Challenge #173 - Anything Goes

Welcome back!  The weeks seem to be passing by more quickly than ever.  Thank you for allowing us to encourage you in your Christian walk, and to enjoy the beautiful art you create for our challenges.  We consider ourselves BLESSED to be a part of your lives, and it is our desire that the things we share are enriching your lives, and allowing you to share your talents in a place where they are truly appreciated by giving God the glory for the gifts He has given to you.  Thanks for sharing your wonderful projects with us!

This week's word art scripture is Psalm 1:1, and it says "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful."  What this verse is telling us is that the godly man (or woman) is happy and able to receive the blessings that come from living a godly life.  In contrast, when you walk with sinners and surround yourself with the ungodly, you miss out on the blessings and happiness of the Christian life.  When we walk in the counsel of the godly, we are spiritually healthy and fruitful.  This doesn't mean that we won't have troubles in our lives; but we will certainly avoid the pitfalls that come from surrounding ourselves with those who do not seek after the things of God.  We have SO much goodness and blessing waiting for us when we choose to seek friendships that build us up and encourage us in the ways of God's goodness.  Our heartaches enter when we surround ourselves with sin and people who sin (live godless lives).  We have not only a responsibility to walk in the counsel of godly people, but the privilege of receiving countless blessings and the fruitful life that comes from surrounding ourselves with those who seek after God.  Don't be fooled to think that "you will influence and change them".  You won't.  They will drag you down and cause you to sin.  We must always make the choice to surround ourselves with those who encourage us to live for the Lord and do what is right.  Then, and only then, can we experience the fullness of joy God has for us in walking with Him.  It doesn't mean that we think we're "better than others"; it's just a way of protecting ourselves from faltering where we are weak.  This is yet another bit of advice God has given us so that we can experience ALL the good things He has for us.  So think about those three key words; walk, stand, and sit.  Let's WALK to places where we belong and where we can share God with others.  Let's STAND without having to hang our heads in guilt - be proud of where you are standing; knowing that God sees us ALWAYS.  And finally, let's SIT (not on the couch all the time), but in church, or in places that honor God.  He has SO much in store for us when we follow after Him.

As always, you are welcome to save this week's free scripture/word art file to your computer, but are not required to use it in order to play along in our challenges.   We welcome you share your art with us; remembering that Anything Goes as long as it's family-friendly, and uses an encouraging or uplifting sentiment. This includes any type of altered or digital art (not just limited to cards).  You may link up to five (5) projects each week. The more you enter, the more you increase your odds of winning.  It is our desire that God's Word will be a blessing and encouragement to you each week. If you have any questions about the rules, be sure to read the complete list of rules under our page tab for "Challenge Rules".  Because our ultimate goal is to honor God, we have no other choice but to delete any entries that do not adhere to these guidelines.  Let us know if you have any questions, and thanks for your understanding and participation!

Here's this week's scripture/word art file.

We hope it will be a blessing to you.

 

Here are this week's AMAZING sponsors:

The adorable Shoppe 3130 is offering one person a
mixed media set that includes an assorted wool felt die kit,
a ric-rac trim set, and adorable fabric pieces.  Click here to
browse and shop at Shoppe 3130.
AND

The Cutting Café is the sweetest digi shop with
all kinds of unique SVG cutting files, digital stamps,
and so much more.  Click here to browse and shop
at The Cutting Café.
AND NOW........Our Lucky Winners:

Heart & Soul Rubber Stamps is offering
one lucky person either
2 Mounted or 4 Unmounted Stamps of Choice
from their AMAZING shop to
Lucky Entry #225 - Sarah P.
AND

Deedee's Digis is our Digital Sponsor
this week.  One lucky crafter will win
some of their SUPER sweet digis.
That lucky winner is
Entry #50 - AJ "Art Jypsy"

WINNERS:  Please email Karen THIS WEEK

to claim your prize!  Thanks.

May God bless all our amazing sponsors.
We appreciate them all SO very much!

Here's Some Inspiration to Get You Started

Our March Guest Designer, Ginny Maxam

Candace Pierce

Heather Dennis 

Lori Ulrich

 

JoAnn Atterbury

Laura Lunsford 

Stephanie Wright

Carole Robb Bisson

Karen Letchworth

Using Sponsor Product, Teal Berry Basket

From the lovely Shoppe 3130

Card Using Scripture File

 

.

An InLinkz Link-up

New Design Team Member

PLEASE SCROLL DOWN TO ENTER OUR CURRENT CHALLENGE!

God's timing is always perfect!  He tells us this very thing in His precious Word in Ecclesiastes 3:11.  The Bible says in this verse, "He makes all things beautiful in His time".  It doesn't matter WHAT the situation or problem is; this is a wonderful truth on which we can ALWAYS rely.  Admittedly, we were all quite sad when we found out that our dear DT Member and friend, Diane Noble, was stepping down from our Design Team.  While we completely understand and respect Diane's reasons for leaving, we still hated to see her go.  She, and her wonderful digi shop, Diane's Daydream Designs, have blessed us in so many ways.  We will be praying for the new adventures in Diane's life as she plays the role of Grandmother and teacher to her beautiful grandchildren.  There was never a moment that we had to worry about who would replace Diane.  Knowing all along that God had everything under control, and that our challenge blog is in complete submission to His leading; we trusted that He would show us the answer in his perfect time just as He did.  God worked out the details, and gave us a replacement designer.  We couldn't be happier, or more blessed.   And we trust that YOU will all be blessed by God's provision of our new Full-Time Designer here at Word Art Wednesday, the lovely and talented Candace Pierce.  Please give her a warm welcome!

Hi there! I'm Candace Pierce. First and foremost, I'm a Child of God. I live in South Mississippi, and I'm proud to be a Southern girl! I am married to Andrew.  We are proud parents to Grayson - a happy, energetic toddler! I teach 6th Grade Language Arts.  When I'm not doing that, I love playing in my craft room!

I started my first scrapbook in high school, but I began seriously paper-crafting in 2007.  Not only do I enjoy card-making, but I also love trying out other crafty projects.   Most recently, I have been using my Silhouette for lots of projects.  I'm very grateful for the opportunity to serve on the Design Team here at Word Art Wednesday, and I look forward to growing in the Lord through the challenges here.

Challenge #172 - Anything Goes

Welcome back, crafters!  It's hard to believe that February is almost gone, isn't it?  The time is passing quickly, and we continue to be blessed by the wonderful cards and projects you share with us each week.  We consider you ALL winners, and we thank you for taking the time to play along.  We have another great challenge for you all this week, and we are SO grateful to have you join us.

This week's word art scripture is John 15:9 and these are the words of Jesus.  He says, "As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you:  continue ye in my love".  This is a progressive type of love; and because of it, we are SO blessed and SO loved.  The love that God the Father has for His Son, Jesus Christ, is a love that we cannot comprehend in our simple human minds.  Yet, it is the type of love that Jesus has for us as His children.  Because God's love is SO incredibly deep and genuine, it gives us the opportunity to feel that love, and enjoy the comfort of knowing we have eternal life through His love for us.  God loved us enough to send His Son, Jesus Christ, to suffer and die for our sins.  Jesus, who is God, but was sent as the sacrifice; loves His children in the same way.  Now, Jesus asks each of us to love others in that same manner.  Unfortunately, we fail.  While we attempt to love others the way God loves us, we are unable to truly match it because of our sin.  This is why it's SO incredibly important for us to accept the gift of eternal life that God gave us when He came to earth in the form of human flesh (Jesus Christ) and died on the cross for our sins, making a way for our sinful souls to get to Heaven.  We have an obligation to do our very best to love others in the same way God loves us.  Only when we have surrendered our lives to Jesus can we begin to attempt loving others the way God loves us.  God wants us to enjoy the love of Christian brothers and sisters; but we MUST first confess our sins and get right with Him.  Then, and only then, can we truly experience not only the love God has for us; but also the brotherly love of other Christians.  Next time you see someone without that love, without that joy, just remember that they need Jesus.  It's an opportunity for us to share God's love, and an opportunity to help save a soul from an eternity in Hell.  Don't ever shy away from an opportunity to share the story of how God loved us enough to die for us, and how we can experience His love in its fullness by placing our faith and trust in Him.  This is how we show our love for Him, and for others.

As always, you are welcome to save this week's free scripture/word art file to your computer, but are not required to use it in order to play along in our challenges.   We welcome you share your art with us; remembering that Anything Goes as long as it's family-friendly, and uses an encouraging or uplifting sentiment. This includes any type of altered or digital art (not just limited to cards).  You may link up to five (5) projects each week. The more you enter, the more you increase your odds of winning.  It is our desire that God's Word will be a blessing and encouragement to you each week. If you have any questions about the rules, be sure to read the complete list of rules under our page tab for "Challenge Rules".  Because our ultimate goal is to honor God, we have no other choice but to delete any entries that do not adhere to these guidelines.  Let us know if you have any questions, and thanks for your understanding and participation!

Here's this week's scripture/word art file.

We hope it will be a blessing to you.

Here are this week's AMAZING sponsors:

Heart & Soul Rubber Stamps is offering
one lucky person either
2 Mounted or 4 Unmounted Stamps of Choice
from their AMAZING shop.
AND

Deedee's Digis is our Digital Sponsor
this week.  One lucky crafter will win
some of their SUPER sweet digis.
Several of our DT Members have used
Deedee's Digis on their projects.

AND NOW......Here are our lucky winners:

The Kraft Outlet is offering one lucky person
a $15 Gift Certificate to their AWSOME
store.  That lucky person is
Entry #196 - Debbie's Dash Of This & That
Enjoy shopping at the Kraft Outlet
AND

The lucky winner of our digital prize
offered by Moonlighting By Mary
is Lucky Entry #85 - Renate
Enjoy your prize from Moonlighting & Co.

AND

The winner of Karen's give-away for naming
a product from the Kraft Outlet is
the very lucky - Heather G
You have won some of the Kraft Outlet's
GORGEOUS Vintage Winter White Seam Binding

WINNERS:  Please email Karen THIS WEEK

to claim your prize!  Thanks.

May God bless all our amazing sponsors.
We appreciate them all SO very much!

Here's Some Inspiration to Get You Started

Martha Lucia Gomez, Our February Guest Designer 

Our Fill-In Designer, Stephanie Castro

Kathy Dunnegan of Deedee's Digis Design Team

Using Helpful Hearts Image

Heather Dennis 

Using Deedee's Digi Image,

 Bugs & Blooms

Laura Lunsford

Using Deedee's Digis Image

"Bot Buddies"

Diane Noble

Sadly, this is Diane's last week with us!

Using Sponsor image, Cup of Joy

from Deedee's Digis

Stephanie Wright

Using Sponsor, Deedee's Digis

Image "All The World"

 

Carole Robb Bisson

Loads of Love image from

Our Sponsor, Deedee's Digis

Karen Letchworth

 

An InLinkz Link-up

Challenge #171 - Anything Goes

Welcome back to Word Art Wednesday, everyone!  We hope you had a great week, and that you have had lots of time for crafting.  We absolutely love seeing the beautiful projects you share with us.  This week, the extra prize Karen is offering will be a special treat from The Kraft Outlet (one of our sponsors).  All you have to do is check out their AMAZING shop (maybe even treat yourself to something new); and then come back here and tell me what item you found in the Kraft Outlet store that you didn't know they carried.  Just leave a comment telling us the Item Number of that product.  Easy!  One lucky person from those comments will receive a little treat from The Kraft Outlet (in addition to the prize they're offering this week).  That's THREE chances to win again this week.  I also encourage you to check out Moonlighting By Mary, our digital sponsor for this week.  Her images are GORGEOUS!  You just might want to take a peek at what Mary has in her shop, as well!

Our word art for this week is Mark 12:30, and this important command are the words of Jesus himself.  Since He took the time to say these words to us, then we can rest assured that they are important.  We need to really examine His command to us, and obey it so that we can experience the full joy He intends for us.  In this particular passage, the scribes were questioning Jesus, and they asked Him "which is the first commandment of all"?  Jesus answered with this passage.  This command is different than "The Ten Commandments"; it's a lesson to the scribes (as to all) that we need to love the Lord, our God, with ALL our heart, soul, mind and strength.  One might guess that His reasoning for this is because if we don't have this type of unquestioning and unfailing love for Him, we would be unable to keep the other commandments He has given us.  If we truly love God, we will desire to keep His commands.  Most people, if asked, would say that they love God.  But the proof of our love for Him is in our actions.  We can't say that we love Him, and then not keep His commands.  We demonstrate our love for Him by being obedient in every aspect.  God proved His love for us by giving Himself as a sacrifice for our sins.  What have we done to prove our love for Him?  It's really something to think about.  Let's ask ourselves this question, "If someone looks at me and examines my life, do they see my love for Jesus?"  If it's not perfectly obvious, through our actions, that we love God; then we really need to make some changes.  God has given us so much.  Our unconditional love should be our thanks, as evidence, for all He has given to us.  We have yet another beautiful verse that tells us how to live, and how to receive ALL that God has for us.

As always, you are welcome to save this week's free scripture/word art file to your computer, but are not required to use it in order to play along in our challenges.   We welcome you share your art with us; remembering that Anything Goes as long as it's family-friendly, and uses an encouraging or uplifting sentiment. This includes any type of altered or digital art (not just limited to cards).  You may link up to five (5) projects each week. The more you enter, the more you increase your odds of winning.  It is our desire that God's Word will be a blessing and encouragement to you each week. If you have any questions about the rules, be sure to read the complete list of rules under our page tab for "Challenge Rules".  Because our ultimate goal is to honor God, we have no other choice but to delete any entries that do not adhere to these guidelines.  Let us know if you have any questions, and thanks for your understanding and participation!

Here's this week's scripture/word art file.

We hope it will be a blessing to you.

Here are this week's AMAZING sponsors:

The Kraft Outlet is offering one lucky person
a $15 Gift Certificate to their AWSOME
store.  Click here to browse and shop
The Kraft Outlet
AND

Moonlighting By Mary is our WONDERFUL
Digital Sponsor this week.  This lovely shop
is filled with the sweetest images.  Click here
to browse and shop Moonlighting Designs

And Now......Our Lucky Winners!

Mark's Finest Papers is giving a new stamp set

to one of our randomly chosen entrants.  That
lucky person is #6 - Stephanie S.

AND

Special thanks to Crafty Secrets

for offering one VERY lucky winner

one of their beautiful Spring Collections

from their Digital Shop.  What a treat!
 It's Lucky Entry #178 - Graciellie
AND
The winner of Karen's prize for
using a Crafty Secrets image is
Entry #129 - Cynthia (Stampin' In Alaska)

  

 WINNERS:  Please email Karen THIS WEEK

to claim your prize!  Thanks.

May God bless all our amazing sponsors.
We appreciate them all SO very much!

Here's Some Inspiration to Get You Started

Martha Lucia Gomez, Our February Guest Designer

Our Fill-In Designer, Stephanie Castro 

Heather Dennis

Diane Noble

 

Laura Lunsford

Stephanie Wright

Using Sponsor, Kraft Outlet Product

Brown Baker's Twine

Carole Robb Bisson

See Carole's Blog for Inside View

Karen Letchworth

Using Sponsor Supplies from Kraft Outlet

Including Tape Measure Washi Tape, a Small Glassine Bag,

and Winter White & Butter Seam Binding

An InLinkz Link-up