Michu and His Happy Flowers

A blessed Sunday to you! This is the day that the Lord hath made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!

I hope you'll join us this week at Stampin' Sisters in Christ. Our hostess is the wonderful Randi Barrett, who is dear to my heart. She chose as the inspiration scripture Exodus 20:12 "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the Lord your God gives you." This is, of course, one of the Ten Commandments. (If only I could convince my two middle sons of this concept!) The challenge is to make a Mother's Day card/project.

Before I get to the deets on my card, I want to reflect a moment on this week's scripture challenge. I believe that one reason God exhorts us to honor our parents is that, in doing so, we are honoring Him. And by heeding their rules and warnings, our days will certainly better, if not indeed prolonged!

It isn't hard to understand why we should honor our parents. I definitely know there are exceptions... people who should never have been parents, and those who make serious mistakes as parents...but we are (usually) born to them, loved by them, raised by them, nurtured, fed and clothed by them, and taught by them. If that doesn't deserve honor, I don't know what does! And, of course, generally speaking, our parents know best based on their own experiences. We usually get in the most trouble when we don't listen to them or heed their warnings. Same goes for when we don't listen to God or heed the teachings of Christ Jesus.

I confess... I didn't always honor my father and mother, especially when I was a teen and young adult. But as I matured, and then had kids of my own, I regretted the times I didn't. That's why I'm able to bear the moments when my own children don't honor me. I am quite certain that one day, they too will have regrets. But not too much, right? We don't want to keep account. I don't hold grudges against them, and I know my parents didn't either. It's part of raising kids. But I have to tell you, I secretly can't wait to see them wrestle with the same issues with their own kids! (*grin*)

God, of course, always forgives us and loves us in spite of the mistakes we make and the sins we commit. He is the perfect parent! Unconditional love. How sweet it is!


Our challenge sponsor this week is Softpencil Digital Stamps. I love Elizabeth's sweet images! I used Michu and His Happy Flowers to make a card that a child could give to his mother. The DP is from Stampin Up... I can't remember which, and I'm pretty sure it's retired... I fished it out of my scrap bin. Little Michu was colored with Copics and then made fuzzy with Caramel Latte Tan Fun Flock by Stampendous, with a touch of Coffee Bean Brown Sparkly Fluff by Our Craft Lounge for the ground beneath him. I created the title and added it to the image before printing it out to color.

The challenge this week at Crazy 4 Challenges is to CASE one of the Design Team's cards, so I chose this gorgeous one by Linda Benden.

I sure hope you'll join our challenge this week and get a jump start on your Mother's Day cards. Once you see the cards created by the rest of our amazing Design Team, you won't be able to resist!

Candace Mitchell: Candid Candace

Chris Olsen: Twinkles Glow With Stamps

Grace Nywening: Th-INK-ing of You

Kathy Winter: Winter Creations

Kristine Breach: Ink Something

Linda Lucas: Lovely Linda's Craft Central

Peggysue Turner: Roses by My Window

Randi Barrett: Randi's a New Creation

Have a blessed day!