Word Art Wednesday: Sheep in His Pasture (FREE Digi Stamp)

It's Wednesday...and I'm excited to share with you this week's graphic for our challenge.  You are welcome to use the graphic or you may create a project that serves to encourage someone and link it to participate.  Check out the details and our sponsor on the Word Art Wednesday blog.

Our Sponsor:
I'm so excited about this week's sponsor.  Deedee Anderson has her own artist landing page on my store Daydream Designs, and I'm thrilled to have her.  Her images are sweetly whimsical and always uplifting and wholesome.

Deedee's Digis at Daydream Designs

To win some of Deedee's delightful digis, participate in our challenge!

Our Inspirational Scripture:

I found Karen Murray's word art so inspiring!  I've always loved Karen's work and appreciated her as an artist when I operated my first Daydream Designs store.  I'm delighted....ecstatic....jumping up and down to announce she will again be designing sets for my newest store.  She is a delight to work with and I love her word art. 

My DT Sample:

Throughout scripture sheep are used to represent God's people.  We do fit the analogy well for several reasons.  Without a shepherd, sheep can't survive.  The shepherd leads them to green pastures and quiet rivers for food and drink.  Sheep wander without the direction of the shepherd.  They are inherently "lost" if the shepherd doesn't direct them to stay in the flock.  We are so like sheep!  We need our Good Shepherd, our Savior for the same reasons.

Without Jesus we are lost--bewildered and blackened by sin.  We can enjoy safe pasture, amazing abundance and joy when we trust the Shepherd to provide and to guide us.

I started a digi set of sheep a long time ago, and for some reason hadn't finished it.  When I read our scripture verse for the WAW challenge this week, I decided to get it out, dust it off and finish it.  I also created a coordating set of Scripture verses.  The images come in outline or color, each sold separately.  

My little sheep make me happy and they serve as a reminder that I'm totally dependent upon my God.  I cannot imagine grazing again on the parched weeds of the world when I'm offered the lush, sweet blessings of grace in the pasture of the Good Shepherd!

Sheep of His Pasture

11 color images / JPEG and PNG

$4.00

Sheep of His Pasture Scripture Set

11 graphically designed verses / JPEG and PNG

300 dpi / resizable

$3.00

Sheep of His Pasture

10 images / JPEG and PNG (transparent and white-filled)

$3.00

May you be blessed by the Good Shepherd today!

Diane

Word Art Wednesday: In Whom Should I Trust? (FREE Digi Stamps)

I love Wednesdays and the opportunity to share the weekly Word Art Wednesday challenge.  I'm thrilled that Daydream Designs is sponsoring the challenge this week.  I hope you'll consider participating and linking up your project.  The scripture from Psalm 91 is one of my very favorites.  Earlier this year, Dream Team members submitted their favorite verses and I digitally designed them into word art.  I created these images for my favorite verse. 

__________________________________________________________

I've created these DT projects for our verse this week, but do go to Word Art Wednesday to see what the other designers have created.  All are fantastic!

A woman’s heart naturally desires security.  God created us with a desire to be sheltered, nurtured and protected.  In the beginning, in the Garden, God hovered over His creation.  He breathed life into a lump of clay and called him Adam.  He created Eve from the rib of Man (Genesis 2:21-22), close to his heart and under the protection of his arm.   The blessing of woman’s God-ordained position is to fall under the protection of the one who shelters her heart. 

As Adam and Eve dwelled in the Garden, the Most High God, the Almighty Creator sustained and nurtured them.  There was no danger in the Garden, no threat to the safety and security of Man and Woman, for both enjoyed a perfect dwelling.  All too quickly perfection was tarnished and sin ripped the cover of safety from God’s abiding place for His creation.  God banished Adam and Eve from the Garden and they were immediately surrounded by danger.  Suddenly there were predator and prey, death and destruction.  Man in his sin needed a refuge, a fortress. 

Through a flood of time, we continue to be overwhelmed with results of sin.  Never more than now we need a stronghold in these times of trouble and travail.  Our God is our refuge…a never failing bulwark against the raging tides of evil in our world.  Through Christ, we find the only way to mend the tear that ripped us away from God’s holy habitat.  When we repent of our sin, trust Christ as our deliverer, we step back into the garden of God’s grace.

Our safest shelter is near to the heart of God, under His mighty arm.  Just as Eve was formed from the rib of Adam, we are created to abide under God’s protection.  Are you weary and battle worn?  Run to your Refuge.  Are you fearful, fraught with worry, faint or weak-hearted?  Find strength in the fortress of our God.  No problem, no circumstance, no loss, no pain is so deep or so high that God cannot cover you.  Dwell in the shelter of the cross….abide near to the heart of God will He will securely keep you.  You can trust in your God!

These scriptures and the other Dream Team favorites can be found in 3 Daydream Designs sets.

Dream Team Scripture Set 1

5 verses each in 2 designs

JPEG and PNG / 300 dpi / resizable

$4.00

Dream Team Scripture Set 2

5 verses each in 2 designs

JPEG and PNG / 300 dpi / resizable

$4.00

 Dream Team Scripture Set 3

5 verses each in 2 designs

JPEG and PNG / 300 dpi / resizable

$4.00

 Dream Team Scripture Set Bundle

30 verses (15 scriptures each in two designs)

JPEG and PNG, 300 dpi, resizable

$9.00

Thank you for stopping in.  I do hope you'll go to Word Art Wednesday, say hello to us there, and link your project there as an encouragement to others.  You don't have to use the scripture verse.  Just read the details on our blog.

Blessings on your week!

Diane

WAW Challenge: Seasoned Speech (FREE DIGI STAMPS)

It's Wednesday and time for another Word Art Wednesday challenge.  If you haven't played with this challenge, you should really try.  It's one of the most flexible and you get tons of inspiration from the many participants.  Just check out our main page...details, sponsor and your project linking information is all there.

Our scripture inspiration is free for you to use on your project, but not a requirement.  Still, isn't this biblical challenge a big one...let your speech be ALWAYS with grace?  There have been more times than I can count where I have spoken to someone, then later wished that I had said something different, said more, said less....or not said anything at all!  Knowing how to fill your speech with grace might not be difficult if you are preparing to deliver a speech.  You have the time to carefully craft your words.  But to fill even casual conversations with grace always...every time....now that is a challenge.  It takes practice.  Here a smaller challenge.  Practice concentrating on what you say to everyone you encounter for just one day.  And season that day's conversation with grace...with encouragement, with hope, with love, with forgiveness, with kindness.  Just one day.  Can you do it?

Recently a woman in our church shared the tragic story of a young couple who were expecting their second child.  The baby had life threatening heart conditions so severe that doctors offered scant hope of the baby's survival to full-term birth, much less life outside the womb.  Yet this young mother, a woman of deep faith, responded to everyone's inquiries with such grace and faith.  And the woman in our church who spoke frequently with the mother offered her encouragement and extended opportunities to so many people to pray for this family.  So many graceful conversations in the midst of a very trying, heart-wrenching time. 

Another woman in my Sunday morning Bible study class shared about a young 7 year old child who was terminally ill with cancer and was nearing the end of her days.  Not even knowing her friends or their daughter, I was sick at heart and full of grief for them.  It seems lately I've heard of so many parents who are suffering unbearably through their children's devastating physical challenges.

I thought it was appropriate to design a card that symbolized both the realities I've shared.  First, we are challenged to fill our conversations with grace. Even those chatting-over-coffee conversations.  Ones where you are being yourself...which is to be an ambassador of Christ.  The cup on this card represents our most unguarded conversations with those closest to us.  The yellow mug and digi paper is from our Hope Endures cancer awareness line--the yellow set, which represents awareness of cancer in children among other challenges.  You'll notice the words in the background...hope, courage, cure, believe, faith, healing.

Are our conversations filled with words that encourage hope and faith, and offer healing to broken and despairing hearts?  I admire these women in our church who offered the precious gift of gracious words to hurting people.  I love both of them and have been blessed by them myself.  I trust that their gentle spirits and gracious words were a healing balm to their grief-stricken friends.  My friends have had to practice such graciousness...it would have to come naturally to them to be able to deliver in trying times. And I know they did.

   
Card Ingredients:

• Cardstock--Whisper White (to print images and digi paper), Old Olive / SU
• Digi paper--Hope Endures (Yellow Papers)
• Designer Paper (SU-retired)
• Images--Hope Endures: Yellow Awareness Set; Pumpkins and Sunflowers Color Set

Sets Used:

 Hope Endures: Yellow Awareness Set

(Outline version available, sold separately)

8 color images / JPEG and PNG / 300 dpi

$3.00

Hope Endures Yellow Paper Pack

8 sheets / 6 x 6 / 300 dpi / resizable

$3.00

Pumpkins and Sunflowers Color Set

(Outline version available, sold separately)

11 color images / JPEG and PNG / 300 dpi

$4.00

Thanks for stopping in!

Diane

Coming Home to Word Art Wednesday! (FREE Digi Stamps)

More exciting news!  I've shared before that a TON is happening.  My newest big news is that I'm returning to Word Art Wednesday as a regular designer, and I'm beyond delighted about it.  I'll be working with wonderful teammates, with Karen Letchworth, the administrator is a great friend and sister in Christ, AND best of all, I get to share the Word of God crafted into beautiful graphics by designer, Karen Murray, Papercraft Memories.

Our challenges are always "anything goes" but projects are to contain wholesome, encouraging and uplifting images or sentiments.  Your submitted projects can be cards, scrapbook pages or other altered crafts.   You are welcome to use our FREE digi scripture prompt. To participate in the challenge go to Word Art Wednesday,  check out our sponsors and link your creation to our main page. 

Eagles always symbolize strength and power, but our verse certainly teaches that strength and power come from the Lord.  When we wait upon Him (trust Him, depend on Him, believe Him), our faith is strengthened and renewed.  We can endure unbelievable circumstances and overcome difficult obstacles in life when we operate in the power of God's sovereignty over all things.  When we try to live life on our own terms or in our own wisdom or strength we will weaken quickly.

Imagine running and not growing weary!  Not too long after my father died, I had a dream of him running.  Spectators lined two sides of the path where he ran.  They were cheering him on.  He was running in strength and power.  My feeble, cancer-worn father of 82 was running like a 20+ year old athlete.  He was exactly as I remembered him at about 28.  He was exuberant, and had a look of ecstatic joy on his face.  No pain in his knees slowed him...he just joyfully ran.  It was at the end of my dream when I realized an amazing fact.  I realized he had already crossed the finish line!  He'd won the race, finished his course, and was running for the pure pleasure of it!  I think I had a glimpse of the realities of heaven.  I believe that's what it will be like.  All weariness of this world's existence will be gone, and we will soar with wings....the strong wings....of an eagle.

My DT Sample:

My card is actually a little humorous when considering the scripture which references eagles.  We certainly don't think of owls when we read the passage, but I thought the little owl had the look of confidence we too can possess when we know our power is not through who we are, or from our limited resources.  Even we "little owls" can be like soaring eagles through Christ who strengthens us. 

Card Ingredients:

• Cardstock--Cajun Craze/SU
• Images--Falling for You Owls (owl, branch, chalkboard); Fall is in the Air (leaves with button)
• Digi Papers--Fall Papers 
• Other--button, brown twine

Technique Used: 
I recolored the verse to white and laid it on top of the chalkboard.  I love recoloring sentiments and white is perfect for that chalkboard look.

I cut out the leaves and embellished with a button tied with brown twine. Those are all popped up to add dimension.  I also used distress ink to smudge up the edges of the digi paper and the leaves a bit.

Sets Used:

 

 Falling for You Owls

18 images and sentiments / JPEG and PNG

$4.00

 

 Fall is in the Air Color Set

(Outline set available; sold separately)

15 color images / JPEG and PNG

$4.00

Fall Digi Papers

10 sheets / JPEG only / 300 dpi / 6 x 6 / resizable

$3.00