Scripture Series: She Shall Be Praised Card---Join our Current Inspirational/Anything Goes Challenge at Word Art Wednesday!

Hello there, guys! HAPPY BELATED MOTHER'S DAY  to all Crafty Mamas like me out there!  Hope you had lots of fun celebrating your special day with your love ones.  So, we began another Challenge at Word Art Wednesday (WAW) over a week ago featuring another Scripture Word Art which you can download for free at the WAW site.  It comes from Proverbs 31:30 which says, "Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised."  
 

Let me begin by stating what My Life Application Bible shared about Proverbs 3:10-31 which included our highlighted verse in this post.  It says, "Proverbs has a lot to say about women.  How fitting that the book ends with a picture of a woman of strong character, great wisdom, many skills, and great compassion. Some people have the mistaken idea that the ideal woman in the Bible is retiring, servile, and entirely domestic.  Not so!  This woman is an excellent wife and mother.  She is also a manufacturer, importer, manager, realtor, farmer, seamstress, upholsterer, and merchant.  Her strength and dignity do not come from her amazing achievements, however.  They are a result of her reverence for God.  In our society where physical appearance counts for so much, it may surprise us to realize that her appearance was never mentioned.  Her attractiveness comes entirely from her character.  The woman described in this chapter has outstanding abilities.  Her family's social position is high.  In fact, she may not be one woman at all---she may be a composite portrait of ideal womanhood.  Do not see her as a model to imitate in every detail; your days are not long enough to do everything she does!  See her instead as an inspiration to be all you can be. We can't be just like her, but we can learn from her industry, integrity and resourcefulness.  The book of Proverbs begins with the command to fear the Lord (Proverbs 1:7) and ends with the picture of a woman who fulfills this command. Her qualities are mentioned throughout the book: hard work, fear of God, respect for spouse, foresight, encouragement, care for others, concern for the poor, wisdom in handling money.  These qualities when coupled with fear of God, lead to enjoyment, success, honor, and worth.  Proverbs is very practical for our day because it shows us how to become wise, make good decisions and live according to God's ideal." 

I am totally humbled by how our Father in heaven created us (women) with all Godly characteristics and potentials to be a great help mate to our spouses (men).  But because of Sin, we were marginalized and treated by many as sexual objects, not capable of doing anything big.  But when we subscribed to the Word of God and gave ourselves completely and wholeheartedly to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ (Born-again, John 3:3), He shows us that we can do great and mighty things through Him as well as our true purpose for living.  It's not about the physical beauty which is temporary but the beauty that comes from a heart that fears (in awe of) God! Unlike physical beauty, spiritual beauty gets better with time---perfected in eternity!  It does not say about being perfect in this world for none of us can boast of perfection at the moment. But we are sanctified (set apart) daily to be all God wanted us to be which will happen when we see our Savior face to face.  No matter what our past life looked like, God is able to transform our hearts and minds to the likeness of Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit living inside every believer today.

 

So, in these days where an evil agenda is rampant in trying to replace women with "fake" women, let us show the world what a true woman looks like---one that truly fears God and does not succumb to the fake and the bullies.  True women are bearers of truth and would not surrender their worth, honor and integrity to the perverted, twisted and the deceived.  We speak and act God's truth in love even when it is viewed by others as hate.  Let us protect our children by first establishing a Godly foundation as early as we can and stay on top of those people, establishments and influences in their lives.  We entrust our children to the Lord in prayer as we help each other watch over our kids.  A popular quote says, "it takes a village to raise a child."  But when the village includes social media, entertainment, schools (education) and many other entities that are widely influenced by the satanic agenda nowadays, we need to specify.  So I say, it takes a village of God-fearing and concerned parents to raise a child." And us, mothers, have a big role to play. See to it that we adhere with Proverbs 22:6 which says, "Train up a child in the way he should go [teaching him to seek God’s wisdom and will for his abilities and talents], Even when he is old he will not depart from it."

 

For this Card, I used an image from Penny Black called "Ebullient" that I colored using my Ohuhu markers.  For the base, I used a white CS, cut and scored to make a 5.5 inches square and used my Crop-a-dile to round the corners.  I added  Washi tape from Tape Works, some nail head gems from Imaginisce and glitters on the image from Stickles (Crystal).  Finally, I stitched all over this project.  

 

SHE SHALL BE PRAISED CARD

 

SHE SHALL BE PRAISED CARD LAYERS

 

SHE SHALL BE PRAISED CARD INSIDE

SHE SHALL BE PRAISED CARD WITH ENVELOPE

This Card is entered into the following Challenges:

 

A Place to Start---ATG/And Other Thing 

Aud Sentiments---Watecolor and/or Spring with Sentiment

Crafting Happiness---ATG/Flowers 

Get Creative---Flower Frenzy

Jan's Digi---ATG 

PIP---ATG

Path of Positivity---Inspired by Nature 

Digi Choosday---ATG

Passion for Markers---Use Markers and Add a Sentiment

Unicorn---Flowers

613 Avenue Create---Say it with Flowers

Lil' Patch of Crafty---ATG 

My Bestie Spanish---ATG

Stamping Sensations---Must be Stamped Image with optional Stencil 

The Corrosive---ATG

We Love Stamping---Anything Stamped with option "In the Garden"

Gem of a Challenge---ATG

Allsorts---ATG/Embellish It

Penny Black---ATG/Use Patterned Paper

Crafty Catz---ATG with option Ribbon, Lace or Twine

Creative Fingers---ATG

Pattie's Creations---ATG

Paper Dragonfly---Anything Goes/Flies or Island Paradise

Creative Inspiration---ATG

Time Out---Inspired by Words 

A Perfect Time---ATG

Ally's Angels---ATG

Bastel-Traum---Plants/Flowers

Beautiful Blossoms---Anything Flowers with Optional Mood Board

Ching-Chou Kuik---ATG

Classic Design---ATG

Crafts Galore Encore---ATG 

Creatalicious---ATG/Use 3 or More Patterned Papers

DL Art---ATG 

Lets Craft and Create---ATG with optional Ribbon, Lace or Twine or all

Love to Craft---ATG

Love to Scrap---ATG 

Mix It Up---ATG/Embossing 

Morgan's Artworld---ATG

Rabisco---ATG

The Crafting Challenge---Add an Embellishment 

The Creative Crafters---ATG

The Four Seasons---Spring

Worldwide Crafters---ATG with Image

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 up to 5 times this week.  Great prize to be won from our wonderful sponsor---Lawn Fawn ($25 GC).  So excited to see what you come up with.  Anyway, cheer up and let the love of the Lord overtake you today.  We, Moms, have a lot to be thankful for when we have Jesus inside of us!

Ready to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior? Find out how on the sidebar...

Scripture Series: Sweeter than Honey Card---Join Our Current Inspirational/Anything Goes Challenge at Word Art Wednesday!

Hi there, friends!  There's only one day left to join our current Challenge at Word Art Wednesday (WAW). I'm posting this quite late (too many things happening) for our current challenge but a new one starts this Wednesday. The Scripture Word Art  featured in my card comes from Psalm 119:103 which says, "How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" 

 

Although I drink coffee occasionally, I am not a fan of black coffee, espresso or anything that is too strong and bitter to taste.  I can withstand drinking it (if I had to) but I wouldn't probably enjoy it.  Now, if I can dilute it with some hot water, milk, sweetener or honey, I can make the coffee enjoyable for me.  Most of the time, we have an array of drinks to choose from that we can buy from stores and restaurants. At times, it's just water and/or some bitter coffee. Hey, it's okay---I will still be grateful to the Lord!  Anyway, I remember booking a room at Airbnb owned by a nurse. She left us a few K-cups to brew before she went to work early that day.  So when we woke up and made our coffees, we realized there were no milk nor sugar.  Since we're allowed access to her kitchen, we looked at the cabinets and found only two little packs of honey.  Though it wasn't enough to sweeten our coffees to our preference, that honey helped with some flavor.  When she arrived home, she was apologetic for forgetting to provide us some sweeteners after we asked her where the sugar was. 

Sugar, honey and other sweeteners are part of our daily consumption (unless you're in a diet of some sort)  just like salt and many spices.  We cannot consume too  much or too little for it will be detrimental to our physical health.  But if we focus our attention to our highlighted verse in this post, the actual honey many of us enjoy cannot compare to the spiritual sweetness, nourishment and satisfaction that comes only from the Word of God.  Yet, life can be sweet for a season and before you know it, it becomes unbelievably bitter.  But we don't have to surrender to the bitter things of life---for God's Word is available to us 24/7.  In the middle of fear, life's uncertainties, bad news and deadlines, we can choose to silence the negativity in our minds by trusting and meditating on the sweet promises of God. We fight back by rejecting the thoughts, suggestions and vision our enemy (Satan) tries to plant in us.  We should learn to actively fight the voices in our heads that makes us doubt the love and concern God promised us in His Word.  We cannot rely on our own abilities and strength to change our situations/conditions.  We need Jesus in the battle and our weapon is His Word!  2 Corinthians 10:3-5 tells us, "For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."

 

My friends, my family is currently going through some bitter days!  I prayed to the Lord and He gave me His Word in 1 Peter 5:7 and told me, "Cast all your anxiety on Me because I care for you."  That immediately lifted up my spirit.  I look it up in my Life Application Bible and the commentary says, "Carrying your worries, stresses and daily struggles by yourself shows that you have not trusted God fully with your life. It takes humility, however, to recognize that God cares, to admit your need, and to let others in God's family help you.  Sometimes we think that struggles caused by our own sin and foolishness  are not God's concern.  But when we turn to God in repentance, He will bear the weight even of those struggles.  Letting God have your anxieties calls for action, not passivity.  Don't submit to circumstances, but to the Lord who controls circumstances."  I am totally in awe that the God of all creation gave me such a loving message.  How do I know it?  It's because the Lord and I have this personal relationship for 33 years now where He revealed/reveals Himself to me and I would/will hear Him. Jesus said in John 10:27-28, "The sheep that are My own hear My voice and listen to Me; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand."  His message of casting and caring truly encouraged me.  But the days following, the enemy cranked up the negativity as he challenges our faith and patience to wait on the Lord.  Everyday, we have to actively battle and go against every negative thoughts and emotions trying to drown our faith in God.  Truth be told, our biggest enemy is often ourselves!  Don't give in---live by God's Word!  If you are experiencing bitter/stormy situations and are going through depression and hopelessness---JESUS CARES FOR YOU!  He loves you and would like to speak to you. Surrender your life to Him and let Him be your personal Lord and Savior (Born-again, John 3:3).  Don't delay!  Your eternal destination depends on this very important decision you have to make before you die.  You can use the prayer I shared in the sidebar as your guide.  Then read God's Word and find a Bible-based Church that will help you grow in your spiritual walk with God.  Believers are not exempt from trials but our great advantage is having our Savior's presence with/in us no matter where life takes us. And that is super sweet!

 

For this Card, I used an image from Stampendous called "Fran's Mini Clear Set Whimsical."  For a change, I did not color the flowers but paper-pieced them with DP from Pebbles.  The base is white CS, cut and scored to make a 5.5 inches square.  I also used a stencil (honey comb) from Recollections and Distress Inks to make the background panel. I added some glitters (Stickles-Crystal) to the leaves and center of the flowers.  Lastly, I ran it through my sewing machine.  

 

SWEETER THAN HONEY CARD 

SWEETER THAN HONEY CARD LAYERS

 

SWEETER THAN HONEY CARD INSIDE

 

 

SWEETER THAN HONEY CARD WITH ENVELOPE-BOX

 

 

This Card is entered into the following Challenges:

 

Aud Sentiments---Watecolor and/or Spring with Sentiment

Crafting Happiness---ATG/Flowers
Get Creative---Flower Frenzy

Jan's Digi---ATG

Path of Positivity---Inspired by Nature

Crazy is our Fame---Use Stencil with Flowers

Unicorn---Flowers

613 Avenue Create---Say it with Flowers 

Lil' Patch of Crafty---ATG

My Bestie Spanish---ATG 

Stamping Sensations---Must be Stamped Image with optional Stencil 

The Corrosive---ATG

We Love Stamping---Anything Stamped with option "In the Garden" 

Creative Fingers---ATG

Pattie's Creations---ATG

Paper Dragonfly---Anything Goes/Flies or Island Paradise

Creative Inspiration---ATG 

A Perfect Time---ATG

Ching-Chou Kuik---ATG

Classic Design---ATG 

Crafts Galore Encore---ATG

Happy Little Stampers---Use Stencil 

Lets Craft and Create---ATG with optional Ribbon, Lace or Twine or all

Love to Craft---ATG 

Love to Scrap---ATG

Mix It Up---ATG/Embossing 

Morgan's Artworld---ATG

Rabisco---ATG 

The Crafting Challenge---Add an Embellishment

The Four Seasons---Spring

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 submit up to 5 entries per week.  Our wonderful sponsor for this week is  Your Next Stamp, giving away a $20 e-GC.  So excited to see what you come up with.  Anyway, cheer up and let the joy of the Lord overtake you today.  Let us pray and encourage one another to trust God's Word always!

Ready to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior? Find out how on the sidebar...