Word Art Wednesday: Anything Goes

You're here and we're so grateful for it. Having you stop by to take part in our challenges means so much to us, and we appreciate you for it. Even if we don't get to each and every social media site to let you know personally each time, please know that we are truly grateful for each and every piece of art you enter in our challenges. The amount of inspiration that we get from all of you is such a blessing. Thank you so much for being a part of this challenge blog. We couldn't do it without each and every one of you and without all those beautiful cards and projects you link up in our challenges. You're a blessing to me, to us, and to the crafting community when you share your creations; so....thank you.

This scripture verse of focus is Luke 6:38 which says, "Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal, it shall be measured to you again". It's been a while since I've heard a message centered around this particular Bible verse; but a former pastor of ours would speak on it often. I do remember learning that the first part means, straight forward, what you would think. When we give to others, bless and serve others, God will bless us accordingly. When we give our very best always in all things and in all ways, God will take our efforts (our money, our talents, etc. all things) and He will BLESS them (pressed down and shaken together, running over) God's blessings are given to us as we surrender our lives completely to Him. I remember hearing about the part of this verse that says, "shall men give into your bosom". This can be confusing, but here's how it was explained to me. From what I remember learning, men back in Bible times wore robes and wraps (longer, looser garments). Most often, men would carry their money (gold, coins, treasures) hidden in what was called a bosom bag. It was like a leather pouch that was strapped on inside/underneath the robes/wraps somehow giving it a secret bodily hiding place near one's bosom. So, it ancient terms, it meant that their bosom bag (money bag) would be filled when they were properly giving of themselves. But the verse is saying so much more than that. Not all of our blessings from God are monetary. Living the blessed life that He offers is so much greater than just being taken care of monetarily. It's a deep, unconditional love and an eternal gift of salvation blessed by an eternity in His presence in Heaven. When it's measured out to you, will your bosom bag be full? What are your offerings to God? What are you doing for Him to advance His Kingdom and to tell others about Him? What are you doing to draw closer to God so that you'll truly know Him and learn how to live for Him in a way that will bless you this way? Let your bosom be filled with God's richest blessings. "Give, and it shall be given unto you.....". He has such wonderful things waiting for each of us when we seek after Him.

As always, you are welcome to save the word art to your computer; but you are never required to use it in order to play along or to win in our challenges. We welcome you to share all of your art with us; remembering that Anything Goes as long as it's family friendly. 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 for each two-week challenge. Any entries over that limit will be deleted and will make you ineligible to win. 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 an encouragement to you as we share it. If you have any questions about the rules, be sure to read the complete list of rules found under our Page tab marked "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 our guidelines. Please know that this doesn't mean we are judging anyone. We're not. We are simply attempting to honor God and follow His rules. Please let us know if you have any questions about anything; and thank you for your understanding and participation.