Snowman Praise

It’s 45 below in Chicago? Praise the Lord! Our flight might be cancelled? Praise the Lord! Our entire trip is cancelled?! Praise the Lord! That was the progression of thoughts last week before our trip to a basketball tournament in Michigan was cancelled due to the worst weather conditions in over 25 years.  I was organizing the trip for 42 people—girls’ and boys’ varsity teams, sponsors, and parents--to fly to Chicago, drive to southwest Michigan, and then compete in a national high school basketball tournament.  Everything was well-planned and under control, and it was going to be AWESOME! Plus, it was my son’s chance to play in front of the coach of his chosen college’s team, hopefully with the opportunity to earn a basketball scholarship. 

But things fell through. The weather predictions kept getting worse. The temperatures kept dropping. The airlines sent the dreaded email that the flight was cancelled. We desperately tried alternative routes, to no avail.  Apparently, this trip was not meant to be.  My son was devastated. And I felt completely out of control. 

I argued with God over this one.  But He convicted me when I read this verse: “For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised…” (Psalm 16:25).  This entire chapter is actually a song of praise. David dealt with disappointment after disappointment, but he continued to praise God.  Wow! I can and SHOULD praise God, even when I’m disappointed, simply because God is praiseworthy!

An alternate basketball trip presented itself, this time to Texas.  We fly out next week.  My son will have the opportunity to meet the college coach.  God works everything out! He is greatly to be praised!

For this page, I created a wintery theme with the Crazy About Snowmen stamp set.  I first stamped the image of a snowman with his arms lifted, as if in praise, and then used Distress Oxides in Cracked Pistachio, Broken China, and Dusty Concord to paint him.  I used watercolors from DotsNDust  (Sugar Rush set and Shimma) to create the colored background, then used some stencils from FaithItSociety with Distress Oxides.  I stamped the words with the Healer of My Heart set directly onto the Bible page, and the letters from the Typewriter Blocks Alpha set onto white card stock, and then cut them out.  I alternated the colors of the letters to match the colors in the snowman.  I finished the page with washi tape, a tag, and texture stamping (Texture Tiles 1).  Of course, I added my journaling to help me remember this story, and the date stamp to truly archive this entry. 

How has God taught you that you weren’t in control? How does He remind you to continue to praise Him?  Share below in the comments.  Remember, we praise Him because He is worthy to be praised! 

           

Snowman Family

Hi ya everyone! Christmas and snow is coming. What better time to pull out those adorable snowmen stamps and go crazy. The page I am sharing with you all is a page I have longed to do for a long time...a page dedicated to my children.

I used Sunshine girl alpha, and Teeny alpha to create the title at the top and the snowflakes from Crazy about snowmen as well as the adorable snowman couple. Once I stamped all I wanted I created a blue watercolor background so I could have my children put there little fingerprints in my bible with a little doodling I created little cartoon snowmen. I also added a sweet angel to remember my firstborn we lost too soon. With a few more tabs, stickers and washi the page was completed and my heart was full.

I Samuel 1:27 "For this child I prayed, and the Lord granted my petition I made him."

On this last day of November, a month focused on our blessings I thought what better way to close it out then to remember some of my biggest ones my children.
 Father, I am blown away when I sit and ponder the blessing of being a mother to my creative, beautiful, intelligent, unique children. Thank you for giving me glimpses into how you see them. Grant me the energy, patience and love I need to love them the best I can. Amen!

Thank you all for popping over! Don't forget about the sales going on over in the shop through today! As we continue into the busy holiday season continue to count your blessings and remember the true reason we celebrate!

Love and prayers,
Jenn @creativegurl85

The Lord Is So Very Good

Give thanks to the Lord of hosts,

for the Lord is good,

for his steadfast love endures forever!

Jeremiah 33:11

I recently reread the story of the 10 lepers healed by Jesus.  Leprosy was a slow, agonizing and ostracizing disease.  To be brought back from the brink of this torturous nightmare would have indeed been a miracle that demonstrated unfathomable power and obvious love.  Most lepers were shunned by their community and even their families.  To have been a leper, then to have been made clean would have been more than freeing, more than miraculous for the suffering one.  This miracle restored life in so many ways. Thus, we are incredulous to know that only one of the ten came back to Jesus to praise God and to thank his healer.   We just shake our heads and ask, "How could they not?"

Yet, look at all the blessings so many people receive today and take for granted or fail to give credit for the goodness in their lives.  Our God blesses even the unbeliever!  We wouldn't expect them to acknowledge God as the source of blessing.  But it is surprising to hear believers complain even when their lives compared to some are amazingly good. If my memory serves me correctly, I've been guilty myself!

I know God has been so very good to me.  Daily, I can see blessing after blessing, each as undeserved as the one before.  I experience joy in His presence and He showers me with His unfailing love.  I pray each day to see His gifts over the grit of life.  The best antidote to the growth of thankless callouses on our heart, is to run back to Him every day and praise God, thanking Him for all He has done for us.  May we never be like those 9 lepers that prioritized their perfunctory duties and headed to the priests first, instead of running back to Jesus who took the blight off their lives.

We can thank God every day for who He is, for His steadfast, unfailing love toward us.  He wouldn't have to do a thing for us and we'd still have reason enough to praise.  But that He showers us with blessing because of His great love...that is the great miracle. 
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Design Details:
I had so much fun creating this background, especially the pattern in the margin.  I created my own color spray using a gelato and water and it turned out so well.  I love it more than so many of the sprays that stain so deeply and permeate the page.  I sprayed over a stencil.  I have this quick video for you to share my design process.


Sets Used:

Crazy About Snowmen

The Good News

Check out the video to see how I masked off the unwanted portion of one stamp. 

God's Word & His Purpose

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:10-11

Dear Friends,

I hope you had a blessed Thanksgiving! It's hard to believe that it's already the beginning of the Christmas season. I am so thankful for Jesus and His Word. I love these verses that tell us that God's Word does not return void. It will always fulfill the purposes He has for it. Our job is to share His Word. He'll do the rest! I am thankful for the word pictures the Bible often gives us. Here, we are given the picture of rain or snow and how it waters the earth so that plants can flourish. In the same way, God's Word waters our souls so that we can flourish. Yay, God!! 

For my page, I used the following Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps sets: Crazy About Snowmen, Bitty Minnie Alpha, Itty Bitty Blossoms, and Skinny Caps. I used watercolor crayons and a white brush pen to color. 

It's Black Friday, and Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps is having a great sale!! Don't miss out!

Have a blessed week! Andrea