Yes, it’s that time of year, my favourite time, busy but fun! It’s also time for WOYWW which is will share below.
Christmas is a celebration of Christ’s birth, yet He is often banished these days, out of hearts and homes, stores and public locations.
However we mostly know Christmas is more than an excuse for gifts, family and food.
Mary at this time saw only in part: not as we do looking back - Christmas to Easter, through birth into death, then new life again, the defeat of death, at Christ’s resurrection.
Seeing it from Mary’s point of view is quite different.
The greater the trial and sorrow, the greater the blessing given from our Father God, for He sees what we cannot.
Christ came in human form, in complete submission to His Father's will.
Seeing it from Mary’s point of view is quite different.
The greater the trial and sorrow, the greater the blessing given from our Father God, for He sees what we cannot.
He yielded to the frailties of human flesh all the way to the cross.
Mary was told that her soul would be pierced through with the suffering to come.
Luke 2:34-35
And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.
Mary was told that her soul would be pierced through with the suffering to come.
Luke 2:34-35
And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.
This prophecy at Jesus' birth for Israel is still being fulfilled today, and also around the world. This virgin birth of God's own Son is indeed "a sign which shall be spoken against"!
Christ is still often condemned, as are His followers out of favour.
So in this celebration:
**May we shine the clear, pure light of Christ's birth, coming as Redeemer of mankind, as Emmanuel. "God With us".
**May only the Lord Jesus Christ be lifted up and no other replica to replace Him, or even be along side Him!
**May we shine the clear, pure light of Christ's birth, coming as Redeemer of mankind, as Emmanuel. "God With us".
**May only the Lord Jesus Christ be lifted up and no other replica to replace Him, or even be along side Him!
******
As it’s also WOYWW, or What is On Your Workdesk Wednesday at Julia’s Stamping Ground.
My desk earlier! True to season I’m starting to make some more Christmas cards for 2020. Actually really excited as this is the first crafting in a month. Those wondering re health report, I’m much better 😊. Not 100% but well on the way and incredibly grateful at how well my shin healed this time around! Yay! Praise God. 
Using Distress ink pads and Tombow watercolour pens on rectangle ink block. Colouring, spritzing, smooching on paper a number of times to get background. I go over each rectangle about three or four times till colour develops, and am happy.
Used backgrounds several ways.
This first card is a snippet base, odd size as piece white card, sitting on desk. Background I cut down as was messy in smooching and laid on navy snippet then gold rectangle CCD.
The verse is “For unto us a child is born” from Unity Itty Bitty Stamps.
Washi tape across lower border.
Second card cut in Creatif Wonky rectangle. Stamped silhouette of Escape to Egypt, baby Jesus Stamp is by Nellie Snellen, inked in Versamark + ultrafine gold EP by Stampendous. Added some inky highlights. Mounted as shown.
Greeting by Poppy Stamps Joy to the World.
I’ve made other two up, but differently. I found this stamp difficult on watercolour card, an excellent quality artist pad, freebie from a garage sale, but rough surface not ideal for stamping. Will share later.
Would love to say the fires and drought are all gone, but now in just NSW, an area the size of Wales is burnt. It’s astronomical, almost 1,000 homes in NSW since started in Sept and in last week two volunteer firefighters were killed (young dads, sooo sad) and others injured with burnt falling trees.
Oh, please, Lord, please send rain soon. We have had rain, showers though and soaking drought breaking rain is needed.
And oh SO many fires, too many, started deliberately!
That beggars belief. 😢
Lord bless you all dear ones, thank you to so many who’ve sent me cards, I’m sorry to those I missed out.
Christmas celebrates the birth of Christ, our Lord and our Saviour.
Christmas is remembering this, as able, with God's family, as well as our own family and friends Whom God has given us.
How blessed are we!
O may we walk this Christmas time, and every moment of every day God gives in the presence of Emmanuel "God with us" (Mat. 1:23).
For when God is truly with us, we will live for Him and love Him only.
Christmas is remembering this, as able, with God's family, as well as our own family and friends Whom God has given us.
How blessed are we!
O may we walk this Christmas time, and every moment of every day God gives in the presence of Emmanuel "God with us" (Mat. 1:23).
For when God is truly with us, we will live for Him and love Him only.
May the LORD bless your day, wherever you maybe!
Prayer hugs, 🙏🏻🤗🙏🏻🤗🙏🏻
Shaz in Oz.x
How true is this today? And every day?
Corrie ten Boom is a Nazi concentration camp survivor. She saw it all as a young teen.. her own sister murdered and more.
Corrie ten Boom is a Nazi concentration camp survivor. She saw it all as a young teen.. her own sister murdered and more.
Linking up to the following:
1. Word Art Wednesday - anything goes. All cards http://wordartwednesday.blogspot.com.au/
2. Snippets Playground
2. Snippets Playground
26 comments:
So glad to read that your health is better, Shaz! So sad for the fires, instead. Such a tragedy! Prayers for some rain in Australia... We have had too much of it, the world is divided in half parts.
Have a Joyous and Peaceful Christmas and yes, Christmas IS Christ birthday, this is the reason of the happy day. :)
Hugs
So glad to hear you are getting better Shaz. Beautiful cards for next christmas. I hope you and your family have a blessed christmas and a fantastic 2020.. hugs. Loz&TeddyB
Beautiful cards Shaz, love how you created the backgrounds, the gold really pops. So sad regarding the fires Shaz, makes me feel awful when I read and see reports on TV we all feel so helpless. I pray the devastation stops soon.
Enjoy your day today, Merry Christmas it's a magical time of the year.
Happy Woyww HUgs Tracey xx
Amen and Amen my dear Shaz. Wishing you a joyous Christmas as we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
I'm also in prayer for your dear Oz and the horrible fires. May God in His mercy bring rain to the land.
Love and Blessings,
Betsy
We have been watching the news of the fires here in the UK it is big on our news reports. Wishing you a happy Christmas and a healthy new year - great news that your leg is recovering well. Happy woyww too. Helen #1
Merry Christmas Shaz, here's praying for a wet one! Glad to hear you are doing better. Lovely backgrounds for those Christmas cards! Happy WOYWW. Sarah #3
Hi Shaz. I hope you have a really lovely day. I'm off to my parents soon so not much time but wanted to send you Christmas hugs before I go. Angela x9x
Beautiful beautiful cards Shaz - loving the embossed image, and I agree that embossing on watercolour/artist papers can be difficult - you managed it very well.
The fires are horrific - joining you in prayer for rain
Thank you for joining us at the current Word Art Wednesday challenge
Blessings
Maxine
DT WAW
I sympathize with the people affected by the fires. A few years ago we had fires here in Spain nothing like Australia and I was so frightened. Glad you have made a start on Christmas card stock 2020. Hope you enjoyed your Christmas day and wish you a healthy new year. Ani#8
Happy WOYWDW Christmas,
Lovely to read your health is better and long may it continue
Lilian B #10
My little sis in NSW is suffering with this heat and the fires, said it was 46 the other day. So sorry to hear about those firefighters, they do such wonderful works. We moan over here about our cold wet weather but you need it and have the opposite - know which I would rather have when I read things like this.
Glad you are healing at last, please take care of you and stay safe at all times.
God Bless
Neet 14 xx
What is Christmas without Christ? What does His birth mean without His sacrifice and ultimate gift to us? We can enjoy the extras of this celebration but the joy comes only from deep within, when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour! Our prayers continue for your health and country, may God be merciful. Love your card, what a great one to start of with! Happy Christmas all year round dear Shaz!
Wishing you a merry Christmas Shaz.....as we celebrate a graceful God that continues to want us in relationship with him. So sad for those families at christmas who have lost loved ones, homes, businesses, wildlife and the list goes on... we can only pray for them. Take care of yourself and good to hear you are on the mend.
Sandra de @16
Hi Shaz, and Merry Christmas. Good news that the leg healed well. Love the cards, intending to get started on mine over the next couple of weeks, first time I've felt like doing cards for months.All the fires are so terrible, and as you say, it is hard to believe some people start them deliberately. Shocking, truly. Have a lovely Christmas week, Hugs, Shaz #11 X
Merry Christmas Shaz, thank you for your beautiful card! I hope you have a lovely time and am so pleased that your shin is healing so well. Thanks for all the support and fun this year, see in in 2020!
Hugs LLJ 13 xxx
Merry Christmas, I love your backgrounds you have made for your cards and how you dress them up a bit differently on each one.
Prayers are still being lifted about the fires!
Merry Christmas Shaz, great news that your leg is healing nicely, but not so great news about the fires and the loss of lives. I hope you get your much needed rain soon. I've no desk this week, so not taking part in WOYWW - although I could have maybe scheduled a post as some others have done, I just didn't think! Love and hugs to you, Heather xx
What a beautiful post, Shaz, with such a good message. Our hearts go out to all those suffering as a result of the fires. I adore the quote from Corrie ten Boom - a truly remarkable lady. My Godmother met her once, and I have the recording of the talk she gave on that occasion. I love your selection of cards and your backgrounds are so beautiful! I am happy to say my papercrafting mojo is returning and I've started making cards again... If you hop over to my blog you can see my latest Celtic Zentangle drawing which is a spiritual one. I am glad to hear that your health is improving - long may this trend continue!!
I hope you have had a lovely day. It's been quiet here, just my hubby and me, but I've been very busy in the kitchen for much of it!! We are off to his family tomorrow and I had to make a pudding for that as well.
Happy WOYWW and God bless,
Hugs, Shoshi x #15
Hi Shaz, Wishing you and yours a wonderful season of joy in the birth of Jesus. We had a little Christmas day rain here but not enough to put the huge fires burning either side of the Blue Mountains out. Saddened by the deaths of the two volunteers in the fire truck, my neighbours 17yo goes out for sometimes 14 hour shifts fighting the fires, he first started RFS at school during sport time as part of the Duke of Edinburgh award he is working on. Wishing you a safe, happy and healthy 2020... have a wonderful week... Megan
My intentions really were good yesterday. I planned to visit all the WOYWWers at some point between our visits but it just didn't happen so here I am, a day late. I am determined to call on each and every one of you to wish you a wonderful Festive time, thank you for all the love and friendship over the last year and to say I really hope we can enjoy many more WOYWW over the next year.
Much love and the biggest hugs,
Annie x #5
Those fires are truly terrifying. Glad you’re feeling better and got to create again. Good idea to get a head start on next year’s Christmas cards. I’m planning to do so too, but I need a few birthday and heart themed cards done as well, so I’ll see what I’ll manage.
Such beautiful handiwork! Eye candy deluxe! Hope you are having a blessed holidays, Shaz, hugs and love! xoxo
So pleased to hear that your feeling a lot better and healing well. Terrible times for your homeland at the moment. I wish we in The UK could send some of the rain we are getting here. The weather is certainly being Topsy Turvy.,hope you are keeping safe. Hugs Mrs A.
So glad to hear you're much improved Shaz - health is so important.
I love your cards, needless to say! Interestingly, my sample card for today uses the same stamp with the extra one you so sweetly donated as part of the prize. I struggled stamping the image although I think mine was from stamping onto an alcohol ink background on the TH sparkle card which in itself is a bit rough. A solid stamp needs a smooth surface methinks :)
Hugs
Di xx
Thank you for your visit, Shaz, and for your prayers. I hope you had a happy Christmas. On to the New Year now. Where has the time gone?
See you next year, and God bless,
Shoshi x #15
I’m so sorry to be so late, I thought of all the weeks of the year, this week would be a breeze in terms of time! have been blessed with loads of visitors and spent a ridiculous amount of time in the kitchen, but the pay off is chat, company, love, so no complaints. Really pleased that you’re healing continues so well, and delighted by your lovely long post....and get you - cards for next year! Praying for rain, the families, the firefighters. Deliberately set fires...I have no words.
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