Sometimes Blessings Come Through Raindrops

 "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."
James 1:2-3

I love to journal song lyrics, and this month's new stamp set "Count Your Rainbows" immediately made me think of the song "Blessings" from Laura Story. If you've not heard the story behind the song, you should go look it up. It's a beautiful reminder of how God uses the most difficult moments of life to bring us closer to Him. James says that the testing of our faith produces steadfastness.

*Steadfastness = the quality of being resolutely or dutifully firm and unwavering. 

What hard times have you gone through that have brought you closer to God? There have been several hardships in my life that have brought me closer to God. Going through them, they didn't feel that way, but looking back I can see how God used those circumstances to make me more steadfast in my faith. 

If you're going through a trying time right now, take James' advice and count it joy - God is working and using whatever it is you are going through to draw you closer to Him and make you more steadfast in your faith. 

Here are the lyrics to the song "Blessings" by Laura Story:

We pray for blessings

We pray for peace

Comfort for family, protection while we sleep

We pray for healing, for prosperity

We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering

All the while, You hear each spoken need

Yet love is way too much to give us lesser things

'Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops

What if Your healing comes through tears

What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near

What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom

Your voice to hear

We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near

We doubt your goodness, we doubt your love

As if every promise from Your Word is not enough

All the while, You hear each desperate plea

And long that we'd have faith to believe

When friends betray us

When darkness seems to win

We know that pain reminds this heart

That this is not our home

What if my greatest disappointments

Or the aching of this life

Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy

What if trials of this life

The rain, the storms, the hardest nights

Are your mercies in disguise

Page Details

I had a ton of fun using the new releases from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps for this page! There are a ton of new releases for this month and I'm so excited for them all!! 

I had a bit of watercolor bleed through from the other side of the page, so used acrylic paint to make a white, peach, and blue background to help cover some of the paint. I then used my Sizzix Sidekick to cut out the word "blessings" using the new word die. I'm new to using dies, so my little Sidekick is perfect for these little dies. 😊 I then figured out where I wanted the word "blessings" on the page and stamped the phrase around it. Once I had my title stamped out, I added the rainbows, clouds, and raindrops. 🌈

Here are the stamp sets used: 

  

 

May you count your rainbows this March!

Janelle

@journalingjoy