Scripture Series: My Expectation is from Him Card---It's Anything Goes (Family Friendly) Challenge at Word Art Wednesday!

Happy Wednesday, everyone!  I'm here to feature another project for another bi-weekly Anything Goes Challenge at Word Art Wednesday (WAW).  We feature another Scripture Word Art that is free for you to download at the WAW site.  It comes from Psalm 62:5 which tells us, "My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him."  This is such a great verse and reminded me of my walk in the Lord.  Like David, I have to tell my soul to place its faith in God's promises in times of trials and uncertainties.

I remember my recent conversation with my 10-year old son when we discussed about trusting God even when our emotions are battling with us in doing so.  I told him that the erosion of someone's faith does not come without a warning.  One day you see friends that are so zealous in serving the Lord and you can tell from their actions that they are living and growing in the promises of God.  Then another day, you witness them struggle when the storms of life comes and nothing makes sense.  Each of us deal with life's situations differently.  I, for one, think of things deeply whereas others can just let go easily.  I think both ways can have its pros and cons depending on the end result.  Trials of life happens to everyone, in different degrees, moments and seasons.  Though each of us have various ways and means to deal with difficulties, I submit to you that without God, all our efforts are in vain.  I'm speaking primarily to all believers (those with personal relationship with Jesus Christ that are Born-again, John 3:3) that have made Christ the Lord and Savior of their lives.  Though trials come our way, we are not to think like the world does.  We are in Christ! When storms come our way, we are not alone to deal with it.  We should accept the reality that the Spirit of God lives inside of us.  He is constantly with us and is perfectly aware of everything we go through.  The sad thing is that although we are aware of this,  we live as if we don't have Him or have convinced ourselves that God stops caring or have abandoned us.  Then  we start to look inwardly and find reasons why God would possibly turn his face away.  If left for long in this emotional and mental state, our faith weakens,  our hearts bitter till we no longer find joy in our fellowship with the Lord.  

I know it is sad but I see this happen over and over again.  I've gone through similar phases in my walk with God and I am so grateful because the Holy Spirit wouldn't let me go so far.  Even in the midst of rebellion and sinful behavior, He reminded me of His love and forgiveness through what Christ did for me.  As a believer, we are always tempted to sin and many times, we fall into the trap. Yet the big difference is that we now have a choice and the power to get up, start over and learn from our experience.  We have the Word of God living inside of us and in our weakness, we are to depend upon His strength to carry us through.  I told my son that we should never allow our soul (made up of our mind, will and emotions) to decide and rule for us.  Our emotions are very unstable and if we make it the basis of our faith, we are going to fail.  The promises of God found in His Word is our life source.  John 6:63 tells us, "It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh profits nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life."  Just like David commanded his soul in our highlighted verse above, we are to order our soul to align with God's Word.  Here's how I personally walk in faith..."When I don't feel like doing things for the Lord, I rise above the feelings and push myself to do it!  When I don't feel like reading His Word, I pick up my Bible and read.  When I don't want to come to Church to fellowship with other believers and sleep calls me back to bed, I step out in faith even if I have to drag myself to shower (usually half asleep) to start the day.  When I don't feel like lifting my hands in praise  and problems weigh me down, I lift them up anyway to honor the God whose been so good to me." 

You see, the life of a believer is not characterized by the absence of troubles.  We encounter lots of trials and temptations, aimed to stop us from fulfilling His purpose.  Therefore, our lives should not be based on how we feel or perceive things.  Instead, we are to live in accordance to the promises of God in His Word.  God's Word is true and eternal and is valid both now and forever.  Colossians 3:1-2 says, "Therefore, since you have been raised with Christ, strive for the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things."

For this Card, I used an image from Saturated Canary called "Rose Red" that I colored using my Top Five and Prismacolor markers.  Some of you already know that Saturated Canary shop is going to close by mid of September as Krista (the owner, artist) is going to venture on other things.  It's sad as I adore her artwork and have quite a collection but praying for the best for all her future endeavors.  So, if you want to grab a few more images from her shop like I did, visit her shop.  I think you can still purchase it with 40% off with the code SC40 but you need to double-check this info at her FB page.  So, this creation is sort of a tribute to one of my fave digi stamp company.  The base is white CS, cut and scored to make a 5.5 inches square card.  The DP's are from K and Company and Paper Studio.  I layered flowers from Prima, punched some leaves with Fiskars, added some glitters (Stickles-Crystal), some brads from Recollections and Liquid Pearls (Silver) on the image's dress.  Lastly, I stitched all over this creation.

 MY EXPECTATION IS FROM HIM CARD

 MY EXPECTATION IS FROM HIM CARD LAYERS

 MY EXPECTATION IS FROM HIM CARD SIDE VIEW

 MY EXPECTATION IS FROM HIM CARD INSIDE

MY EXPECTATION IS FROM HIM CARD WITH ENVELOPE-BOX

This Card is entered into the following Challenges:

Crafting by Designs---ATG
Crafty Creations---Use a Number (Scripture verse)
Crafty Gals---ATG
Creative Moments---ATG with Optional Twist
Inspiration Destination---ATG
Paper Shelter---Make it Digital
Simon Says---ATG
Crafty Addicts---ATG
Wonderful Wednesday---ATG
Crafty Sentiments---Lots of Layers
Deep Ocean---Things with Wings (Bird)
Die Cuttin Divas---ATG with Die-Cut
Digi Choosday---ATG
Lemon Shortbread---ATG
Retarte---ATG
Sunny Day---ATG
TTCRD---ATG
Crafting from the Heart---ATG
Craft Your Passion---ATG
OLLCB---Girlie
Simon Says Monday---A Stitch Up
Paper Nest Dolls---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 enter up to 5 times this week.  An awesome GC of  $25 worth will be awarded to our Challenge winner by our awesome sponsor---Simon Says Stamp.  So excited to see what you come up with.  Anyway, cheer up as we meditate on the name of Jesus today.  There is power in His Name and it's available to everyone that believes.

Not a Card but a Crochet Multi-Colored Phone Sleeve...

Hi there, folks!  I've been busy creating when I am not here in the Blog land and I am so happy to have completed several crochet projects.  Aside from Paper Crafting, Crochet is one of the many things I love to do nowadays.  You have seen some of my work before but from now on, you will see more of them featured here  together with my cards.  I am so grateful to the Lord Jesus for allowing me to create amazing things.

A couple of days ago, I decided to create a sleeve for my phone.   I watched some tutorial from YouTube and found one that was easy to follow yet hip and stylish.  So, I grab the materials needed with my chosen yarn and colors, and followed this VIDEO from Naztazia.  I had to adjust the stitch count according to the size of my phone and finally, I made my very first crochet case and proud of it.  I based my colors on the  three protective cases I bought for my phone so whichever I have on, it will go well with the sleeve.  Smart, huh!

 CROCHET MULTI-COLOR PHONE SLEEVE

CROCHET MULTI-COLOR PHONE SLEEVE WITH THE PHONE

When my hubby saw what I made, he wanted one for himself so, I happily made him one last night.  He was really happy with it.  Just look at that smile...LOL

CROCHET MULTI-COLOR PHONE SLEEVE AND ITS HAPPY OWNER

 CROCHET MULTI-COLOR PHONE SLEEVE

CROCHET MULTI-COLOR PHONE SLEEVE WITH THE PHONE

Okay friends, this is all I  have for now.  I want to leave you with the encouragement of God's Word found in Hebrews 12:1-2 (Amplified) which says, "THEREFORE THEN, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who have borne testimony to the Truth], let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us, Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection]. He, for the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God. [Ps. 110:1.]"  I pray that the peace and protection that only comes from the Lord Almighty keep you standing firmly in His Truth no matter what lies ahead. 

Scripture: House Built by Wisdom Card---Join our Inspirational/Anything Goes Challenge at Word Art Wednesday!

Hello there, Crafty Peeps!  Here's another project I made for our Anything Goes/Inspirational Challenge at Word Art Wednesday (WAW).  As you all know, we always highlight a Scripture Word Art (you can download for free at the WAW site) in all of our Challenges.  For our two week Challenge, we bring you Proverbs 24:3-4 which says, "Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established: And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches."  These verses shows us the importance of wisdom and understanding to a man's life.  Anyone who builds things without wisdom may think  they are succeeding but the end result is always a failure.  So what exactly is wisdom?  How does it compare to knowledge?  I would like to share what I found at gotquestions.org that clearly explains the difference and correlation between the two.  Here it is:
  
"Wisdom and knowledge, both recurring themes in the Bible, are related but not synonymous. The dictionary defines wisdom as “the ability to discern or judge what is true, right, or lasting.” Knowledge, on the other hand, is “information gained through experience, reasoning, or acquaintance.” Knowledge can exist without wisdom, but not the other way around. One can be knowledgeable without being wise. Knowledge is knowing how to use a gun; wisdom is knowing when to use it and when to keep it holstered. God wants us to have knowledge of Him and what He expects of us. In order to obey Him, we have to have knowledge of the commands. But as equally important as having knowledge is having wisdom. Knowing facts about God and the Bible is not all there is to wisdom. Wisdom is a gift from God. James 1:5 states, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” God blesses us with wisdom in order for us to glorify Him and use the knowledge we have of Him. The book of Proverbs is perhaps the best place in the Bible to learn of biblical wisdom. Proverbs 1:7 speaks of both biblical knowledge and wisdom: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, / but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” To fear the Lord is to start on the path to knowledge, and God can then begin to provide us with wisdom through Christ, who the Bible says is wisdom itself: “It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30). Knowledge is what is gathered over time through study of the Scriptures. It can be said that wisdom, in turn, acts properly upon that knowledge. Wisdom is the fitting application of knowledge. Knowledge understands the light has turned red; wisdom applies the brakes. Knowledge sees the quicksand; wisdom walks around it. Knowledge memorizes the Ten Commandments; wisdom obeys them. Knowledge learns of God; wisdom loves Him."

Oh wow!  I don't know about you but this article truly blessed me...You see, perfect knowledge (both temporary and eternal) can only be found in the pages of God's Word.  As our Creator,  He left us a blue print and a road map to navigate this world that we may live in accordance to His will and purpose.  Countless men and women (from past to present) witnessed His goodness  and shared what God has done, therefore, not one of us has a valid excuse to ignore and deny Him.  When we seek God through His Word, we are nourishing ourselves with spiritual sustenance that produces faith (trust, believe, adhere).  Romans 10:17 says, "Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ."  Our obedience to the Word of God we know and our faith in His divine plan causes us to act in wisdom as we face the daily challenges of life.  Without faith in God and His word, though there may be knowledge, man cannot act in wisdom.  Many have come and gone in this world and a good portion of them made it big when it comes to material possessions, fame, power, etc.  But these things have no value in the eternal.  Matthew 16:26 tells us, "What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?" God wants us to be spiritually wise---one whose not content with knowledge but desires and pursues wisdom.  The same wisdom calls us to be spiritually discerning nowadays.  We are to share God's Word to as many who will listen that the wisdom the Lord gifted us may be imparted to them also.  We are to build houses (build lives) using gold, silver and precious stones that will last through eternity.  The Scripture is full of precious stones that we can use not only to build our personal home (personal life) but treasures entrusted to us that are instrumental in the construction of other people's lives.  In today's world where many are building upon the foundations of wood, hay or straw (easily burned), let us be grateful to the Holy Spirit that keeps us firmly standing in the solid foundation laid by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!  Let me conclude this post by sharing what Apostle Paul told believers (Born-again, John 3:3) in 1 Corinthians about the precious treasures we have in our Lord.

"By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames. Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple. Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age, you should become “fools” so that you may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness” ; and again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.” So then, no more boasting about human leaders! All things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God.  (1 Corinthians 3:10-23)

For this Card, I used an image from Stampendous called "Family Home" and colored it with my newest Touch Five markers set (80 colors and comes with a case/bag).  I absolutely love the quality and affordability of this set. Awesome, awesome!  Anyway, for my card base,  I used a white CS, cut and scored to 5.5 inches square.  I used my MS Punch for the left and right border, the DP's from American Crafts and the nail head gems from Imaginisce.  I hand-cut the layers of hills in the background as many of the border dies out in the market are out of my budget...LOL.  I absolutely love the clouds in the background.  I made a couple of template and inked them with Tumbled Glad Distress Ink.  I also added some glitters (Stickles-Crystal) and ran it through my sewing machine for some fancy stitching. 

 HOUSE BUILT BY WISDOM CARD

 HOUSE BUILT BY WISDOM CARD LAYERS

 HOUSE BUILT BY WISDOM CARD SIDE VIEW

 HOUSE BUILT BY WISDOM CARD INSIDE

HOUSE BUILT BY WISDOM CARD WITH ENVELOPE-BOX

This Card is entered into the following Challenges:

Crafting by Designs---ATG
Crafty Creations---Words/Letters on Background
Creative Moments---ATG
Inspiration Destination---ATG
Simon Says---Make for the Border
Sisterhood of Crafters---Close to Nature
Crafty Addicts---ATG/Die-Cuts
Wonderful Wednesday---ATG
Digi Choosday---ATG
Lemon Shortbread---ATG
Retarte---ATG
TTCRD---ATG
Tuesday Throwdown---ATG
Crafting from the Heart---ATG
Craft Your Passion---ATG
Love to Scrap---ATG
Paper Nest Dolls---ATG
A Bit More Time to Craft---ATG
Country View---Hot Summer Days
Crafter's Cafe---Bling
Crafts and Me---ATG
Creatalicious---ATG with Optional Theme
Cute as a Button---ATG
Digistamps4Joy---ATG with Optional Twist
Emerald Faeries---Make It Sparkle
Not Just Cards---ATG
Paradise of Stamps---ATG
Sparkles---Lots of Layers
Stempelsonne---ATG
Sunsational Stamps---ATG
Your Scrapbook Place---ATG


I hope you'd take the time to join us at our WAW Challenge.  Our sponsors this week are Classy Cards 'n Such (special prize package), Frantic Stamper (die-cut) My Artistic Adventures (Digi Images).  I can't wait to see your projects this week and leave you some lovin' on your Blogs.  Have a blessed day and I pray that you thirst and hunger for God's Word. That you may know the glorious future that only faith in Jesus Christ can provide.  His Name be praised forever!

CAS Series: Consider Your Age Unlisted Card and Crochet All-Buttoned Up Deco Pillows---It's Anything Goes for a Monthly Challenge at 613 Avenue Create!

Hello guys!  Just to tell you that 613 Avenue Create has gone from a bi-weekly Challenge to monthly.  As always, it's Anything Goes with an Optional Theme and you can link up your creations for a chance to win wonderful prizes from our Challenge sponsors.  My, oh my!  I am very sorry for this super late post as I had to deal with many things this week that kept me out of my computer desk.  There are many things that felt I need to be concerned about and when my mind and emotions led me to worry, the Spirit of God rose from within me and commanded me to quit entertaining the worries.  Instead, He told me to keep trusting God!

As a follower of Jesus Christ, I engage daily in a never ending battle to trust God's promises completely or to do what I can to make things happen for us.  I remember praying to the Lord and confessing to Him an issue of concern for my family. Before I'm even finish talking, He asked me, "So, what do you want?  Be specific!"  Recognizing the Lord's voice, I smiled and gave Him a specific answer.  I knew in my heart (right there and then) that He already took care of things.  I was full of hope and faith that everything is going to be okay. 

Yet, the story didn't end there.  As the days passed, we got more and more bad news.  We tried to complete everything that was asked of us to do yet things seemed to go from bad to worst.  Everything we are facing in the natural today seem to contradict the answer I received from the Lord that faithful day.  I know that the Lord's promise is true and He has everything under control but why is it that the circumstances hasn't shown us His favor?   Subconsciously, that's at the back of my mind.  And then the Lord reminded me of Abraham and his wife,  Sarah.  They wanted a child of their own and God promised Abraham a son and make him "father of many nations."    Abraham had to hold on to God's promise everyday and it lifted up his spirit.  But many years had passed and they became very old without a sign of the promise being fulfilled.  Sarah who was barren from the beginning realized how impossible it was in her age and condition to hang on to the hope of God's promise.  In desperation, she took matters into her own hands and gave her servant Hagar to Abraham so that he could have a child with her.  The result of such human effort was Ishmael!  As we read further in Genesis, we can conclude that what she did was a big mistake.  Till this day, the descendants of Ishmael had been wreaking havoc in the world.  You see, when the Lord promised something, He does not need the help of human beings to fulfill it.  Our duty is to patiently wait, obey and continue trusting for an "Isaac" (the promise of God) in our lives.  God does not operate according to our timeline.  It's when we are hopeless and powerless (when there's absolutely nothing we can do to change our circumstances) that we should see the hand of God working supernaturally and truly give Him glory.

Okay, I know how hard it is to wait and to keep our faith in God's promises especially when we are bombarded with nothing but negative reports.  Nobody said it was easy!  When my faith is low, I call on Someone who empowers me to continue believing "supernaturally." An invited preacher reminded us last Sunday at Church that human beings were born "natural."  But those who had been Born-again (John 3:3) by accepting Jesus as their Lord and Savior have added the "Super" into their lives---the "Holy Spirit."  He lives inside everyone whose faith is in the finished work of Jesus Christ at the Cross and He's the One who empowers us to do the impossible in accordance to the Will of God upon our  lives.  When I'm tempted to take matters into my own hands like Sarah did, I call upon the Holy Spirit to help me and direct me towards the true plan of God.  Not my will but His will be done!  God's plan is always perfect and we can depend upon His faithfulness to deliver His promises at the right time.  If you haven't experienced God in a personal way, call upon Him and give Him a chance to show you how much He loves you.  I would love to encourage you to take time to read God's Word (start with the book of John as it tells you who you are in Christ) as you face the daily challenges of life.  Keep your eyes focused on Jesus and what He did for you at the Cross.  If the Father willingly gave His One and Only Begotten Son to free you from every spiritual bondage, how much more would He not take care of your needs here on earth?  Know God's Word, rely on His promises, and live with a purpose!

PSALM 91

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

For this Card, I used images from Stampers Anonymous Sets called "Bird Crazy" and "Crazy Things" and watercolored it with my Distress markers.  The base is an A7 blank card with an envelope from The Paper Studio. The DP's are from my scraps and the nail head gems are from Imaginisce.  The sentiments both  inside and outside are from Printworks.  I made this card quickly for a friend's birthday.

 CONSIDER YOUR AGE UNLISTED CARD

 CONSIDER YOUR AGE UNLISTED CARD INSIDE

 CONSIDER YOUR AGE UNLISTED CARD WITH ENVELOPE

Here's another project that I'm really happy about.  Ever since I saw it in a Crochet magazine, I knew I had to make it.  I love that I can make each pillow in different colors and connect them together.  The pattern was simple but needs patience and a good amount of time to make.  I thought I had to place lots of stuffing in each of them but to my surprise, it didn't even consume the one bag I purchased.  That means I can make more next time...LOL.  I am planning to make them in many other colors as time permits.  You see I am not a seasoned Crocheter and there are still many things I needed to learn.  All I can say is that Cardmaking and Crochet relaxes me and makes me happy so, you'll see more Crochet projects featured here in the future as time permits.

 CROCHET ALL-BUTTONED UP DECO PILLOWS

CROCHET ALL-BUTTONED UP DECO PILLOWS CLOSE-UP

These Projects are entered into the following Challenges:

A Bit More Time to Craft---ATG
Animal Friends---Summer
Artistic Stamper---ATG
Card and Scrap---ATG
Card Mania---Let's Party!
Classic Design Team---ATG
Crafts Galore---Use Stamp or Digi
Crafty Awesomeness---ATG with Colored Image
Craftyhazelnut's---Patterned Paper
Creatalicious---ATG
Creative Craft---For Men/Boys
CCC---ATG
Digistamps4Joy---ATG
Lunagirl---ATG
Paper Creator---Keep it Simple
Paradise of Stamps---ATG
Petal Lu---ATG
Sisters of Craft---ATG


There you have it, folks!  Don't miss the opportunity to join our Anything Goes Challenge at 613 Avenue Create.  Again, we are now monthly so you'll have more time to link your projects and increase your chance of winning our fabulous prizes. Our lovely sponsors for this week---Crafty Sentiments Designs, Digital Delights, SLS Lines, QKR Stampede, All Dressed Up Stamps, The Cutting Cafe and A Day for Daisies.  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 God is faithful and true to His promises!

Scripture Series: Have Faith in God Mini Note Card Set---Join our Inspirational/Anything Goes Challenge at Word Art Wednesday!

Hello everyone!  I'm a day late in posting this project but have been very busy with many things the past few weeks.  However, I would love to highlight our Scripture Word Art (download for free at WAW site)  for the bi-weekly Challenge happening at Word Art Wednesday (WAW).  It comes from Mark 11:22 which says, "And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God." There's so much to this verse and I ask that you read Mark 11:12-26 to find the context on the connection between the cursing of the fig tree, His cleansing of the temple and the importance of faith in God.

To better understand our Scripture Word Art, I would like to quote a couple of verses following Jesus' statement in our scripture above.  Mark 11:23-26 says, “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”  I want to share with you  what I read in my Life Application Bible regarding these verses as it truly blessed me.  It says, "The kind of prayer that moves mountains is prayer for the fruitfulness of God's kingdom.  It would seem impossible  to move a mountain into the sea, so Jesus used that picture to say that God can do anything.  God will answer your prayers, but not as a result of your positive mental attitude.  Other conditions must be met: (1) you must be a believer; (2) you must not hold a grudge against another person; (3) you must not pray with selfish motives; (4) your request must be for the good of God's kingdom.  To pray effectively, you need faith in God, not faith in the object of your request.  if you focus only on your request, you will be left with nothing if your request is refused.  Jesus, our example in prayer,  prayed, "Everything is possible for You...Yet not what I will, but what You will (Mark 14:36).  Our prayers are often motivated by our own interest and desires.  We like to hear that we can have anything.  But Jesus prayed with God's interest in mind.  When we pray, we should express our desires, but want His will above ours.   Check yourself to see if your prayers focus on your interest or God's.  Forgiving others is tough work---so much so that many people would rather do something totally distasteful than offer forgiveness to someone who has wronged them.  For a person to pray while bearing grudge, however, is like a tree sprouting leaves and bearing no fruit (Mark 11:13).  True faith changes the heart.  Real prayer dismantles pride and vengeance, filling the holes with love.  Real faith seeks peace.  For our churches to have prayer power, there must be harmony and forgiveness evident int he body of believers.  Let go of hurts, abandon grudges and forgive others."

This is what God wants us to understand....True faith that can move mountains comes from a heart ruled by God---unselfish,   peaceful and overflowing with love.  We must know that faith is our only connection to God.  Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "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."  Hebrews 11:6 also declared, "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." The finished work of Jesus Christ became our reality because we (Born-again, John 3:3) responded to God's Word, surrendered our lives to Him and allowed the Holy Spirit to work in us by believing (trusting) everything that Jesus accomplished in our behalf.  While many people were given the same chance, not all responded the way believers of Jesus Christ did.  Even the grace to believe is from God!  I can't tell you how many times I praise and thank God for all the reasons He called me to Himself.  Without His revelations in my life, I could be one of them that mocks God, rebellious and deceived.  If God hadn't changed my heart and my mind, I couldn't imagine where would I be today---spiritually, mentally, emotionally and physically.   If everyone is doing things according to their heart's desires and no Godly principles and order are guiding our thoughts and actions, humanity would literally self-destruct.  As a believer,  one of our biggest challenge daily is to live unselfishly.  We are to place God's will above our own!  Matthew 16:23-24 showed us an example on how Peter, a disciple of Jesus Christ, was inspired by the enemy  in what others may think was a show of concern for Jesus.  The passage revealed, "But he (Jesus) turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man." Then Jesus told his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me."  Everyday, our priority is to take care of us and our own.  It's hard to think of blessing others when we are too busy of our own advancement.  Many times, we find ourselves stepping/using other people just to get ahead.  This is very dangerous and we can create many enemies along the way.  This is rampant/common in the world but it happens in the church as well. The problem is, there's many who would like to be leaders and only a few would like to be followers.  It's sad but many are unaware that a true leader in God's kingdom is really a servant to all.  If we are blessed to be leaders, we are to use the position God gave us to disciple others and give them opportunities to advance and become leaders too.  That way, they too can serve and influence others for the glory of God.  I've heard of many believers who left their churches because of unfair treatment, favoritism and neglect from leadership.  As the Body of Christ, we are to address these concerns.  As members, we have different levels of faith, which is  why we need to be patient with one another and be willing to humble ourselves, be transparent, ready to forgive and discuss things so that true peace and harmony may prevail in the house of God.  I know, this is easier said than done, but I firmly believe that if we allow the will of the Lord to come first rather than our own, we can do the impossible. "

For this project, I used images from C.C. Designs Rubber Stamps from the set called "Wingy Things" and I watercolored them using my Stabilo 68 markers.  I got in on sale at their shop and glad I did as they are super cute.  I thought it would be nice to use them for mini cards and so, I came up with a the card holder to hold these wonderful mini cards together.  I didn't have a clear design for a holder until the last minute when all the note cards were done.  And yes, I believe God engineered everything about this project.  From white CS, I cut and scored the holder (5 x 3.75 x 1 inches).  I used a Cuttlebug folder for the embossed design, a gem from my stash and some Washi tapes from Recollections.  I also used a Fiskars Punch, several sentiment stamps from Will N' Way and Printworks and a bit of stitching.  I love how the design turned outwonderfully especially the closure.  Very happy!

 HAVE FAITH IN GOD MINI NOTE CARD HOLDER

 HAVE FAITH IN GOD NOTE CARD SET INSIDE

HAVE FAITH IN GOD MINI NOTE CARDS

 HAVE FAITH IN GOD MINI NOTE CARD 1

 HAVE FAITH IN GOD MINI NOTE CARD 2

 HAVE FAITH IN GOD MINI NOTE CARD 3

HAVE FAITH IN GOD MINI NOTE CARD SET

This Project is entered into the following Challenges:

Artistic Inspirations---ATG
Crafting with an Attitude---ATG
Creative Moments---ATG
TTCRD---ATG
Crafting with Dragonflies---ATG
Crafting with Friends---ATG
Craft Your Passion---ATG
Crafty Boots---Use Your Stamp
Incy Wincy---ATG
Paper Nest Dolls---ATG
Crafty Sentiments---ATG
A Bit More Time to Craft---ATG
Animal Friends---Summer
Artistic Stamper---ATG
Card and Scrap---ATG
Classic Design Team---ATG
Crafts Galore---Use Stamp or Digi
Crafty Awesomeness---ATG with Colored Image
Creatalicious---ATG
CCC---ATG
Cute as a Button---ATG
Digistamps4Joy---ATG
Lunagirl---ATG
Paper Creator---Keep it Simple
Paradise of Stamps---ATG
Petal Lu---ATG
SLS Lines---3 or More Layers
Sisters of Craft---ATG


I hope you'd take the time to join us at our WAW Challenge.  It's Anything Goes as long as it's family friendly with uplifting and inspirational messages, you can link up to 5 projects.  Our sponsors this week are  Really Reasonable Ribbon ($10 GC to their shop) and The Cutting Cafe (Digi Files).  I can't wait to see your projects  and leave you some encouragement on your Blogs.  Though the world seem darkened nowadays, let your faith in God shine like a beacon on a hill.  Pray without ceasing and believe that God can do the impossible! My trust in only in Him...

Just Because Mini Note Card and Matching Gift Bag with Crochet Two in One Hat and Cowl---It's Anything Goes at 613 Avenue Create!

Hi there, everyone!  It's a start of another weekly challenge at 613 Avenue Create so, I'm here to highlight another Anything Goes Project (with an Optional Twist---See Chart at site) that I completed recently.  Just want to remind our Challenge participants that this will be the final weekly Challenge as we transition to becoming a monthly Challenge.  Before anything else, I would like to thank the Lord Jesus for His great and wonderful blessings each and everyday.  There's a lot to be thankful for though some  recent experiences may not be considered favorable. I hold Romans 8:28 to be true and it says, "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."

Since last month, we have to deal with some financial difficulties due to several monthly bills going up.  It's almost like a conspiracy,  I tell you!  Rent (home and storage), utilities, phone, cable and many more have almost doubled to no avail.  Many times, I caught myself in a state of panic and worry not only due to personal challenges but the state of our nation and the world as a whole.  Yes, as a believer in Christ, I am not exempted from the pressure and stress of everyday living.  Each time I see or hear the news or watch TV/Online programs, I am seeing more and more people becoming crazy in their thoughts/actions and majority of them are coming from supposed to be leaders of this nation.  Their utter rebellion of God and rejection of His Truth have made them enemies of our God-ordained Constitution and are placing us all in harms way.  Today's demonic (ungodly) agenda has overwhelmed me at some point and caused me to plead for the Lord's supernatural peace and comfort to shelter me.  The lies and evil of our time was wearing me out---too much for little ole' me to handle!  While it felt like I got the burdens of the entire world upon my shoulder,  God reminded me of His Word in Matthew 11:28-29 which states, “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."   God in His faithfulness responded to my plea and He led me to rid of every news/report/junk that seeks to weigh me down. Sometimes, you need to purposely stay away from the negative and refuse to take in the poison being fed to us daily  (non-stop) by the social media which seeks to ultimately destroy our faith in God.  

Ah---the PEACE of GOD!  Believe it or not, this is so important in the life of a believer (Born-again, John 3:3).  When I experience trouble of many kinds and darkness seem to overtake me, I call on the Name above every name---JESUS!  He reminds me of His love and faithfulness---how He never left me in all of life's struggles.  He takes me to His Word and instill in me the faith of Christ that never gives up.  Yesterday morning (Sunday), an invited preacher shared with us this Truth, "God has no plan B!"  From the beginning of time, He has plan A and has accomplished it victoriously."  The question is, "Are we going to cooperate with His plan or have no part in it?  Are we going to fulfill our own plans or carry out His?"   I must say that while the preacher was teaching, it reminded me of the ways the Church here in America is acting on the events affecting our nation nowadays.  Though plan B should have never been an option, what many claimed to be a horrific choice is now being considered---even praised and justified because according to many, there's no other choice!  It's true that desperation and hopelessness can move anyone to accept unlikely substitutes because time pressures us to seek  human solutions to our earthly problems.  I completely understand---it's pretty normal!  However, THE GOD I SERVE IS EXTRAORDINARY!  Jeremiah 32:17 tells us, "Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you."  Also, Ephesians 3:20 reveals, "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."  I believe my Father would not want me to settle for anything less and that He alone remains the answer for our nation's hopeless situation, even to my personal life's challenges.  He is in control of both the big and small picture.  I will continue to place my faith in Him, listen to His leading and expect only the best from my Father in heaven, down to the last minute.  The Scripture bears witness of all the awesome miracles that happened when God's people placed their complete trust in the Lord.  I am willfully subjecting myself, my family and my existence under His care.  HE IS ABLE!

For this project, I created a gift bag out of a regular lunch bag by reinforcing the inside and attaching jute for handles.   I stamped flowers from Dylusions, fussy cut them, crumpled and layered them using the unused paper from the lunch bag.  I secured them with a brad from Recollections glued it to the bag.  I used a sentiment from Stampin' Up to complete the look.  The mini note card measures 3 inches (square).  The flower and sentiment stamps are from Studio G, leaves were punched using Fiskars and an envelope is created to match.  Inside the gift bag, I crochet a Two in One Hat and Cowl project to give to a friend.  I love how it can provide a lovely accent and warmth as a cowl but so cute and stylish as a beanie.  I certainly hope my friend would like this.

JUST BECAUSE MINI NOTE CARD WITH MATCHING GIFT BAG

JUST BECAUSE MINI NOTE CARD

TWO IN ONE HAT/COWL

TWO IN ONE HAT/COWL SIDE VIEW

TWO IN ONE HAT/COWL BACK VIEW

TWO IN ONE HAT/COWL

This project is entered into the following Challenges:

Artistic Inspirations---ATG
Crafting with Dragonflies---ATG
Crafting with Friends---ATG
Craft Your Passion---ATG
Crafty Boots---Use Your Stamp
Incy Wincy---ATG
Paper Nest Dolls---ATG
A Bit More Time to Craft---ATG
Artistic Stamper---ATG
Card and Scrap---ATG
Classic Design Team---ATG
Crafter's Cafe---Flowers
Crafts Galore---Use Stamp or Digi
Crafty Awesomeness---ATG with Colored Image
Creatalicious---ATG
CCC---ATG
Digistamps4Joy---ATG
Lunagirl---ATG
Paper Creator---Keep it Simple
Paradise of Stamps---ATG
Petal Lu---ATG
Scribbles Designs---How Does Your Garden Grow?
SLS Lines---3 or More Layers
Sisters of Craft---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---Bugaboo Stamps and Toadstool Printables.  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.  Trust in the Lord always.  He's truly our one and only hope!