Hope & Love

Happy Friday! Today is Fun on Friday at Christian Paper Crafts AND challenge #3 for HOPE2010 at Splitcoast Stampers. I decided to combine these two challenges — well actually, it just kinda worked out that way without any real planning and one thing leading to the other. You know how those kinds of projects go.

The Fun on Friday challenge was to use 2-step stamping and I did this with the Central Park stamp set by Stampin' Up! I used Urban Garden and Urban Oasis Designer Series Paper to accent my card. A lot of various elements went into this card and I'm very pleased with the way that it turned out.

For the HOPE2010 #3 challenge, I'm digging deeper this week and am asking you what you would like to see in your personal life, what your hope is for your life. That is our challenge for today. It seems almost generic that my sentiment is "Love and Happiness," but how many of us truly have that? There are so many Christian women who are not loved by their own husband or have happiness in life because of that, or carry the weight of the world on their shoulders. In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Today's secular culture tells us that "you can do it all," but they don't bother with mentioning the price of doing it all. Your burdens needs to be laid at the foot of the cross ladies, all of them. We literally wear ourselves out trying to do it all and generally of our own accord and ways, but this is not how God would have it. I don't know about you, but I'm pretty burnt out of being weary and burdened. The only way we "can do all things" is through Christ who strengthens us, Philippians 4:13. Just because we're Christians doesn't mean that we're perfect or not prone to depression, marriage problems, drug addition, you name it. As a matter of fact, we are more prone to these things because we have the enemy hot on our tail. On the other hand though, we are also more prone to victory through Jesus Christ and Jesus alone.

So, let's get back to our challenge of what is your hope for you personally? It can be as generic as you want it too with only you knowing the meaning behind it or if you wish to share, that's fine too. There's no judging here. I just want you to really soul search on what your hope is and how God is going to give that hope to you.

I pray that you, and myself, take God up on his promises of rest for our soul and strength. God bless you. All materials used for this card are from Stampin' Up!