Practice Hospitality

"Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers,
for thereby some have entertained angels unawares."
Hebrews 13:2

Hey guys!
It's Deeds, just SUPER excited to share a couple of MAJOR things going on right now! 
First, just this month, Sweet n Sassy Stamps released some beautiful #tb stamp sets.  Additionally, Korin Sutherland is putting together dream-like deals for the every-day-crafter and bible journaler.  Discounts, deals, and more!  But why?

Well, we're celebrating Sweet n Sassy's Stamps 11th birthday!  11 years old! 
You'll find all the information through videos and posts on the facebook page, the youtube channel and the website regarding the different ways we're celebrating - you don't want to miss out!

Something I've always struggled with is hospitality. Not, not, NOT my strong suit, and I have to work really hard at it.  Being an extrovert doesn't automatically make you a wonderful host and I've become all too aware of how little I practice the heart of God behind "hospitality." 

We read verse after verse in the inspired Word of God about this concept.  It's something that we see throughout scripture in various forms and styles.  We find accounts given to us as examples of God's intentions when it comes to hosting - which is more than just opening the doors of our house.

It's more than interesting to me when God places a "bug in my ear."  That "bug" tends to multiply, crowd, and take over the "free space" in my brain.  But gracious God always lends the helping hand of the Holy Spirit to truly impact and move.  This in turn places the conviction deep down, and I'm caused to visit this area time and again.

Hospitality is often a burden.  God never said it wouldn't be.  In fact, in ALL places of scripture, it's an inconvenient labor of love.  True, authentic, holy love.  It's administered via the belief in God's Word, and taking action on those beliefs.  It starts with the heart. 
So what does hospitality look like, according to scripture?

Hillary @creativefaithco provided a 26-day devotional to help us gear up for such a time as this - the Advent season - called, "The ABC's of Christmas."  Within the pages of this book, we have a letter attributed to something that relates to Christmas, along with scriptural prompts and simple challenges.

"H" is for Hospitality.  Obviously, during this time of year, the crazy of hosting and preparing our homes and lives is inevitable.  However, there's more to hospitality than simply opening the doors of our homes, and it's more than providing a fun place to sip, eat, and party with friends and relatives; it's being aware of the strangers and unknowns of our world and seeking to show them the openness and warmth of the Lord Jesus.  Hospitality in the Bible happens toward those who are otherwise outsiders, outcasts, those without, and those with need.

The process videoand devotion on my channel goes a little further into this, as well as my hopes for myself and my family this year in the matter of being hospitable.  What are your thoughts about hospitality?  Does opening your house seem bothersome when it comes to people you don't know?  If we think about God's idea and mode of hospitality, does that change our thinking at all? 

Much love,

Deeds

Show Hospitality... Without Grumbling!

Hi friends,

Today is new release day over at Sweet n Sassy Stamps, and this month is a special month as SNSS turns 11! One of the sets being released today is the adorable Cocoa's Cups, which is a combination of previous favourite Cocoa images - sooo cute!

I had a think about what Scripture verses I could illustrate using this set and one of the words that came to mind was 'hospitality'. I used an online Bible website to search for the word hospitality and found a few verses to meditate on. One of them was in 1 Peter 4:9, which says "Show hospitality to one another without grumbling." This is such a simple, straightforward instruction, but oh how we (or maybe just I?) need to hear it! How easy it is to moan about the dishes or the mess or the time or money spent in showing hospitality - even, and maybe especially, to our own household!

But God asks us to serve with grace, not with grumbling. We are called to follow the example of Jesus, who poured out his life for others without grumbling or complaining. So, next time we have to clean up a spill, do extra dishes or spend time we feel we don't have cooking, cleaning or caring for others, let's remember to minister hospitality with grace rather than grumbles!

I stamped the images from Cocoa's Cups onto watercolour card then cut out different elements to create this scene. The verse was stamped with a combination of Rebecca Script Alpha and Bitty Minnie Alpha, and I added some splashes in the background using one of the stamps from Grunge Elements 2. Here are the sets I used:

I pray that you would be richly blessed as you extend the gift of hospitality to those around you!

x Amy x