Scripture Series: God is my Salvation Card---It's Anything Goes/Family Friendly Challenge at Word Art Wednesday!

A great Wednesday to all my Crafty Peeps!  Today is the start of another Family Friendly/Inspirational Challenge at Word Art Wednesday (WAW).  Our free Scripture Word Art (you can download for free at the WAW site) comes from Isaiah 12:2 and it says, "Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation."  We can say that anyone whose still thinking straight knows that everything that exist on earth had been created by God and are formed with complex yet systematic function.  If we look into the detail on how God created the heavens and the earth all the way to the First Man in Genesis 1-2, every creation was perfect.  God spoke the Word and things began to exist.  Yet with Man, He formed him from the dust of the ground, made him into His image and likeness and breathe unto his nostrils the breath of life (a portion of Himself).  This "Life" we now have comes from God!  When the time comes for us to leave this physical body, we will give our final breath and live eternally. The question is, where do you want to spend your eternity? Genesis 3 showed us how Man messed up his relationship with God through disobedience and allowed the enemy to corrupt the eternal existence that was free from Death and Sin intended for all of mankind by our Creator.  Thank God---the story didn't end there!  The Word of God detailed His plan for redemption that can only be fulfilled by His One and Only Son, Jesus Christ!  Oh yes, the Bible is a book about amazing love.  It tells us of a Heavenly Father Who loved the world so much that He gave His Only Son (who knew no sin) to suffer the Cross as payment for mankind's sin against Him.  That through faith in what Jesus accomplished at the Cross, we are restored to our original status before Adam fell into sin---that is, RIGHTEOUS BEFORE HIS EYES!  There is nothing we can do on our own (that includes trying very hard to live by God's commandments,  good deeds/works, charities or devotion to religion) that will even come close to accomplishing that which Christ has done for us. In fact, man's own efforts are like "filthy rags" in God's sight!  No man-made solutions shall ever fix a man's broken spirit (separation from God that took place after The Fall).  Romans 3:23-24 states, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,  and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." When we adhere to the Only Solution that was prescribed by God Himself to the sickness of mankind as we place our faith upon the finished work of Christ (death, burial and resurrection) at the Cross, only then can we begin to understand the very reason why we live and function effectively towards God's divine purpose.  

The Holy Spirit that resides in every believer reveals Christ to us from glory to glory.  Our role is to yield to His working.  As we come to know Him more daily by studying God's Word and  as we continue to experience His love and care through various situations in life---our faith grows!  No longer shall we be conquered by fear nor any kind of uncertainties.  Notice that I didn't say we will not be fearful from time to time but knowing the God we serve cares and love us, we develop strength and confidence in the promises of God. Knowing that He is with us today, tomorrow and our eternal future.  Truthfully, many people live in fear daily!  It makes a big difference if we can remind ourselves of our personal encounters with God...I am talking about those moments when He became so real in your life!  When He's no longer Someone you read or hear about.  When His presence is so strong that you know and you know He's right beside you...When you can talk to Him about anything and everything under the sun and felt no condemnation! Whom your physical eyes may not see but seen by your spirit.  

You know what? Jesus Christ wants to have an intimate relationship with people. I cannot fully describe the joy and peace that comes when I allow myself to be lost in His presence. When my eyes is fixed and my heart beats solely for Him.  Until we come to this point of trust and surrender, the burdens and terrors of this world will continue to weigh us down .  People will run like cowards seeking for a safe place.  Yet, apart from the Lord, there is no safety!  If you have not known Jesus Christ in a personal and intimate way, today is the day!  There's no special formulas or steps needed to qualify in His presence.  All you need is FAITH (TRUST) and a HUMBLE HEART!  I want to share with you the following verses regarding the important role of FAITH in seeking a relationship with our Lord:

"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."  (Hebrews 11:6)

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” (Romans 1:16-17)

"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us."  (Romans 5:1-5)  

For this Card, I used an image from "A Day for Daisies" called "Fairy Flower Outing" which I colored with my ProMarker/Prismacolor and embossing markers from Marvy Uchida.  I used a clear embossing powder to give the flowers a raised effect.  The base is Kraft, cut and scored to make a 5.5 inches square card.  The DP's are from Recollections and American Crafts,  the die cuts by Nestabilities, the border punch by EK Success and the butterflies as well as the Washi tape are from Recollections too.  I paper-pieced the image and stitched all over this card.   

GOD IS MY SALVATION CARD:

GOD IS MY SALVATION CARD LAYERS:

 GOD IS MY SALVATION CARD INSIDE:

GOD IS MY SALVATION CARD WITH ENVELOPE-BOX:

This Card is entered into the following Challenges:

Crafty Addicts---ATG/Spots and or Stripes
Crafty Girls---ATG
Penny's Paper Crafty---ATG
Artistic Inspirations---ATG
Creative Moments---ATG/Autumn Colors
Crafting by Designs---ATG
Die Cuttin Divas---ATG
Digi Choosday---Something New (Image and sentiment is new)
Fresh Brewed---Great Outdoors
House that Stamps Built---ATG
Inspiration Destination---ATG
TTCRD---ATG
Creative Inspirations---ATG
Creative Inspiration---ATG
Simon Says---ATG
Whimsy Inspiration---ATG
Petal Lu---ATG
Crafting for all Seasons---Autumnal Hues
Crafty Creations---Falling For You
Crafty Gals---Things with Wings
Inky Impressions---Dots and/or Stripes
Wonderful Wednesday---ATG
City Crafter---Geek Chic
Everybody-Art---Circles
PINspirational---Inspirational Pic
Try It On Tuesday---Autumn

Don't forget to join us at the WAW Challenge.  You can use the free Word Art this week to make a project and link it to our Challenge although it's not mandatory.  You can also link other projects (up to 5) as long as it has uplifting/inspirational messages.  Our sponsors this week are  Lawn Fawn (Stamp Set) and My Artistic Adventures (Collage Sheets Digi).  Have a blessed day and remember to always be grateful and hold on to the promises of God in your life no matter what.  Let the Holy Spirit comfort you with God's Word and empower you daily. 

A Day to Remember Watercolor Card and Gift Box Set---Join Us for Another Anything Goes Challenge at 613 Avenue Create!

Hello there, everyone!  So sorry for another late post as this month is super hectic for me starting from a couple of weeks ago when we have birthdays to celebrate.  And then comes Harvest Festivals and Conferences in the Church also.  Anyway, as the season changes, we can also see lots of things taking place when it comes to the prophetic timeline of God's Word.   Now, more than ever, I would say that Jesus is coming very soon.  There are three things to watch for that are game changers when it comes to fulfillment of God's Word. They are Israel, the World and the Church (The "Called-Out" ones, nothing to do with religion).  Let us spend time studying God's Word that we may be able to discern what  is going on around us.  There are many people who have been deceived by what seemed to be legitimate teachings that had been twisted and perverted.  It is very important that we remain grounded in the Word and to not allow our own thoughts, reasoning and experiences to trump what the Lord says in His Word.  As Born-again Christians (John 3:3), we are to develop a habit of seeking God's Word when we hear anyone deliver a message.  It doesn't matter whether they are popular, the coolest teachers/speakers in the planet or it could be one or several of your well-loved Pastors in your Church.  NO ONE IS ABOVE GOD'S WORD!  God has warned us about false teachers even among us in 2 Peter 2:1-3 which says, "But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping."  

In my daily walk with God, I am grateful for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that guides me to all Truth.  He has quicken my spirit as I listen to the teaching of the Word and caused me to not only swallow but chew on their messages.  I don't know how to completely describe or explain it but He prompts me to put my spiritual guard when something spoken was a bit strange.  Errors need not be huge but it can be subtle things when added to the Truth that changes the context of God's Word.  It could also be a case of an impure motive.  Now, I am not saying that I just simply lose confidence on people but I take what they said and do my research at home.  I must admit that there are also teachings that I'm unfamiliar with that needed to be proven before I allow them to shape my thoughts and influence my action.  A teacher in my Bible class told us many times (something I will never forget) that we don't need to be dogmatic on something if there's not enough evidence or account in Scripture about a certain subject matter.  Now, there are many theories that Bible scholars or theologians have put together to explain something but in reality, most of them would fall under intelligent guess.  Many times, we argue about little things that cause division among us for something that does not even involve our salvation/redemption.  Yet there are absolute teachings that God's Word  explained/emphasized in great lengths and are the foundations of our faith. We have to be very careful nowadays as to what we allow ourselves to see and hear!  

Truthfully, what I notice these days are the rampant idolizing of people not only in the world scene but also in the Church.  It is not wrong to admire people but if we make them our authority and just agree to everything they do or say without making them accountable to the Word, then we are subjecting ourselves to destruction.  Everyone who works in the Church (those that are on stage and backstage) are there to serve God and to serve one another.  No one is above the other!  Matthew 23:11-12 says, "The greatest among you will be your servant.  For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted."  We are to revere one another according to the ministry God entrusted us.  The Pastors are to take care of the flock and we should respect them for the office they were given. But we must also respect those who clean the bathrooms and maintain our Church as they are also faithfully performing the task God assigned to them.  People can easily be taken by positions, popularity, prestige and so on.  But let us remember that in anything and everything we do, we are called to serve and not to be served.  This is what should distinguish us from the world---our love for God and our love for one another! To desire positions and titles and the best seat in the house of God with an ill motive to advance oneself over another and to acquire power in order to be served is a  deadly trap we should not allow ourselves to fall  into.   Just want to share the following verses to help us understand our need to test every spirit that is presented to us.  As we watch over the things that the world is trying to influence us with, we also need to watch over the ones inside the faith for we are living in critical times.

"Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world."  (1 John 4:1-3)

"I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them.  For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people." (Romans 16:17-18)

"I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel--which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!" (Galatians 1:6-9)

So, we have another Anything Goes Challenge this week at 613 Avenue Create with an optional Twist of "Use the Color Sapphire."  I made this project for my MIL that celebrated her birthday a few weeks ago.  I used an image from Stampendous called "Ranunculus Field" and water-colored it with Distress Inks. This was one of the first images that I colored after watching a few videos on water-coloring.  After the image was dry, I kept it in between a book so as to eliminate any warping.  Then, I forgot about it till the day I needed to make a birthday card and a box to hold the jewelry.  I was amazed how it came out perfectly on the design that I had in mind.  I see it as God reserving the image for me for the perfect project.  Anyway, the base is Kraft, cut and scored to make a 5.5 inches square card.  The DP's are from Paper Studio and American Crafts.  The outside sentiment is from Cloud 9 Design and the Birthday sentiment is from Printworks.  I made a coordinating box for the Jewelry Set (necklace, bracelet and earring) that my hubby made for his Mom.  The base of the box is Kraft and measures 3" x 8" and 1 inch high.  I decorated it with the same papers, stamps and sentiments as the card and finally comes the stitching.  I am very happy with how this set came out.

A DAY TO REMEMBER WATERCOLOR CARD WITH ENVELOPE-BOX:

 A DAY TO REMEMBER WATERCOLOR CARD LAYERS...

 A DAY TO REMEMBER WATERCOLOR CARD INSIDE:

 A DAY TO REMEMBER WATERCOLOR JEWELRY BOX:

A DAY TO REMEMBER WATERCOLOR JEWELRY BOX INSIDE:

COMPLETE ELEGANT SET MADE BY MY HUBBY:

A DAY TO REMEMBER WATERCOLOR CARD AND GIFT BOX SET:

This Card is entered into the following Challenges:

Crafting for all Seasons---Layer It Up
Inky Impressions---Dots and/or Stripes
Inspiration Destination---ATG
Paper Shelter---Birthday Card with Sentiment
Crafty Addicts---Spots and Stripes/ATG
Whimsy Inspiration---ATG
Wonderful Wednesday---Circles
Sweet Stamps---ATG
Crafting from the Heart---ATG
Craft Your Passion---ATG
Make my Monday---Autumn
Not Just Cards---ATG
OLLCB---Let's Get Crafty
Simon Says---Ombre
Where the Heart Is---Add Some Text
Eclectic Ellapu---ATG
OSAAT---ATG with Leaves
Penny Black---ATG
Stamping Sensations---Sew Special

There you have it, folks!  Don't miss the opportunity to join our Anything Goes Challenge at 613 Avenue Create with an optional twist.  There's wonderful prizes awaiting the winners from our lovely sponsors for this week---Flat Friends Boutique and RSD Image .  Can't wait to see what fabulous projects you're going to highlight this week.  I hope you have a wonderful week and know that through faith in what Jesus accomplished through the Cross, we have complete victory over whatever life may throw at us!  Thank you Lord... 

Little Boy Smile with Balloon- #STAMPtember at Simon Says Stamp...

Hey there, friends!  Just want to fully feature a Card I made for the #STAMPtember celebration at Simon Says Stamp.  Our DT's at Word Art Wednesday were privileged to be invited to join and try some of their awesome new release.   I hope you visit their Party Headquarters at Simon Says Stamp Blog for some inspiration and take advantage of some fun challenges, daily deals and limited time release. 

For this Card, I used a couple of images from "Oh Happy Day" set from Simon Says Stamp.  I used Cat's Eye Chalk Ink to stamp the sentiments and used Distress inks on the edges.  The cute digi image called "Fred" is a digi image from a company I could not remember (let me know if you recognize  where it came from so I can give proper credit) which I colored with my ProMarker/Prismacolor/Spectrum Noir markers.  The base is white CS that I cut and score to make an A2 card.  The DP is from Paper Studio, the stencil from Tim Holtz and I used Distress Ink (Tumbled Glass) to produce the stenciled background.   I added some dew drops as well as dotted the image with some white Gelly Roll pen.  Last but not the least, comes stitching. 

LITTLE BOY SMILE WITH BALLOON CARD:

LITTLE BOY SMILE WITH BALLOON CARD LAYERS:

LITTLE BOY SMILE WITH BALLOON CARD INSIDE:

LITTLE BOY SMILE WITH BALLOON CARD WITH ENVELOPE:

This Card is entered into the following Challenges:

Simon Says Stamp---Work It Wednesday
Crafting for all Seasons---Layer It Up
Inky Impressions---Dots and/or Stripes
Inspiration Destination---ATG
Crafty Addicts---Spots and Stripes/ATG
Whimsy Inspiration---ATG
Sweet Stamps---ATG
Not Just Cards---ATG
Without Words---For the Boys
Eclectic Ellapu---ATG 

Before I conclude this post, I would like to share an inspiration coming from God's Word taken from Philippians 4:8 and it tells us, "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things."  Surely, we are living in the times where evil/darkness surrounds us.  Many people does not hide anymore the things they used to do in secret.  In fact, they are very proud of their actions that they are forcing everyone to not only accept their worldly choices but to take part of their rebellion against God.  Sadly, many will be deceived and will follow the ways of men rather than God.  Yet for those who can discern right from wrong through the power of the Holy Spirit, this is the time to stand for the Truth.  Like Jesus was tried and persecuted in His time, we are taking part of the suffering of Christ by proclaiming the Truth of the Gospel (death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ) in our days.  When nothing around us is worth praising about, remember the great work of God in your life.  Every true believer owns a testimony of how they encountered God and the changes that took place after Jesus took over our lives.  Think about God's goodness, His Word, His grace and forgiveness , His love and promises to those that love Him.  Meditate on these things and you will not be swayed by the pressures of this world.  Would it be easy?  Not at all!  But with the power of the Holy Spirit working inside of us, all things are possible.  Always remember that we don't face our battles alone.  Jesus already won the battle and He is always with us 24/7.  Have an awesome day, everyone!

Scripture Series: Seek His Face Continually Cards---Family Friendly Challenge Happening at Word Art Wednesday!

Good Wednesday morning everybody.  Here I am to bring you today's Scripture Word Art (free to download at the WAW site) as an inspiration to this week's Family Friendly Challenge at Word Art Wednesday (WAW).  I was watching a video on using Distress inks for watercoloring and since I have a load of these inks, I decided to give it a quick try.  I got a couple of Stampin' Up stamps that I got from a Thrift store and haven't used yet.  I thought of practicing with these small images but was not thinking on using them for any project.  Truthfully, I was not even planning on submitting a project for WAW since it's the week of mine and my son's birthdays and we have a lot of things planned.   But after I was coloring, I was amazed with how pretty the images turned out.  I am definitely not an expert on this coloring technique but I believe God showed me that what I meant for scrap could still be made into something truly beautiful. 

Many of us have lived a life at some point that we consider unworthy of remembering.  We often call them our lowest points.  It's hard to be caught in one of those situations when we don't have a God to see us through.  Those moments can be triggered heavily by our emotions and when we are overwhelmed with pain and grief, we often do unwise things.  But God is faithful and true!  I know what I am saying because many years ago, I experienced it.  When I was not thinking about God and concentrating on my grief, He protected me and preserved me from myself.  He clothed me with his boundless love till all that was left was to allow Him to show me the true beauty that He sees in me that was clouded by my messed up life.  Like what he showed me while making today's project, not everything that we consider trash are meant to be thrown away.  No matter how sad those moments had been, it helped me realized the great work God has accomplished in my life.  We have to find the beauty from every experience---happy or sad---and see the glory of the Lord shine as we allow Him to take over.  To give our lives to Him is what makes a great deal of difference!  The Word of God declares in Romans 8:28-30, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified."  What an amazing God we serve.  I love it when He gives me lessons like this out of everyday experience.  Tell me God is not speaking?

Today's free Scripture Word Art comes from 1 Chronicles 16:11 and it says, "Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his face continually."  There's so much more to God than our minds can even begin to understand.  In His love and grace, He gave us the ability to think and choose so that we can discover a portion of Him daily.  In His creation, His written Word, His personal revelation of Jesus Christ and the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit, He made known to us His ways and how we are to successfully operate in His Kingdom.  Our faith in Christ is the "Sole Key" to enter the gates of His presence and  to eternally be with Him.  Let us be wise in using our time here on earth to know the God whom we will be spending forever with.  What we do with our earthly lives will weigh heavily in our eternal existence.  Seek the Lord, seek His face while there is time...Time is closing in on us very quickly and if we want everlasting life, Jesus and His finished work at the Cross is the Only Way.  Don't do it for anybody else---do it for you!  In these days of hostility to the Gospel (death, burial and the resurrection of Christ) and great rebellion and blindness of mankind, He is  the "Only Light" that shines in darkness.  Let us focus in Christ for only our faith in Him will lead us through the madness that is hovering our nation and the entire world.  One day, He will save us from all these insanity but until then, let us take to heart what the Word of God tells us in Ephesians 6:10-13, "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand."

For this Card, I stamped the images in Watercolor paper and used several Distress inks, brush and water to color my  images.  I am truly loving the watercolor technique.  Though my first choice would always be coloring with markers, it does not hurt to try other coloring mediums like this one or the Gamsol technique.  They all give different flavor to my projects.  The base is white, A7 size cards and envelopes, from  Paper Studio.  I stitched over the top panels and stamped the same images to the envelope and I was done.  Though I love layered cards, there's always a soft spot in my heart for CAS projects.  I am truly happy with these make.  Thank you, Lord!

SEEK HIS FACE CONTINUALLY CARDS WITH ENVELOPES:

SEEK HIS FACE CONTINUALLY CARD (FLOWERS):

SEEK HIS FACE CONTINUALLY CARD (LEAVES):

This Card is entered into the following Challenges:

2 Crafty Chicks---ATG
Crafting Musketeers---Autumnal Colors
Digi Galore---ATG
Lia Stampz---ATG
Our Creative Corner---Shades of Autumn
Petal Lu---ATG
Sisters of Craft---ATG
Your Scrapbook Place---ATG

Have an awesome day everyone and looking forward to see your wonderful projects linked at our WAW Blog.  It will be nice to see the featured Word Art in your Challenge project but not mandatory.  As long as it's family friendly, inspirational and uplifting, you are free to link up to 5 projects.  Our sponsors for this week are Bugaboo Digi Stamps (Digis) and Classy Cards 'N Such ($15 GC).  Just want to tell you how much God loves you and wants to have fellowship with you if you'd allow Him.  Hugs and blessing, everyone! 

Awesome Flower Block Waterfall Card---Visit our neighborhood, 613 Avenue Create, and have some fun with our Anything Goes Challenge!

Hello Craft friends!  Here's to highlight the project I made at this week's Challenge at our neighborhood, 613 Avenue Create!  It's always Anything Goes with and an Optional Twist...Before that, so sorry for another delayed posting but it's been an extraordinarily busy weekend.  If you have been following my Blog for quite sometime now, you know that one of the reasons I Blog is not only to share my projects but to share the faith, hope and love that the Lord Jesus Christ has shown me and to tell everyone that He's the One and Only Answer to all of life's questions.  Throughout the years, from the time I experienced God and accepted His gift of salvation, I became Born-again into His Kingdom and He gave me the hunger for His Word.  I didn't understand at first, what the deeper knowledge of the Scripture would mean towards His purpose in my life.  It didn't take that long before I realized the absolute necessity of being rooted in His Word and understanding the foundations of my faith in Christ after witnessing the evil that surrounds us nowadays.  The Word of God declared in Galatians 5:1, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."  There is something about God's Word that grabs a hold of a person and if you wholeheartedly search for it's wisdom, it will open your eyes to the reality of who you are and Who God is in your life.  Psalm 119:103-105 says, "How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!  I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path. Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path."  Having the light of God's Word eliminates fear as it exposes the threats around us.  Knowing the ways of the Omnipotent and Omniscient God through His written Word and walking the path He prepared for us gives us confidence to withstand what is to come.  Our Almighty God  knows what He is doing!  By placing our faith (trust, confidence, believe) in the Savior He sent, we have been set free from all the bondage that enslave us since we were born.  Without His written Word (the Bible), we will not know of this freedom that the Cross of Christ won for us.  

It's amazing how many ungodly people have used God's Word and perverted the Scripture to further their self-centered agenda.  It's really no surprise for it's exactly the same trick the serpent (Satan) used to deceive Adam and Eve.  They are preying on immature believers that does not study the Word and don't know the very foundation of their faith.  If we are counting on attending Church and hearing the Word being preached in an hour or less, once a week, and think that it would be sufficient to shield us from the arrows of deception being thrown at us every second of everyday, then we are unwise for exposing ourselves as an easy target.  Faith, wisdom and knowledge does not come to you by way of goose bumps, shaking, being knocked down on the floor or by feelings.   I've heard so many people pray for faith.  Yet God told us how faith comes to a person!  Romans 10:17 says, "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."  Trust is increased as we expose ourselves to His Word and experiencing situations where His Word became so real to us.  Picture this, when a soldier goes to battle, is he going there without any planning, preparation, strategy nor appropriate weapons?  Not at all!  It take lots of preparation, training, simulation and right weapons to engage in such a battle.   If that is true in the physical world, how can it not be in the spiritual world?  God's Word declares in 2 Corinthians10:4, "The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."  Believers who delivers the Word of God in its proper context, and uses it according to the leading of the Holy Spirit has the power of God to demolish all works of the enemy.  I have several experiences of people who perverted the Scripture to intimidate me as I comment on issues of our time (as the Spirit of God leads me).  Accompanied by a barrage of cussing, filthy and disgusting insults, they release their man-made arguments thinking they could use all of those to weaken my faith or instill fear...But little did they know, they just exposed themselves to be shallow, reprobate, haters of God for no apparent reason.  But underneath the facade, I know that the Word of God I shared with them will not come back void.  I know who my real enemy is/are!  It is the filthy spirit of Satan who enslaved these people!  Though my flesh begs me to hate them back, I do what God wants me to do---to pray for them and bless those that persecute us.  

We have many believers (so they say) in this country but a lot of them don't want to engage in the battle for religious freedom for fear of persecution.  They are afraid they will not be able to respond to arguments raised against their faith for they may really know very little about it.  They may be fearful for their businesses or worried it would change their "cool" image to their family and friends.  If you are waiting for the perfect time to get into the Word and truly stand up for your faith---that time is NOW!  We need men and women who not only know but stands on the firm foundation of the finished work of Christ and be willing to declare it in prayer, out on the streets, in social media, in courts or even in prison if needed to.  To declare the Truth about God and His salvation that is available to all who would believe.  To make known the statutes of the Lord and declare that NO MORTAL MAN can change what the Sovereign Lord, the Creator of heaven and earth established. We are to live according to the convictions of the Holy Spirit Who always agrees with God's Word. A few days ago,  I was blessed to see a video of Kim Davis ( the Rowan County clerk who would not violate her religious convictions by issuing same-sex marriage license with "her name" on it) stood up for God's Word even in the midst of bullying by the "intolerant" that pretends to fight for tolerance daily in her office.  She would not change her position, she endured jail time and the mocking of her past life to discount her witness of a changed life in Christ.  What I see from social media regarding this issue is this...That there are many so-called (could be pretend too) Christians that are completely oblivious and so blind to see Whom and what Kim Davis stood up for.  They don't understand how God's forgiveness work and what the blood of Jesus has done to wash away Kim's sin together with all others who have been Born-again in God's Kingdom.  Her Attorney mentioned in the VIDEO that she became a child of God four and a half years ago, after she attended a Church to fulfill a dying wish by her MIL.  Her life was drastically changed after that day!   Yes, God is in the business of changing hearts and if we have a fertile heart that allows God's Word to flourish, that will bring about a radical change to one's life.  I may have a different story than Kim but I too have been drastically changed by the presence of Christ in my life.  That is no secret to anyone who received the overwhelming grace and power of God's love.  The truth of the matter is,  no matter how educated, successful or wise people think they are, if they don't rightly divide the Word of Truth as God commanded us in 2 Timothy 2:15, they will be among those who persecute the brethren and thought they were doing it for God.   The time has come when those pretending to be sheep  is going to be be separated from the genuine.  Stick to the Truth of God's Word and you will never be led astray.  I pray for God's eternal favor for Kim Davis and her family for continuing the fight for religious freedom here in America and for proudly waving God's Truth in our nation.     

For this Card, I used an image from one of our sponsors this week, Bugaboo Digi Stamps called "Flower Blocks Silhouette Mini" which I printed with the same size (2 x 2) and adhered to the Waterfall CS panel.  The base is white CS, cut and scored to make a 5.5 inches square card.  The DP's are all from American Crafts Pebbles Stack, the punched sides done with an MS Punch, the swirls by Nestabilities dies ran through my Cuttlebug, the simi-circle slot punched with Fiskars, the tabs with some washi tapes from Recollections, the heartfelt sentiment from Cloud 9  and lastly, some stitching.  I've been wanting to try the Waterfall card design for years now  but never got around it.  Upon seeing this cute images, I just knew it would be the best to use.  I refreshed my memory on how this interactive card worked by watching this VIDEO.  

AWESOME FLOWER BLOCK WATERFALL CARD:

AWESOME FLOWER BLOCK WATERFALL CARD SIDE VIEW:

AWESOME FLOWER BLOCK WATERFALL CARD PANELS:

AWESOME FLOWER BLOCK WATERFALL CARD PANEL 2:

AWESOME FLOWER BLOCK WATERFALL CARD PANEL 3:

AWESOME FLOWER BLOCK WATERFALL CARD PANEL 4:

AWESOME FLOWER BLOCK WATERFALL CARD PANEL 5:

AWESOME FLOWER BLOCK WATERFALL CARD  WITH PULL-OUT SENTIMENT:

 AWESOME FLOWER BLOCK WATERFALL CARD INSIDE:

AWESOME FLOWER BLOCK WATERFALL CARD WITH ENVELOPE-BOX:

This Card is entered into the following Challenges:

Ecclectic Ellapu---ATG
Inspiration Destination---ATG
Little Red Wagon---Digi Do
Not Just Cards---ATG
Penny's Paper Crafty---ATG
MAWTT---Cute Animal (Butterflies)
Virginia's View---Geometric Patterns
Craftyhazelnut's---Patterned Papers
Crafting with Friends---ATG
Crafting from the Heart---ATG
Craft Your Passion---ATG
Artistic Inspiration---ATG/Twist of Magic
Crafty Boots---Monochromatic
House of Cards---Stitch it Up
Love to Scrap---Double Take
Melonheadz Friends---Try Something New (First time to make a Waterfall Card)
Scrapbook Stamp Society---ATG with Optional Hat
Simon Says Stamp Monday---Fave Technique (I love to stitch allover my cards)
The Paper Nest Dolls---ATG
Where the Heart Is---Add some Text
Whoopsi Daisy---Add Embellishments (Die-cut Swirls)
Lacy Sunshine---ATG
Come and get It---More than 1 Fold
Stamping Sensations---Sew Special(Sentiment are of clear stamps)
Crafty Calendar---ATG
Scrapper's Delights---ATG
Art by Miran---ATG
Chocolate, Coffee and Cards---Fancy and Feminine
Creative Artiste---ATG
Simply Papercraft---ATG

This it for now, guys.  Make sure to join us at our neighborhood---613 Avenue Create---for an Anything Goes Challenge.  Our sponsors--- STAMPlorations, Bugaboo Digi Stamps and Eureka Stamps are giving away some fabulous prizes.  Can't wait to see what you create. The Lord is with you every step of the way so, don't be afraid of what the future holds---we are safe in the arms of Christ always.  Be bold, be strong.  Stand up for the Truth!

Trust the Name of the Lord Card - It's our 200th Challenge with lots of goodies to give away at Word Art Wednesday! Don't miss it!

Hello Crafty Peeps!  The celebration is on for our 200th Challenge at Word Art Wednesday (WAW).  Week after week, we never fail to share with you a Scripture Word Art that does not only make our projects look great but imparts the wonderful promises that only God's Word can give.   So, hop over to WAW to find out more and see the list of wonderful DT inspiration and the prizes that awaits several winners at the end of this Challenge week.  God has been so gracious to allow us to be vessels of His Word and bearers of His light in the Crafting world and we are eternally grateful for the privilege and the honor that we can represent His love by doing what we love to do.  Thank you, Jesus, for many wonderful years of Challenges that are still to come.  Father, we delight in Your work and we willingly yield to Your plan as you cover us with your love and protection. 

So, this Blog post is a day late as we celebrated my MIL's 75th Birthday with many friends and family all day long yesterday.  Come to think of it, not many are blessed to reach that age and we're grateful to still have a parent with us, a grandma for my son.  Both my parents have long been gone and I couldn't help but think what life could have been if they were still here.  We ought to realize that life is so precious and we all came into the earth by way of our parents.  Yet, none of our parents (no matter how long they have been with us) knew every detail about us than our Father who created/knitted us together in our mother's womb.  We were given a chance to live in this world and experience the beauty of God's creation so that when we look at ourselves (the complexity of our being, similarities and uniqueness) with all the elements in nature, we would see a God whose power, beauty, radiance, holiness and love is reflected.  Not one of us--- rich or poor, educated or uneducated, powerful or weak know for certain the time we have in this world nor the exact time of our departure.  Many people have used a great deal of their lives seeking fame, money, power and even discovering and reinventing themselves.  They have piles upon piles of worldly achievements but with nothing to show God when it comes time. The only achievement He would acknowledge that day would be the works we accomplished right after Jesus took over our life (Born-again, John 3:3) as we surrendered to His Lordship and repented of our sins.   Right there and then,  He did all the wonderful works through us.  We will be rewarded for yielding to His leading!   All credit (honor and glory) would only be His!

This week's Scripture Word Art (free for your to download at the WAW site) comes from Psalm 20:7 and it says, "Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God."  My fellow believers in this great land we call America---I hope and pray that you have not been blinded and poisoned by the affairs of this world.  I hope that within you lies a discerning spirit who sees our present situation as a nation as darkness hovers around; devouring everyone whose spiritually weak and malnourished.  Those who may have some form of godliness but denies its true power.  Those who are too involved with their own and others' feelings that they neglected to consider how they offended God daily with their actions.  Those who used God's Word for their own godless agenda to prey on people who relies on man's opinions for their beliefs.  All around us, day after day, we see the enemy claiming territory upon territory.  While some people are in denial and relies on people, weapons and power to save this country in time,  those who see this battle in its true form (spiritual wickedness manifested in people who rebel against God) calls on the name of the One True God Who is perfectly in control!  Many claimed to be Christians but are completely oblivious  or could be purposely lying to deceive many by quoting God's Word out of context to give it a different meaning.  They used people's feelings to establish their lies by perverting God's Truth.   Philippians 3:3-4 says, "Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh.  For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh--." It is easy to feel hopeless upon seeing the people losing their minds and acting worst than animals in their thinking and actions. Hatred of God and love of self had caused people to adapt a "reprobate mind" (corrupt and worthless).  These people may have some knowledge of God and perhaps even know His commandments.  However, they live impure lives and have very little desire to please God (I'm sure they would not admit to this).  Sin is justified and acceptable to them. The reprobates are those whom God has rejected and has left to their own devices.  Those of us who can still see the light of Truth should be on our knees, pleading and interceding on behalf of our nation, Israel and the entire world.  In today's battle, horses and chariots are represented by man-made weapons of warfare and we have many of that waiting to wreak havoc in this world.  Many countries have boast upon their capabilities to harm another nation and to gain world dominance.  But none of them will ever come close to our very own Source of power, strength and victory---JESUS CHRIST!  All kinds of weapon both spiritual and physical have all been defeated by our Savior's finished work at the Cross. He is our One and Only Hope!  As we pray, seek and act on the evil of our day, remember the "Cross," remember "Christ," for in Him is Complete Victory.  I want to encourage you to take in the following verses as we continue to hold on to the promises we have in Christ.

"This is what the LORD says:  Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight," declares the LORD."  (Jeremiah 9:23-24)

" Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in the multitude of their chariots and in the great strength of their horsemen, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel, or seek help from the LORD."  (Isaiah 31:1)

"When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them, because the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you.  

"He (Hezekiah) appointed military officers over the people and assembled them before him in the square at the city gate and encouraged them with these words: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him. With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.”  (2 Chronicles 32:6-8)

For this Card, I used an image from Sassy Cheryl called "Praying for Peace Boy Stamp" (retired) that I colored with my ProMarker/Prismacolor markers.  The base is Kraft, cut and scored to make a 5.5 inches square card.  The DP's are from my scraps from several companies.  I used my newly purchased Tim Holtz Distress Spritzer to spray ink on the Scripture Word Art panel using Wild Honey, Broken China and Vintage Photo Distress markers.   I also used some Washi Tapes for the banners and some metal brads, both from Recollections. And finally, I did some stitching all over this project.  

 TRUST IN THE NAME OF THE LORD CARD:

TRUST IN THE NAME OF THE LORD CARD LAYERS:

 TRUST IN THE NAME OF THE LORD CARD INSIDE:

 TRUST IN THE NAME OF THE LORD CARD WITH ENVELOPE-BOX:

This Card is entered into the following Challenges:

Moving Along---Cute Animal 
Craftyhazelnut's---Patterned Paper 
CCC Digi Creations---Include a Sentiment 
Digi Galore---ATG 
Crafty Girls---ATG 
Scrap-Creations---ATG 
TTCRD---ATG 
Clear It Out---ATG
Incy Wincy---One for the Boyz 
Craft Your Passion---ATG 
Crafting from the Heart---ATG 
Crafter's Cafe---Monochromatic for a Child 
Creative Moments---ATG/Use a Sentiment 
Penny's Paper Crafty---ATG 
Inspiration Destination---ATG 
Pile It On---Fur 
Crafts Galore---ATG
Cards 4 Guyz---3 of Something 
Crafty Calendar---ATG 
Allsorts---Lots of Layers 
Art by Miran---ATG 
Stempelsonne---ATG 
Di's Digi---Include a Sentiment 
Creative Fingers---ATG 
Aud Sentiment---ATG with Sentiment 
Crafting with an Attitude---ATG 
Love to Scrap---Double Take 
Not Just Cards---ATG 
Path of Positivity---Dedication 
Paper Nest Dolls---ATG 
Where the Heart Is---Add some Text 
Whoopsi Daisy---Add Embellishments

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.  Lots of prizes to be won from our 15 wonderful sponsors---too many for me to list here so check WAW.  So excited to see what you come up with.  Anyway, all I can ask is for all of us to pray, pray and pray.  Don't forget to support your prayers with actions.  Fight for the nation that the Lord has given us by standing for God's Truth always and doing what we have to do as citizens to fight, defend and preserve or God-given rights.  Stand with those who are voiceless and persecuted for their faith in Christ.   Speak the Truth of God's Word without apologies and show forth your light.