Fun/Humor Series: Winter Christmas Reindeer Games Card---Join our Anything Goes Challenge at 613 Avenue Create!

Hi there, everyone!  We have a brand new Challenge happening this entire month at 613 Avenue Create!  As always, it's Anything Goes with optional theme of  "Any Holiday." As you can see, I chose a fun and light Christmas theme for my card sample simply because we all need a good laugh nowadays.  For nearly two years now, the world along with it's globalists politicians and mainstream social media never fail to spread death and fear in the airwaves and sadly, many are still terrified and isolating themselves with every report of Rona variants.  But as for me and my house, our faith is solely focused in the Lord and to His promises which covers not only our temporary life but more importantly, our life eternal.  I can literally go out and enjoy each day with friends and family during winter time without a thought of Rona slowing me down.  Talking about quality life and quality time.  Snow is very rare in Texas but will come up with ways to have fun like that energetic woman in my card...LOL

 

Happiness is always a choice! But there is no meaningful happiness without God in one's life.  Before I came to know Christ, like everyone else, I was living by the standards of the world.  It's like an emotional roller coaster when my happiness is dependent upon my situation and emotional status.  If you happen to have friends or family that listens, you try to share how you feel but have you noticed that most can only afford to offer you an emotional band-aid? It's a temporary relief, not the ultimate cure.  If you are the kind of person that takes time to reflect on your life's journey, you'd realize that we all have this "God-shaped hole" in our hearts that nobody and nothing in this world can ever fill. We try to do everything we can to satisfy it by fulfilling our ambitions in attempt to gain wealth, fame and power to fill our longings.  Some look for temporary fix like drugs, alcohol and toxic relationships.  Many have reached the pinnacle of earthly success but much to our dismay, they have cut their lives short just like that!  All their accomplishments didn't provide them with true happiness.

I would like to share what Gotquestions.org had to say about this issue of spiritual void in the life of every human being. It says, "The “God-shaped hole” concept states that every person has a void in his soul/spirit/life that can only be filled by God. The “God-shaped hole” is the innate longing of the human heart for something outside itself, something transcendent, something “other.” Ecclesiastes 3:11 refers to God’s placing of "eternity in man’s heart." God made humanity for His eternal purpose, and only God can fulfill our desire for eternity. All religion is based on the innate desire to “connect” with God. This desire can only be fulfilled by God, and therefore can be likened to a “God-shaped hole.” The problem, though, is that humanity ignores this hole or attempts to fill it with things other than God. Jeremiah 17:9 describes the condition of our hearts: “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” Solomon reiterates the same concept: “The hearts of men, moreover, are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live…” (Ecclesiastes 9:3). The New Testament concurs: “The sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so” (Romans 8:7). Romans 1:18-22 describes humanity ignoring what can be known about God, including presumably the “God-shaped hole,” and instead worshiping anything and everything other than God. Sadly, too many spend their lives looking for something other than God to fill their longing for meaning—business, family, sports, etc. But in pursuing these things that are not eternal, they remain unfulfilled and wonder why their lives never seem satisfactory. There is no doubt that many people pursuing things other than God achieve a measure of “happiness” for a time. But when we consider Solomon, who had all the riches, success, esteem, and power in the world—in short, all that men seek after in this life—we see that none of it fulfilled the longing for eternity. He declared it all “vanity,” meaning that he sought after these things in vain because they did not satisfy. In the end he said, “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole [duty] of man” (Ecclesiastes 12:13). Just as a square peg cannot fill a round hole, neither can the “God-shaped hole” inside each of us be filled by anyone or anything other than God. Only through a personal relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ can the “God-shaped hole” be filled and the desire for eternity fulfilled."

 

Thirty-one years ago, that God-shaped hole in my life was totally satisfied when I decided to place my faith in Jesus Christ and received His sacrifice at the Cross for the redemption of my sins and surrendered my life to His plan and purpose.  Many trials have come and gone and I remained victorious in my journey because the Lord have always been there for me.  In every situation, I live in the truth stated in Romans 8:28, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." With Christ living inside of me, I have joy and contentment. But in addition to that, I have the righteousness (right standing with God) and peace (incomprehensible) of God in my life now and forever. Some things may deviate from my future plans but the presence of God inside me gives me the perfect reason to stay happy and hopeful about the future.  If you desire to be filled by God, don't delay. I'm not offering you a band-aid.  I'm giving you the Cure!  Receive Christ as your personal Lord and Savior (Born-again, John 3:3) right this very moment,  join a Christ-centered/Biblical Church community at your earliest, study and obey God's Word daily and share what God has done in your life every opportunity God gives you. For that is the will of God for His children.

 

For this Card, I used an image from Art Impressions called "Reindeer Games" that I watercolored using my Stabilo 68 markers. The base is a pre-cut, A7 card from Paper Studio, the  snowflakes I layered  are stamps from Recollections and secured by a brad from the same company.  The pine trees in the background came to life through layered stamping using Memento inks and enhanced by using Frantage embossing enamels and glitters from Stampendous.  I only used it a couple of times several years ago and I'm so glad I was able to use it again for this great winter scene.  Lastly, I added the sentiment that comes with the image and stitched all over this card.  I can say that this is my fave Christmas themed card I have ever made...I just love it!

 

WINTER CHRISTMAS REINDEER GAMES CARD

WINTER CHRISTMAS REINDEER GAMES CARD LAYERS

 

WINTER CHRISTMAS REINDEER GAMES CARD INSIDE

 

 

WINTER CHRISTMAS REINDEER GAMES CARD WITH ENVELOPE BOX

 

This Card is entered into the following Challenges:

 

A Bit More Time to Craft---ATG 

A Perfect Time to Craft---ATG 

Bastel Traum---Christmas 

Art Impressions---Happy Holidays

Ching Chou Kuik---Christmas/Winter

Classic Design---ATG

Country View---Christmas

Crafts Galore Encore---ATG 

Creatalicious---ATG/Christmas

Createful Heart---ATG 

Do-Al(1) Kreatives---It Smells a Lot Like Christmas

Dream Factory---ATG

HLS---Watercolor

HLS Christmas---ATG/Toys

LeAnn's World---ATG

Let's Craft and Create---ATG/Vintage Feel

Love to Craft---ATG

Love to Scrap---Christmas BINGO (Column G---Gold, Red, Emboss, Green)

Merry Little Christmas---ATG Christmas

Mirtillamente---ATG

MIUCB---ATG/Red, White and another color 

Morgan's Artworld---ATG 

QKR Stampede---ATG

River of Creativity---Celebrate 

Scribbles Designs---Warm Winter Clothing

Sognando---ATG

12 Months of Christmas---ATG Christmas

Crafting Challenge---Christmas Sentiment

Four Seasons---ATG Winter

Worldwide Open DT---ATG

YSP---ATG

 

This is it for now, guys.  Make sure to join us at our neighborhood---613 Avenue Create---for an Anything Goes Challenge with optional theme, "Any Holiday."  If you want to be challenged more, take on our Optional Twist.  But there's really no reason for you to miss it. Can't wait to see what you create. The Word of God is not just an ordinary book.  Read it and you will find wisdom that even the geniuses of the world will never understand that your joy may be full.

 

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