3/27/2012 - The Real Thing {And some more cards}

A church in Naperville, Illinois, is basking in excitement about its brand-new bells in the belfry above its sanctuary. When the church was built many years ago, they didn’t have the money to purchase bells. However, for its 25th anniversary they were able to raise the funds to hang three bells in the vacant space. Even though they are stunning, there is one problem: the congregation will never hear the bells ring. Although they look real, they are artificial.

The apostle John wrote his first epistle to encourage believers not to just look like real Christians, but to prove they are genuine by how they live. The evidence that a person’s faith is real is not found in some mystical experience with God. The proof that people truly know and love God is found in submitting to His authority and to His Word. John writes, “But whoever keeps His Word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked” (1 John 2:5-6).

If we claim that we have been transformed by the gospel and intimately know and love God, we should validate it by our obedience to His Word.

Don’t listen to the Word of God
And then ignore what you have heard;
Instead obey God’s will for you—
Be doers of the Word. —Sper

Obedience to God is an expression of our love for God.

*´¨) ¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨) (¸.•´ (¸.•' Have A Great Day! ~Love Barbara~

More cards - 3/26/2012

Below are some more cards created by me....

New flowers I purchased from A.C.Moore - Mark Richards Flowers

Kenny K download images and Our Daily Bread stamp set

Scripture Collection one

 Downloaded encouraged images from Whimsy Stamps.

Background Dry embossed.

*´¨) ¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨) (¸.•´ (¸.•' Have A Great Day! ~Love Barbara~

Avenue To Power 3/26/2012

When Tarah was in high school, she had a growing fear that she would someday battle a serious illness. So she began to pray—asking God to spare her from this imagined illness. Then she reached a turning point in her thinking, and she yielded her future to God no matter what.
Years later, Tarah’s doctor found a cancerous tumor, which was successfully treated with chemotherapy. Tarah says that because she had entrusted her future to God, she was ready when the disease came. Her problem became an avenue for God’s strength.
This idea of surrendering to God can be seen in Paul’s life as well. His surrender came after the problem­—“a thorn in the flesh”—had developed (2 Cor. 12:7). Paul prayed repeatedly about this difficulty, pleading for the Lord to take it from him. But God responded, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness” (v.9). Understanding this, Paul adopted a positive view: “Most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. . . . For when I am weak, then I am strong” (vv.9-10).
In facing our fears and struggles, it’s vital that we yield totally to God. When we do, God can use our problems as an avenue for His power.

Whenever life’s burdens oppress you And trials are too much to face, Remember God’s strength in your weakness; He’ll give you His power and grace. —Sper

Wielding our power is no substitute for yielding our will to God’s power.

*´¨) ¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨) (¸.•´ (¸.•' Have A Great Day! ~Love Barbara~

More Cards -

 I so love these colors....

*´¨) ¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨) (¸.•´ (¸.•' Have A Great Day! ~Love Barbara~

WOW - I have not blogged since 3/17.............

Hello all and happy Sunday....  The pass two weeks have have been something..(Shaking my head but praising him for all that he does)...... God blessed me with a full time perm. job that some of you might ....already know.. so I'm working 8 to 5pm and then 5:30 to 10pm...every night..... I have eight weeks or training ( 2down - 6more to go) on 8/5, so after training, i will be getting my Hours that i should be working for the next 6 months.... so I might leaving the night job.....{Can't feed my family on P/T work}......

So if your wondering why you have not seem me posting on the daily Blog, this would be why... I miss you Guys.. But here I am to post some completed cards.....

Some of the images are from : Mo's Digital pencil, Whimsy downloads, Tiddy Ly Inks.

*´¨) ¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨) (¸.•´ (¸.•' Have A Great Day! ~Love Barbara...

A Word To The Weary 3-17-2012

The people of Israel were struggling. They had been taken captive by the Babylonians and forced to live in a country far from home. What could the prophet Isaiah give these weary people to help them?
He gave them a prophecy of hope. It was a message from God relating to the promised Messiah. In Isaiah 50:4, the Savior Himself described the comfort and consolation He would one day bring: “The Lord God has given Me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary.”

Happy St. Patty's Day... Enjoy!

These were words of dual comfort—both to the people in exile and to future generations whose lives would be touched by Jesus’ compassion. In the Gospels we see how Christ fulfilled the prophecy with “a word in season to him who is weary.” To the crowds who followed Him, Christ proclaimed: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28). Words of compassion indeed!
Jesus left us an example of how to minister to people who have grown weary. Do you know someone who needs a timely word of encouragement or the listening ear of a concerned friend? A word of comfort to the weary can go a long way.

Neither life nor death can ever
From the Lord His children sever,
For His love and deep compassion
Comforts them in tribulation. —Berg

Compassion is needed to heal the hurts of others.

*´¨) ¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨) (¸.•´ (¸.•' Have A Great Day! ~Love Barbara~

Beauty In The Church

When my husband, Jay, and I decided to build a new house, we didn’t recruit friends and family who enjoy working with power tools; instead we hired a skilled builder to create something both functional and beautiful.

Beauty in the church building, however, is not always a high priority. Some associate it with impracticality, so anything ornate or decorative is considered wasteful. But that wasn’t God’s attitude when He established a place of worship for the ancient Israelites. He didn’t recruit just anybody to set up an ordinary tent. He appointed skilled craftsmen, Bezalel and Oholiab (Ex. 36:1), to decorate the tabernacle with finely-woven tapestries and intricately designed ornaments (37:17-20).
I think the beauty was important then because it reminded the people of the worth of God in their worship. During the dry and dusty days of desert wanderings, they needed a reminder of God’s majesty.
The beauty created by God’s people in worship settings today can serve the same purpose. We offer God our best talents because He is worthy. Beauty also gives us a glimpse of heaven and whets our appetites for what God is preparing for our future.

*´¨) ¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨) (¸.•´ (¸.•' Have A Great Day! ~Love Barbara~

Some more Kenny K updates....

Some more sneak peeks..

 Dedicated to Jamie McKnight.. doing her P. Diddy Dance...

 Also gotta add some spiritual encouragement.

*´¨) ¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨) (¸.•´ (¸.•' Have A Great Day!

~Love Barbara~

Handle With Care

We live in a society that’s overrun with warning labels. From disclaimers on pills, to “use-by” dates on soup cans, to danger signs on chain saws—warning labels draw our attention to impending hazards. Recently I received a box with a precious gift inside. The sender had attached a big red sticker to the package that said, fragile: handle with care. When I think about life and its fragility, I wonder if we shouldn’t all wear one of those red stickers.

It’s not a good idea to cruise through life thinking that we are invincible and that everything is going to be just fine—only to discover that we are far more fragile than we thought. It takes only a call from the doctor telling us that we have a life-threatening disease, or the swerve of a careless driver in front of us to remind us that life is extremely uncertain. There are no guarantees! None of us can be certain of another breath. So the psalmist has an important piece of advice . . . a warning label of sorts: “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Ps. 90:12).
Let’s choose to live as though this were our last moment on earth by loving more deeply, forgiving more readily, giving more generously, and speaking more kindly.
That’s how to handle life with care.

To run the race of life in Christ, This must become your daily goal: Confess your sins, trust God for strength, Use discipline and self-control. —Sper

Yesterday is gone; tomorrow is uncertain; today is here. Use it wisely.

*´¨) ¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨) (¸.•´ (¸.•' Have A Great Day! ~Love Barbara~

Dingo The Dog

Harry Tupper is a fishing legend here in Idaho where I live. There’s a spot on Henry’s Lake over on the east side of the state that’s named for him: “Tupper’s Hole.”
The thing I remember most about Harry, aside from his rare ability to catch those huge Henry’s Lake trout, was his dog, Dingo. Now there was a dog! Dingo used to sit alongside Harry in his boat and watch intently while he fished. When the old fisherman hooked a trout, Dingo would bark furiously until the fish was netted and released.
Dingo’s enthusiasm taught me something: It’s better to get more excited about what others are doing than what we are doing.
So, as I read Philippians 2:4 and think about Dingo, I ask myself: Do I spend time thinking about “the interests of others”? Do I get as excited about what God is doing in and through a friend as I do about what He is doing in and through me? Do I long to see others grow in grace and find success, though it may have been my efforts that made them prosper?
This is the measure of greatness, for we are most like God when our thoughts for ourselves are lost in our thoughts for others. Paul said it best: “Let each esteem others better than himself” (2:3). Is that how we live?

Love feels the sorrows others feel,
It longs to give support,
And love is quick to take delight
In every good report. —D. De Haan

A life filled with love for the Lord and for others is a fulfilling life.

*´¨) ¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨) (¸.•´ (¸.•' Have A Great Day! ~Love Barbara~

Sneak peek on my Kenny K Images...

Just a couple of sneak peak, skin tones done with Copic and colored images done with watercolor pencils and stampin up and/or CTMH markers... Shucks I'm kinds impressed myself......LOL...

 As most of you know I love BLING *** so yes that Glitter on the

snow boots and my Glitter pens is also at work on most of the Cards..

Oh.. Stud earring in the ears....My special touch....

Background done with Dry embossing machine..

*´¨) ¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨) (¸.•´ (¸.•' Have A Great Day!
~Love Barbara~

WOW - Weekend Project ***

After working with my Gamsol and my Blender pens, and realizing that Gamsol work with regular pencil an Blenders/Dove works with Watercolor.. I decide to Organize my color pencils....Some of my pencil I have had since High School.. wow 25 yrs plus that crazy....

I have fell in love with this Butterfly stamp {Penny Black * Mini Butterfly}}to show off my colors.
Regular color pencils - {Gamsol} - Prismacolor {PC}, EK Success, Heidi Swap, and my Rose Art.
Metallic Pencils - Artist Loft, Stampin Up, Crayola
Watercolors as you can see....LOL...these are my Favorite - Prismacolor {WC}- Steadtler Karat, Stampin Up watercolor, Crayola, Artist Loft Fundermentals, Artist Loft, General Kimberly, A.C.Moore watercolor....

*´¨) ¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨) (¸.•´ (¸.•' Have A Great Day! ~Love Barbara~

The Dalton Gang 3/5/2012

The Dalton brothers were infamous outlaws during the late 1800s in the US. They started out on the right side of the law as officers. But then they followed a gradual descent into crime and became known for bank and train robberies. Their day of reckoning came when they tried to hold up two banks at once. Hearing of the robberies, the townspeople armed themselves and began to fire on the Dalton Gang. When the smoke cleared, Emmett Dalton was the sole survivor.
After serving 15 years in the penitentiary, Emmett was pardoned and set free. While in prison, he had come to see the error of his ways. So when he was released, he wanted to deter young people from a life of crime. Drawing from his own experience, Emmett wrote and starred in a film about the Dalton Gang in which he showed the folly of being an outlaw. In many ways, Emmett’s film was telling others: “Do not enter the path of the wicked” (Prov. 4:14).
In a similar way, when we have sinned but have genuinely repented and experienced God’s forgiveness, we can tell our own story. We can encourage others not to make the same mistakes we have made. James wrote, “He who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death” (5:20).

If others learn from our mistakes, And it saves them from the pain That we ourselves experienced— Then it wasn’t all in vain. —Sper

When we learn from our mistakes, we are less likely to repeat them.

*´¨) ¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨) (¸.•´ (¸.•' Have A Great Day! ~Love Barbara~

I’m Good *********** Happy Birthday cousin Monica***************

When someone asks, “How are you?” it has become common for the response to be, “I’m good.” When we say this, we are really saying, “I’m well” or “I’m doing fine,” speaking of our general well-being and not our character. I have answered with that response more times than I can count, but lately it has begun to bother me. Because, whether we realize it or not, we are saying something specific when we use the word good.Jesus once encountered a wealthy young man who called Him “Good Teacher” (Matt. 19:16). The young man was right, for Jesus is both good (completely perfect) and the Teacher. He is the only One who can truly make that claim.
The Lord, however, challenged the man to think about what he was saying in using that term good. “So He said to him, ‘Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments’” (v.17). Jesus wanted the man to understand that the assertion he was making needed to be taken seriously. Jesus can be called “good” because He is God.
Next time someone asks you, “How are you?” it is great to be able to say, “I’m well.” But remember, only Jesus is good.

Eternal with the Father, One,
Is Jesus Christ, His own dear Son;
In Him God’s fullness we can see,
For Jesus Christ is deity. —D. De Haan

God is great and God is good, but without Him we are neither.

*´¨) ¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨) (¸.•´ (¸.•' Have A Great Day! ~Love Barbara~

Sneal peek - Birthday Card...

This is my Cousin card for her Birthday .. She love me handmade cards.....I hope she likes this one made especially for her..

Happy Birthday Stamps - Whimsy stamps

Veronica image - Mo's Digi Pencil

Skin Tone - Copic Sketch E31

Other coloring Stampin Up stamp pads used with Blender pen...

and of course me stardust Glitter pen...Flower New flowers in Archivers and A.C.Moore.

Cheaper in A.C.Moore by 1.00.. {Fluerelles - Fabric Flowers Stickers by Mark Richards}

*´¨) ¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨) (¸.•´ (¸.•' Have A Great Day!

~Love Barbara~

My Copic E31 - Is awesome...I think I gotta get some more.... Birthday Hint....

Can you believe that my Copic Sketch E31 - Did all this coloring and shading....
Just a couple of sneak peeks...: Also found some more awesome images...Mo's Digital Pencil..
http://www.mosdigitalpencil.com/, awesome. images..

Lady with packages is Veronica

 Little Umbrella

 Little Smooches

 Watermelon Girl and Sadie

*´¨) ¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨) (¸.•´ (¸.•' Have A Great Day!
~Love Barbara~

Can I Trust You? Happy MARCH 1, 2012

According to lie-detection experts, “Our natural tendency is to trust people.” However, not everyone is trustworthy all the time. Signs that someone may be lying include fidgeting, lack of eye contact, and noticeable pauses in speaking. Even with these clues, experts warn that it is still quite tough to tell deceivers from honest people.

Joshua needed to know if he could trust the Gibeonites. When they discovered that God wanted him to get rid of some neighboring nations (Josh. 9:24), they pretended to be from a faraway land. They arrived in worn-out tunics and patched sandals, claiming, “Our garments and our sandals have become old because of the very long journey” (v.13). The Israelites were suspicious (v.7), but they “did not ask counsel of the Lord” (v.14); and Joshua unwisely made a peace treaty with the deceivers.

Many want to gain our trust: salespeople, financial advisors, or estranged family members. If we wonder: “Can I trust you?” we shouldn’t decide quickly, based only on what seems right to us. It’s better to seek counsel from God’s Word (Ps. 119:105), godly people (Prov. 11:14), and God Himself (James 1:5). Wisdom from above will help us decide who to trust.

Protect us from deceivers, Lord,
Who lie and plot to take
Advantage of us and confuse
Decisions we must make. —Sper

A desire for discernment is God’s call to prayer.

*´¨) ¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨) (¸.•´ (¸.•' Have A Great Day!

~Love Barbara~