Sunshine

Then let not grief your heart beguile

Meet every trouble with a smile

Are any sad, go make them glad

And live in sunshine all the while

-Live in Sunshine, Katharine A. Grimes

Hi Friends!
Spring is here, and with it sunshine and warmer weather. My favorite seasons are spring and summer. I was born and raised in Texas, and I LOVE the heat. My family and I lived in Michigan for a while. One particularly hard winter, I had the weather on. It was mid-March and the weatherman mentioned that we had only had 15 minutes of sunlight between January to March that year. That winter seemed very harsh even though we didn't have as much snow that year. Just the fact that there was little sunlight made a huge difference.

But, we have a greater Light than the sun. When I first saw this hymn, it made me think of the song, "You Are My Sunshine." I hadn't heard this hymn before, but it's theme is that by abiding in Jesus, we can live in joy. And, so like the hymn says, we can live in sunshine all the time- no matter how many clouds are in the sky, or in our lives. Jesus takes the darkness away. Jesus loves us unconditionally. He is radiant and deserves all glory. Jesus is my sunshine.

Page details: I used Marquee Caps from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps. I stamped with distress oxide inks. Then I outlined the letters and the sun with a Micron pen. I used watercolor crayons to color in the sun.

Live in His Light, my friends! Have a blessed week. Andrea

Speak faithfully...

Hi friends,

It is an enormous privilege to have access to the Word of God. There are so many people around the world that either can't afford a bible, aren't allowed a bible, or don't have a the bible translated into their own language. The access we in first world nations have to Scripture is astonishing.

With that access comes several responsibilities though. Firstly, we need to not take this access for granted and should seek to study God's Word diligently and carefully, following the leading of the Holy Spirit as he directs us as to how we need to apply his words to our lives.

The  other responsibility we have is to share God's Word faithfully with others. There are so many ways we can do this, whether in conversations with friends, in sharing the good news of the Gospel, or in preaching and teaching. One way of sharing that has increased hugely in the last few years is through social media, and for us in particular, through Bible Journaling.

One of the things that I have been thinking about in my own art and sharing of the Word is how I do that faithfully. For me, faithfulness to Scripture means studying diligently, learning from others, speaking and listening with humility, and embracing the whole counsel of God. That means engaging with the harder-to-understand or difficult-to-hear texts and not just sticking with the ones that make us or others feel nice. 2 Timothy 3:16 says that ALL scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correction and training in righteousness. So as we engage with, journal, illustrate and speak God's Word, we need to explore both the Old and New Testaments, gospel and history, Psalms and prophets, encouragement and rebuke. And in all of this, we need to look for and to Jesus, who said that the Scriptures testify to him (Luke 24:27; John 5:39).

I tried the 'no-line watercolour' technique on this page using the beautiful new Delightful Daisies set. To achieve this look, you stamp the outline images using a light ink (I used Versamagic Sage) then using watercolour, add colour and shading to the flower centres and each petal. It does take a while, but it's a great way to practice colouring skills! The verse is a combination of alpha stickers along with His Name and Bitty Minnie Alpha (my favourite alphabet set!).

Let's be grateful for the access we have to the Word of God and take seriously our responsibility to share it faithfully...

x Amy x

Use Your Gifts

Now King Solomon sent and called Huram out of Tyre. He was the son of a widow from the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre who worked in bronze, and he was filled with wisdom and understanding and skill to make all sorts of items in bronze. So he came to King Solomon and performed all his work. 1 Kings 7:13-14

Friends-

I hope you had a blessed day yesterday celebrating our dear Savior's resurrection. Jesus is alive! He is worthy of our praise and devotion. Part of that devotion is using our talents for His purpose. After all, He gave us those talents. In 1 Kings 7 we are told of a man named Huram. He was from the tribe of Naphtali. He had lost his father at some point; but before his father's death, he had taught Huram what he knew in bronze work. God had gifted both these men in the working of bronze. And Huram used his gift for God's purpose by making many of the bronze furnishings for the temple.

God has gifted each one of us with talents. What if we used them to further His purpose? Think of the impact we could have in this world. It could be as simple as Bible journaling and sharing what you learn as you study and journal on social media. That's why I share on social media. It's not to get likes or to be told my art is pretty. God gave me some arting abilities. So, this is one way I can use them for His purpose. I pray that the pages and thoughts I share bring Him glory, that they draw others nearer to Him. And that's just one small way. Of course, our talents can be used for Him in every part of our lives- at home, at our jobs, with the people we come in contact with daily. Let's use our gifts for God!

Page details: I used the following Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps sets: Walk Humbly, All in All, Typewriter Blocks Alpha, Teeny Alpha, Girl Power, and Home for the Holidays. I used the tiny flower from Girl Power to decorate the skirt. I used watercolor crayons as well.

 Have a blessed week! Andrea

Shine

Hey everyone! Have you all checked out the fabulous new stamps released this month?....if not, jump over to the shop HERE and check out the lovelies added this month. I always have a hard time picking and choosing which sets I prefer to work with! The Marquee Caps Alpha is one of my favorites this month. I love the bold letters.

I began by stamping out my title 'Shine' using the 'Marquee Caps Alpha' onto cardstock paper using black StazOn ink. I added a dash of yellow in the dots and then fussy cut around the letters and set them on the page. Then I sketched in some lanterns and hanging lights. I used a little yellow watercolor to create the illusion of glowing lanterns and lights and to also pop the sketch a little more off the page. Finally I added my title, filled in some journaling and highlighted my verses. This is a simple page...if drawing is scary or intimidating you can always use the Starry Sanctuary printable and add those gorgeous images to your pages. I find that doodling is a fun way for me to spend some extended moments pondering and meditating on the words.

"When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. Aaron and all the people of Israel saw Moses, and behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. But Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses talked with them. Afterward all the people of Israel came near, and he commanded them all that the Lord had spoken with him in Mount Sinai. And  when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face."  Exodus 34:29-33

I have read the story of Moses receiving the ten commandments so many times, but in the last couple years Jesus has caused me to see a part of this in a new light. Moses went on top of Mt Sinai in Exodus 34 to talk to God and receive instruction and when he came down in verses 29-35 something remarkable happened. The people saw a visible change in Moses's appearance...his face shone. It even said that Moses had to wear a veil because the glory of God was so thick on him that the Israelites couldn't look at him. WOW that is some intense Jesus time! So this has me thinking...Does my face shine? Do people look at me and wonder whats up?

Father, let my face shine bright! When people around see me may they be drawn in curious and wanting to know more. My life goal is for everyone around me to see me and say..."She's been with Jesus!" Amen

Thank you all for stopping by I pray you go out into your Easter weekend and shine bright!
Hugs and prayers!
Jenn @creativegurl85

The Righteous Will Flourish

"The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing; to shew that the Lord is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him." - Psalm 92:12-15

There is so much truth packed in these few, small verses in Psalms. The Bible says that the wicked will flourish as the grass, which soon withers (Psalm 92:7), but the righteous flourish as the palm tree, which is long-lived and does not change in winter. In fact, the palm tree thrives under heavy pressure or weight. The more it is pressed down, the more it grows - just as the righteous flourish under their burdens. Being rooted in the house of the Lord causes us to flourish even in the most difficult of situations. I love this excerpt from the Matthew Henry Commentary: "Where God gives true grace he will give more grace. God's trees shall grow higher, like the cedars, the tall cedars in Lebanon. They shall grow nearer heaven, and with a holy ambition shall aspire towards the upper world. They shall grow stronger, like the cedars, and fitter for use."

God wants us to be like the palm trees - deeply rooted in His clean soil, strong under pressure, growing tall and proud, and producing good fruit for Him and for His glory.

I used Distress Oxides, Tombow markers, and the Walk Humbly, Bitty Minnie Alpha, and Marquee Caps Alpha stamps sets to illustrate this page. I covered the text I wanted to highlight with washi tape and used blenders to blend three Distress Oxide colors over the page. I splattered drops of water all over the page to give it that water oxidized effect, then I stamped the Walk Humbly girl and the Bitty Minnie Alpha stamps. On a separate piece of regular computer paper, I stamped the letters to the work FLOURISH, then fussy cut them out, and used adhesive tape to apply them to the page. I then finished with some random stamping, used a couple Tombow markers to outline the girl, punched a tab, hand-lettered the title, put down some washi, and 'voila' - finished! 😍

I'm praying you are flourishing in the Lord today and throughout this week. ❤

Janelle
@journalingjoy

My Redeemer Lives!

Hi friends,

The book of Job is a difficult one for many to read and meditate on, considering how much pain, suffering and questioning is present for the majority of the book. Many times Job cries out to God in anguish asking for answers, then complains at the silence he receives in return. When reading this it feels to me as if Job is despairing at God's seeming lack of care or answer to his cries. But in amongst all this pain, Job makes an astonishing statement of faith: "I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth." (Job 19:25)

Interestingly, his words immediately before this declaration are, "Oh that my words were written! Oh they they were inscribed in a book! Oh that with an iron pen and lead they were engraved in the rock forever!" Little did Job know at the time of him uttering these words that his prayer would be answered, and thousands of years later we would have his words in front of us, in a book, available forever. When I think about Job's prayers and declaration of faith in God, even in the middle of all of the pain and suffering he was facing, I am encouraged when it comes to our own situations.

You see, even when it feels completely dark and terribly lonely, and questions swirl around our hearts and minds unanswered, we can know that God hears our prayers and he will answer. This knowledge can stir our hearts to declare in faith what we believe to be true about God, even if our circumstances don't appear to line up right at that very moment.

As we approach the Easter weekend and contemplate both the death and resurrection of Jesus, we can hold on to this truth from Job's lips and inscribed in Scripture forever: we know that our Redeemer lives! Even when it's dark, even when it seems like evil has the upper hand, even when we feel alone, neglected or in pain: our Redeemer lives! And as our Redeemer, he will redeem ALL things in his way and in his time - in his infinite power and love. 

I had a lot of fun with acrylic paints on this page. I started with a background of different coloured paints thinly applied and blended together with a flat paintbrush. I then stamped the daisies from the new Delightful Daisies set, masking the larger image that I stamped first, then stamping others overlapping it so that when I removed the mask, it looked like the flowers were behind and in front of one another. I then added some green paint around the daisy images, blending that into the background. Finally, I added a bit of extra shading and highlights using some coloured pencils. The verse was stamped using a combination of alphabet stickers and His Name (which is such a fabulously useful Bible journaling set!).

Here are the sets I used:

Let's declare the good news of our risen Redeemer in all circumstances...

x Amy x

WWJD?

This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 1 John 4:10-11

Hi Sweet Friends!

WWJD? Do you remember when those bracelets and that saying were all the rage? What Would Jesus Do? That's a great question. I find myself asking that quite often in this modern day. In this modern world where we are expected to accept any and all behaviors and not call sin sin, what would Jesus do? HWLF.  I came across a bracelet with those letters on it and wondered what they stood for. He Would Love First. It was the answer to the WWJD question. And I thought to myself, "yes, that's what He would do." Isn't that what He shows us in the gospels? Time after time, He met sinners and not once did He condone their sins, but because they could feel His love, they were drawn to Him. And because they were drawn to Him, they listened to Him. They changed their lives because of Him.

1 John 4:7-21 says a lot about God's love for us. Jesus DIED for us. What greater love is there? And because He loves us, we are called to love others. God IS love. If we call ourselves His followers, then we need to be loving. Not judging. Not beating people over the head with our Bibles. Not telling sinners they're going to hell. Because guess what? We're sinners too. And the only reason I'm not going to hell is because of Jesus. And He didn't sacrifice Himself just for me. He did it for everyone. All they have to do is be drawn by His love and repent of their sins and accept Him as their Savior.

He Would Love First. And you and I should love first too. I'm not saying we should condone sin. We shouldn't. But we're not going to be able to share the gospel well unless the people we are talking to feel loved. Then their hearts will open. Their eyes and ears will open. And, maybe, just maybe, they will change their lives.

Page Details: I used the following Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps sets: Surrounded in Prayer, Marquee Caps, Bitty Minnie Alpha, His Love, Grunge Elements 2, and Texture Tiles 1. Surrounded in Prayer is a neat set created in honor of our Creative Team member Jane Bosi and her recent battle with breast cancer for the purpose of raising funds for a cause that is dear to her heart. SNSS is partnering with Aspirus to raise funds for their Family House project which will support families while their loved ones undergo treatment. $10 from each stamp sold will be donated to the Aspirus Family House project. To find out more about this project visit their website: https://www.aspirus.org/family-house-at-aspirus . I stamped the Marquee alpha with distress oxide pads. I also used watercolor crayons and a Micron pen.

We are loved. So, let's love.

Be well my friends! Andrea

God is good...All The Time

Hey friends! Life has been a little crazy, chaotic and topsy turvy lately. But April is here and now we have beautiful new stamps joining the line up in the shop...you can go check those out here. Let's jump on in and get our hands a little dirty and I will share my heart...

The splotchy, textured paint at the top and bottom of the pages I created by using a new technique I learned from Shanna Noel. I used a piece of wax paper and a drop of paint then sprayed it with water to create a looser consistency. Then comes the fun part, I smooshed the wax paper into the page. This created a very loose almost watercolor like look to the page. Once the paint was completely dried I stamped the happy day florals. I stamped the triangles around using a little watered down acrylic paint. For the title I used the All in all stamp set (this has to be one of my new favorites, I think I have used it on nearly every page since I received it!) and stamped out 'all the time God is'. The last step is my journaling, stickers, tabs, wordfetti, and puffy hearts.

Ever have a few weeks that you just feel so defeated and frustrated? I am just passing through that ... A few weeks ago my basement was flooded when my area experienced massive amounts of heavy rain. Then the next weekend my water heater began to leak all over my basement...ugh I was beginning to feel like everything was against me. Later that week I sat down to some much needed quiet time and these verses fell into my lap like much needed ointment for my soul.

"My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth. I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit - not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength- that Christ will live in you are you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you'll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ's love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God. God can do anything you know-far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! Ephesians 3:14-20 MSG

Talk about knocking my socks off and making me want to shout "Hallelujah"! I needed this reminder that no matter the stuff going on around me my Father is holding all things together. He sees me, loves me and cares. I simply need to seek Him, and He will open the gates wide. Sometimes our circumstances can cloud our view making it hard to see the truth. Just remember ALL THE TIME God is good!

Hugs and Prayers,
Jenn @creativegurl85

Journaling Cards

Hey guys,

I'm thrilled to be sharing this blog with you as it involves the making of something that has become a huge help to me in my Bible journaling:  journaling cards.

There are many ways to use these.  I love being able to put them in my Bible as a tip-in and such, but I've seen many use this similar idea for card making, planning, and just basic paper crafting!  It's such a fun technique.  I'm using a couple of April release stamp sets from Sweet n Sassy Stamps today, the affiliate link is right here to get your own!
Additionally, if you check out my Youtube channel, you'll see the full process video of how, what, and why I made these colorful additions to my repertoire. 

 

As in everything "Bible Journaling," the thing to remember about the creative process is that it's your own.  It's whatever you make it, it's however you achieve it, it's between you and your Maker, and ultimately about bringing Him glory with your creation!  

I want to share a bit about making journaling cards, and why it is that I made an entire tutorial on how you could mass produce them. 
You may want to use these a number of ways.  I use these types of cards in journaling often, whether in my own journaling or otherwise.  More specifically, I've started to make them to give them. 

A while back, I began a different way of creatively worshiping by way of something called "The Loved Bible Project," which in short, is the idea of "loving" a Bible ( usually compact bible - something small and easily toted from one place to another) through journaling notes, prayers, small devotions, and inspirations on a card, then fastening it in some form or fashion to a Bible page.  I've seen page after page of this concept executed in such beautiful ways!  Some use devotionals and some use their own Bible study time to guide their entries, much like any other form of Bible journaling. 
For me, it encourages growth in prayer and study, and the fruit of those things goes into this little Bible that God has led me to give!  I love it! 
I've been led to give it to a young lady who will be graduating from high school soon and will be venturing out on her very own for the very first time as she begins her college career. 
My hope is that she will look at this as a gift and love offering from me, but more importantly as a reference and tool to aid her in her walk with God in this new life!

I've been enjoying the entirety of this process!  From the paper prepping to the implementation of it, I've been able to work through my own struggles in creativity, my own lack of confidence in artistry, to come out on the other side a little more developed!  God is certainly a Master Creator, giving us each a piece of Himself as we learn how He's gifted us!  He's so good!

If you're interested in finding out more about The Loved Bible Project, I've provided several links below wherein you'll find the explanations of how "loving a Bible" works, as well as AMPLE inspirational pages, and what YOU could do to participate in this journey!

Much love,

Deeds
IG: mercies_journaled
Facebook: Deirdre Cason
Youtube: Mercies Journaled

Stamps used: "Cheerful Hexies" & "Surrounded in Prayer"

Loved Bible Project
IG: @thelovedbibleproject

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheLovedBibleProject/
   Also: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1790436421192713/