Stampin' Sisters in Christ challenge 150...torn

Happy Sunday stampers! It is time for another challenge from Stampin' Sisters in Christ, where all of our challenges are based on scripture. Our sponsor this week is Inspired Stamps and I have used a sentiment from one of their lovely sets on my card. We spend a lot of time at the baech as we are five miles form the coast where I live, so I used another image from our sponsor last week at A Day for Daisies. You can find out more information about our sponsors on our blog, and see the rest of the creations from the design team right here. 


I am the hostess this week and I selected the challenge to use torn paper on your creation, and this verse from Matthew Matthew 27:51 "The veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom." adn the thoughts I have to share are as follows:

I have been thinking about all the different shades of meaning that word ‘tear’ or ‘torn’ can have in our lives.

On the one hand, it can be celebratory—how many of you have seen a young child, filled with excitement, tearing open the wrapping paper on a Christmas or birthday present?

We can use it to express difficulty, such as I ‘tore’ myself away from my favorite book to clean house instead.

The word tear often can be sad as well. Syria is torn apart by civil war. The tragic events in Colorado tore apart families, friendships and lives. We tear down relationships when we fling out unkind words or actions, are selfish or hasty. I took my daughter to see the movie Brave recently and in one scene the princess angrily tears a family tapestry her mother was stitching. In a moment, the painstaking work of years was destroyed by a single action.

The bible tells us of a different moment when with a single action, hope was born and lives restored, symbolized by a significant tearing.

Matthew 27:51 "The veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom."

This happened to the curtain or veil in the temple in Jerusalem when Jesus died on the cross; the veil was torn in two from top to bottom.

This curtain had significance beyond decorative; it separated the Israelites from the Holy of Holies in the temple, the place where God’s essence dwelt on earth. Once per year the high priest was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies and offer an atoning sacrifice to the Lord on behalf of all the people. They would tie a rope to one leg to pull him out in case he was struck dead while performing this atonement. No one else was allowed to enter the presence of God. And the temple curtain or veil, according to historian Josephus, was 40 cubits high or almost 60 feet tall.

When Jesus willingly gave himself up as an atoning sacrifice on the cross, and took the weight of the sin of the world on his shoulders, he opened the way for anyone, Jew or Gentile, to enter into a relationship with God. He tore the veil in two—sin separates us from God no longer, as long as we accept that sacrifice.

Just to be clear, Jesus didn’t die on the cross, tear the curtain and end the story.  Jesus is alive today, still extending that invitation to step through the torn curtain and enter eternal life with Him.

John 14:6 “I am the way, the truth and the life.  No man comes to the Father except through me.” The veil was torn and hope was born on that day. Lives are restored and made new each and every time a person accepts Jesus as their Lord and savior and accepts the sacrifice that changed the world, visually illustrated by the most significant tearing the world has ever experienced. Jesus is the way, have you accepted that in your life?

Thanks for looking and we hope you can find time to participate in our challenge this week!

Stamps: image from A Day for Daisies, sentiment from Inspired stamps

Paper: Kraft, speckled off white, bits of DP

Ink: black

Other: clip, ribbon, SU watercolor crayons, glitter

Stampin' Sisters in Christ challenge 149 . . . CAS

Happy Sunday stampers! It is time for another challenge from Stampin' Sisters in Christ, where all of our challenges are based on scripture. This week's hostess is Michelle, who has wondrous coloring skills and a great heart for the Lord, and she has selected this verse "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." Matthew 11:30. Her challenge is to make a CAS card.


We welcome a brand new sponsor this week, A Day for Daisies. Her images are lovely or cute, depending on your style or mood. I particularly like the nature scenes and mermaids, probably because I am surrounded by nature and my older daughters loved mermaids when they were young. The prize is a $12 gift card to her store. 


I printed out the digital image from A Day for Daisies on some speckled cardstock because it felt like it matched the image. Then I watercolored with a watercolor brush and Stampin' Up crayons. Its been a long time since I've watercolored in that way, but I was happy with the results. I added just a bit of shimmer by using a pot of Twinkling H20's on the blown leaves/blossoms, and one rhinestone by the sentiment. That's a random stamp from my drawer, I don't remember where it came from. 


I have been thinking a lot about that verse this week. I wrote a note recently apologizing to a colleague about the many delays that occurred on a mutual project because of all the upheaval in our lives in this home in the last quarter. We've had funerals, near deaths, hospitalizations, surgeries and lots of traveling. 


It is a lot piled up into one short period of time and our emotions have been run ragged. However, I can say with a thankful heart that verse is still true. God's yoke is easy and the burden is light because we are leaning on Him. I'm not personally carrying the weight of all of those events. When I do, then I stagger and fall. And believe me, I often engage in wrestling matches with the Lord, trying to take that worry and burden back on my shoulders and He whispers gently, 'give it to me.' 


The verse doesn't mean that troubles won't come, because they do and they have, in abundance recently. What it means is that when we give those burdens to God, He carries them and there is no weight on my shoulders. Many friends have been praying for us over this time period and I thank them all. Prayer does help. It ease the mind and spirit and reminds us where to put our trust. Have you put your trust in the one who can carry your burdens? 


Thanks for looking and we hope you find the time to play along this week. 


My card also fits these challenges, including one from our sponsor:


A Day for Daisies "add some script" (the thank you) 
Totally Gorjuss "leaves in it" (those could be leaves or flower petals, either way)
The Perfect Sentiment PSC41 'sentiment on front' 

Stampin' Sisters in Christ challenge 148...sparkle!

Happy Sunday stampers! It is time for another challenge from Stampin' Sisters in Christ, where all of our challenges are based on scripture! Today's hostess is Miesje! and she has selected this verse from Matthew 5: 13 - "You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot." Her challenge is to add sparkle to your creation. 


Our sponsor this week is a new company to me, The Stamps of Life. One randomly selected participant in our challenge this week will win a free set of the winner's choice up to $12.95 in value, so we welcome Stamps of Life and look forward to seeing your creations in the gallery!


I chose this little duck playing in the water partly because he just looks so happy and partly to encourage it to rain outside. I know many parts of the country desperately need rain and we are no exception. I also thought he lent himself to a little sparkle, which I added with a glittered frame around the image and some softer shimmer in the twinkling H20s that color the water. 


I am looking forward to reading Miesje's thoughts on today's chosen verse. I am also glad to be back, I haven't stamped in quite a few weeks. We've had some health issues in the family and I still haven't quite caught up to life yet. 


The sketch I used came from Tuesday Morning Sketches from last Tuesday and the bonus challenge to use an image or embellishment with wings. 


We hope you can find time to join us this week at Stampin' Sisters in Christ. Thanks so much for looking.