Ice Cream Birthday Card---Join us for Another Anything Goes Challenge with Optional Twist at 613 Avenue Create!

Hello there, Crafty friends!  This is coming out a day late and I am having such a hectic time doing lots of things that needs to get done.  But I have created this project for our Challenge at 613 Avenue Create and we are inviting everyone to join us in our Anything Goes Challenge with optional theme "Add a Heart."  I am very grateful to the family and friends that God surrounded me with because they have made my birthday very special a few days ago.  There were also lots of situations that tried and tested our faith but God is always faithful using different people to bless our family in every way.  Sometimes, we make a big mistake on giving people the glory for blessing our lives.  I am not saying we are not to be grateful but we are to acknowledge Who truly is the source of all these blessings.  I've experienced blessings from complete strangers and in times I am greatly vulnerable, God sends someone to deliver His Word of hope, encouragement or tangible support to let me know that He is there.  You see, God knows everything about us.  The scripture tells us of an all-knowing God (Omniscient) in Psalm 33:13-15 which says, "From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind; from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth-- he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do."  And for us who are living in complete dependence to what Jesus Christ accomplished (at the Cross), who are born from above (John 3:3) and are called out of darkness to show forth His light---we hold the promises of God Who sees us through whatever situation we get ourselves into.  Nothing makes us special in the sight of God but the blood of His Son that was poured out for us.   It has nothing to do with our abilities/capabilities at all.  We can boast of God's righteousness because we are in Christ! And yes,  we can do wonderful and great things because Jesus lives inside of us.  In no way should we do anything for our own merit.  Our aim is for "Christ in us" receiving all the glory as He uses us as vessels for His own will and purpose.  If you are going through any kind of hardship at this very moment, know that Jesus don't want you to carry it all alone.  His Word tells us in Matthew 11:28, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."  The first step is to acknowledge that you need to be saved from your sins thus needing a Savior that holds the victory from every sin.  By being one with Him through faith, you are making His victory your own.  Know His promises and allow Him complete access to work in your life and trust that He has your best interest at hand in whatever situation.  Living in faith daily is not without trials and/or pain.  It is important to hold God's promises in your heart in order to face the battles each day brings.  But the good thing is that we are no longer alone.  I can call upon the Lord anytime (24/7) and I know that He sees me and send His help in many ways unimaginable.  I have a friend in Christ and I see Him in every family, friends and strangers that He sends my way daily.

For this inspiration Card, I used an image provided by one of our sponsors this week---Oak Pond Creations.  It's called "Party Pig Boris" which I colored with my ProMarker/Prismacolor markers.  The base is a white CS that is cut and scored to create a 5.5 inches square card.  I embossed several panels with three varieties of Cuttlebug folders.  Since our optional theme is "Hearts," I incorporated embossing with hearts and attaching some heart gems from Imaginisce.  I layered some Prima Flowers and attached a brad at it's center, added some ribbon, glitters (Stickles-Crystal) to the image and nail head gems from Imaginisce.  I used a Word Art I got free from Create with TLC (freebies given away daily---thanks, Paulette!) to make this card come alive.  Lastly, I stitched all over this card.  Pretty cute, huh!

ICE CREAM BIRTHDAY CARD:

 ICE CREAM BIRTHDAY CARD LAYERS:

 ICE CREAM BIRTHDAY CARD INSIDE:

ICE CREAM BIRTHDAY CARD WITH ENVELOPE-BOX:

This Card is entered into the following Challenges:

Creative Moments---ATG/Use 3 Layers
Sister Act---ATG
Brown Sugar---ATG
Incy Wincy---Something Old, Something New (Old: Ribbon/Flowers, New: Party Pig Image)
Crafting from the Heart---ATG
DL.ART---ATG
Creative Fingers---ATG
Sisterhood of Crafters---ATG
Art by Miran---ATG
Lauralcraft---Celebrations with Jewels or Pearls
Fairytale Stampers---Flowers/Ribbon
Glitter n Sparkle---Use Some Flowers
OSAAT---ATG with Flower
Opus Gluei---Happy Birthday
Scribble and Scrap---3 Entries Only!
Artistic Inspirations---ATG/Cooking/Baking
Eureka Stamps---Use Some Bling
Make my Monday---Die-cuts and/or Punches
My Craft Spot---Sweet Treats
Not Just Cards---ATG
Ppinkydolls---ATG/Make It Girly
The Pink Elephant---ATG
Use Your Stuff---Food or Drink 

There you have it, folks!  Don't miss the opportunity to join our Anything Goes Challenge with an optional Twist at 613 Avenue Create.  There's wonderful prizes awaiting the winners from our lovely sponsors for this week---Oak Pond Creations (3 Digi Images) and Lacy Sunshine ($20 GC to their store).  Can't wait to see what fabulous projects you're going to highlight this week.  I hope you have a wonderful week filled with the divine inspiration of God's Word to carry through the journey of life.  Would love to hear your comments too.   Hugs, always! 

Scripture Series: Them that Diligently Seek Card---Another Inspirational/Anything Goes Challenge Going On at Word Art Wednesday!

Hello Crafty Peeps...Things are starting to cool down here in Texas and I'm so excited to enjoy that cool breeze again after a scorching summer.  Anyway, we are beginning another challenge at Word Art Wednesday (WAW) and the free scripture Word Art  highlighted today is from Hebrews 11:6 which says, "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that comes to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."  Before we can fully understand this verse, we have to find out what FAITH is as defined by God's Word.  Hebrews 11:1 says, "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see."  It is to trust and rely upon God beyond the influence of our five senses.  His Spirit inside each of us attest to His presence in our lives even though we cannot see, hear, feel, smell or taste His physical presence.  The scripture further tells us in John 4:24, "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth."  In order to save us, God clothed Himself in the flesh and lived among us to free us from the bondage of Satan.  People were able to see Him, converse with Him and witness His matchless work. He died for our sins and resurrected on the third day.  He later met with His disciples who could not believe what they had seen.  I find it sad that  Thomas (one of Jesus disciples) outspokenly doubted the news of Jesus' resurrection till he's able to prove it by seeing Jesus pierced hands.  John 20:25 tells us, "So the other disciples told him (Thomas), "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe."  Aren't we guilty of committing the same thing every now and then when it comes to our faith in God Almighty?  Have we not said once or twice, "God, I am going to serve you if you prosper my business and help me achieve my dreams."  Some have said, "God I will start serving you after I have cleaned up my act so that I can be worthy of your presence!"  Many of us have placed conditions upon the God of heaven and earth in exchange for believing (trusting) in Him.  The fact is, God is Truth whether we believe in Him or not.  It does not diminish His omnipresence and omnipotence when people choose not to put their faith in Him.  On the other hand, man without God is a tragedy!  Everything in our life as well as "life itself" is dependent upon the grace and love of God.  Though some people confess they don't need God yet their very existence tells us they are believing a lie.  How do we know?  For they will be unable to sustain their own life once we try and take the oxygen they preciously take in and is regulated to perfection by God Almighty.  In spite of all their money or the lack thereof, they don't know when they'll die and how to prevent death from happening.  They cannot even command calamities from ever coming to their doorstep.  It is merely the love of God that sustains them while they are biting the same hands that carries them to safety each day.  But like the ark of the covenant, this period of grace (the New Covenant---salvation through faith in Christ) is going to shut its door and what is left is the pouring of God's wrath.  As God is love, He is also a God of justice and it will be wise for anyone to come to His presence while the door of grace is still open.  You see, Jesus died for all of mankind's sin. Under the New Covenant, we are saved by grace through faith in Christ yet only those who recognizes that covering will reap the benefits of Jesus'  sacrifice.  A gift, though free, is only good for those that would accept it!  Though the disciples lived with Jesus for years and have witnessed His many great miracles, Jesus had to show them His pierced hands for them to believe it was Him.  It is unfortunate what He had to tell Thomas in John 20:29,  "Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."  

Yes, I believe in God even though I have not seen Him physically!  I know He is there because His Spirit lives inside of me (Born Again---John 3:3) and directs my path and tells me daily about the love of God through what Jesus sacrificed for me.  Through His goodness, I can sense and feel His presence as I'm sharing His love to anyone who would lend their ears.  He supplies every word I am able to share in this Blog.  I can write something because He placed His love for perishing souls in my heart.  He is there in the people I meet each day, in the love of my husband, son and family. In the favors and the trials, He is in me and will forever stay with me.  As I look on the beauty of God's creation, I can see His presence.  If we only let go of hatred, rebellion and unbelief in our hearts and give Him a chance to love on us, we'll see Him for Who He truly is---A loving God Who rejoices in the love of His children!  And so all of these starts with FAITH...It is the only doorway by which we can enter into the vastness of God's Kingdom in Christ!

For this Card, I used an image provided by one of our sponsors this week and one of my favorite source of images---Bugaboo Stamps.  I chose "Knobby Knees Girl Bugs" and colored it with my ProMarker/Prismacolor markers.  I used a pre-cut  A7 Kraft CS for my base and all DP's from Recollections.  I added flowers from Prima that I layered and added Stickles glitter on.  The center of the flowers were also glittered and the main flower had a small button for added dimension.  Finally, I stitched all over this card.   I am very happy with the result.  

 

THEM THAT DILIGENTLY SEEK CARD:

 THEM THAT DILIGENTLY SEEK CARD LAYERS:

 THEM THAT DILIGENTLY SEEK CARD INSIDE:

THEM THAT DILIGENTLY SEEK CARD WITH ENVELOPE:

This Card is entered into the following Challenges:

Dazzling Diva---Fall Colors/ATG
Creative Moments---ATG/3 Layers
Divas by Design---Glitter
DoubleClick---ATG
Inky Impressions---ATG
Nutcrafters---Anything but Square
Ruby's Rainbow---ATG
Scrapper's Delights---ATG/No DP
Simon Says Stamp---ATG
Sisterhood of Crafters---Lots of Layers
Wonderful Wednesday---ATG
Pile It On---Shiny
Ladybug Crafts---ATG
Crafty Girls---ATG
Sweet Stamps---Favorite Embellishment (Prima Flowers and glitters)
TTCRD---ATG
Crafts Galore Encore---Make a Card
Sisters of Craft---ATG
Artistic Inspirations---ATG/Pink for Breast Cancer
Crafty Bloggers Network---ATG
Crafty Boots---ATG
Crafting from the Heart---ATG
Sister Act---ATG
Inky Chicks---ATG
Top Tip Tuesday---Kids (Top Tip:  Make simple flowers special by adding glitters)

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) for more chances to win our prize from our sponsors this week---Bugaboo Stamps (3 digi images) and The Flying Unicorn ($25 GC) .  I'll be back this weekend to highlight another project for our neighborhood---613 Avenue Create!  Always remember to call on Jesus 24/7 if you need someone to talk with.  He is always willing to listen and is able to meet everyone whose heart is seeking after Him.   

Scripture Series: Keep Thy Heart Card---It's Time for Another Inspirational/Anything Goes Challenge at Word Art Wednesday!

Hello everyone!  Another week gone by and here I am again posting another card for our Challenge at Word Art Wednesday (WAW). We have a wonderful Scripture Word Art (free for your download) at this week's Challenge.  It's taken from Proverbs 4:23 which states, "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life."  Every word written in the Bible is God breathed (2 Timothy 3:16) and everything is useful in directing us to the path of righteousness.  When we find  certain principles repeated in the Scripture, it goes to say that God is placing an emphasis on that matter and it will be a benefit for us to listen to what the Spirit has to say.  When the Law of Moses was given to God's people, many became concerned on the external appearance of their obedience to God.  The Pharisees and the Sadducee were experts of the Law and had pride themselves of living under the Law.   Confident in their form of holiness, they questioned Jesus on his friendship with the outcast of the society.  They took the law so literally and forgot about the very heart of the law--- LOVE and COMPASSION.  The God of heaven and earth didn't give us the Law (Torah) to save us but to show us that there is no way we can achieve righteousness in His sight through our own efforts.  If we break one law, we are guilty of breaking all of them.  It is such hopeless situation which should have pointed us to the Only Solution---to receive by faith what Jesus Christ has accomplished on our behalf through His death, burial and resurrection!   Instead, we allowed religion to bury as deeper into hopelessness and made us believe that there's another way to God except the One He already provided.   Like people in the past, we hold on to false appearances of holiness.  We approve or disapprove of people based on our ignorance of the Scripture.   Jesus showed us a proper example in Matthew 12:1-8 which says, "At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath (day of rest). His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.”He answered, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread—which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests. Or haven’t you read in the Law that the priests on Sabbath duty in the temple desecrate the Sabbath and yet are innocent? I tell you that something greater than the temple is here. If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’you would not have condemned the innocent. For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”  

The very heart of Jesus beats LOVE and MERCY.  He came to the world to rescue us from bondage of sin so that we can taste the life He has prepared for us from the beginning of time.  Though sin tried to disqualify us from ever seeing that life---Jesus provided the way back in our Father's arms.  Jesus does not look on the outward appearance and how fancy or torn your clothes were/are.  Instead, He looks at the intent (motive) of our hearts for it is truly who we really are.  We may be treating somebody nicely on the outside but have evil intentions inside.  I am convinced that God wants us to be transparent---to act with the right motives and intentions.  He desires for us to watch over our hearts and with the help of the Holy Spirit, to never let our hearts dictate us nor gain absolute control of our being.  Inside of us are many desires (most of it are geared towards selfish ambitions) and if we don't guard ourselves, that can easily lead us to the wrong path.  So, as recipients of the sacrifice Jesus won for us, we ought to act smartly, always allowing the Word of God to shape the desires of our hearts.  When we have the love of God sitting in the throne of our hearts, we will learn to love and act like Jesus---our perfect example!  Here are some passages that can guide us to walk in the righteousness our God clothed us with:

"No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers.  The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. (Luke 6:43-45)

"Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him. This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.  If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?  Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.  This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything."   (1 John 3:15-20)

 "Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality;  that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit." (1 Thessalonians 4:1-8)

 For my inspiration Card, I used an image from one of our sponsors---Deedee's Digis called "Cow Are You?" which I colored with my ProMarker/Prismacolor markers.  The base is an A7 size,  Kraft cardstock.  The DP's are from my scraps of different brands.  The flowers and clouds die-cuts are from Heidi Grace and the lacy border was stamped using Dylusions clear stamps  (love, love, love that image).  I also added some glitters on the flowers (Stickles-Crystal) and white nail head gems from Imaginisce.  Lastly, I did some fancy and regular stitching on this project.  I thought it came out wonderfully. 

KEEP THY HEART CARD:

 KEEP THY HEART CARD LAYERS:

 KEEP THY HEART CARD INSIDE:

KEEP THY HEART CARD WITH ENVELOPE:

This Card is entered into the following Challenges:

Add a Little Dazzle---Home for the Holidays/ATG
Crafting by Designs---Childhood Memories (I love the country life)
Crafting for all Seasons---Colors of Autumn
Nutcrafters---Anything but Square
Ruby's Rainbow---ATG
Scrapper's Delights---ATG
Random Fan---ATG
Creative Colors---Color Challenge
Scrap-Creations---Fall
Inky Chicks---ATG
Oldie but a Goodie---Autumn  (All the DP's are more than 6 mos. old)
Milkcoffee---Colors of Autumn
Creative Romance---ATG
That Craft Place---Sentimental
Corrosive---Fall/Autumn
Crafty Bloggers Network---ATG
Crafty Boots---ATG
Lexi's Creations---Autumn Colors
Love to Scrap---ATG
Melonheadz---Autumn Colors
Scrapbook Stamp Society---ATG with Optional Button
Paper Nest Dolls---ATG
Mema's Crafts---Fall
Ladybug Crafts---ATG
Crafting at the Weekend---ATG
Bearly-Mine---Autumn
Seemacrafts---Autumn is Coming

There you have it folks!  Please join us at our WAW Challenge by linking any projects you make with this week's Word Art but not mandatory.  As long as your creation fits the family, uplifting, inspiring category, you may enter up to 5 times.  We have 2  great sponsors this week namely Cheery Lynn Designs (Die-cut "Fall Harvest 1") and Deedee's Digis ( 3 Digi Sets).  Hurry and don't miss the chance to snag a prize.  Have a wonderful week and know that though you may be surrounded by difficult situations in life---put your trust in the Lord!  He is in full control!

Scripture Series: He That Hath An Ear Card---Come and Join our Inspirational/Anything Goes Challenge at Word Art Wednesday!

It's another Wednesday and time to share with you the free Scripture Word Art and project I made for our Challenge at Word Art Wednesday (WAW).  It's taken from Revelation 2:7 which says, "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God."  In the garden of Eden (a place God prepared for man to dwell), there were two significant trees.  Genesis 2:9 tells us, "The LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground--trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil."  God commanded Adam to eat from any tree except from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil for the day he eats thereof, he will surely die (Genesis 2:16-17).  This was the first time DEATH was mentioned in the Scripture.  Death which is a by-product of SIN is three-fold in nature---SPIRITUAL (separation from God), PHYSICAL (death of the body) and ETERNAL (forever separation from God).  Because Adam failed, we are all born with the consequences of such failure. We were cast out of God's presence and the wonderful place that He intended for us to live.  The Bible tells us in Romans 3:10, "As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one." Seeing the hopeless condition man has plunged himself into, God knew that the solution could only come from Him.  No one else is righteous and holy to ransom man from the hands of the deceiver, Satan!  As it is written in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."  Acts 4:11-12 revealed, "Jesus is "‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”  This Truth is what fuels me to keep on sharing with others the importance of coming to Jesus.  That no religion or mortal men can save anybody from their sin and no other way to restore our severed relationship with God except by way that God Himself has established---FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST!  Other than Him, all efforts are futile.  To be Born-Again (John 3:3---Born from above) is not joining a religion.  It happens when a person dies from his old sinful nature (in Adam) and be reborn in Jesus Christ.  No man can earn  "righteous standing" in the eyes of God  (no matter how good or a person they are) unless it's given to them by God Himself.  Not one of us can work our own salvation for if that is so, then there was no need to send Jesus to save us!  He came to this world to die in our place for one special reason---HE LOVE US!  Knowing the pain, humiliation, separation from His Father that carrying the sins of man would cost Him, He did it anyway!  When you find such love, it would be worth giving up everything that this temporary world could offer.  This is why it's painful to hear people saying, "there are many ways to God."  Understanding the degree of deception that Satan has on these people's lives does not make me just grateful for what God had done in my life but it compels me to do something other than just being compassionate.  That is to proclaim the Good News of the Gospel (death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ) through every opportunity that God sends my way.  To help open the eyes of the blind and make the deaf hear.  I have Jesus inside of me and I feel the compassion He has for people who are otherwise going to perish till the Light and Truth of the Gospel penetrates their hearts.  We cannot change ourselves except we surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ!  We cannot obtain righteousness till we come into a relationship with the One whom righteousness come from.  I HAVE NO RELIGION!  I have a PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST and would like for everyone to experience the grace and goodness He bestowed upon me and to everyone that believe.  Ephesians 2:8-9 declares, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast."  Just as Jesus did it for love, I am sharing the Gospel based on the love that God has imparted in my life---not wanting for anyone to perish but to have eternal life in Christ.  One day, those who overcame this world (solely by faith in Jesus Christ) will be reunited with God face to face in His paradise.  There's no more tears as evil is done with.  There will be plenty of rejoicing.  That day, I want as many people with me from my family, friends, neighbors and all over the world.  But till that day comes, I gotta do what I gotta do as instructed by God daily.  Just want to share this passage to encourage us to share the hope we have  in Christ:

"Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation-- if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant. Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness-- the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the 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.  To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me." (Colossians 1:21-29)

For this Card, I used an image I got way back from Dustin Pike Digi Stamps and I colored it with my ProMarker/Prismacolor markers.  The base is a white CS, cut and scored to make a 5.5 inches square card.  I embossed a white panel with my Cuttlebug folder and used the Sizzix Embossing Diffuser to leave a smooth circle around the Word Art (pretty cool, huh!).  I layered some Recollections and Prima flowers, added some brads and punched out some leaves using an EK Success Punch.  I added dots of Liquid Pearls (White Opal) to the leaves for extra dimension.  I adhered some nail head gems to the image and all over the card as well.  Lastly, I stitched all over this card.  I love it!

HE THAT HATH AN EAR CARD:

 HE THAT HATH AN EAR CARD LAYERS:

 HE THAT HATH AN EAR CARD INSIDE:

HE THAT HATH AN EAR CARD WITH ENVELOPE-BOX:

This Card is entered into the following Challenges:

Color Throwdown---Color Inspiration
Creative Moments---ATG/Fall Colors
Nutcrafters---B is for (Brads)
Paper Shelter---Embossing
Penny's Paper-Crafty---Stitching
Scrapper's Delights---ATG/Make Your Own Flowers
Simon Says Stamp---Make Your Own Background
Sister Act---ATG
Crafty Girls---ATG
Art by Miran---ATG
Crafty Sentiments---Spots and/or Stripes
Artistic Inspirations---ATG/Make it Go Round and Round
Crafting from the Heart---ATG
Loves Rubber Stamps--Glitter or Sparkle (Liquid Pearls created some sparkles)
Sisters of Craft---ATG
Crafts for Eternity---Digital
Crafting by Designs---ATG
Craftin Desert Diva's---ATG
My Craft Creations---ATG
TTCRD---ATG
Random Fan---Bright Colors
Craft-Room---Something Old, Something New (Old - Digi Stamp/ New - Embossing Diffuser)
Cuttlebug Mania---Anything Embossed
Going Grey---Favorite Embellishment (Flowers)
Inky Chicks---Stitching
Our Daily Bread---Stitch It
2 Cute Ink---ATG
Crafty Bloggers Network---ATG
Crating in Faith, Hope and Love---Scripture and Celebration
Fitztown---ATG
Imagination Crafts---ATG
Path of Positivity---Determination (In life, we must be determined to stand by God's Word for in it comes great promises and rewards both now and forever for those whose trust is in Christ.
PPinky Dolls---ATG/Add a Flower
Scrapbook Stamp Society---ATG
Stamp and Create---Circles or Dots
Paper Nest Dolls---ATG
Through the Purple Haze---Clear and Bright
Whoopsi Daisy---Flowers

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 upto 5 projects.  Our amazing sponsors for this week are Crafty Ribbons ($10 GC to their shop) and Freckled Fawn ($15 GC to their store).  So excited to see what you come up with.  Anyway, cheer up and let the joy of the Lord overtake you today as you share Him to others.  He truly loves and cares for you. 

Scripture Series: Your Words are True Card---It's Anything Goes/Inspirational Challenge at Word Art Wednesday!

Hi guys!  it's another Wednesday and I'm here to bring to you another card that features our free Word Art for the day at Word Art Wednesday (WAW).  It's taken out of Psalm 119:160 which tells us, "All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal."  This speaks of one of God's main characteristic---TRUTHFULNESS!  History is full of people who came and promised all sorts of things but very seldom can we find anyone who hasn't lied and disappointed people no matter how good we think they were/are.  Born sinners, we are incapable of keeping every promise we make and some don't even bother to live a life of Truth.  All sound laws in this world were based on the Word of God.  You can find almost all of it just by looking at the Ten Commandments alone.  Before God used Moses to reveal His laws, man roamed freely and was governed solely by their consciences.  Conscience is man's moral compass and is part of our spirit man (Man---a tripartite being made of spirit, soul and body).  But since the Fall, the sin nature (from Satan) enslaved man and no matter how we tried to break free from it, we all have a bent towards committing any enemy of God would do---REBELLION!  Our conscience were marred by the many influences of this world to the point we became so confused, unable to tell right from wrong.  Without recognizing our need for God and His righteous laws, we are left with "secular humanism" and "moral relativism.".  That means we do what we feel and think is good!  We become selfish---not caring if others are going to get hurt in the process.  It is true, without God, they'll be no moral absolutes!  Nothing would be wrong with killing, stealing, lying, disrespecting authority among others.  Everyone is out to protect their own interest which realistically, would be impossible in an insanely driven, selfishly ran world.  At times, it makes me wonder how people think they can stockpile goods and hide in their barricaded basements when the world goes insane like that?  When people are hungry and desperate, there's no amount of threat that will stop them from breaking into ones home and taking everything they want.  This has been a familiar sight to us in the stories we hear from the news.  Right now, people are inventing/twisting "just" causes to divide and go after one another...They break into their neighbors and business properties to take what they want.  These are all results of the many mistakes we did or didn't do for our country.  We took away everything Godly in our schools and in public places and now have the audacity to wonder, "What's going on and why are these happening?"

Now that we know what's going on around us, what are we going to do about it?  Every God-fearing servant of the Lord need not fear nor hide inside their homes.  Realize that we have to fight for our rights to uphold the knowledge of God in this country.  We need to take back what is given to us by God by fighting to protect our God-given Constitution.  When Christians all over the world are being killed for their faith, we are not to wait for that to happen here.  Let the voice of God be heard through men and women that run to govern this country.  Refuse to vote along party lines but elect individuals that fears God and upholds God's standards.   Do not trust people based on their words but by their track record.  But most importantly, know the Truth of God's Word so you will be able to discern what is of Him and not of Him.  I know it requires time, effort and commitment to do all of these but if you have genuine love for your children/grandchildren, it's worth giving them a country that is not ruled by ungodly, selfish thieves.  I may not be born in this country but I am a citizen here now and I care for it as much as any  patriotic American does.  So, I am determined to fight for what is right for God and country for the sake of my child and every children who calls America home.

Whether I live or die, my decision to depend on the God of Truth will be of benefit to me in this life and that of the eternal.  I know what is waiting for me when this life is over as it is clearly written in the Word of God.  His statutes are more than enough to guide me today and will be the same statutes I will live by when I rule with Him in His kingdom. Hebrews 13:8 says, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."  No matter how time changes, what He said will hold True and dependable till the end of the age.  We are never to compromise God's Word because what He said, He will back-up!  I'd rather please God than man!  So, this coming November election, let us VOTE for God, our country and our children!  Refuse to be silent as many people need to hear the "only hope" that is found in our Savior, Jesus Christ!   I want to share with you these passages from the scripture to encourage us to take a stand at this time when political correctness is being pushed while shoving religious freedom on every citizen of this country.

"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.  Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven."  (Matthew 5:13-20)

For my inspiration card today,  I used images from one of our sponsors, The Cutting Cafe, from their collection called "All About Girls Printable Stamp Set."  I colored each of the dresses and the flowers using my ProMarker/Prismacolor/Chromatix markers.  The base card is a white CS, cut and scored to make a 5.5 inches square card.  The DP's are taken from my scraps from different companies.  I added coordinating brads to the center of the flowers and adhered some yellow ribbon.  I used distress ink (Pumice Stone) to age most of the edges of the DP.  Lastly, I did some fancy and regular stitching on this card.  Love how it turned out so colorful!

YOUR WORDS ARE TRUE CARD:

 YOUR WORDS ARE TRUE CARD LAYERS:

 YOUR WORDS ARE TRUE CARD INSIDE:

YOUR WORDS ARE TRUE CARD WITH ENVELOPE-BOX:

This Card is entered into the following Challenges:

Dazzling Diva---ATG/Glitter
Crafting by Designs---ATG
Creative Moments---ATG/Back to School
Hobbybook---Girly
Penny's Paper Crafty---ATG
Scrapper's Delights---ATG
Wonderful Wednesdays---ATG
Clear it Out---ATG
Craft-Room---Something Old, Something New (The DP's are old and the digi stamps are new)
Crafty Sentiment---ATG
Fan-Tastic Tuesday---ATG
Loves Rubber Stamps---ATG
Oldie but a Goodie---Stitching (The DP's and the brads are quite old)
TTCRD---ATG
Crafts Galore Encore---Make a Card
Craftyhazelnut's---Patterned Paper
CCC Digi---Digi/Things with Wings
Doodle Pantry---Any Digi Goes
Imagination Crafts---ATG
Ladybug Crafts---ATG
Lia Stampz---Feminine/Girly
Sunshine Mail---ATG
Sisters of Craft---ATG

Time to go, everyone!  Please make sure to visit us at WAW and link up the projects you make out of our free Word Art although not mandatory.  You can link up any inspiring, uplifting, family-friendly projects, up to 5.  We have a couple of wonderful sponsors this week namely, Docerela Stamps and The Cutting Cafe.  That means a couple of chances to win so, head over to WAW and show us your wonderful projects.  Enjoy your week.  Always remember that God loves you and has a great plan for your life!

Moments of Delight Center Step Card---Join Us for an Anything Goes Challenge at 613 Avenue Create!

Happy Labor day everyone! I can't believe it's already September and my birthday is just around the corner.  Time is super fast and before we know it, we're beginning another year.  There are times we want time to stand still especially during happy moments in our lives.  Yet, there's are also those not so happy moments when we want to speed it up.  It happens in time of grief, frustrations and challenges---when were hoping and praying for brighter days.  Our emotions can take us high or low, like a roller coaster ride and "LIFE" can be both exciting and devastating!  Sometimes, the people whom you thought are going to support you end up hindering you and those that you didn't expect to be there are the ones who takes the time to encourage you.  Really, life is full of unexpected surprises!  It's safe to say that "everything comes in its season, in the time allotted by God!"  The friends you had long time ago may not be there  at all today.  But God sends people our way for a special season in our lives.  We need to be open for some changes and allow the Lord to bring more blessings through new friendships and Godly relationships.  I find myself emotionally  drained trying to pursue friendships that were sometimes good for a season.  I spend countless times investing time and effort to maintain and make friendships work but what I forget is that friendship is a two-way street.  You can only answer for your part.  I've met many people in my life and so thankful for those who took the time to get to know me as a person.  If there's something others noticed about me, they mostly speak of my "transparency."  What you see is what you get!  It is hard for me to be pretentious because somehow, somewhere, my eyes would speak the truth.  I am also big in "fairness" and "word of honor."  Anytime, I see or experience the lack of any of these three attributes, it really affect my relationship with those people---in a big way.  I believe that transparency, fairness and honesty are the perfect combination to any lasting relationship.  But the truth is, it's very hard to find people that possesses all of these characteristics in this imperfect world.  Many out there are out with selfish motives and whether they admit it or not, most serve their own interest.   Yet the Kingdom of God is different.  Upon our surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, God works to take "selfish" out of us and changes it to "unselfishness."  To be great in God's kingdom is to abandon self and serve others.  The core of serving is "love" by allowing others to advance instead of promoting oneself.  Take for example, if you are privileged to be a leader of a dance team, you can take advantage of the position by assigning yourself to every dance routine so as to show others how good of a dancer/leader you are.  But what you may be forgetting is that everyone in the team can  dance and that you are not the only one with the gift.  The test of true leadership is to keep yourself from using your privilege but to make use of it to assign others that are qualified to do the part.  Unless it is specifically clear that you are the main artist and others were your back-ups, then, that behavior is not consistent with the true meaning of leadership and servant-hood in God's Kingdom.  Those who wish to argue can enlighten me about the reason why one needs to be the center of attention instead of delegating task for the advancement of the whole group?  It's sad but this happens not only in the secular world but among believers.  God has warned us against selfish motives and ambitions that the ungodly/worldly people clamor for.  But as human beings, though saved by grace by the finished work of Jesus Christ,  we are still in the process of transformation to be more like Jesus.  We will not see the fulness of that glorious change till we meet our Savior face to face.  We are to be patient with one another and pray for the leaders (both in the big and small scene) that God assigned over us.  Godly leaders (great to small)  should be open to correction or suggestion from their team members.  Be transparent and fair in creating opportunities, making sure that self is not serve, giving others a chance to share the gifts that others have for the Body of Christ.  These passages in the Scripture clearly tells us of how it is to live in God's Kingdom and how we ought to pattern our life to what the Spirit of God is leading us to do:

"When he (Jesus) noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Luke 14:7-11)

"Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:42-45)

  

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.  Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross!"  (Philippians 2:3-8) 

For my inspiration card for our Challenge, we our task to incorporate our optional twist----Sights, Sounds and Taste of Autumn.  I used one of the image provided by one of our sponsors, Meljen's Designs, called "Cinnamon Harvest Mug" and I added another image from the same sponsor that I have in my stash called "Windswept Diva."  Both were colored using my ProMarker/Prismacolor markers.  The base card is Kraft, cut and score to make a 5.5 inch center step card.  All the DP's were from my scraps.  I used a Nestabilities die for the lacy oval, added some white nail head gems from Imaginisce, added glitters to the image (Stickles-Diamond and Crystal) and some regular and fancy stitching.  The heartfelt sentiment is a freebie from Create with TLC (Special thanks to Paulette!).  I'm pretty happy with how this card turned out.

 

MOMENTS OF DELIGHT CENTER STEP CARD:

MOMENTS OF DELIGHT CENTER STEP CARD LAYERS:

MOMENTS OF DELIGHT CENTER STEP CARD SIDE VIEW:

MOMENTS OF DELIGHT CENTER STEP CARD INSIDE:

MOMENTS OF DELIGHT CENTER STEP CARD WITH ENVELOPE-BOX:

This Card is entered into the following Challenges:

Artistic Inspirations---ATG/Memories
Cheerful Stamp Pad---ATG
Crafting from the Heart---ATG
Craftin' Desert Diva's---ATG
Crafty Bloggers Network---ATG
Cutie Pie---Two's Company
Digi Makeover---ATG
Digi Sketch---Sketch and/or Theme: A Girl Thing
Lexi's Creations---Sparkle and Shine
Craft Creations---ATG
OLLCB---Fancy Folds
Simon Says Stamp---ATG
Stamp and Fun = Creativity---3 layers of paper
Paper Nest Dolls---ATG
Fairytale Stampers---ATG 
Glitter n Sparkle---Show us some Sass
Scribble and Scrap---ATG
Stamping Sensations---ATG
Squirrel and the Fox---Spring or Autumn

Have an awesome week, everyone.  Please join us at our neighborhood---613 Avenue Create for a wonderful Anything Goes Challenge.  Great prizes to be won and you can link practically any creation if you don't want to follow the twist.  I can't wait to see what you come up with.  The next couple of days, I will get busy creating a card for my other wonderful group---Word Art Wednesday and so, watch out for another inspirational post this coming Wednesday.  As you go through life, always fix your eyes on Jesus so you may not be swept away by daily challenges or frustrations of life.  Focus your eyes on Jesus in order to serve and not to be served.  God bless!