Scripture/CAS Series: Be Brave Be Strong Bird Cards---Join Us for our Inspirational/Anything Goes Challenge at Word Art Wednesday!

Hi there, everyone!  Back again for another Scripture Word Art for our bi-weekly Challenge at Word Art Wednesday (WAW).  As usual, you are invited to link with us your inspirational  (Anything Goes) cards/projects.  Our featured Word Art this Challenge (you can download for free at the WAW site) comes from 1 Corinthians 16:13 which says, "Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong."

Throughout the New Testament Scripture,  we were told to be watchful.  For everything in this world (with all it's fleshly, ungodly desires) could be used by the enemy to entrap/tempt  us.  This world and everything in this world  came under the ruler-ship of Satan  after Adam  (whom God gave authority over His creation) turned over his authority to Satan in an act of disobedience and betrayal (treason) in the Garden of Eden. Since then, all men were under the curse of Sin and Death and are in rebellion with God, helplessly taking the side of the enemy with no hope of freedom/deliverance.  But that changed  when Jesus Christ came to this earth for the sole purpose of redeeming mankind from their hopeless situation and take us back on track to the original plan of God when He created us.  By faith in what Jesus accomplished at the Cross (His death, burial and resurrection), He graciously freed us from our bondage with Satan and brought us back to the Kingdom of our Father in heaven.  Other than what Jesus established, there's no other way any man could be saved. Upon our acceptance of what Jesus accomplished for us (Born-again, John 3:3), we become God's representative here on earth---no longer walking in the ways of this world but following the will of our Father, written in His Word (the Bible) and by carefully following the examples of our Lord Jesus (His ministry) when He came to earth.

So, when the Lord warns us to be watchful, we are to take this instruction seriously.  Every waking moment here in this world, we are engage in a constant battle between God's Truth and the lies of the enemy.  Because we are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:20-21), we are always at war with the works of the enemy.  The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life have always been there to deter us from moving forward to the things of God.  Deceptive teachers/preachers in sheep's  clothing are constantly looking for those they can easily manipulate (1 John 4:1-6).  Like before,  self centered teachings delivered by false teachers distort God's Truth and aims to take souls to the path of destruction.  It conditions us to think more highly of ourselves and takes us farther away from  Jesus and His Cross.  When we decide to make somebody (other than Jesus Christ and His Word) our spiritual source of Truth and refuse to cross-examine and study their teachings against the standard of God's infallible Word, we are placing ourselves in grave danger with eternal ramifications.  Thus, it is so important that we stick to the Truth of God's Word trusting solely on the finished work of Jesus Christ (the Gospel/Good News).  We need to stand firm on this Gospel of salvation, refusing to back down at any cost.  We are to be brave in dealing with the enemies of our faith, to be strong in addressing Sin (includes all acts of sin) and offer sound solutions with the readiness and boldness that comes from the Holy Spirit, driven by God's love and compassion.  My friends, we have the power of God living inside of us---all of us who are in Christ.  When our foundation, faith and focus is established on the bedrock of the finished work of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, we will remain in His Truth and no power of the enemy can ever take us down.  When the faith of Jesus becomes my faith, I am always victorious.  I would like to share the following Scripture to encourage you to stand firm in each day's spiritual battle:

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should."
 
For this Card, I used an image from Ranger Dylusions Stamp and Stencil Set called "Holy Birds" that I colored using my Touch Five/Prismacolor markers.  The base is a white CS, cut and scored to make an A2 card.  One of the cards feature the Scripture Word Art  and the other sentiment was from Stamps Simply Clear Stamps (our sponsor for this Challenge).  I added some washi tapes from Recollections and glitters from Stickles (Diamond).  I also incorporated some stitching on this project.  The sentiment in the envelope is from Illustrated Faith Stamps.

 BE BRAVE BE STRONG BIRD CARDS

 BE BRAVE BE STRONG GREEN BIRD CARD

 BE BRAVE BE STRONG YELLOW BIRD CARD

BE BRAVE BE STRONG BIRD CARDS WITH ENVELOPES

This Project is entered into the following Challenges:

4 Crafty Chicks---Alcohol Inks
Crafting with an Attitude---ATG
Little Miss Muffet---ATG
Crafting by Designs---Encouragement
Crafty Creations---ATG
Creative Moments---ATG
Brown Sugar---All Creatures Great and Small
Colour Crazy---Coloring
Crafting with Friends---ATG
Creative Fingers---ATG
Simply Create Too---Stitching

Make sure you join us at WAW Challenge.  You can use the free Word Art in your creation and link it to our Challenge but is not a requirement.  As long as it's family-friendly, uplifting and inspirational, you can enter up to 5 times each week.  Our Challenge winner will be awarded a wonderful prize from our awesome sponsor---Stamp Simply Clear Stamps.  So excited to see what you come up with.  Anyway, cheer up as we meditate on the name of Jesus today.  There is power in His Name and it's available to everyone that believes.

CAS Series: Hugs XOXO Card Set---Join 613 Avenue Create for our Monthly Anything Goes Challenge...

Hello everyone!  I'm featuring this Card Set for this month's Challenge at 613 Avenue Create.  So sorry for posting late as I've been super busy the past few days.  We would love to have you link with us your wonderful projects and share the fun of crafting the entire month of September.  As always, it's Anything Goes with an optional twist of Clean and Simple (CAS).

Yesterday, my family and I went to Six Flags (Amusement Park) to swim, eat and have fun.  Though there were some attractions that were closed, we managed to make the most of our time and enjoyed the partially cloudy weather which saved us from the usual scorching Texas heat.  Then we went for dinner in one of the park's restaurants.  We noticed the clouds turned dark and before we could even start our meal, a heavy rain started to pour. Then came thunder and lightning.  Despite all of that, we took our time to finish our meal believing that it was just a passing cloud.  That it would soon be over and we could go to the final attraction of the night---the Fireworks Show!

But it never lit up.  The rain poured heavy with no end in sight.  Convinced that the final show was canceled, we prepared ourselves to go through the severe rain to make it to my vehicle in the parking lot.  Without any umbrella, we asked the restaurant for some trash bags which we converted into ponchos and off we went.  My head, feet and legs were drenched but the rest of me stayed dry.  We walked through puddles and flooded surfaces laughing at ourselves (how we looked like with the makeshift ponchos) while surprisingly enjoying the experience.  And then, I told my hubby, "Out of all the things we did that day, the time we go through that rain was the most memorable and fun of all because it was different and out of the ordinary."  And he agreed.

So why am I sharing this?  It's because when the rain began to pour, I started praying and believing that the rain would stop in time so as not to go through it.  There were similar situations in the past when God answered my prayers---He calmed the storm, the thunder and lightning (literally) showing His faithfulness to us.  But there were also situations such as this that though He didn't stop the heavy rain from pouring, He provided us the means to go through it.  Come to think of it, He supplied the makeshift ponchos and the right spirit to tackle the situation.  It reminded me of a famous saying, "If life gives you lemons, make some lemonade."  It's evident that  I can only make wonderful lemonade out of the lemons of life when Jesus Christ is there to encourage and empower me to take the necessary steps towards faith in Him through the leading of the Holy Spirit.  That no matter what life brings, good or bad, expected or unexpected, He is my one and only Source!  So whether I'm faced with physical storms or the endless storms of life, I keep a positive attitude and gain wonderful experiences because God is always with me.  When we acknowledge the move of God in every situation, we find the joy that surpasses all understanding after every/any storm.  I would like to share this verse to encourage you in your walk with the Lord.

"Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress.  He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed.  They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind." (Psalm 107:28-31)

For this Card set, I used an image from Stampendous and colored it with my Prismacolor markers.  The sentiments are also from the same stamp set. The sentiment on the envelope is from another set of Stampedous stamps.  The base is white CS, cut and scored to make an A2 size cards (4.25 x 5.5 inches).  I also made the coordinating envelopes using my Envelope Punch Board from We R Memory Keepers.  I love the result since our Challenge optional twist is Clean and Simple (CAS).  It's as simple as it can be.

 HUGS XOXO CARD SET

 HUGS XOXO CARD SET 1

HUGS XOXO CARD SET 2

This Card Set is entered into the following Challenges:

Time-out---Inspired by Words
2 Crafty Critter---Add a Critter
A2Z---CAS
A Bit More Time---ATG
A Perfect Time---ATG
Classic DT---ATG
Craft Galore---ATG
Crafty Animals---ATG with Animal
Crafty Girls---ATG
Color It---ATG
Digistamps4Joy---ATG/Flower Frenzy
DL Art---ATG
Eclectic Ellapu---ATG
HLS---CAS
Love to Craft---ATG
Love to Scrap---ATG
Morgan's ArtWorld---ATG
Not Just Cards---ATG
Papercraft Business---ATG/Thankful
Paru's Cardmaking---ATG
Sunny Day Crafting---ATG with Animal
Creative Crafters---ATG
Worldwide Open DT---ATG
YSP---ATG


There you have it, folks!  Don't miss the opportunity to join our Anything Goes Challenge at 613 Avenue Create.  Can't wait to see what fabulous projects you're going to link with us.  I hope you have a great week and know that through faith in what Jesus accomplished at the Cross, we have complete victory over the works and schemes of the enemy!  Let us share this hope to countless others in the world. 

Scripture Series: Thy Spirit is Good Center Step Card---Join Us for Inspirational/Anything Goes Challenge at Word Art Wednesday!

Hello there, Crafty Peeps!   It's time for another Word Art Wednesday (WAW) Challenge and a free Scripture Word Art that you can download for free from the WAW site.  You may use it in your projects you link to our Challenge (not mandatory) or as a wonderful inspirational message for your projects.  I have featured it in my card today and it comes from Psalm 143:10 which says,"Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness." 

My Life Application Bible blessed me with a wonderful exhortation of Psalm 143 that I would love to share with you.  It says, "David was losing hope, caught in paralyzing fear and deep depression.  At times, we feel caught in deepening depression, and we are unable to pull ourselves out.  At those times, we can come to the Lord and, like David, express our true feelings.  Then He will help us as we remember his works (Psalm 143:5), reach out to Him in prayer (Psalm 143:6), trust Him (Psalm 143:8), and decide to do His will (Psalm 143:10).  David's prayer was to be taught to do God's will, not his own.  A prayer for guidance is self-centered if it doesn't recognize God's power to redirect our lives.  Asking God to restructure our priorities awakens our minds and stirs our wills.

Time and time again, we experience difficulties and many storms in life.  One moment, we are overwhelmed with joy and the next, we are bombarded with many trials that takes our joy away.  We go through a roller coaster of emotions and many of those trying moments seemed to get the very best of us.  Though I appear strong on the outside, yet inside of me is a constant battle to drown out the negative forces that tries to take me down.  Unlike others that could cope up easily with pain and challenges, I have tendencies to dwell on the emotional aspect of circumstances that could easily lead to depression.   Before I came to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, I kept so much pain and frustration inside me that stole my trust in those closest to me, my hope for a bright future and my zest to life.  Nobody knew how all these negative thoughts of life was eating me up inside because I was good in hiding them from public view.  Yet deep inside was an indescribable feeling of heaviness and  emptiness at the same time.  I thought to myself---"nobody cared!"  In my desperation, I cried unto God!  I called on the Lord before but something was different the very night I surrendered my life to Jesus Christ.  I was tired of hiding and carrying the heavy burden of emptiness and frustration and leading a life that I thought was meaningless and purposeless. I knew deep down my very core that He was the Only One who could help me and make something beautiful of the mess I was.  That was nearly 3 decades ago...Today, I am still  a living witness of the grace, goodness and the love of Almighty God through Jesus Christ!  From the time I came to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ (Born-again, John 3:3), the Holy Spirit of God lives inside of me and I am never alone in facing all the storms that are coming my way.  Like before, I still have the tendencies to overthink things but the Holy Spirit reminds me that I don't have to carry the burdens on my own.  I can place it all upon Him and with His strength through me, nothing is ever too heavy!  Psalm 34:17-19 tells us, "The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears; He delivers them from all their troubles. The LORD is near to the brokenhearted; He saves the contrite in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him from them all.”  Surely, taking God's righteous way of living prescribed in His Word (the Bible) always brings peace, hope and trust for a brighter day after every storm.

As a believer, we are not exempted from the storms of life that seeks to destroy our soul (mind, will and emotions) and spirit (intuition, communion and conscience).  Because I have an intimate relationship with the One who calms the storm and settles the raging seas, I can live in perfect peace and joy no matter what comes my way.   The Bible contains the promises of God to us.  So, when we pray,  declare His promises to our circumstances---and the Holy Spirit of God, in agreement with God's Word, will keep you in God's perfect peace always. 

For this Card, I used an image from Stampendous called "Campground" that I watercolored using my Stabilo 68 markers.  The base is white CS, cut and scored to make a 5.5 inches center step card design.  The DP is from Heidi Grace, the brads from Recollections and the glitters from Stickles (Crystal).  Lastly, I ran this card through my sewing machine for some regular and fancy stitching. 

 THY SPIRIT IS GOOD CENTER STEP CARD

 THY SPIRIT IS GOOD CENTER STEP CARD LAYERS

 THY SPIRIT IS GOOD CENTER STEP CARD SIDE VIEW

 THY SPIRIT IS GOOD CENTER STEP CARD INSIDE

THY SPIRIT IS GOOD CENTER STEP CARD WITH ENVELOPE-BOX

This Card is entered into the following Challenges:

Creative Knockouts---Something to Say
Time-out---Inspired by Words
Der---Vacation
Not Just Cards---ATG
Sweet Stampers---Summer
Creative Crafters---ATG
Worldwide Open DT---ATG

There you have it, folks!  Make sure you join us at WAW Challenge.  You can use the free Word Art in your creation and link it to our Challenge but is not a requirement.  As long as it's family-friendly, uplifting and inspirational, you can enter up to 5 times each week.  Wonderful prizes to be won from our wonderful sponsors---Newton's Nook ($20 GC) and Poly's Paper Studio (Digital sheet) .  So excited to see what you come up with.  Anyway, cheer up and let the peace of the Lord overtake you today.  I serve a good and faithful God---Jesus Christ! 

Scripture Series: The Things of Others Card Set---Join Us for Inspirational/Anything Goes Challenge at Word Art Wednesday!

Hello everyone!  It's time for another bi-weekly Challenge happening at Word Art Wednesday (WAW). As always, it's Anything Goes with an inspirational theme/message.  We are featuring a Scripture Word Art (you can download for free at the WAW site) that comes from Philippians 2:4 which says, "Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others."  In order to understand this verse, we have to take to consideration what the main verse is all about which talks about "imitating the humility of Christ."  I would like to share with you what my Life Application Bible say about Philippians 2:1-5. It says, "Many people---even Christians---live only to make a good impression on others or to please themselves.  But "selfish ambition or vain conceit" brings discord.  Paul therefore stressed spiritual unity, asking the Philippians to love one another and to be one in spirit and purpose.  When we work together, caring for the problems of others as if they were our problems, we demonstrate Christ's example of putting others first, and we experience unity.  Don't be so concerned about making a good impression or meeting your own needs that you strain relationship in God's family.  Selfish ambition can ruin a church, but genuine humility can build it.  Being humble involves having a true perspective about ourselves (Romans 12:3).  It does not mean that we should put ourselves down.  Before God, we are sinners, saved only by God's grace, but we are saved and therefore have great worth in God's kingdom.  We are to lay aside selfishness and treat others with respect and common courtesy.  Considering other's interests as more important than our own links us with Christ, Who was a true example of humility.  Philippi was a cosmopolitan city.  The composition of the Church reflected great diversity, with people from a variety of backgrounds and walks of life. Although there is no evidence of division in the church, it's unity had to be safeguarded (Philippians 3:2 and 4:2).  Paul encourages us to guard against any selfishness, prejudice, or jealousy that might lead to dissension.  Showing genuine interest in others is a positive step forward in maintaining unity among believers.  Jesus Christ was humble, willing to give up His rights in order to obey God and serve people.  Like Christ, we should have a servant attitude, serving out of love for God and for others, not out of guilt or fear.  Remember you can choose your attitude.  You can approach life expecting to be served, or you can look for opportunities to serve others (Mark 10:45).  

What an amazing example of servant hood shown to us by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  The kingdom of God is truly different from the worldly kingdom we live in.  In the world, people look for people to serve them.  Those with influence/power/beauty and riches that would catapult them  to power and fame.  Yet the kingdom of God are comprised of people who looks beyond the expectations of this world. Because nothing we gain in this world would matter in eternity (except the ones done for Christ), we don't waste out time on things of this world.  Instead, we invest on the souls of people that they too  may know Christ and create more disciples for the glory of God.  If we clear our minds of any worldly ambition, we can see every position in the service of God equally important.  There's no such things as superstars and extras in the service of the Lord.  For the teacher, pastor, evangelist, prophet and apostles are doing what God called them to do; the singers, dancers and instrumentalists are equipped with talents to escort the congregation to declare God's glory; the door greeters, the porters and the elders are assigned by God to assists in the over-all operation of the Church;  these are some of the positions we expect to see in our fellowship/services.  But how about the ones that comes after the service and cleans the Church; those that mops the floors, cleans and freshens the bathrooms and those that throw the trash or mows the lawn?  These are positions not given much recognition by men.  But the Lord Almighty knows who they are and God is pleased with their faithfulness to serve Him.  I always have to remind myself to do things for the Lord, not on pleasing others.  That is so when I'm ignored, treated unfairly, unrecognized or robbed of opportunities, I don't get consumed by frustration.  The church is made of people who are walking in different levels of faith.  It doesn't matter how long they've been attending  cause they'll be some that are blinded with worldly ambition that could cause jealousy, selfishness and prejudice leading to discord.  In these situations, I am always encouraged by what Hebrews 12:2-3 tells us, "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and the perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."  Many people left their churches because they felt neglected, unrecognized or unfairly treated.  I understand how frustrating it could be at times but there are some who left for petty things,  I pray that we mature in our faith by focusing on Jesus than man's opinions or perception of us. 

By the way, I want to tell you the story on how I colored the images for this project with crayons, instead of my usual markers or water coloring.  Several weeks ago, my 12 year old son asked if he could borrow my alcohol markers because he felt his Crayola (120 colors) would not color great. He thought my markers were better based on how I used them in my cards.  Determined to show him that no coloring medium is useless (especially after spending nearly $20 for that Crayola set he barely used), I decided to color some images from Illustrated Faith Clear Stamps with his crayons. To my surprise, the colored images came out beautifully even though I haven't colored with crayons for ages.  My son was impressed and told me that it's because I colored well (LOL).  Just a few minutes later, God impressed upon my heart this principle/lesson---that those who trust in the Lord can make wonderful things from something others would consider useless or trash.  Like my son, I used to compare things with their counterparts and prefer the things I could easily work with.  Because of this, I ended up throwing things I haven't really given myself the chance to utilize.  Sometimes, you have to make yourself available to try new things and allow the creativity of God to work in you to make something beautiful out of the things you didn't prefer or consider.  If you believe you can do something wonderful because of the inspiration of the Spirit of God inside of you, everything you utilize in your creation renders a certain beauty.  God's inspiration makes all the difference!  Each coloring medium (cheap or expensive) works together with your inspiration to create a beautiful, one of a kind art.  This is great!  Then, God took me to the next level, "What if we can apply this lesson to our brethren and the people we meet each day?  After all, people are like colorful crayons at times.  What if we can cultivate friendship not only to people that we get along with easily but get to know others who may seem difficult or different and allow the Spirit of God to work wonders with that friendship?  My, oh my!  What a difference this would make in our relationships.  I know with people, this lesson is easier said than done.  But like everything we do for the kingdom, we have to allow the Spirit of God to work in us and through us.  Only then can we accomplish the impossible.  Glory to God!

For this Card Set, I used images from a couple of sets from Illustrated Faith that I recently purchased from Hobby Lobby. The base are A2,  pre-cut cards with envelopes from Paper Studio.  I die cut the lacy circles using my Nestabilities, punched some leaves with Fiskars and stamped the loopy border with my Stampabilities clear stamp.  The flowers are from Prima and the brads from Recollections.  I also incorporated some inking using Distress Inks (Picked Raspberry, Mustard Seed and Peacock Feathers).  These cards turned out great. 

 THE THINGS OF OTHERS CARD SET

 THE THINGS OF OTHERS CARD SET WITH ENVELOPES

 THE THINGS OF OTHERS CARD (AQUA)

 THE THINGS OF OTHERS CARD (PINK)

THE THINGS OF OTHERS CARD (YELLOW)

This Card Set is entered into the following Challenges:

Aud Sentiment---ATG with Sentiment
Cards for Galz---Dies/Punches
Craft Rocket---ATG
Crafting with an Attitude---ATG
Time Out---Be Bright (Used very bright colors)


Make sure you join us at WAW Challenge.  You can use the free Word Art in your creation and link it to our Challenge but is not a requirement.  As long as it's family-friendly, uplifting and inspirational, you can submit up to 5 entries per week.  Our wonderful sponsor for this week are Pink and Main ($20 GC) and Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps (digis). So excited to see what you come up with.  Anyway, cheer up and let the Spirit of the Lord inspire and lead you today. 

Fun/Humor Series: I Thought Accessorize Humor Card---Join Us for Anything Goes Challenge at 613 Avenue Create!

Hello everyone...I'm here to feature my card for our August Monthly Challenge which is always "Anything Goes" with optional theme, "Magic or Fantasy" at 613 Avenue Create.  With this project, I opted not to follow the theme.  Instead,  I'm highlighting one of my fave images from Art Impressions.  I made the card to give to a wonderful and fabulous elderly friend at our Church along with a crochet sandals that I also made for her.

For some reason, I always love to be friends with the elderly. They bring so much wisdom in their words and genuine sweetness in their actions.  When I was five, I had the privilege of living with my maternal grandparents and my Lola (grandma) took great care of us for a couple of years.  In those days (70's) and living in a remote province in the central region of the Philippines, we lived a very simple life.  Her home was made of wood and elevated from the ground (in stilts).  Our flooring in the kitchen had gaps made from laid out bamboos.  We slept on the floor with our "banig" (made from dried leaves that are sometimes dyed before being cut into strips and woven into a mat) and covered by a "kulambo" (mosquito net).  Our bathroom and toilet were under the house and had to go outside just to get to it.  It's especially scary for me as a kid to wake up in the middle of the night and go to the toilet on my own. There was no light down there and we had to bring a lit candle or flashlight to see.  So if I had to go, I needed to wake my Lola up to accompany me.  There was no television so me and my younger brother played inside the house, learned some crafting from my Lola or once in while played outside with other kids.  Though we didn't have much materially, each day was filled with happiness, love and lots of quality time.  After a couple of years, my parents took us with them to live close to Manila (Philippines' capital city)---hundreds of miles away from my grandparents home.  Though I've seen my grandparents briefly a couple of times during my growing up years, never again did I experience the awesome personal care and love they shared with me and my brother those couple of years.  And even to this day, "I truly missed them."  I also met my fraternal grandparents several times but never similar to the couple of years I spent with my maternal grandparents.  I can say that those were one of the happiest and memorable years of my life.  Now that all my grandparents and parents are gone, I long for this kind of love and interaction with the elderly.  I had the chance to show my love and appreciation to some of them in our Church.  I love them and I felt their love for me.  Each time I get to greet them at Church, they brighten up my day. 

Deep inside each and everyone of us is the need to feel loved and cared for.  Before God, I used to look for it from people and many of them didn't last and I end up disappointed.  But I submit to you that we ought to experience the great love of God for us through Jesus Christ in order to completely feel love and secure.  I firmly believe that "you cannot give what you do not have."  Now, that I know Jesus as my Lord and Savior and the depth of what He had to go through at the Cross to display (once and for all) how valuable I am to Him; that He gave up His life so that I can be free to choose and love Him back; I know now that I have so much love to give!  There's so much of His love in me that I can give love even if its not reciprocated.  The love of God just keeps pouring into me---boundless and endless!  Whether we have similar or different experiences in life, we all remember the time we felt loved by our love ones.  And if you're Born-again (John 3:3), you remember the very day God forgave you and poured His blood at the Cross that you (once bound to sin and rebellion) could be free to follow Him.  God's love is unchanging and His faithfulness abides forever.  When we know the love of Jesus, there's no room for disappointment for even if no one cared for you in this world, He's always there and He always loves.  No matter what your circumstances are (condition), we serve a loving and faithful God that will always see us through.

I would like to share a portion of the article "Why does God love us?" from gotquestions.org  It blessed me and I know it will do the same for you.  It says, "First John 4:8 and 16 tell us that “God is love.” Never was a more important declaration made than this—God is love. This is a profound statement. God doesn’t just love; He is love. His nature and essence are love. Love permeates His very being and infuses all His other attributes, even His wrath and anger. Because God’s very nature is love, He must demonstrate love, just as He must demonstrate all His attributes because doing so glorifies Him. Glorifying God is the highest, the best, and the most noble of all acts, so, naturally, glorifying Himself is what He must do, because He is the highest and the best, and He deserves all glory.  Since it is God's essential nature to love, He demonstrates His love by lavishing it on undeserving people who are in rebellion against Him. God’s love is not a sappy, sentimental, romantic feeling. Rather, it is agape love, the love of self-sacrifice. He demonstrates this sacrificial love by sending His Son to the cross to pay the penalty for our sin (1 John 4:10), by drawing us to Himself (John 6:44), by forgiving us of our rebellion against Him, and by sending His Holy Spirit to dwell within us, thereby enabling us to love as He loves. He did this in spite of the fact that we did not deserve it. "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).  God's love is personal. He knows each of us individually and loves us personally. His is a mighty love that has no beginning and no end. It is this experiencing of God’s love that distinguishes Christianity from all other religions. Why does God love us? It is because of who He is: "God is love." 

For this Card, I used an image from Art Impressions called "Dare to be Fabulous" that I colored using my Prismacolor/Touch Five markers.  The base is an A2 size white CS and the DP's are from my scraps. I was in a rush making this card that all the border cuts are done without dies---just good ole-fashion fussy cutting. 

 I THOUGHT ACCESSORIZE HUMOR CARD

 I THOUGHT ACCESSORIZE HUMOR CARD LAYERS

 I THOUGHT ACCESSORIZE HUMOR CARD INSIDE

I THOUGHT ACCESSORIZE HUMOR CARD WITH ENVELOPE

Special thanks to MakeAndDoCrew for the free pattern and tutorial for this crochet slippers.  If you're interested in this pattern, you can find it HERE.  If you want me to make one for you, please let me know in the comment and will discuss the details. BTW, I first learned Crochet and basic stitches from my Lola (Filipino word for "Grandma") back when I was five. She's a seamstress and great with needlework.  Though I never made any project for many years, I realized that the skills she taught me stayed with me all along which helped me tackle some wonderful patterns with less difficulty and fall in love with Crocheting just a couple of years ago.  Really, thanks to my Lola!
 

SUMMERTIDE SLIP-ONS

The Card is entered into the following Challenges:

A2Z---ATG
A Bit More Time---ATG
A Perfect Time---ATG
Artistic Stampers---ATG
Classic DT---ATG
Crafteezee---Summer
Crafts Galore---ATG
Craftyhazelnuts---Patterned Paper
Creatalicious---ATG/FairyTale
Color It---ATG
Daisy Chain---ATG
Digistamps4Joy---ATG/Add Sentiment
Fabrika Fantasy---ATG
Let's Craft and Create---ATG/Lots of Layers
Love to Craft---ATG
 MIUCB---ATG/Acrylic Block Stamping
Morgan's Artworld----ATG
Papercraft Business---ATG/Summer
YSBP---ATG


There you have it, folks!  Don't miss the fun by joining our Anything Goes Challenge at 613 Avenue Create.   Can't wait to see what fabulous projects you're going to highlight this month. Share the love of God to anyone you'll meet these days.

Scripture Series: Like a Watered Garden---Join Us for Another Inspirational/Anything Goes Challenge at Word Art Wednesday!

Hi there, Crafty pals!  Here to highlight my inspiration project for our newest Challenge at Word Art Wednesday (WAW).  As always, we feature a Scripture Word Art  that you can download for free at the WAW site.  It comes from Isaiah 58:11 which says, "And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not."  What a wonderful passage pertaining to  those who truly seek and obey the Will of God and not doing things out of selfish ambitions and worldly praise.  Isaiah 58 deals with "True Fasting" in the sight of the Lord.  I would like to share what my Life Application Bible shared concerning this chapter for it truly blessed me.  It says, "True worship is more than a religious ritual, going to the temple everyday, fasting and listening to Scripture readings.  These people missed the point of a living, vital relationship with God.  He doesn't want us acting pious when we have unforgiven sin in our hearts and perform sinful practices with our hands.  More important even than correct worship and doctrine is compassion for the poor, the helpless and the oppressed.  We cannot be saved by the deeds of service without faith in Christ, but our faith lacks sincerity if it doesn't reach out to others.  Fasting can be beneficial spiritually and physically, but at its best, fasting helps only the person doing it.  God says He wants our service to go beyond our personal growth to acts of kindness, charity, justice and generosity.  True fasting is more than what we don't eat; it is pleasing God by applying His Word to our society. 

As believers (Born-again, John 3:3) of the Lord Jesus Christ, each of us are walking in different levels of FAITH as influenced by our encounter and responsiveness to the Word of God.  To put our faith (trust, believe, adhere, cling, depend, reliance) into something means that we are ready to put our lives on the line for something bigger than ourselves and for a cause much bigger than what this world can offer.  So, it's very important for the OBJECT of our faith to be Tried, True and Unchanging.  Malachi 3:6 says, "For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed."  The Lord created everything through His spoken Word.  John 1:1-5 says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.  Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.  In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."  JESUS is the "Word of God" (Logos/Word---the expression of the thought or the totality of the message of God to man).  John 1:14 testifies to this Truth when it says, "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." We are so blessed by the Written Word of God (the Bible) and the historical evidence of the life, ministry and the finished work of Jesus Christ at the Cross (personal revelation of God in Christ) to know that we are planted on a Sure Foundation.  The natural revelation of the Lord (things we see around us) declare His undeniable power and glory.  We have proven in time that what He said would happen---happened!   You see, the currency of heaven is FAITH.  Hebrews 11:6 clearly says, "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."  But how do we acquire faith?  It is not earned by prayer, fasting nor doing good works.  Sometimes, we even pray for the Lord to increase our faith.  While it may sound good, but God already revealed to us how we can access "FAITH."  Romans 10:17 (AMP) says, " So faith comes from hearing [what is told], and what is heard comes by the [preaching of the] message concerning Christ."  The level of study/commitment/obedience you give to the Truth you hear (exposure to the Word of God) determines the level of faith/maturity/growth that influences/directs your life.  Contrary to what the world dictates, obedience to His Word is valued by Almighty God.  Anyone who adds or subtracts from God's Word deceiving many is destined for eternal damnation.  God is looking for people who will take His Word to heart and wholeheartedly apply it to honor Him and serve others.  Any exterior signs of spirituality without the right motive to obey God's Word are nothing but filthy rags in the sight of our Lord.  Matthew 24:35 says, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away."  If the Word of God (Jesus) is going to be with us forever, would it be beneficial for us to live this life for Him and by Him?

For this Card, I used an image from Stamping Bella called "Petunia Gets a Piggy Back" that I watercolored with my Stabilo 68 markers.  The base is an A7 pre-cut card, the lacy border was created with  an MS Punch and the metallic gems are from Imaginisce.  I also added some glitters to the image using Stickles (Crystal) and incorporated some stitching all over the card.  Simply beautiful!

 LIKE A WATERED GARDEN

 LIKE A WATERED GARDEN LAYERS

 LIKE A WATERED GARDEN INSIDE

LIKE A WATERED GARDEN WITH ENVELOPE-BOX

This Card is entered into the following Challenges:

Ellibelle's---Summer 

Sunny Day Crafting---Animals

Crafty Addicts---ATG/Pets 

Craft Rocket---Summer 

Crafting with Attitude---ATG 

Star Stampz---Summer is Here 

2 Crafty Critter---ATG with Critter

A Bit More Time---ATG 

A Perfect Time---ATG

Card Mania---ATG 

Classic DT---ATG 

Country View---Summer Garden 

Crafteezee---Summer 

Crafts Galore---ATG 

Crafty Animals---ATG with Animals 

Crafty Girls---ATG 

Creatalicious---ATG with No Patterned Paper 

Create and Inspire---ATG

Hope you enjoyed my featured project today at WAW...I am looking forward to see your projects linked to our Challenge.  You can include the free Word Art in your projects to link,  but not a requirement.  You can submit any inspirational, uplifting, family friendly creations (up to 5 each week) for more chances to win our prize from our sponsors this week---The Project Bin ($15 GC) and Iralamija (Digi Stamps). Everything we hear and see should always be brought to the approval and/or correction of the infallible Word of God---Jesus Christ!  He is the Author and the Finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).   

Scripture Series: I Will Dwell in the House Card---It's a Start of Another Challenge at Word Art Wednesday!

Hi friends!  I'm here to feature the card I made for our Challenge that started July 4th at Word Art Wednesday (WAW).  So sorry for not posting it sooner due to busy schedule and not feeling well the past couple of days.  Our Scripture Word Art (you can download for free) at WAW comes from Psalm 23:6 which says, "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever."

One of my favorite chapters in the Bible is Psalm 23.  My Life Application Bible shared a wonderful exhortation about this Psalm that I would like to impart it to you.  It says:  "In describing the Lord as a Shepherd, David wrote out of his own experience because he had spent his early years caring for the sheep (1 Samuel 16:10-11).  Sheep are completely dependent upon the shepherd  for provision, guidance, and protection.  The New Testament calls Jesus the Good Shepherd (John 10:11), the Great Shepherd (Hebrews 13:20-21), and the Chief Shepherd (1Peter 5:4).  As the Lord is the Good Shepherd, so we are His sheep---not frightened, passive animals, but obedient followers, wise enough to follow one who will lead us in the right places and in right ways. This psalm does not focus on the animal-like qualities of sheep, but on the discipleship qualities of those who follow.  When you recognize the Good Shepherd, follow Him!

One of the videos I've seen a while back was of a farm where people were encouraged to call a flock  of sheep by teaching them the word/sound to make.  One by one, they tried to call the sheep and they all failed as the sheep seemed deaf to the noise they're making.  Then finally, the shepherd (farmer)   called them and all of a sudden, they heard him and rushed toward his direction.  It was a wonderful sight as I was reminded of what Jesus said in John 10:27-28 which says, "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.  I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand."  See the video HERE.

In the world today, we hear a lot of different voices (noise) that tempt/lead us to follow a different path other than what the Lord Jesus provided for us.  Many of them are outright evil that promotes temporary pleasures for the body while simultaneously destroying it as well.  Drug addiction, alcoholism, smoking, sexual perversion are some we see daily on TV, movies or even in our neighborhood (just to name a few).  While many other temptations are hidden under a spiritual disguise---those that deceive people to find their own way to God.  One great example of that is RELIGION (man's way to reach God).  Every religion incorporates a certain truth taken from the Word of God.  Like the Devil, Religion perverts God's Word by adding or subtracting to the Truth in order to persuade many to follow them.  Salvation through good works, bowing down to idols of every kind and earning (bogus) rewards by killing and harming others are some of the things made up by people's religion.  You don't have to look very far to see how "TRUE LOVE" is given a whole new meaning in today's society. Their  new worldly definition requires that you love people and embrace their sinfulness to the point that you not only tolerate it but practice it as well.  That if anyone points them to the Truth of God's Word that contradicts their sinful lifestyle, you are hateful and judgmental.  John 3:16 shows us what LOVE truly means when it says, "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."  GOD IS LOVE and God's kind of love is UNSELFISH!  God calls us to serve than to be served.  In our service to God, we want people to find the Truth even in the midst and danger of persecution in the hopes that in their repentance, they will find eternal peace with God.  Another thing this world is pushing these days is selfishness---"Be an American Idol/Icon, show off our talents, fulfill our dreams to stardom and to follow our own path to success. It teaches us to love ourselves and not deprived us of all the pleasure we crave for."   Though it may sound wonderfully encouraging---IT IS NOT!  I used to sing the song "My Way" by Frank Sinatra as it's a fave of my Dad.  But now, I could no longer identify with the lyrics.  Since Christ ruled my life, I no longer do it my way but "God's Way!" Everyone who placed their faith in the Lordship of Jesus Christ should acknowledge this Scripture in Galatians 2:20 which states, "I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me."  The moment we came to the saving knowledge of Jesus, we also surrendered to Him our earthly lives and dreams.  That when His Holy Spirit comes to live inside of us, we acknowledge that He makes the decision where to take and use us.  So when a believer says, "Live/Follow Your Dreams" to a congregation/audience,  I can't help but ask, "whose dreams he or she is talking about?"  For "living our dream" for many (sadly even for most believers) always involve power, fame, influence and material success.  These things are not bad in itself but we saw how many were destroyed by the very things they crave for and  how it caused them to be blind and deaf to the true voice and calling of their Shepherd (the Lord).  The farther away we distance ourselves from the flock (Church-Body of Christ) and God's Word, the less we hear of God's voice.  Without our Shepherd, we are vulnerable to the attacks of the enemy (1 Peter 5:8).  For our safety is in knowing Jesus Christ,  the Truth of His Word and having other believers to encourage us to follow Him daily.  For everything in this world is temporary.  While we are here, we experience the goodness, grace and love of our Father through the Holy Spirit that leads us in His straight, narrow and safe path.  Let us focus on the voice of our Shepherd, Jesus Christ, who is able to lead us out of the temporary to eternal happiness in His presence.  Like the sheep who knows and follows the Shepherd, let us eagerly follow Jesus, our Good, Great and Chief Shepherd who will keep us to Himself now and forever.    


For this Card, I used an image from Bugaboo Stamps called "AKV Army Truck" (retired) that I colored using my Prismacolor markers.  The base is Kraft, cut and scored to make a 5.5 inches square card.  The DP's are from Recollections and Paper Studio.  The metal embellishments are from Imaginisce and the stitching are added using my sewing machine. 

 I WILL DWELL IN THE HOUSE CARD

 I WILL DWELL IN THE HOUSE CARD LAYERS

 I WILL DWELL IN THE HOUSE CARD INSIDE

I WILL DWELL IN THE HOUSE CARD WITH ENVELOPE-BOX

This Card is entered into the following Challenges:

Colour Crazy---ATG
Crafting with Friends---ATG
Crafty Catz---ATG/Summer Fun
Creative Fingers---ATG
Jo's Scrap Shack---ATG
QKR---ATG
Simply Papercraft---ATG
Crafting with an Attitude---ATG
Little Miss Muffet---ATG


Make sure you join us at WAW Challenge.  You can use the free Word Art in your creation and link it to our Challenge but is not a requirement.  As long as it's family-friendly, uplifting and inspirational, you can enter up to 5 times this week.  Wonderful prizes to be won from our wonderful sponsors---Wild Orchid Crafts (flowers and leaves), Sunny Studio Stamps ($25 GC) and Jane's Doodles (digi stasmps).  So excited to see what you come up with.  Anyway, cheer up and let the peace of the Lord overtake you today.  I follow a good and faithful Shepherd---Jesus Christ!