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Thursday, April 7, 2011

Jesus Is THE Reason Blog Hop!


"Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die." ~John 11:25-26

Good morning friends!:o) You should have arrived here from sweet Kadie's beautiful blog :) If not, you will want to go HERE...the top of the hop.

Similar to this past December's "Jesus Is The Reason for the Season" Hop, Heather Dennis and Catherine are hosting a blog hop for Easter/Resurrection Sunday! This idea was first suggested by a comment Catherine received on a hop post, and between her and Heather, they felt moved by the Holy Spirit to act. Just as with Christmas, the secular focus of Easter (e.g. bunnies, decorated eggs, and baskets of candy) has become so prevalent, that the real cause for celebration (Jesus and His resurrection following His sacrifice upon the cross) is often overshadowed. Taking to heart the Lord's command that as followers of Christ, we are to be light and salt to this world, our hope is that through this hop, we can reach out to others in love to share the Good News with both the saved and the lost. For today's hop, we were asked to create a project (card, scrap layout, or altered item) of faith in celebration of Christ's victory over death. Thank you, Heather and Catherine for inviting me to join the both of you in this remarkably inspirational hop!!!

"And Jesus Christ our Lord was shown to be the Son of God when God powerfully raised him from the dead by means of the Holy Spirit. Through Christ, God has given us the privilege and authority to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them, so that they will believe and obey him, bringing glory to his name." ~Romans 1:4-5

This hop is not intended to promote any particular stamp company or to solicit sponsorship...its sole purpose is to promote the love and sacrifice of Jesus Christ to give us sinners a chance at salvation and eternal life.
"And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise." ~Hebrews 10:19-23

While we cannot even begin to reciprocate the Lord's gift to us, there is "blog candy" on some of the hop stops as a token of appreciation for your comments and encouragement. We also invite you to celebrate the real "Reason for the Season" by posting your own creation celebrating Christ's Resurrection. There is a place to link on Catherine's blog, and a prize is up for grabs for one randomly selected card/project.

I hope you have found some inspiration here today:) Thank you so very much for hopping along with us and celebrating the greatest love...God's love for us!!! Your next stop is Paola:)

In the event you lose your spot along the hop, below you will find the entire hop order:
Me:o)

Have a wonderfully blessed day, my friends!!!! And as you hunt for decorative eggs and eat chocolate bunnies on Easter Sunday...remember, Jesus IS the reason for the season!!!

HAPPY {{{HUGS}}}!!!!
Carolyn

"Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God." ~Ephesians 3:17-19 

Card Ingredients:
(Card 1) - Image: "Love Everlasting" Digi (Fresh Brewed Designs), "God IS Love" digi sentiment (Sweet N' Sassy Stamps), Papertrey Ink card stock (Kraft, Enchanted Evening), Prismacolor markers, Nestabilities ovals, Maya Mist - Latte Metallic, Fancy Pants stamps "From the Garden" (flourish background on kraft card stock), Basic Grey Opaline pearls (Indigo), lace from stash, Tim Holtz Distress Ink - Vintage Photo, adhesive, dimensional adhesive, printer.

(Card 2) - Image: "Christ Arose" Digi (Sweet N' Sassy), Prismacolor markers, Papertrey Ink card stock (Kraft, Spring Rain), Swiss Dots CB embossing folder, Nestabilities - Curved Rectangles, Ovals, Papertrey Ink Spring Rain Swiss dots satin ribbon, Basic Grey Opaline pearls (Sky), adhesive, dimensional adhesives, printer.

27 comments:

Heather D. ~ Fresh Brewed Designs said...

Oh Carolyn!
I don't think I will make it through this hop and comment through my tears. How wonderful he is. How amazing his love is for us. How powerful his presence is in this hop! I love both of your cards. The first represents his suffering, his love, his giving his life to cover my sin. The second is the reminder that while he did die on the cross, he is risen and with the Father and will be returning for us someday. What a beautiful way to share his love with others. I am so glad to be in this hop with you and am very blessed to call you my sister. God is so good! I love you!
Heather

Therese said...

How deep the Fathers love for us, How vast beyond all measure, He gave us His only Son, Making Him our treasure - I say this because in Jesus is indeed treasure and relationship with a great God. Thanks for sharing your card xx

Melissa said...

Beautiful projects!! I love this blog hop, it is so meaningful and I am sure all will be blessed!

TFS

Linda Anderson said...

Wow, I am in complete and utter awe over these beautiful cards!!!! They are true works of art!!

Linda

Jacqy said...

What a beautiful way to share the talents and gifts the Lord has so blessed us with. This Blog Hop is wonderful. I am so happy I've come across it. The stamps are quite moving. I'm doing a series of cards for our new RCIA (rite of christian initiation) candidates who will be welcomed into our church Holy Saturday. Love all of your ideas. You have truly inspired.
Blessings on all who participate in this blog.
Jacqy

April said...

Carolyn,
I must start by saying that your coloring of Jesus is phenominal!! I think it brought tears to my eyes. He truly is the reason that life as we know it is so good to us! Your cards show the meaning of this special season as we should see it every day!

Lagene said...

Your Christ on the cross is amazing! And the beautful pastels on the second card bring us to think of spring and rebirth....fitting that we celebrate Christ resurection this time of year!

Shelly Schmidt said...

I love your beautiful cards- and the meaning of this wonderful Hop! I am glad I stumbled across it today- I just LOVE the first card- so powerful...and the 2nd one is colored just beautifully! Bless you!

~Paola~ said...

ohhh I have no words that would aptly describe how I felt INSIDE when I saw this stunning rendition of Heather's unique design..it is utterly magnificent!!You gave it such an appealing realistic touch with your flawless coloring Carolyn!
What an AMAZING card...as amazing as you are!
So nice to hop alongside you! God bless!
*hugs*

Angi Barrs said...

What a Blessing to have this kind of blog hop. Love it. Your cards are beautiful. :)

kadie said...

Hellooooo, Lovely Lady. I'm so glad to finally make it over here (work has been swamped) to read your beautiful post and see your stunning creations! Carolyn, your first card is so real to me. Wow, what a stunning depiction of the sacrifice our Lord made. And then, His triumphant victory displayed in your second card...chills, Girlie, I've got chills! Thanks for blessing all of us in your art, but also in the beautifully caring and uplifting person that you! You are a blessing to me and I've missed chatting with you so much! Love ya! kadie

Judy McMullen said...

Thank you, Carolyn, for sharing your love of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, by witnessing in word and your awesome, beautifully created card on the "Reason for the Season" blog hop. Wishing you all the joy your heart can hold as we Christians celebrate our resurrected Lord this Easter. May we always remember his great love for us and honor him what we do and say.

Barb said...

Great Cards--stunning!

Sammi said...

Thanks for such an inspirational and encouraging post! How amazing is Jesus!! LOVED reading your post and LOVED looking at your creations!
(hugs and prayers)
Sammi
xx

Maria Matter said...

Breathtaking hun!!!
God has certainly gifted you with a talent and you have surely honored him here with it!!!
hugs & blessings!

Payne Holler Cards said...

wonderful! i am just in awe and humbled by the honor given to our Lord in this hop...

Lorie said...

Oh Miss Carolyn! You have created two of the most gorgeous cards ever!! The first one literally brings tears to my eyes!! Your attention to all the details is unsurpassed! The second image has always been a favorite of mine, and you've colored it just beautifully! The embossing and the follow through with the polka dotted ribbon, once again showcases your perfect attention to detail!! You are so very talented, and it's truly an honor to be a part of this with you, my friend!

I LOVE ya!

Vickie said...

Beautiful card and message. TFS

Sarah said...

Your cards are so inspirational! Love the blue ribbon and all the attention to detail. Thank you so much for sharing the real reason why we celebrate Easter. God bless, Sarah

MiamiKel said...

OH Carolyn, my most humblest apologies! On my first run, I missed your post for the hop and thought it would be up later and here it is all along! Forgive me! But now that I am seeing it, I'm stunned with the awe of the beauty of your work! It never amazes me at the sheer magnitude of your talent and how you use your gift so effortlessly - we are blessed to witness each creation! Your cards are so beautiful - so detailed and I have to look at them for minutes just to take it all in! You are an absolutely inspiration, thank you for the blessing of YOU! x0x0

NanaConnie said...

Such magnificent projects! Beautifully designed and they certainly go far in showing the love of Christ and the sacrifice He gave for the world. Thank you for sharing your faith with the rest of us.

Becky Dunham said...

Beautiful projects Carolyn! I must tell you how blessed i have been by this hop! As a follower of Christ, i am thrilled that you all are doing this hop to remind us all of the real reason for Easter.

*Susan* said...

Carolyn, what a moving post for this most special hop. Your cards are beautiful! The first is a stunning reminder of Christ's ultimate sacrifice for us, while the second is a joyful reminder of His resurrection and the hope He gives us of everlasting life! I'm so happy to be part of this Easter celebration hop with you!

"Kirby" (KrB) said...

Carolyn, first of all your cards are beautiful! I love all that you shared in your praises and testimony of God's marvelous grace. How very special to be on this hop with you. You are my "oldest" and very special blogging friend and I'm honored to be participating with you once again. Hugs,

Grace said...

Beautiful cards and wonderful Scriptures! Thanks for letting us know about this hop on fb! God bless!!!

Scrappy Jackie said...

Thank you so much for sharing your faith so much on your blog... absolutely beautiful! Thank you so much for blessing me today. pjritsema at gmail dot com

Catherine said...

Thank you, dear friend, for blessing us with your friendship, faith and talents on this hop! Your first card is just beyond beautiful! I love the rich earth tones that convey the reality of Jesus's suffering and sacrifice - he became low and dirty with our human sin, but the shimmering lace and pearls signify the holiness of this act and the beauty of the love behind it. The second card is fresh and sweet - new life in Christ available to the born again believer and a cause of real celebration and joy!
TFS. (((HUGS)))