You've Got Star Quality!

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

I am the challenge hostess this week at Stampin' Sisters in Christ.  I chose as my inspiration scripture Ephesians 6:2-4 (NRSV) "Honor your father and mother"--this is the first commandment with a promise: {3} "so that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth." {4} And, fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord." My challenge is to make a Father's Day card or a card praising our Father in Heaven.

My card features image and greeting from the wee Star Quality stamp set designed by Claire Brennan for The Craft's Meow. I've paired it with patterned paper from the Curtain Call collection and an envelope by Graphic 45. The car is cut from black felt using a Tim Holtz Old Jalopy die. I think this is kind of a cool Father's Day card for my dad, who happens to love old cars. ;)

As I wrote in my devotional on the SSIC blog:

Since next Sunday is Father's Day, I picked making a Father's Day card (or, alternatively, a card praising our Father in Heaven) as this week's challenge... you don't want to wait until the day of to make your cards do you? (*wink*) I asked one of the pastors at my church for a "good" scripture for Father's Day. He kindly provided me with a few. I chose this one because it embodies the two sides of fatherhood... both parent and child.

Children are commanded by God to honor their father and mother. (As a side note, we are taught that this commandment extends to all those in authority over us.) In this scripture, Paul reminds us of this first commandment and then exhorts fathers to "not provoke [their children] to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord." In the NIV version, the words are "do not exasperate your children." The footnote explains this means that "fathers must surrender any right they may feel they have to act unreasonably toward their children." Very good advice, don't you agree? And, of course, most importantly, fathers are told to raise their children "in the discipline and instruction of the Lord."

Unfortunately, no one is blessed with a father who never acts (or has acted) unreasonably toward his children and/or who has brought up their children perfectly in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. No one but our Lord is perfect and without sin. Nor have we, as children, always honored our earthly fathers. But the good news, my friends, is that our Heavenly Father will never act unreasonably towards us, and His commandments and the teachings of the Bible are filled with instruction on how to live Godly lives here on earth as we wait for the day when we claim everlasting life in His kingdom.

If you're lucky enough to have your earthly father around, be sure to show him some love for father's day... and at every opportunity you can. And since you're blessed with a Heavenly Father, be sure to show Him your love every day. He wants to hear from you... right now... I promise. ;)

Be sure to join us for our challenge this week. Our sponsor is Simon Says Stamp, offering a cute exclusive stamp set as a prize for one lucky player. I hope you'll also visit the SSIC blog to see the beautiful Father's Day cards created by our very talented and devoted design team.  You will be blessed!

Have a wonderful day, my friends!