SSIC 113~Christmas Tree

Another week has flown by so quickly...and it's time for a new Stampin' Sisters in Christ card challenge!

This week our hostess is the wonderfully talented Lisa from The Craft's Meow.  You can view the devotional on the SSIC blog and read along with the rest of the design team. It's always exciting to see each week's thoughts  and applications.

Well, we had a "sneak peek" of winter here a couple of days ago as overnight the snow caught us by surprise, leaving a scene of winter wonderland along with many damaged trees in our town and neighborhoods. The beauty of the fist snowfall of the year sparked the creativity in today's card. This week's challenge was to use "fall colors like crimson, orange or golds."

Crimson it is...and this Christmas striped ribbon reminds me of today's verse:

Isaiah 1:18" Come now, and let us reason together," says the Lord. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow, though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool."

I stamped the tree and gave it a gold halo with Tim Holtz antique linen and tea dye inks...(my touch of gold) and added a bit more gold with stickles along the branches. The crimson was added with the back panel and the red and white striped ribbon tied in a big fat bow. These oversized bows seem to be my trademark!

I see this verse as such a "gift" from God...the one we as Christians can celebrate any day...and that is the complete wiping out of our sins by a completely Holy God. Some may ask, "What is sin? " Sin as used in scripture means to "miss the mark." God has set a perfect and holy standard in the Bible. Just reading the Ten Commandments, none of us has to go far to realize that we don't meet any of them perfectly. God is holy, which means he is completely without sin. In order to enter in to his presence and enjoy fellowship with him...we also need to have that holiness imparted to us. Thankfully, we don't have to wait until some distant day far off into the future. God provided a way...and that is by believing in His son, Jesus Christ and repenting (turning away from) our sin. If any of this is confusing or you would like to know more about how to have your sins completely removed (past , present, and future) now and forever...please leave me a comment and we can reason together through the scriptures.

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This week's prize sponsors are a 10 pound gift card from Lily of the Valley. I just received an order from them yesterday, and can't wait to make a card with one of these adorable images!

 I hope you can join in our challenge this week...and be reminded of the weight that has been lifted as we rejoice over the promise of this scripture when we confess our sins and turn away from them...putting our trust in God's son as the perfect sacrifice for all of our sins.

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Today's card is also being submitted for this week's Flourishes

card challenge to use a tree or leaves on your card!

And one more submission for this month's Flourishes Christmas Card Challenge FLLCNOEL18!

Stampin' Sisters in Christ~Doves and Holly

Good morning my stamping friends! Today's challenge at Stampin' Sisters in Christ is a really unique one based on such an encouraging scripture selection. Miesje from Creative Craft Room with a View has chosen our verse and challenge this week. You can read her devotional on the Stampin' Sisters in Christ blog or here.  I hope you can join in the fun this week!!

The verse:  Matthew 11: 28 – 30  "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

The challenge: Sharing. Use two of everything on your card. 2 Designer papers, 2 flowers, 2 stamps...etc...whatever you choose, double it!
The Prize Sponsors: This week's wonderful sponsors are Designed 2 Delight~a 10.00 gift certificate!

I don't have a devotional to add to this week's scripture, but am always so blessed reading this week's devotional along with you!

I purchased this stamp last Christmas, and it was still uninked! So I was happy to bring it out and use it for today's card challenge. As you can see, there are two doves on the image, two sizes of the same Labels 18 nestability, and two sets of three pearls. I also used two designer papers.
I am also submitting this for this month's Flourishes Christmas challenge to make your card shine! I used gold embossing powder for my stamped images, stickles for the holly berrys, and glimmer mist for the entire image.
Here are the card details:
Stamps: Doves and Holly, Christmas Classics (Flourishes)
Paper:  PTI white, SU! Brushed Gold, Basic Grey Jovial
Ink: Tim Holtz Spun Sugar and Antique Linen, Memento Black
Accessories: Spellbinders Labels 18, Copic markers, Pearls, Red twill ribbon and white crochet ribbon, Gold Embossing Powder, Diamond Stickles

Thanks so much for visiting today and hope you can join in on the challenge!!

Stampin' Sisters in Christ ~Challenge #109

It's another Sunday and another scripture verse challenge on Stampin' Sisters in Christ!! This week's challenge is brought to us by the fun and talented Kris Breach of "Ink Something." You can visit the Stampin' Sisters in Christ blog and see the devotional as well as the design team's samples for your inspiration.
This week's Scripture:
Galatians 5:22
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control."
The challenge:
Include FRUIT in your creation. (could be designer paper, digi paper, stamped image, charm, etc...)
*By definition, a pumpkin is a fruit, and so are other "harvest" produce such as gourds.*

I received a crate of peaches from a friend a couple of weeks ago; just before we were to leave on a trip. Not wanting to waste any, I went to work peeling, slicing , and freezing. So when I viewed this week's challenge, I was excited to bring out this Magnolia stamp featuring Tilda holding a peach! Isn't she sweet? I have long admired these stamps that have been water colored with distress inks, so this week, I challenged myself to try this technique. It is a different look than coloring with copics, and I like the softness the water coloring medium lends to this sweet image!

This verse is one I have not visited in awhile...and it was such a good reminder that when we have Christ in us; he enables us to live by the fruits of the Spirit.  I did a little inventory of the fruits...not peaches, strawberries, and kiwis...but those fruits that Christ alone can accomplish in us. I know when I am short a fruit (or two or three)...it means I am not walking by the Spirit, but I am relying on my own strength.
This week I am concentrating on one of the fruits of the spirit listed in this verse, "peace." What I learned is that "our peace is an inner calm that is promised to those who believe who have a thankful attitude based on an unwavering confidence that God is able and willing to do what is best for his children." That perspective has really helped me this week...knowing that I can be thankful even in light of difficult circumstances...because I can know that God is doing what is best for me.
This past week I was given the "peace that passes all understanding..." that is promised in Philippians 4:6-8. " The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." There was a situation that would send any mother into a tailspin of worry and anxiety...and yet I experienced so much peace. I prayed a lot during the day, and slept really well at night.  I was talking it over with my husband today and asked...so what was different? The situation remained, nothing changed on the outside...but I felt different on the inside. Could it have been the prayers of others, my own prayers...and then I realized...the difference was I could see a tiny window of God at work. It was as if  the heavens were parted just enough to see something minuscule on a universal scale, yet so large in my life from a heavenly perspective. So then, the question I asked myself, So did that mean that God wasn't at work before? No...it just meant that God was really gracious in allowing me to see a speck of what he was doing in the grand scheme of things. And so I can only thank Him.
I hope you are encouraged by this week's verse and I look forward to see what you do for today's challenge.
Have a blessed Sunday!