True Friendship Card---Join our Very First Challenge at 613 Avenue Create for 2015...It's Anything Goes with an Optional Twist!

Good Sunday morning, Crafty Peeps!   A BLESSED and HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!  It's my first post for the year 2015 and I know that the Lord is going to teach me a lot of things this year that I can also share with you, guys!  As we start the year, I would like to emphasize to you the importance of accountability in the life of every believer in Christ.  First and foremost, we are accountable to God!  He is our Creator and His very breath is what keeps us alive.  The sooner we embrace this fact, the easier it would be for us to accept that this life is really not our own.  God's Word tells us in Genesis 2:7, "Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being."  We physically breathe, move and intellectually function because God has given us the gift of life.   Now with that life comes responsibilities we can only accomplished successfully if we are in continuous relationship with Him.  But sin came into the world when Adam disobeyed and betrayed God.  From then on, we all came under the bondage of sin (Sin Nature) and it's ruler---Satan!  Until we all realize the depths from which we fell and repent from our sins, we shall never see God nor experience freedom from the grips of the Sin Nature.  But if today, your heart is being prodded to consider the road to freedom,  God has provided for us the ONLY WAY for which man can be saved.  Every answer is found in the Person of JESUS CHRIST!  By confessing your sins, accepting His finished work at the Cross (His death, burial and resurrection)  and inviting Him to be your Personal Lord and Savior, you are joining  the many others that experienced the true freedom that only faith in Christ can ever accomplished.  Though the world continue in  its insanity, God gives us wisdom and understanding as He comfort and assures us of His presence and provision wherever we go.  Jesus spoke to His disciples in John 16:33  and it says, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart! I have overcome the world."  Sometimes, we don't want to think of undergoing trials and have convinced ourselves that we are exempted from hardships and suffering.  Yet, what we don't realize is that Jesus, though innocent in every count, still died a horrible death!  Why?  Because He had to carry in His Body every filth, sin and shame of all of humanity.  At that time, God the Father could not even look at His Son.  He had to pay for our sins---no man is qualified to do so. Jesus gave Himself away like a perfect Lamb to be slaughtered so that in His victorious resurrection, we can once again fellowship with Him and take the place that God originally made us for.  This is why I love Jesus so much!

So, as we come to a personal relationship with God and become accountable to Christ, we need to find friends who would help us walk the straight and narrow path.  Those whom we can trust to tell us the Truth when were out of line but will also continually encourage us to diligently seek God's Word.  I believe that the Holy Spirit brings Godly people into our lives in the right place and time so that we can look after each other.  Remember that each of us have different levels of faith and are to be led by love be it in rebuke or encouragement.  When you have found those Godly friends in your life, don't hesitate to tell them of the blessing they are to you and to cherish everyday you spend with them.  I would like to share these encouraging passages that Apostle Paul shared for all of us believers of Christ in the Book of Philippians.

  
 "If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion,  then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.  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!  Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,  that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,  and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.  Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,  for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.  Do everything without complaining or arguing,  so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe  as you hold out the word of life--in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing." (Philippians 2:1-16) 

Anyway, for my inspiration project at our Anything Goes Challenge with an Optional Twist (make a matching envelope) at 613 Avenue Create, I used an image from one of our sponsors, Scrapper's Delights,  called "Princess 2" and colored it with my ProMarker/Prismacolor markers with some paper-piecing.  The base is Kraft that is cut and scored to make a 5.5 inches square card.  The DP's
came from my favorite Paper Studio stack called "Newsworthy."  I used a Paper Studio embossing folder to emboss a panel, added some doily and lace as well as die-cut a border using one of my MS Border Punch.  I layered and glittered some flowers (with Stickles) from Prima, placed some swirls I cut using Spellbinders die and adhered several nail head gems from Imaginisce.  The wonderful sentiment came as a freebie from Create with TLC (Big thanks to Paulette!).  Lastly, I stitched all over this Card.

TRUE FRIENDSHIP CARD:

TRUE FRIENDSHIP CARD LAYERS:

TRUE FRIENDSHIP CARD SIDE VIEW:

TRUE FRIENDSHIP CARD INSIDE:

 

TRUE FRIENDSHIP CARD WITH ENVELOPE-BOX:

This Card is entered into the following Challenges:

Sister Act---ATG
Simon Says Stamp---ATG
TTCRD---ATG
Crafts Galore Encore---ATG
Country View---Something New to You (New Image and Sentiment)
Digistamps4Joy---Add Glitter
DL ART---ATG
Inspiration Destination---ATG
Natalie and Amy---All Things New (New Image and Sentiment)
Sisters of Craft---ATG
Craftyhazelnut's---Patterned Paper
Cute Card Thursday---ATG
Art Impressions---What's New (New Image and Sentiment)
CCC Digi---Digi/Embellish
Craft for the Craic---Favorite Word (Friendship)
Crafter's Cafe---New (New Image and Sentiment)
QKR Stampede---ATG
Crafty Sentiments---Gold and Another Color
Gem of a Challenge---Something New (New Image and Sentiment)
Catch the Bug---ATG
Crafty Calendar---What's New?  (New Image and Sentiment)
My Time to Craft---All Things New (New Image and Sentiment)
OSAAT--- ATG with Stitching
Scribble and Scrap---ATG
Crafty Catz---ATG
Card Mania---Make it Sparkle
Imagination-Crafts---ATG
Emerald Faeries---It's all about the Bling
Mema's Crafts---ATG
Connie Can Crop---All that Sparkles
Scrapper's Delights---ATG

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---Scrapper's Delights and Lacy Sunshine Stamps.  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 and a friend to share it with to carry through the journey of life.  Would love to hear your comments too.   Hugs, always!