Come boldly unto the throne of grace...

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


I have the privilege of hosting this week's challenge at Stampin' Sisters in Christ. I chose for the inspiration scripture  Matthew 6: 9-13 "This, then, is how you should pray: 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.'"

The challenge is to make a card/project that features prayer; either someone praying, or a verse about prayer, or a greeting that lets someone know you are praying for them. 

At first glance, mine might not appear to meet the challenge. But, to me, this is what I would pray when I wanted to reach out to someone... that I could come boldly unto the throne of grace to obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.  In fact, my daily prayer (although admittedly I forget some days) is that I will be a blessing to someone that day. 

That gorgeous scripture featured on my card is from the Lift Up Our Hands stamp set by Our Daily Bread Designs. The frame around the scripture is from Very Vintage Labels No. 2 from Waltzingmouse Stamps. The DP is by Websters Pages. 

I've copied and pasted my devotional from the Stampin' Sisters in Christ post today: 

We all know [The Lord's Prayer] by heart, don't we? It's been slightly changed in recitation; for example, in our church we pray "Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, Amen."


I've been thinking a lot about prayer lately. It's a bit of a puzzler for me, and I think it is for all of us. We are told countless times in the Bible to take everything to God in prayer, that God will always answer our prayers. But one wonders... if God already knows everything that's going to happen in our lives, if everything that happens is according to his plan for us or his will, then what's the point of prayer? And how about all the times we pray fervently for something, like the healing of a loved one, and it doesn't happen?


I don't know about you, but I'm not able to answer any of those questions with authority. I'm not a religious scholar, and I have a feeling even religious scholars might answer these questions differently. I'll say this, though... when we pray and pray and pray for something and it doesn't happen, maybe we aren't praying for the right thing. Maybe what we should be praying for is wisdom, for the Holy Spirit to speak to us and guide us, for strength, for patience, for comfort, to be a blessing to others, and for healing, at least spiritually if physical healing is not possible.


Prayer IS powerful. It brings us closer to God. It is when we pray that we are putting our hearts and minds on him, having a direct conversation with Our Father in heaven.


Jesus tells us "your Father knows what you need before you ask him. This, then, is how you should pray:" (Matt 6:8)


Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. It is significant to note (as our pastor pointed out) that this was the first time God was referred to as Our Father, better illustrating the close relationship God has... or wants to have...with each of us.


Thy kingdom come (yes, please!).


Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven (we must each do our part to make it so).


Give us this day our daily bread (just what we need, not necessarily what we want).


Forgive us our trespasses (debts) as we forgive our those who trespass against us (our debtors)... the latter can be a little tough sometimes, can't it? But how wonderful to know that by grace we are forgiven everything!


Lead us not into temptation (we need God's help with this every day!)


Deliver us from evil (please, God!)


For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.


Amen indeed!


I encourage you to spend time in prayer every day, my friends. It it is the pause that refreshes! And I assure you, if you listen closely and look carefully, you will see that God is answering your prayers... it's just that sometimes it's not quite in the way you might have expected. If all else fails, pray the Lord's prayer and think on every word, don't just recite it by heart. It is full of meaning and full of blessings.

I hope you'll join us for our challenge this week. Our sponsor is the wonderful Layers of Color Art Stamps. Truly gorgeous stamps, and a Christian company! You'll find lots of inspiration and spiritual blessings, by visiting the Layers of Color blog and our design sisters:

Chris Olsen: Twinkles Glow With Stamps

Grace Nywening: Th-INK-ing of You

Linda Lucas: Lovely Linda's Craft Central

Miesje Flach: Craft Room With a View
Patti J Gilliam: Cherish Each Precious Day

Peggysue Turner: Roses By My Window

Rebekka Reed: Diamond in the Rough

Have a blessed day!

Note, this is my second post for today. Please scroll down for the October Friends of Waltzingmouse Stamps Blog Waltz. Thanks!

Now Pretend Like It's Sunday

Am I thoroughly confusing you yet? Oh, if only it really were Sunday... then I'd still have two days before going back to work. (sigh)

If it's Sunday, then it's time for another scripture inspired challenge at Stampin' Sisters in Christ. Our challenge hostess this week is the wonderful Ceal Pritchett. She chose as the the inspiration scripture 1 John 4:10 "This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins." She challenges us to make a card or project for someone we love letting them know how much God loves them.

God's love is hard to fathom, isn't it? It's unconditional. We have it always, no matter what we do, whether we deserve it or not. When bad things are happening to us, we might think God doesn't love us, that we are somehow being punished. But that couldn't be further from the truth. Our happiness, our eternal life in Christ is what God truly wants for us, and if we have faith and accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we WILL truly know peace and happiness. It's God's promise to us because He loves us! You can count on it!

I have someone who I love who probably wonders right now whether God loves her. She's fighting a losing battle with inflammatory breast cancer. It'll all be over when she finally decides to stop clinical trials. Of course she's scared and worried and sad and angry, and her family won't let her give up. She's in my daily prayers. I pray she finds the peace that passes all understanding that is only found in Jesus Christ.

For my card, I used Kraft, Ocean Mist and Spring Moss cardstock from Papertrey Ink. I stamped Amazing Grace Hymn by Our Daily Bread on Vintage Vanilla cardstock with Spring Moss ink, and then stamped the leaf image from Papertrey Ink's Blooming Button Bits in Ocean Mist. I created the "Yes, Jesus Loves You!" greeting on my computer and printed it onto the panel. The butterflies were made with the SU Beautiful Wings embosslits die. (Love it!)

I'm going to sign off now and watch the Pairs Skating. Are you enjoying the Olympics? I LOVE Vancouver... it is truly a bit of heaven on earth... so I'm enjoying the scenery as much as the events. I'm partial to the skiiing and skating, of which I can do neither. Ha!

Thanks for stopping by for a visit. I'm pretty sure tomorrow is Tuesday...lol!

Two Wednesday Posts - Oh My!

This is my second post for today. Please scroll down for my La-La Land Weekly Wednesday Challenge post. Thanks!

If it's Wednesday, that means it's time for another fun challenge at Whimsical Wednesdays: The Diedrich Dare! I'm proud to be the hostess for this week's challenge, which is an inspiration piece by Jessica's DS Jack. (Check out what it says on the green mug... too funny!)

I took my cues from the two mugs and the colors. I absolutely ADORE the Early Bird DP by Cosmo Cricket. Paired with Warm Happiness by Papertrey Ink, this card came together quickly...which was a good thing since at the time I was suffering the after-effects of some pretty heavy dental work. All I could think was "get done, take drugs and lay down!"

I used a bit of dark brown Sparkly Fluff for the "cocoa," and some Bo Bunny ribbon to give my card a bit of zip. The paper piercing is inspired by the Stamping A Latte girl herself, Jodi Collins. I used the Stitch Doodle Dot Template from Taylored Expressions to fill in that empty space at the top of the card, and I LOVE how it turned out. My card also happens to follow this week's sketch at CPS. Have I mentioned lately that I love a good sketch?

Don't forget to check in on the rest of the Daredevils to see what they've cooked up for your viewing pleasure:

• Cassie Larson
• Darla Wilson
• Debbie Lee
• Heather Schlatter
• Jacquie Peifer
• Jessica Diedrich (a.k.a.Mom ;)
• Kim Ross
• Lisa Hjulberg
• Lisa Slusser
• Rebecca Ednie
• Sandra MacLean

Before I go, I want to thank the good folks over at Our Daily Bread Designs Blog for featuring my card, Know That The Lord is God, as the "Customer of the Day Card." You have no idea how humbled and honored I am! To God be the Glory!

Thanks for stopping by and visiting me twice today. Don't forget to HUG a veteran and say thanks!

Know That The Lord is God!

Today is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it! (I can't help myself... it bears repeating!)

Our hostess this week at Stampin' Sisters in Christ is the lovely and talented scrapbooking guru of our Design Team, Pamela Young. Pamela chose the scripture Deuteronomy 31:8 "The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." (NIV) Her challenge is to create something about when God is "unseen"; i.e., a scrapbook layout that reminds you that God is always with you; a card to encourage a friend and remind them that God is with them; or something to hang on your wall.As it happens, my week of left-brain activity did zap my mojo a bit. It took me quite a while to warm up. I kept dithering on where to start, what to do. Just when I was starting to worry, I saw this post by Claire Brennan... a sneak peek of one of her wonderful new stamp sets debuting on Monday... and the lightbulb turned on! I created an aperture in my card base and in my DP just as Claire did, but instead of mounting my image on the inside bottom panel (creating a window), I ended up adhering mine directly behind the opening. It sort of defeated the purpose, but does create a framed effect that I really like.

The DP is Bella Blue by Stampin Up, and the cardstock is Not Quite Navy. The ribbon and button are from Papertrey Ink, and the rhinestones are Kaisercraft. The beautiful stamps I used are from The Lord is Our Shepherd by Our Daily Bread Designs.

Raise your hand if you've ever read the "Mitford" series of books by Jan Karon. I have. I've read them through three times, and I'm about to start in on them again. I mentioned the Rosamunde Pilcher books I love last week... and I do love them... the stories, the lyric, the setting of those books sing to my heart. But they are secular books. Jan Karon's books are not. They are delightful stories of fiction firmly focused on Christ. They literally transformed my relationship with God. They made me realize how very simple it is to have a day-to-day, one-on-one relationship with Him. What a blessing!

The scripture and challenge this week reminded me of a particular "sermon" in A New Song, one that I've read over and over again. I wish I had time to include the entire passage here, but I'll leave you with a snippet that will hopefully tantalize you enough to read the books yourself. The fictional Father Tim (an Episcopal priest) is speaking to his congregation:

"...it has been my prayer since we came here for you to have a personal, one-on-one, day-to-day relationship with Christ.

"I'm talking about something that goes beyond every Sunday service ever created or ever to be created, something you can depend on for the rest of your life, and then forever. I'm talking about the times you cry out in the storm that prevails against you, times when your heart and your flesh fail and you see no way out and no way in, when any prayer you utter to a God you may view as distant and disinterested seems to vanish into thin air.

"There are legions who believe in the existence of a cold and distant God, and on the occasions when they cry out to Him in utter despair and hear nothing in reply, must get up and stumble on, alone.

"Then there are those who know Him personally, who have found that when they cry out, there He is, as near as their breath -- one-on-one, heart-to-heart, savior, Lord, partner, friend.

"Some have been in church all their lives and have never known this mighty, marvelous, and yet simple personal relationship. Others believe that while such a relationship may be possible, it's not for them - why would God want to bother with them, except from a very great distance? In reality, it is no bother to God at all. He wants this relationship far, far more than you and I want it, and I pray that you will ponder that marvelous truth."

Okay, so it's a bit more than a snippet, but I hope it resonates with you. I hope it blesses you. I hope it opens up new possibilities for you in your relationship with God. He IS there. He will NEVER leave you nor forsake you. You can count on it!

Thank you so much for stopping by to visit today. I hope you have a truly blessed day!

Lifting You in Prayer

It seems like lately I've received so many prayer requests. What am I saying? There are always people who need prayer. Sometimes even me! Perhaps it's just that I've grown in my faith and so my heart is more open to the needs of others. Whatever the reason, I'm always ready and willing to pray for anyone. I believe in the power of prayer. And I'm also keenly aware that "but by the Grace of God, there go I."

So, when one of my Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps DT sisters asked for prayers for her birth mother, who is newly diagnosed with cancer, and for cards to cheer her, I was happy to oblige. This is the card I made. I specifically bought the stamp set Lift Up Our Hands from Our Daily Bread Designs to make cards of encouragement in times of need.

The cardstock, DP and ribbon are from Papertrey Ink. I tied the ribbon through a "keyhole" embellishment by Melissa Frances. And, of course, I did a lot of stitching with my Janome Sew Mini.

Okay, I'm off to tend to my chores... and to prepare for tomorrow's Challenge for a Sunday Afternoon. You won't want to miss it! Have a great day, my friends!

Cast Your Cares on the Lord

"Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you." So true. But sometimes so hard to do. We are creatures of worry and stress. But when we truly turn to God, there is a comfort that surpasses all understanding. This is my sincere prayer for my friend Nick (and his family) who is fighting for his life right now. He has Stage IV lung cancer. The cancer metastasized onto his spine in the form of a tumor that is causing him not only a tremendous amount of pain, but also the inability to walk. He's been undergoing radiation and physical therapy, and was to start chemo soon, but he's had a terrible setback in the form of pneumonia. He's in intensive care right now. His wife is one of my best friends. I'm just heartbroken for all of them. I wouldn't wish cancer on my worst enemy. It took my mother and my father-in-law, among others. I hate it. But I keep praying that the Lord will bless Nick and his family in all this. And I pray that Nick won't be afraid. He loves my cards, so I made this one for him.

The layout is based on Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge #58. I had to fudge a little with the dimensions because my image is so large. Both the image and the greeting are heat embossed using Craft Chocolate Chip ink and clear embossing powder. That made it really easy to color in the image using my Stampin Up markers. Plus, it's hard to see in the picture, but the embossing gives the image... especially the basket... a lot of texture. My inspiration for the card came from Laurie Schmidlin, who made a similar card that you can see here.

Laurie is one of my FAVORITE stampers. I admire her art so much.

While I was at it, I decided to make a second card using the other verse in this stamp set. I just love the stamps from Our Daily Bread Designs. They are so inspirational... and beautiful.

Recipe:
Stamps: Our Daily Bread Designs Fishers of Men
Paper: Stampin Up Chocolate Chip and Kraft cardstock, Stampin Up Kraft and Not Quite Navy from the Hostess Level 1 Patterns Pack Designer Series Paper, Papertrey Ink Paper Basics Vintage Cream cardstock
Ink: Craft Chocolate Chip, Stampin Up markers: Creamy Caramel, Sahara Sand, Brocade Blue, Ruby Red and More Mustard, Creamy Caramel and Close to Cocoa classic ink pads for sponging
Accessories: Hemp twine, Making Memories brads

I have another card to share with you in a moment, so stay tuned...