There is No Other

 Turn to Me and be saved, all you ends of the earth;

for I am God, and there is no other. Isaiah 45:22

Hi Friends!

Today we are in Isaiah 45 where through Isaiah, God pleads for the earth to turn to Him for salvation. As we begin celebrating our Savior's birth, let's focus on why He came. His purpose in becoming man was to lead a sinless life and sacrifice Himself so that we might be redeemed. He came solely to save us. Jesus didn't have to leave heaven. He didn't have to become human. He didn't have to leave His glory. He chose to because He loves us that much. Let me say that again- HE CHOSE to leave His rightful place with the Father to become what He had created just so He could save us. Imagine that love. So when God called the earth to salvation, He knew that salvation would be found in Jesus. When He said repeatedly that He is God and there is no other, He means that He is the only God, the true God, and there is no one like Him. And Jesus is Him incarnate. Jesus is the only God, the one true God. He is the way to the Father.

Page Details: I used the following Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps sets: I Am, All in All, and Marker Alpha. I had fun with this background! I colored the page with watercolor crayons. I just randomly colored different sections with different colors. Then I spritzed the page with water, and began painting over the colors with a wet brush. After the paint dried, I took a stencil and with a baby wipe, I wiped away some of the paint through the stencil. That's how I got the dots. Then I used another stencil and embossing paste to add more accents to the page. It was fun doing something different with my watercolor crayons. :) 

 Have a blessed week! Andrea

The Eye is a Lamp...

Hi friends,

In Luke 11:33-36, Jesus teaches his disciples using the metaphor of a lamp. He starts with the familiar teaching about not hiding a lamp under a bowl, but rather putting it on a stand so that all can see its light. He then speaks about the eye as the lamp of the body. If the eyes are healthy, then the body is full of light. But if the eyes are unhealthy then the whole body is full of darkness. This of course could be a way of explaining the effect of blindness on the human body - if the eyes don't work or are unhealthy, then the whole body is in darkness. But Jesus is talking about more than the physical body. He goes on to say that it is possible for the light in us to be darkness (which makes no sense when talking about literal light).

When meditating on this passage of scripture I was struck by how what we let in through our eyes can bring either light or darkness into our body. In particular, I'm thinking about what we look at on screens - both large and small. What we consume through social media, news sites, television programs and movies brings either light or darkness into our lives. The question is, are we aware of whether we are letting in light or darkness? I know for me, it is far too easy to spend time looking at my phone unthinkingly, not being careful to pay attention to whether what I'm letting into my life is light or darkness. The only way to truly know the difference between light and darkness is to draw near to the source of light: Jesus Christ. When we draw near to him through prayer, reading of Scripture, and listening to the body of Christ, we are more able to see darkness for what it is and reject its influence in our lives. By opening our eyes to the light of Christ, our whole lives are filled with light.

I painted the background of this page with acrylic paints, sponging a little white paint over the top and adding some stencilling with Nuvo mousse. The lamp from Shine Your Light was stamped on watercolour card, watercoloured, cut out and glued to the page. The text was stamped with a combination of Art Deco Alpha and Happy Alpha, and I added a piece of Faith Wordfetti at the bottom. Here are the sets I used:

Let's pay attention to what is entering our body through our eyes - are we letting in light or darkness? Let's choose light. Let's choose to open our eyes to God's word and let his word flood our lives with light.

Be blessed...

x Amy x

Give Thanks

 Hello and Happy Thanksgiving, friends.

This Thanksgiving will look far different from what many of us are accustom to.  Concern and worry over spreading the virus will keep gatherings smaller and the distance between us greater.  

The Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18:

16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 

 It says, "give thanks in ALL circumstances", not just in situations where we are happy or comfortable.  So, no matter what our meal plans end up looking like this year, we are to give thanks.  

Just pause for a moment and tell God a few things you can see around you that you are thankful for in this moment.  As I type, I can see my husband and our sons.  We are all gathered in our living room, doing our own things, but we are together and there is love in this room and for that, I am grateful.  I am thankful for our home and the warmth it is providing on this chilly evening.  I am thankful for this online community that I have met through Bible Journaling and for being apart of this creative team for Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps.  And to make this super relevant for 2020, I'm thankful I got my toilet paper order from Costco sitting by the door, waiting to be put away.  😂

Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has plenty; not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.  -Charles Dickens

I hope your Thanksgiving is full of just that....giving Thanks to God for His abundance, counting your blessings and at least being able to talk to your family and friends and letting them know how much you love them.  

Page details:

I wanted a simple page that reminded me of fall and harvest time, so I used watercolors to paint this field of wheat.  I stamped my title with my all time favorite alpha from Sweet 'n Sassy. (All of Me Alpha)

I hope you have a Happy & safe Thanksgiving!

Jill

 

Glow, Shine, & Sparkle!

No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light. Luke 11:33

Hi sweet friends,

Today we are in Luke where Jesus is talking about light. We know about light and darkness. We see it in our everyday lives. Light illuminates the darkness. And of course, Jesus is The Light. Jesus and His truth must not be hidden. We must live in a way that Jesus is seen by others. That's what verse 33 is saying.

In Luke 11:34-36, Jesus goes on to say, "Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is bad, your body is full of darkness. Therefore be careful lest the light in you be darkness. If then your whole body is full of light, having no part of dark, it will be wholly bright, as when a lamp with its rays gives you light." What does this mean? I think it is talking about our response to Jesus. If we see Jesus for who He is- the Son of God, the Savior of the world, then we are filled with His light. If we do not see Him for who He is, then we remain in darkness. In verse 35, Jesus cautions us about the light in us being darkness. There are many things in this world that are bright and attractive. And they may keep us from seeing the True Light. If we are seeking the world's "light" instead of Jesus, we will be filled with darkness.

John Piper said, "Christ is the glory we were made to see. His light alone will fill us and give the light of life and meaning to every part of our lives. And when that happens, we ourselves will shine and give off the rays of Christ." So, my friends, glow! Shine! Sparkle Him out to all you meet!

Page Details: I used the Shine Your Light set from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps. I used watercolor crayons and a white pen as well.

Have a blessed Thanksgiving! Andrea

Hope

1 Peter 1:13

“So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. 

Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you 

when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world.”

2020 has been a year hasn’t it?! I don’t know anyone who wouldn’t agree. We’ve heard a lot of words over and over this year. Some I would really like to just completely retire if I could. But in my opinion, two of the really important words from this year are Hope and Grace. Who isn’t searching for or holding on to hope right now?!? Sometimes hope is all we have to get us through the tough times we are facing. And it’s through our faith and the grace of God that we have that hope!

1 Peter 1:13 says:

“So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world.”

Our hope has to be directly tied to the grace of God found through his salvation on the cross! If 2020 has taught all of us anything, it’s to not put our hope in the material and superficial things of this world. It can all be taken away so quickly, but no one can take away our hope that is rooted in God!

1 Peter was written around 60 A.D., a time when the world was in a really bad place. Christians were being killed and Apostle Peter was in persecution. So you can imagine, as we are going through these crazy, unpredictable and tumultuous times, we can somewhat relate. When the world feels unstable, like we don’t know what or who to believe, it makes it all the more obvious how important it is to put our faith and our hope in Jesus Christ alone. This world is not our home. We are foreigners and only meant to be here for a short time. 

Remain hopeful and faithful friends! God is with us! He will never leave or forsake us!

xoxo,

Stephanie Gammon

@faith.and.creativity 

Texture Tiles 8

Choose Faith

 

Christmas Hymnal Journaling

How about a little Christmas hymnal journaling to kick off your week?! 😉 I put up my Christmas tree this weekend and have been listening to non-stop Christmas music. I'm usually a "not until after Thanksgiving" girl, but 2020 broke me.🤣

This page was fun, but super easy to put together. I used my VersaMagic Chalk Inks to blend the background, and then used the Jesus is Born Silhouettes, All Your Heart, and Teeny Alpha stamp sets to create the silhouette and title. I used a white gelly roll pen to add the white accents and shadowing. 

O Come, All Ye Faithful

O come, all ye faithful,

Joyful and triumphant,

O come ye, o come ye to Bethlehem,

Come and behold Him,

Born the King of Angels!

O come, let us adore Him,

O come, let us adore Him,

O come, let us adore Him,

Christ the Lord.

Not all journaling needs to be in a Bible or art journal. I love hymnal art journaling! I do most of my journaling to music, and there is just something about capturing my thoughts and feelings in conjunction with the old, rich, beautiful hymns. Give it a try and tell me how you like it!

Lots of love, 

Janelle

@journalingjoy

Guess what? Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps is turning 13 this month and having sales all month long! This week's featured sale is 20% off all Creative Worship and Background Stamps 👏 (It's a great time to stock up on those Alpha and Texture Tiles stamp sets - my personal faves 😉)

 

 

Seeing the Light because of the Light...

Hi friends,

There seems to be a lot of darkness around at the moment, doesn't there? Whether that's the darkness of the pandemic that has swept the world and continues to take and affect lives daily, or the darkness of confusion that comes from moral bankruptcy and competing claims on truth. Much like if we find ourselves in a dark room without access to light, trying to find our way out, or being outside in the darkness with the sense of trepidition that can often bring, the darkness that surrounds us brings uncertainty and uneasiness. 

This feeling of metaphorical darkness and our desperate need for light is not new to our generation or even our millenium - it has been this way throughout human history. The Psalms show this through the psalmists' cries for God to be the lamp that lights their darkness, and recognising that God's word is a lamp to their feet. In Psalm 36:9, David points to God as the source of light when he writes, 'in your light do we see light.' 

As Christians, we know that Jesus is the light of the world. He is the source of all light, and in the Bible light is metaphor for truth, so Jesus is the one who enables us to see truth. It is in his light (truth) that we are able to comprehend other light (truths). This is so important for us to remember as we are confronted with many claims to truth, and even face our own blindness or ignorance in seeking to understand the truth. None of us can claim full knowledge of the truth - only God possesses all truth. But we can look to Jesus, who is God's revelation of light and truth, and we can examine the claims to truth around us in the light that he gives. We also need to remember that God has given us the Church to help point to the light of God, and so we cannot hope to seek truth on our own: we need to do so in the community that God has given us, both local and global. May we draw near to the light of God in order to see and know the truth.

I created this page in my Journaling Psalter using stamps from the new Shine Your Light set, colouring the images and background with watercolours. The text was stamped using Shine Your Light as well as a couple of alphabet sets: With Love Alpha and Print Blocks Alpha. I finished the page off with a couple of butterfly stickers (as I often do!). Here are the sets I used:

Let's look to the light of God's truth as we seek to find and be light in the darkness.

Be blessed...

x Amy x

What Guides You?

What guides me through life?

That's a question that could be answered a million different ways.  I have certainly used experience to help me determine a course of action.  I regularly seek the advice of family and friends.  I have even allowed social media (or the media in general) to influence my feelings.

While some of these options are certainly better than the latter, my best and most reliable option for guidance is the Word of God.  

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

               Psalms 119:105

The world can be a dark and dangerous place, but the word of God is our light.  The Bible is our compass, meant to guide our steps and teach us how to walk as Christians. 

2 Timothy 3:16-17 says,

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Let's be guided by the light. 

Crafty details:

I started this page by blending some Distress Oxide inks on the page, being sure to leave a light area where my lantern was going to hang.  I stamped the beautiful lantern from the new Shine Your Light set and painted it with Tarnished Brass Distress paint.  I painted the tree using Distress paint and stamp the leaves with several shades of brown oxide inks.  The leaves, flowers and grasses are all from the Nature Silhouettes set.   I stamped my title with words from the Shine Your Light and Way Maker sets.  I added some paint splatters to finish off the page.

Until next time, catch up with me on Instagram and Facebook @simplyjillsjourney.

Jill

 

 

 

Shine Like Stars

Do everything without grumbling and arguing, so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God who are faultless in a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world, by holding firm to the word of life. Philippians 2:14-16a

Dear Friends,

This has been a rough week. Here in America, we're all probably feeling a little weary no matter which candidate we support. So what do we do now? As believers in the one true King, what do we do? Philippians 2:14-16a tells us what we do- we shine like stars. Are we shining our own light? Oh no, my friends, we are shining HIS light. We are reflecting Him to this broken and hurting world. So let's break down these verses.

1. Do everything without grumbling and arguing: If you've been on Facebook or Twitter or watched the news lately, you know there is a lot of grumbling and arguing. The sad thing is is that believers are wrapped up in it just as much as non-believers. We need to stop! Through Paul, God didn't say just do some things without grumbling and arguing. He said do EVERYTHING without it. I need to improve myself. I haven't gotten involved in political battles online or in person, but do I grumble to myself? Yes. Do I argue with the TV? Yes. Do I gripe at posts? Yes. We need to do better. When we are acting like the world, we are not sharing Jesus' light or His love as we are called to do. We can't draw others to Christ if we are at war with them.
2. So that you may be blameless and pure, children of God who are faultless in a crooked and perverted generation: This is the reason WHY we should not grumble and argue. This world is definitely crooked and perverted. But we should not be! God is in complete control. None of this surprises Him. He's not worried. And no matter who ends up in the White House, God's purpose will be done.
3. Among whom you shine like stars in the world, by holding firm to the word of life: When we live differently than the world, when we don't grumble and argue as the world does, we shine like stars. I love that CSB translation. We shine God's light in this dark world and people are drawn to Him. Isn't that what we want? All these people we disagree with, isn't what we want that they too know Jesus? Our country, our world is hurting. Our country, our world needs Jesus. Let's shine. And we shine by holding firm to the word of life, His truth. Hold firm, my friends, hold firm to His word.  

My phone had an update the weekend before the election. One of the updates was that I could add a verse of the day to my home screen so I did. The day after the election this was the verse that popped up on my screen: Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8) What a reassurance that was. Jesus is on His throne. He was on it yesterday, and He will remain there always no matter what happens in this world.

Page Details: I used the following Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps sets: Shine Your Light, Texture Tiles 8, Playful Alpha, Marker Alpha. The background was done with watercolor crayons. I just wet my brush, gather color on the brush from the tip of the crayon, and pounce the brush on the page. I also used glitter glue to make some of the words and the stars sparkle.

 

Sparkle for Him this week! Blessings, Andrea