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Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Scripture Series: Heavens Declare the Glory of God Card---It's Time for Another Inspirational Challenge at Word Art Wednesday!

Happy Wednesday, everyone!  I am back with another inspirational card for our Challenge at Word Art Wednesday (WAW).  We have a wonderful verse that is free for you to download at the WAW site which comes from Psalm 19:1 which says, "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork."  This took me back to the time I was learning about "natural revelation" in the scripture.  It is hard to disprove there is a God (who created all these wonderful things and holds things in their perfect places) because everything around us  is a testimony to the Truth that God exist.  We can plant a seed and expose it to the ample amount of water and sunlight and witness it's growth.  Yet the very power that causes this seed to germinate and transform from one stage to another is entirely all up to God.  We can be quick to conclude that it's our effort that made it grow but we haven't really factor the air and the mixture of gasses that it needs in order to sustain growth.  We often look for the tangible things but forget that behind each thing we see, there is an invisible hand that holds it together.  Why are we this way?  Even Thomas, one of the twelve Apostles of Jesus, who walked with Him, ate with Him and lived with Him day in and day out, had to look for physical signs in order to believe Jesus' resurrected.  Haven't He witnessed all those extraordinary signs and wonders that Jesus performed throughout Jesus' ministry here on earth?  Wasn't he there when Jesus raised the dead to life, when the same Jesus fed 5,000 men (not to mention the women and children) with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fishes?   Didn't he witness Jesus calming the storm and walking in the water?  Thomas lived and breathe the same air as Jesus and have heard of the Truths that He declared in His three and a half years of Ministry, yet HE STILL DOUBTED!  Friends, the Truth is that our spirits had been dead since the time we were born.  We are incapable of handling the Truth because the God of this world (Satan) had deposited within us a SIN NATURE which gives us an irresistible desire to go against the will of God.  It is a disease, a CANCER of the spirit, which has no known cure in the physical realm.  There's no amount of good works done on earth that can cure us from this debilitating disease except we step out of the physical onto the spiritual where God Almighty holds the perfect cure---This one and only cure is the FINISHED WORK OF JESUS CHRIST (His death, burial and resurrection).  The access by which it can be obtained is only by FAITH alone!  You see, when God said in John 3:3 (Amplified version), "Jesus answered him, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, that unless a person is born again (anew, from above), he cannot ever see (know, be acquainted with, and experience) the kingdom of God.", He was reiterating the blatant Truth that we are incapable of understanding the things of His kingdom unless we die from the cancer that debilitated and killed our spirits and through faith, be made alive again (Born-again meaning "Born from above) into God's Kingdom.  Without the dying to one's SELF (sin nature, human nature), we are incapable of seeing the ways of God (His Kingdom).  Every man, no matter what his status in life is, is confronted by this reality in His lifetime here on earth, for when physical death knocks on our doors, the decision we made in the spiritual (to accept the cure (Jesus) that God Himself prescribed or completely ignore it) is the very "KEY" that we will use to access the eternal.  What a price to pay if we make the wrong decision...

If the heavens declare the glory of God and it's all over and surrounding us, why are there lots of people that are completely oblivious about the glory of God?  It's because they never even stop and really take notice of it.  They have look at them and never go farther than what their physical eyes can see.  They have ignored the invisible aspects of God creation.  Hence, they worship what was created, rather than the Creator!  They are spiritually blind and will continue to be unless they make a conscious decision to repent of their blindness and by faith, ask the Lord Jesus to open their eyes to the things of God, be their Lord and Savior, both now and forever!  Only then, can we fully look at all of God's creation and say, "WOW, WHAT AN AMAZING GOD I SERVE!"  Here are some verses that I can now read and appreciate because I can see, beyond the words, and truly appreciate the great works of Almighty God, our Creator:

"When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?  You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor." (Psalm 8:3-5)

"Through him (Jesus) all things were made, without him nothing was made that has been made.  In him was life, that life was the life of all mankind.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."  (John 1:3-5)

"Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!  How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!  "Who has known the mind of the Lord?  Or who has been his counselor?  Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them?" For from him and through him and for him are all things.  To him be the glory forever!  Amen."  (Romans 11:33-36)

So, here's my inspiration card for this Challenge.  I used a background image from Make It Crafty called "Country Walk and a very cute Tilda stamp from Magnolia. I colored both using my ProMarker/Prismacolor/Spectrum Noir markers.  The base card is a Kraft CS, cut and scored to make a 5.5-inches square.  The beautiful DP's are from Recollections, the scallop shape cut using my Nestabilities ran through my Cuttlebug and the circle is cut using an MS Small Circle Cutter.  There's a combination of simple and fancy stitching in this card and to complete the design, I added those white gems from Imaginisce.  It's been a long time since I used one of my Tilda images and I so happy I was able to fit her right in here.


 HEAVENS DECLARE THE GLORY OF GOD CARD:


 HEAVENS DECLARE THE GLORY OF GOD CARD LAYERS:


 HEAVENS DECLARE THE GLORY OF GOD CARD INSIDE:


HEAVENS DECLARE THE GLORY OF GOD CARD WITH ENVELOPE-BOX:


This Card is entered into the following Challenges:

Crafter's Cafe---Heavy Metal
Crafting for all Seasons---Stitching
Digistamps4Joy---Stitching
Divas by Design---Make it Pretty
Fab 'n' Funky---ATG
Inklings & Yarns---ATG
Lady Anne's---More Than One Layer
Penny's Paper-Crafty---ATG
Scrapper's Delights---ATG
Whimsy Stamps---ATG
Aud Sentiments---Any Sentiment
Challenges 4 Everybody---ATG
Created with Love---ATG
Creative Inspirations Paint---ATG
DL.ART---ATG
Everybody-Art---Use Kraft
Heck of a Challenge---In the Frame
HIMCR---Die-Cuts
Lacy Sunshine---It's a Bling Thing!
My Craft Creations---ATG
OSAAT---ATG
OLLCB---Stitching
Penny Black and More---ATG (Tilda image is a rubber stamp)
Robyn's Fetish---Use Metal (Real or Faux)
Scrapbook Stamp Society---ATG + Option (Embossing: Wet or Dry)
Sweet Stamps---ATG
TTCRD---ATG
Crafty Girls---ATG
Craftitude---ATG or Falling Leaves
Di's Digi Designs---Girly Creations
Jo's Scrap Shack---ATG
Make it Monday---ATG


There you have it, guys.  Thanks a lot for visiting my Blog today and surely appreciate all that sign-up as follower or leave comments  here.  Make sure to join us in the WAW Challenge for a chance to win great prizes from our two sponsors this week---Digi Darla (5 digi images of winner's choice) and Heart and Soul Rubber Stamp (for a Stamp Set).  You can make a project out of this week's free scripture Word Art (not mandatory) or link any family friendly, inspirational or uplifting projects, up to 5 (Anything Goes).  Please read the Challenge Rules to make sure your entries qualify.  It's not fun for us having to remove entries that don't adhere to the rules.  I am excited to see what you link with us this week. If you are feeling down, just get a good look around you and marvel at all of God's creation.  When we do so, we'll see that as He holds everything in place, according to their purpose, and is always in control.  It's up to us if we want to run our own lives or entrust each day to a loving, all knowing God...I trust Him my every breath, I need not worry about anything...

40 comments:

  1. Wow! your colouring is really beautiful !! I love the sweet Tilda and the country scene background looks fab! A stunning design! :-)
    Thanks for joining us at Divas by Design this week!
    Hugs Sue B xx

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  2. This is wonderful, you really are very talented!
    Well done and good luck!
    Hugs, Jackie
    Digistamps4Joy.DT
    Member

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  3. Jo Ann very beautiful card you have made.
    Thanks for join us at Digistamp4Joy.

    Greetings karin DT member

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  4. Beautiful use of colors. Gorgeous scene. Love it all
    Thanks for joining us at Scrappers Delights challenge

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  5. Very beautiful card with wonderful colours.
    Thanks for joining us at Fab'n'Funky this week. Pat K x

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  6. gorgeous card, love the image and how you have brought everything together, wonderful coloring. thanks for joining us over at created with love challenges, good luck and hope to see you again
    caroline
    cwlc dt

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  7. The scene that you have created in this card is beautiful Jo Ann. You are very talented in using your creative talents to spread your message in such a memorable manner. Good luck in our challenge this week. Ingrid xx ( OSAAT Team )

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  8. Gorgeous card. Love the background and stitching. Thanks for joining our Anything Goes Challenge at Created With Love Challenges

    ~~Chris

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  9. Such an amazingly beautiful card, I love it. Thank You for sharing with us at Lady Anne's Challenges.
    Love ~ Lady Anne xx

    Lady Anne's Challenge's
    Lady Anne's Blog

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  10. Lovely card inside and out. love teh stitching and how you have brought the character into the landscape. beautiful. Thanks for joining in with our stitching challenge at Ooh La La creations.
    Alli D xx

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  11. What a pretty card. Love the scene you created and your coloring is fab. Thanks for sharing this week at Created with love Challenges Anything goes.
    Linda K. DT

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  12. Jo Ann this is very beautiful.
    Thanks for join us at ScrapbookStampSociety Challenge.

    Greetings Karin DT Coördinator

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  13. A beautiful card, love the layers which create a sense of depth and distance. Thanks for joining the Crafty Girls Challenge, hope to see you again soon.

    Victoria

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  14. Fantastic card,lovely colours!
    Thank for joining us at ScrapbookStampSociety Challenge
    Hope to see again:)
    Hugs Kaija DT-member

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  15. OMG this is lovely, it takes my breath away, you are so talented. good luck in the challenge, hope you can join us for future challenges, Sian (OSAAT DT)

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  16. Wonderful card!!! Thank you so much for sharing this fantastic card with us at MIM! Remember, to be in the running to win the prize from our sponsor this week just leave a comment for another entry. Be sure to mention you saw them on Make It Monday. The more entries you comment on the more chances you have of winning!
    Good luck,
    Rene :D

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  17. Gid has certainly blessed you richly with talent! A beautiful card- lvoe the scene and beautiful coloring! Thanks for sharing with us at SweetStamps.com

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  18. Like the image coloring & the way you cut her out. Like the layers. Like the scene you've created. Thank you for entering OSAAT Ch190 Anything Goes.
    Melissa
    "Sunshine HoneyBee"
    OSAAT DT

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  19. Beautiful Card And I Love Scripture Cards Beautiful Beautiful Thank You For Entering At The Robyn's Fetish Challenge *Metal * Good Luck
    Sherry -DT

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  20. The countryside looks great - you coloured it in beautifully. The little Tilda image fits in perfectly with the rest of the card and she too is coloured in beautifully.
    Thanks for joining in the fun at Hiding in My Craft Room.
    Lena
    xxx
    Lena’s Creations ~ DT - HIMCR

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  21. This is so clever, beautiful work.
    Thanks for sharing with us at Penny Black & More this month.
    Lynn x
    DT

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  22. Your card is Just Beautiful!! Your Coloring is Amazing.. Thank you for Joining us at Craftitude
    Hugs DT Norma Jean

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  23. i love the Tilda image and what a lovely background. you have put so much work into this lovely card. Well done. Thanks for joining us this week at One Stitch At A Time.Anita DT xx

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  24. Ah this is such a pretty card. Thanks for playing on Crafty Girls this fortnight, Love Hazelxox

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  25. Beautiful card, I like the images and the design, Thanks for joining in with us at Heck of a challenge, Good Luck.
    kevin xx

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  26. Fabulous Joa-Ann, just fabulous!!
    Thanks for joining the TTCRD challenges!
    Hugs,Sandra

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  27. Cute card
    Thanks for joining in at One Stitch At A Time this week
    Hugs Katie x

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  28. This is so cute I just love the dimension you gave it with the fun scene
    Thank you for joining us at Creative inspiration paints.
    CI design team member
    DIANA L.
    dianamlarson.blogspot.com

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  29. Gorgeouss Card :) thanks for joining us at Lacy Sunshine :)
    hugs Ria

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  30. Very beautiful card! I love the colors! thanks for playing with "Robyn's Fetish Challenge" this week. Good luck. !

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  31. Lovve that background and fab stitching on your card too.
    Thank you for joining the Ooh La La Stitching Challenge, hope you'll join us again tomorrow for a new challenge
    Hugs
    Anne

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  32. Fab project, and awesome colouring! Thanks for sharing with us at Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge.
    Mandy x (PPCC DT)

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  33. Oh what a gorgeous card and a great scene and thanks for joining us at Penny Black & More this month and good luck, Luv Sam x

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  34. Beautiful card and colors. Wonderful work. Thanks for joining us at Aud Sentiments.

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  35. Your card is just beautiful! Great little scene and fantastic colouring!
    Thanks for playing along at HOAC challenge this month and I hope you will join us again soon
    Hugs Laurie xx

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  36. Beautiful card and such great colouring.
    Thank you for joining us at Scrapper's Delights
    We're also having a DT CALL, which you can find HERE
    Huggsss, Angelique
    EngelDesignsScrap

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  37. Fab project!
    Thanks for joining us at CFAS!
    Jani x

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  38. This is so pretty!! Love the saying on this card. Just beautiful! Thanks for joining us at Craftitude.

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  39. Lovely card, thanks so much for joining us over at Craftitude!
    Hugs Donna DT x

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  40. Gorgeous creation, thanks for joining Penny Black & More @ Allsorts challenge, good luck.
    Happy crafting
    Tracy x

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