Welcome back to Word Art Wednesday, everyone. We're SO BLESSED to have you stop by again, and we always enjoy seeing your wonderful art linked up in our gallery. We have another awesome challenge waiting for you with TWO FABULOUS sponsors, Crafty Individuals and DRS Stamps. We also have a brief devotional and lots of great inspiration; so.......let's get started.
Our scripture is Isaiah 7:14 which reads, Therefore the LORD himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel". Many of us are familiar with this verse, and have heard it at Christmas time or seen it on a Christmas card. The first part of this verse that says "therefore the LORD himself shall give you a sign" lets us know that God, our Eternal Father & Creator who has always existed, desperately wanted then (and still wants/always wants) for mankind, the creation of His hands, to KNOW of His deep love for us. So, God sent a sign. He could have sent a huge flashing neon sign to light up the entire sky, He could have rained down something from the Heavens, He could have done ANYTHING He so chose in order to "send us a sign" of His unconditional and endless love for us. But what He chose to do to "send us a sign" that He loves us was for Him to become human flesh Himself and come to this world to PROVE and physically demonstrate His love for us. What a sign!!! God caused a virgin to conceive by sending His Holy Spirit upon her. There He (God) became flesh in the form of a baby (God's Son, Jesus - yet still God). He was born of a virgin (He was conceived by God) and He lived on this earth as a human who was tempted by everything that tempts us today; yet He never sinned - because He is God. He became our sinless, perfect sacrifice when He was crucified, He died, was burried, and He rose up from the dead on the 3rd day PROVING HE IS GOD. (just as the prophets had proclaimed in the Old Testament would happen) The resurrected Christ was seen, as documented in the Bible, by hundreds of eye witnesses following His death and resurrection. He then ascended and went to prepare a place for those who call on Him. It's not about attending any certain church, or about being baptized, sealed, confirmed, etc., and it's not about rituals and rules or anything else. The ONLY thing that matters when we die (and we will ALL face this day) is - DO YOU HAVE A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM? All it takes is a simple conversation with Him (in your own words) - something like this: Lord, I recognize that YOU alone are God, and that the Bible is your written word and authority to us. I know that you came and died for my sins PROVING that You alone are God. I confess that I am a sinner, and that I can't get to Heaven on my own. I'm asking you, LORD God, to come into my life and save me from my sins, and to help me now to live for you". That's it. If you truly mean it in your heart - these (or similar) words will bond you to Him for all eternity. After all....GOD is the One to whom we should want to be bonded for all eternity. Only He can save us from Hell, and only He can bless and enrich our lives with His goodness. What a Christmas gift!! Call on God today and know for sure where you're going when your days on earth end. His name was called Immanuel which, translated means "God with us" because He really is God and He came to earth to be with us. Immanuel, God, is here with us even now....patiently waiting. Have you called on Him?
As always, you are welcome to save the word art to your computers; but you are never required to use it in order to play along in our challenges or to win. We welcome you to share your all 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, for a total of ten (10) entries per two-week challenge. 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 as we share it. 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 the guidelines. Please know that this doesn't mean we are judging anyone. We're simply attempting to honor God and follow His rules. Let us know if you have any questions, and thanks for your understanding and participation.
Check out our WONDERFUL sponsor for this challenge:
and Stamping Supply Store. Located in the UK,
Crafty Individuals carries their own FABULOUS
line of awesome stamps as well as other brands and
essential stamping essentials. You're sure to find
something great at Crafty Individuals. All CI
stamps are high-quality, and they have some of
the most original, cool designs in their line.
One lucky person will win a 25£ prize to spend
on the Crafty Individuals line of stamps. COOL.
These stamps are SO unique and original.
THANKS to our friends at Crafty Individuals.
AND
this challenge. You can see several cards below
showcasing their AMAZING stamps. They carry
a bit of everything, and these are high-quality
genuine rubber stamps. One lucky person will
win a generous $25 gift voucher to spend at
DRS Designs Rubber Stamps. How cool is that?
Our Design Team has some inspiration below
using DRS Stamps. We hope our art inspires you
to stop by DRS Stamps and take a look around.
AND NOW.....Another Lucky Winner:
Our friends over at The Project Bin
sponsored our last challenge. They
carry many sweet stamps sets, die-cuts,
and all sorts of great sets to help you
create something FUN. One lucky person
has won a $15 credit to spend over at
The Project Bin. That's awesome! We
hope you'll stop by The Project Bin to
look around. Our lucky winner is
Entry #122 - Cynthia O.
Our Top 3 Honors Go to Our Friends:
Entry #12 - Jennifrann2
Entry #55 - Anushree
Top 3 or Winner's Badge for your blog.
All winners must also email Karen
to claim prize (per the Rules Page). Thanks!
May God bless all our AWESOME sponsors.
We appreciate them all SO very much. We
pray for them, and for God's hand of blessing
upon their businesses. We're SO grateful.
What a great surprise this morning! Thanks so much for selecting my card. Lovely DT inspiration this week.
ReplyDeleteC'est toujours un grand plaisir de participer à votre beau challenge et d'admirer les magnifiques créations de la D.T.
ReplyDeletePrenez soin de Vous.
MaryannG
It is always a great pleasure to participate in your beautiful challenge and to admire the magnificent creations of the D.T.
Take care of yourself.
I'm so honored to have been chosen in the Top 3 Honors among such talented artists! Thank you for your fun challenge!
ReplyDeleteWonderful DT inspirations!!
ReplyDelete