Scripture Series: Be Content Center Step Card---Get A Free Scripture Word Art, Join the Fun at our Anything Goes/Inspirational Challenge at Word Art Wednesday!

Hello there!  Welcome to another Inspirational and Family Friendly (Anything Goes Challenge) at Word Art Wednesday (WAW).  Today's Scripture Word Art (you can download for free at the WAW site) came from Hebrews 13:5 and it states, "Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."  In our everyday dealings, we are to be mindful of our motives as we communicate our desires to others.  We are to make sure that from a pure heart, we are delivering words that are free of envy and evil intent to take from others what does not belong to us to further our own agendas.  Sure, all of us wanted to have an awesome life that not only we can enjoy but we can share with our families.  Yet sometimes, it comes at the expense of other people.  One good example we can use from the Scripture is in 2 Samuel 11:1-27 in the life of King David and Bathsheba.  King David had everything a man could ever have---wealth, fame, power and more.  Yet a stroll in his palace's roof top seeing Bathsheba bathing and desiring to have her too was what caused him a great deal of problem and God was displeased with him.  Bathsheba was married to Uriah, the Hittite, whose a soldier in King David's army.  As King David spent time with her, he got her pregnant.  He devised several cover-ups and when they didn't work, King David purposely sent the man out to die so that he could continue his relationship with his wife.  I know, we can all agree how evil it was... But honestly, many people live their lives like that everyday!  In the Philippines where I grew up, we spoke of what we call, "Crab Mentality."  That simply means that when someone is really doing well, one must grab/pull him down to make him a stepping stone in order to advance.  Isn't that sad?  In my career life, especially working in the Cruise ships, I've experienced that a lot!  It's one thing to have someone from a different nationality do that to you but it's even more painful when your own countrymen conspire to harm you to advance themselves.  Behind your back, they spread malicious stories in order to make them look good and you---a failure.  It's evil yet everywhere we look, it is clear that many are out there to take advantage of somebody so that they can have more.  

However, God warned us about covetousness and the best attitude to counteract this despicable human nature is to be content with what you have.  Now, I am not in anyway advocating that one should have no ambition nor vision at all.  What I am trying to say is for all of us (believers) to have an honest to goodness way of achieving the goals that the Lord has laid down upon us.  It is essential that we put God first as we make Him our Lord and Savior (Born-again, John 3:16) so we can have the power inside of us to resist and stand firm against the dictates of our human nature (flesh) to use/take advantage of somebody in order to advance ourselves.  Certainly, this is beyond our human abilities to conquer.  But as we allow the Holy Spirit and God's Word to shape our thoughts and actions, it's not an impossibility at all. Galatians 5:16-17 tells us, "So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want."

God provides for all His creation.  Even with all of man's rebellion against Him, He sheltered, clothed, prospered and provided for us daily.  The Bible declares in James 1:17, "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." If that is true for all of mankind, how could we not expect the God of all creation to provide for those who have come to His Lordship through faith in His One and Only Son, Jesus Christ?  We are sons and daughters of the Most High God!  The presence of God and His provision will continue to follow us all the days of our lives.  We are able to step into our future knowing that God will open every door and empower us to acquire and fulfill everything He has set for us to do in accordance to His will and for His glory.  He shall accomplish His plan through us in an honest to goodness way!  To take away from others so that you can have more is utterly to doubt the heart and ability of our Father to provide us with every good and perfect gift.  If we know God at all, we can conclude that that is not the case.  We need to seriously consider our desires, plans and visions and submit it to the Lord.  Allow Him to discard that which are fruitless and lead you to the ones that yields much fruit not for selfish gain but to serve others.  Whatever His decision is and His provision for us, we must learn to be content!  Contentment and trusting our Father would keep us from a great deal of trouble as we navigate our way in this very broken and selfish world. 

For this Card, I used a Stamp from Sugar Pea Designs called "Tin Can Chat" that I paper-pieced and colored using my ProMarker/Prismacolor markers.  The base  is Kraft, cut and scored to make a 5.5 inches center step card.  The DP's came from my scraps from Recollections, the layered flower from Prima, the brad from Recollections and the white nail head gems from Imaginisce. I added some glitters to the flower and the image using Stickles-Crystal, the oval and lacy oval was cut using Nestabilities and to finalize, I stitched all over this creation.  I think it came out pretty cute.  I've been wanting to use this image since I got it last year and finally, I had the perfect Scripture to highlight it.  I remember my childhood when we had tin can phones like this.  Those days were so much fun!

 

                                               BE CONTENT CENTER STEP CARD:

                                           BE CONTENT CENTER STEP CARD LAYERS:                                     

                                        BE CONTENT CENTER STEP CARD SIDE VIEW: 

                                            BE CONTENT CENTER STEP CARD INSIDE:

             

                                  BE CONTENT CENTER STEP CARD WITH ENVELOPE-BOX:

This Card is entered into the following Challenges:

Pile It On---Anything but a Square/Rectangle
Crafting for all Seasons---Girly
HIMCR---Freestyle
PDE Linky Party---ATG
Jo's Scrap Shack---ATG
Creative Fingers---ATG
Creative Moments---ATG
Crafty Gals---Autumn Hues
Crafting from the Heart---ATG
Craft Your Passion---ATG
Crafty Creations---Colorful
Inspiration Destination---ATG
Simon Says Stamp---Thanks/Thanksgiving
Crafting with Friends---ATG
Everybody Art---Star/Circle/Heart
Glitter N Sparkle---ATG
Love to Scrap---Bling it, Girlfriend!
Simply Papercraft---ATG
TTCRD---ATG
Sweet Stampin---Dies and/or Punches
Wags n Whiskers---Not a Square
Brown Sugar---Flowers
Creative Card Crew---Off the Edge
Hanna and Friends---Say it with Flowers
Fussy and Fancy---Flowers
Art by Miran---ATG

Make sure you join us at WAW Challenge.  You can use the free Word Art in your creation and link it to our Challenge but is not a requirement.  As long as it's family-friendly, uplifting and inspirational, you can submit up to 5 entries.  Our wonderful sponsors for this week are The Kraft Journal (package of seam binding) and The Peacock Eye ($20 GC).  So excited to see what you come up with. This life may be full of unexpected turns but be reminded always that God is in control and He is able to provide us with everything we need always!  So, if you are standing in the Solid Foundation of Jesus Christ, we are safe both now and forever.