Read His Book

And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning Himself. 

Luke 24:27

Hi Friends,

Are you a reader? What is your favorite book? My husband and I and both our daughters are avid readers. Both of my parents also love to read, as did my mother-in-law. I think reading was seen as important in our family and so the love of it has been passed down through the generations. 

Jesus holds importance in our family too, more than reading of course. He is our Savior, our Redeemer, our King. And being able to read about Him in the Bible is something I am very thankful for. Not only am I thankful for the ability to read so that I can read the Bible, I am also thankful for the accessibility of the Bible in America. I have numerous printed Bibles in various translations as well as digital Bibles that I can pull up on my phone, tablet, or computer. The book that should take precedence over all else is the Bible. One of my most favorite Charles Spurgeon quotes is: "Visit many good books, but live in the Bible."

The Bible lets us know our Savior better. And He's not just in the New Testament. He is found in the Old Testament just as Luke 24:27 indicates. He may not show up by name, but He is there nonetheless. The Old Testament shows us our need for Jesus by showing us the law, points to Jesus in Messianic prophecies, and foreshadows Jesus through the worship of the Jewish people. Jesus is found in EVERY book of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. The Bible is all about Jesus. So, we shouldn't ignore the Old Testament or books that we may find more difficult to read or understand. The Bible definitely isn't "easy reading." It's SO much more. It is LIFE. I pray that we will all have an unquenchable desire for the Word of God, that we will all read it daily, and live according to it. To know our Savior, we must read His book. Anyone who says (s)he knows Jesus, but isn't reading the Bible, is lying. Many people are happy to tell us about "their" Jesus. What we must ask ourselves is this- am I following the Jesus of the Bible? If "my" Jesus doesn't line up with the One in Scripture, then that's not the real Jesus.

So take some time each day and read, my friends. Read about Jesus!

Page Details: I used the following Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps sets: Let's Get Cozy, God of Comfort, and Bitty Minnie Alpha. I stamped the images, masking what I needed to get the effect of some things being behind others. Then I used watercolor crayons to color the page.

Have a beautiful week! Andrea

Rest

And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever. My people will abide in peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places. Isaiah 32:17-18

Hello Sweet Friends,

Do you pray for a world of peace? of security? of rest? I know I do! This world we live in just makes me shake my head. I mean, let's be honest, there are so many things going on that just don't make sense. And I firmly believe that Satan is at work. But of course, we know that God is at work too. And who is stronger, my friends? Never forget that our God is greater than any other. It may seem like Satan is winning, but God is in control. And He's working everything- hear me, EVERYTHING, for His good purpose.

So, take a breath, and rest in Him. In Isaiah 32, we read of a beautiful future for Israel. Israel will be restored. God's Spirit will be poured out and His justice and righteousness will prevail. While this chapter is a prophecy for Israel, we know through Revelation and other New Testament books, that ultimately we will all see God's restoration of creation. Jesus will reign as King on earth! And with His righteousness will come peace and security and rest. Oh, how I look forward to that day! But we can have that peace and that security and that rest NOW. Yes, we must only focus on HIM. Remember Peter? When he jumped out of the boat to walk on water to Jesus, he only began to sink when he took his eyes off Jesus. (Matt 14:22-33) When he focused on the wind and the storm, that's when he sank. So, friends, let's not focus on the storms of this world. Let's focus on our great Savior, Jesus. Let's keep our eyes on Him. And in Him, we will find peace, security, and rest.

Page details: I used the following Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps supplies: Quilt Stencil and Faith Phrases. 

To make the colorful quilt using the stencil, I laid the stencil down on the page and covered each square with a sticky note. Then I used yellow distress oxide for the borders. Next I used 3 sticky notes to outline one of the triangles on the outside of the square and taped them together. All the triangles in the corners are the same size, so I used the mask for the corner triangles and the orange triangles. 

Since I had done the borders first, I could pick up the stencil and do all the triangles first by lining the stencil up with the borders and triangles as I colored them in. Finally, I masked off one square- completely masking the triangles and borders with a sticky note I cut up and washi tape- only the diamonds showed. 

It was a little more difficult to line up the squares as everything was masked, but I was able to get it close. I used 2 more small sticky notes so that only one diamond showed as I colored around it in alternating colors. 

I hope the photos help explain the process. It's not pretty, but it got the job done! LOL

Have a blessed week! Andrea

Knit Together in Love...

Hi friends,

When Paul wrote to the churches, he let them know what he was wanting, hoping, and praying for them. We find one of these expressions in Colossians 2:2, where Paul is telling the church at Colossae what he wants, not just for them, but for another church in the area at Laodicea. He wants them to be encouraged and knit together with strong bonds of love. 

Notice that Paul didn't say that it was strong bonds of doctrine, or strong bonds of political agreement, or strong bonds of cultural practice. No - the strong bond he knew would knit together people from various backgrounds and colours and cultures and experiences and opinions was the bond of love. It is unconditional love that is the glue that holds relationships together. We see this kind of love first displayed in God, as he revealed himself in the Old Testament as being slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. And we see this love made human in Jesus Christ, who demonstrated so perfectly the extent to which love would go for those who did not deserve it. 

Paul describes this love in 1 Corinthians 13, and it is this love that binds us together as the family of God; brothers and sisters who worship the Father together with the Son, filled with the Holy Spirit. Despite our differences in doctrine, political opinions, cultural lenses, experiences, or anything else which distinguishes us from one another, the love of God in Christ, expressed to one another, is what knits us together. Perhaps we should be spending more time dwelling upon and speaking about the love of God and demonstrating love to one another, rather than trying to win the latest argument on social media? 

I used the new Knit Together stamp set on this page, along with His Love, Sweet & Simple Alpha, and Chunky Lowercase Alpha. I created the background using acrylic paints and cling film, smooshing the paint onto the page through the cling film, which was lots of fun. I then used the Geometric Background pattern to add the harlequin design over the top, colouring with glitter markers for some shimmer. 

Let's seek to be knit together by strong ties of love and show the world what it means to love one another as Christ has first loved us.

Be blessed...

x Amy x

Saturate Your Soul with Scripture

"How happy is the one who does not walk in the advice of the wicked or stand in the pathway with sinners or sit in the company of mockers! Instead, his delight is in the Lord's instruction, and he meditates on it day and night. He is like a tree planted beside flowing streams that bears its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. The wicked are not like this; instead, they are like chaff that the wind blows away. There the wicked will not stand up in the judgement, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to ruin." - Psalm 1:1-6

As we begin this new year, can I challenge you to saturate your heart, soul, and mind with scripture the whole year through? Psalm 1 talks about two paths and two destinations, the path of faithfulness or the the path of faithlessness to God. It's up to you to choose which path you will take. The path of faithfulness leads to God's joy, contentment, and favor; the path of faithlessness leads to worthlessnes and eternal judgement. Choose wisely!

When you sow a thought, you reap an action. When you sow an action, you reap a habit. When you sow a habit, you reap a character. When you sow a character, you reap a destiny.

You can't expect to grow spiritually this year if you are not daily feasting on the Word. The Bible pertains to all aspects of life. It guides and directs (Proverbs 3:5-6), it brings good success (Joshua 1:8), it overcomes fear by instilling faith in God's presence and power (Joshua 1:9), it gives stability (Psalm 16:8), it gives peace (Isaiah 26:3). 

What we dwell on, what we focus our mind on, that is what we become. Friend, let me just encourage you with this truth - God's Word is the best thing you can fix your mind on this new year. 🧡

Be scripture saturated!

Page Details

I created the background of this page with watered down acrylic paint. I just painted and watered until I got the look I wanted. I then used stamp ink and texture paste with the Script and Delightfully Delicate stencils to add some more dimension to the page. Once that was done, I put down the adorable chair and side table images which I had already pre-colored with alcohol markers. I was really trying to "set the scene" so to speak with this page. 

(Tip: I picked up some cheap alcohol markers from Amazon last year and have so much fun relaxing and coloring at the end of a long day! I pre-stamp a bunch of images and then color them throughout the week. Then they are all ready to go when I want to create a Bible page or card 😉)

Once I had the layout how I wanted it, I stamped my page title: Saturate your soul with scripture!

  

  

My prayer is that you will saturate your heart, mind, and soul with scripture today and every day this year!!

Much love in Christ, 

Janelle

**I'd love to connect with you on Instagram! You can find me here: @journalingjoy

Uncontainable

Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. John 21:25

Hi Friends!

As this new year begins, I want to focus on Jesus. Not the world, not Covid, not the craziness going on in my country, not my problems, but Jesus; He is my starting point and my ending point and everything in between. John is one of my favorite books of the Bible. When I first read it, I couldn't get enough! I remember that desire to just read more and more about Jesus. I want that feeling all the time. But over time, if I'm honest, I've lost some of that desire to know Jesus more, to read the Bible more and more.

The Bible gives us a glimpse of Jesus' life on earth. And that's really all it is, a glimpse, as John 21:25 points out. I absolutely love that verse. Like, it's one of my very most favorites. Because it tells us that Jesus is BIG. He is wonderfully incomprehensible. He cannot be contained or explained. He doesn't fit neatly into a little box. And I will spend the rest of my life learning more about Him and never know Him completely. Why? Because He's God. And our God is more than our human minds can understand. And that's okay! I wouldn't want a god that I completely understand. That would mean I was somewhat of an equal. I love that I will always be able to learn more about Jesus. I love the idea that if everything He had done while on earth had been written down, the world would be completely overwhelmed. 

Our Jesus is AMAZING. Human words don't justify how amazing He is. And that's pretty cool because not only is He big and amazing and God, but He is our Savior. Jesus, the Creator of everything, the Alpha and the Omega, the one true God, loves us SO much He was willing to leave the glory of heaven, become human, be abused by His creation, and hang on a cross. He certainly didn't have to do it. He could have stayed in the throne room in heaven, and we would have all died in our sin as we rightly should. It's hard to imagine why He loves us enough to give His life for us. He took our sins on Himself and paid the price for our sin so that we might be redeemed, and fellowship with the Father might be restored. All we have to do is confess and repent of our sins and accept Him as our Savior. Then we will have eternal life with Him.

I might not know my Savior, Jesus, completely. But I know He deserves all honor and glory and praise. I await the day when all of creation praises Him. "And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, 'To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.'" Revelation 5:13 And I suppose, the world itself won't be able to contain that worship either.

Page details: I used the fabulous new set Let's Get Cozy from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps. (There's even a die set for it!)This set is so versatile with images that you can use alone, or together to make a scene. I love the little stack of books included in the set. And I thought that it would be perfect to illustrate this verse. I stamped the chair and table first. I then made a mask of each image by stamping the images on a sticky note and cutting around each image. I placed those masks on top of the chair and table on the Bible page so that I could stamp the books and it would look like the books were behind them. I stamped the lamp next and made a mask for it as well. Then I started stamping the books, lots and lots of books, LOL! I made a mask for the books so that I could make the stacks of books taller. Lastly, I added the cat, and drew in lines on the floor to make it look like hardwood floors. To color, I used water colors. It was a fun page to do reflecting on how great our Jesus is!

Have a blessed week! Andrea

Wait Quietly...

Hi friends,

I recently had the opportunity to have a couple of days of retreat in silence and solitude and it was wonderful. I didn't have any phone signal or WiFi, so I couldn't get distracted by my phone and social media. This time away allowed me to switch off from the usual distractions and focus on being still before God, reading, journaling, and just being with him. I took my Bible journaling supplies (well, some of them!) and created some pages while I was there, including this page. The couch that I sat on in the living room to read and reflect was grey and had a red blanket, so I used those colours on this page as a reminder of this time.

It's hard to describe just how much I needed this time out, particularly at the end of a busy year. Too often we think of this kind of time of solitude, silence, and retreat, as a luxury rather than a necessity. But I am becoming more convinced, not just from my experience but also from Scripture, that these kind of times are a necessity for a life of flourishing with God and others. There are many times in Scripture where we see people taking time to wait on God, to be silent before him, to go away by themselves to pray. In Psalm 62 we read David's instruction to himself in the midst of turmoil. I love how the NLT translates this: "Let all that I am wait quietly before God" (v5).

How often do we take time to wait quietly before God? If and when we do, is all that we are being present and quiet with God? I know for me, it's easier to get my body to be quiet than my mind. It's easier to sit quietly externally than to be calm and quiet internally. But David recognises that it is his whole being that needs to wait quietly before God. I am personally challenged by this example, and know I need to make more time for this. How about you?

 

I had fun mixing a bunch of stamp sets together to create this page, colouring this images with Inktense pencils and an aquabrush. I used the new Let's Get Cozy set for the chair and Botanical Branches for the leaves, along with Made New for the butterflies. The verse was stamped using a combination of Ellis Square Alpha, In His Image, Print Blocks Alpha, Bitty Minnie Alpha and All in All. 

Let's prioritise taking the time to bring our whole selves to God and wait quietly before him.

Be blessed...

x Amy x

Live in your Bible

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

Psalm 119:105

Well, it's a brand new year - 2022. Finally!

For most people, it's a time for reflection of all the experiences of the past year, as well as looking forward to plans for the upcoming year. If you are still setting your goals for the new year, can I just encourage you to make being in your Bible a top priority? And I don't just mean reading your Bible to check something off your to-do list. ✔ I mean soaking in the Word as a means to get to know your Lord in a personal, intimate relationship.

This quote from Charles Spurgeon is one of my favorites:

"Visit many good books, but live in the Bible."

A recent survey showed that only 11% of professing Christians read their Bible every day. Eleven percent! 

Devotionals wonderful, Christian books are wonderful, podcasts are wonderful - but none of those things are substitutes for God's Word in your heart. The Bible is God's Word to us, and the majority of Christians don't even read it! How sad. 

This year, make spending time with the Lord your top priority and see how it will change your heart and life. Whether your reading a good old-fashioned Bible, electronic Bible, or audio Bible, make it a point to get the Word in your heart every single day!

Page Details

I created this page using the new Let's Get Cozy stamp set, Delightfully Delicate stencil, colored pencils, and gelatos. I hand-lettered the Charles Spurgeon quote. One of my favorite things is to curl up in my armchair with a fuzzy blanket and my Bible. This page perfectly represents that, don't you think?! 😊

 

Have a very blessed New Year, friends!

Love in Christ, 

Janelle

IG: @journalingjoy