CAS Series: Kind Strong Brave Card---Join the Monthly Anything Goes Challenge at our Neighborhood, 613 Avenue Create!

Hello everyone.  It's the first Sunday of the month so, I am here to bring you my project for our Monthly Challenge happening at 613 Avenue Create.  But before that, I would like to share the Word of God coming from Isaiah 41:8-13 and it says, "“But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, you descendants of Abraham my friend, I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, ‘You are my servant’;  I have chosen you and have not rejected you. So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. “All who rage against you will surely be ashamed and disgraced;  those who oppose you will be as nothing and perish. Though you search for your enemies, you will not find them. Those who wage war against you will be as nothing at all. For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you."

I was reading on my Life Application Bible on these verses and was blessed by it.  It explained, "God chose Israel through Abraham because He wanted to, not because the people deserved it.  Although God chose the Israelites  to represent Him to the world, they failed to do this; so God punished them and sent them into captivity.  Now, all believers (Born Again, John 3:3) are God's chosen people, and all share the responsibility of representing Him to the world.  One day God will bring all His faithful people together.  We need not fear because (1) God is with us ("I am with you"), (2) God has established a relationship with us ("I am your God"), and (3) God gives us assurance of His strength, help and victory over sin and death ("I will help you").  Have you realized all the ways God has helped you?"

It's amazing how God used the prophet Isaiah to tell His people (the Israelites) what would take place many years in their future in the hopes that they will turn away from their wicked living and make it right with God.  Before Judah (Southern Kingdom) went into captivity, they had plenty of warnings to get their act together.  I can't help but think of the similarity of those times with our situation (history and the past years) here in America.  You see, our country was founded on Biblical principles as God used men  with fear and knowledge of Him to establish our Constitution (the law of the land).  This country was blessed with so many wonderful things and God entrusted us to be an example of righteous leadership (beacon of hope) to the rest of the world.  But the time came when we became complacent and allowed the very things that God hate to influence us and take over our country.  We became self-centered, idolatrous, spiritually and physically immoral before the Lord.  We depend on our own might and power and turned away from God---the Source of all our blessings.  And so, for many years now, we have seen the degradation of our society and we allowed the highest office in our land be occupied by the ungodly.  The Church lost its voice and diluted the true message of the Gospel including all its warnings.  False prophets and false teachings polluted the airways, leading and deceiving people to their destruction.  But God is gracious!  He led a remnant of believers  to repent.  We called upon the Name of the Lord---asked Him to forgive us and our nation, restore us to His Truth and open for us a door that no one can shut.  Last November, God answered our call for help in a miraculous way.  

Today, we hear the name of the Lord being uttered/proclaimed in the highest seat in our land.  God used the several prophets of our day to proclaim a message of hope while we were in the middle of ungodly leadership.  These days, God will is being carried out in full force!  Despite the efforts of the enemy to shut it down by disturbing peace (anarchy, riots, baseless/paid protest) to destabilize the government,  I know they will not succeed!  Why so?  Because while these people thought they are fighting the current leadership,  they are unaware that it is God whom they are fighting with.  Consider what Romans 1:1-2 says, "Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.  Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves."  The past eight years with Obama showed us how to be under ungodly leadership and we vexed our souls from the demonic laws that was forced upon us while many believers with their businesses were stripped off their religious freedom.  Many lost their businesses to follow their religious convictions as they were attacked by the ungodly.  Our country was plunged to extreme immorality and our nation was opened wide to threats and destruction from those seeking to annihilate us.  BUT GOD MADE A WAY FOR US!  Praise His Holy Name!  As we face the challenges of our time along with our dear President, Donald Trump, let us focus our eyes upon the Lord and entrust to Him all the affairs of our nation.  Be prayerful and grateful for we know that His protection is upon us (at all times) and He shall bring all our enemies under our feet.  Though we are bombarded by the noise of the enemy and his ungodly minions (foreign and domestic), know that they are no match for the God of the universe.  To Him be the glory!

For this Card, I used an image from Media Clear Stamps (lady and sentiments) and Hero Arts Rubber Stamp for the Landmark Destination background.  I usually build actual layers on most of my cards but this one is basically one dimensional layering through masking.  The first thing I did was to stamp the lady, color it with my Touch Five markers and apply some Liquid Frisket on the image (making sure to stay inside the lines) and allow it to dry.  I stamped the Landmark border on top of the image (the Liquid Frisket protects the colored image).  Then I took a cloud stencil (I created), positioned it and inked it with Distress Ink (Tumbled Glass).  I also laid the zigzag stencil from Recollections to create half of the background with another Distress Ink (Aged Mahogany).  I removed the Liquid Frisket from the image and stamped all the sentiments.  I love it!

KIND STRONG BRAVE CARD

 KIND STRONG BRAVE CARD CLOSE-UP

 KIND STRONG BRAVE CARD INSIDE

KIND STRONG BRAVE CARD WITH ENVELOPE

This Card is entered into the following Challenges:

A Bit More Time to Craft---ATG
A Perfect Time to Craft---ATG
Classic DT---ATG
Crafts and Me---ATG
Crafts Galore Encore---ATG
Crafty Awesomeness---ATG
Creatalicious---ATG
Digistamps4Joy---ATG
Ecclectic Ellapu---ATG
Not Just Cards---New Beginnings (New Stamp used)
Petal Lu---ATG
Worldwide Open DT---ATG
Your Scrapbook Place---ATG
Inspiration Destination---ATG
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends---ATG
Crafty Addicts---ATG
Crafting with Friends---ATG
Simply Papercraft---ATG
Creative Fingers---ATG
Love to Scrap---ATG
Lemon Shortbread---ATG
Crafting with an Attitude---ATG
PDE Linky Party---ATG
Creative Ladybirds---ATG
Art by Miran---ATG
Crafty Girls Creations---ATG
Create and Inspire---ATG


This it for now, guys.  Make sure to join us at our neighborhood---613 Avenue Create---for an Anything Goes Challenge with optional Twist (CAS, using the color Blue and sentiment as the focal).  But there's really no reason for you to miss it.  Link with us and join the fun.  Can't wait to see what you create. Please join me in praying for our nation and our leadership daily.