Thursday, June 9, 2011

Just a Couple

Just 2 cards right now.
I'm getting slow in posting. I need to fix that!!

First up is Just Us Girls-sketch.

The image is from Treasure Box.

That's all for now. More later, I'm sure!! :)

Have a wonderful, love filled weekend!!

Until next time............tootles!!

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Stampin' Sisters In Christ

Hello!! How is everyone today??
 I'm so happy to be able to share the
with you!! I was very surprised to find
that my card from last weeks challenge was
chosen as a shining star today!!
How exciting!! Thanks to those who chose me!!

This week's hostess, Linda Lucas
 chose a wonderful and very thoughtful devotion.

Here's what she had to say:
Scripture: “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.” John 13:34-35

I have always loved this scripture in John 13 - even before I became a Christian I loved to listen to the chorus that is based on this song. I would beg my older brother to sing it whenever he got out his guitar - neither of us knew at that time what an impact it would have on my life.
When you introduce something new - does that mean that the old is replaced - this is something I have heard asked a lot regarding Jesus words - does that mean we are able to stop living by the Ten commandments. The new commandment actually captures the ten commandments in itself-
We can see this when Jesus was questioned by the religious leaders, "Master, which is the great commandment in the law?"

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God
 with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 
This is the first and great commandment.
And the second is like unto it,
Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. 
\On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Matthew 22:36-41

The first five commandments are about loving God
and not having any other God's before Him,
the second five are pertaining to loving one another.
We can see that if we live by the new commandment
we are in fact keeping all ten commandments...
perhaps with a new understanding and insight.
It would stand to reason that if we love one another
like Christ has loved us,
then we would not murder, lie, covet, cheat be jealous......

Therefore, we are not exempt from the commands,
and principles to base our lives on,
that are given to us in the Old Testament,
but we are empowered by the love of Christ to live them daily.
This is no longer a task, but a lifestyle.
Will we have lapses - yes - this is inevitable,
but what peace in knowing that as Christians we are not perfect,
but are committed to the process of being perfected -
 this understanding alleviates guilt and condemnation.

It is in this action of loving one another,
 (and it is an action 'if ye have love one to another')
as He has loved us that people will see that we are His disciples.
People can hear our words but
they see our actions and these can carry the greatest impact....
sometimes I share the FULL gospel better without opening my mouth -
 after all, we may be the only Bible people may get to read!

Thanks so much for this, Linda!!
Imagine the amazing world we would be living in in,
if we could all just love each other, support each other and put others first.
It would be a much nicer, happier and loving place to live!!
I hope this little devotion reminds you to love
those around you. Not just those it's easy to love,
but even those who we find hard to love!!
I find it easier to love people I don't know very well.
So there are times when I have to remind myself,
that LOVE is the best way!! Letting certain things go,
and focusing on the good about the person that I am
having a problem feeling loving towards.
Love is actually something that I try very hard to live my life by!!
Love and kindness....even just a smile, to someone
who needs it, whether you know they need it or not,
makes a world of difference!!

The Challenge: Use something new on your project -
 it can be a new product, technique, embellishment -
even a colour combo that is new for you - show us what you got!!
For my card this week, I used new lace and pearls.
This is also for Our Daily Bread Challenge.

I hope each of you have a wonderful and love filled week!!
Until next time.............tootles!!

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Cards, Cards Everywhere Cards!!

I finally had a couple days to catch up
on challenges and card making!!
Here's what I have finished:

Since I was behind, I tried to combine
a few challenges into one card!!
Talk about a challenge!! This defiantly
was one!! But it was fun!!
This card is for:
Paper Cupcakes-make an easel card.
Lollipop Crafts-be inspired by a song.
Flutterby Wednesday-butterfly, fair or angel.
Dutch Dare-pink and green.

Crafty Catz-lots of circles.
Friday Mashup!-colorful kids.
The image is from Dustin.

Sweet Stop-sketch.
Inkspirations-peach, pear, navy and white.


That's all for now!!
Thanks so much for stopping by!!
I so enjoy your visits and your sweet comments!!
Thank you!!

Until next time...............tootles!!

Friday, June 3, 2011

Stampin' Sisters In Christ

So sorry I am late in posting for

The week started out with major storms
hitting our city!! HUGE trees were uprooted.
Some falling on homes and cars and well,
the devastation is just beyond belief!!
By the hand of God our home was missed,
yet the destruction is all around us!!
100,000 people in our county were without electric.
Bussiness' were closed. You couldn't even buy gas!!
Then Monday I picked mother up from the airport
and when we arrived at her home, a HUGE tree had
fallen on her car!! In fact you couldn't even see her car for the tree.
She also had missing shingles from her roof.
Since she didn't have electric, she stayed with me for 3days!!
It was so nice to have her here.
Tuesday they cut the tree of her car and officially totalled it!!
Sh was so sad. She flew back out to NE on Thursday morning.
So I wasn't on line much while she was visiting.
I didn't want to take time away from her to play!!
So here I am.....ready, finally, to post for the challenge!!

Kris Breach is the challenge hostess this week.
This is what she had to say:

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 3:14 "I know that whatever God does, it shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, and nothing taken from it. God does it, that men should fear before Him."

Isn’t it comforting, in an ever-changing world full of unknowns
and things that give us cause to worry,
that we can depend on God to be constant… never-changing?!
 He is the same yesterday, today and forever!!

The last part of this verse says, “God does it, that men should fear before Him.”
I looked up various Bible translations for the word fear and found these:
…stand in awe of Him.
…be in awe of Him.
…to make people respect Him.
…so that He will be revered.
and my favorite, “…so we'll quit asking questions and simply worship in holy fear.”

So many times we ask God “WHY?” when we really need to just realize that God’s plan is bigger than we can wrap our brains around… better than we can conjure up for ourselves, and unlike our own plans, HIS never change! We can know His plan because He’s revealed it to us in His Word!

Psalm 100:5 says, "The Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting; and His truth endures to all generations." What a wonderful thing to know we don't have to worry about the future and our eternal security!! What made a Christian 2000 years ago, is what makes one today.

In 1981, in California, there was a single car theft that grabbed newspaper headlines and radio stations all over the country. Car thefts happen all the time, but why did this one make headlines?? Because on the front passenger seat was a box of crackers laced with poison! You see, the owner was on his way to his cabin where he had a rat problem, so he put rat poison in the box of crackers, but before he drove off, he went back inside the house to get something and that’s when the thief stole his car. The police put out an APB (all points bulletin) to find the thief as quickly as possible, not to punish him or recover the car, but to SAVE his life!!

And just like this story, God pursues US because
He knows just how poisonous sin is and He wants to SAVE US… because He loves us

Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ Int'l shares that in his experience in counseling, he's convinced that tens of thousands of good, faithful church-goers who have received Christ in prayer are not sure of their salvation! Do you have that security in knowing that if you were to die today that you'll go to Heaven? The Bible doesn't use vague words regarding our salvation, like might or hope-to-be, or maybe; it uses words such as will and shall and is!! God's Word is very clear about salvation, so you just need to read it, believe it, claim it and proclaim it! Here are just a handful of Promises that God has given to us...

Romans 3:23 "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

I John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."

John 5:24 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life."

John 1:12" Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God."

Those of us who “believe and have received”… we are as secure as secure can be! Nothing can separate us from the love of God; no one can snatch us from His hand; and nothing can alter His plan.

Isn't that wonderful!! God is always the same!!
Never changing. Here for us yesterday, today, and the next day,
and the next day, through all eternity!!
Thank you so much Karen!!
What a wonderful promise to stand on!!


The challenge:
Follow this sketch to a "T" - not adding anything to it, or taking anything away from it.

My card:

Thanks so much for stopping by!!
I hope you have a wonderful, love filled weekend!!

Until next time...........tootles!!

Pattie's Creations

Time for another Pattie's Creations Challenge!!
I had fun with this one!!
I love the image I got to work with!!
Miss Pattie did an excellent job drawing it!!

The challenge is to make something for
Father's Day or for a wedding.
I chose Father's Day!!

If you use an image from Pattie's Creations for the challenge,
you will get an extra entry to win!
Stop over at her Etsy Store and browse around.
There are FREEBIES too.
You can find all the rules, here!


The challenge starts now and ends Thursday,
 June 16th at 1PM CST (Central Standard Time).

Hope to see you at Pattie's!!
Until next time............tootles!!