain that also comes from God to produce something. Acts 17:28 clearly states, "For in him we live and move and have our being.’As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ It is sad to see people boasting of their own talents and abilities as if they are their own god. It is total madness as anyone with a clear mind could tell that no human can survive without God. It is solely by His grace that we are alive today. Every Born-again (John 3:3) believer should always consider each waking moment as an opportunity to serve the Lord knowing that He has equipped us with everything we needed to carry out His purpose as directed by His Holy Spirit inside of us. I would like to share the exhortation I read in my Life Application Bible regarding the highlighted verses in this post. It says, "The supremely valuable message of salvation in Jesus Christ has been entrusted by God to frail and fallible human beings ("jars of clay"). Paul's focus, however, was not on the perishable container but on its priceless contents---God's power dwelling in us. Though we are weak, God uses us to spread His Good News, and He gives us power to do His work. Knowing that the power is His, not ours, should keep us from pride and motivate us to keep daily contact with God, our power source. Our responsibility is to let people see God through us. Paul reminds us that though we may be at the end of our rope, we are never at the end of our hope. Our perishable bodies are subject to sin and suffering, but God never abandons us. Because Christ has won the victory over death, we have eternal life. All our risks, humiliations and trials are opportunities for Christ to demonstrate His power and presence in and through us. We must ask ourselves, "Could I handle the suffering and opposition Paul did?" The success syndrome is a great enemy of effective ministry. From an earthly perspective, Paul was not very successful. Like Paul, we must carry out our ministry, looking to God for strength. When opposition, slander or disappointment threaten to rob you of the victory, remember that no one can destroy what God has accomplished through you."
For this project, I decided to take on the Optional Theme of our Challenge and that is to "Create or Decorate a Container." With the very little time I had, I knew that it would take me a shorter time to make this than to create or decorate some kind of box under paper crafting. So, I saw this wonderful VIDEO tutorial at YouTube from "MJ's Off the Hook" channel. Since I happened to have all the materials needed, I went on with it and I was amazed at how it turned out really cute. It measures 9 inches in diameter and 6 inches in height using the Big Twist Super Bulky Yarn in the color gray. Now, I crochet the Amigurumi Dog a while back and it's one of the 7 dogs I already completed from Kerry Lord's Book called Edward Menagerie Dogs. This dog is called "Geoff the Westland Terrier" and is 9.5 inches when sitting and about 14 inches when standing. I used a worsted weight yarn. Some of the instructions are also in YouTube and it truly helped when I could not understand portions of the written pattern and special stitches. I am planning to post all the dogs I completed here one day and I am sure I'll be adding a few more dogs in the future. So, just watch out for them. In case you don't know, next to Papercrafting, I am into Crochet a lot for several years now and made mostly clothing. I hope I can find the time to post the projects I made soon.
CROCHET BASKET AND AMIGURUMI DOG
CROCHET BASKET AND AMIGURUMI DOG TOP VIEW
CROCHET BASKET
AMIGURUMI DOG
This Project is entered into the following Challenges:
A Perfect Time to Craft---ATG
Classic DT---ATG
Craft Dee Bowz---ATG
Crafty Animals---ATG with Animal/s
Fabrika Fantasy---ATG
Happy Craft---ATG
Love to Craft---ATG
Morgan's Artworld---ATG
Pearly Sparkles---Something starting with a "B" (Basket)
This it for now, guys. Make sure to join us at our neighborhood---613 Avenue Create---for an Anything Goes Challenge with an optional theme. Can't wait to see what you create. The Lord is with you every step of the way so, don't compromise God's Word nor be afraid of the what the future holds based on your faithfulness to His Word. Great is our eternal reward in heaven for us whose trust in not of the world but in Christ!
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