This is my very late His Holy Name Challenge #13 card, I have two more to do before the next one comes out! I love doing these studies and endeavour to do them on time - but this one just slipped past!
I have distressed DP from DCWV, those fabulous hands are part of a RAK from one of my Twisted Sisters, Pat Smethers, it was Pat who first encouraged me to do these challenges, I saw her pages up in the gallery and knew I wanted to be involved...thank you Pat...you are such a precious friend and sister to me - I am so thankful to God that we have 'linked arms' for our journey!!! The flames are also off DP from Pat! I cut out the hands and coloured them with chalks, added the flames which represent God being a consuming fire, and also the 'world', which is symbolic of us, God's people. The heart represents of God's love.
When I first became a Christian I thought that God being a JEALOUS God was a contradiction to the fact that we all know so well - God is Love...and love is not jealous!! James 3:14-17 tells us how bitter jealousy and contention in your heart, is earthly, beastly, devilish. But the wisdom from above is firstly truly pure, then peaceable, forbearing, yielding, full of mercy and of good fruits, not partial and not pretended. Jealousy as we know it is a negative thing but God's Jealousy is positive, it protects, nutures and grows us! It is very sobering to see the effects of bitter jealousy - and how easily it happens whether it be over a possession, friend, Church position or 'ministry'! Thank God for His love and heart for us, His jealousy is not related to envy, but speaks more to me of 'protective' - in the same way those of us who are parents are 'jealous' over our children. We want to protect them from the blows that life can bring, from the things that will harm them, physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually and to nurture them in a loving environment, far away from anything that can hurt or damage them...We can be 'jealous' of our friends, Church, anything that we love. God is jealous over us and wants our love for Him to be our priority - for our sakes...He wants us to love Him with our whole heart, not in between sports events, TV shows or (dare I say it) craft events....He is a JEALOUS God and wants us in our totality! I am grateful that God is JEALOUS over me!! The saying that Christians aren't perfect, just forgiven' to me is such a 'cop out'...it isn't an excuse...we are committed to the process of being perfected...so no wonder God is 'JEALOUS' over us - I don't know about you, but I am not always the quickest learner!!
Registered: June 4, 2009 Location: Deatsville, Alabama Posts: 83898
Tue, Jul 28, 2009 @ 12:01 PM
Wow, I was searching for a good card with a church on it and saw this one in the thumbnails and had to get a closer look. The minute it came up, I had a feeling it was one of your cards. This is simply wonderful. Awesome scripture and awesome card. It is a blessing just to look at it! Wow!
------------------------------ Nancy Williams - Hope your day is Spirit-filled and ink-filled (in that order)!DRS Designs-DT, Punchkateerforever, Dirty Dozen Alumni