Be Ye Strong

Happy Wednesday!! It's time for another challenge at Word Art Wednesday. This week we're focusing on a verse in the Old Testament, 2 Chronicles 15:7, "Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hand be weak: for your work shall be rewarded." A little history lesson for this one (you can read it for yourself in 2 Chronicles 14 & 15). Israel's king at this time was Asa. He was a good king that sought the Lord and wanted to please Him. He put away the idols and altars made to false gods. When he was in battle, he prayed to the Lord and asked (and received) His help. A prophet, Azariah, came to Asa and told him that if he would continue to seek the Lord, the Lord would continue to help him. Azariah told King Asa that for a long time the people of Israel had neglected to serve the Lord and that because of this they had suffered adversity. But that when they sought the Lord, they found Him there to help them. He encouraged Asa in verse 7 to be strong and continue to do what was right and that the Lord would reward him. Asa took courage from Azariah's encouragement and continued to remove the altars, idols and other places where false gods were worshiped. He was such a good example to his people that they also worshiped the Lord. As a result, the Lord gave him a long period of rest from battle and blessed him.

So what does this have to do with us? It's a reminder to us that encouraging others is vitally important. If you see someone trying to serve the Lord, encourage them to keep on serving. Your pastor, Sunday School or Bible Study teacher, choir director or other church leader carries burdens you don't see. Encourage them to remain faithful and that the Lord notices what others do not. Encourage fellow Christians to hold the line and remain true to the Lord. As card makers, we have a perfect opportunity to turn our hobby into a ministry of blessing others. How about a note to a shut-in, a mom who has missed church due to sick children, or a missionary that your church supports? Let them know that they are not forgotten. Let's try to be like Azariah and encourage our Christian leaders and fellow Christians. Let's also try to be like King Asa and remain faithful in serving the Lord and be a good example to our fellow Christians. Who will you encourage this week?

For this week's card, I used the pleated drapery or curtain technique. This works best with double sided papers. The background cardstock was embossed with an embossing folder for added interest and texture. Burlap ribbon covers where the drape and patterned paper meet. Some layered flowers add some decoration and a little sparkle.

Supplies:
Cardstock: The Paper Studio Heavy Weight (cream for cardbase), Georgia Pacific (white for sentiment), Bazzill (Quicksand)
Patterned Paper: My Mind's Eye (Dilly Dally 6 x 6 Pad)
Stamp: WORDart by Karen
Tools/Embellishments: Cuttlebug Embossing Folder (Honeysuckle Vines), Bazzill Paper Flowers (slate blue), The Paper Studio White Beaded Micro Flowers, Our Daily Bread Designs dies (Double Stitched Rectangle), Distress Ink (Vintage Photo), Big Lots Craft Ribbon

I'm entering this card in the following challenge:
Crop Stop April Challenge #38 - Use item/brand found in the Crop Stop online store (I used Bazzill, Ranger, Fiskars, Scotch, and Cuttlebug)

Thanks for visiting with me today. I hope you'll stop by the Word Art Wednesday blog to see the projects that the rest of the Design Team have made, pick up your free digi and check out our wonderful sponsors.