Gratitude Week 20!

 

Can scripture be any more clear than Mark 10:27?  We can be thankful that we don't have to wonder what is possible for God because this clearly states All Things are possible!  This scripture stamp from Inspired Stamps is a great one to have in your collection because of the many occasions this scripture can be used for.  For the background on the bottom of the card, I used 4 words from the fabulous Label Maker Verses Stamp Set.

 

Be sure to  see the other wonderful creations at the Inspired Stamps blog!





 

other supplies: CTMH Dream Pop paper, cardstock and ink

Mixed Media with Inspired Stamps

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Good  Saturday everyone! I had so much fun with this project! It really came together quickly and will now go in my kitchen as soon as we are done painting the walls.  If you have been visiting Inspired Stamps this month then you know we have been having a ball with Mixed Media projects.  

I chose to alter a wooden frame I picked up at Michael's for less than $2.  I first sprayed it with cherry Color Shine from Heidi Swapp.  After a few minutes it was dry enough to stamp.  

For the stamping, I used the hymn stamp from the Background Stamp Set and Memento ink.

For the ribbon, I used my favorite seam binding and sprayed it with the same spray as I used for the frame.  After spraying it, I used a paper towel to crumple it into a ball and then let it dry.  For the center of the frame,  I stamped a verse from the new stamp set Draw Near from Inspired Stamps.  I finished it off with washi tape, a fabric flower and some bling.  

52 Weeks of Gratitude Week 19

 

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms reading this today!  Inspired Stamps 52 weeks of gratitude is now in Week 19! This scripture needs to be ingrained in every mom's mind and heart regardless of the age of her children! 

 

This special day reminds me of the gratitude I have to God for the gift of all 3 of my sons.  This scripture stamp, 2 Timothy 1:7 reminds me not to fear for their futures because their heavenly Father offers power, love and discipline to them and to me.

 

I hope you take some time to check out all the wonderful new stamps at Inspired Stamps and treat yourself to a sweet Mother's Day gift.

Week 18 of Gratitude



I can not believe we are in Week 18 of our 52 Weeks of Gratitude at Inspired Stamps!  Thank you for joining us in this journey.  I hope you are finding yourself giving thanks more readily for the things in your life both large and small.  I know it has made me more aware of the blessings in my life.

This week's card is a bit of departure from my typical love pf pinks, purples and blue hues.  I really love how it turned out though!  The scripture stamp is Mark 12:30 and I believe if you do what it says, you will be blessed as the 1"Circle Sentiment stamp on the inside says.

I hope you will take a look at the other projects on the Inspired Stamps blog today.  Also, check out the daily Mixed Media posts there for the month of May.  lots of great ideas!  I will be posting my project later this month.

other supplies except for butterfly are from Close To My Heart

Sacrifice of Praise

My beautiful mother celebrated her 86th birthday on Sunday surrounded by all 5 children and their spouses as well as grandchildren, great-grandchildren, her "baby" sister and brother-in-law.  Her life has not always been easy and definitely not perfect but she will be the first to tell you that God has always been faithful to her and she has much to be thankful for. 

This scripture tells us to offer thanks and praise to God, but it does not mean to just give a perfunctory "thanks" or a silent praise in our minds.  No, it specifies the praise should be sacrificial and uttered with our mouth.  My mother has lived out this scripture through the heartbreak of losing a baby daughter. She still served Him after the loss of my father's business.  She thanked Him for life in the midst of breast cancer. 

Mom's life has included times of depression, sadness and questioning but I have never seen her waiver in giving God the praise for joy, provision and healing.  Her example of steadfast faith in a sovereign God is part of what has allowed me to live with hope despite my circumstance. 

Sacrificial praise is saying to God, "you have allowed the good and the bad into my life to mold me and shape me into the instrument you want me to be and whether I am rich or poor, healthy or sick, joyful or mournful, I will praise your Name and give you thanks."   My mom has showed her family this type of praise throughout our lives and even now as age ravages the body and strokes ravage the mind, she still praises her Creator and gives Him praise with her lips.  No greater legacy could she offer her family!

Inspired Stamps 52 Weeks of Gratitude Week 17

Happy end of April and welcome to week 17 of Gratitude with Inspired Stamps!  Today is my dear mother's 86th birthday!  She has faced some considerable challenges this year due to a stroke she had in October and the subsequent mini strokes she continues to have but she continues to live out this scripture and gives praise to God for the life she has.  Come back tomorrow and I will share my thoughts on this scripture and my mom.

Today, I used 2 different stamps to create this pretty card.  For the base of the scripture, I used a stamp from the Tags Stamp Set and for the scripture I used a $3.99 single Scripture Stamp, Hebrews 13:15. 

other supplies: Close to My Heart ink, paper and card stock.  Embellishments and ribbon from stash

Don't Fret

The events of  last week have left some of us frightened, many of us angry and most of us emotionally drained.  We have seen humanity at its worst AND at its very best. We have lamented the fact that we have been down this road before and questioned why we must travel it again. Many have turned to God and others have shaken their fist at him.

I heard a woman on TV say she was afraid to leave her home because she did not know what was going to happen next.  Of course, there are some in the devastated town of West, TX who wish they had not been in their homes when the blast occurred.  They would have been safer far away from those walls. 

My heavenly Father answers those who live in fear because of heinous acts of terrorism, "...do not fear, for I am with you;  do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)  Regardless of what man can do in their hate, God walks with us and promises to strengthen and help us.  All we need to do is call on him and he will answer with His embrace.  An embrace of peace that can not be understood. ^"And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:7 (KJV)  I like the way The Message puts it ^" Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life."

There are some who question where God is when tragedy and devastation occurs.  They want to know why an all powerful God allows harm to come to His creation.   My answer is He was where He always has been, standing beside us, living among us and leading us through the turmoil.  He also has told us "...in this world you will have trouble" but the whole scripture also offers hope "“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33  (NIV)

 My friend , we face trial and tribulation because we live in a fallen world.  A world God created for us and gave us FREE WILL to live in.  We are not God's puppets or playthings.  If a man turns his back on God and chooses to do evil, God will not always stay that man's hand.  However, know this, that man will receive his just due in the fires of hell and God's children will be given their eternal reward in heaven.  We may not understand why tragedy occurs but God is not the one to blame.  He stands with open arms ready to offer you peace, comfort and joy despite the circumstances.  You have free will to accept what he offers or turn your back.  I know accepting him allows me to live a life of peace in the storm, free from fear and worry.