Fun/Humor Series: From My Heart to Yours---Join Us for Anything Goes Challenge at 613 Avenue Create!

Hello there!  It's late but I still want to greet you all, "HAPPY HEARTS DAY, EVERYONE!"  All of us have experienced love or have given love in different ways and capacity.  Yet, our view of love can be limited by the way we received love growing up and the environment we grew up in.  People that was raised in a loving family may not be able to understand how someone who grew up without a family or in an abusive situation would behave or respond to love.

The truth of the matter is "True Love" can only be defined by our Creator!  We are capable of love and being loved because we are made in the image and likeness of God whose very nature is love.  True love cannot be accurately defined by the created---it has to come from the Creator!  The world's kind of love is selfish---we love others if they also love us and there's something in it for us.  We also associate love with feelings and emotions and physical attraction.  Thus, when the wonderful feelings are challenged and physical attributes are no longer the same, many simply walked away.  There's nothing that can truly satisfy a love that is selfish in nature.  We will keep wanting and wanting and wanting more.

But God's kind of love is "Agape" (selfless) and is the purest form of love.  I would love to share with you the article I found at Gotquestions.org regarding this topic.  Here's what is says, "Agape, the benevolent, selfless love that God shows, is mentioned often in the New Testament, including in the “love chapter,” 1 Corinthians 13. There, love’s characteristics are listed: love is patient and kind; love doesn’t envy, boast, or dishonor others; love is not proud or self-seeking; love is not easily angered, doesn’t keep a record of wrongs, and doesn’t delight in evil; rather, love rejoices with the truth; love always protects, trusts, hopes, and perseveres; love never fails (1 Corinthians 13:4–8). Of the greatest of God’s gifts, faith, hope, and love, “the greatest . . . is love” (verse 13).

The Bible says that God was motivated by love to save the world (John 3:16). God’s love is best seen in the sacrifice of Christ on our behalf (1 John 4:9). And God’s love does not require us to be “worthy” to receive it; His love is truly benevolent and gracious: “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

The Bible says that, since true love is part of God’s nature, God is the source of love. He is the initiator of a loving relationship with us. Any love we have for God is simply a response to His sacrificial love for us: “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins” (1 John 4:10). Our human understanding of love is flawed, weak, and incomplete, but the more we look at Jesus, the better we understand true love."  

I pray that you answer the call of Christ for each and everyone to come into His saving knowledge and experience a personal relationship with Him.  His sacrifice is for all of humanity but He's patiently waiting for you to receive His gift of love, salvation and citizenship to His Kingdom through faith solely in what He accomplished at the Cross.  Apart from the perfect demonstration of God's love through Christ, there' no other way by which man will be saved.  John 3:3 tells us, "Unless a man be born-again, He cannot see the kingdom of God."  Simply put, unless we die from our old nature (in Adam) and be born-again in Christ, there's no way we can truly understand (comprehend, fully know) how God's kingdom work.  I've lived blindly and totally oblivious about God and have gotten by in what I perceived/thought He was.  Like many, I thought I knew enough but I realized how spiritually bankrupt I was, and with no real basis of God's Truth, after I called upon the Lord. He ministered to me and showed me His selfless love through Christ.  Today, I can speak this awesome Truth because God allowed me to see/enter/be a part of His Kingdom.  Let me be clear that there was nothing on my part that deserved His favor.  Even the faith to come to Him happened by His grace.  If I am to boast, I boast only of the wonders of the depth of God's love in which I am made righteous (right standing) before His sight.  What He did for me, He can also do to anyone who would call upon His Name.  Answer His call today and experience a love this world could never ever conceive...It's free to those who would receive it with all of their hearts.  To God be the glory!

I would like to share the project I made for our Anything Goes Challenge with an Optional Twist at 613 Avenue Create.  For this Card, I used a fun image from Art Impressions Rubber Stamps called "Tina Set" which I colored with my ProMarker/Prismacolor/Spectrum Noir markers.  The base is white CS, cut and scored to make a 5.5 inches center step card.  The DP's are from Paper Studio, I layered the flowers from Prima, the brad from Recollections and the leaves are die-cuts using Fiskars punch.  The Heart Banner Wafer Dies is from Simon Says Stamp that was one of the dies featured in their "You have my Heart" release recently.  I also used a Nestabilities die for the lacy circle, some heart gems from Imaginisce and added some glitters to the image using Stickles (Crystal).  Finally, I stitched all over this card.  

                                       FROM MY HEART TO YOURS CENTER STEP CARD:

                                  FROM MY HEART TO YOURS CENTER STEP CARD LAYERS:

                               FROM MY HEART TO YOURS CENTER STEP CARD SIDE VIEW:

                                  FROM MY HEART TO YOURS CENTER STEP CARD INSIDE:

                         FROM MY HEART TO YOURS CENTER STEP CARD WITH ENVELOPE-BOX:

This Card is entered into the following Challenges:

Art Impressions---Love Love Love
Classy Cards n Such---Colors, Patterns, Stitching
Lacy Sunshine---ATG
Come and Get It---Love is in the Air
Eclectic Ellapu---Love Actually
Glitter N Sparkle---Love is in the Air
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends---ATG
OSAAT---Love is in the Air
Penny Black---ATG with Stamps/Dies
Stamping Sensations---ATG
Catch the Bug---Stella Says Sketch
Corrosive---Love Love Love
Crafty Calendar---Love is in the Air
Craftyhazelnut's---Patterned Paper
My Time to Craft---Check it Out
Stamping Boutique---Love
Natalie and Amy---Hearts and Flowers
Not Just Cards---ATG
Where the Heart Is---Love
Unicorn---Love
Our Creative Corner---Sew and Sew
Crafting When We Can---Add Hearts
Cupcake Inspirations---Photo/Theme
Dragonfly Dreams---Hearts and Flowers
Coloring without Boundaries---ATG
I Love ProMarkers---Bingo (Brads/Free/Flower)
Moo Mania---Hearts
Sisterhood of Crafters---Warm Thoughts 
Stampavie and More---Hearts 

There you have it, folks!  Don't miss the opportunity to join our Anything Goes Challenge at 613 Avenue Create with an Optional Twist (Shaker Card).   Lots of wonderful prizes await our winners from the following sponsors:  A Day for Daisies, The Cutting Cafe and All Dressed Up Stamps. Can't wait to see what fabulous projects you're going to highlight this week.  I hope you have a wonderful week and know that through faith in what Jesus accomplished through the Cross, we have God's love that we can effectively share with others! 

Love Inspired Series: Once in a Lifetime Center Step Card---Join th Fun at our Anything Goes Challenge at 613 Avenue Create and Higlighting Simon Says Stamp "You Have my Heart" New Release...

Hello Crafty Friends! It's another busy---soooo busy week for me so this is coming out a day late.  This is going to be a short and sweet post but want to take the opportunity to wish ya'll a BLESSED AND MERRY CHRISTMAS!   I hope you join me in celebrating the true meaning of this season---the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!  Though the exact day of His birth was not specifically revealed in His Word, we all know that He came to bear witness to the Truth (reality in God's perspective) as we see in John 1:18, "No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known."  Because of God's great love for us, He had to send His Only Son to free us from the bondage of Sin and get us back into God's righteousness as stated in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."  No amount of gifts or act of giving and commercialization of this season can come close to the Gift that our Father in Heaven gave us in the Person of His Son---JESUS CHRIST!  So, whatever you choose to do this season, as child of God and saved by His grace (Born-again, John 3:3), we are to share what Christ has done for us in every meeting and get together.  Along with our time with our families and friends across a wonderful meal and fellowship, let Him receive the glory!  Do not allow political correctness and tolerance to reduce our celebration to something worth absolutely nothing. Today, we have hope because the Messiah (Savior) came one faithful day---paid the price for our sins through the Cross and will one day come back to literally rule the world.  Everyone who placed their lives through faith in Him will take part in His rulership forever.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JESUS!  Leaving you with wonderful verses as to why we are to celebrate this wonderful season:

"We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life."  (1 John 5:20)

"For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors,  but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.  He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.  Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God." (1 Peter 1:18-21)

"And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,  who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory."  (Ephesians 1:13-14)

For our weekly Challenge at 613 Avenue Create, I used a wonderful image from one of our sponsors, Bugaboo Digi Stamps called "Puppy Girl" and colored it with my ProMarker/Prismacolors/Spectrum Noir markers.  The base is a white CS, cut and scored to make a 5. 5 inches center step design.  The DP's came from Recollections, the sparkly gems from Imaginisce, glitters from Stickles (Crystal), the awesome sentiment is from Stampabilities and for added dimension, I added some stitching.  The gorgeous "Heart Banner" is courtesy of Simon Says Stamp who sent me this beautiful wafer die to explore and make awesome projects.  I'm very impressed as it "cuts like butter" with the aid of my Cuttlebug.  All I did was to make 2 cuts using a burgundy CS and adhere them together for stability and strength and walah, an awesome banner for my girly girl card.  In the next few weeks, you will see more samples of this new release as highlighted by their DT's in their BLOG...I am grateful to be given the opportunity to try one.  God bless this wonderful company for their trust and generosity to share their products to avid Crafters like me.

                                           ONCE IN A LIFETIME CENTER STEP CARD:

                                      ONCE IN A LIFETIME CENTER STEP CARD LAYERS:

                                   ONCE IN A LIFETIME CENTER STEP CARD SIDE VIEW:

                                     ONCE IN A LIFETIME CENTER STEP CARD INSIDE:

                            ONCE IN A LIFETIME CENTER STEP CARD WITH ENVELOPE-BOX:


This Card is entered into the following Challenges:

Country View---Make a Scene
Crafts Galore---ATG
Crafting Musketeers---Use a Sentiment
Craftyhazelnut's---Patterned Paper
Crafty Time---ATG
Creative Craft---Add Sparkle
CCC---ATG
Digistamps4Joy---ATG
Doodle Pantry---ATG
Lia Stampz---ATG
Petal Lu---ATG
Your Scrapbook Place---ATG (I used a Bugaboo Image)
2 Crafty Girls---ATG
Crafting from the Heart---ATG
Love to Scrap---ATG
Not Just Cards---ATG
Our Crafty Corner---ATG/Winter
Paper Nest Dolls---ATG
Lacy Sunshine---ATG
Great Impressions---ATG
Allsorts---ATG but Christmas
Crafty Friends---ATG
Inkspirational---ATG but Christmas


There you have it, folks!  Don't miss the opportunity to join our Anything Goes Challenge at 613 Avenue Create.  There's wonderful prizes awaiting the winners from our lovely sponsors for this week---Bugaboo Digi Stamps, Stamplorations and the Cutting Cafe.  Can't wait to see what fabulous projects you're going to highlight this week.  I hope you have a wonderful week and know that through faith in what Jesus accomplished through the Cross, we have complete victory always!