For some reason, I have very few 4th of July decorations for my home. I decided to add to my measly collection when I saw the Color Challenge at www.heart2heartchallenges.blogspot.com. The challenge is to use Barn Red, Bamboo and any Blue in your project.
I chose Moonstruck as my blue to brighten up the other 2 colors. I had a few leftover pieces from the Mix &
Mingle album and decided to put them to good use as a wall hanging. I used 2 clear acrylic and 1 chipboard piece. You can click on the image to see it more clearly. I added white to the mix by embossing some of the stars. The other stars were either stamped or cut out of the patterned paper that I also used for the letters. I am happy with my project and hope you enjoy it as well!
Close To My Heart Supplies used
Cardstock: Barn Red, Bamboo, Moonstruck
Patterned Paper: Fanfare
White Embossing Powder
Shining Star Stamp Set
Mix & Mingle Album Kit
Stardust Glitz
Cranberry and Moonstruck Ink
Other Supplies
Crinkle Ribbon from My Craft Spot
Versamark Ink
White Galaxy Marker
This card came together so easily and I love how it looks as though the background the scripture was stamped on was made perfectly for it. Of course, the clear stamps made the placement of the scripture so simple. This inspired stamps scripture is from the Strength stamp set. The set includes 3 scriptures and a sentiment that are great for encouragement cards.
Be sure you check out my fellow Design Team members' blogs this week. I have links to them on the side of my blog or you can go to www.inspiredstamps.blogspot.com on Thursday and all the photos will be shown.
Other supplies Close To My Heart patterned paper/ink/card stock
Twine
Recollections die cut bird
Stickles
Simple Stories journaling tag
Stars from Walmart
This is such a fun birthday card! The font used for the Inspired Stamps sentiment and scripture just say
PARTY! Both the scripture inside and the sentiment outside are from the Birthday Stamp Set.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
The Song
Blessed Be Your Name by Matt Redman
My Thoughts
David was often on the road marked with suffering. Notice I did not say the road was CALLED suffering. David’s road was filled with the mightiest triumphs as well as the most horrific tragedies, yet he was able to call his Lord blessed whether “the sun was shining down” on him or he was “found in the desert place”. If you believe your circumstances are the worst anyone has ever endured and you have the right to call God unjust, then just read a little about David’s life in the books of Samuel.
How auspicious was his introduction in the Bible. He was hand-picked by God and officially anointed to be the King of Israel by the prophet Samuel. Oh my, he was going to be special, he’d be on Easy Street! As a boy, he faced giants while men cowered in their tents. What a mighty warrior he would be, his road was Victory. He sat at the feet of the King he would succeed and played his harp to sooth the kings soul. What talent he possessed as he traveled on the road of Good Fortune.
But then, rocks appeared on his road to the kingship, thrown there by the very one his music had soothed. He was driven to run for his life and to live in caves like an animal, not just for a few days but for years. Still he could sing “blessed be your name on the road marked with suffering, though there is pain in the offering, blessed be your name.” He lost his dearest, most trusted friend and it seemed he had no one to turn to, yet his Lord was right beside him and could see the glorious end of the road even when David could not. Because of God’s protection and mercy, David often blessed the name of the Lord in the Psalms he wrote.
Even when David seemed to have finally achieved the road of Triumph, he chose to sin with the bathing beauty Bathsheba and then send her husband to his death. Yet, David turned to the Lord in the midst of his hideous sin and found healing and forgiveness. Even in the face of his family tragedies-a failed marriage, incest, loss of an infant son and on and on, David blessed the Lord, his Maker.
And we whine when our plans get changed. We complain when traffic is too heavy. We turn our backs on our heavenly Father when the pain becomes too much. But that same Father is standing beside us on the road waiting to lead us over the rocks of pain. He wants to comfort us on the path of grief. You see, the road God has given us is not named Suffering, the road we are on is called Life and that path will have other roads marked with happiness, roads marked with grief, roads marked with triumph and even roads marked with suffering. But Father can see the end of the road! He knows that if we choose to bless Him in all of our circumstances, then we will find the journey will lead us straight into a heavenly home where every painful, plodding step will be forgotten. This road we are on is not leading us to the end of our life, it is taking us to our Eternal Life!
Your Response
Bless the Lord oh my soul and all that is within me bless His holy name!
A BIG THANK YOU to my creative friend Colleen at http://scrappycol.blogspot.com/ for bestowing my first blog award on me! You must go check out her awesome creations. She's an amazing Copic artist!
One of the provisions of the award is to share 7 random things about myself and pass the award on to 8 blogger friends. Here are some facts about me:
I was in THREE school choirs my Senior year of high school-yes, my school day was a breeze! Show Choir, Concert Choir, Acapella Choir and a couple of academic classes.
I LOVE the color pink.
My fave movies of all time are Mr. Mom and Princess Bride.
My fave book of all time is Jane Eyre.
I still love to color-but with Copics now that I'm grown up!
I am married to my high school sweetheart.
I desperately am waiting for my first son and Daughter-in-love to give me a granddaughter since I have 3 SONS.
I would like to pass this blog award along to these fantastic crafters, please visit their blogs and see what I mean!
1. Amy at http://www.paisleysplayhouse.blogspot.com/
2. Antoinette at http://www.inspiredstamps.blogspot.com
3. Kimberly at http://craftspotbykimberly.blogspot.com/
4. Emma at http://www.creativetimeforme.com/
5. Deneen at http://www.apathofpaper.blogspot.com/
6. Shana at http://www.scrapinshana.blogspot.com/
7. Melissa at http://www.theprofoundbrunette.blogspot.com/
8. Jenn at http://www.stampinstampede.blogspot.com/
Woo Hoo! Our first official Design Team Assignment from Inspired Stamps. Our instructions were to use flower stamps and a scripture stamp. I also added this sweet little praying tot. I used Copics to color in all of the images after stamping them. Be patient with me, I am slowly learning the ins and outs of Copics. I had to add a little design to our girl's nighty so I used the tiny flower to perk it up. Her eyes got a little extra sparkle with the tiny blue pearls. The Inspired
Stamps are so easy to work with and stamp so cleanly-love them!
Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
The Song
“Stay Strong” by Newsboys
My Thoughts
I’ve heard all my life God’s Word is alive and active. It took me many years to grasp exactly what that really meant, but the truth of that statement has become more clear to me in the last few years. I believe God really speaks to us through His Word. What that means to me is when He is ready to reveal what he wants me to hear, then He will make that Word clear to me through His written word. I don’t mean we can force scripture to mean what we want it to for any situation, what I mean is I could have read a passage a hundred times but not really grasped its significance in my life until the moment it was relevant for what God had for me at that specific time.
I believe as well God uses Christian songwriters, modern day David’s, to speak to us in the same way. As months turn to years, it is easy to lose sight of God’s promise for healing we cling to so desperately in the beginning of a health crisis. Although I am certain God has ordained my healing, after many years it is easy to succumb to the belief of maybe He didn’t mean here on this earth. On a recent day of wavering, I heard these words:
“We've come through wilderness and watched the cloud by day turn the burning sky into dawn. Have you forgotten who you are? Did you forget whose trip you're on? Stay strong. You are not lost. Come on and fix your eyes ahead There's a new dawn to light our day”
It would be easy to say, “But Lord, I wasn’t grumbling and complaining. Surely you aren’t comparing me to those Israelites wandering in the wilderness. I was just thinking since you have left me with this disease for so long… Oh yeah, this is my wilderness isn’t it?” Maybe all those times we’ve read about those grumblers, we felt a little superior because we would never be caught wandering through the wilderness while the Promised Land was just over the next sand dune. But God reminded me through this song no matter how long MS has me “wheeling” through this life, I must “Get up, (because) there's further to go. Get up, there's more to be done. Get up, this witness is sure. Get up, this race can be won.”
It becomes so easy to question God’s timing. When it was clear I was not going to be walking on my own, I told the Lord I could accept that fact for the moment but I really expected to walk down the aisle at my then fourteen year-old son’s wedding. Well, the time came in May 2008 to see that same young man, a handsome twenty years old, take the hand of his bride. You know what, I didn’t walk, he got married and it was ok. I didn’t even think about walking that day. I just thought about how quickly my sweet baby boy had become someone else’s sweet, handsome husband.
When you are in God’s grip, nothing else matters. You live life, you do your best to please Him, you thank Him for the good and you praise Him in the bad. “We've gotta stay strong. (We) are not lost. Come on and fix your eyes ahead Our Father's dawn will light our day...His grip is sure and His patience still endures. There'll be no letting go today, no way...You and I run for the prize that lies ahead. We've come too far to lose our way.”
Your Response
Lord, I want to stay strong, I want to know that you have me in your grip and you have not let me go to stumble through this wilderness on my own. Let your assurance surround me and let your peace consume me.
I realized one of my pearls fell off after I uploaded the pics! Oh well, I'm not perfect, are you? I created this for my dear 85 yo Dad for Father's Day and used the guidelines found on www.heart2heartchallenges.blogspot.com. The instructions were to create a Father's Day card and make your own background paper. I used the "You and Me" and "Lucky" stamp Sets from Close To My Heart to create the "wallpaper" background. I also used "Universal Backgrounds" stamp set from CTMH for the "wood floor". The bit of "rug" shown in the corner is from You & Mr stamps as well. The chair was stamped onto patterned paper and cut out. I think he'll like it. Here's a photo from his youth-he had the Elvis stance down before there was an Elvis!
Supplies used are ALL Close To My Heart:
B & T paper-Fanfare
Mocha Gems
Kraft Card stock
Moonstruck and Chocolate inks
Vanilla Cream card stock
You & Me stamps
Universal Background Stamps
Lucky Stamp Set
Chairs to You stamps
Scalloped Punch
Foam Adhesive
I am so thrilled to announce that I have been chosen to serve on the first Design Team at www.inspiredstamps.blogspot.com. I am glad to join 8 other super talented girls. It's also the first time for me to be a Design Team member!
I love the stamps at Inspired Stamps because of the focus on God's Word. The His Little Ones character stamps are just adorable with their big eyes and sweet faces. Inspired Stamps is a new clear stamp company made right here in the USA with the highest quality photopolymer materials available! They specialize in Biblical Scripture stamps, adorable colorable character stamps, sentiment stamps, and scenic stamps. Begun by a military wife, mother, and Bible Study teacher, the purpose of inspired stamps is to bring joy and encouragement to both the crafter and the recipient of the created projects through the use of God's Word and adorable additions, such as the characters and scenic views.
Thursdays will be our Design Team artwork days so be sure to stop by next Thursday for my first "official" Design Team post. Here is a card I made when I got the word that I was chosen.
FACEBOOK FRIENDS GIVEAWAY!! Go 'like' our page...when we get to 100 'likes' FIVE LUCKY names will be drawn from those 100 people and they will each get to choose ANY SCRIPTURE stamp or CHARACTER stamp of their choice from the online store as their winnings!
God’s Word Daniel 3:25 He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”
Daniel 3:27 “... They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.”
The Song "Through the Fire" words and music by Gerald Crabb
My Thoughts
If I ever felt a song was mine, this is it! Some of these lines really hit home. "Many times in trials, weakness blurs my vision, that's when my frustration gets so out of hand. Oh, but it's then I am reminded, that I've never been forsaken, and I've never had to stand one test alone. Then I look at all my victories and the spirit rises up in me and it's through the fire my weakness is made
strong!" You see, before I knew I had MS, my vision was affected first. It was as though there was a veil of lace over my eyes-very blurry. It was incredibly frustrating. I couldn't read, drive or watch TV. I feared losing my vision but God was faithful and walked with me through that time. I've had victory over vision problems since 2003. However, as you know, I am still not fully healed, I still can not walk and have several "invisible" problems. But I know God will continue to be with me in this fire.
Through this experience God has taught me healing is not the ultimate testimony. Please don't turn me off now that I have stepped on a "sacred cow", just settle down and listen. I truly believe healing should be sought and I truly believe we should have faith God will heal. However, I believe the best testimony you can have is when you stay faithful to God "through the fire". My pastor even made that statement after I sang this song one Sunday. It was just another confirmation to me of what the Lord has been teaching me. The 2nd verse of the song says "I know within myself that I would surely perish, but if I trust the hand of God I know he'll shield the flames again." I have seen the effect my (and Jeff's) perseverance has had on non-believers and I know they know it is not on our own power. I also know many non-believers would be skeptical of a healing and a testimony of healing might not have as great an impact on them because of their unbelief.
We have seen some who were away from church or never been part of a church, come to the Lord. I can not tell you it was definitely our influence but I believe that was a huge part of it. We have had others ask us, "how do you make it" and we have been able to share of God's faithfulness and of the Christian community's support. The song goes on "He never promised that the cross would not get heavy and the hill would not be hard to climb. He never offered our victories without fighting but He said help would always come in time. Just remember when you're standing in the valley of decision and the adversary says gives in, just hold on, my God will show up and He will take you through the fire again."
We need to remember in this age of "prosperity preaching", "name it and claim it" theology, etc. God never promised our lives on earth would be easy or without trial. In fact, he tells us we WILL be persecuted and we WILL have trials and tribulation but to rejoice for HE has overcome this world. That is where our brightest testimony shows to the world-through it all we remain faithful and remain fervent in our belief this life is not "it"-the next life in heaven is what we should put our hope in.
Are we willing to allow our heavenly Father to accomplish His purpose through us? God is working all your trials for good. Maybe He has a plan to bring more of His children into right relationship with Him through your example of faith in trial. Maybe He has a little perfecting to do in your spirit while He walks with you through your fire. Or maybe, just maybe, He’s ready to have you join Him in the throne room of heaven.
I don’t pretend to know why God allows some to struggle more than others. I don’t have a clue why some are miraculously healed while others suffer in their afflictions. I believe Beth Moore says it best in her “Daniel” Bible study. She believes there are three possible God ordained outcomes to the fires in our lives:
1. God will deliver you FROM the fire to BUILD your faith.
2. God will deliver you THROUGH the fire to REFINE your faith.
3. God will deliver you BY the fire into your heavenly home to PERFECT (complete) your faith.
I hope you hear me-I believe in healing, I believe God is healing me and will soon complete that healing. I believe God will be glorified in my healing and I continue to pray for that day. However, I know He wants to be glorified and use me in my trials as well.
Your Response
Close your eyes and envision yourself in the very fire of your trial, now look in your minds eye to your right and envision your precious Savior sitting beside of you. Take His hand in yours. Thank God He is beside you in every situation. Thank Him because you will come out of this fire without a single hair singed or even the smell of smoke on you!
This layout was a long time coming! The bride (my niece) just had her 3rd baby girl, the flower girl (also my niece) is learning to drive and the ring bearer (my son) is 17! But, I finally got it done and that's all that matters in the world of scrapbooking!
I used the beautiful Bliss papers from Close To My Heart. The design is actually a variation on one in our Idea Book/catalog. Guess what? We are about to release our new Idea Book in a couple of months with fabulous new papers and stamps!
I made the rosettes using our scalloped round punch-this is such a versatile tool. The butterfly and flat flower were just cut out of a piece of the Bliss paper. Brads and ribbon are CTMH. The brass charms are from my broken jewelry stash.
This lo is being entered in www.heart2heartchallenges.blogspot.com new wedding challenge.
John 14:2 In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.”
The Song
Mansion Over a Hilltop by Ira F. Stanphill
My Thoughts
I’m satisfied with just a cottage below. Well, as long as it looks like one of the cottages in Thomas Kinkade’s paintings! We don’t seem to feel the need to sing such humble songs anymore. We’d rather sing about our riches in the Lord and listen to the preachers discuss the cattle on a thousand hills. We are more attuned to listening to how God will supply our every need and desire.
As a child, this song was always one I requested on Sunday song request nights. I knew it was on page 45 in the “Melodies of Praise” hymnal. Apparently I still do! It stirred my vivid childhood imagination. I mean this place has “streets of pure gold”. I was told as a young child it meant they were clear like glass. Who wouldn’t want a mansion with a gold exterior and silver interior? It sounded like the most ritzy-glitzy place my mind could imagine. Now, I wasn’t sure about the harp in the song, but I definitely desired the mansion and crown we sang about.
Recently, I was reminded of the words to this song as my family drove to church. We passed by the gates outside some of the largest and most stunning mansions you can imagine. Each new home outsized and out-glitzed the last one. As my youngest son sighed and said “those houses are so beautiful.,” I said, “yes Kameron, but they just can’t compare to what our Lord has prepared for us.”
Randy Ruiz, an evangelist friend of ours describes the space we will each have in heaven as at least 12 miles wide by 12 miles long by 12 miles high. I think I could be quite comfy in a spread that size! Our heavenly Father has considered the needs and desires we each have. Our personalities will still be part of us in heaven (at least the pleasant parts). He has considered that in his preparation for us. God, who in seven days imagined into existence our beautifully creative world, would never be able to create a cookie cutter heaven. No, he has had time abundant to create beauty and diversity beyond even the most imaginative mind’s comprehension.
One look around your local park will enable you to see what depth of imagination and artistry is in our Creator’s very being. Heaven will be his crowning glory, his creation to end all creation. Why do we become so easily dissatisfied with what we have on this dusty little globe? Why can’t we be content to wait a little while for that amazing place?
In this era of “get all you can and can all you get”, we can’t sing with much enthusiasm the line from the song that says, “I’m satisfied with...a little silver and a little gold.” We raise our children to believe all needs should be immediately met, and it is our right to have what we want when we want it. We urge them to choose their career paths based on pay. Whatever happened to doing what we love and loving what we do regardless of the monetary pay-off?
Why can’t the hope of heaven be enough? "In that city where the ransomed will shine, I’ve got a mansion just over the hilltop, in that bright land where we’ll never more roam and someday yonder, we’ll never more wander but walk on streets that are purest gold." A counterpart I learned to the chorus begins “I may not be a millionaire but can’t you see I just don’t care…” When will we choose not to care about what we have accumulated on this earth? I’m not saying you should sit at the gates of the city and wait for your mansion in heaven, but neither should you pursue silver and gold at the cost of losing your very soul.
Choose to do God’s bidding here on the earth and put your hope in heaven not in your bank account. We are not “poor, deserted or lonely”, we are “just pilgrims in search of that city”.
Your Response
Thank God for your heavenly home He is preparing. Thank Him for providing for you on this earth, not just your dwelling place but for the nature He has created.
postscript-My dear friend, Maria, entered her heavenly home last Tuesday. These devotionals are scheduled several weeks in advance. I thought it was appropriate that this devotional happened to fall on this day. I know Maria is dancing on those streets of gold, singing God's praises and enjoying her God designed mansion!
During the month of June, order a You & Me kit for only $15 (a retail value of $34.95), and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the American Red Cross 2011 Floods and Tornadoes relief operations. Contact me today to place your order for this sensational kit and help those in need at the same time. The You & Me: Stronger Together campaign will continue until June 30 at 11:59 pm (MDT) or while supplies last.
The placement of the donations is prioritized by the American Red Cross, with all money earmarked for disaster relief from the tornadoes and flooding in the midwestern and southeastern United States.
This is 1 layout I've made with this trendy and versatile kit. I used the sketch from the challenge at www.heart2heartchallenges.blogspot.com.. All patterned paper and stamps are from the You & Me Kit. The lettering was cut with our Kraft paper using the Cricut Old West Cartridge. Ink used is Chocolate.
The cloth house strip was from my stash but all other supplies are Close To My Heart. To distress the center strip, I rubbed a baby wipe down the edges of the strip to moisten it. Using a distressing block and my fingers, I sanded and rolled to get the look I wanted.
Have you missed me? I've certainly missed blogging! My absence began when my youngest son broke his arm last week for the SECOND time this YEAR! This time he had an open break that required surgery and a 2 day hospital stay. Memorial Day weekend was spent recovering from our sheer exhaustion of the ordeal. All looks well and he should heal quickly.
The day after Memorial Day a dear friend of mine passed away after struggling her entire life with health issues. I am writing a devotional about her amazing faith and will post that in the coming months.
My 2 boys have had finals all week and have been exempt from some tests but of course not on the same schedule! So, I have made multiple trips to the school dropping off and picking up. Friday required FOUR trips!
When I thought I could take some time to post, our internet went out and has just now come back on. I hope it is fixed and not a temporary state! How's your world been?
I have a quick card I did a while back as thank you notes to donors for my MS Walk I will share with you today and then will hopefully complete the new H2H challenge on Monday and get that posted.
I used all Close To My Heart products. The stamp set is "A Paisley"-only $7.95!. I used Magnifique and Smoothie CTMH inks. The base is Smoothie and White Daisy Card Stock. The sparkly and sprig of ric rac is from my stash. Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy!
