O happy day...

Here is the scripture that, my stampin' sister in Christ, Lisa picked for this week:

Isaiah 1:18 "'Come now, and let us reason together,’ says the Lord. ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.’”

Yesterday, we helped our new youth pastors move into their new home. They came from Texas to Iowa. I am sure that it will be a big change for them. They left family to come to our little town. There was a big group from our Church there to unload the truck. The ladies took the small things, like clothes and small boxes, while the guys took the couches and piano... The ladies had just moved the kitchen chairs in and we were commenting on how new they looked. We laughed and said let them get kids and see how they look. As a mom of 4 kids, I know how easily things can get stained. Something about the color white, seems to just draw stains from ketchup, mustard, grape juice... You can use cleaners to clean the stains, and sometimes it works, but in my experience, there seems to be some stains that just won't completely come clean.

Our lives are like that. We have been stained by our sins. We can try to "clean" our stained lives by going to church,or doing good deeds. But try as we will those things will not make us clean. There is nothing that we can do on our own to become clean. That is why God had to send Jesus to live the perfect life, and die for our sins. He is the only way that our sins can be washed away.

I love this worship song. We sing it a lot with the youth at church. I love the chorus where it says... O happy day when you washed my sin away...



The challenge this week is to use scarlet or fall colors on our card. I used fall colors and a Mark's Finest Papers image of a country church.

Our sponsor this week is Lilyof the Valley. Check out Lisa's devotion here at the Stampin' Sisters in Christ blog. Also check out what my stampin' sisters have created...

Kris Linda Miesje Pegggysue Traci Grace

Layers of Color- Vintage butterfly orb

I was inspired by the Layers of Color ornament blog hop. Laura shared a template for this ornament on her blog. I used dp that made me think of vintage wall paper. I used beads and gold cording to hang my ornament. I took a gold leaf pen and drew on the beads as well as little dots and squiggles on the dp. I then stamped and heat embossed with gold ep several butterflies using Layers of Color Flutterescent Set.

Stampin' Sisters in Christ and 12 Days of Christmas Blog Hop Combined to save TIME

(For Mark's Finest Papers 12 days of Christmas blog hop keep scrolling down to about 1/2 way through this post.)


Time
Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8
1 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

If there is a time for everything, why do I struggle so much with the issue of time? I start each day rushed and have so much to do that I always run out of time by the end of the day when I collapse into bed, with things left undone. I find myself wishing I had MORE TIME.
There are several questions about time that have been on my heart lately.

HOW MUCH TIME DO I HAVE LEFT? In the past several months, several times, death has touched people I know. In several of the cases the people were really young. 2 were still in their teens.

DID THEY KNOW THAT THEIR TIME WAS ALMOST UP? No, because none of us really know when our time is up.

IF TODAY WAS MY LAST DAY, HOW WOULD I SPEND IT? WOULD I WASTE EVEN A MINUTE OF IT? There are so many time wasters that I find in my day. Waiting in line, watching tv, getting on facebook( just being honest and transparent here). If today were my last, I hope I would spend it with my kids, my husband, my family, my friends, my church… making memories in the relationships that I treasure.

Lord, help me to get my priorities straight today and not waste my time.

IF I KNEW THAT TODAY WAS YOUR LAST WOULD I TREAT YOU DIFFERENTLY?
WOULD I TELL YOU THAT I LOVE YOU?
WOULD I MAKE SURE YOU KNEW THAT HEAVEN WAS YOUR DESTINATION?
WOULD I TREAT YOU WITH KINDNESS AND FORGIVENESS?

Lord help me to interact with those around me as if today were their last day. Don’t let me live with the regret of things undone, unsaid.

My challenge is for you to make a card or project that shows time. Examples: clock (minutes/hours), sun or stars (days), calendar (years), seasons...etc.

Here is my project. It is a calendar that I made for the 12 days of Christmas blog hop for Mark's Finest Papers. Kind of ironic that my post today is about time and this project is one that has taken a lot of time to complete.(Don't ask how many hours...) I saw it in my head but putting it together has taken hours.(Change that to days.) I printed my calendar using Microsoft Excel. I cut the calendar pages out and glued them at the top. When they were done, I made a base for my calendar out of an old cereal box. The toppers were printed using Microsoft Excel as well. I made 12 toppers each with a different blessing. I then stamped images from all of my Mark's Finest Papers sets to go along with those blessings. I then cut and matted them onto dp and cardstock. I taped a giant paper clip to the back of the toppers leaving about half of the paper clip hanging down. All of the toppers fit nicely inside the calendar. There is a slit cut at the top of the calendar for the toppers to fit into.



Our Sponsor this week is: Digital Delights by Louby Lou

Check out what my Stampin' Sisters in Christ have created...

Kris Linda Miesje Pegggysue Traci Grace

Now on to ...

12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS BLOG HOP

Speedy the Cat at Mark's Finest Papers likes to get a head start on special Christmas gifts and memories for friends and family. He gathered the design team at Mark's Finest Papers to bring you 12 days of exciting paper crafting gift ideas to get that holiday mojo flowing. The hop runs for 12 consecutive days, starting October 17th! Begin your holiday hop at Speedy's home base, the Mark's Finest Papers blog and relax with a cup of eggnog (or sprig of catnip, your choice) as Speedy leads you though a short, daily hop. You'll find your holiday paper crafting ideas and supplies at Mark's Finest Papers.

Welcome to the 12 Days of Christmas Blog Hop! We have four samples each day for our hop! Please visit each of the following blogs for holiday inspiration!
Peggysue

Connie

Anne

MariLynn

This shows the back side of a topper. See how I just taped the paper clip to the back.

See how the toppers fit inside the calendar.


I love this song about time by Chris Rice and thought I would share it with you!!!

Thank you for taking the TIME to read this really long post!!

Speedy the Cat at Mark's Finest Papers likes to get a head start on special Christmas gifts and memories for friends and family. He gathered the design team at Mark's Finest Papers to bring you 12 days of exciting paper crafting gift ideas to get that holiday mojo flowing. The hop runs for 12 consecutive days, starting October 17th! Begin your holiday hop at Speedy's home base, the Mark's Finest Papers blog and relax with a cup of eggnog (or sprig of catnip, your choice) as Speedy leads you though a short, daily hop. You'll find your holiday paper crafting ideas and supplies at Mark's Finest Papers.
Welcome to the 12 Days of Christmas Blog Hop! We have four samples each day for our hop! Please visit each of the following blogs for holiday inspiration! Start off tomorrow on the MFP Blog for more inspiration!
Day 5 Acetate Box Oct 21
Lois
Joanne
Patty
MariLynn (This is me)

My gingerbread men were made out of an old cereal box. I stamped each gingerbread man three times. I cut them all out and glued the 3 layers together with Aleene's tacky glue. I glued buttons and tied ribbons around thier necks. I added red cheeks with prisma colored pencils. I used a white prisma colored pencil for the frosting. The eyes and nose are dimensional. I added drops of Aleene's tacky glue for each eye and nose. It really makes them shine in real life. I made the lid and base of my box with plain white to make the gingerbread men stand out more.

#1 of 12 Days of Christmas blog hop

If you are in need of inspiration to help you prepare for Christmas you should check out the 12 days of Christmas blog hop at Mark's Finest Papers.

Come to Jesus

My friend and sister in Christ, Miesje choose this scripture passage for this week:

Matthew 11: 28 – 30 - Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

What is a burden? One definition is...something that is exacting, oppressive, or difficult to bear. When I think of burdens I think of life altering, stressful situations... like losing a loved one, dealing with a life threatening illness or losing your job. Those are definitely burdensome and by bringing them to Jesus, he will give rest for those burdens.

For me it is easier to give the really heavy burdens to God because I know I can't even begin to carry them. Where I struggle and get tripped up is with little burdens. I was thinking about a real life example to share. The other day I was bringing in the groceries. I had a 50 lb bag of dog food and some cans of soup. I knew I would struggle with the 50 lb bag, so I had my teenaged son carry it in. I took the smaller bag of cans. Definitely more managable for me. But then I got to thinking... if I held one can of soup straight out in one hand for a little while I could do it no problem, but the longer I would hold on to it the heavier it would become. It wouldn't take very long before I would no longer be able to hold the can up with just the one arm. Fatigue would set in.

So often I take the little problems and hold on to them, and before long, the stress and fatigue overwhelm me. What a great reminder this scripture is to come to Jesus and he will give us rest for even the smallest of burdens.

This is one of my favorite songs... called the UNTITLED HYMN.




Miesje gave us this challenge:
(Sharing) Use 2 of everything you use. For example: 2 Dp - 2 flowers - 2 stamps - whatever you use must be doubled.

The 2's on my card are... 2 scraps of lace (coffee stained), 2 little butterflies (Thanks Peggysue), 2 different sides of same sheet of dp, 2 sentiments, 2 long horizontal strips, 2 rectangles... and the least noticable... 2 types of adhesives (glue stick and sewing).

I made this card for someone who is carrying a big burden right now. One of the drivers that works for us was driving in a separate vehicle this week from his long time girlfriend. He noticed that she was no longer behind him and he turned around only to find that she had been in a horrific crash. He held her until she died. This man is a big man and I have seen him lift things with his one hand that most men would struggle to lift. Right now he is struggling under the weight of grief. I can only pray for him and pray that he will turn to Jesus for relief from that burden.

Our Sponsor this week is: Designed 2 Delight

Check out what my Stampin' Sisters in Christ have created...

Kris Linda Miesje Pegggysue Traci Grace

Run run as fast as you can to Mark's Finest Papers October blog hop last day

Hello! Welcome to the October 2011 MFP New Releases Blog Hop!

This month's new releases are: Holly Greetings, Christmas in the Country, Snowball?, Country Thanksgiving, Cardinals in Winter, and Ginger Cookies.For your convenience, all these sets are available TODAY at Mark's Finest Papers.

So, do you want to WIN today's Featured Stamp Set: Ginger Cookies? (If you don't want to wait to win, you can always purchase the sets right away! We'll substitute a set from NEXT month's release if today's winner has already purchased this set!)

For your chance to win: Comment on the following Design Team members' blogs TODAY before midnight EDT. There will be ONE random winner chosen from the comments on today's Blog Hop blogs. That winner will win Ginger Cookies. We will announce the winner's name on tomorrow's MFP blog post.

Emily
Nancyruth
Neva
Faith
Dawn
Marilynn
Patricia
Chrissy
Karen
Pam
Joanne
Markie
Carol
Mark’s Finest Papers



I think this set would be fun to use with a gingerbread cookie mix in a jar with an attached cookie cutter, the Mark's Finest Papers gingerbread man and baking supplies... sprinkle, spatula, pot holder, cookie sheet....

October blog hop for Mark's Finest Papers day 3

Hello! Welcome to the October 2011 MFP New Releases Blog Hop!

This month's new releases are: Holly Greetings, Christmas in the Country, Snowball?, Country Thanksgiving, Cardinals in Winter, and Ginger Cookies.For your convenience, all these sets are available TODAY at Mark's Finest Papers.

So, do you want to WIN today's Featured Stamp Sets: Country Thanksgiving and Cardinals in Winter? (If you don't want to wait to win, you can always purchase the sets right away! We'll substitute a set from NEXT month's release if today's winner has already purchased this set!)

For your chance to win: Comment on the following Design Team members' blogs TODAY before midnight EDT. There will be ONE random winner chosen from the comments on today's Blog Hop blogs. That winner will win Country Thanksgiving and Cardinals in Winter. We will announce the winner's name on tomorrow's MFP blog post.

Emily
Nancyruth
Neva
Faith
Dawn
Marilynn YOU ARE HERE*****
Patricia
Chrissy
Karen
Pam
Joanne
Markie
Carol
Mark’s Finest Papers

Hello! Welcome to the October 2011 MFP New Releases Blog Hop!

This month's new releases are: Holly Greetings, Christmas in the Country, Snowball?, Country Thanksgiving, Cardinals in Winter, and Ginger Cookies.For your convenience, all these sets are available TODAY at Mark's Finest Papers.

So, do you want to WIN today's Featured Stamp Sets: Christmas in the Country and Snowball? (If you don't want to wait to win, you can always purchase the sets right away! We'll substitute a set from NEXT month's release if today's winner has already purchased this set!)

For your chance to win: Comment on the following Design Team members' blogs TODAY before midnight EDT. There will be ONE random winner chosen from the comments on today's Blog Hop blogs. That winner will win Christmas in the Country and Snowball?. We will announce the winner's name on tomorrow's MFP blog post.

Some music to make your day... feel a lot more like Christmas!!!

Lois
Vicky
Dawn
Anne
Peggysue
Connie
Linda
Karen
Patty
Liz
Geri
Lynn
Debbie
Mark’s Finest Papers

MFP October Blog hop day 1

Hello! Welcome to the October 2011 MFP New Releases Blog Hop!

This month's new releases are: Holly Greetings, Christmas in the Country, Snowball?, Country Thanksgiving, Cardinals in Winter, and Ginger Cookies.For your convenience, all these sets are available TODAY at Mark's Finest Papers.

So, do you want to WIN today's Featured Stamp Set: Holly Greetings? (If you don't want to wait to win, you can always purchase the sets right away! We'll substitute a set from NEXT month's release if today's winner has already purchased this set!)

For your chance to win: Comment on the following Design Team members' blogs TODAY before midnight EDT. There will be ONE random winner chosen from the comments on today's Blog Hop blogs. That winner will win Holly Greetings. We will announce the winner's name on tomorrow's MFP blog post.

Lois
Vicky
Dawn
Anne
Peggysue
Connie
Linda
Karen
Patty
Liz
Geri
Lynn
Claudine
Debbie
Mark’s Finest Papers


A little Christmas music to get you in the mood!!

No more having to imagine

The scripture that my Stampin' sisters in Christ, Linda picked for this week is:

Mar 10:27 And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.

It was a little over a month ago that I found out that my dear friend Bonnie was dying as a result of breast cancer. This week she passed from this life into glory. I love the song by Mercy Me called I can only imagine. No more having to imagine for my friend Bonnie.

There are so many things that are impossible for me to do that aren't with God. I am so limited, and so are you compared to the awesome Creator of the Universe.

I had 2 thoughts on God's power this week. The first one for me this week is comforting my friend Lori. She has been caring for our friend Bonnie and is feeling the loss and hurt. I can't bring peace, I can't bring comfort, and I can't bring healing to her hurting heart, but God can. All I can do is send a card letting her know that I care.

The second thought was the beauty of the fall season. I can't make trees change the color of their leaves. I can't control the temperature or the length of days. But God can. I don't know if the leaves have started changing where you are, but where I live, I am in awe of God's handiwork. So many different colors, shades and hues. I went out last Sunday afternoon with my daughter and we tried to capture some of that beauty with our cameras, but they can't even begin to compare to the real thing.

This week's challenge was anything goes. I tried to combine the two impossible things on my card. I made a card for my friend Lori with hints of pink in honor of the memory of my friend Bonnie. I made leaves with pinks, reds and greens.

The sponsor for this week is: Simon Says Stamp.

Check out what my Stampin' Sisters in Christ have created...

Kris Linda Miesje Pegggysue Rebekka Traci Grace

...Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness. Gentleness and Self-Control... these are the fruit of the Spirit. These are the fruit of the Spirit!

Insert little music notes here... because as I was typing the verse that my wonderful sister in Christ, Kris, chose for this week, Gal. 5:22-23a I was singing it. When my kids were little I used to memorize scripture with them set to music. It was a very effective way to not only memorize but retain scripture. They did this when they participated in AWANAS and Pathseekers, two great programs to help kids grow spiritually. This one was especially effective because all I have to do is start humming the melody and my kids will sing the scripture.

When working on this week's challenge, the question that came up is- What is fruit? I don't have a lot of traditional fruit images. I looked up the definition of fruit and found that it means the part of a tree or plant that can be eaten that has seeds.

When my kids were little, they loved taking the seeds from their apples and trying to plant them. We never were successful in growing an apple tree that could produce more apples, despite our trying. But that is the purpose of the seeds, to be planted to produce new fruit. How could this apply to this week's scripture?
The Holy Spirit produces Love in our lives... we need to plant those seeds of love in the life of someone who may not feel loved.
The Holy Spirit produces Joy in our lives... we need to plant those seeds of joy in the life of someone who is overwhelmed by sadness.
The Holy Spirit produces Peace in our lives... we need to plant those seeds of peace in the lives of people who are stressed and troubled.
The Holy Spirit produces Patience in our lives... we need to plant those seeds of patience in the lives of people who want what the want and the want it NOW.
The Holy Spirit produces Kindness in our lives... we need to plant those seeds of kindness in the lives of those who need to hear a kind word or need to see what kindness looks like because all they have known is abuse.
The Holy Spirit produces Goodness in our lives... we need to plant the seeds of goodness in a world that glorifies sinful living.
The Holy Spirit produces Faithfulness in our lives... we need to plant seeds of faithfulness to people who have been let down by the people they trusted, who were unfaithful to them.
The Holy Spirit produces Gentleness in our lives... we need to plant seeds of gentleness in the lives of people who have only known how hard this sinful world can be.
The Holy Spirit produces Self-control in our lives... we need to plant the seeds of self-control in the lives of those who have been told by society... do what you want... when you want... it is your life.

Dear God, thank you for the fruits of your holy spirit that you are bringing to harvest in my life. I pray that you will increase your harvest by helping me be aware of the opportunities to share the seeds of your fruits in the lives of those I come in contact with. In Jesus name, amen!

Here is Kris' challenge for this week.you...
Include FRUIT in your creation (stamp, digi, paper, charms, etc.). *By definition, a pumpkin is a fruit, and so are other “Harvest” produce such as gourds :)

The pumpkins on my card are stamped several times and layered with craft foam for dimension. This card was inspired by my stampin' sister in Christ, Traci. She sent me a card with embossed dp. It was gorgeous. I never would have thought to emboss dp before that.

This video has some jazz music as it shares some scripture and ideas on the fruit of the Spirit! I enjoyed it and thought you might too.

The sponsor for this week is: Clear Dollar Stamps.

Check out what my Stampin' Sisters in Christ have created...

Kris Linda Miesje Pegggysue Rebekka Traci Grace