Scripture Series: Be Ye Strong Card---Join us for Inspirational/Anything Goes Challenge at Word Art Wednesday!

Hello there, friends!  I'm back to feature the card I made for another Challenge happening at Word rt Wednesday (WAW).  As always, we highlight a Scripture Word Art (you can download for free at the WAW site and it comes from 2 Chronicles 15:7 which says, "Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded."

The Bible said that King Asa of Judah (Southern Kingdom) did good and  right by the sight of God.  He got rid of foreign altars and high places, destroyed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles.  He commanded people to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, and to obey His laws and commands.  Let me share what my Life Application Bible said about King Asa's earlier reign:  "Asa's reign was marked with peace because "he did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord, His God."  This refrain is often repeated in Chronicles---obedience to God leads to peace with God and others.  In the case of Judah's kings, obedience to God led to national peace, just as God promised centuries earlier.  In our case, obedience may not always bring peace with our enemies. but will always bring peace with God and complete peace in His future kingdom.  Obeying God is the first step on the path to peace.  Simply attending worship services is not enough to secure God's peace.  Like Asa, we must also actively remove anything that is is offensive to God.  Becoming more active in Church attendance or good deeds will still leave us in turmoil if we have failed to eliminate sinful practices from our lives.  We should continually ask God to remove any source of temptation from our lives.  

"Rest on every side" means that Judah had peace with all her neighbors.  Times of peace are not just for resting.  They allow us to prepare for times of trouble.  King Asa recognized the period of peace as the right time to build  his defenses---the moment of attack would be too late.  It is also difficult to withstand spiritual attack unless defenses are prepared beforehand.  Decisions about how to face temptations must be made with cool heads long before we feel the heat of temptation.  Build your defenses now before temptation strikes.  Asa wisely welcomed people with close relationship with God, and he listened to their messages.  Azariah (God's prophet) gave the armies an important  warning and encouraged them to stay close to God.   Azariah said that Israel (Northern Kingdom) was "without the true God." Eight kings reigned in Israel during the 41-year rule of Asa in Judah, and all eight were evil.  Jeroboam, the first ruler of Israel, began this wicked trend by setting up idols and expelling God's priests.  Azariah used Israel's problems as an example of the evil that would come to Judah if they turned away from God as their northern brothers and sisters had.  Azariah encouraged the men of Judah to keep up the good work, "for your work will be rewarded."  This is an inspiration for us too.  Recognition and rewards are great motivators that have two dimensions: (1) The temporal dimension.  Living by God's standards may result in acclaim here on earth.  (2) The eternal dimension.  Permanent recognition and reward will be given in the next life.  Don't be discouraged if you feel your faith in God is going unrewarded here on earth.  The best rewards are not in this life but in the life to come."  

What I concluded from the life of King Asa as I go through 2 Chronicles 14 to our featured verse in 2 Chronicles 15:7 was how he honored God through obedience.  He destroyed the seat of idolatry that permeated his kingdom and influenced his people to obey the One True God.  He recognized his limitations as a human being and asked God for help to conquer  His enemies.  He also listened to the counsel  of Godly people and took into account what they had to say.  In our day and time, as the Body of Christ (Church), we all need one another.  We are facing vicious attacks daily that threatens our faith and our lives if we don't conform to the worldly and evil standards of this world.  None of us can accomplish things on our own.  Christ is the Head and we are His body.  We work effectively when each member work in unity toward the same goal.  Jesus gave us the Great Commission in Matthew 18:19-20 which says, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Whatever calling we hold as disciples of Jesus Christ today, we are to stay true and reliant to the teachings and examples of our Master.  We are to be strong both physically and spiritually for there would be times where that strength would be tested.  The Lord uses other believers to encourage us to continue the fight and stay faithful to the mission.  At no time will God leave us to fight the battles on our own.  Thus, we should be sensitive to His move and them which He sends.  For we do everything unto the Lord not for temporary rewards but that which is eternal.  Colossians 3:23-24 says, "Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being, for the Lord and not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving."

For this Card, I used an image from CC Designs called "Cinnamon Paints RS13"  that I water colored using Distress Inks.  The base is white CS, cut and scored to make a 5.5 inches square card.  The DP's are from Paper Studio, the flowers that I layered are from Prima, the brad frm Paper Studio, the doily from my stash and the glitters from Stickles (Crystal).  The leaves were die-cut with Fiskars punch and for added dimension, I stitched all over this card.  I also distressed the edges using a Tim Holtz distress tool. 

 BE YE STRONG CARD

 BE YE STRONG CARD SIDE VIEW

 BE YE STRONG CARD LAYERS

 BE YE STRONG CARD INSIDE

BE YE STRONG CARD WITH ENVELOPE-BOX

This Card is entered into the following Challenges:

Crafty Creations---ATG
Crafty Gals---ATG
Inspiration Destination---ATG
Sisterhood of Crafters---Leaves
Crafty Addicts---ATG
Star Stampz---Hand-colored Image
Calling All Sistahs---Encouragement/Color and/or Photo Challenge
The Color Sisters---Color/Photo Inspiration
Create and Inspire---ATG/Dies/Stencils
Creative Craft Cottage---ATG
Not Just Cards---ATG
Creative Crafters---ATG
Tinker-Dream---Mother's Day/Flowers


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---Winnie & Walter.  So excited to see what you come up with. For the meantime, serve the Lord with gladness knowing that our labor in Him is not in vain.

Scripture Series: He Will Sustain You (Cast Your Cares) Mini Note Card Set---Join Us for Anything Goes (Inspirational) at Word Art Wednesday!

Hi there, friends!  This post is coming out really late.  Just been busy these past few days.  But I would like to share with you my inspiration project for this bi-weekly Challenge happening at Word Art Wednesday (WAW).  As always, we are featuring a Scripture Word Art that you can download for free at the WAW site.  Our highlighted verse today comes from James 1:5 which says, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."

If you are keeping yourself informed on what's happening in the world in relation to Biblical prophecies and timeline, you and I should be convinced right now that we are living in what we call the last of the Last Days.  Everywhere we look,  the world calls evil good and good evil.  We wake up daily to a worldwide attack on our faith in Christ and the suppression of our right to practice what we believe.  Rebellion is at the heart of every agenda that is targeted in attacking life, marriage, family, morality---among others.   Through the use of Godless and liberal media, they have pushed us to the brink of spiritual collapse as a nation.  Every scenario played/sensationalized in public is not truly what we think they are.  There are puppeteers (with such an evil intent) that are using their puppets (deceived people) to move this nation to Socialism/Communism where it can be controlled by someone so evil---the anti-Christ!  Every effort to ban guns, knives, open our borders, etc is promoted for the so-called "safety and concern for people" but what they don't disclose is their Satanic agenda---that is to strip away the rights of law-abiding citizens to bear arms and fight when the evil government arises in the future.  People of the world and sad to say, many who professed to be Christians, bought into this agenda and are oblivious of the evil they have subjected themselves and their children to be enslaved with.  They have become the puppets of Satan, being represented by many leaders with great influence around the world.  

Now more than ever, we need the wisdom that comes from God and His Word.  It's not enough to have just knowledge.  Gotquestions.org explains the difference between wisdom and knowledge and I would love to share it with you.  It says, "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). 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."

Finally, I want to share what my Life Application Bible said about our featured verse.  It says, "By wisdom, James is talking not only about knowledge, but about the ability to make wise decisions in difficult circumstances.  Whenever we need wisdom, we can pray to God, and He will generously supply what we need.  Christians don't have to grope around the dark, hoping to stumble upon answers.  We can ask God's wisdom to guide our choices.  The wisdom that we need has three distinct characteristics:  (1)  It is practical.  The wisdom of God related to life even the most trying times.  It is not wisdom isolated from suffering and trials.  This wisdom is the tool by which trials are overcome.  An intelligent person may have profound ideas, but a wise person put profound ideas into action.   Intelligence will allow someone to describe several reasons why the car broke down.  The wise person chooses the most likely reason and proceeds to take action.  (2) It is divine.  God's wisdom goes beyond common sense.  Common sense does not lead us to choose joy in the middle of trials.  This wisdom begins with respect for God, leads to living by God's direction, and results in the ability to tell right from wrong.  (3)  It is Christlike.  Asking for wisdom is ultimately asking to be like Christ.  The Bible identifies Christ as the "wisdom of God" (1 Corinthians 1:24; 2:1-7)

For this Card, I used a 3-inch square, pre-cut cards with envelopes for my base.  I gathered six Distress ink colors and use it for inking stencils from Stamper's Anonymous as backgrounds for these cards.  The wonderful images came from Ranger Media (Dina Wakley) and all the Scripture sentiments (except for one) came from Stamp Simply Clear Stamps, from the set called "Fear Not."  Because these cards with their matching envelopes are a wonderful set, I had to make a coordinating envelope-box to accommodate them.  I love how it turned great.

 HE WILL SUSTAIN YOU (CAST YOUR CARES) MINI NOTE CARDS

 HE WILL SUSTAIN YOU (CAST YOUR CARES) MINI NOTE CARDS SET 1

 HE WILL SUSTAIN YOU (CAST YOUR CARES) MINI NOTE CARDS SET 2

HE WILL SUSTAIN YOU (CAST YOUR CARES) MINI NOTE CARDS ENVELOPE-BOX

This Card is entered into the following Challenges:

Crafting by Designs---Elegant Ladies
Crafty Creations---ATG
Inspiration Destination---ATG
Pause Dream Enjoy---ATG
Crafty Addicts---ATG/April Showers
4 Crafty Chicks---ATG/It's Raining Cats and Dogs
Crafting with an Attitude---ATG
Little Miss Muffet---ATG
A Perfect Time---ATG
Classic DT---ATG
Crafts Galore Encore---ATG
Crafty Girls---ATG
Create and Inspire---ATG/Use Dies or Stencils
Createful Heart---ATG
Creative Craft---ATG
Digistmps4Joy---ATG/Bright Colors
Eclectic Ellapu---ATG
Let's Craft and Create---ATG/Through a Window
Love to Craft---ATG
MIUCB---ATG/Bleaching
Morgan's Artworld---ATG
Not Just Cards---ATG
Papercraft Business---ATG/Birthday
Sunsational Stamps---Mother's Day
YSP---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 several times in two weeks.  A great prize awaits our winner from our wonderful sponsor---Stamp Simply Ribbon Store (stamps and/or dies).  So excited to see what you come up with.  Anyway, meditate on the goodness of the Lord and rely on His promises.  As we see the world becoming more deceived each day, let us hold on to the hope and strength that only the Word of God can give.  We serve a good and faithful God whose never going to leave us nor forsake us!    

Especially Made: Happy Birthday, Monkey Card---Join Us for our April Challenge at 613 Avenue Create!

Hello there, friends!  I'm back with my featured card for our Anything Goes Challenge with Optional Twist (use vellum) at 613 Avenue Create.  I made a card for a boy who celebrated his first birthday. Anyway. wishing you A VERY BLESSED AND HAPPY RESURRECTION DAY!  Just want to share a post I wrote in my Facebook page on Good Friday regarding what the Cross of Christ means for all of us.  Here it is:

OH, IF ONLY ALL OF MANKIND KNEW WHAT THE FINISHED WORK OF JESUS CHRIST AT THE CROSS HAS ACCOMPLISHED FOR THEM NOW AND FOREVER...

The finished work of Jesus Christ (His death, burial and resurrection) not only freed us from bondage of SIN (Death and Sin Nature) but has given us the RIGHT STANDING (righteousness) with God. JESUS did it all and all we need to do is BELIEVE (faith). When we declare that JESUS CHRIST IS LORD, our confession shows our agreement with God's redemptive plan. HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS IN US puts us in the position of POWER and AUTHORITY over the works and schemes of the enemy (satan). So when a CONDITION (situations) arise, we must act from our POSITION IN CHRIST (our right standing in Him). We must never allow our “condition” to dictate or rule over our “position.” As JESUS JUSTIFIED US (Justification by Faith) by the shedding of His blood on the Cross, HE ALSO SET US APART (Sanctification by Faith) for His purpose by the power of the HOLY SPIRIT. This is how we MUST live our lives daily! 

I thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for revealing what He’s done for me and how in His love and mercy, pursued me. Nothing and no one else can equal what He’s done and who He is in my life. I love you, Lord!  Just want to encourage you with God's Word today as we rejoice in remembering His Resurrection.

"Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation." (Romans 5:1-11)

For this Card, I used an image from Paper Studio that I watercolored  using my  Stabilo 68 pens.  The base is an A2 size pre-cut card that comes with an envelope from Paper Studio.  The sentiment is a clear stamp from Printworks and I took the time to stitch the front panel of this creation. 

 HAPPY BIRTHDAY MONKEY CARD

 HAPPY BIRTHDAY MONKEY CARD LAYERS

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MONKEY CARD WITH ENVELOPE

This Card is entered into the following Challenges:

2 Crafty Critters---ATG
A Bit More Time---ATG
A Perfect Time---ATG
Always Happy Birthday---Anything Birthday
Craft Galore Encore---ATG
Crafty Animals---Anything with Animals
Crafty Girls Creations---ATG
Creatalicious---ATG/Friends/Friendship
Create and Inspire---ATG/All About Mums
Createful Heart---ATG/Add Lace
Digistamps4Joy---ATG/Bright Colors
HLS---Watercolour
Love to Craft---ATG
Papercraft---ATG
Worldwide Open DT---ATG
YSP---ATG
Crafty Creations---ATG
Crafty Gals---ATG
Inspiration Destination---ATG


This is it for now, guys.  Make sure to join us at our neighborhood---613 Avenue Create---for an Anything Goes Challenge.  If you want to be challenged more, take on our Optional Twist (use vellum).  But there's really no reason for you to miss it. Can't wait to see what you create. The Cross of Christ is more than the just a story passed on from generation to generation.  It's a story of love, grace and hope that is good for today and all of eternity.