Winter's Beauty

Thought I would share a photo my daughter took of one of my horses with a snowy background! What a peaceful and breathtaking scene!!

NEW 2011 PSDT

PricillasStyles has announced the new design team today! I am thrilled to be able to serve a second term with all these wonderful designers. Please take a moment to visit the blogs of my team mates to get an idea of the awesome talent you will be exposed to this coming term.  Be sure to go over to Priscilla's store and look at her beautiful designs that we will be working with!!

 

Team A
AGNIESZKA
DIANA
LINDA
MARCY
MARSHA
PEGGY
VALERIE
Team B
ALETHA
CLARE
DARLENE
DENISE
DONNA
LINDA S
PAT

Prophecy Fulfilled

Prophecy Fulfilled

Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today- December 24, 2010

“All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”—which means, “God with us.” Matthew 1:22-23

Prophecy predicted Christ’s birth, His life and His second coming. Hundreds of years before His entrance onto earth, heaven directed men of God to describe His declaration of salvation for mankind. Christmas celebrates God being with us in the person of Jesus Christ. He is Immanuel and He invites the human race to learn of His everlasting love.

The purpose of prophecy is not to chart out every intricate detail of how and when Christ will return the second time. Jesus said only His Heavenly Father is privy to these predictions, “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (Matthew 24:36). The purpose of prophecy is to validate what Jesus had done and will do in the future. The unknown of His exact return gives us a sense of urgency to prepare for His second coming, by doing His will while we wait.

Prophecy predicted Jesus would be born in Bethlehem and He was. “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times” (Micah 5:2). He was to be born of a virgin and called Immanuel, and He was. “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14). Prophecy affirms your faith in Christ.

Christmas is your opportunity to celebrate the accuracy of Almighty God’s words spoken through His humble and obedient servants. Use this merry moment to bring joy to the hearts of those yet to believe and experience their Heavenly Father’s grace and forgiveness. Be there for your family and friends, especially those who struggle to see themselves as precious in the Lord’s eyes. Christmas reminds us that His best is yet to come!

“[Jesus Predicts His Death] He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again” (Mark 8:31).

Do I understand the significance of what prophecies Christ has and will fulfill? Who can I extend joy to others in the name of Jesus during this celebration of His birthday?

Related Readings: Genesis 3:15; Galatians 4:4; Isaiah 11:10; Romans 15:12

May you have a very  Blessed Christmas

Angels from CDAC

Ladies, if you haven't ventured over to CDAC you are missing a load of free images, challenges, great groups, loads of fun and a beaucoup of inspiration! There are all kinds of tutorials there,  from making your own digitals, photographing your cards and projects, to making these adorable angels!!

I made mine to pass out to very special friends or to very special folks who are fighting an illness or disease. What better way to let someone know that you have them in your heart and in your prayers. Carol Hurlock does the tutorial for the angels, both written and in video! You will definitely want to visit the gallery set up just for the angels....be prepared for lots of ohhhhh's and ahhhhh's!!  Click here to visit the hottest and fastest growing area for digital images!!

Many blessings!
donna


 

A Warm Sensational Saturday to YOU!

Good Morning,
Today I want to share with you a collage of images I have used this season, brought together as one image and placed as the focal point as today's card.  Confused, don't be, it's not hard, it very colorful and makes up nicely.

As you can see there are images of cards that I made throughout this season using SCH's images. I have been playing with this off and on, mostly as a holiday background for my desktop, as it came together it looked like it could be used as card on it's own. With digital there is just so much freedom, sizing, rotating, blurring, decorating......  well, the photo tells you the rest. It became my card for this week!! I hope you like it and will give this idea a try.

Don't forget to go to SCH for all of the images in this card and many, many others! Seriously, I haven't touched the iceberg of Christmas and holiday images that are right there waiting for you to find as well as images for every single reason to send a card. Go, go now!!!

While you are in the store you will see a link to the Blog where you will find all the amazing cards and projects for this week. Or you can click here to get to the Blog where you can also join us in showing off your very special Christmas and Holiday cards. Blessings to each of you, may the rest of this Christmas season fill  you with Love, Joy and Peace!

Sugar Creek Nugget:

For to us a child is born,to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder,and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:5-7

It's Saturday, You Know What that Means!!! *SCH*

The count down is on, we should be getting ready to "go over the hills and through the woods"! This week we were asked to make a card or project using RED and WHITE! Now, just how easy is that for this time of year! :) Funny, I was looking at my team mates "beauties" last night and I am astounded at the many variations of red. If you start naming all the varieties you will start to sound like a Crayola Crayon Box. You know, red, red- orange, orange red, scarlet, violet red, ultra red, wine red, red wine (oops!), don't think that one is in the box.  Anyway, just for fun you can go to the Crayola Creativity site and see how the colors have evolved since being first introduced in 1903.

I chose to use the gorgeous stamp, Christmas Joy. This is such a lovely and graceful image, I really loved working with it!  I opened it in PSP and changed the black to a very deep red and then mounted it with red and white throughout.  Instead of me trying to explain, let's take a look:

I used some nestie dies and a couple of MS punches, some uber gorgeous red ribbon and a packaged leaf sticker/die cut, a cuttlebug corner die, berries. and finally white grosgrain ribbon. I apologize for my yukky bow, I am the most bow challenged card maker I know! *sigh* So now that you have seen my take on the red and white challenge, why not grab an image and play along! You can share your card here. You can also get this image over at Tracy's shop, along with many more beautiful images. You do realize that SCH has freebies, if you haven't taken a look and grabbed them, you need to do that. Now then, be sure to take a look at all the rest of the red and white beauties out there for you to drool and gasp over.

• CW Card Creations
• Dawn
• Gunn
• Heide
• Joni
• Joseline-DT Coordinator
• Julie
• Marsha
• Mary
• Nancy
• Renee
• Sharon
• Stephanie
• Tracy, Owner

Thank you for dropping in today, you are the reason I am here!

Sugar Creek Nugget:  Romans 8:37-39

³⁷ Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, ³⁹ nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

challenges:  
MMSC84
Little Red Wagon-Die Cut
Creative Belli - Christmas themed embellishments

This Morning's Sunrise

When I left the barn this morning the sunrise was just breathtaking! By the time I got to the house, grabbed the camera and got into an area where I could get a good shot I was almost too late. Believe me when I tell you this photo doesn't even come close to the ethereal beauty!

Family Daily Devotion

I found this comforting, thought you might as well:

Happiness in Grief

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” Matthew 5:4

Life is a series of gains and losses. We gain friends and we lose friends. We gain confidence and we lose confidence. We gain money and we lose money. We gain a position and we lose a position. We gain weight and we lose weight. We gain perspective and we lose perspective. Many times during the transition between our loss and our gain, we grieve. Grief follows loss. But it’s in our grieving that God gets our attention.

Who or what do you miss? A loved one who graduated to heaven, a career that you enjoyed or a child who has left the nest and started their own family. Perhaps your heart still aches from time to time. Anger may well up occasionally or your mind plays tricks on you with “what if” scenarios, causing you to doubt your decisions. However, it’s in this conte mplative process that we learn to listen to the Lord—trust Him—and be loved by Him.

There can be comfort from Christ during your grief from a loss. We all live in a house that contains rooms of mourning. We avoid these areas, but eventually we have to visit them. And we learn—the greater the grief—the greater the potential for gladness. God’s goodness becomes the glue for our fractured faith. Job experienced the Lord in his loss, “The lowly he sets on high, and those who mourn are lifted to safety” (Job 5:11).

Spiritual grief comes when we are separated from God by our sin, and we mourn over our broken fellowship. There is a godly sorrow that is sensitive to sin and quick to repent. Spiritual mourners lament when their sin isolates them from intimacy with Christ. So, do not linger long in grief over letting down the Lord—freely receive His forgiveness.

“Have mercy on me, O G od, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin” (Psalm 51:1-2).

Lastly, look for those around you who silently suffer or who may be grieving unknowingly. Followers of Jesus sympathize by mourning with those who mourn. Take the time to come alongside them and offer care, comfort and Christ. Weep with those who weep, while the Lord’s love wipes away their tears. Jesus ministered to the grieving while on earth and He still comforts and makes hearts happy through the Holy Spirit.

“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14:26, KJV).

Is Christ my comfort during times of grief? Who can I comfort who is grieving a loss?

Related Readings : Nehemiah 1:1-10; Ecclesiastes 3:4; Acts 8:2; Romans 12:15

Boyd Bailey is the author of Wisdom Hunters daily devotional and two devotional books, Infusion and Seeking Daily the Heart of God