A time for Joy!

Howdy all!  It's Sunday and time for another Stampin Sisters in Christ Challenge!  This week our challenge hostess is the dear and sweet MariLynn.  She has chosen Ecclesiastes 3:1 for this week's Scripture. 

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens."

MariLynn's challenge is to 

Make a card that shows the passing of time. A clock ( for hours) a sun (for days) a calendar for (years) etc.

Remember when you were little... and you just couldn't wait for Christmas morning?  The days leading up to Christmas seemed to just drag!  Now I find myself amazed that it's almost Nov. and Christmas is right around the corner!   The older I get, the more aware of how quickly time  passes I become!  I also am becoming more and more aware of how all our days are in His hands, and the time that we have here on this earth is but a drop in a bucket compared to eternity!  We put so much emphasis on this life, and the things of this life, but the things God values have eternal value! 

 My husband's recent layoff really brought home to me the truth to this passage.  Just as God created the seasons, and there is a different purpose for each season... our lives contain many seasons as well. Some are sunny and warm, some are filled with colorful moments of awe and beauty.... and some are cold, and possibly painful. 

Not long ago, my husband and I both started praying that God would  draw us closer to Him and help us to empty ourselves of all that stands between us and our relationship with Him.  Funny thing is that we knew even then that there was some "risk" in praying that way.  What layers might need to be stripped away to help us to completely trust only Him and let Him be our all in all?   What little things might He uncover that we have unknowingly been holding back from Him?  Would He ask us to step out of our comfort zone?  Would we be able to do that?  I truly believe that emptying us first of our "plans" for our future, our retirement, all the things we were expecting to work out according to "the" plan, He is revealing to us that  He wants our trust to be in Him and Him alone. It's not to be our "retirement package", not our 401k, not the health insurance we were 11 months away from being guaranteed through our retirement.... not a job, nothing but Him.  As my husband was driving home his last day of work.... he was praying and actually thanked the Lord for this season!  That's not to say it doesn't hurt!  It's just to say that He saw this as a way God was going to do a work in our hearts, and perhaps even in the hearts of others,  and so he was able to  thank the Lord for whatever He is going to do through this!    We know He never leaves us nor forsakes us, and we are not alone!  We also know that this world is not our home, and we are looking forward to our REAL home!  Our minds can't even conceive the riches He has for us in glory!  

So whatever season YOU are in right now... even if you are in a painful place... a place where it's hard to put one foot in front of the other, a place where you can't seem to see God's hand at all... just know that God DOES have a plan and wants to lead you to a new place of beautiful relationship with Him!   If you don't know Him.... that first step would be to come to Him in faith, accepting Him as your Savior.  If you do know Him, but are not experiencing the joy that overflows your heart when you are basking in the warmth of His presence, I challenge you to ask Him to take you to that next season...   Do you seek JOY?  Do you seek FULFILLMENT?  Seek HIM just as the wise men of old did! 

I decided to use a "season" theme and make a Christmas card, but I also got my clock in with the stick pin! LOL!  I used this month's release from Our Daily Bread designs Joy to the World Hymn, as well as Christmas Rose.  I stamped with Memento Ink and colored the image with Prisma Pencils, blending with Odor Free Mineral Spirits.  I also tore and distressed my edges and used the Faux Burnt Technique on the edges.  The technique can be found on SCS under Try a New Technique  Past Challenges.  I used four shades of Distress Inks: Antique Linen, Brushed Corduroy, Walnut Stain and Black Soot.  I used a base of Craft from Mark's Finest Papers, and the designer paper is Websters Pages Waiting for Santa/Sweet Season combo pack.  The flower is made with a Marianne Poinsettia Die, and I added a clock stick pin for the time element.  The beautiful flourishes around the focal image are various parts of a Cheery Lynn Fanciful Flourish. 

Our Sponsor this week is Digital Delights by Louby Lou

The prize is Three Free Digis from the 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

I am entering this in the following challenges:
 Crafts 4 Eternity Recipe Challenge - at least one metal embellishment (metal brads),
Totally Papercrafts - layer upon layer,  Moving Along With The Times - Vintage
Shelly's Images -  Anything Goes,   My Time To Craft - Punches & Dies,  Sweet Stamps - Lots of Layers, Top Tip Tuesday - Layer It  Use It Tuesdays - Metal  Week, Christmas Inspirations - 2W, 2E, must be Christmas  Die Cuts or Punches, Little Claire's  - #14 Christmas,