The Gift of God and a sneak peek!

Happy Sunday everyone!  With Sunday comes another Stampin Sisters in Christ Challenge, and today our challenge hostess is Lisa!  For this week's Scripture, Lisa has chosen 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.’” 

The challenge is to use Fall Colors ( like crimson, orange, gold or similar).   

I have created a quilt card  using a fabulous soon to be released set from Our Daily Bread designs called Gift of God.  It is "technically" a Christmas set, but I have shown here how it can be used for any occasion.  I decided to make a more masculine card using earthy materials like burlap and twine, along with fall colored plaids and checks.  I used a Papertrey Dark Chocolate base and all the squares of dp are from The Paper Studio Mirabella pad.  I stamped the image onto dp with Versafine ink and colored with a combination of Copics and Prisma Pencils.  I happen to LOVE pinecones and I pick them up when we travel and I see really different ones.  I have a big basket of them in front of my fireplace and even my grandkids save them for me if they see a really special one.  So needless to say, I was excited to see this and the other sets that are coming out.  This Nov. 1 release is going to be sooooo fun!!!  Anyway.... I got carried away there for a minute in my excitemen! LOL!

My hubby and I are away this weekend enjoying our family.   Saturday we watched our daughter run a half marathon, and today we will enjoy their church services, and watch the kids perform in a play tonight.   We have had a strenuous 2 weeks sorting through all the paperwork and questions involved with a sudden layoff, taking unplanned social security, deciding on insurance, financial planning, etc.  We needed the break from it all, so we came to spend time with family.   Grandkids have a way of lifting our spirits any time, right?

Reflecting on today's Scripture, I was reminded of what happened as I was fixing dinner Thursday night. I managed to splatter my  favorite fall shirt in several spots.  I immediately took it off and pretreated it with a variety of products that promise to remove stains.  I soaked, scrubbed, and washed the shirt as soon as I saw the spots, but although some of the color of the stains came out, the underlying grease spots remained.  I love that shirt and just hated that it was permanently stained, and I couldn't do anything more about it!  None of the products that promised to remove the stains completely removed them!  

The picture painted for us in this verse is one of the filthiest  rags you can imagine...not just a few spots, but entirely and completely rotten with filthy sin.  Yet, God in His omnipotence is able to completely cleanse them to the purest possible white just like the snow!  Unlike my shirt...there will be no little grease spots left.  Those rags are us!  We were filthy in our sins, but God has provided the way for those sins to be completely removed and forgiven!  

Do you ever struggle with not feeling worthy?  Perhaps you struggle with guilt over some things in your past that you can't forgive yourself for.... or perhaps you think your sin is so bad that He couldn't possibly forgive you for all of it, but I assure you that the Creator of the universe, the author and sustainer of all things is more than able to do that which He has promised!    If He would give His own sinless Son for you, be assured that He loves you and wants you to love Him too!  He wants to have a relationship with you!!!   Sin separates us from Holy God... but He has provided the way for our forgiveness through the gift of His Son who paid the price for our sin with His own perfect sinless blood.  When we accept Him as our only means for salvation, our sins are forgiven and removed as far as the east is from the west!  If you are burdened with the load of sin,  give it to God and let Him take it away forever! Then bask in His presence knowing the slate is cleaned and He calls YOU friend!!!

Our sponsor this week is Lili of the Valley!  Oh how I wish I could qualify!!! 

The prize is a 10 pound gift certificate to the LOV store!

For the full details of the challenge, prize and devotional, please visit the SSIC Blog.

Be sure to check out the rest of the design team for more inspiration:
Chris, Linda,  Miesje, Rebecca,  Kris, Peggysue,  MariLynn,  Lisa, and Traci

Hugs & Blessings, and so appreciative of your prayers as well!