Intentional Card Giving~Dayspring Cards!!

I've been thinking about my intentions with hand stamped cards for some time now. As with many of you, I love the act of creating cards, especially with a special person and occasion in mind. But sometimes, in the art of card making, the intention of card sending becomes secondary. Not that I don't have good intentions...but I become behind and then the timing seems off (especially in the case of an encouragement card, or a recent hardship, sympathy, or even congratulations on your new baby! ) All of these are occasions that need a quick response and timing is everything!
So, when I saw this offer from Dayspring to receive a free pack of cards (of my choosing)...I was so excited! And when my box arrived in the mail, I practically squealed, as my package of cards also came with this organizer that fits right into my goal of not only being intentional, but organized. This organizer is brightly colored with a fun print, has a pretty latch, and inside are removable Monthly lined pages for recording birthdays and special dates.

I love sending out encouragement cards. These cards, a collection from Holley Gerth, are contemporary, fun die cut shapes, and feminine with words that speak to the heart of the issue. Sometimes while writing the inside of a card, I am at a loss for words. Each of these cards contain words that are so heartfelt and true to scripture.
Here is one of the special sentiments titled, "Never Alone."
"You're never alone.
God is with you.
He knows your name.
He numbers the hairs on your head.
He understands the cares in your heart.
Every morning,
He's by your side.
Every night, He watches over you as you sleep.
There's never a moment
you're not in His thoughts...
never a day you're not in His care.
You're never on your own.
He whispers to your heart,
'You're forever My own.'"
And the inside scripture, "God is love, Whoever lives in love lives in God." 1John 4:16

I am part of a life group at church. We are a group of couples, widows, divorced,  a mixed group; all of us with our faults and frailties and yet God has brought us together to do "life." One woman in our group became widowed suddenly last year. I barely knew her at the time, yet my heart went out to her. In the past two weeks, she has been undergoing a trial  watching a son slowly suffer from a long term illness. She has been doing bedside vigils at the nursing home as she waits for him to leave this life and enter his eternal one. I am sending her this card to let her know she is in my thoughts, but more importantly, she is in God's thoughts.
I know this may seem like such a small thing, sending a card, but to the receiver it can mean the difference between feeling alone, or feeling loved. Feeling isolated, or feeling a part of. Feeling no one cares, to knowing someone is intentionally reaching out to you.

Please visit the {In}-Courage page to read more about the beautiful card selections and be encouraged to begin your own card ministry.
I was so blessed by this gift of cards and am resolved to hand pick a card from this beautiful assortment and mail it off...just because I care.

SSIC 122~ Making All Things New

Good Sunday morning! I am your hostess this week for the Stampin' Sisters in Christ Challenge blog. Thanks so much for joining us! You can see the gorgeous Design Team entries for this challenge and this week's devotional on the Stampin' Sisters in Christ blog.
My verse was taken from the book of Revelation. With a new year already almost two weeks underway, I wonder, if you, like me, are floundering a bit on your "resolutions," or still deciding what you want the new year to look like? This verse seemed so appropriate and inspired my thoughts on God making all things new. Thank goodness, it is not up to me, or my current mood or the day I am having. If I have given my life to Christ, then I also need to trust Him and His resurrection power to bring newness to my life.

Revelation 21:5

“And He who sits on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’ And He said, ‘write for these words are faithful and true.’”

Who of us doesn’t like new beginnings? Since the beginning of a New Year, I have also begun a new Bible study, and just this week, celebrated a new birthday! All of these bring a bit of excitement, challenge, and fresh hope. I recently read this poem in a daily devotional, and my heart ached with the words the author conveyed.

Starting Over

I wish there were some wonderful place

Called the “Land of Beginning Again,”

Where all our mistakes and all our heartaches and all our selfish grief

Could be dropped like a shabby old coat at the door,

And never be put on again. (Louise Fletcher)

Ached, because I can empathize with her longings to be free from the past. Because, as with any new beginning, something old has to be discarded. I can’t expect to start out each day fresh and new if I am still entangled by the mistakes of my yesterday. Wrong thoughts, impure motives, selfish desires…all of these the Bible warns about. Yet, are you, like me, eager for something new? We want the blessings that the Lord has to offer; but we are not as willing to do what He requires of us. With the promise of a New Year, we are often so willing to boot the old one out the door like company that has overstayed their welcome, without ever pondering why some things went so awry. We had good intentions, after all. We prayed good prayers, we fought the good fight…and yet sometimes the trials remain. Trials: like The People that do not cooperate with our plans. Yes, I said it. How many times have I been disappointed because of someone else’s behavior? (Underline else.) Most of last year’s trials were of this variety. Don’t you love how the book of James refers to a “variety of trials?” I see the unrepentant child who rushes headlong into one long series of bad choices, and I shake my head and wonder. And yet, before Christ intervened in my life, isn’t that what I was, an unrepentant child?
So before I ask God to do anything new in my life this year, I want to first ask Him to make me new. Give me a renewed desire to please him, a renewed willingness to obey him. Give me new eyes to see my present circumstances…a new heart to praise Him for the simple joys of living. God has promised to renew my thinking, as I immerse myself in His word daily. So that is where I am starting. I want, more than anything, to see God’s newness of life as He pleasures to reveal it to me. But I know that to do that, He will also have to make some changes in me. And we all know change can be painful. I can entrust this process to Him. So I am letting go of some of the “to do’s” on my New Year’s list of goals, resolutions, or whatever you call them. And replacing them with, “ God, Please do…” Do a new work in me, create in me something, someone, worthy of you.

The challenge:
Let's use something new on our card/project this week. It can be a new stamp, paper, or embellishment...or even a new technique or an idea that is new to you! Just have fun with your creation!!
The Prize:
Nina Brackett Designs (2 stamps," Gleefully Yours, " and "Christ is Risen."

Card Recipe:
Stamps: Flourishes Snow Wonderful
Paper:  PTI Vanilla, SU! Chocolate Chip, Basic Grey Origins DP
Access: Classic Keyhold Die (Flourishes), Ribbon, Copic Markers: E53, E42, E25, E29, E39, YG95. twig and twine glued with Allene's Tacky Glue, Chalk ink for Background

Thanks so much for taking part of your day by visitng here, and I would love to hear your thoughts, whatever they may be! Blessings on your day!

Surprise Blog Candy!!

This is just a reminder that entries for my surprise blog candy will end this Sunday evening!! After that, I will choose a name to win from the entries on my initial post on blog candy (scroll down 2.)
I would really like it if you would tell me your New Year's Goal, plan, or dream...for this year!! If you have a "Word" for the Year, and want to share it, please do.
Just wanted to let anyone who might want to enter have the opportunity! I will customize the blog candy to the winner, so it will be a surprise to you and to me!!
Blessings on your day~

Stampin' Sisters in Christ~Wonderful Friend!

Hi there, friends!! Today is Sunday, and the beginning of a new year of challenges at Stampin' Sisters in Christ! It feels like so long since we have had our time together, I have missed the challenges and am ready to get back to them and to you, our stamping friends!
So today's scripture challenge is by my friend and talented stamper, Peggysue from "Roses by my Window." This week's scripture choice is:
Phillippians 2:3-4

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others."

You can view the Stampin' Sisters in Christ blog to view Peggysue's devotional and the Design Team cards for today's challenge.

The sponsor this week is The Cat's Meow!!

The challenge for your card is to make a "Thinking of You" card!

I used the Rosey Posey set for my card today, and decided on this friendship sentiment.I really liked the bold florals with this font.  If you would like any card details, just leave me a comment and I will gladly get back to you.

So, I hope you join us in this week's challenges and have a wonderful, blessed week!! ~