Scripture Series: In the Day of Christ Center Step Card---Join Us for Anything Goes/Inspirational Challenge at Word Art Wednesday!

Hi there, friends!  It's time for another bi-weekly Challenge at Word Art Wednesday (WAW).  This time, we are using a Scripture Word Art that comes from Philippians 2:16 which tells us, "Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain. "Wow, I just posted several days ago how negative thoughts both from the world and among believers of Christ truly affect our spiritual well being. So, I didn't plan for the same topic but based on what I felt God wanted me to share, this would be part two...LOL  (If you wish to see my first post, go HERE).

The world's obsession with cosmetic surgery, other than the ones medically necessary,  is something I couldn't endure watching because it shows the utter discontent by some over their physical appearance as they try to compare themselves with others.  They pay top notch dollars to achieve their shallow and perverted idea of beauty.  At its core, it shows how dissatisfied they are with how they were created and honestly, an insult to the very One Who created them.  Though I haven't met anyone in the Church (in all the years I came to know Christ) that is obsessed with cosmetic surgery, however, there's a lot of complaining about life, status, career,  relationships, etc. that makes me wonder if they have truly known God.  I'm not talking about the momentary feeling of hopelessness that we all experience due to momentary circumstances.  What I'm highlighting here is a lifestyle of negativity and passivity.  These are people who refuses to testify of  God's blessings in their lives yet always finds a way to discuss the negative in themselves and others.  I submit to you that there were times I asked people at the end of a Church service (when the Spirit of God moved mightily in the midst of the congregation) how they were doing?  I'd occasionally encounter someone responding this way, "Oh, I am having such a difficult time financially and feel sick all the time.  I feel like nothings is going right in my life and everything is just hard." 

You see, I'm the type of person that appreciates people's honesty and would like to encourage fellow believers by praying with them, giving them the encouragement of the Word of God or even offer help and support when necessary. I am also very aware that believers are on different levels of faith and we all need a deep understanding of God's Word in order to apply them to our unique situations.   And although we heard the same Word from the pulpit, not everyone receives the full benefits of what was taught because we all hear and see differently in the spirit (which is based on our exposure and study of the Word of God).  Like in the Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13:1-23 when Jesus was questioned by his disciples why He spoke to the large crowd in parables, Jesus said, "that in their seeing, they don't really see and in their hearing, they truly don't hear nor understand."  For our hearts are likened into a type of soil that the seed (Word of God) is planted on.  There are many kinds of soil but only a good soil brings forth good fruits and multiply.   As the daughter of the Most High God, I am to live and breathe God's Word.  I may be worried or caught up with negative thoughts at certain situations but once the Word comes into my heart, I yield to the hope God's Word imparts.  My situations may linger but inside me is a battle to drown the negative thoughts with the assurance and the power of God's promises. God's Word is always my default.  I find it hard to help and encourage anyone that  don't value the Word of God and wants to dwell on the negative.  For even Jesus didn't do many miracles in His hometown of Nazareth because of people's UNBELIEF (Matthew 13:53-58).  For every believer that comes to the saving knowledge of JESUS CHRIST approached God by FAITH.  His finished work at the Cross (His death, burial and resurrection) saved us from the power of Sin and Death that plagued Creation since the Fall of Man.  Salvation is GOD'S FREE GIFT to mankind.  Unless we operate by FAITH (trust, adhere, cling, rely, depend) in what HE accomplished and believe that His grace is sufficient to save us, we will NOT benefit from God's free gift.  Be aware that faith is the currency of heaven and though God's power is not dependent upon our unbelief, He honors our free will to believe or not.  Hebrews 11:6 clearly states, "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." Read and study Hebrews 11 if you want to know what FAITH is all about.

So dear friends, the reason why it's unbearable to hang out with negative and complaining people is because they constantly attack FAITH.  One day, I remember myself declaring that our family trip would be blessed with such a wonderful weather and immediately, my hubby said, "Oh, the news said that there's going to be heavy rains where were going with possible flooding later on in the day!"  So, I responded, "I don't care what the news said, "I believe that the Lord is blessing us with a wonderful weather and a safe trip!" Not that I was not aware of the weather but I actually chose to set my faith above what my physical eyes could see knowing that my God was able!  And I tell you, I have seen so many miracles happened just because I chose to believe.  And in those few times where negative things happened, God still provided a way to show He's very present in our lives.  Know that our words have profound effect in our daily lives.  We must breath, live and speak God's Word into our circumstances daily.  Always remember that although we are in this world, we are not of  this world.  We should be operating in the truth of God's kingdom where abundance, joy, peace and hope dwells.  Yes, many would think we're out of touch or even crazy but we are here to please God, not people!

For this Card, I used an image from Sugar Pea Designs called "A Bushel and a Peck" that I colored using my Hobby Colour and Prismacolor markers.  The base is a white CD, cut and scored to make a 5.5 inches center step design.  I used several border dies from Lawn Fawn to create the background an ink them with Tim Holtz Distress Inks.  I used my own cloud stencil, stamped addtional images from Stampabilities, added some glitter from Stickles (Crystal) and embellished with butterflies from Recollections.  I opted to skip my usual stitching to highlight the inking.  So happy with the end result. 

 IN THE DAY OF CHRIST CENTER STEP CARD

 IN THE DAY OF CHRIST CENTER STEP CARD LAYERS

 IN THE DAY OF CHRIST CENTER STEP CARD SIDE VIEW

IN THE DAY OF CHRIST CENTER STEP CARD INSIDE

IN THE DAY OF CHRIST CENTER STEP CARD WITH ENVELOPE-BOX

This Card is entered into the following Challenges:

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 is  Paper Smooches, giving away a $25 GC.  So excited to see what you come up with.  Anyway, cheer up and let the joy of the Lord overtake you today.  If you are trusting in Jesus, you are blessed beyond measure.

CAS Series: Sunshine and Happiness Birthday Card---Join Us at 613 Avenue Create for another Anything Goes, Monthly Challenge!

Hello everyone.  We have a new Challenge for this month at 613 Avenue Create that started a couple of days ago.  As always, it's Anything Goes with an optional twist, "Use Your Country's Flag Colors." Since we have a  few DT's that used the American flag colors, I opted for the Anything Goes.

Last night, I stumbled upon a TV program that had to do with cosmetic surgery and the different reasons and motive each client present to the doctors to accomplish what they want.  Some had facial deformities from birth that caused limited movement or breathing as well as emotional pain from being bullied due to their physical appearance.  While I saw the necessity for others to have such a procedure to improve their way of living  and boost confidence, there were also many whose main purpose in life is to be physically attractive which clearly showed how self centered they were to the point of self worship.  I don't usually enjoy these programs but I was preoccupied with organizing some stuff that the program played from one episode to the next.  I heard and saw bits and pieces of the episodes until I couldn't take it anymore.  The truth is after some time, I felt tired listening/watching the discontent and the vanity by most of the people in the show.   I felt spiritually irritated  by the negative spirit the program reflected.  Personally, I would compare the feeling I experienced last night to how I felt when I hanged out with people who had nothing positive to say.  Gotquestions.org says, "Negative people tend to focus on others’ faults (or their own faults). They may regularly point out shortcomings with their comments, attitudes, and frowns. Negative people will approach situations from a pessimistic viewpoint, assuming the worst in any given situation. Sometimes negative people disguise their negativity by using humor or sarcasm, but it still ultimately results in someone being or feeling put down."

Ultimately, all you hear from Negative people are complaints day and night.  Now, we have many people like that in the world but there are some of them who professed to be Christians too. Though they heard the encouraging Truth of God's Word, they find ways to justify their "Poor Me" attitude.  Not that I don't care nor love these brethren in the faith, but at some point, I had to consciously distance myself from them for they negatively affect the spiritual state of my being. Constant complaining is toxic that fuels unbelief.  It teaches us to doubt the promises of God!  I would like to share another article from Gotquestions.org that would make my point clearer.  It says, " The Greek word translated “complainer” means literally “one who is discontented with his lot in life.” It is akin to the word grumbler. Complaining is certainly not a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) and, in fact, is detrimental to the peace, joy, and patience that come from the Spirit. For the Christian, complaining is destructive and debilitating personally and only serves to make our witness to the world more difficult. Who, for instance, would be attracted to a religion whose adherents are dissatisfied with life and who continually grumble and complain? The first complainer was Adam who, after he and Eve disobeyed, complained to God that “the woman you put here with me – she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it” (Genesis 3:12). The son of Adam, called Cain, also complained, although undoubtedly within himself (Genesis 4:6). We also know of the complaints made by Moses, when he met God at the burning bush (Exodus 3–4). Also, Moses cried to the Lord repeatedly for deliverance from the Israelites’ grumbling and idolatry (Exodus 17:4; 32:31-32). We also know of the complaints that David offered up to the Lord in the Psalms (Psalm 2:1; 12:1-2; 22:1) and the complaints made by the prophets concerning the idolatry of the Jewish nation. However, the book of Job offers the most in the way of complaints toward God, and yet Job did not sin (Job 1:22, 2:10). That is not to say that the aforementioned people never sinned in voicing their complaints to God, but Job was a man who was able to sanctify his complaints, and that took humility. Clearly, as believers we are challenged not to grumble or complain (Philippians 2:14-15; 1 Peter 4:9); rather, we are to love one another deeply so that we may become “blameless and pure” in God’s eyes. If we grumble and complain, it shows how worldly we still are (James 4:1-3). A complaining spirit leads to fighting and quarrelling because complaints come from unfulfilled desires, which lead to envy and strife. Was that not at the root of the problem with the sons of Israel, when they chose to dispose of their brother Joseph, because of his dream (Genesis 37:3)?  Finally, while it is not wrong to complain to God, it is wrong to complain about God. Those that did so met the anger of the Lord, as was the case of Moses’ sister Miriam (Numbers 12) and Korah and Dathan (Numbers 16). But note that they spoke against God’s servant and, in doing so, spoke against God Himself. If we must complain, let it be to Him about our own sinfulness so that He will forgive and cleanse us (1 John 1:9) and put within us a new heart, one that rejoices rather than complains." 

Let us live our lives full of gratitude for everything the Lord provided us---big and small.  Thank Him each day for the finished work of Jesus Christ at the Cross that provided us victory over Sin and Death.  Be grateful for His Holy Spirit living inside every believer that anchors us to His promises in Christ now and forever.  For in the Lord, our gloomy days can turn into sunshine and our sadness, can turn into joy and happiness.

For this Card, I used an image from Heidi Grace Stamps and stamped/colored them with my Marvy Uchida markers.  The base is an A2 pre-cut card with envelope from the Paper Studio.  This is a very simple, no fuzz card that I truly love.

 SUNSHINE AND HAPPINESS BIRTHDAY CARD

 SUNSHINE AND HAPPINESS BIRTHDAY CARD INSIDE

SUNSHINE AND HAPPINESS BIRTHDAY CARD WITH ENVELOPE

This Card is entered into the following Challenges:


This is it for now, guys.  Make sure to join us at our neighborhood---613 Avenue Create---for an Anything Goes Challenge.  If you want to be challenged, take on the Optional Twist.  But there's really no reason for you to miss it. Can't wait to see what you create. Remember to trust the Lord Jesus Christ always!

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Scripture Series: Walk in Liberty Card---Join Us for Another Bi-Weekly Inspirational/Anything Goes Challenge at Word Art Wednesday!

Hello everyone,  I'm here to share another card that I made featuring our Scripture Word Art for our Word Art Wednesday (WAW) current Challenge.  Like always, you can download it for free at the WAW site if you want to use it for your projects.  It comes from Psalm 119:45 which says, "And I will walk at liberty: for I seek thy precepts." 

This verse  is packed with Truth which emphasizes the importance of God's Word as we navigate in this world.  It is our "blueprint" to the Kingdom of God that shows us how to operate under His  purpose, favor and rule not only in this temporary world but most importantly, the eternal.  To deviate from the precepts/statutes (a law or decree) made by the Sovereign God constitutes rebellion and betrayal to the very One who created everything.  HE is the very SOURCE of our being and His "breath of life in us" is why we are even alive in the first place.   Truth of the matter is, we are under the Lordship of the Very One Who created us.  Without Him, there's no life!  The illusion that we are the masters of ourselves and our destiny is incomprehensible and is so far from the Truth.  Once we're faced with life and death situations, we quickly realize how we are never in control. No amount of wealth, power and strength can save you from the claws of death other than the mercy and favor of our Creator through Jesus Christ.  He gave us life and He is the Only One who can take it away.   Every time we decide to leave God out of the equation, we are putting ourselves in physical and spiritual danger.  For if we convinced ourselves that we are accountable to nobody and we are not going to reap the consequences of everything we did in our lifetime (good or bad), we are in for a rude awakening.  God is love and His love brought Him from His glorious throne to suffer God's wrath at the Cross of Calvary so that the punishment of Man's rebellion was paid for and wholly satisfied.  God's holiness cannot tolerate unrighteousness of any kind.  Therefore, God's love had to come down and quench the wrath of God that mankind deserved.  So that by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, everyone who placed their trust in His finished work at the Cross would be saved.  But many chose to harden their hearts and boast of their rebellion.  Romans 2:5-12 is crystal  on this when it says, "But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. God “will repay each person according to what they have done.”To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For God does not show favoritism. All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.) This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares."

In order to protect ourselves from the spiritual blindness that is devouring this world, we are to commit to seek the Word of God and consider what He has to say every time we make decisions.  It is in our best interest to obey God's statutes or we are not going to reap the rewards and blessings  His promises carry.  Often times, we don't get recognition for faithfully obeying God but it should not discourage us for we know that nothing is hidden in God's sight.  He will reward everything we do for His kingdom.  There is absolute freedom (even in persecution) when we follow Christ!  The reason why there's so much war on Christianity nowadays is because  true believers cannot be placed  in a box.  When Socialism arises and government controls the masses and fails to deliver their unrealistic promises, the people are plunged into chaos due to starvation and hopelessness.  Yet true Christians calls upon the Lord in the midst of their dreadful situation and find hope even in need.  Psalm 37:23-25 says, "The steps of a man are ordered by the LORD, and He delights in his way. Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed, for the LORD is holding his hand. I once was young and now am old, yet never have I seen the righteous abandoned or their children begging for bread."

Big government wants to be the "god" of the people but we come against them and declare, "You are not God and we are not bowing down to you. The Lord has power over all and He will come to our rescue."  Now, with just this few illustrations, you can see how Christians can hinder this Satanic agenda of governmental take over.  God's people are refusing to submit to their One World, tyrannical ruling.  Therefore, the enemies of our faith are looking for ways to eliminate or instill fear to the children of God so that we are not to rise up and take our lawful place in shining God's light in this darkened world.  Yet in the midst of dangers and persecution, we know that true liberty (freedom) is enjoyed by those who serve the One True God.  For if we perish serving the Lord in this lifetime, we know that eternity awaits us in the radiant glory in Jesus Christ prepared for the faithful.  When we know who we are in Christ and are operating under His purpose and plans, we are UNSTOPPABLE!  So while we are given by God this window of opportunity to share the Gospel and participate in our governmental affairs, let us boldly represent God without apologies.  

For this Card, I used an image from WPlus9 called "Doodle Buds" which I paper-pieced and fussy-cut.  The base is a white CS, cut and scored to make a 5.5 inches square card.  The DP's are from my stash and I added some glitters from Stickles (Crystal).  Lastly, I added some fancy and regular stitching. 

 WALK AT LIBERTY CARD

 WALK AT LIBERTY CARD LAYERS

 WALK AT LIBERTY CARD INSIDE

WALK AT LIBERTY CARD WITH ENVELOPE-BOX

This Card is entered into the following Challenges:


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 sponsor---Stamp Simply Clear Stamps (2 stamps sets or 1 stamp set and a die-cut).  So excited to see what you come up with.  Anyway, cheer up and let the joy of the Lord overtake you today.  Exalt His Name wherever you go!  

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Scripture Series: A Father Unto You Card---Join our for Another Inspirational/Anything Goes Challenge at Word Art Wednesday!

Hello Crafty Peeps!  I know I am super duper delayed in posting this Card I made for our Word Art Wednesday Challenge (WAW) that started several days ago.  As always, it's Anything Goes and must be inspirational.  In this Challenge, you can download for free the Scripture Word Art that I used in my project by going to the WAW site.  The verse comes from 2 Corinthians 6:18 that says, "And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty."

Like any other verse in the Bible, we cannot just read this verse and ignore the context of the entire book/chapter from which it comes from in our quest to fully understand the true meaning of this passage.  Often times, we missed the entire point and expect God's blessings when we fail to understand what God is truly saying.  God sets up Natural and Spiritual laws that provide blessings to those who obey His statutes and curse to those who chose to rebel.  One of them is the Law of Sowing and Reaping.  Gotquestions.org has a wonderful explanation that is worth sharing about this topic.  It says, " Most of the Bible was originally written to those living in an agrarian society, people familiar with working the land, managing livestock, and raising crops. Many of Jesus’ parables involve the farming life. Not surprisingly, then, the Bible contains many references to sowing and reaping, and here are some of the principles we learn:  Sowing and reaping is a law of the natural world. On the third day of creation, God commanded the earth to bring forth living plants “bearing seed” and fruit “with seed in it” (Genesis 1:12). These plants were then given to man for food (verse 29). Ever since the beginning, man has understood the process of sowing and reaping and has applied it to his benefit.  God uses the law of sowing and reaping to bestow His blessing. God’s blessing comes generally to the whole world as He sends sun and rain to the just and the unjust (Matthew 5:45). In some cases His blessing comes more specially to those of His choosing, such as Isaac. Genesis 26:12 says that Isaac sowed a crop and received a hundredfold in one season because the Lord targeted him for blessing.  God warned Israel that, if they forsook Him and pursued idols, the law of sowing and reaping would be suspended and their crops would fail (Leviticus 26:16b). This happened to disobedient Judah on a couple occasions (Jeremiah 12:13; Micah 6:15). Sowing and reaping is also a law of the spiritual world. It is more than just an agricultural principle. It is an axiom of life that we reap what we sow. Galatians 6:7 says, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” There are natural consequences to our actions. The world operates under the law of cause and effect. There is no way around it: every time we choose an action, we also choose the consequences of that action. We reap in kind to what we sow. Those who plant apple seeds should expect to harvest apples. Those who sow anger should expect to receive what anger naturally produces. Galatians 6:8 says, “Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.” Living a life of carnality and sin and expecting to inherit heaven is akin to planting cockle burrs and waiting for roses. This principle works both positively and negatively. “The one who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward” (Proverbs 11:18b), but “whoever sows injustice reaps calamity” (Proverbs 22:8a)."

Our highlighted verse at the very beginning of this post is one of those promises of God to those who would not compromise their faith in Christ for a sinful lifestyle through worldly practices/relationships.  Quoting from my Life Application Bible, "Separation from the world involves more than keeping our distance from sinful practices.  It means staying close to God.  It involves more than avoiding entertainment that leads to sin; It extends into how we spend our time and money.  There is no way to separate ourselves totally from all sinful influences.  Nevertheless, we are to resist the sin around us, without either giving up or giving in.  When you know what God wants you to do, make a clean break with sinful practices."  For we are either blessed or corrupted by anyone/anything we associate ourselves with.  As a child of the Most High God, we are to live the high calling that God called us as the redeemed of the Lord Jesus Christ.  When we repented of our sin and surrendered ourselves to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, God equipped us with His supernatural power by the indwelling and infilling of the Holy Spirit to conquer the spiritual forces of darkness that tries to take us down daily.  At no point does He leave us alone in our walk with Him.  We are to listen, discern, pray and act in accordance to the will and purpose of the King we pledged allegiance to---Jesus Christ!  This is only possible if we are adept with God's Word through committed study for understanding and correct application.  Things that we have studied, proven and are sure about, we don't compromise!  Though many fall daily into deception, sad to say that many of them profess to be "Christian leaders" from well-known mega churches, we don't follow the trend/culture of this world that caters to humanism and moral relativism and rejects the infallible, unchanging, eternal Word of God.  When we truly adhere to the Truth of God and His Word, we would never escape persecution from the worldly people, ungodly system and evil agenda of our time.  If you are loved by the world, you need to evaluate whether you are still in the faith.  That's how serious we are to be in being the Salt and Light of this world (Matthew 5:13-16).  

So, what kind of seed are you planting today?  Are you sowing seeds of righteousness in Christ which yields an incorruptible harvest in the eternal or are you planting seeds of rebellion and earthly pleasures that is temporary and carries out a harvest of eternal damnation?  Since I am a daughter of the Most High God, I will carry out my Father's Will (no matter what the cost) for an eternal life and joy in the presence of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! Want to share the following verses to ponder on in Deuteronomy 30:15-20 which says, "See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess. But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob."

For this Card, I used an image from C.C. Designs called "Allys" and watercolored it using my Kimberley Watercolor Pencils.  The base is a Kraft CS, cut and scored to make a 5.5 inches square card.  The DP's are from Paper Studio, the layered flowers from Prima and Recollections, the brad from Recollections and jute from my stash.  I also added some glitters (Stickles-Crystal) and some regular and fancy stitching.

 A FATHER UNTO YOU CARD

 A FATHER UNTO YOU CARD LAYERS

 A FATHER UNTO YOU CARD INSIDE

A FATHER UNTO YOU CARD WITH ENVELOPE-BOX

This Card is entered into the following Challenges:

A Perfect Time to Craft---ATG
Classic DT---ATG
Crafts Galore Encore---ATG
Craftyhazelnut's---Patterned Paper
Color Create Show It Off---ATG
Creative Craft Cottage---ATG
Digi Doodle---Special Day (Father's Day)
Happy Craft---ATG
Happy Little Stampers---Watercolor/Love
LeAnn's World---ATG
Let's Craft and Create---ATG/You're the Man
Love to Scrap---No Rulz
Morgan's Artworld---ATG
Papercraft---ATG
Sognando---A Time For You
Sweet Stampers---ATG
YSP---Welcome Summer


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.  Great prizes to be won from our wonderful sponsor, The Project Bin ($15 GC).  So excited to see what you come up with.  Anyway, cheer up and let the peace of the Lord overtake you today.  In Christ, we have a very bright and joyful future forever!

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Fun/Humor Series: Bowler Babes Birthday Center Step Card---Join Us at 613 Avenue Create for our Anything Goes/June Challenge!

Hello everyone...I'm here to feature my card for our 613 Avenue Create Anything Goes, June Challenge.  I took on the optional twist which is "More Than One Fold" with this center step card design.  I've had this fun stamps for a while but it's only now, I am able to use them. I love it!

Anyway, I've been away from the Blogging world for more than two weeks.  There's always a lot of things to do than what I have time for.  The story of my life... But making cards is not just a hobby for me but a ministry. Through creativity, I can share God's Word and shed a light to the issues of our day and apply God's Truth at this crucial time.   Though I thought of taking a break several times, I knew it was not up to me.  For as long as the Spirit of the Lord is leading me to tell of His Word, I will continue to obey.

So, I just got done with our Bible class on the topic of Church vs. Culture where we looked into the politics that affected both the Old and the New Testaments.  The argument that Christians are supposed to stay away from political issues is a blatant lie.  Just go to 1 and 2 Kings and 1 and 2 Chronicles and you'll find out how politics affected the plight of believers throughout the Bible and how God used it to fulfill His purpose.   There's so many things to share but I'll concentrate on one topic this time and that is GLOBALISM.  Do you know that the original Globalist is Satan?  Matthew 4:8 tells us of the third temptation Satan used on Jesus which says, "Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Here, Satan was tempting Jesus to receive authority of the kingdoms of this world (which Satan originally got from Adam when Man fell into Sin) in exchange for Jesus worshiping him.  But we know what happened. Jesus put him in his place by invoking the Word of God.   Genesis 11:1-9 tells us that God had to deal with man's efforts towards globalization when they proceeded in building the Tower of Babel.  This is a direct rebellion against what God told them to do.  Gotquestions.org explains, " The Tower of Babel is described in Genesis 11:1-9. After the Flood, God commanded humanity to "increase in number and fill the earth" (Genesis 9:1). Humanity decided to do the exact opposite, “Then they said, ‘Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth’” (Genesis 11:4). Humanity decided to build a great city and all congregate there. They decided to build a gigantic tower as a symbol of their power, to make a name for themselves (Genesis 11:4). This tower is remembered as the Tower of Babel. In response, God confused the languages of humanity so that they could no longer communicate with each other (Genesis 11:7). The result was that people congregated with other people who spoke the same language, and then went together and settled in other parts of the world (Genesis 11:8-9). God confused the languages at the Tower of Babel to enforce His command for humanity to spread throughout the entire world.  In Genesis 17:4-7, God spoke to Abram and said, “As for Me, this is My covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham, for I have made you the father of many nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will descend from you. I will establish My covenant as an everlasting covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you." 

Just by looking at several verses in Genesis, we can see that God's purpose is to  have nations of people with different background, ethnicity and language.  The account of Apostle John in what he saw in heaven in Revelation 7:9-10 supports this conclusion when it said, "After this I looked and saw a multitude too large to count, from every nation and tribe and people and tongue, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!"  You see, when it comes to free trade, communication, travel and international treaties, a Global network is an advantage.  But anything other than that such as one world government, religion, currency and nation which infringes on national sovereignty are man's effort to rebuild the Tower of Babel that God surely despised.  Without studying the Word of God, global oneness may sound appealing but such is the work of Satan---to appeal to deceive.  Let us arm ourselves with the Truth by aligning our thoughts with God's Word.  There's so much more I can share from my Bible class but I'll have to do it here in installments.  Know that it's not my desire that you just depend on the info I'm sharing here.  If anything, I want you to expand your study and see for yourself what God's Word says about the issues of our day.  If in anyway this post blessed you, please let me know in the comments too.   

For this Card, I used an image from Art Impressions Stamps called "Spare Me" and watercolored using Tim Holtz Distress Inks.  The base is a white CS, cut and scored to make a 5.5 inches center step card design.  The DP's are from Paper Studio, the layered flowers from Prima and the brads from Recollections.  I also added some glitters from Stickles (Crystal), some white nail head gems from Imaginisce and regular and fancy stitching.  I love the fun and rustic look that this card exudes. 

 BOWLER BABES BIRTHDAY CENTER STEP CARD

 BOWLER BABES BIRTHDAY CENTER STEP CARD LAYERS

 BOWLER BABES BIRTHDAY CENTER STEP CARD SIDE VIEW

 BOWLER BABES BIRTHDAY CENTER STEP CARD INSIDE

BOWLER BABES BIRTHDAY CENTER STEP CARD WITH ENVELOPE-BOX

This Card is entered into the following Challenges:

A Perfect Time to Craft---ATG
Classic DT---ATG
Crafts Galore Encore---ATG
Craftyhazelnut's---Patterned Paper
Color Create Show It Off---ATG
Digi Doodle---Special Day (Birthday)
DL Art---ATG
Happy Craft---ATG
Happy Little Stampers---Watercolor/Love
LeAnn's World---ATG
Love to Scrap---No Rulz
Scor-pal---More than One Score/Warmer days
Morgan's Artworld---ATG
Papercraft---ATG
Sognando---A Time For You
Tales from the Craft Room---Let's Hear it for the Boys
YSP---Welcome Summer


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, "More than One Fold."  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 and just like Jesus, we are to use the Word of God to battle with the works of the enemy.  We are to study and arm ourselves with the Truth in order to discern the works of Satan and act with wisdom and power.

Ready to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior? Find out how on the sidebar...

Scripture Series: Peace of Thy Children Card---Be Inspired, Be Blessed with a Chance to Win at our Anything Goes Challenge at Word Art Wednesday!

Hi Crafty peeps!  So sorry for the  late posting.  HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY, EVERYONE!  As always. we have an Inspirational/Anything Goes Challenge that started a few days ago at Word Art Wednesday (WAW) featuring a great Scripture Word Art (you can download for free at the WAW site).  Our highlighted verse is an encouragement to all mothers out there.  It comes from Isaiah 54:13 which says, "And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children."  

The promises of God in chapter 54 of Isaiah are for both Old and New Testament saints.  He chose different kinds of people, from all walks of life to carry out His purpose and to bring about His redemptive plan. These people became the nation of Israel and through her, we who were once outsiders (Gentiles) were grafted into the family of God by simply placing our faith (trust, believe, rely, cling, depend) in what Jesus Christ accomplished at the Cross.  Before the Mosaic Law was given, "faith" and "God's grace" were already established. Genesis 15:5-6 detailed the conversation between God and Abram, "He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness."  In Genesis 17:5, God gave him a new name---from Abram (exalted father) to Abraham (father of many nations).  Note that he's not just the father of the Jewish nation alone but of the many nations that God would gather from the four corners of the earth through the Gospel (Good News) of Jesus Christ through His Body---the Church!  I believe even Abraham could not have imagined the vastness of this prophetic revelation. Another thing that God gave Israel is the Mosaic Law.  The primary purpose of the Law is to reveal the holy ways of God (his high standards) and to show us our hopelessness in keeping them to attain righteousness in His sight.  That in our bondage with Sin (Sin Nature and all its by-products) and Death, we would need the promised "Seed of the Woman," (Genesis 3:15)---the Messiah, our Savior to break free from sure damnation so we can be reunited with our Father in heaven.  In the New Testament, Galatians 3:5-9 explains, "Does God lavish His Spirit on you and work miracles among you because you practice the law, or because you hear and believe? So also, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith." Jesus finished work at the Cross (His death, burial and resurrection) paved the way for the establishment of the Church (Ekklesia---the Body of Christ) and opens up the door of salvation by faith not only to the Jews but also to the Gentile nations. Here, we see that faith is the only way by which God imputes righteousness to those who believed.  As Abraham believed God in the Old Testament, we also believed in Jesus Christ today who is the perfect embodiment of God in the New Testament. Putting our complete trust in the person of Jesus, making Him our Lord and Savior gave us new life (Born-again, John 3:3).  Apostle Paul whom God assigned to take the Gospel to the Gentiles tells us in Colossians 1:24-28, "Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions for the sake of His body, which is the church. I became its servant by the commission God gave me to fully proclaim to you the word of God, the mystery that was hidden for ages and generations but is now revealed to His saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. We proclaim Him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ."

So, as we go through the context of our featured verse in Isaiah 54 and connecting it to our highlighted verse in Isaiah 54:13, we as parents who are under the Lordship of Jesus Christ are direct recipients of His promises.  Mothers play an important role in sharing God's Word to our children.  We are to train them to the holy ways of God, show them a good example and emphasize to them importance of prayer and action.  Though we may feel hopeless at times when we don't see the fruit of our labor, we are not to give up on them.  Believe that God has a plan for all of our children even when our earthly eyes cannot see it.  God is always good and always faithful and He will fulfill His promises to us and our children. 

For this Card, I used an image from A Day for Daisies called "Naptime" which I colored using my Hobby Colour/Prismacolor markers.  The base is white CS, cut and scored to make a 5.5 inches square card.  The DP is from Paper Studio, the layered flowers from Prima, the brads from Recollections and the sequins and doily are from my stash.  The leaves are die-cut with Fiskars punch and the glitters from Stickles (Crystal.  Lastly, I stitched all over this card.

 PEACE OF THY CHILDREN CARD

 PEACE OF THY CHILDREN CARD LAYERS

 PEACE OF THY CHILDREN CARD INSIDE

PEACE OF THY CHILDREN CARD WITH ENVELOPE-BOX

This Card is entered into the following Challenges:

A2Z---May Flowers
Perfect Time to Craft---ATG
Classic DT---ATG
Crafts Galore Encore---ATG
Craftyhazelnut's---Patterned Paper
Color Create Show It---ATG
Creative Craft Cottage---Use Ink
CCC---Add Flower
Daisy Chain---ATG
Digi Doodle---Sparkle/Shimmer
Happy Craft---ATG
Let's Craft and Create---ATG
Love to Craft---ATG
Love to Scrap---ATG
Morgan's Artworld---ATG
Not Just Cards---ATG
Papercraft---ATG
Sognando Scrap---Happy Spring
Tales from the Scrap Room---Floral Frenzy
YSBP---ATG
Addicted to Stamps---Flowers
Angie's Digital---ATG
Dare2BArtzy---Flowers
Dragonfly Dreams---ATG
Corrosive---ATG


I hope you'd take the time to join us at our WAW Challenge.  It's Anything Goes as long as it's family friendly with uplifting and inspirational messages, you can link up to 5 projects.  Our sponsor this week is Precious Remembrance Shop giving away a Stamp Set a their shop.  I can't wait to see your projects  and leave you some encouragement on your Blogs.  Pray without ceasing and believe that God has a wonderful plan for our children!

Ready to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior? Find out how on the sidebar...

Miracle in our Midst Baby Shower Card---Join Us for our Monthly/Anything Goes Challenge at 613 Avenue Create!

Hello there.  Another late post but just want to share the card I featured for our Monthly Challenge at 613 Avenue Create that began recently. It's Anything Goes as always but you can take on the optional theme, Shaker card.  Well, I opted for a pretty simple card that celebrates the miracle of God in the womb.

I just watched a video of a #MarchforLife in Canada that is ongoing today.  I was appalled too hear that Canada does not have any Abortion restrictions at all---whatsoever for 50 years!  I can't begin to imagine the holocaust of babies ripped out of their mother's womb since the founding of that country.  The Bible says in Numbers 35:33, "Do not pollute the land where you are. Bloodshed pollutes the land, and atonement cannot be made for the land on which blood has been shed, except by the blood of the one who shed it."  Make no mistake about it, God is going to hold a nation and every person accountable for those involved  in the destruction of the most innocent and vulnerable among us.  Not only the parents but everyone who support and cheer for this despicable act.  By reading the comments made on this rally's Facebook broadcast, I found out that there were realistic threats to everyone in that country that speaks against Abortion and the pulpits were/are silenced as the ministers of the Word of God had to risk their lives and freedom just to stand for Truth.  I heard from some friends years ago that Canadians are truly friendly and easy going people.  So when I had the privilege of traveling a few cities in Canada when I was still working in the Cruise ships, I personally experienced the Canadian hospitality and friendliness from the Canadians I met and worked with.  But for several years now, all I'm hearing are the vicious assault on life and legalization of everything ungodly like sodomy and the destruction of marriage and family.  However, I also believe that there are people fighting against such injustice.  But like here in America, they are not getting media exposure/support due to the blatant censorship of biblical and conservative values.  Despite the horrible threat, I am so glad to see many Canadians taking it out on the street and boldly standing for life and the things of God.  Evil entities are out there to systematically destroy our freedom to speak and it's up to us if we allow them to take over without a fight.  Remember that whether we choose to speak or not, they are still pursuing their DEMONIC AGENDA.  Would we allow them to take everything from us without resistance?  I hope not! 

The Scripture tells us to honor the authority (Human laws) that God has placed to govern us.  But what if the same government is forcing us to commit heinous acts that clearly goes against the laws of God?  Here's a portion of the article from Gotquestions.org that would help us see God's perspective when it comes to Human laws vs. God's laws:  "Daniel records a number of civil disobedience examples. The first is found in chapter 3 where Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused to bow down to the golden idol in disobedience to King Nebuchadnezzar’s command. The second is in chapter 6 where Daniel defies King Darius’ decree to not pray to anyone other than the king. In both cases, God rescued His people from the death penalty that was imposed, signaling His approval of their actions.

In the New Testament, the book of Acts records the civil disobedience of Peter and John towards the authorities that were in power at the time. After Peter healed a man born lame, Peter and John were arrested for preaching about Jesus and put in jail. The religious authorities were determined to stop them from teaching about Jesus; however, Peter said, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:19–20). Later, the rulers confronted the apostles again and reminded them of their command to not teach about Jesus, but Peter responded, “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).

One last example of civil disobedience is found in the book of Revelation where the Antichrist commands all those who are alive during the end times to worship an image of himself. But the apostle John, who wrote Revelation, states that those who become Christians at the time will disobey the Antichrist and his government and refuse to worship the image (Revelation 13:15) just as Daniel’s companions violated Nebuchadnezzar’s decree to worship his idol.

Civil Disobedience—Conclusion
What conclusions can be drawn from the above biblical examples? The guidelines for a Christian’s civil disobedience can be summed as follows:

• Christians should resist a government that commands or compels evil and should work nonviolently within the laws of the land to change a government that permits evil.
• Civil disobedience is permitted when the government’s laws or commands are in direct violation of God’s laws and commands.
• If a Christian disobeys an evil government, unless he can flee from the government, he should accept that government’s punishment for his actions.
• Christians are certainly permitted to work to install new government leaders within the laws that have been established.

Lastly, Christians are commanded to pray for their leaders and for God to intervene in His time to change any ungodly path that they are pursuing: “First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity” (1 Timothy 2:1–2).
  
To read the full article at Gotquestions.org, go HERE!  I pray that everyone who value Truth and Life reading this Blog humble themselves before God and seek Jesus Christ Who forgives anyone who humble themselves and repent from their transgressions.  God will give you a new meaning to life under the power of the Holy Spirit to speak boldly and fearlessly---a beacon of light for Him! Remember that in doing so, we will reap the rewards that will last forever.  Keep the good fight of faith.  God speed to all God-fearing Canadians fighting for life.  We, the #Pro-lifers here in America  are with you! 

For this Card, I used images and sentiment from Clearly Wordsworth and Heidi Grace stamps.  I colored with mt Prismacolor markers.  The base is a white pre-cut card with envelope from the Paper Studio and the blue CS is from my stash.  Once in a while, I love simple lay-outs like this.

MIRACLE IN OUR MIDST BABY SHOWER CARD 

MIRACLE IN OUR MIDST BABY SHOWER CARD  CLOSE-UP

MIRACLE IN OUR MIDST BABY SHOWER CARD WITH ENVELOPE

This Card is entered into the following Challenges:

Perfect Time to Craft---ATG
Classic DT---ATG
Crafts Galore Encore---ATG
Creative Craft Cottage---Use Ink
Daisy Chain---ATG
Happy Craft---ATG
Let's Craft and Create---ATG
Love to Craft---ATG
Love to Scrap---ATG
Morgan's Artworld---ATG
Papercraft---ATG
YSBP---ATG
Angie's Digital---ATG
Dragonfly Dreams---ATG
Penny Black---All Things Feminine
Corrosive---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 week. Realize that when you hunger and thirst for God, He will always fill you up with great understanding that you can effectively communicate with others.

Ready to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior? Find out how on the sidebar...